Escaping Automation

Peace, one and all…

The war against the lower self goes on!  There have been some losses, and some gains too!  Praise be to God in every condition and in every state.  Praise be to God when I’m sad and praise be to God when I’m happy.  Praise be to God when wrong and praise be to God when right.  Al hamdu lillahi ala kulli hal.  This seems the only sane and sensible reaction to life and its oddities.

The war against the lower self is essentially about escaping automation.  That is, it’s about moving beyond unthought, habitual behaviour.  Subhan Allah!  This is a difficult task indeed.  Much of my own behaviour falls into this category, responses to unconscious stimuli and the like.  May God help me to move beyond, into the land of true humanity.

Escaping automation is the theme of my latest poetic reflections (over at The Corner Reloaded).  Here’s a free sample!

Enjoy and may Allah help us all to become authentic human beings.  Amin.

The Automaton’s Grip

We are slaves of unconscious behaviour,
when in Truth we should be servants of God.
A life spent as mere mindless automaton,
is no life at all:
acting from habit,
till awakening in sorrow
at the fall of death’s final curtain.
It takes effort to shatter these chains;
it takes work to escape automation,
some small attempt to break free.
God will do the rest, my friend,
if you let Him,
for Hu needs nothing,
least of all soul-less robots.
So take off these prison robes
and breathe the free air of your humanity once more.
You are precious, my Love.
Too precious by far to be mere automata forever.

Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman

Eid al-Adha

Peace, one and all…

I would like to wish everyone Eid Mubarak.

Kullu aam wa antum bi khayr

Taqabbal Allah minna wa minkum

Bajram Sherif Mubarak Olsun

The Imam of my local masjid kindly lent me a copy of his khutbah today.  Insha Allah, I’ll try and post a copy of it in the next few days. 

Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman

National Storytelling Week: Tales from the Muslim World

Peace, one and all…

A quick note to publicise a local event.  On 28th January, the National Museum of Wales, Cardiff will be holding Tales from the Muslim World, as part of National Storytelling Week.

Also, the Museum is also hosting the 1001 Inventions: Discover the Muslim Heritage in Our World exhibition.  This really fascinating exhibition (excellently arranged by the museum) is a real treat, al hamdu lillah.  I’ve seen it and plan to take my kids along shortly, insha Allah.  It also plays host to the Arabic ‘dinar’ of King Offa, which as a historian I find deeply fascinating.

Besides, I work just around the corner from the Museum (in Cardiff University).

Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman

The Hajj

Peace, one and all…

Today is Yaum al-Arafah (the Day of Arafah), one of the most significant days in the Islamic calendar.  Today is the culmination of the Hajj pilgrimage, the fifth pillar of Islam.  Given the day’s importance, I wanted to bring together a number of scattered posts together.  May Allah make them useful.

Factual Information

• The Islamic Understanding of God (the premise upon which the Hajj is built) 
• The Five Pillars of Islam

Abdur Rahman’s Hajj-related Poetry

• Labbayk Allahumma Labbayk
• Labbayk Allahumma Labbayk 2

Links

• Channel 4′s Hajj Website

Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman

The Wisdom of Jesus (alayhi al-salam)

Peace, one and all…

During the Xmas holiday season, our thoughts quite naturally turn towards our Master and Prophet, Jesus son of Mary (Isa ibnu Maryam).  Our ever-worthy brother Sadiq (over at Mystic Saint) has recently posted quite a lot on Jesus the Murshid (peace be upon him), so insha Allah this post will be in good company.

I wanted to post a couple of Jesus’ sayings, both of which are related to us from that other master of the mystic path, Imam Abu Hamed al-Ghazzali (courtesy of the latter day Master of Love, Dr. Javad Nurbakhsh of the Nimatullahi Sufi Order).

Enjoy, and may God make these sayings beneficial to all who chance by.  Amin.

‘Jesus said: ‘Good trees are abundant, but not all bear fruit, and fruit is plentiful, but not all of it is sweet.  Now, knowledge is abundant, but not all of it is fruitful’

And again:

‘Jesus said: ‘A plant can grow only in yielding earth, not on hard rock.  In the same way, wisdom flourishes only in a humble heart, not one which is proud and unyielding’

Once more:

‘Jesus said: ‘Do not hang jewels about the necks of swine.  Wisdom is finer than gems, and those who do not value it are worse than swine’

And finally:

‘Jesus said:’ Whoever possesses knowledge and applies it and instructs others, will be exalted in the celestial realm of the angels’

Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman

Poetry Reloaded!

Peace, one and all…

With the imminent end of 2006, I’ve unearthed some unpublished poetry and posted it over at The Corner Reloaded.  Enjoy, and may God make it of benefit to all who come upon it.

Amin.

Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman

Christmas Morning Thoughts

Peace, one and all…

If I might be forgiven for so strange a title, these poetic reflections, over at The Corner Reloaded, came to me on Christmas morning, at my parents’ house.  Enjoy, and may God make them beneficial.

Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman

On Generosity

Peace, one and all…

Ibn al-Husayn al-Sulami, in his book on Sufi Chivalry (futuwwah), records the following anecdote of Ibn Abbas (the famous Companion of the Prophet, alayhi al-salatu wa al-salam), may God be pleased with him.  The story relates to a battle, in which the Muslim forces were heavily outnumbered:

‘The battle raged a whole day.  Both sides had casualties in proportion to their numbers.  When the fighting ceased near sunset, I took a waterskin and went to the battlefield, which was full of dead and wounded men.  I heard many among the Muslims groaning and asking for water.  I approached one dying soldier whose lips were parched.  As I was about to make him drink, we heard another close by begging for water.  The wounded hero asked me to give the water to the other soldier first.  When I went to the second man, we heard a nearby enemy soldier begging for water.  The Muslim asked me to give the water to him.  When I served water to the wounded enemy, I returned to the Muslim warrior, but he had already drunk the wine of martyrdom.  I went back to the first soldier, but he too had met his Lord’.

Ya Allah!  Even in the midst of battle and thirst and pain, these men were able to show generosity of spirit to their enemy.  May Allah help me to be like them and to tread the Path of Futuwwah too.  Amin. 

Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman

Abu Hafs al-Haddad on Wrongdoing

Peace, one and all…

Abu Hafs al-Haddad, one of our spiritual masters, said regarding wrongdoing:

‘I abandoned wrongdoing, but then returned to it.  Later wrongdoing abandoned me, and I did not return to it’.

May Allah help us all, so that wrongdoing abandons us.

Amin! 

Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman

Think of the Lizard…

Peace, one and all…

Here’s another excellent short tale from Paul Coelho.  His writings show him to be a fellow traveller, and these short stories come straight from the heart of the Sufis.  Enjoy.

May Allah help us all to reflect on where we were, where we are and where we are all going.

Think of the Lizard

Think of the lizard.  It spends most of its life on the ground, envying the birds and indignant at its fate and its shape.  “I am the most disliked of all the creatures,” it thinks.  “Ugly, repulsive, and condemned to crawl along the ground.” One day, though, Mother Nature asks the lizard to make a cocoon.  The lizard is startled — it has never made a cocoon before.  He thinks that he is building his tomb, and prepares to die.  Although unhappy with the life he has led up until then, he complains to God: “Just when I finally became accustomed to things, Lord, you take away what little I have.”  In desperation, he locks himself into the cocoon and awaits the end.  Some days later, he finds that he has been transformed into a beautiful butterfly.  He is able to fly to the sky, and he is greatly admired.  He is surprised at the meaning of life and at God’s designs.

Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman

The Quest: Some Advice from Mevlana…

Peace, one and all…

Before I disappear to my parents’ house for the Xmas break, here’s some advice on the spiritual quest from Mevlana.  Enjoy and have a pleasant break, one and all.  (I will be able to post, but I’m not sure if I’ll have time to for the next few days).

The Quest (trans. by Shaykh Kabir and Shaykha Camille Helminski) 

Even though you’re not equipped,
keep searching:
equipment isn’t necessary on the way to the
Sustainer.
Whoever you see engaged in search,
become her friend and cast your head in front
of her
for choosing to be a neighbour of seekers,
you become one yourself;
protected by conquerors,
you will, yourself, learn to conquer.
If an ant seeks the rank of Solomon,
don’t smile contemptuously upon its quest.
Everything you possess of skill, and wealth, and
handicraft,
wasn’t it merely a thought and a quest?

Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman

Lack of Presence is Bad for the Health!

Peace, one and all…

Lack of Presence can, it seems, be bad for your health! 

As I was cooking last night’s dinner, my mind was occupied with all the mundane details of life.  Before I knew it I had cut my thumb quite badly.  Al hamdu lillahi ala kulli hal!  Accidents sometimes happen for a reason.  I need to concentrate upon the immediate task at hand. 

Priorities, in other words, are what it is all about.  We need to be Present in order to know when a given situation is dangerous.  I wonder how much this accounts for sin.  Is sin merely unthought-through action/desire?  If I was able to truly think through the consequences of my actions, then would I ever really sin?  Or, at least, would I sin knowingly?

Being Present, then, is the way forward.  The ability to live fully in each moment, to be there in each moment, is what I’m looking for.  Presence, as a descriptive label, feels right to me for several reasons.  Firstly, becoming present suggests that I am already capable.  I couldn’t be Present if it was impossible.  Secondly, Presence suggests companionship.  That is, I am in the Presence of others and ultimately, I am ever-Present before the One (whether I realise that in each moment is a very different matter).  Thirdly, Presence makes me think of giving something, or presenting something.  I am struggling to Present my service and Love to God, my true Beloved.

Presence is thus a rich metaphor and metaphors help us find our way in this confused and confusing world.

Wa akhiru da’wana an il hamdu lillahi rabbil alameen…

Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman

That Small Masjid of My Heart

Peace, one and all…

The last post has reminded me of that other small mosque of my heart, in Lampeter.  It’s just a small masjid, in a very small University town in rural West Wales (you can’t get much more rural and West Wales: it’s only 15 miles to the coast), but it’s one of my spiritual homes.  I took my shahadah in that small, ramshackle building, which was once the Archaeology department’s storage hut!  I remember, with fond clarity, my first time there, my first wudu and my first salat. 

I remember saying the Shahadah with my friend Ahmad (now a lecturer in al-Azhar), Musa (and his wife Tahirah) nearby, along with Abdullah, Amjad (bhraji from Norway) and his wife Shahin, Nurudin (my good friend from Nigeria: how I miss you) and Ta Ha (from Uganda).  Then Ahmad Azzam, Ustadh Zulkilfi and Ustadh Yusof – all from Malaysia.  

Thinking of Lampeter reminds me of my good friend Ismail and his wife Fatimanur.  May Allah bless them, their beautiful children and all that they say and do.

Ya Allah!  How memory tugs upon the strings of the heart!  How Love wounds us and raises us up, all at once!

Ya Allah!  Thank You for this life and all that You have given to me within it!

Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman

Jumu’ah

Peace, one and all…

 

Subhan Allah wa al-hamdu lillah!  Human beings are by nature, it seems, an ungrateful lot.  We’re never satisfied with what we have and fail to appreciate the truly significant things in life.  Part of growing up (another way of describing the Path) lies in acknowledging all of the blessings which you’ve been given.

As such, I wanted to tak this opportunity (before God and man so to speak) to record my gratitude for today’s jumu’ah.  Over the last few weeks, making Salat al-Jumu’ah has been virtually impossible and so today’s khutbah and salat/namaz was especially welcome.

Aberdare Mosque is small, in an out of the way place.  But, it has a baraka all of its own.  Indeed, now that I think of it, small, apparently non-descript masajid often have a special feeling to them, as if they’re honoured more because of their scarcity.

Ya Rabbi!  Thank you for the many blessings You have bestowed upon me and my family.  Ya Allah!  Help me to be worthy, thankful, appreciative and as giving as You have been.  Amin, Amin, Amin!

Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman

Du’a (Supplication)

Peace, one and all…

The Prophet (alayhi al-salatu wa al-salam) is reported to have said:

‘Supplication is the essence of worship’ (Provisions for the Seekers, page 27) 

Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman

A Poem of Mevlana

Peace, one and all…

As regular readers will know, much of my own poetry uses images and metaphors drawn from travelling.  As such, this poem of Mevlana Rumi’s is especially resonant. 

Enjoy….

Ya Hazret-i-Mevlana Hakk Dost!

Travel (translated by Peter Lambourn Wilson)

If a tree could get up and walk from place to place
it’s never suffer saw’s pain nor axe’s cruel blow -

If Sun and Moon lurked unmoving as solid rock
what kind of light could they hope to bestow?

How bitter Bactrus River, Tigris and Euphrates
if they stood in place sluggish as the Sea;

even Air stagnating in a well becomes posion murk -
Can air suffer loss from delay? Just see:

How when Ocean’s moisture travels upon air as cloud
it loses its load of salt and becomes sweet as cane,

But Fire itself must face ashes, death and nothingness
when held back from the motion of blazing flame.

Take Joseph of Canaan: only when he left his father’s side
and travelled to Egypt was he raised above other men -

Or Moses: only when he took leave of his mother and set out
on the road to Midian did he become God’s Friend -

Or Jesus son of Mary who wandered unceasing as water
from the Fountain of Youth ‘which brings life to the dead’

Or Muhammad the Messenger who left Mecca behind
and only returned to rule it at an army’s head -

And when he flew upon Buraq in the Night Ascent
reached the station of ‘Nearer than Two Bows’ Length’.

I could make this poem and Encyclopaedia of World-Famous Travellers -
did I not fear to bore you or try your strength!

So take these few for examples
and yourself become all the rest, my friend.

Journey forth from your own self
to God’s Self – voyage without end.

Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman

Sinful Thoughts: Some Advice from Paul Coelho

Peace, one and all…

I’ve been stocking up on my reading material for the Xmas break.  Al hamdu lillah, I’ve got almost 3 weeks holiday from work and am planning to relax (insha Allah).  I took a trip to my local library on Thursday and got two novels for the holiday break (I’ve also got a stack of academic and religious books too, but that’s for another post perhaps).  Coincidentally (is there such a thing as coincidence?), both titles are derived from Arabic loan words into English.

The first (which I’m currently reading) is Iain M. Banks‘ The Algebraist, a science fiction mystery.  I’ve not got too far yet (oh the demands of family life), but it’s an enjoyable read so far.  I enjoy intelligent sci-fi and this is certainly interesting.

The other book is Paul Coelho’s The Alchemist.  I’d heard a lot about it, and being interested in all things spiritual, I thought I’d check it out.  Not started it yet though.  I looked up Paul Coelho’s website and found some free short stories to download (so I did)!  They read much like Sufi teaching parables.  This one deals with sinful thoughts.  Enjoy…

Ya Allah!  Grant me a pure heart, a pure tongue and a pure deed.

A stranger sought out the Father Superior at the monastery of Sceta.     “I want to make my life better,” he said.  “But I cannot keep myself from having sinful thoughts.”     The father noticed that the wind was blowing briskly outside, and said to the stranger:   “It’s quite hot in here.  I wonder if you could seize a bit of that wind outside and bring it here to cool the room.” “That’s impossible,” the stranger said.    “It is also impossible to keep yourself from thinking of things that offend God,” answered the monk.  “But, if you know how to say no to temptation, they will cause you no harm.” 

Subhan Allah!  Wisdom indeed. 

Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman

Still Walking…

Peace, one and all…

 

Al hamdu lillah, I’m still alive and walking still.  Check out my latest footfalls at The Corner Reloaded.

Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman