The Love Affair of Paper and Pen

Peace, one and all…

The Love Affair of Paper and Pen

The pen I hold in my hand sparkles in the morning sun,
waiting in eager anticipation for the blessed moment
when it can once more caress
the word-pulp flesh of its paper Lover.

When separated from his heart’s desire
the pen waits in silent remembrance,
recalling every smooth contour
of his Beloved’s face.

The paper too awaits her Lover’s return,
for without the pen’s quickening grace,
she cannot become the holder of secrets
she was meant to be.

Beloved, am I the pen
and You the paper?
Are You the field in which I sow
these Love-seeds?

Or am I the paper
and You the pen?
Am I the scroll of musical score,
upon which You write these symphonies of Love?

Truly, Beloved, I know not the difference
and I do not care,
for the blessed entirety of life is but the merest metaphor
and meanings, right and true, lie only at Your door.

(Abdur Rahman, 10th May 2007, The Corner Reloaded)

If You Close Your Ears

Peace, one and all…

If You Close Your Ears

If you close your ears,
you may never hear that word of power,
which unlocks the myteries of life
and grants access to the Beloved’s wide gardens.

If you close your eyes,
you may never see that small deed of tender beauty,
that moment of selfless giving,
as life reaches out towards life.

If you close your hands,
you may never know
the joy of holding,
or the joy of letting go.

(Abdur Rahman, 12th May 2007, The Corner Reloaded)

I Am Not

Peace, one and all…

I Am Not

I am not a Sufi,
but I yearn to be.
Not in arrogance, but in humility.
Not in narrowness, but in heart-rending breadth.

I am not a dervish,
though I long to be.
Not in name, but in deed.
Not in forgetfulness, but in remembrance blessed and eternal.

I am not a salik,
though I burn with the desire to travel.
Not in selfishness, but in Love.
Not in me, but in You.

(Abdur Rahman, 11th May 2007, The Corner Reloaded)

Leaves in the Wind

Peace, one and all…

Our children are born in a state of unconscious oneness with all things, for they do not yet know how to differentiate.  As they grow into adulthood they begin to learn independence and autonomy.  In a sense, they begin to see and feel their individuality, their own (derivative) oneness.  As we grow older, our autonomy begins to fade into the unity of all things, as we realise the limits of our own mortality, our own individualities. 

As we enter and explore our maturity, we can begin to experience our connection to all things, our connection to the Source.  Hopefully, in a moment of blessed stillness, we can achieve a conscious realisation of our primordial state; we can return to and experience now, the bright purity of our initial fitra.  Then, as we leave this world, we surrender ourselves into the universe (and the One beyond it), leaving this world in the manner in which we entered: naked and alone.

Truly, Beloved, we are leaves blowing in the wind and dust swirling amidst the stars.

Ya Haqq!

Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman

Sailing the Seas of Blog 3: The Revenge of Blog

Peace, one and all…

Welcome to the third instalment of Sailing the Seas of Blog (Part 1, Part 2), where I post links to articles I’ve either enjoyed or found thought-provoking.  Well, that’s quite enough introduction, let’s set sail.

1. Common Placer: What Need You Know About My Love of Islam.  An excellent personal account of Common Placer’s love for Islam
2. Darvish: You.  A spiritual poem of the first order by our worthy brother Irving (aka Baba Darvish).
3. Mind, Body, Soul: Criticising Traditionalism.  A series of important and passionate posts on the criticism of traditional Islam.  (Part 2, Part 3, Part 4).  This is part of a much wider debate.  Links to other voices in this conversation can be found at Yursil’s blog itself.
4. Mystic Saint: 5 Sufi Haiku (by Hamza Peter Weismiller).  An excellent and eloquent series of 5 short poems. 
5. Mystic Saint: What is Divine Love?  Another interesting article from the ever worthy Sadiq bhai.

Insha Allah, I’ll add a fourth instalment in a few weeks.  Not so much a blog carnival, as a blog coffee morning!

Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman