Time to Love.. to Seek.. to Flow..

Bismillahir Rahmaanir Raheem

Before I begin with today's topic, I want to wish my beloved a VERY happy birthday. I am grateful to Allah for placing you in my life, for drawing us nearer, and for His protection. I pray HE make ways even where there appear to be done, remove blockages and simply continue to bless us, insh'Allah. Ameen. I love you. And so it is apt that I speak of Love today; but of that love of the ONE, of peace, of tranquility, of calmness. And let all these thoughts and the outpouring of love for that Creator that gave you to me and me to you; let that be my gift to you. In you, my love, I find my Allah reflected in the smallest ways; and in HIM, my love, I am blessed to love you more.

“The minute I heard my first love story,
I started looking for you, not knowing
how blind that was.
Lovers don’t finally meet somewhere.
They’re in each other all along.”
_Rumi

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TIME OUT, everyone - BE still.. just BE..
just breathe....
inhale deep into the soles of your feet that peace that is ALLAH..
feel the footsteps of all those that have gone before you
that common walk of the spirit that seeks to discover that well of crystal clear, divine love..

Feel the thunder within their heart as they recite the Zhikr of Allah's name without even a breath of speech.
Feel the calm waters of transparent thought as it fills you from the top of your head to the ends of your toes..
Seek the face of God, the Creator, the ONE- ALLAH -
breathe in that thirst of HIM and breathe out the tiredness of dunya..
and just BE..

Meditate upon LOVE that is greater than LOVE so great it fills your every dream..
may it take you, lift you up, make you live and breathe and hope and float above all that is on this day..
and bring you gently to rest..
at the foot of those rivers of life
which flow unending, whispering secrets of the unknown..
beneath the ARSH of the Creator (his throne)..

Look around you and SEE the beauty that frames each day, and FEEL with your very soul that humming, vibrating LIFE BEAT that courses through your veins.
And know that IAM there.. the I AM that was, that is, that evermore shall be, the ONE
the ONE..
the ONE..
ONE..
O - the circle that begins and ends all things..
life that is eternal.. beating gorgeous wings of noor and life and light upon your soul..


MEDITATIONS: Let your soul drift to find the O N E..

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“I want to see you.
Know your voice.
Recognize you when you
first come ’round the corner.
Sense your scent when I come
into a room you’ve just left.

Know the lift of your heel,
the glide of your foot.
Become familiar with the way
you purse your lips
then let them part,
just the slightest bit,
when I lean in to your space
and kiss you.
I want to know the joy
of how you whisper
“more”
― Rumi

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“This is love: to fly toward a secret sky, to cause a hundred veils to fall each moment. First to let go of life. Finally, to take a step without feet.”
― Rumi



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“Let yourself be drawn by the stronger pull of that which you truly love.”
― Rumi

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“I am your moon and your moonlight too
I am your flower garden and your water too
I have come all this way, eager for you
Without shoes or shawl
I want you to laugh
To kill all your worries
To love you
To nourish you.”
― Rumi


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I had a dream..

Bismillahir Rahmaanir Raheem


Muslim or not, sometimes life runs away with you, and whilst you go about ibaada searching for Allah, sometimes we forget that to remember his messenger (pbuh) is to find yet another door to the Creator. I read about our beloved nabi(pbuh) again yesterday, and it took me back to the early days of my search, before I came to Islam, when I had so many quesions. I wanted to know the truth, because I no longer found in me what used to be my truth, you understand?

For every revert, there comes this day, I think. That day when you find yourself in suspended animation, unable to go back to what you've always held as comfort and spiritual belief, simply because it is no longer there. You cannot be convicted of it anymore because the very foundations of it have simply disappeared. A dark night of the soul, a spiritual culmination in which you truly NEED to know what is instead of what is generally believed, what IS versus what you've been taught, what you've held to be so with great conviction despite its lack of evidence. In those days, I had 3 dreams, which I will not share, but yesterday's return to the Prophet(pbuh) (and how simplistic a name is that for what he truly IS).. led me to remember just one moment in time. I'd like to share that today, in the form of a poem.

Before you think me blasphemous, it is important to remember that our Nabi (saw) was created for all of creation, a light unto the world. Let those who wish to look into that statement deeper do so, for I have only touched upon the skirt of that journey's beginning and I am left in awe..

I've called this poem simply, BELOVED, because that is our Nabi(saw). To us, muslims, and to Allah (swt) Creator of ALL that is and was and evermore shall be. If anything is given to you through this poem on a spiritual or intellectual level, I ask ALLAH to reward Muhammad (saw) for that tiny grain, and to ALLAH be all the glory. Insh'Allah and ameen..

BELOVED

I had a dream..

In which we sat beside the waters clear, the stream of life,

The laughter of the rippling water as it tumbled over polished forms

The silence of the moment rings, still, within my heart

The timbre bell of that peace resounding, gently, within my soul

I had a dream..

In which I stood and waited as a bride yet to meet her sweet betrothed,

And then, when I looked up, I saw your frame

Your steps that walked with quiet confidence,

Descending from heaven's clouds

As though the air itself held its breath that you may tread upon it’s dreams..

I had a dream,

And in that dream you smiled..

And in that moment both the sun and moon bowed low

Ashamed of their own light before your own

Ashamed of their own love before your own

Shy as a lover, standing naked on her first blessed night of union

Oh how I dreamed,

And how I fell in love with you,

Seated on that little bank beside the stream of life..

Filled throughout with the knowing of your presence

That presence filled with all the mysteries of the universe before it breathed its first day or night..

That presence filled with the light upon light and love upon love

Of a Creator I could not begin to know or understand

How could I know HIM?

How could I begin to encompass a little of HIS friendship,

When seated beside his closest companion it was as though my heart lay open,

like broken drawers of an empty chest yearning for just one more smile..

Oh how I dreamed..

And how I fell in love with you..

Oh blessed soul;

 who’s fragrance’s search still fills my every dream and waking moment since!

Oh blessed messenger;

who brought to this ragged, poor and wretched soul a touch of life,

Oh blessed messenger;

who’s love is such that your blessed feet did walk,

For the love of YOUR beloved,

That greatest stretch of eternal sky, from complete rest and peace,

 just to sit with me.

Quietly.

Beside a stream.

So that I may feel, just once, the breath of heavens possibility,

So that I may take, from your beloved hand in which all of creation sits recorded,

One tiny key..

One promise..

The answer to my "Purpose" in this dry and dusty road..

Yours then, and mine today…

ALLAH

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Inspirational Sufi Story - Chisthi pir

Bismillahir Rahmaanir Raheem

A visitor came to a Chishti pir.

This visitor wanted to demonstrate his own knowledge of the Qur’an and intended to overpower the Chishti pir in a debate. When he entered, the Chishti pir took the initiative however and mentioned Yusuf and the dreams he has had according to the Qur’an.

He then suddenly turned to his visitor and asked him if he could tell him about a dream, so that the visitor may give his interpretation thereof. After receiving permission the Sufi told that he has had a dream and both of them were in it.

The Chishti pir then went on by describing the following dream event: “I saw your hand immersed in a jar of honey, while my hand was immersed in the latrine”.

The visitor hastened to interpret: “It is quite obvious! You are immersed in wrong pursuits whereas I am leading a righteous life”.

“But’, the Sufi said, “there is more to the dream”. The visitor asked him to continue. The Chishti pir then went on by telling this: “You were licking my hand and I was licking yours”.

Another unrelated sufi story to make you smile:
Bohlul was sitting on a bridge, watching the river flow by. The king saw him, and immediately had him arrested. "A bridge is for passing, not for staying!" said the king. Bohlul then replied to the king, "You should take a look at yourself. Look at how you are clinging to this life." (Adapted from "Another way of laughter: a collection of Sufi humor" by Massud Farzan, [E. P. Dutton & Co, New York, 1973], p. 39.)

A tale without a name

A SUFI TALE WITHOUT A NAME

 

There was once a Sufi who was approached by a youth, who said to him:

-'Why do the wise not give good advice to all so that we could all act in accordance with it, and prosper? If there are so many illuminated ones who can he al the sick, why do they not do it for everyone, so that we might banish disease from the earth?'

The Sufi said:
-'Come with me on a journey, and I will show you how matters really stand, for they are otherwise than you think.'

So the two set off on their travels. They arrived at a village where a man was trying to milk a miserable goat, but could hardly get any milk from her.

The Sufi said to him:
-'What would you like most of all?'
The man answered:
-'I would like a herd of good goats, so that I could hold up my head up high, feed my family, and be content.'

The Sufi said:
-'Would you not rather be worthy of all this first?'.
But the poor man shook his head:

- 'No,' he replied 'because poverty produces misery and plenty is a blessing which produces benevolence.'

The Sufi waved his hand, and suddenly the poor peasant found that he was the owner of many flocks of beautiful goats.

The two travellers proceeded on their way.

The next person they met was a woman, who was sitting disconsolately beside a well. The Sufi asked her what was wrong, and she said:
-'I am ugly and nobody will marry me, which means that I am doomed to pass the rest of my life in misery, since hereabouts it is considered undesirable to be unmarried.'

The Sufi said:
-'Would you rather be beautiful or really useful in this world, and able to serve other people?'

-'I would rather be beautiful,' she said, 'because if I were, it would not be hard to do good. As it is, others do evil to me.'

The Sufi waved his hand, and by his knowledge of the superior realms, the woman was transformed into a ravishing beauty.
The two went on their way.

The next man they met was a scholar, dressed in sumptuous robes.
After same conversation, the Sufi asked him:
-'Is there anything which you need? It appears not, since you have been blessed with so much. You have cattle, houses, the respect of your students...'
The scholar said:
-'None of these is of any account. What I really need is that I should be regarded as the greatest scholar in the world.'
-'But,' said the Sufi, 'would you not rather be known as the most useful man in the world?'
-'I do not think so,' said the scholar, 'for nobody can decide whether anyone really is useful: they can only believe it.'

The Sufi waved his hand, and, in a trice, the scholar was transformed into the most famous and distinguished sage in the world.
After same months of travelling, the Sufi changed his dress and appearance, and those of the disciple, so that they looked entirely different. Now he said:

-'Let us retrace our steps and see how our advice and actions have taken effect.'

In due time they came upon the man with the goats, and found that he had become a tyrant, whom everyone feared.

-'People,' said the Sufi, 'imagine that they need affluence to be good, whereas it may make them worse, for it can give them opportunities which they did not have before.'

Then they saw the woman, who was now married but spent all her time titivating herself.

-'If she had been told to make herself better before becoming beautiful, she would not have taken any notice,' said the Sufi.

Finally they arrived at the house of the teacher, who was so surrounded by admirers that they had difficulty in gaining an audience.
-'Tell me,' said the Sufi, 'did you attain this importance by yourself, or was it perhaps through the wonder-working of one of those wise men?'
-'Wise men?' said the scholar; 'there is no such thing. Wonderworkers, indeed! Be off with you!'

Now the Sufi waved his hand again, and all the people returned to where they had been at the beginning.

-'The advice which people need before they can improve and make use of healing and of good counsel, and of good fortune,' he told his pupil, 'is already available to them, and has been repeated for centuries.

When they start in large numbers to take heed of this, then the Sufis will be able to give them further direction. Until then, it is only those few who want to learn, not those who want to gain, who will remain the responsibility of the wise. And it is these people who obtain the gifts which the Sufis can give’.

 

The Stone & the Tree

THE STONE AND THE TREE

 

There was once a dervish in Abadan, whose cell was always surrounded by disciples, people who had come from far and near to hear his wisdom and try to achieve knowledge and spiritual fulfilment. Sometimes he spoke to them, sometimes he did not. Sometimes he read from books, and sometimes he made them perform various tasks. The disciples tried, for decades, to understand the purport of his words, to fathom the depth of his signs and symbols, and in every way possible to get closer to his wisdom.

Those who understood what he taught, were the ones who did not spend time trying to puzzle out things. They cultivated patience and attention, and refrained from looking for verbal associations from books and from what others had told them. The majority, however, as is the way of the world, were sometimes elated, sometimes sad, and always covetous, even if it was only for wisdom and their well-being. They had all kinds of explanations for this way of thinking except the real ones.

At long last, after many years had passed, one of these disciples plucked up enough courage to approach the master directly and said:‘There are a number of us, o wise one, who have been trying to follow the path of knowledge for most of our lives. Now, as some are old and others are getting older, we feel that we have to open our hearts to you, saying that we need a further indication of how we should proceed’.The dervish gave a long sigh and answered:‘Come with me to the seashore and I’ll show you something which tells you everything, if you can only hear it’.
At the pebble-strewn beach, the dervish took a stone from the water and asked a disciple: ‘How long has this stone been here?’

The man said: ‘It is worn smooth, so it must have been rolled back and forth, under the surf, for perhaps several thousand years’.‘Now’, said the dervish: ‘Take this wet stone and crack it open, then tell me what you find’. They smashed the stone and saw that it was very much the same inside as it was out.

‘You observe’, said the dervish, ‘that although submerged in the sea for accounted ages, the innermost part of this stone is as dry as if it had never been near water. You people are like the stone. Surrounded by wisdom, you do not allow it to penetrate. Unlike the stone, there is a talisman, which will let the transforming quality suffuse you, to your innermost being. That quality is patience, forbearance and openness, things which you call three qualities, but which are in reality only one’.
Next the dervish took his followers onto a hill overlooking the sea, where in spite of the aridity of the place, a magnificent tree grew.‘This tree’, he said, ‘can live and grow tall and fruitful where nothing else can. This is possible to it only because it has made worthy efforts, signalled by the inner quality of the seed which gave it birth, to penetrate deep into the earth to find water. ‘Learn the lesson, my friends’.