‘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…
Here are some more examples of Qawwali, drawn from the archives of You Tube! Enjoy!
Rahat Fateh Ali Khan – Dam Mast Qalander
Badar Miandad Khan – Jashan e Amad e Rasool
Sabri Bros Tajdar-e-Haram-1
Sabri Bros Tajdar-e-Haram-2
Sabri Bros Tajdar-e-Haram-3
Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman
Peace, one and all…
Muhammad’s Bright Rose
Go forth into the battle of the spirit
and may God strengthen your arm,
but make no mistake:
your only weapons are love and truth and goodness.
This war of light and shadow
is fought within the heart
of each child of Adam:
mercy is the only sane path to victory.
You have not been sent here
to destroy hearts
and wreak bloodshed:
your task is not one of spite and vengeance.
You are engaged in love’s war,
where your only strength is hope
and your only weapon
is Muhammad’s bright rose.
(Abdur Rahman, 27th January 2008)
Peace, one and all…
All those selfish demands, all those weary posturings are but to say, ‘Me, me! Look at me’! All that bluster is but to say, ‘I am special! I am special! Don’t forget. I am special’! I have heard these words behind words on so many occasions, and in so many places. I have heard them uttered by those at the ‘heights’ of society, and by those in the very ‘depths’. By God, I have heard myself uttering them too!
So, in this world of children struggling on towards adulthood, may I be as gentle as a summer breeze. May I speak naught but words of love and hope, and may I remain silent when this is not possible!
Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman
Peace, one and all…
A human being must find space in which to breathe, to live and to be. A human being must write their own story on the blank page of the heart. A human being must carve out their own niche, and must find their own way amidst the mazes of this world.
Identities and affiliations, whether real or imagined, historic or present, are but starting points, places from which to emerge. Allegiances are, of course, important. The quality of our allegiances is shown by how humanely we carry them.
Loyalties are to be strengthened and made firm. But, they are to be made firm through breadth and not constriction, through love and not fear.
Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman
