‘The Sufi’s book is not of ink and letters; it is nothing but a heart white as snow’ (Mevlana Rumi, Mathnawi II.159)
Peace, one and all…
‘Lord, give me what you have made me want; I praise and thank You for the desire that You have inspired; perfect what You have begun, and grant me what You have made me long for’
(St. Anselm of Canterbury)
Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman
Peace, one and all…
‘For nothing worthy proving can be proven,
nor yet disproven: wherefore thou be wise,
cleave ever to the sunnier side of doubt’
(Tennyson, The Ancient Sage)
Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman
Peace, one and all…
‘The gods are either powerless or poweful. If they are powerless, why do you pray? But if they are powerful, why not rather pray for the gift of not fearing any of these things, or of not desiring any of them, or of not feeling grief for any of them, rather than that any one of them should be absent or present? For surely, if the gods can co-operate with humans, they can co-operate to these ends. But perhaps you will say: ‘The gods put these things in my power’. Then is it not better to use what is in your power with a free spirit than to be concerned with what is not in your power in a spirit of slavery and abjection? And who said to you that the gods did not co-operate with us, even in relation to things in our power?
Begin at least to pray about these things and you will see. This man prays: ‘How may I sleep with that woman?’ You should pray: ‘How may I not desire to sleep with that woman?’ Another prays: ‘How may I not lose my child?’ You should pray: ‘How may I not be afraid of losing him?’ Turn your prayers round in this way and observe what happens’
(Marcus Aurelius, Meditations)
Circles. Life always seems to move in circles. Thus, I periodically return to subjects and issues (and resources) from previous times. I pulled my copy of Mary Beard’s excellent Religions of Rome off the shelf during the holidays. It’s a really interesting account of religion in the Roman empire. The main point that struck me was the diversity of religious practice at the time.
I also came across the quotation above from the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius (the old man in the Gladiator film)! For those unfamiliar with Marcus Aurelius, he was an emperor of Rome from 161-180CE. Although a philosopher by nature, and a Stoic in particular it seems, his time as emperor were marked by several major wars (with Parthia and northern tribes). Indeed, in many senses, these wars presaged the ensuing wars of the third century crisis. His Meditations are full of references to duty and justice, a hallmark of Stoic thought. Despite that, I have always found them to be warmly human.
I used to read his Meditations fairly often, though I’ve not done so for years. Thus, when I read this quote recently I was struck by how much they spoke to me now, beyond the obvious theological differences. At any rate, I enjoyed this passage, as it seemed to saying that you should pray for the right reasons and for the right things. These are important lessons for us all to learn.
And praise be to God, who maketh it so…
Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman
Peace, one and all…
Twice, during the holidays, I heard two speakers make the comment that anger is for the defeated. At the time, this struck me as a profound insight. Though anger is necessary and perfectly natural, excessive anger is a mark of defeat, according to both speakers.
Perhaps this is also why inappropriate anger is said to be a sign of hidden sin (according to Shaykh Haitham al-Tamim). Perhaps this is also why the Prophet (alaihi al-salatu wa al-salam) instructed us to seek refuge with God from Satan when we becoming angry.
O Allah! I do indeed seek refuge with You from Shaitan and all his wiles.
Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman
Peace, one and all…
Ever since I can recall, I have been a lover of music. Some of my earliest conscious memories are of listening to music (though, now that I am older, I’m a bit embarrassed by liking the Bay City Rollers as a 3 year old)!
I have learned some of my most important lessons and had some of my most profound experiences whilst listening to music. In my earlier years, I was a DJ and an avid collector of vinyl records (remember those)? I am listening to music now, as I write these words.
During my life I have listened to and enjoyed a vast range of musical styles. I grew up listening to the various kinds of music in and beyond my home. As a teenager (and aspiring DJ), I listened to Hip Hop, Soul, Jazz, Funk, Blues, Reggae, House and countless others. I had some of my earliest exposures to Islam through music too.
Of late, I have begun to really enjoy Qawwali music, the traditional Sufi music of India and Pakistan. I enjoy this musical style for a number of reasons. Firstly, it is very beautiful in its own right (and I place great emphasis on beauty). Secondly, Qawwali lyrics are most often drawn from the rich and profound poetic literature of Sufism.
Thirdly, and perhaps most importantly, I love Qawwali music because it has a strong experiential quality. That is, it seems to draw the audience into the performance itself. There are several examples of this. Firstly, the poem being sung is generally sung in a call and response style, where the singer recites the first line which the other members of the band then repeat. Secondly, Qawwali music is often accompanied by strong, rhythmic hand-clapping. These two elements serve to draw the audience in, prompting them (or me, at any rate) to join. Moreover, Qawwali music as a spiritual exercise (sema) is also specifically said to be a communication of sorts between the musicians, singers and audience.
Some of my current favourites include the following:
Praise be to God for the human ability to speak through the language of music.
Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman
I’ve not been blogging much during the holidays, though I have been reading them. Here are some of my recent favourites. Check them out for yourself too.
Enjoy!
Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman
Battered Muslim Women: Issues and Initiatives
January 6, 2008Peace, one and all…
The issue of battered Muslim women has made it into the Islamic blogosphere recently. It is a sad reality indeed, and one that needs to be addressed. A good friend of mine has addressed this topic. It has also been addressed recently by Imam Johari Malik.
Our always worthy sister Margari Aziza Hill has written an important and fiery post on this topic of late, whilst our worthy mujahid Tariq Nelson has also writen a number of posts dealing with this issue (here and here again). Umar Lee has written on the possible tragic end results of this phenomenon.
In such august company, let me add my own thoughts. Domestic violence is un-Islamic. It goes against the teachings and practice of our Prophet (alaihi al-salatu wa al-salam) and those who beat their wives should consider that anger is a sign of defeat and repent to Allah.
Allah! I repent to You for all my sins. Guide me always to the door of repentance, which leads to life for the heart and soul (in this world and the next).
Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman
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