‘The heart is a city which encompasses whatever the Real (may He be praised and exalted) created from the heavenly throne downward, be it large or small, and there are two rulers in this city: one is godly (rahmani), the other is satanic. The godly ruler is called intellect (aql), his regent is faith and his superintendent is poverty.
On the right flap of the heart there are seven castles. In charge of each castle the Real (may He be praised and exalted) placed a constable (dizdar) and the names of these constables are known one by one:
The name of the first constable is knowledge.
The name of the second constable is munificence.
The name of the third constable is reserve.
The name of the fourth constable is patience.
The name of the fifth constable is abstinence.
The name of the sixth constable is trepidation.
The name of the seventh constable is good manners.
Each constable has one hundred thousand communities, and each community has one hundred thousand soldiers and there are all protectors of faith’.
(Hz. Haji Bektash Veli, Quddus Allahi sirruhu)
I recently found a large collection of videos from an academic conference in Istanbul on Ibn Arabi. You can find the complete collection by following the link: You Tube. Insha Allah, I will post them all here, as time allows.
Dr. Pilar Garrido Clemente: ‘The Ladder of Interpretation: Reason and Revelation in Ibn Masarra, the Predecessor of Ibn Arabi’
A story told of Ibrahim ibn Adham, a famous early Sufi. In it, he reports a dream of his.
‘One night I dreamt that I saw the angel Gabriel (alaihi al-salam). He came to earth from heaven with a piece of paper in his hand. I asked him, ‘What do you want?’ ‘I am writing down the names of he friends of the Real,’ he said. ‘Will you write my name down too?’ I asked. ‘You are not one of them’. ‘But I love the friends of the Real’. Gabriel thought for a moment. Then he said, ‘I have been commanded, “Record Ibrahim’s name first”‘. On this path, hope emerges from despair.’
Taken from the Tadhkirat al-Awliya (Memorials of the Saints) by Farid al-Din Attar.
‘Say, “O My servants who have transgressed against themselves [by sinning], do not despair of the mercy of Allah . Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He who is the Forgiving, the Merciful”‘ (39:53)
Each month, the Threshold Society gives a key theme for reflection. During August (or Ramadan), that theme was: claim nothing, let the Divine do. Shaykh Kabir offers some thought-provoking reflections on that theme. May they be beneficial to all who pass by!
Claim Nothing, Let the Divine Do
This theme is an advanced teaching. It presumes that we have to some extent developed a healthy capacity for will. By will we mean the capacity to choose consciously; and will power is the capacity to follow through on what we have consciously chosen. Only then can we glimpse the meaning of “Claim nothing, let the Divine do.”
Someone who rarely makes a conscious decision, but follows this or that impulse, has little will. Such a person is only following the impulses, desires, and tendencies arising in the lower self. You may even justify or glorify those impulses with a spiritual rationale, but the reality is that you are under the command of your ego. That’s why every real spiritual teaching begins with a long apprenticeship going against certain impulses of the self, applying a discipline to the soul, being faithful to a spiritual practice that at first seems to involve some sacrifice. In the end, however, that spiritual practice is what frees us from an inner tyranny we may not have even recognized.
The Dog of Ego
‘O heart, stay with the pain that is a remedy.
No groaning; endure longing without complaint.
Stamp your foot upon your own desires.
Train the dog of ego. Let this be your sacrifice’
Rumi, Quatrain 311
A healthy will is a will that more often than not chooses what is good for the soul and is independent of the whims and desires of the lower self. It is at this stage that this theme becomes applicable. To “claim nothing” is to be scrupulous about not asserting your will, not identifying with your ego, not attributing the power of your own will to your lower self. As the Qur’an says: “There is no power nor strength except with the One” [a translation of the central Islamic phrase - La hawla wa la quwwata illa billah]
If the spiritual path is about remembering Allah in every moment and living your life accordingly, then there are boundless opportunities to “claim nothing.” In fact, as we observe our awakening into remembrance we may see that we are not actually doing it, and yet it does not happen without our strengthening our intention to be in remembrance and being consistent in practices of remembrance. As a result of a faithful practice we may find that we have more and more moments of remembrance, and our spontaneous, natural response could be real gratitude and humility. “Claim nothing, let the Divine do.”
This is very different from following the path of least resistance that is the ego’s way, a way of yielding to any impulse that arises. Following the path of least resistance can actually be the path of dissipation and gradual loss of will. While following the Straight Path is to be aware of choice and naturally choosing what is in alignment with our highest purpose and intention.
To Be Erased
‘Unless the seeker is absolutely erased,
In truth, he will not come into union.
Union is not penetrable. It is your destruction.
Otherwise any worthless person would become the Truth’
Rumi, Quatrain 800
Our sense and understanding of our highest purpose is informed by the exemplars of the Path—the prophets, masters, and saints whose lives and words inspire us.
This Path of Love is a direct path, merciful toward our human nature, yet calling us to a discipline that spiritualizes the body, the emotions, and even our thoughts. Claim nothing, let the Divine do becomes even more important as we begin to sense the inflow of a spiritual energy that lifts us up and radiates into the world. The danger at this stage is that we (no matter how subtly) appropriate that power to ourselves. While being in the flow of grace is more likely to be given to someone who has overcome the dissipating impulses of the nafs, that flow is not an act of our own will. While the stages of the spiritual path require an inner mastery over ourselves, there is no way to attain that mastery except through humbleness, gratitude, and love.
Yourself without Yourself
‘If you go on the Way, they will open the Way to you.
And if you become nothing, you’ll be led to real being.
And if you will be humble, the universe will not contain you,
And you will be shown yourself, without yourself’
Rumi, Quatrain 742
I wanted to share a beautiful Turkish Sufi song with you all. It is entitled Zahmi Sinemden, or ‘the Wound of my Chest’. Enjoy and may Allah bless all who pass by.
‘My body and soul come together to seek You,
it is You that I live and die for.
I am here but a fortnight and then,
a handful of dust.
You are here to see this Love through’
Here are some examples of music from Islamic Spain. Enjoy and may Allah bless all who pass by.
Ya maliha l lama wa hula t tathanni
Ya sakinan bi fu`adi
Li habibun maqamuhu fawqa ra`si
In love young and old are the same.
In love loss and gain are the same.
In love the worlds are the same.
In love autumn and spring are the same.
Its down is up and up is down.
The earth and the heavens are the same.
The place of love is a circle,
Each spot is equal to the other.
If the Beloved scorns you or welcomes you,
it’s all the same.
In the tradition of love, to die
is the same as gaining eternal life.
(Farid al-Din Attar, trans M. Jamal)
Chasm-e-Maste is a beautiful qawwal, written by Hazret Amir Khusrau and sung by the inimitable Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. I have given the basic text of the poem below, alongside an English translation (by Regula Burckhardt Qureshi). Enjoy, and may all who pass by be blessed with goodness.
Part 1
Part 2
Text
Chashm-e-Maste `ajabe, zulf taraze `ajabe
O wondrous ecstatic eyes, O wondrous long locks
Maiparaste `ajabe, fitna taraze `ajabe
O wondrous wine worshipper, O wondrous mischievous sweetheart,
Bahr-e-qatlam chu kashad tegh neham sar basujud
As he draws the sword, I bow my head in prostration so as to be killed
U banaze `ajabe man banyaze `ajabe
O wondrous is his beneficence, O wondrous my submission
Waqt-e-bismil shudanam chashm baryush baz ast
In the spasm of being killed my eyes beheld your face;
Mehrbane `ajabe bandanawaze `ajabe O wondrous benevolence, O wondrous guidance and protection
Turk taze `ajabe shoba babaze `ajabe
O wondrous amorous teasing, O wondrous beguiling
Kajkulahe `ajabe `arbada saze `ajabe
O wondrous tilted cap, O wondrous tormentor
Haq mago kalma-e-kufr ast dar in ja Khusrau
Do not reveal the Truth; in this world blasphemy prevails Khusrau
Razdane `ajabe sahib-e-raz-e-`ajabe
O wondrous source of mystery, O wondrous knower of secrets.
Here is some beautiful Sufi music from Syria. May it be of benefit, and may all who pass by be blessed by it.
Shaykh Hamza Shakkour
Here are some beautiful words of Mevlana to ponder whilst you listen to the music.
‘Loving-kindness is drawn to the saint, as medicine goes
to the pain it must cure.
Where there is pain, the remedy follows:
wherever the lowlands are, the water goes.
If you want the water of mercy, make yourself low;
then drink the wine of mercy and be drunk.
Mercy upon mercy rises to your head like a flood.
Don’t settle on a single mercy, O son.
Bring the sky beneath your feet
and listen to celestial music everywhere’
(2.1938-1942)
Here, in the last days of Ramadan, is the final part of the beautiful prayer of Abu Madyan. May all who pass by be blessed with Divine forgiveness, mercy and love.
The Supplication for Forgiveness of Abu Madyan (Part 3)
‘I seek the forgiveness of God, as often as the number of letters [in the Quran] and multiplicity of
Quranic verses and aphorisms recited during invocation.
I seek the forgiveness of God, as often as the number of riding animals,
worlds beyond the horizons, and landmarks in the earth.
I seek the forgiveness of God, as often as the number of plants and
sheep on the land and [the amount of] bounty in the sea.
I seek the forgiveness of God, as often as the number of heavenly bodies
encompassed by knowledge, and for everything that is apparent and hidden.
I seek the forgiveness of God, as often as the number of [grains of] sand,
and the [amount of] rain that falls continuously on the earth.
I seek the forgiveness of God, as often as the number of created things -
of human beings and jinn, of Arabs and non-Arabs.
I seek the forgiveness of God, as often as the number of thoughts in
the breasts of those endowed with trust, authority, and wisdom.
I seek the forgiveness of God – all majesty be to God, our Creator,
Creator of mankind and the One who brought us forth from nothingness.
I seek the forgiveness of God – all majesty be to God, Who provided for us
prior to physical existence, and Who apportions all the shares [of worldly destiny].
I seek the forgiveness of God, Whose bounties are without number,
the All-Encompassing, the Most Excellent, [the One] noted for generosity.
I seek the forgiveness of God – all majesty be to God, Who gathers us in [at death],
the annihilator of centuries, and the annihilator of all nations.
I seek the forgiveness of God – all majesty be to God, Who resurrects us
after death, and Who gives life to decaying bones.
I seek the forgiveness of God, innumerable times,
as often as the number of known species and breaths of life.
I seek the forgiveness of God – on Him be praises without number,
[for] He causes Himself to be praised pre-eternally.
I seek the forgiveness of God, the Forgiver of sins Who, whenever
the slave disobeys, forgives him with indulgence and generosity.
So forgive me the greatest of my transgressions, and
[on] the Day of Judgement, when my feet are about to stumble,
Then may blessings be upon the Chosen One from Mudar,
the Best of Mankind, among those who weep or smile.
And may his family and companions be preserved
by our Lord, along with [all] their followers’.
We have entered the last 10 days of Ramadan. If the month of Ramadan is a special time in the Islamic calendar, the last 10 days are a particularly special time within Ramadan. Tradition connects the last 10 days with prayers for salvation from Hell. In other words, these final days of Ramadan are especially connected with seeking forgiveness. Here are a number of beautiful prayers, drawn from a wide range of sources, all of which offer a focus for asking for forgiveness.
I hope all who pass by find these beautiful prayers beneficial. May God forgive us all for our sins and shortcomings. May we all be purified by the forgiveness, compassion and tender mercy of the Divine.
‘The Chief of Forgiveness-Prayers’ (Du`a Sayyid al-Istighfar)
This prayer is attributed to the Prophet himself (alaihi al-salatu wa al-salam) and is described in the tradition as the best prayer for forgiveness.
‘O God! You are my Lord. There is no god but You. You created me. I am Your servant. I shall try to fulfill my pledge with You as well as my power permits. I seek refuge with You from the evil of my deeds. Due to Your favours to me I turn to You and thank You and also confess my mistakes. Forgive me, for there is none to forgive sins bu You. O Most Merciful of those who show mercy!’
The Supplication for Forgiveness of Abu Madyan (Part 2)
I seek forgiveness of God for my words and deeds,
for my vain strivings, and the exhaustion of my abilities.
I seek the forgiveness of God for my ignorance and transgressions,
for the greatest of my conscious sins, and the minor ones I have committed.
I seek the forgiveness of God for what my hand has wrought,
for my errors and [the sins] toward which I was inclined.
I seek the forgiveness of God for that which my hand did not earn,
and for that which I earned upon attaining adulthood.
I seek the forgiveness of God for saying ‘I’ and ‘with me’,
[for saying] ‘belonging to me’ and ‘mine’, and for my suspicions and my [limited] understanding.
I seek the forgiveness of God for that which I did not know,
for that which I knew and for which I wrote by pen.
I seek the forgiveness of God for my sleep, my lethargy,
and my wakefulness, and for that which has maintained me [in life].
I seek the forgiveness of God during the day, its night,
and its morrow, before it is created from nothingness.
I seek the forgiveness of God for that which occurred during my youth,
and for my disagreements with the aged and mature.
I seek the forgiveness of God, as often as I have feared what He has bestowed,
and [as often as] the clouds have rained on the plains and hills.
I seek the forgiveness of God, as often as the number of pilgrims, going
toward lands characterised by purity and sanctity.
I seek the forgiveness of God, as often as the breaking of dawn, and as often
as the doves coo their songs in the branches.
(I will share the remaining part of this long and beautiful du`a in a subsequent post, insha Allah)
The Prayer of Repentance (Du`a Tawbah)
This beautiful prayer is attributed to the 4th Imam of the Shi`a tradition, Ali ibn al-Hussain (more widely known as Imam Zayn al-Abidin, may God sanctify his noble soul). It is beautifully recited below. You can also find the text itself online.
Part One
Part Two
The Prayer of Glory (Du`a al-Baha’)
This prayer is attributed to the 5th Imam of the Shi`a tradition, Muhammad al-Baqir (God sanctify his noble soul). I posted this beautiful prayer a few years ago.
In closing, let me offer this beautiful prayer of the Mevlevi Order, entitled The Rose Prayer (Gulbenk):
‘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…’
And my last prayer is praise of God, the Sustainer of All Being.
‘You should not neglect your time or use it haphazardly; on the contrary, you should bring yourself to account, structure your litanies and other practices during each day and night, and assign to each period a fixed and specific function. This is how to bring out the spiritual blessing (baraka) in each period. But, if you leave yourself adrift, aimlessly wandering as cattle do, not knowing how to occupy yourself at every moment, your time will be lost. It is nothing other than your life, and your life is the capital that you make use of to reach perpetual felicity in the proximity of God the Exalted. Each of your breaths is irreplaceable and, once gone, can never be retrieved. Do not be like the deceived fools who are joyous because each day their wealth increases while their life shortens. What good is an increase in wealth when life grows ever shorter? Therefore, be joyous only for an increase in knowledge or in good works, for they are your two companions who will accompany you in your grave when your family, wealth, children, and friends stay behind’
(Imam al-Ghazali, Bidayat al-Hidaya)
‘Show compassion to all creation. Nasr ibn Muhammad reports that Junayd related that there was a sheikh in Damascus called Abu Musa al-Qumasi who was a an of futuwwah [spiritual chivalry]; everyone praised him. One day, the sheikh’s house collapsed on top of hi and his wife. When people began to dig in the ruins, they found his wife first. ’Leave me,’ she said. ’Go and try to find the sheikh and save him. He was sitting in a corner over there’. They left the woman, dug where she had pointed, and found the sheikh. ’Leave me,’ he said. ’Go and save my wife’. Each wanted the other to be saved. That is the state of those who are together for the sake of Allah and who are friends and brothers in the name of Allah. They are in that compassionate state at all times’
(Imam ibn al-Husayn al-Sulami, Kitab al-Futuwwah, The Book of Sufi Chivalry)
‘Scattering petals, swishing red wine in the ample cup -
through the torn rooftop of the universe we launch a new way.
Should anguish form a death-squad to wipe out lovers
all of us at the wine-house would rebel, and yank the chair out from under them.
We sloshed rose-water into the wine-cup
packed sugar in the censer of the fragrant wind…
When the sweet lute is at hand, poet, play sweetly
so that waving our hands we may shout a ghazal, and dancing we may toss our heads.
O wind, blow the dust of our lives into the courtyard of the Beautiful
that standing among his fair ones we may gaze upon the King.
One brags about his intellect, another of his grace and charm -
but what are these before the sovereign Judge?
If you want to get back to Eden, come with us to the wine-house.
In time, we shall draw you up: from the dregs of the cup to the clear pool of Paradise.
These days in Shiraz, word-craft and melodious speech are not in fashion.
Hafiz, let’s make our escape, and cast ourselves into another realm’.
(Hafiz Shirazi, trans. by Jeffrey Einboden and John Slater)
