Beautiful Thoughts

Peace, one and all…

‘Man’s main task in life is to give birth to himself, to become what he potentially is.  The most important product of his efforts is his own personality’
(Erich Fromm, Man for Himself)

‘There is a grace of kind listening, as well as a grace of kind speaking’
(F W Faber, Spiritual Conferences)

‘Gentleness as the fruit of Spirit is a strong man’s treating all men with leniency, and kindness, and forbearance, and patience’
(Henry Ward Beecher, Proverbs from the Plymouth Pulpit)

‘My feeling is that there is nothing in life but refraining from hurting others, and comforting those who are sad’
(Olive Schreiner, The Letters of Olive Schreiner)

The Wisdom of Imam Ali

Peace, one and all…

It is reported that Imam Ali (may God ennoble his countenance) said:

‘The most dreadful of man’s shortcomings is that he is unaware of his own faults’

And elsewhere:

‘It is preferable to me that I reconcile two people than I give away (much money) in charity’

And yet elsewhere:

‘There is no good in worship without pondering upon its meaning, and no good in reading the Quran without reflection’

Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman

With What is Better

Peace, one and all…

‘Ward off evil with what is better’ (Quran 23:96)

In Tafsir al-Jalalayn, this is explained as follows: ‘What is better is the quality of forebearance and turning away from them when they injure you’ (p.742).  I am struck by these words.  They suggest that even where we encounter evil, we should not be deflected.  We should strive to the utmost of our strength to hold fast to forebearance, forgiveness and mercy.

Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman

Unearned Gifts

Peace, one and all…

During my recent illness, God gave me time to simply sit still and reflect – on my soul, on my life and on my relationships.  During this time, I came to see (in an almost physical manner) some important truths about myself – and just how long the road ahead is.  Although accepting the truth can sometimes be bitter, as all medicines are, it is a healing experience – one that helps me to see things as they truly are.  And, in seeing this true reality, it is possible to catch a fleeting ‘glimpse’ of the Real – or at least, to catch a fleeting glimpse of the Hand of al-Haqq behind all things.

Reflecting further, I realise that though life sometimes offers us bitter surprises, in truth, such things are also a medicine for the soul.  That is, though a child shrinks from accepting a sour-tasting medicine, the parent only offers such a cure through their knowledge of its beneficial impact – and thus through their love.  In other words, finding unhelpful elements in my soul has a strangely beautiful quality to it.  It’s almost as if each immature part of me were an unearned gift – one that offers me the chance to grow towards my true potential and one that offers me a desperately needed opportunity to grow closer to God in healing relationship.  In a sense, the greater the malady, the nearer and stronger the cure.  Not that I am happy about my human failings.  Neither am I content to remain where I currently stand.  No, I must learn, I must move forward.  Rather, the very fact of my own inward maladies reveals the hidden Hand of God, waiting just beyond the last horizon to embrace my living soul.

I am constantly reminded therefore that life is a series of unearned gifts.  Though I might struggle to work on my shortcomings, in truth God’s mercy surpasses any ‘rewards’ I may have earned.  In any case, I remain sceptical about the worth of my deeds.  My service is poor, my hands are small and God’s bounty is far in excess of any deserved reward.

So, then, how to respond?  What should I do in the face of God’s overflowing mercy?  Two things seem important.  Firstly, I must strive with might and main to transform myself, to work towards purity and true love.  I am a servant, an Abd of al-Rahman, and so I must work for my living in this world of test and trial.  Secondly, I must strive to always remain grateful.  I must be grateful for the unearned and unexpected gifts that come my way.  I must be grateful for every test and trial.  I must be grateful for regret – for regret can be a powerful teacher.  I must be grateful that I live in a world where transformation is not only possible, it is the very meaning of life itself.  I must be grateful in patience and I must be patient in gratitude.  I did not set up this game of life: I am merely passing through, on my way to some other world entirely.

And so, in closing, my thanks to Arif for his unexpected and kind gift - and also to Yursil, for another welcome and unlooked-for gift.  May Allah bless you both.

And my last prayer is in praise of God, Sustainer and Cherisher of All Being.

Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman

Thinking About Love

Peace, one and all…

Last night I watched a very interesting programme on Noor TV entitled ‘Hadith Qudsi’, in which numerous scholars discuss sacred traditions in some detail.  Last night’s episode focused on the following hadith (source):

On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said:
If Allah has loved a servant [of His] He calls Gabriel (on whom be peace) and says: I love So-and-so, therefore love him. He (the Prophet pbuh) said: So Gabriel loves him. Then he (Gabriel) calls out in heaven, saying: Allah loves So-and-so, therefore love him. And the inhabitants of heaven love him. He (the Prophet pbuh) said: Then acceptance is established for him on earth. And if Allah has abhorred a servant [of His], He calls Gabriel and says: I abhor So-and-so, therefore abhor him. So Gabriel abhors him. Then Gabriel calls out to the inhabitants of heaven: Allah abhors So-and-so, therefore abhor him. He (the Prophet pbuh) said: So they abhor him, and abhorrence is established for him on earth’
(Related by Muslim, al-Bukhari, Malik, and al-Tirmidhi).

One of the scholars (whose names I’ve forgotten) defined love as ‘accepting others as they are’.  I suppose, therefore, he meant a kind of unconditional love, in which the loved one is accepted in spite of all their flaws and weaknesses.  In other words, this definition seems to refer to accepting the loved one as an individual.

This idea struck me as a profound definition of love, and one worth pursuing further.  Love as a ready acceptance of the Beloved is an important revelation.  In my own life, therefore, I must strive to accept all that God is and does.  Of course, I don’t mean to suggest that I think it is possible to encompass aught of God’s own knowledge.  Rather, it is I that must accept Allah as Hu is, and not as I wish Hu to be.  Love then, in this definition, is an acceptance of what is, of reality (and from an Islamic perspective, God – al-Haqq – is the Ultimate Reality).  If I am to love God truthfully, I must put aside each and every fantasy, each and every illusion, each and every unhelpful deed.

As much as love is about the beauty of the other, it is also about our own response to the beloved.  That is, it is about relationship.  Love is relational and transformative.  By entering into a relationship with love, openly and without guile, we can become transformed.

The other commentator pointed out that it is important to understand such traditions in their proper context – as part of a wider whole.  He argued that love is a response.  That is, God loves a person because they struggle to do good.  Consequently, as the hadith above suiggests, God abhors the bad deeds of a person.  Or, our deeds cause us to grow in certain ways, either positively or negatively.  Moreover, God has intimate and complete knowledge of our true human potentials.  That inner spark that motivates us was created by God and as such, Hu is aware of its unique character, path and destiny.  God knows what we are truly capable of and so, through love, we can strive to open ourselves out into that potential.

Perhaps this is why some spiritual teachers require only that their potential students truly love something, as the following story makes clear:

‘Let us recall here the story of a teacher who received a would-be student.  Questioning him, the teacher found that the student-to-be had never fallen in love, and that there was nothing that he loved.  He said to the student, ‘I am sorry, but there’s nothing I can do for you’.  Head bowed and sad, the student, a picture of dejection, was just about to shut the door behind him when the teacher tried again and called out, Wait! Is there really nothing in the world for which you feel, no matter how small, a spark of love or special attachment?’  The man at the door said, ‘Yes, I have a donkey of which I am extremely fond.  I might even say I love him very much’.  ‘Come back,’ said the teacher, ‘at least there is something to start with’ (Bulent Rauf, Addresses, page 4).

May Allah help us all to open out into loving relationships, into healing relationships.  May we all be transformed through God’s tender mercy.

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

Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman

Beginning’s End

Peace, one and all…

‘All of us are students of self-knowledge in varying degrees of commitment and intensity. Some of us are concerned with knowledge of physical and biological matters; others with subtler, inner realms of meaning. But whatever form our search takes, we are all seeking the ultimate knowledge that has brought about our individual destinies. Our present moment, our present situation, constitutes our momentary destiny. This momentary destiny is the result of the interaction between the laws that govern existence and our individual wills, an interaction that results in a balance of these factors. The moment is the only reality of which we can be totally certain, subjectively and objectively.

The truth of ‘now’ is what human beings share, and ‘now’ is beyond time. It is not subject to the moment just past or the one to come. It is simply now — and the now that one experiences is the product of the past and the cause of the future. Now is both independent of and connected to past and future. This truth is the root of the dynamism of cause and effect and of the balance of duality in this existence.

Absolute, pure ‘now’ is that state of balance achieved when the pointer on the scale of duality is at the exact mid-point. When this occurs, each side is in total harmony and balance with its opposite. Duality is nullified and only pure, blissful ‘now’ exists.

We are born into this world in order to grow in experience and wisdom and to recognize the one unifying principle of Reality. We may recognize it in a limited way — for example, when we see ecological harmony — or we may know it in a more pervasive way when we experience the overwhelming presence of the Creator of all.

However we look at it, we must still ask, ‘Having recognized the unifying principle of Reality, what comes next in our search for the purpose of existence?’ After we have gained a measure of wisdom, wealth, harmony and security in this life, we then ask, ‘Is there meaning beyond this? Is the recycling of the body to the earth from which it came the end of all experience?’ The majority of us avoid this question, or try to rationalize it away, instead of confronting it totally and fearlessly.

Everything acts in accordance with its own nature. For example, steel belongs to the earth as iron oxide. Because of its strength, we use steel to construct bridges. But the moment a bridge is raised, the steel starts moving toward its destiny, back to dust; thus, it starts rusting. If we want to preserve the bridge, we have to balance the natural inclination of steel to return to its source with our human desire to keep the bridge from rusting. We cannot, however, pretend that the bridge will remain for ever. Steel belongs to the earth, and it will fulfill its destiny; man belongs to his Creator, and wherever he finds himself, whatever he does, his natural disposition will lead him toward the knowledge of his Creator.

Experience is the meeting of two opposites. This meeting point is the human heart, for in it we experience love and hate, hope and fear, peace and agitation, wakefulness and sleep, security and insecurity. The heart of man contains the entire spectrum of experience; whenever we appeal to the heart, we find a common denominator in humanity. Otherwise, our interaction becomes transactional or hypocritical, based on economics, politics and other man-made disciplines. Although these disciplines have their place, they are limited because they do not lead us to the awareness that whatever appears negative in existence is really in harmony and balance with the total ecology. Because we do not know this, we see incongruity, imbalance, confusion and division in life.

The philosophy of our spiritual model is based on the existence of a merciful Reality that transcends time, encompasses Its creation from beyond time and in time, and creates out of love in order that It may be discovered. Man’s purpose is to discover the one and only all-pervading Reality that encompasses his existence. When we are mindful of our purpose, we find a common denominator in everyone’s aspirations, hopes, disappointments and problems. All of our experiences — positive and negative — are part of the process of self-knowledge. The root of our behavior can be explained by viewing it through the binoculars of the divine unity of the one Creator’

(Shaykh Fadlalla Haeri, Beginning’s End)

 

Your Remedy is Within You

Peace, one and all…

‘Your remedy is within you — but you do not sense it.
Your sickness is within you — but you do not perceive it.
You presume that you are a small entity –
whereas within you is concealed the vast world.
You are indeed that magnificent book –
by whose alphabet the hidden becomes evident.
Therefore you have no needs beyond yourself
Your essence and secrets are in you — if only you can reflect’
(Imam Ali, May God ennoble his countenance)

Source

Harvest for the World

Peace, one and all…

I heard this song today, for the first time in a very long time.  It struck me as an important message in this current economic climate.

The Isley Brothers: Harvest for the World

When indeed?

Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman

Haci Bektas Veli on Repentance

Peace, one and all…

 

‘My dear!  Know that the first station of the path is to take the hand of a spiritual master and make penance.  Says the Most High: ‘And hold fast to the rope of Allah all together’ (3:103); and yet again says the Most High: ‘Turn to Allah with sincere repentance’ (66:8).

Provided that the slave turns from his immoral condition, it is God Himself who grants atonement: ‘Then turned He to them in mercy’ (9:118).

Hence, O believers!  One needs to make such a repentance in which there exists no doubt.  Furthermore, it should be done in such a manner that causes it to bring about benefit, since to make repentance is to feel remorse and the foundation of remorse is that the sin of seventy years is replaced with pleading for pardon.  Therefore have trust and plead for pardon so that your blunders may become fewer and your face be made anew’
(Haji Bektash Veli, Makalat)

On One Who Has No Defence

Peace, one and all…

‘O God! By virtue of the fact that you have no need,
have mercy on one who has no defence’
(Khwaja Abdullah Ansari of Herat, Munajat)

Nil By Mouth

Peace, one and all…

For most of last week I was laid low by a particularly nasty cold/ear infection, which left me feeling completely washed out.  During this time, I watched Nil By Mouth again on TV.  For those unfamiliar, this 1997 film is a harrowing tale of life on a South London council estate, starring Ray Winstone and Kathy Burke.  Nil by Mouth also has the dubious distinction of having one of the highest levels of swearing in film history: there are apparently some 428 references to the F-word.  It’s a strong film, as one review made clear: ‘The film’s honesty is neither pretty, nor safe. This is a tough, tough ride’ (source). 

There are many things I can relate to in this film – although it is of course a work of fiction (though see Gary Oldman’s comments in the Time Out review; see here too).  It reminds me in many ways of my own formative years, though I grew up in East London (Hackney to be exact).  Watching the film, I can see again through my mind’s eye the warmth of family, as well as the destructive impact of alcohol and drugs.  I can relate to its realistic portrayal of the empty and casual violence that alcohol abuse can lead to – empty in the sense that it often seems to spring from nowhere-in-particular (almost as if it’s really an example of absence rather than presence).  The film’s depiction of violence and laughter, of joy and sorrow, of the warmth and bitter cold of some relationships is one that is uncomfortable but one borne out by my own experiences at any rate. 

The most bitter moment of the film is when Ray Winstone’s character beats his wife (played by Kathy Burke) senseless, causing to have a miscarriage.  It has to be one of the scariest and most realistic, portrayals of violence I have ever seen in a film.  It is an ugly moment, and one that we should all see, at least once perhaps.  In the opinion of some, this film is a depressing tale of violence and addiction.

It is that, for sure, but it is also more than that.  For me, the real story of the film is the enduring strength of its female characters.  Although there is great suffering in this film, the central female characters endure it with an almost unimaginable fortitude; somehow they make it through, into another day.  Somehow, and from somewhere, they find the strength to continue, to go on.  I have seen this strength myself, on many occasions – and thus I see the truth reflected in this film. 

I have seen and known many such moments, Ya Allah!  I don’t want to dwell on such things – apart from anything else, because they are private to me and those who also lived through them.  Yet, during these moments, it was always the strength of women that helped me get through.  That is, the women portrayed in this film exhibit a strength I recognise and honour: the kind of strength that enabled those women to pick themselves off of the floor (sometimes literally) for the sake of their children and all those who depended upon them; the kind of strength that could rise above and live through physical weakness; the kind of strength that could offer comfort to others, when they could find none for themselves.  Ya Allah!  There were times when I thought my heart would crack and my very soul would split in two.  But, even amidst those times of great darkness, it was the strength of these women that helped me to endure, that gave me the ability to hold on, that helped me to see a larger picture.

I honour the strength of women.  Indeed, I would count myself blessed were I to possess an ounce of their endurance.  Ya Allah!  Where would I be without the strength of women?  Where would I be without the endurance of those who raised me?  It is not for nothing that Your beloved Messenger (alaihi al-salatu wa al-salam) said that paradise lies at the feet of mothers!

Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman

What is a Teacher?

Peace, one and all…

What is a teacher and what does it mean to teach?  Imam Ali (may God ennoble his countenance) is reported to have said the following in this regard:

‘I am the slave of he who teaches me a single letter of the alphabet’

A teacher is someone we have learned from, whether they be among the living or else have passed on into the fields of eternity.  A teacher is someone who has taught us something, whether we have met them in the flesh or not.  Anyone who has taught us, no matter how small the lesson may be, is our teacher and is thus worthy of our love, our loyalty and our fidelity.

Reflecting further, we are drawn to the conclusion that life itself is our teacher.  We are all students in life’s class.  And, behind each lesson, stands one greater still – the story of our unfolding relationships with God, the Teacher of All Teachers, Whose lessons of love teach us all.

Ya Allah!  Though the lessons be long, let me always stand at the door of Your school.

Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman

May God Have Mercy

Peace, one and all…

 

May God have mercy on those who lead the way
and those who come behind, and those who fulfill their vows,
and those who seek to fulfill them,
with His grace and bounty, His great benefits and favours!
For He is the best object of petition and the noblest object of hope;
and God is the best protector and the most merciful
of those who show mercy [Quran 12:64],
and the best of friends and the best of heirs
and the best replacer of what has been consumed
and provider for thos devoted
who sow and till the soil of good works.
And God bless Muhammad and all the Prophets and Messengers!
Amen, O Lord of created beings!
(Mathnawi, Book IV, Prologue)

A Fleeting Castle of Sand

Peace, one and all…

A Fleeting Castle of Sand

I stand upon the shore,
a fleeting castle of sand,
looking out in hope
at all that life might bring my way.

I stand upon the shore,
a fleeting castle of sand,
hoping always to greet life’s passing tides
with an open hand and a clear heart.

I am naught but a fleeting castle of sand,
standing here upon the shore,
waiting in hope for the coming of Love
and its healing hands of water.

Abdur Rahman, 16th November 2008

Soundtrack 4

Peace, one and all…

Welcome to the fourth installment of Soundtrack, a musical record of those songs which helped me walk my path towards Islam.  This collection includes some very important songs – which all, in their own ways, helped open my mind, heart and soul.  Enjoy, and may Allah bless all who pass by.

Bill Withers: Grandma’s Hands

Bill Withers: Use Me

Gil Scott Heron: Inner City Blues

Gil Scott Heron: Gun

The Last Poets: E Pluribus Unum

Linton Kwesi Johnson: Sonny’s Lettah

A Tribe Called Quest: Push It Along

Freestyle Fellowship: Innercity Boundaries

Stetsasonic: Talkin’ All That Jazz

Lauryn Hill: Forgive Them Father

Mos Def: Umi Says

Fu Gees: Fu Gee La (Remix)

Fred Wesley and the JBs: Blow Your Head

Fred Wesley and the JBs: Same Beat (Part 1)

Deelite: Groove is in the Heart

A Tribe Called Quest: Youthful Expression

Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman

In Time…

Peace, one and all…

I found this song lurking in the dusty vaults of You Tube.  Sounds almost prophetic now!

The Jungle Brothers: In Time

Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman

Birthday

Peace, one and all…

One week ago, our son Yusaf celebrated his 5th birthday.  Ma sha Allah!  We spent the afternoon at a local soft play centre, before going to a nearby Nando’s for a special birthday treat.  On Wednesday, we had a small birthday party in our home.  A few of his friends from school came and ran us ragged for two hours!  Picture it – 10 kids, cups of fizzy pop and more birthday cake than you can shake a stick at!  And then, to round off the evening I took Yusaf and Sakinah to the local council’s firework display.  Yusaf, Sakinah and Layla slept well that night.

I must confess that I slept too!  Ya Allah!

Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman

Three Turkish Ilahis

Peace, one and all…

Here are some beautiful Turkish ilahis for us all to enjoy.

Yemen illerinde Veysel Karani

Abdurrahman Önül-Veysel Karani

Abdurrahman Önül Allahu Allah

My favourite rendition of Veysel Karani can be found at Mind, Body, Soul (with thanks and salams to all at the Dergah)

Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman