11 Sunday Jan 2009
Peace, one and all…
Abu Yahya Suhaib ibn Sinan relates that the Messenger of God (alaihi al-salatu wa al-salam) said:
‘How wonderful is the case of the believer; there is good for him in everything and this applies only to a believer. If prosperity attends him, he expresses gratitude to Allah and that is good for him; and if adversity befalls him, he endures it patiently and that is better for him’
(taken from Riyadh al-Saliheen, no. 27)
Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman
10 Saturday Jan 2009
Peace, one and all…
I wanted to share the beautiful opening section of Imam al-Haddad’s wonderful book Gifts for the Seeker, which I was blessed to read during the holidays (may Allah reward my sister-in-law for lending it to me).
‘All praise belongs to God, Who never disappoints those who hope in Him, never refuses those who ask of Him, never ignores those who quest for Him, never underpays those who act for Him, never deprives those who thank Him, never fails those who battle for Him, never allows those whose comfort is in His remembrance to be estranged, never surrenders to others those who surrender to His might, never abandons to others those who depend on Him, and never forsakes those who trust and commit themselves to Him. Those who firmly hold to His Book shall never err, and those who take refuge in His Presence shall never find disgrace’
Ya Allah!
Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman
04 Thursday Dec 2008
Peace, one and all…
Dear Friend, your heart is a polished mirror. You must wipe it clean of the veil of dust which has gathered upon it, because it is destined to reflect the light of divine secrets. When the light from Allah (Who) is the light of the heavens and the earth … begins to shine upon the regions of your heart, the lamp of the heart will be lit. The lamp of the heart is in glass, the glass as it were a brightly shining star … Then within that heart, the lightning-shaft of divine discoveries strikes. This lightning-shaft will emanate from the thunderclouds of meaning neither of the East or of the West, lit from a blessed olive tree … and throw light upon the tree of discovery, so pure, so transparent that it sheds light though fire does not touch it. Then the lamp of wisdom is lit by itself. How can it remain unlit when the light of Allah’s secrets shines over it? If only the light of divine secrets shines upon it, the night sky of secrets is lit with thousands of stars … and by the stars (you) find (your) way … It is not the stars that guide us but the divine light. For Allah has … decked the lower heaven with beauty (in) the stars. If only the lamp of divine secrets be kindled in your inner self the rest will come, either all at once or little by little. Some you already know, some we will tell you here. Read, listen, try to understand.
The dark skies of unconsciousness will be lit by divine presence and the peace and beauty of the full moon, which will rise from the horizon shedding light upon light, ever rising in the sky, passing through its appointed stages as Allah has … ordained for it Mansions, until it shines in glory in the centre of the sky, dispersing the darkness of heedlessness. (I swear) by the night when it is still … By the glorious morning light your night of unconsciousness will see the brightness of the day. Then you will inhale the perfume of remembrance and repent in the early hours of the morning of unconsciousness and regret your life spent in sleep. You will hear the songs of the morning nightingales and you will hear them say: ‘They were in the habit of sleeping but little by night, and in the hours of early dawn they (were found) praying for forgiveness’. ‘Allah guides to His light whom He pleases’.
Then you will see from the horizon of Divine Reason the sun of inner knowledge rising. It is your private sun, for you are the one whom Allah guides and are on the right path and not the one He leaves in error. And you will understand the secret that: ‘It is not given to the sun to catch up with the moon,, nor can the night outstrip the day. Each swims along in (its appointed) orbit’. Finally, the know will be untied in accordance with the parables which Allah sets forth for men, and Allah is the Knower of all things, and the veils will lift and shells will shatter, revealing the fine beneath the coarse; the truth will uncover her face.
All this will begin when the mirror of your heart is cleansed. The light of the divine secrets will fall upon it if you are willing and ask for Him, from Him, with Him.
(Shaykh Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani, may God sanctify his soul, The Secret of Secrets)
28 Tuesday Oct 2008
Posted in Hazret-i Pir Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi, In Search of God's Forgiveness, Learning to Talk, Learning to Listen, Moments from My Life, Muslim Chaplaincy, Our Spiritual Heritage, Sailing the Seas of Blog, Shaykh Kabir Helminski, Striving through the Pen, Sufism/Tasawwuf, The Teachings of the Awliya, The Words of Muhammad (alaihi al-salatu wa al-salam)
Peace, one and all…
I found these pearls of love, mercy and spiritual reflection drifting on the seas of blog. And so, I wanted to share them with you all. May Allah bless everyone who passes by.
Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman
27 Monday Oct 2008
Posted in Ali ibn Abi Talib, Chivalry, God's Beautiful Names, gratitude and patience, Hazret-i Pir Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi, In Search of God's Forgiveness, Learning to Talk, Learning to Listen, Moments from My Life, Muslim Chaplaincy, Our Spiritual Heritage, Prayers of Beauty, Shaykh Kabir Helminski, Sufism/Tasawwuf, The Teachings of the Awliya
Peace, one and all…
In the Name of God, the Infinitely Compassionate, the Infinitely Merciful
Praise be to God for His infinite compassion. Praise be to God for His infinite tenderness. Praise be to God for His infinite mercy. Praise be to God in every time and in every place. Praise be to God in every thought and in every deed. Praise be to God in every condition and in every state.
I wanted to share some beautiful prayers of Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi (God sanctify his noble soul) and of the Mevlevi order (as gathered in the book published by the Threshold Society, The Mevlevi Wird). May Allah pour out his mercy upon the noble soul of Hazrat-i-Pir Mevlana, and upon all those who pass by.
‘The shelter within which I take refuge, the words I will say, and that which I think at each moment of fear, are the words and thoughts of ‘There is no God but God’; against all griefs and troubles, I say, ‘Whatever Allah wishes, occurs’; ‘Praise be to God’ for each blessing that comes to me; I say, ‘Thanks be to Allah’ for each comfort and abundance; ‘Allah is pure from incomplete attributes,’ I say for each astonishing thing I see. For each mistake, O ask from Allah that He might hide the guilt and forgive me. Each time I find myself in difficulty, I say: ‘Allah is enough for me’; against each accident of destiny, I say, ‘God is my support and in Him I trust’. Each time a catastrophe occurs, I say, ‘Truly! We belong to Allah and to Him we return’. Each time I obey servanthood or a command of His, and each time I make a mistake or each time I violate a command, all of my chanting and my ideas are formed by the thoughts: ‘All work and turning around of things belongs to Allah, who is Most High and Most Great; and all power belongs only to Him’
‘My Allah! Illuminate my heart; illuminate my ear; illuminate my eye; illuminate my hair; illuminate my skin; illuminate my flesh; illuminate my blood; illuminate in front of me; illuminate behind me; illuminate under me; illuminate above me; illuminate my right; illuminate my left; My Allah! Increase my light; give me light; O Divine Light of the Divine Light! O Most Merciful of the ones who are merciful! With Your mercy, turn me into divine light!’
‘My Allah! I inhale my breath only for You and with Your power; I exhale my breath again only for You and with Your power. My Allah! I have a longing for Mevlana who has become a means for my reaching You; I also have a longing to be liberated and purified from difficulties, so that I may declare repeatedly that You are free of from incomplete attributes, and so that I may remember You often. My Allah! Don’t give me a disease that may make me forget You, that might weaken the longing I feel for You, that might take away the taste of declaring that You are free from incomplete attributes. But, with Your Compassion, neither give me health that may corrupt me, which might increase my egotism and wrong-doing, O Most Merciful of the merciful ones’
And in closing, this beautiful prayer is called the Rose Prayer (Gulbank):
‘May this moment be blessed. May goodness be opened and may evil be dispelled. May our humble plea be accepted in the Court of Honour; May the Most Glorious God purify and fill our hearts with the Light of His Greatest Name. May the hearts of the lovers be opened. By the breath of our master Mevlana, by the secret of Shams and Weled, by the holy light of Muhammad, by the generosity of Imam Ali, and the intercession of Muhammad, the unlettered prophet, mercy to all the worlds. May we say Hu, Huuu…’
Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman
23 Thursday Oct 2008
Peace, one and all…
I’ve come across a number of very interesting internet discussions of late and so I wanted to link to them all here. I’ve grouped them under two broad headings.
Theology, Spirituality, Identity
Tradition and Modernity
Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman
28 Sunday Sep 2008
Peace, one and all…
‘Say: ‘Whether you conceal what is in your hearts or bring it into the open, God knows it: for He knows all that is in the heavens and all that is on earth; and God has the power to will anything’ (3:29)
Qul in tukhfoo ma fee sudoorikum aw tubdoohu yaAAlamhu Allahu wayaAAlamu ma fee alssamawati wama fee alardi waAllahu AAala kulli shayin qadeerun (transliteration)
قُلْ إِن تُخْفُواْ مَا فِي صُدُورِكُمْ أَوْ تُبْدُوهُ يَعْلَمْهُ اللّهُ وَيَعْلَمُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الأرْضِ وَاللّهُ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ
Related post: Nothing is hidden from God
Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman
31 Thursday Jul 2008
Peace, one and all…
The ‘Rope of God’ (habl Allah: a reference to Quran 3:103) stretched is a rope that passes through many hands. Each person we meet carries a part of that rope with them. Each one of us, in any given moment, could be a living rope extended by God towards those in need. Therefore, I am warned to spurn no one, no matter how they might at first appear. If I want to find and hold on to, God’s rope I must walk through life with open hands.
To walk with open hands is also to walk with emptied hands, with hands ready to be filled. It is to wait for God’s call to action, to go to the aid of someone lost in shadow. It is to open ourselves to the real possibility of becoming that living rope, of being ourselves stretched out.
And this possibility remains open to us for as long as remember that it is God Who holds the rope. It is God who moves all things, and it is God’s power we use – not our own. In all truth, I possess nothing, except as God grants me aid and ability. We remain as rope only for only as long as we hold ‘la hawla wa la quwwata illa billah’ (‘there is no power or might except with/in God’) before our eyes; forgetting this truth, we become a knot, an unhelpful twisting of spirit and flesh.
Beloved God! May I never become a knot in life’s rope. May I become an open hand – always ready to both receive Your grace and to let it pass through me to others in my turn.
And my last prayer is in praise of God, Sustainer of All Being.
Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman
03 Thursday Jul 2008
Peace, one and all…
When writing to one of his provincial governors, Imam Ali (may God ennoble his countenance) said:
‘Infuse your heart with mercy for the subjects, love for them and kindness towards them. Be not like a ravenous beast of prey above them, seeking to devour them. For they are of two types: either your brother in religion or your like in creation. Mistakes slip from them, defects emerge from them, deliberately or accidentally. So bestow upon them your forgiveness and your pardon, just as you would have God bestow upon you His forgiveness and pardon; for you are above them, and the one who has authority over you is above you, and God is above him who appointed you … and through them He tests you’
(Taken from Nahj al-Balaghah)
Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman
23 Monday Jun 2008
Peace, one and all…
‘To follow one’s own desires is to flee
from God
and to spill the blood of spirituality
in the presence of His justice.
This world is a trap, and desire is its bait:
escape the traps and quickly
turn your face toward God.
When you have followed this Way,
you have enjoyed a hundred blessings.
When you have gone the opposite way, you have fared ill.
So the Prophet said, ‘Consult your own hearts
even though the religious judge
advises you about your worldly affairs’.
Abandon desire, and so reveal His majesty:
you’ve learned by experience
the sacrifice He requires.
Since you can’t escape, be His servant,
and go from His prison into His rose-garden.
When you continually keep watch over
your thoughts and actions,
you are always seeing the Justice and the Judge,
though heedlessness may shut your eyes,
still, that doesn’t stop the sun from shining’
Mevlana Rumi, Mathnawi VI.377-384
19 Thursday Jun 2008
Posted in Muslim Chaplaincy
Peace, one and all…
This post is very much a work in progress. I post it here, in a very incomplete form to encourage the development of discussion on the topic.
In his 2007 report, entitled ‘Islam at Universities in England: Meeting the Needs and Investing in the Future’, Dr. Ataullah Siddiqui offers a useful definition of what chaplains are and do:
‘Chaplains/advisors are individuals of faith who provide advice and care adapted to a specific institutional context: a church, a prison, a hospital or a university. They may well conduct religious services but their particular and principal function is to minister in the broadest sense to anyone, of any faith or none, who seeks guidance and support’ (p.44)
This definition suggests that chaplains are:
Siddiqui argues that the rise of Muslim chaplains in the HE sector should be situated within two inter-related contexts: a significantly expanding UK Muslim student body; and an increase in what might be called issues of self-definition and identity within the British Muslim community. He argues that the growth of this sector is
‘underpinned by the hope that the concepts within Islam of women’s rights, interfaith relations, business ethics and environmental ethics can, and should, be mediated through a combination of religious understanding and building of bridges with secular society’ (p.44)
I would agree with this hope. There is much that can be done in the newly emerging field of Muslim Chaplaincy. I also think that much careful study, thought and reflection is required – as is the development of Muslim Chaplaincy conversations. Muslims can bring a great deal of good to the provision of pastoral care, within and beyond, the Islamic tradition itself.
Siddiqui draws attention to four key areas of ‘need’ within Muslim HE Chaplaincy:
These areas are all important, if they are understood as approximations rather than as a self-contained whole. It is interesting to note that under (1) the report focuses solely on prayer. Prayer is, of course, absolutely fundamental, in Islamic life and spirituality. However, it strikes me that more could and should be said in this regard.
I would tentatively suggest the addition of another area: that is, the addition of what we might call discursive or existential needs. In other words, Muslim Chaplaincy (both within and beyond HE) should open up the possibility of discussing the meaning of things. Within a health context, a Muslim Chaplain might well talk with a patient about the meaning of their illness, and illness in general. In the context of Higher Education, with all its opportunities for learning, a Muslim Chaplain should help provide a framework in which students can discuss what their studies mean to them, and to their Islam (or faith/non-faith in general). That is, all human beings have a need to draw meaning from their lives, and also to embed and expand these meanings through discussion. This is not to suggest that a Muslim HE Chaplain must always agree with that meaning, with that individual’s conclusions. Rather, the Muslim Chaplain must always strive to honour the other person’s pursuit of meaning.
There is indeed much that needs to be thought about if Muslim Chaplaincy is to emerge as a vibrant socially directed service, and these few remarks have done no more than to scratch the surface. Insha Allah, I will offer more thoughts on this topic as time and God permits.
Related post: Islam in Universities
Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman
19 Thursday Jun 2008
Posted in al-Quran al-Karim, Chivalry, Flashes, In Search of God's Forgiveness, Interfaith, Learning to Talk, Learning to Listen, Moments from My Life, Muslim Chaplaincy, Our Spiritual Heritage, Reflections, Shia Islam, Sufism/Tasawwuf, Sunni Islam, The Words of Muhammad (alaihi al-salatu wa al-salam)
Peace, one and all…
In a well known and very interesting hadith, the Prophet (alaihi al-salatu wa al-salam) is reported to have said:
“Made beloved to me from your world are women and perfume, and the coolness of my eyes is in prayer.” (Ahmad and An-Nasa ‘i)
Ever since I first encountered this tradition, I thought it was both beautiful and profound. I find it beautiful for several reasons. Firstly, the Prophet (alaihi al-salatu wa al-salam) speaks very movingly of the things he (alaihi al-salatu wa al-salam) finds beautiful. Secondly, it speaks against many of the common misconceptions of Islam – as being a faith set firmly against the autonomy of women. Thirdly, it gives me a very strong sense of the Prophet (alaihi al-salatu wa al-salam) as a man who loved women, enjoyed being with them and indeed, sought out their company.
As I was reading this tradition again recently, it struck me that we might also read this hadith in a more allegorical manner. However, before I do that, it is important to point out that this is not an attempt at exegesis. It is simply my own reaction to the Prophet’s (alaihi al-salatu wa al-salam) words. In that sense, it marks my attempts to think with the hadith. Therefore, whatever I say here should not be seen as authoritative. Rather, I am attempting to explore symbolic meanings – or, better yet, possible symbolic meanings (very much in the manner outlined in The Poetics of Religious Experience by Aziz Esmail: see this excerpt). If there is any truth in what I say, it has come from God. All else has come from my own misunderstandings.
When read allegorically, this hadith can also be understood as a description of our human process of encountering the other. The first thing to note in this regard is the phrase: ‘Made beloved to me from your world’. This reminds me that although the Prophet (alaihi al-salatu wa al-salam) is indelibly human, he is also part of another world entire. That is, the Prophet (alaihi al-salatu wa al-salam) is the human recipient of the Divine Revelation contained in the Quran and so, in that sense, partakes of another realm. We might say that he (alaihi al-salatu wa al-salam) has already reached the goal (and travelled far, far beyond it): he is thus the symbol and metaphor of a perfected human being (alaihi al-salatu wa al-salam). He (alaihi al-salatu wa al-salam) is thus our role model in the long journey towards God.
It is interesting that the Prophet (alaihi al-salatu wa al-salam) first refers to women. Our first entry into this strange world comes through a woman. The Quran has this to say:
‘We have enjoined on man kindness to his parents; in pain did his mother bear him, and in pain did she give him birth’ (46:15).
A woman, in most cases, raises us, nurtures us and teaches us love. In one way or another, every human being upon the face of the planet has had their lives affected, deeply and personally, by their mothers. To love women, and to love woman, is thus essential for any spiritual growth. In another profound statement, the Prophet (alaihi al-salatu wa al-salam) is reported to have said:
A man came to the Prophet and said, ‘O Messenger of God! Who among the people is the most worthy of my good companionship? The Prophet said: Your mother. The man said, ‘Then who?’ The Prophet said: Then your mother. The man further asked, ‘Then who?’ The Prophet said: Then your mother. The man asked again, ‘Then who?’ The Prophet said: Then your father. (Bukhari, Muslim).
For men, in particular, the call to honour and love woman is also a call to honour and love what is other than themselves. In a direct, personal manner, it is an injunction to honour what is fundamentally different from maleness and from masculinity (however one might define it). On a deeper level, the call to honour the other, at the very beginning of human life, is a profound idea: it suggests, to me at least, that honouring the other is a fundamental part of living – so important, in fact, that we are forced to learn it from our first moments on earth.
The Prophet (alaihi al-salatu wa al-salam) then refers to ‘perfume’. This reference lies behind the amazing use and diversity of perfumes in the Muslim world. Indeed, a visit to an Islamic bookshop is rarely complete with buying one or two small bottles of `Ittar. Why is perfume mentioned here? Or, to put it another way, what allegorical significance could perfume have? Well, it is worth remembering the provisional nature of these remarks. But, perhaps, it might have something to do with the nature of perfume itself. That is, we put on perfume to beautify ourselves, and to help ease away some of the less pleasant aspects of human nature. In the allegorical sense I am exploring here, perfume helps our interactions with the other. In a sense it is a form of social convention – the idea that some smells are better than others. That is, it speaks to the practice of relationship – in a metaphorical, as well as directly physical manner.
I would tentatively argue that adab (in the sense of being appropriate behaviour) is moral and behavioural perfume. To perfume our behaviour is to think about how the other might regard us, before we proceed. It is to understand the rights of others, as we consider our own course of action. On a deeper level, it is to help make the world created by our interactions as ‘sweet-smelling’ and as gentle as possible; it is to make the world more beautiful.
The last portion of this profound hadith states: ‘and the coolness of my eyes is in prayer’. The phrase ‘coolness of the eyes’ refers to something that brings a person joy and happiness, an easy sight amidst the heat of day (remember, the context for this is modern-day Saudi Arabia). In other words, the Prophet (alaihi al-salatu wa al-salam) is saying that prayer is the thing that gives him the greatest amount of comfort, rest and refreshment in the entire world. Why? Well, mostly because the Quran commands Muslims to pray. But what does it mean to pray? Well, many Muslim conceptions of prayer see it in terms of appearing before a King, of presenting oneself before the King of the Universe (Malik al-Mulk). This is, of course, true. Allah is indeed al-Malik (the King). He is also al-Maalik (the Owner/Master).
On a deeper level, prayer is also an act of relationship; it is an orientation towards the Divine. I have offered a few thoughts on the Symbolism of Prayer elsewhere (see here as well). Suffice it to say here that prayer is about an ever-deepening opening out in the presence of God. When seen in relation to the rest of this hadith, perhaps we might say that true prayer (true opening to God) is the final stage of our eternal journey. As we struggle to pray, we continuously learn new things about ourselves and our relationship to God. Moreover, it is important to realise that we cannot approach God fully until we learn to approach our human relationships with love and honouring (with perfume in other words). Prayer is thus an encounter with the ultimate other, God.
And God knows best.
Related Link: Dar al-Masnavi
Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman
18 Wednesday Jun 2008
Peace, one and all…
‘Culture (adab) really means ‘the collection of virtuous qualities’, though in ordinary language anyone is called ‘cultured’ (adib) who is acquainted with Arabic philology and grammar. But, the Sufis define culture (adab) as ‘dwelling with praiseworthy qualities’, and say that it means ‘to act with propriety towards God in public and private; if you act thus, you are ‘cultured’, even if you are a ‘foreigner’ (i.e. non-Arab) and if not, you are the opposite’
(al-Huwjiri, Kashf al-Mahjub)
13 Friday Jun 2008
Peace, one and all…
In his book, Self and Salvation, David Ford speaks eloquently, and at some length, on the related allegories of the ‘face’ and of ‘facing’. He argues, very persuasively, that these two concepts have much to say about human understandings of the self and all that is other-than-self. He speaks of the challenges inherent in ‘facing’ life and in ‘facing’ others, and of the relationship intrinsic to how we face the world. (I recently posted excerpts from this work)
The word for face in Arabic is wajh. In his Dictionary and Glossary of the Koran (originally published in 1873), John Penrice defines wajaha as follows:
‘A face, countenance, favour, honour, sake … essence, being, substance’ (p.157)
A derivative of this root means ‘to turn, direct…’ (p.157). That is, this term is used to refer to the physical face. It is also used to refer to the essence of something, as well as an orientation towards it. In other words, it is used in very similar ways to those suggested in Ford’s metaphorical usage.
The Quran says:
‘To Allah belong the east and the West: Whithersoever ye turn, there is the presence [literally 'face'] of Allah. For Allah is all-Pervading, all-Knowing’ (2:115, trans. Yusuf Ali)
When read with Ford’s useful allegory in mind, this suggests (at least to me) that wherever I may turn I am brought into contact with another aspect of the Divine mystery. When I face the beauty contained within nature, I am reminded of God’s creative power. When I face a difficult situation, I come ‘face to face’ with my own limitations and thus with God’s educative mercy. When ‘facing’ other human beings, I am reminded of their sovereign autonomy (under God’s protective hand), of their inherent freedom to decide their own ways and meanings.
In other words, to be brought into a relationship with another human being is an honour in and of itself – even where this interaction is short, even where it is ultimately unhelpful, or even where it proves distressing. On a deeper level, to ‘face’ another human being is to practice the art of relationship, or what might be called the ‘science of facing’. And, because ‘facing’ is an act of orientation towards what is other, to learn about human beings is thus to learn about God.
Another facet emerges when I reflect on this metaphor. ‘Facing’ my self, my particular individuality, draws me into direct relationship with my own mortality – my inevitable re-absorbtion into the whole of life. To face my own individuality is thus to face my own connectedness, the fact that this ‘I’ is merely a temporary condition, a momentary realignment of spirit and flesh. In other words, to consider the self, through the metaphor of the ‘face’, is actually to encounter the other and how it should be approached with honour and love. It is also to realise that ‘self’ and ‘other’ are merely labels – they describe our experience of the world, but they do not capture the totality of its meaning. Beneath the last layer of ‘me’ lies the ‘other’ – and beyond all such labels stands the reality of God, the Source and Sustainer of All.
Praise be to God for this face of mine and for this wonderful life of ‘facing’ the other. But, most of all, may God’s face be praised, and may I ‘face’ Hu with honour in all the quiet spaces of my soul.
And God knows best.
Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman
12 Thursday Jun 2008
Peace, one and all…
I was asked to give a short reflection at St Michaels Theological College yesterday. And so, here is the text of that reflection. Anything in it that is right and true comes from God. Anything that is wrong comes from my own shortcomings.
May God make it beneficial in some way, and may He make it solely for His sake.
‘Did I Come to Unite, or Did I Come to Sever?’ Some Reflections on Chaplaincy
Introduction
The aim of this brief paper is to offer a few reflections on the practice of chaplaincy, in a broadly multi-faith context. I have cast these reflections into a form resembling the basic structure of a traditional jumu’ah khutba (or Friday prayer sermon). The aim here was simply to present this information in a broadly traditional format. Also, as you will notice, there are some areas of confessional belief. I have presented them in the traditional manner, without significant alteration.
Whatever I have said or written that is right and true comes from God, the Sustainer of All Being. Whatever is wrong, misunderstood and confused comes from me and the shortcomings of my own soul.
And God knows better
Al salaamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh.
May the peace, mercy and blessings of God be with you all.
Indeed, all praise is due to God. We praise Him, we seek His aid and His forgiveness. We believe in Him and rely upon His grace. We seek refuge in Him from the evil of our selves and from the evil results of our own actions.
I testify that none has the right to be worshipped except God alone, having no partners, and I testify that Muhammad is His chosen Servant and Messenger .
To proceed …
I would like to being this short early evening reflection by quoting from the opening section of the Masnavi-yi Ma’navi of Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi (may God sanctify his soul). As many may perhaps know, Mevlana Rumi was an important Sufi master of the 13th century, in what is now Turkey. The Masnavi, his most famous work, could be described as a vast commentary on the Quran, cast into verse form. Indeed, it is often referred to within the Islamic tradition as ‘the Quran in the Persian tongue’.
Mevlana Rumi (whom I shall henceforth refer to simply as Mevlana – literally ‘our master’) was the ultimate founder of the Mevlevi Sufi order, more popularly known to the world as the ‘whirling dervishes’. It may perhaps surprise many to know that Mevlana is today one of the most popular poets in the West (and in America in particular): indeed, selections from his writings now often outsell other better known western poets.
At any rate, I am digressing somewhat. The Masnavi begins in the following manner:
‘Listen to the reed,
How it tells a tale
Complaining of separation:
Ever since I was parted
From the reed-bed,
My lament has made
Men and women weep.
I search for a heart
Smitten by separation
That I may tell the pain
Of love-desire.
Everyone who has got far from his source
Harks back for the time
When he was one with it’
(Masnavi Book I.ii.1-4)
In haunting, evocative terms Mevlana speaks of the essential fact of our existence as believing Christians and Muslims: separation from our divine source, from God. On the one hand, this separation is a cause for sorrow because we are separated from what is ultimately most precious to us. On the other hand, this very separation has given rise to beauty. Our very separation is, in a sense, what has brought the world into existence. It has also given our longings for God a beautifully poignant quality. We long to return to the God Who gave us life, and from Whom we came and yet, our very journeying forth from that radiant centre has brought great beauty into being.
Mevlana goes on to talk of his attempts to find others to whom he can speak of these longings. He refers to his ongoing search for other hearts who might speak and thus reflect, this life of separation and longing for reunion: ‘I search for a heart smitten by separation that I may tell the pain of love-desire’, as he so evocatively puts it. Searching for God and searching for the right words to express this desire, or this experience, are key themes throughout the Masnavi.
This search, for meaning and conversation, seems to me to be an absolutely fundamental aspect of chaplaincy. If I have learnt anything during my involvement in pastoral care it is simply this: real conversations can only emerge where there is real trust, and trust can only be built upon the solid foundation of respect. Thus, it is necessary to let others speak their owns truths, in their own terms, in their own words. I have learnt, through bitter experience, of the dangers of trying (whether consciously or unconsciously) to impose my own thoughts and notions, my own definitions on the lives and experiences of others. It strikes me that the all too common urge to place limitations and definitions upon others lies beneath many of our human prejudices – such as racism, sexism and particularly for us as chaplains, religious differences. If we, as chaplains to those within and beyond our respective traditions, are to help others ground themselves in relationships with others and with God, we must first let them speak. That is, we must offer them the space in which they can do that freely and openly.
I find this idea reflected within my own tradition of Islam in the Muslim name I chose to adopt when I became a Muslim some 10 years ago (not that name changes are compulsory – mine is purely aspirational): Abd al-Rahman. Literally, this means ‘servant of the All-Merciful’. For me, it means this: to be a true servant of God, I must honour the truth wherever it is found: I must honour it as it is seen through another’s eyes; I must honour it as it is expressed through another’s thoughts, ideas and feelings.
This does not mean that we must accept or agree with all that others say. Rather, it means that we must strive always to allow others the space to speak for and as themselves. This is no easy task. Indeed, it is a struggle and one I freely admit to myself. But, it seems to me that the quest for true service to God was never going to be an easy one.
In other words, to be a chaplain (and to be an authentic human being) we must realise the limits of our own understandings, just as we strive to honour the understandings of others. That is, we need to walk upon the earth with humility; after all, for my own part, in all truth, it is God Who guides, not me. Although there are many verses to this effect in the Quran, I wanted to offer this one in support of this idea:
’It is not required of thee (O Messenger), to set them on the right path, but Allah sets on the right path whom He pleases’ (2:272)
I would like to offer another quote from the Masnavi. It is a much longer quote, cast into the form of a story. In this story, the Prophet Musa/Moses (alaihi al-salam) encounters someone speaking to God in the course of his travels. I have chosen it because it speaks directly to some of the themes I have tried to briefly explore. The immediate setting of this story is a desert.
‘On the way Moses saw a shepherd
Saying: O God who chooses,
Where are You
That I may serve You?
That I may mend Your shoes
And comb Your head.
That I may wash Your clothes
And kill the lice on You
And serve You milk,
O revered One!
That I may kiss Your hand
And massage Your little foot.
And come night-time,
Sweep Your sleeping-place.
I sacrifice
All my goats to You.
In Your remembrance
Are all my cries and sighs.
In this way the shepherd talked
Foolishly:
Moses said: For Whom is this meant, fellow?
He said: He who made us. He due to whom
This earth and sky came into our view.
Moses said: You have backslided,
Wretched one.
It is not a Muslim you have come to be
But an infidel.
What idle chatter is this?
What blasphemy?
What raving?
Stuff your mouth!
The smell of your blasphemy
Has made the world stink.
It has torn the robe of faith.
Shoes and stockings are good for you.
How can they be right for the Sun?
If you don’t stop these words in your throat
A fire will come to scorch the land.
If there is no fire here,
What then is this smoke?
Why has your soul gone black?
Why are you spurned?
If God knows all, why
This doting talk and familiarity?
A fool’s friendship is enmity:
The great Lord is not in need of this prayer.
To whom do you say this –
Your uncle, you think?
Are body and its needs attributes of the Glorious One?
Only he who is growing drinks milk.
He who needs feet is the one
Who puts on shoes.
…
Hand and foot are fitting to us –
To the Holy God, a blemish
He did not beget nor was He begotten –
This is for Him. He is the Creator
Of begetter and begotten.
Birth belongs to whatever has a body,
Whatever is born on this side of the river,
It is of the becoming and the decaying and the despicable.
The shepherd said: O Moses, you have shut my mouth
And with remorse scorched my soul.
He tore his clothes and heaved a sigh,
Turned to the desert
And went his way.
There was a revelation from God to Moses.
You have parted my servant from Me.
Did you come to unite, or did you come to sever?
Step not into severance, so far as you can.
Of all the things the most loathsome to me is divorce.
To each I have given a way of acting,
To each a way of speaking.
To him it is a praise: to you a fault.
To him it is honey: to you poison.
I care not for purity or pollution,
Dullness or cleverness.
Among Hindus, the idiom of Hind is right;
Among Sindhis, the idiom of Sindh is right.
I am not made holy by their praise.
It is they who turn pure and pearl-scattering.
I look not to tongue and speech
Rather to the inward state.
I look into the heart, whether it is humble,
No matter if the words be un-humble.
For the heart is the essence; speech an accident.
Well then, the accident is secondary,
The essence is the point’
Thus, the question I must ask myself as a Muslim Chaplain, indeed as a human being, is simply this one: ‘Did I come to unite, or did I come to sever?’
And my last prayer is in praise of God, the Sustainer of All Being.
Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman
05 Thursday Jun 2008
Posted in Chivalry, Kindred Spirituality, Miscellaneous, Muslim Chaplaincy
Peace, one and all…
‘What can we learn about ourselves if we really think about our experiences in helping other persons? Perhaps the first deep insight is that these others are persons, individual human beings, more than ‘cases’, ‘clients’ or ‘patients’. Identifying them consistently in this manner renews and refreshes us, for it keeps our focus on the humanity to which we want to relate even though it may be masked and shrouded by the hundred disguises of psychological problems’
(E. Kennedy & S C Charles, On Becoming A Counsellor, p.401)
05 Thursday Jun 2008
Posted in Events, Muslim Chaplaincy
Peace, one and all…
The newly founded Islamic Social Services Association of Wales is holding a Volunteering event on Wednesday 11th June 2008, from 6-8 pm, at Unity Centre, 51-52 Loudoun Square, Butetown, Cardiff CF5 1JH. Their website will soon be up and running, insha Allah.
ISSA Wales aims to provide the Muslim community of Wales with much-needed support in all sorts of areas. I would like to encourage anyone in the area to come along and get involved.
Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman
27 Tuesday May 2008
Peace, one and all…
Hazret Mevlana Rumi (may God sancitfy his secret):
‘Listen, my heart,
don’t be deceived by every intoxication:
Jesus is intoxicated with God,
the ass is intoxicated with barley’
(Mathnawi IV. 2691 trans. Shaykh Kabir Helminski)
