30 Monday Apr 2007
Peace, one and all…
‘Today, like every other day, we wake up empty
and frightened. Don’t open the door to the study
and begin reading. Take down a musical instrument.
Let the beauty we love be what we do.
There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground’
(Mevlana Rumi Mathnawi, trans. by Coleman Barks)
Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman
30 Monday Apr 2007
Posted in Abdur Rahman's Poetry
Peace, one and all…
Just Be in Love
Forget all that cleverness,
just be in Love.
Forget all those pretences,
just be in Love.
Let your Self open slowly into this sunlit field
and the forests will stand to attention before you.
Receive each new gift in stillness and remembrance.
Let all that weary narrowness fall away
When you reach forth into Love,
even admonitions arrive sealed with a kiss.
Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman
29 Sunday Apr 2007
Posted in Our Spiritual Heritage, Shia Islam, Sufism/Tasawwuf
Peace, one and all…
‘Worshippers are of three categories: Those who worship God out of fear; that is the worship of slaves and bondsmen. Those who worship Him out of greed; that is the worship of merchants. And finally, those who worship Him out of Love; and this is the worship of free-spirited men’
(Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq, Kernal of the Kernal, p.98)
Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman
29 Sunday Apr 2007
Peace, one and all…
‘Those who became complete
didn’t live this life in hypocrisy,
didn’t learn the meaning of things
by reading commentaries.
Reality is an ocean; the Law is a ship.
Many have never left the ship,
never jumped into the sea.
They might have come to Worship
but they stopped at rituals.
They never knew or entered the Inside.
Those who think the Four Books
were meant to be talked about,
who only read explanations
and never entered meaning,
are really in sin.
Yunus means ‘true friend’
for one whose journey has begun.
Until we transform our Names,
we haven’t found the Way’.
(Yunus Emre, trans. by Shaykh Kabir Helminski & Rafik Algan)
Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman
29 Sunday Apr 2007
Posted in Education, Moments from My Life
Peace, one and all…
It’s a warm, sunny afternoon here in South Wales. Earlier on, we had a barbecue and I’ve been wearing my shorts all day (those of a nervous disposition, please look away now)!
However, I now find myself marking first year undergraduate essays. As always, they’re a mixed bag. There are some good ones, some less well developed ones and a whole range that falls somewhere in between! Generally speaking, I enjoy marking essays – mostly because I appreciate the effort that goes into writing them.
It’s hard work though. Imagine reading through 34 answers to the same question. It gets a bit tiring after a while! Oh well, all in a day’s work I suppose.
Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman
29 Sunday Apr 2007
Posted in Interfaith, Muslim Chaplaincy, Reflections
Peace, one and all…
I met with a potential supervisor for my Chaplaincy placement recently. We had an interesting discussion about the nature of chaplaincy and what it means on a personal level. The chaplain was quick to point out the seriousness of chaplaincy; rightly or wrongly, people will identify me as a ‘man of God’ and will look to me for answers.
This struck me deeply. I’d thought about this, in an intellectual, fuzzy kind of way for a while, but it was another thing entirely to be faced with such a stark picture! Difficult, but profoundly wortwhile. As a chaplain (Muslim, Christian or otherwise), I’ll be faced with people in all sorts of situations and with all sorts of questions. In the chaplain’s words (paraphrased), I’ll be responsible for ‘the care of souls’. When you think about it, this is an immense responsibility. Am I ready for such a burden?
In some ways, of course, I must have answered ‘yes’. Otherwise, why am I even treading this path? It is, however, important to constantly reflect on my expectations and motivations. I want to help others, despite my own faults. I want to help others grow, and in the process, help myself to grow too. I believe that everyone deserves another chance and to be true, this belief needs to be put into practice. Ya Allah! Help me. There is no power or might except with You.
Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman
29 Sunday Apr 2007
Peace, one and all…
I’ve come to realise that I enjoy listening to songs in languages I don’t understand! There are several reasons for this I think. Firstly, I’ve always been strongly drawn to different cultures and traditions. During some of the more painful episodes of my life, being able to float away into the history and reality of other cultures really helped: it was as if knowing that life moved (and moves) in a vast myriad of forms and ways meant that my own problems would eventually resolve themselves.
This love of the world’s diversity was also a large part of conversion to Islam. Growing up as a white kid in the East End of London in the 70s and 80s, Islam wasn’t a large part of my conscious experience. So, once I began to encounter its teachings I found that they resonated with me deeply. Some of my earliest encounters came in listening to Hip Hop. I used to be a DJ in my younger days and when groups like Brand Nubian and Public Enemy used the salaam, it used to send shivers down my spine.
The second reason I enjoy listening to songs in languages I don’t know is personal. Although some feel that this creates a barrier between them and the song’s intent, I find the opposite. If I don’t know the meaning, I can make the song mean anything I want to. Thus, for example, I don’t speak Turkish but I find myself listening to a lot of the beautiful ilahis of the Osmanli Naksibendi Dergah (and may Allah bless them all with goodness and beauty). When I’m sad, I can transform these ilahis into songs of hope. When I’m seeking forgiveness, I can make these songs into laments of repentance. When I’m happy, I use them to thank Allah. When I’m drawing (momentarily) closer, these songs become symphonies of ecstacy. In other words, I’m not a neutral observer. Rather, I’m an active participant, deriving my own secret meanings from the words/music I listen to.
I also find that being open like this helps me to grow. I can see that my own perceptions and understandings are limited, and that there is an entire world of meanings beyond my own.
Ya Allah! What grace You bestow upon us! Ya Allah! How we miss them, in our ignorance.
Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman
29 Sunday Apr 2007
Posted in In Search of God's Forgiveness
Peace, one and all…
Ya Tawwab! O Accepter of Repentance! Guide me back to You! There is no refuge from Your wrath, accept with You. There is no forgiveness, except from You. Astaghfiruka wa atubu ilaik.
Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman
24 Tuesday Apr 2007
Posted in Abdur Rahman's Poetry
Peace, one and all…
Your Soul is an Ear
Your soul is an ear
and a mouth.
An ear to listen,
to open to the Beloved’s words of hope;
A mouth to reach out,
beyond the narrow walls of your self.
These things being true,
you must listen to your soul
and heed its words,
for the soul holds converse with the Beloved
and the Beloved speaks naught but truth.
So when you hear joy,
speak joy to the world.
When you hear sorrow,
let your tongue rise in wake and dirge.
And, when fear walks towards the ear of your heart,
accept it as part of life and listen to the voice within
First posted at: The Corner Reloaded.
Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman
24 Tuesday Apr 2007
Peace, one and all…
Chaplaincy is to speak your truth quietly and clearly into the inner ear of another.
Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman
23 Monday Apr 2007
Peace, one and all…
‘…Do not scold anyone for a mistake you might have made. Do not discipline children until you have grown up. Do not taunt or find fault or call people names. Turn those judgements inward. Own your faults openly…’
(Shaykh Bahauddin Valad, Maarif 1:408)
Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman
22 Sunday Apr 2007
Posted in Miscellaneous, Resources
Peace, one and all…
Here are some more links to articles that I’ve found interesting and worthwhile. Enjoy…
Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman
22 Sunday Apr 2007
Posted in Miscellaneous, Moments from My Life, Notes, Reflections, Sufism/Tasawwuf
Peace, one and all…
My mother came to visit us this weekend, to see the children and to take me to Hay-on-Wye. For those unfamiliar, Hay is a small town on the Welsh-English border (about 30 miles or so north of Merthyr). It’s famous for one thing: books! It has approximately 40 odd bookshops and each year, in late May, it has a book festival. In other words, for a bibliophile like myself, Hay is a little slice on heaven right here on earth!
I picked up quite a few books during this raid. Now all I have to do is find the time to read them!
Al hamdu lillah for the ability to read. Al hamdu lillah for the ability to walk through bookshops. In short, al hamdu lillahi ala kulli hal.
As we were walking through Hay, as is often the case, our conversation turned to spirituality. Although my mother is not a Muslim, as such, we share a belief in God and the sacredness of all things. We talked about life, children, purpose and what it means to be ‘spiritual’. We talked about how some people conduct their search for spiritual truth like they’re going to the local supermarket: busily trying to accumulate more experiences. May God save us from such things and may He lead us forward for His sake alone. Ya Rabbi!
As we were walking and talking (and looking at books), I had a brief realisation: in order for something to be truly ‘spiritual’ it needs to lead a person from self to Self, and then into compassionate action for others. Al hamdu lillah, I write poetry (as visitors will undoubtedly soon realise). A large part of my poetry is about praising Allah for the blessings of life. However, my favourite poems are those which prompt us to help others, in some small way. After all, how can you write poems of Love, when your neighbour is hungry, or oppressed, or abused, or on drugs?
In order for it to be authentic, valid and meaningful, spirituality has to focus on others, on compassion. Every single human being is worthy of the Beloved’s Love (otherwise they wouldn’t be here). This means that we have a duty towards each other. And may Allah help us to fulfill it properly.
Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman
21 Saturday Apr 2007
Posted in Abdur Rahman's Poetry
Peace, one and all…
Your Hand Upon My Heart
It’s the way the sunlight
kisses these window panes,
that tells of Your eye upon me.
And it’s that gentle breath of air,
bringing with it the scent of mountains,
that speaks of Your hand upon my heart.
I walk through this world in awe of You,
and when darkness comes with its moonlit grace,
I fall into Your embrace once more.
All I Have Seen
SInce I became Your lover
all I have seen is beauty
and all I have heard is wisdom.
You, just You
O Shaper of Worlds!
O Maker of Trees!
You have stolen me away utterly,
O Thief of Hearts!
And what is more revealing still:
I don’t care.
First posted at: The Corner Reloaded!
Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman
21 Saturday Apr 2007
Peace, one and all…
Hand is above hand, child, in skill and in strength,
up to the Essence of God.
The ultimate end of all hands is the Hand of God:
the ultimate end of all torrents is undoubtedly the sea.
From it the clouds take their origin,
and in it, too, the torrent has an end.
(Rumi, Mathnawi IV:3162-3164, tr. Helminski)
Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman
21 Saturday Apr 2007
Posted in Kindred Spirituality
Peace, one and all…
‘If you get down and you quarrel every day, you’re saying praise to the devils I say’
(Bob Marley, Positive Vibration)
Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman
21 Saturday Apr 2007
Peace, one and all…
Chaplaincy, it seems, is all about offering people opportunities: opportunities to talk, opportunities to listen, opportunities to consider things anew. In other words, chaplaincy is about spiritual conversation and advice.
This is a tricky topic and raises lots of important questions. What is spiritual conversation? Given my own shortcomings, how am I to advise others on matters spiritual? How can I ensure that I listen effectively? These are only some of the questions that come to mind when thinking about this issue. However, there is a more basic question to address: what is spirituality? What does spirituality contain? What does it mean to be spiritual?
Some time ago, I offered a few thoughts on this topic in the context of Higher Education. Without repeating that post, the conclusion I came to was that before we can talk about spirituality in a useful manner, we first need to understand the topic itself.
Training for chaplaincy has made return to these questions. So, insha Allah, I hope to explore this issue in greater depth in the coming months. However, before I can explore what others mean by ‘spirituality’, I think it is important for me to explore what I mean by this term. What metaphors have particular meaning to me in determining the content of spirituality?
This is not a question I will be able to answer here. However, to get things moving along, I want to throw a thoughts down onto (virtual) paper, so that later on, I might see what sticks!
For me, spirituality is about connection and conversation. That is, becoming spiritual is about becoming connected to my Self, to others and ultimately, to Allah. It is also about conversation, or dialogue if you will, because in becoming connected it is necessary to communicate. For me, connection is a positive metaphor because it suggests a freely chosen association. It also suggests a deeper, inward meeting; when two hearts connect, the distance between them falls away and they stand as one.
Connection begins and ends in communication. The soul at rest (nafs al-mutma’inna) is able to converse, in the imaginal realm, with Allah. For those of us still on the open road, we need to converse to understand. I talk to my Self, to others and to God – to puzzle out this riddle of me, this strange thing called life. Conversation and connection therefore are really just another way of saying suhba (or sohbet) – ‘companionship’. Thus, I am being ‘spiritual’ when I am honestly striving to connect, to communicate.
How then should this insight inform my practice of chaplaincy? Well, spirituality (in these terms) is as much about letting others speak, as it is about me. After all, it is a dialogue. Thus I must be ready to listen and to speak. All of which needs to be undertaken in a spirit of honesty, good intention and compassion.
Well, that’s all for now. I’ve got to take my children swimming.
Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman
20 Friday Apr 2007
Peace, one and all…
‘To know whether a particular sin has been forgiven, look within to see if you still feel the urge to do it. If you do, it hasn’t. Keep praying for the impulse to be removed’
(Bahauddin Valad, father of Mevlana Rumi, Maarif 1:42)
Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman
