Leave Love Alone

Leave Love Alone

He is He...

Enter this state, there's no door,

Imagine this state, you'll only grab your soul's fancy skirt,

Forget this state, let forgetfulness whisper the secrets to non-beings instead.


Once, as soon as I started looking for Him in this and that,

I heard myself say unto myself,

"Are you seeking Beauty here?

Not even nearness nor aloneness can capture the Beloved,

What you see, what you hear, what you feel,

They are but rumours perpetrated by the winds,

Like the fallen feathers of the legendary King of Birds.


"They say, there's an eternal mirror somewhere in all this non-sense,

In which the Answer is written in silver light.

The answer is humbly awful:

"Do you hesitate which One the Seer is and which One the Seen is?"

Ah, forget even this,

You know that I can only lie to you,

Until you and I can no longer lie of the things unnamed and without a sign."


Wash your face with the seven seas you may,

Just don't rest on anything in this endless space,

See if you can be the One without sign and name.


Hush! O Vanity personified,

What shall not spin yourself astray?

Just leave Love alone with Love.

He is He...


Ishq,

Dani

A Talk with an Atheist

Bismillaah ar-Rahmaan ar-Raheem

Salaam Allaah alayka, dear brothers and sisters,

A few weeks ago, I encountered an atheist, who is a University student firmly grounded in his belief and very proud of that such that he looks down upon people like us, and who claims to follow the Darwinian school of thought (at least the one promoted by R. Dawkins of Oxford) which bases its entire system on "evolutionary emergent intelligence" instead of "intrinsic intelligence" and "randomness of natural selection" instead of "purposeful design". Since a lot of "intellectual" people these days tend to verge on atheism or materialism (in one form or another), I thought I would share the gist of our debate here with you all in the hope to shed some light on the Truth and grow the confidence and certainty (yaqeen) in your hearts by Allaah's permission. May Allaah Ta'ala help us all in knowing and loving Him better. Amin.

***

Q: "As far as I know, no one of the theologians has been able to answer the following problematic question: 'Can "God"
create a stone which He Himself will not be able to lift up?' If yes, then He will cease to be the Most Powerful! If no, then He is not all-Powerful at all in the first place, at least not completely. In either case, there's no way that "God" can be all-Powerful. Hence, "God" either doesn't exist or can't be that which you guys ("theists") describe Him to be!"

A: "The answer to your question has been given through Surah al-Ikhlaas in the Holy Qur'an:

Bismillaah ar-Rahmaan ar-Raheem.

In the Name of Allaah, the Infinitely Loving, the Infinitely Merciful.

Qul Huwa Allaahu Ahad.

Say: He is Allaah, the Singular, the Unique.

Allaahus Samad.

Allaah is the Intrinsic Source of Being (Existence).

Lam yalid wa lam yulad.

He is not caused by that which is extrinsic to Him, nor does He produce that which is external to Him.

Wa lam yaqul la Hu kufuan Ahad.

And nothing whatsoever is like unto Him.

"In this Surah, Allaah Ta'ala speaks of Himself without attributes whatsoever other than that which is the Reality that He Ta'ala is. He Ta'ala is al-Haqq; the Unique, Absolute, Intrinsic Truth; enthroned above Duality (Multiplicity) and hence above Opposition, Relativity, and Interdependence. He Ta'ala is as-Samad, the Singular, Intrinsic Source of all interdependent, hidden, and manifest realities while He Ta'ala Himself is absolutely independent of conceivable attributes. Now, you may reflect that That-Which-Exists inherently cannot result from a set of causes and conditions whatsoever, and so causality can NEVER operate with regard to this Reality-Being. Hence your question does not apply to Allaah Ta'ala in the first place; it is a mere mental construct whose emergence is only possible in any closed system (like the mind) which at the same time cannot be divorced from that which is observed by it---the Universe of phenomena. So you see, your question is devoid of intrinsic substance in the first place and you expecting an answer in this case is pretty much like trying to paste a sticker on a tidal wave. As such, your question only applies to divisible, interdependent phenomena (and hence, your so-called "God", that is only purely relative, and the stone). On the other hand, the Absolute Reality-Being, Allaah Ta'ala, is not made up of parts, and so isn't divisible. In Tasawwuf which is also called al-'Ilm al-Haqiqat, the Islamic science of Allaah's Essence (the Essence of Reality-Being), we have the so-called seven states of manifestation, from the most sublime to the most coarse. At best your question still applies to the fifth state, called al-'Alm al-Mitsal (the Realm of thought-forms or imageries), where relative existential weights (called "forms") exist in interdependence, but no further than that. In the most exalted state of Allaah Ta'ala, called Ahadiyya, He Ta'ala has no need of objects ("partners"; anything exterior to Himself whether conceptually or consequentially); He simply is He (Huwa Huwa) and neither perceptions nor words can reveal the Reality of Ahadiyya, for this state is free from any "entanglement of states" whatsoever. We, genuine Muslims, don't take this for granted nor base all this on presupposition, rather we purify ourselves from phenomenal entanglement and interdependence (we seek to "divorce ourselves from ourselves") in order to be granted the Reality of the Presence (Hudhur) which we call Qurb (Nearness). This is the state of the Holy Prophet of Islaam (peace be upon him and his exalted family) called Ihsaan (Direct Witnessing) and this state is reproducible (provided that one goes through a very intense journeying called Sulook) and hence is "scientific".

"So, the answer to your question, if you like, can be anything your mind (ego) wishes, as it applies only to realities dependent on your senses and concepts. It is pretty much like the case of any real number which is divided by zero, the answer can be anything, and yet this "anything" has no absolute substance, it is purely "empty" ("weightless") and "relative" with respect to Allaah Ta'ala. He Ta'ala does not suffer from any consequence which the question entails at all. In other words, He Ta'ala is not touched upon by such questions at all. Subhaan Allaah. It is in Him Ta'ala alone that the disparity between incoherent thoughts (perceptions) and Reality vanishes."

***

Dear brothers and sisters whom I love for Allaah's sake, let us now pray, according the Holy Prophet's injunction that we pray against useless knowledge such as that contained in the above question from the Atheist. May He Ta'ala protect us with Ma'rifat and Yaqeen.

Bismillaah ar-Rahmaan ar-Raheem

Allaahumma inni as'aluka
bi Sirri az-Zaat wa bi Zaat as-Sirr
Huwa Anta wa Anta Huwa
ihtajabtu bi Nurillaah
wa bi-Nuri 'Arsyillaah
wa bi-Kulli Ismillaah
bi mi'ati alfi
"La haula wa la quwwata illa billaah"
khatamtu 'ala nafsi wa 'ala ahli
wa 'ala kulli syai'in a'thanihi Rabbi
bi khatamillaahi al-mani'a al-lazi
khatama bihi aqthar as-samawat wa al-ardh
wa Hasbunallaahu wa Ni'mal Wakil
Ni'mal Maula wa Ni'man Nashir
wa la haula wa la quwwata illa billaahi al'-Aliyyi al-'Azhim
wa shalallaahu 'ala Sayyidina wa Mawlana wa Murshidina wa Habibina Muhammadin
wa 'ala alihi wa shahbihi wa sallama ajma'in.

Amin.

O Allaah, I beseech You, and You alone
by the Secret of Your Essence (Being, Reality) and by the Secret Essence
protect me with Your Pure, Exalted Light
with the Light of Your Throne
and with all Your Names, whether revealed or hidden
from the malice and slander of those possessed by evil intentions
from Your enemies, the enemies of the Truth.

I beseech You, O Allaah, with 100,000 remembrances
"There is no Power (Capacity) nor Strength except by Allaah"
I hereby shield myself and my relatives (friends)
and all that You have bestowed upon me
with Your Impenetrable Shield
with which You shield the multi-layered heavens and the Earth
and Sufficient are You, O Allaah, as our Helper even as You are our Best Protector
for You alone, O Allaah, are the Matchless Protector and Helper
"There is no Power nor Strength except by Allaah"
Allaah's Peace and Blessings be upon our Master, our Patron, our Teacher, our Sweetheart Muhammad, his exalted family and companions.

Amin.


Yaa Azizu, yaa Allaah
Yaa Karimu, yaa Allaah
Yaa Jabbaru, yaa Allaah
Yaa Sattaru, yaa Allaah
Yaa Ghaffaru, yaa Allaah

Allaahu, Allaahu, Allaahu Haqq!


Ishq wa Salaam,

Dani (Indranu)

Dewsong

Dearest Niknaaz,


Dewsong in my Zikr,

Sunshine in my Fikr,

Full Moon in my solitude,

Elixir in my Breathing,

Song in my Restless Sea of feelings,

Sweet-faced Beauty in my seeing,

Reality in this honey-filled denial of my own existence,


Oh Beloved of Allaah, don't go far away from this afflicted Majnoon,

Oh Daughter of Mustafa,

Oh Bride of 'Ali,

Don't desert me as the evening wind deserts the yonder branches of autumn,

Not even for a second, oh Layla,

For you are winged and I, this Faqeer, I am imprisoned and dusted...


Oh Beloved of my Rooh,

A day without thinking of you is infinitely long and unbearable,

Like that desolate road between Kabul and Kandahar trodden by barefooted lovers that leads them from mist to mist, enveloping them in obscure heights,

At this Maqam of Surrender, what else can I do? I will be waiting for you, oh my Love,

Even as the many-colored leaves wait for the Sun in the fold of the morning mist and in the heart of countless songless nights...


Men can move like restless caravan trains but I, oh Niknaaz, park me off somewhere in your consent (ridha) and nearness (qurb), and not in my anguished slumber and wishful thinking,

Rest me in your gaze,

In the silhouette of your beauty,

In the sun of your smile,

In your Love, oh my sweetheart.


Oh Niknaaz,

May your silhouette never dissolve on the beach that my heart is,

May your beauty never be veiled by the silence of the night,

May your eyelids never flutter into the empty distance, oh Mashuq,

Even as Khorassan is just a thought away from my place of exile.


Don't leave me without your gaze, not even for a second, my dearest,

Because in that moment when your gaze falls upon me and enshrouds my Rooh in shyness,

And when your thoughts burn a greater Majnoon within this Majnoon in ecstasy (zauq),

I find the cure for my love-sickness, which is loving you, you, you, oh Niknaaz, more, more, and more until I am no more, until I am no more, until I am no more...

Until my ashes are nowhere to be found except in that crimson shyness in your eyes,

In every beloved's eyes,

In every lover's breath,

In Allaah's Sweetness.


Infinite Love and Tenderness,

Dani

(26/12/2007)

Layla-e-Khorassan

Layla-e-Khorassan

By Dani

Ya Nabi, Ya Habib

Ya Nabi, Ya Habib

Bismi Huwa, Huwa, Huwa, Allah, Allah, Allah!

Salam Mahabba, my fellow wayfares, my beloved sisters and brothers in the Thariqat of Islam, the Most Perfect Way towards fana' and baqa'.

Last night, as I was submerged in intense Muraqaba, I was inspired by the Beloved subhan Huwa ta'ala, Who has no partner in His Munificence (Jalaliyya), Beauty (Jamaliyya), and Existential Reality (Zat), to pass the following message about His Beloved, the Holy Prophet salla Allahu 'alaihi wa alihi wa sallam, into your beautiful hearts.

But, oh, before I proceed with what follows, please, do not share this with the unworthy who will only abuse the reality of the message. Just don't be afraid to intensify your love for our beloved Nabi salla Allahu 'alaihi wa alihi wa sallam, your Father (Adam) in the Realm of al-Haqiqat, even amidst the great fitna spread so intensely (especially nowadays) by those who follow the Wahhabi mazhab. These extreme people (ghullat) have even declared visiting the blessed tomb of our Master, the Holy Prophet salla Allahu 'alaihi wa alihi wa sallam, to be haram, not to mention their saying it is shirk to recite salawat and salam upon him salla Allahu 'alaihi wa alihi wa sallam excessively! Na'udzubillah!

How can this be when Allah subhan Huwa ta'ala says (in QS. al-Ma'idah: 35), "Find a Wasila (Means) of approaching Him"?

How can this be when he himself salla Allahu 'alaihi wa alihi wa sallam is the Ultimate Giver of Intercession (Syafa'at) and the Most Supreme Manifestation of Allah's Names (Asma')?

How can this be when it is written upon each of the Feet of the Throne (Arsy),

"La ilaha ill Allah, Muhammad Rasulullah, ayyadtuhu bi 'Ali"?

("There is no god save Allah, Muhammad is His Knower (Messenger), I support him with 'Ali"?)

How can a Lover not wet his lips with words of love for his Beloved?

Is there such a thing as "excessive love" in the shadowless realm of the heart?

Indeed, infinite blessings and peace be upon him salla Allahu 'alaihi wa alihi wa sallam!

The Hijab has been lifted for us, Lovers,
And oh, at last, the Full Moon is seen at her brightest!

Skies have been unfolded and horizons have vanished,
For they are ashamed of their existence in the Presence of the Beloved!

O blind, ignorant, dehydrated men!
Behold, if you can, the Light of the Beloved alone overcomes all shadows!

Let us polish our hearts again today by sending our utmost longing to the Noble Soul of the Master and Summit of existences, the Holy Prophet Muhammad salla Allahu 'alaihi wa alihi wa sallam. May our longing-filled tears wipe clean the thick veils of dust which have gathered upon our hearts, because, oh by my Beloved subhan Huwa ta'ala in Whose Reality my soul is at rest, the heart's right is to reflect His Beloved's Light, Nur Muhammad, and the spirit's right is to be intoxicated by the Secret of Secrets (Sir al-Asrar).

Ya Nabi salam 'alayka,
Ya Rasul salam, salam 'alayka,
Ya Habib salam 'alayka,
Shalawatullah 'alayka...

O Prophet, peace be upon you,
O Messenger, peace, peace be upon you,
O Beloved, peace be upon you,
Blessings of Allah be upon you...

Thala'a al-badru 'alayna,
Min tsaniyyat al-wada',
Wajaba al-syukr 'alayna,
Ma da'a lillahi da'...

The Full Moon has arisen for us,
Shining from behind the hill of wada',
Let us express our gratitude to her (him),
For the One who speaks of Allah has come...

Anta syamsun anta badrun, ya Rasul Allah,
Anta nurun fawqa nuri, ya Habibina,
Anta iksiru al-wujud, ya Sayyidina,
Anta mishbahu, mishbahu shuduri, ya Mawlana...

You are the Sun, you are the Full Moon, O Prophet of Allah,
You are the Light upon Light, O my Beloved,
You are the Haqiqat of Being, O my Master,
You are the Lantern, (oh) Lantern of the heart, O my Patron...

Asyraqa al-badru 'alayna,
Fa ikhtafat minhu al-budur,
Mitsla husnik ma ra'ayna, ya Mashuq,
Qaththu ya wajh al-surur...

The Full Moon has arisen for us,
Outshining all other moons,
We have never seen a Beauty like you, O Beloved,
No, never, O Radiant Face...

Ya habibi ya Muhammad,
Ya 'arusy al-khafiqayn,
Ya mua'yyad ya mumajjad,
Ya imam al-qiblatayn...

O my Beloved, O Muhammad,
O Bridegroom of the East and the West,
O the One Supported and Glorified (by al-Haqq),
O Imam of the Two Qiblas...

Ya Nabi salam 'alayka,
Ya Rasul salam, salam 'alayka,
Ya Habib salam, a'layka,
Shalawatullah 'alayka...

O Prophet, peace be upon you,
O Messenger, peace, peace be upon you,
O Beloved, peace be upon you,
Blessings of Allah be upon you...

Know, my beloved sisters and brothers, that Allah subhan Huwa ta'ala first manifested, from the Uncreated Primordial Light of His own Beauty (Jamaliyya), the Light of the Holy Prophet Muhammad salla Allahu 'alaihi wa alihi wa sallam. As the following Hadith Qudsi declares,

"Verily, I have manifested the Essential Reality of Muhammad from the Light of My own Wajh (Manifestation)."

In the exceedingly beautiful Surah ad-Dhuha of al-Qur'an al-Karim, He, our Lover, Beloved, and Love subhan Huwa ta'ala, says,

"Wa'd-dhuha..."

("By the Glorious Morning Light...")

(QS. ad-Dhuha: 1)

Know that this Light is none other than the Light of His Beloved salla Allahu 'alaihi wa alihi wa sallam, for whose sake, the (hidden and manifest) worlds came into being. This is the Light of Comprehension, the Essential, Most Rarified Light of al-Ma'rifat (Knowledge), by which Man shall see al-Mashuq, the Beloved subhan Huwa ta'ala, as He desires to be seen. By the Beloved of my heart and soul subhan Huwa ta'ala, it is for this sake that He subhan Huwa ta'ala places Man in this realm of evolutionary processes whose end-point is al-Ihsan (Direct Witnessing). Hal 'arafta qimata nafsika? Do you not realize your reality? He subhan Huwa ta'ala says in a Hadith Qudsi,

"Innama khalaqtu al-akwana kullaha laka, ya Mahbub... Kullu al-assya' syajaratun wa anta al-tsamar..."

("I have created the worlds (Universe) for you, O (My) Beloved... Verily, everything is but a tree, and you are the Fruit..." )

Allah subhan Huwa ta'ala continues,

"...wa'l-laili idza saja..."

("...by the Night when she is still...")

(QS. ad-Dhuha: 2)

Oh, my beloved friends, know that by "the Night when she is still", Allah subhan Huwa ta'ala means the Bride of the Light (the Holy Prophet salla Allahu 'alaihi wa alihi wa sallam), when she is enraptured, bedazzled, by the Beauty of that Light, her Beloved. This refers to the sublime state known as Wajd (Ecstasy), which is granted by He subhan Huwa ta'ala upon the worthy, those who tirelessly seek the doors into the Realm of Intimacy with Ikhlas, Sabr, and Tawadhu, where they, at last, shall be granted the Pure Vision of the Unveiled Beauty of the Beloved (of their Beloved salla Allahu 'alaihi wa alihi wa sallam) subhan Huwa ta'ala.

For those who realize (truly know) that the Holy Prophet salla Allahu 'alaihi wa alihi wa sallam is the Ultimate Wasila (Means) of Kasyf (Unveiling), let us recite, from within the depths of our hearts and souls, the following Durud-e-Taj, which is especially popular among the Sufis of the Indian subcontinent, especially those of the Naqshbandiyya, Qadiriyya, and Chishtiyya,

Allahumma salli `ala sayyidina wa mawlana wa habibina Muhammad salla Allahu 'alaihi wa alihi wa sallam,

sahibi al-taji al-ma'rifat wal-mi`raji wal-buraqi wal-`alam,

dafi` al-bala'i wal-waba'i wal-qahti wal-maradi wal-alam,

ismuhu maktubun marfu`un mashfu`un manqushun fi al- lawhi wal-qalam,

sayyidi al-`arabi wal-`ajam,

jismuhu muqaddasun mu`attarun mutahharun munawwarun fil-bayti wal-haram,

shams al-duha badr al-duja sadr al`ula nur al-huda,

kahf al-wara misbah al-zulam,

jamil al-shyam shafi` al-umam sahib al-judi wal-karam,

wallahu subhan Huwa ta'ala `asimuhu wa jibrilu khadimuhu wal-buraqu markabuhu,

wal-mi`raju safaruhu wa sidratu al-muntaha maqamuhu,

wa qaba qawsayni matlubuhu,

wal-matlubu maqsuduhu wal-maqsudu mawjuduhu,

sayyid al-mursalin khatim al-nabiyyin,

shafi` al-mudhnibin anis al-gharibin,

rahmatun li al-`alamin,

rahat al-`ashiqin murad al-mushtaqin,

shams al-`arifin siraj al-salikin misbah al-muqarrabin,

muhibb al-fuqara' wal-masakin,

sayyid al-thaqalayn,

nabiyy al-haramayn,

imam al-qiblatayn,

wasilatina fi al-darayn,

sahibi qaba qawsayn,

mahbub rabbi al-mashriqayni wal-maghribayn subhan Huwa ta'ala,

jadd al-Hasani wa'l-Husayn,

mawlana wa mawla al-thaqalayn,

Abi al-Qasimi MUHAMMAD Ibni `Abdillah,

Nurin min Nurillah,

ya ayyuha al-mushtaquna bi nuri jamalihi,

sallu `alayhi wa alihi wa sallimu taslima,

Allahumma salli `ala Muhammadin wa `ala ali Muhammadin wa sallim.

(My translation:)

O Allah, send sweet blessings and ultimate Peace upon our Master and Patron and Beloved Muhammad salla Allahu 'alaihi wa alihi wa sallam,

The Possessor of the Crown of Knowledge and the Ascent and the Buraq and the Standard,

The Repeller of Affliction and (Cure for our) Disease and (Soothing Rain for our) Drought and Illness and Pain,

His name is written in exalted heights, served and engraved in the Tablet and the Pen,

The Master of all (of the Family of Adam), Arabs and non-Arabs,

Whose Vessel is sanctified, fragrant, and pure,

Illumined in the Ka'ba and the Sacred Domain,

The Sun of Ultimate Radiance, the Full Moon of Splendor in Darkness,

The First and Foremost One in the Highest Realities, the Light of Guidance,

The Cave of Refuge for Mortals, the Lamp that dispels the Night of existence,

The Best-Natured One, the Intercessor of Nations,

The Owner of Munificence and Generosity,

Allah subhan Huwa ta'ala is his Protector, Jibril is his Servant,

The Buraq is his Mount, the Ascent is his Voyage,

The Lote-Tree of the Furthermost Boundary is his station,

"Two Bow-Lengths or Nearer" is his intimate desire,

His desire is his Goal, and (truly) he has achieved his Goal,

The Master of the Messengers, the Seal of the Prophets,

The Intercessor of transgressors, the Loving Friend of strangers,

The Mercy unto the Worlds,

The Rest of those who burn with Love, the Goal of those who yearn,

The Resplendent Sun of Knowers, the Lantern of Wayfarers,

The Light of those brought near,

The Intimate Friend of the poor and destitute,

The Master of Humans, Angels, and Jinn,

The Prophet of the Two Holy Sanctuaries,

The Imam of the Two Qiblas,

Our Means in the Two Abodes,

The Possessor of Qaba Qawsayn,

The Beloved of the Lord of the Two Easts and the Two Wests subhan Huwa ta'ala,

The Grandfather of al-Hasan and al-Husayn,

Our Patron and the Patron of Humans, Angels, and Jinn,

Abu al-Qasim MUHAMMAD Son of `Abd Allah,

The Light of the Light of Allah,

O you who yearn for the Light of his Beauty,

Send sweet blessings and fragrant greetings of Peace,

Upon him and upon his Family.

May Allah's Delight be upon the Soul of the Holy Prophet salla Allahu 'alaihi wa alihi wa sallam and may he salla Allahu 'alaihi wa alihi wa sallam intercede for this Faqir, and for all of you who read the foregoing words of Love.

O Prophet, O Beloved,
My soul, before it came into this veiled realm of shadows, loved you,
Even if this world wanted my withdrawal from this realm of yearning,
And my departure from your Lovers,
My feet would refuse to carry me away,
For they know the Beloved of my breath...

How could my soul betray your Beauty, O my Love,
And how could my heart not manifest a bit of its desire?

Why, O my heart, should you fear Love?
Are you afraid of the Sun that the Beloved is?
Are you afraid of the Full Moon that no eye has ever seen?
Are you afraid of the tides and ebbs of this shoreless Ocean of madness?

Are you, O my soul, afraid of the Dawn of Understanding in whose presence shadows tremble?
Are you afraid of the Dusk that hides the Door into the Bridal Chamber?
Are you afraid of the Marriage of all of life's seasons with the Beloved?

Why, O my Love, do you have to fear in your waiting for the Spring,
When the Fragrance of Love fills the air and moves the winds in passion?

Why, O Rafiqah, should you fear Love?

Why, O Dani, do you have to quiver like a stranger,
When the Beloved lives in you and you in him?

Why, O why?!
For you are the House of Secrets!

Be Love's Prisoner and kiss your own Perfection, O Majnun!

Last night the Beloved told me, from behind the Veil,

"O my Love, do not fear Love, do not fear Love, do not fear Love!
Do you not know that you are a shadow among my shadows?
Do you not know that you are Love's causeless Cause?

"O Friend of my Reality,
Will you not hold on to the Secret of Existence with me for a while?
Will you not end your silent suffering upon Love's thrashing floor,
Will you not mount your own longing towards your Beloved,
And greet your own Sun hidden in his Face?

"Look at me, for my eyes are upon your eyes!
Caress me, for your quivering hands are mine!
Feel me, for you are a Knower of my solitude...

"Kiss me tonight in your bedazzlement, O my Love,
Embrace me in your longing,
Come closer, oh closer still,
Until my burning desire for you is at rest in your heart's possession."

والله أعلم

Ishq,

Dani

The Last of Poets

The Last of Poets

Once in a chapter of my life, when silence was everyone's stranger and
when solitude had been deserted by many for the sake of superficial
merriment and temporary self-gratification, I saw a man whom people,
out of disgust and shallowness, called mad, facing an ancient gray
wall which stood as a monument reflecting the power of man's dignity
and had been erected by the hands, and moistened by the sweat, of the poets
who were ostracized by a society whose soul was lost somewhere between ignorance, shamelessness, and superfluousness.

It was a time when new ideas were no longer born, when melancholia
due to existential dread was ridiculed in the face of laziness and
conformity. It was a time when everything was taken for granted, when
life was no longer seen blossoming in the youthful among people. It
was a time when I found people pale in their business and superfluous
in their sensuousness and orientations.

I saw the viscid countenance of that period of ignorance upon the lonely man's furrowed forehead. To no one's enjoyment, I hearkened unto the silent whispers of the man who, living in the debris of his once shimmering dreams, now appeared crushed and broken, sinking limitlessly in his agony. In his eyes, however, I saw a glimmer of
hope betraying a sense of irony. Somehow, I saw love and understanding
not yet slain by bitter disappointments.

Unto the wall, I heard him utter these words,

O you silent witness of Man's decadence
Where is home for the stray falcon
Who knows not the taste of existing in herds
Whose domain is no longer upon the winds
And whose shelter no longer stands erect in the shades of the distant hills?

How much longer shall I bear your image, O Man?
In seclusion, I have desired the end of all distress and faltering
Yet a carcass, a hideous burden unto life's pristine beauty, has remained
As I continue to drag my will to live on like heavy chains

Is this what has become of you, O Man?
If so, indeed dead is my species!
Slain is Man's hope for liberty before the altars of the gods
Which Man has himself shaped from the driest portion of himself

In the buffeting of his silent sorrow, he closed his eyes and let the murmur of the pricking, cold night breeze divert him for a while from the web of age-long, deeply etched pain. Then, all of a sudden, he laughed as the rain descended from its throne in the heights that equally lacked earthly amusement. Somehow, I could sense that crippling laughter mingling with his inward ailment which, in his youth, had turned him into a lover of his own solitude, above anything else, beyond any obsession.

Thus, after a while, the Shadowless Man in him was awakened as he tasted the perpetual rain, in whose course the man was like a barren desert turning into a valley not devoid of the sun's affection and the seasons' love.

Then I heard him speak with utmost yearning, like a silence-breaking tempest, not in the shade of misery but from within his own silent existence,

Let there be one who knows the secret of the seas and possesses the dignity of the sky, who shall resurrect life within Man by echoing the death of the gods and the idols of this ridiculous world with pride

Let there be one with wings still unfolded, who shall not dwell in the prison of oblivion made by the dead and the rotten for the living and the passionate

Let there be one dear to life's own heart, who, with thunder in his voice, shall proclaim from the highest summit of confidence, life's larger desires for originality

Let there be one with a unique constellation of sentiments, who shall jeer at the superfluous people brimming only with the dead and their values

Let there be one with the greatest thirst for life, whose mad longing for beauty shall quench the dehydrated among people

Let there be one who does not mind incinerating himself in a madness that burns into its own ashes, who shall show the way of beauty, thereby becoming a doorway unto intoxication and a living image of love's fulfillment

Let there be a loner among the superficial, who shall show the world how to kiss the heart of the greater and deeper silence of life whose door is the morning mist, whose truth is kept in the heart of a desecrated mother and her fatherless infant, and whose beloved is the nightingale that, having witnessed life partitioned from life, weaves its nest with its own feathers

Let there be a freeman, a wanderer, among those who have only partially arrived at the essence of freedom and the heart of reason, who shall show that normed political ideals are not reflections of the laws of nature, but walls bounded by a ceiling of selfishness and hypocrisy whose destiny is to crack and crumble under the self-gravity of weighty, measured talks

Let there be a painter among the blind, who shall paint the landscape of existence with his breath and laughter above the clamor of the world and with his blood and tears beneath the feet of death

Let there be a musician among the deaf, who shall not withhold the hidden song that deepens and softens the spirit against that which murders the song-bird within Man

Let there be among the sleepwalkers a prophet whose passion for life shall resurrect dead hearts and whose path to life shall be spanned by his knowledge of intimacy

Let there be among the slumbering and the motionless, a restless wayfarer whose reality is one with the invisible winds that scatter the dust of the earth into deep space to be kissed by the light of the distant stars

Let there be a poet among the insensitive, whose words shall speak unto the ear of their ears, whose wounded heart bears the taste of wine to be remembered by those who are not ashamed of life's nakedness

Let there be one bearing the Truth within himself, who, in his silent knowledge of existence, shall lend his light of understanding to others, thereby returning love that is homesick to its abode

Let there be a true lover of life among the tyrants of the world, who, enfolded in the solitude of the crucified, shall see every human child as a shrine of innocence and beauty, and who shall be capable of falling in love with the most fragile of souls whose days on earth are briefer than the most tender of spring butterflies that lovingly yields its life to the transience of the winds

Let there be among you, O people, a madman who, emerging from the loneliest depths of reality, shall fulfill the desires of the tides of life and drift the others away from the ebbs of humanity

Let there be among you, O cowards, a martyr who shall be killed in his alienation by his own understanding of love in the darkest and most songless hours of the night, whose death shall span the dawn of a new morning, whose song shall be sung by every new-born and the winged among you, and whose heart shall be enthroned upon every heart

Let there be among you, O carcasses, a weightless beauty that shall rise with the dawn from the east, whose radiance shall unveil the face of the night, and whose presence shall be a window of the morning light

Upon saying this, he turned his gaze towards the sky with glistening eyes, motionless. Then he knelt down with certain heaviness, like an exhausted grave digger. I approached him silently, not to greet him with soothing words of sympathy, but to cry with him in his infinite silence. And when his breath had mingled with mine secretly in the darkness of the night, and not like two strangers unto each other, I placed his trembling body in my arms.

Then with a ghostly tenderness and the splendor of a fragile life that did not intimidate the soul, he said unto me, with a smile and a tear,

People only see the misery of an endless winter and the restlessness of insanity's waves in me
But child, I am all right, you see
I love this tempest that burns and bathes my soul more than I love contentment

Thus spoke the last of poets.

(By Dani, 4 November 2007)

Niknaaz (3): Moon of Fars

Niknaaz (3): Moon of Fars

By Dani

Niknaaz (2)

Niknaaz (2)

By Dani

A Glimpse of Persian Beauty

A Glimpse of Persian Beauty

By Dani

Naghashi (2)

Naghashi (2)

By Niknaaz

Naghashi

Naghashi

By Niknaaz

Niknaaz

Niknaaz

*For my dear sister Niknaaz*

Ay, Niknaaz!

O smoldering heart of mine
Here I am in every dreamer's world

O this intoxicating stillness that falls upon me
Here I am before the spring sunshine of every Majnun's seasons

O Elysian Beauty of my sight
Here I am at every lover's delight

Beloved, O how true this Ishq is
When you are the Image of the Mashuq
And when I am the eye of every Ashiq's eye

Sweetness, you are a winged dream
And I am your dreamer

O you who rise with the morning sun to catch my quiet
Could you be all that my Beloved has taught me?

O glowing Moon of Fars
The forbidden wine is spilt over
When I see Love enthroned upon your crimson shyness

O honey, sugar, and cream in every lover's cup
Let me drown in these ancient feelings fashioned of fire and mist

O you who melt the silence of my internal constellations
You are the dream in every wayfarer's sleep, the lingering pain in his homesickness, and the secret wine in his longing

O Beloved of my Beloved
If this is naught but a vision in my slumber
Then mine is indeed a drunken sleep in which a thousand and one veils are lifted

O wound-healing ecstasy of mine
Pour more and more wine into my cup until all else in existence sinks in animosity

O you whose beauty fills the crystal air
Let every little fluttering bird of the sky be slain by the breeze of your beauty
Let every stranger lose himself to the Truth of Intimacy
Let every whisper be replaced by a heartbeat

To your beautiful heart
Which mirrors all of sincerity's true colors

To your enchanting youth
Which is full of morning bright

To your innocent sweetness
Which sings my secret dewsong

To you, sweet Niknaaz of Allaah
I shall return Love for Love

~Dani

'Ali O 'Ali

'Ali O 'Ali

Dedicated to my beloved grandfather, al-Imam an-Nahj al-Balagha al-A'zham Sayyidina wa Mawlana wa Mursyidina wa Habibina 'Ali al-Murtadha as-Syahid an-Najafi al-Asyrafi ('alaihi as-salam wa karram Allahu wajhah)

By Dani, 17 Ramadhan, 1428 AH


Bismi Huwa Huwa Huwa Ta'ala!


'Ali O 'Ali

O he who remains silent in the Mihrab of Intimacy with the Beloved
When mankind proclaim that this world is theirs from behind the folds of illusion

'Ali O 'Ali

O he whom the Beloved has erected as the Sign of the Lonely Path
Until the Two Seas and the Seven Rivers meet and annihilate each other in the Reality of the Shadowless Truth

'Ali O 'Ali

O he for whose sake the Beloved has separated the heavens from the earth
And light from darkness

'Ali O 'Ali

O he whose Sword is in his saying, "I am the Sign"
And whose sweet silence is far more worthy than all the seasons of life

'Ali O 'Ali

O he of whom al-Musthafa has spoken, "You are from me even as I am from you"
And, "I am the City of Knowledge, none shall enter it except through its Gate, 'Ali"

'Ali O 'Ali

O he with a golden heart who stands elevated like a star of surpassing brightness in the center of the night sky
Whose splendid dignity is the Ornament of the Throne of the Beloved

'Ali O 'Ali

O he in whose voice is the Voice of the Eighteen Thousand Seas of Ma'rifat
And the wine-filled echo, "I am the Wings of Knowledge of my Beloved"

'Ali O 'Ali

O he whom al-Haqq has married to His own Light and His own Secret, Az-Zahra and al-Musthafa
And for whose sake the Kautsar of Awakening is granted upon the lovers who journey with the winds of longing

'Ali O 'Ali

O he who is the Father of the Two Minarets of Light, al-Hasan and al-Husayn
For whose sake the heavens shall remain until al-Haqq causes the worlds to recognize Hu as Hu

'Ali O 'Ali

O Pure Water that quenches my thirst
The blessed radiance of your face leaves me drunk with Haqiqat

'Ali O 'Ali

O Knower of the Light within himself
You are the Thariqat of Muhammad and the Light of his Reality

'Ali O 'Ali

O Rushing Mighty Stream of Love
Only the hypocrite shall condemn your sheer beauty out of despair and ignorance

'Ali O 'Ali

O Summit of Beauty of the Family of Muhammad
Sublime is your spiritual station in the heights of Love

'Ali O 'Ali

O Sweetness of every sigh that comes from the depths of Love
The angels keep count of every joy you sing as a gift unto life and every tear shed by your sorrow

'Ali O 'Ali

O Splendor of Allahu
The years that pass are naught but a moment in your eternal life

'Ali O 'Ali

O Innocent Son of Love
Your beginning is not in the womb nor is your ending in the grave, for you are you

'Ali O 'Ali

O Wreath of Laurel on our honored heads, of whom the Sultan of Prophets has said, "Looking at him is a form of worship"
Your reality is fashioned of the boundless tenderness and affection of ar-Rahmaan and ar-Raheem

'Ali O 'Ali

O Sweet Sincerity of Loving Surrender
Yours is the Yoke of Submission and the Stronghold of Intimacy

'Ali O 'Ali

O Matchless Beauty of Sincerity
Your life is the beginning and the ending of worship for those who thirst for inexhaustible bliss

'Ali O 'Ali

O Teacher in the Ways of Love
Bring me back from forgetfulness to your Unbreakable Home

'Ali O 'Ali

O Mirror of the mirrors of the Truth of truths
I come to you drunk and find myself drowning in your Ocean of Knowledge and Understanding

'Ali O 'Ali

O Living Breeze of the Divine Tempest
For your sake the Beloved longs to weed out all the dead, songless strings in existence

'Ali O 'Ali

O Master of Spiritual Unveiling
To you belong the Standard and the Maximum Prudence

'Ali O 'Ali

O Imam in the Presence of the Beloved
For your sake the Hidden is Seen and the Seen Hidden

'Ali O 'Ali

O King of Ihsaan and Eloquence

What mystic is there who would refuse to drink from your cup?

'Ali O 'Ali

O Haydar of the Two Worlds

With you are Nur Muhammad and the Eleven Pillars of Truth, for whose sake the Honor of the Hour shall fall upon al-Mahdi

'Ali O 'Ali

O Owner of Wilayat and Perfection

Sweet peace be upon you O Holder of the banner of the Master of existences, Muhammad

'Ali O 'Ali

Song of a Majnun

Song of a Majnun

Song of a Majnun

A Lover, like this Majnun, is a nomad in the desert called longing,

He sighs that which is forbidden and is drunk with that which is unlawful for many,

For how else shall he move with the impulse that is borne of the silence of the day, enthroned above the clamorous world, and buried in the solitude of the night?

Friend, in this Lover's world, that which is called lovesickness by many is not a disease,

It is merely an arrow which is hard to pluck and yet leaves him painful as it remains.

Who can bear the loneliness of the long distance if not he who has been stolen from himself at the gate of Love?

But tell me, what greater joy is there beyond every little breeze of the Beloved that claims his sanity?

Like unto the forgotten dust,

Like unto the trodden butterfly,

Like unto the crushed flower,

Like unto the broken wings,

He bears Love's curse throughout his life of seasons.

He loves a certain Layla, whose beauty bears the likeness of the wine unto the drunkard,

Before whom, his own affection tortures the soul of his soul.

How could he not love the daughter of his own passion fashioned of prayers and dreams,

Who is not a stranger in his tranquility?

How could he not be moved in passion when the Beauty of the Beloved

Is unveiled before him in the light of hope that betrays his swaying in the wind to the greater passion of the nebulae?

How could he not yield to Love,

When its high tides arrive upon the shores of his aloneness,

As if ready to take his breath away in a thousand ways?

He who loves like this Majnun....

He must but drink Love's spontaneity and ecstasy at the dawn of his delight,

But oh when fields of flowers are yet to be kissed by the sun,

The wind is soon moistened with sorrow,

As the rain softly blends with his madness.

He loves his Shirin like a sickness and its cure at once,

He must but be slain by his Beloved for that which cannot be offered nor bought at any price.

A bleeding Bedouin is he with naked sentiments:

"Shirin, O Shirin,

O you, before whose Beauty spring flowers shall whither,

Before whose smile the sun and moon shall vanish in shyness,

And before whose gaze the heavens shall no longer remain at rest!

I love you without knowing since when or from where,

I love you straightforwardly,

Without complexity as a pride.

By He Who causes Love to be a Reality

And Who desires my extincton in it,

I love you, O honey and sugar of my life,

Because I know no other way than this!"

A victim unto his own passion is he,

But who can blame the child of the solitary night

When the elixir of Love intoxicates him and turns his blood into rushing wine in the morning light of the Beloved?

When Love's autumn comes,

Tell me, my Friend, how can the moon hide its agony from the distant stars?

And how can the silence of the deep spaces not turn into lamentations?

When the pricking pinions hidden in Love's wings desire your martyrdom,

How can you refuse Love's call and not break the symmetries of sanity upon its rocks?

Scandalous is his madness,

Elaborate are the silky patterns that adorn the depths of his pain of separation,

And not even the seven seas can reflect them on their surfaces.

Oh let me befriend the lonely path and the forgotten rain-caressed grass

Trodden upon by the Qalandars and run over by the wheels of fate.

I would rather breathe Love's agony and converse with ailing lovers and wounded dreamers,

Than close my eyes from the Beauty that my Beloved is.

I would rather be murdered by my Beloved's rejection,

Than empty my heart, the shrine of my submission, of her Image,

For if I die, my blood shall flow and intoxicate the heart of every heart.

I would rather kiss my Beloved's thorns in this tavern of ruins,

Than be amazed with something else and die in distraction and forgetfulness.

I would rather fall and shatter as I hit Love's thrashing floor,

Than soothe my soul with the hope of a new morning and mortal dreams,

For how can a Lover pretend not to be sick with Love's severity?

Dani, O Dani,

This ghazel testifies that your Love is still alive and burning!

On Ahlul Tauhid

On Ahlul Tauhid

Bismi...

Hu, Hu, Hu!


Salaam,

Know that, based on the way they perform Dzikrullaah, the People of Tauhid (Ahlul Tauhid) are of four kinds:

The first group are those who say, "Laa ilaaha ill Allaahu". They are in the state of denying anything particular that may be attributed as coessential to the Absolute Truth-Being, Allaahu Subhaan Hu wa Ta'ala. He (SWT), as al-Haqq, has no otherness, no equivalent, no match. The first part of the shahada, "laa ilaaha" ("there is no god"), refers to the non-existence of a concept of a god (the Highest Being in the hierarchy of existences, that is inclusive of all essential attributes). The second part of the shahada, "ill Allaahu", enables the concept of a god, whenever necessary, to be attributed directly to none other than Allaahu (SWT), and to Allaahu (SWT) alone. In other words, it would be utterly futile and impossible to come up with a concept, or perceive the existence, of God if Allaahu did not exist in the first place. "Allaahu" is the Name of His Zaat (Essence/Being), the Name which pre-existed creation and is coessential to His 'Ilm (Knowledge) of the totality and uniqueness of His Own Existence. We remind ourselves again that the letter "Alif" (A) in the Name "Allaahu" hides the secrets of the Foundational Unity of existence. The two "Lams" (L's) refer to the hidden and manifest worlds with their respective grades. The breath-sound "Hu" represents His Boundless Presence that spans the entire existence with all its relative and absolute states, therefore rendering His non-presence absolutely impossible. "Hu" also signifies that "Hu is Hu" for Whom there is no without, He alone encompasses all existences. As such, this shahada has been named by our Beloved Master, Rasul Allaahu Muhammad salla Allaahu 'alaihi wa sallam, as al-Jawami al-Kalim (the Unifying Sentence). Allaahu Azza wa Jalla Himself has chosen the Name "Allaahu" in the Realm of Pure Will (al-'Alm al-Jabbarut) to be revealed to the hidden worlds (al-Malakut) and the manifest worlds (al-Mulk).

The second group are those who simply say, "Allaahu". For these people, it is no longer necessary to deny any concept of otherness that may be set equal or coessential to Allaahu Jalla wa Jalal since their realization of al-Haqq is ultimately on the experiential level and no longer on the descriptive level. Their realization is that saying "laa ilaaha" before saying "Allaahu" may only prove that the one testifying to al-Haqq has not yet realized a desired degree of nearness with the One testified to, both in the batheen (inward) and the zaheer (outward) sense. These people are known as the special (khawash) ones.

The third group are those who simply say, "Huwa", or sometimes, "Ana". They are the ones who have "departed" from their mental confinement, and hence from the existence of their own individual self, towards the Reality of al-Haqq, the Reality of realities (al-Haqiqah al-Haqaiq). They witness only al-Haqq, as the only Reality-Being necessary in existence, Whose Presence annihilates the tendency of their own individual self towards existential separation from Him. This way, physically they perform Dzikrullaah with their breathing (or their heart beat) and attribute it (their breathing or their heart beat) not to themselves but to Allaahu (SWT). They are known as the special of the special (khawash al-khawash).

Finally the fourth group consists of those who perform Dzikrullaah in total silence. They are in the state of total surrender. They are in the state of being in total awe of the Reality, the Truth, the Beauty, the Absoluteness, the Uniqueness, the Presence of Allaahu Azza wa Jalla, beyond any perceptible sense. They are the ones whose inner selves are deeply submerged in the Perfect, Silent Witnessing (Ihsan) of the Beloved (al-Mahbub), the Sultan of (their) hearts (as-Sulthanul Qulub), in all situations. Their spirits have vanished in their Witnessing Allaahu (SWT). They are the ones who are spiritually extinct in the Ocean of Annihilation (fanaa' fillaah). They are the ones whose selves are extinct beyond measure, although their actions remain in the manifest (zaheer) world which they physically inhabit. Their form of Dzikr is known as Dzikr Tauhid. It knows no boundary. Their silence embraces a boundless ocean of secrets. Their Tauhid is not descriptive, rather it is Pure Witnessing. The "melting" of their silence yields the rarest kind of Ma'rifatullaah. Such people are described, in the words of Shaykh Muhyi ad-Din Ibn al-'Arabi radhi Allaahu anhu wa qaddas Allaahu sirrah, as "the intoxicated lovers who hide a complete inward perfection, unaffected by the backdrop of outward worldly dissonance, who are content, in their silence, with the Reality of the Beloved alone, and with whom the Beloved is ultimately content." Such people are drunk with the elixir of their own silence which in reality hides the high tides of the Beloved's love for them. They are the people whose deep inward piety (taqwa) is often concealed not only from the eyes of men but ultimately from themselves, for to them the attachment to the perception of one's own piety might constitute a formidable barrier to genuine sincerity (ikhlas) in the way they love Allaahu (SWT), the Beloved. They are in inward communion with all rivers that branch forth from the Heart of the Divine Presence and they love the Beloved without a second thought. Such people can often be found among the Malamati Sufis.

Allaahu a'lam.

Ishq,

{Dani}

Al-Ismullaahu al-A'zham: the Greatest Name of Allaahu

Al-Ismullaahu al-A'zham: the Greatest Name of Allaahu

Bismi Hu, Rabbul Izzaati Ta'ala!

Allaahu, Allaahu, Allaahu Haqq!


Allaahu Ta'ala, Jalla wa Jalal, has taught us, through His Beloved Khatam an-Nabiyyin, Muhammad salla Allaahu 'alaihi wa sallam, Nuurin min Nuurillaah wa laa nabiyya ba'dahu, His 99 Names which He displays in the creation (manifestation (tajalli)), nourishment, and evolution of the phenomenal Universe which we inhabit. Al-Habib Rasul Allaahu salla Allaahu 'alaihi wa sallam said,

"Allaahu has 99 Names, that is, 100 minus 1, and whosoever "ahsaha" (enumerates them, realizes them, reflects on their essence, worships Allaahu by them and suppilcates by them, and acts by them according to one's degree of realization of them) shall enter the Garden (Jannah); and verily Allaahu is Witr (the "Odd", the Unique, the Singular, the Absolute) and loves the Witr (the odd numbers)." (Sahih Bukhari-Muslim: 8:419, narrated by Abu Huraira (radhi Allaahu anhu))

Know that the reason Allaahu loves the odd numbers is simply because He, Subhaan Hu wa Ta'ala, is He (Huwa Huwa) in the singular state known as al-Martabat al-Ahadiyya. In this state, He, Mighty and Exalted, does not share His Singularity, His Absoluteness, His Uniqueness, with anything particular (that which is not essentially He). There is only He, the Living, the Eternal, beyond origination, interdependence, and perception. His Oneness (Ahadiyya) is not a relative weight nor is it a mere cumulative point in a hieararchy (entanglement) of Names (States), but it is simply the Absolute Reality-Necessity (al-Haqiqah al-Haqaiq al-Mutlaq) of His Existence and this is the Estuary for all kinds of Divine Knowledge ('Ilm al-Hikmah). This way the odd numbers are His Hujjah (Proof) for His own Uniqueness. Allaahu Akbar!

Now there remains ONE NAME, which cannot be taught in words or by means of relative transmission but which must be discovered by ourselves by means of endless devotion and intense ijtihad. In other words, we must strive really hard by using the full potential of the qalb (heart) and the 'aql (intellect). To know this One Name, we must undertake very intense spiritual and intellectual suluk (journey) to the utmost limits, as there are oceans of secrets and incoherences to cross, until all forms of knowledge are united as one unique knowledge which shall descend upon the heart as Ma'rifat (direct all-encompassing Knowledge) in the form of the Light of the First Intellect, Nur Muhammad. This is described by Allaahu Ta'ala in the Qur'an Sharif in the verse: "The heart did not deny what it saw." (Surah an-Najm: 11.) If we possess this knowledge, nothing will be hidden from us. This is indeed one of the greatest blessings (ni'matullaah) in the Thariqat. Upon experiencing Kashf (Unveiling), this One Name will be revealed to us directly at the Station of Perfect Witnessing (al-Maqam al-Ihsan). This One Name is the one unique prayer bead that is "dettached" from all the others and submerged in the deepest Reality of the Perfect Beauty, Existential Majesty, and Absolute Uniqueness of Allaahu Subhaan Hu wa Ta'ala.

This Name is alluded in the following hadith of as- Sulthanul Anbiyya wa'l Mursalin, our Beloved Master, Muhammad salla Allaahu 'alaihi wa sallam,

"Yaa Allaah, I ask You of You by every Name which You have named Yourself or which You have revealed in Your book or which You have taught any of Your creation or which You have kept hidden in the Unseen Knowledge with Yourself." (Sahih Ahmad, accorded by al-Albani)

Again, this Hidden Name cannot simply be taught, instead we must discover it within ourselves as "Humanity is the Secret of His Secrets" ("al-Insaanu Sirru AsraaruHu"), in the depths of the silences of the self, where Allaahu Ta'ala communicates with us through the Reality of His own Essence, which is beyond words and conceptual constructs. That is why Sayyidina Rasul Allaahu salla Allaahu 'alaihi wa sallam said, "He who knows himself knows his Rabb." This is the Greatest Name of Allaahu 'Azza wa Jalla known as al-Ismullaahu al-A'zham. It is said in a hadith that, due to its immense barakaa, if you address Allaahu by that Name, every wish of yours will be granted and every danger, every ordeal, every misery will be removed from you. It is also said that this Name will be revealed to us at the end-time by the Mahdi 'alaihi salaam, may Allaahu hasten his appearance. However, the fundamental meaning behind this is that whoseover knows (comprehends) this Name, and is therefore dressed with the Reality of this Name, will be able to change the course of history for mankind. His presence will be a mercy unto the worlds (rahmatan lil 'alamiin). Indeed, the Knower of the Greatest Name of Allaahu Subhaan Hu wa Ta'ala is the inheritor of the station of the Holy Prophet Muhammad salla Allaahu 'alaihi wa sallam himself.

Allaahu a'lam.

Ishq wa Salaam,

{Dani}

The Reality of Awliyya

The Reality of Awliyya

In the Name of Allaahu, the Sultan of hearts, the Opener of every seal, the Possessor of Knowledge


Know that among the ones drawn close to al-Haqq, the rank of Siddique is the highest rank of Sainthood. Such a Wali sees Allaahu by Allaahu and sees that which is not Allaahu by His Light. The bare Truth is exposed to him. He is a Knower of the Reality of the Divine Essence, ZaatulLaah, and therefore knows al-Ism al-Aalam, the Greatest Name of Allaahu. The Light of Allaahu is the Eye of his eye. He sees, and converses with, the Ruh (Spirit) of the Summit of Manifestations, the Holy Prophet Muhammad (shalla Allaahu 'alahi wa sallam) in perfect intimacy in such a way that he comprehends the Holy Prophet’s true spiritual rank. This way, he receives Knowledge directly from the heart of the Holy Prophet (SAW), not from behind the veils (hijabs) but at the sacred spiritual station within the Spiritual Ka'ba, al-Bayt al-Ma'mur. Such a being is the true inheritor of al-Haqiqah al-Muhammadiyya, the Muhammadan Reality. He is the greatest Sign (Tajalli) in his time, al-Hujjah al-Islaam, through whom the Primary Existence-Being, al-Wajib al-Wujud (al-Wujud al-Mutlaq), Allaahu, manifests His resplendent signs.

Whenever he delivers a speech to mankind, millions of jinns are present, sitting and listening to him. He possesses two faces: one towards Allaahu and another towards mankind.

The one who has reached Haqiqah and gained Allaahu's special favor can experience 700,000 different levels and forms of knowledge ('ilm) and ecstasy (wajd) which are subtly hidden in the 99 Names of Allaahu, from which they can pull out for humanity 700,000 different esoteric (inward) and exoteric (outward) kinds of wisdom. Such exalted wisdom is none other than Ma'rifat, Direct Knowledge of Reality.

Know that the journey towards Haqiqah and Ma'rifat through Shari'ah and Thariqah involves moving from one vast ocean of wisdom and knowledge into another. In the process, the veils are pulled away, and eventually the Salik (Spiritual Wayfarer) reaches the Divine Presence in a place (state of being) where he observes, experiences, and is annihilated by, the Reality of the verse

“Allaahu Nuru samawati wal ard.”

“Allaahu is the Light of the heavens and the earth.”

In this state, nothing exists except that Light, for anything beside that Light is ultimately non-existent and illusory. This is the reality of fanaa' and baqaa'.

The journey towards the Naked Truth, the Highest Truth, al-Haqiqah al-Haqaiq, is depicted in the Mi'raj of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW). When the Holy Prophet reached a certain point in the journey with the Angel Jibril (alaihi salaam), the Angel said to the Holy Prophet, “Yaa Muhammad, only you can enter beyond this point. If I move further I will be destroyed and there shall thereafter be no existence for me.” The Holy Prophet said, “Yes, I will continue alone,” and he went alone beyond this point to the Utmost Limits, thereby acquiring the Secret of secrets (al-Sir al-Asrar) whose reality is depicted in the Qur'an as the "furthermost Lotte Tree". At this point, his personality was annihilated and he perceived himself as the Primordial Light of Creation, the First Intellect, and the Perfect Mirror, Nur Muhammad, which is the inner Reality of the Holy Prophet. This way, he (SAW) at last attained the Divine Presence, where he perceived nothing but Allaahu, His Existence.

Know that in every age, in every time, there is the so-called Wali Qutb, the Pole Wali, known as as-Sulthan al-Awliyya, in whose being the Muhammadan Reality is concentrated in its fullest intensity. Such a Wali must be al-ashraf from both his paternal and maternal lineage, from Ahl al-Bayt (the Family of the Holy Prophet). Remember that it was upon the Household of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW) that the Qur'an and the Spirit of Truth (ar-Ruh al-Quds) descended. In other words, he must be al-Hassani and al-Husayni, a direct genetic and spiritual descendant of the Holy Prophet (SAW). If, however, by any chance the Wali Qutb is not from the Family of the Holy Prophet (SAW) and yet he is able to reach that distinguished spiritual level, then he is said to inherit the Muhammadan Reality from Salman al-Farsi, for the Holy Prophet (SAW) included him as a member of Ahl al-Bayt. Once, the Holy Prophet (SAW) told his wife not to cover herself in front of Sayyid Salman, saying, “Salman minee Ahlul Bayt.” (“Salman is among the Ahlul Bayt.”)

Know that every phenomenon in the universe, by Allaahu's permission, is subject to the spinning Ocean of Power known as, al-Muhamma, concentrated in the being of the Wali Qutb, coming from Allaahu to the Holy Prophet (SAW), and from the Holy Prophet to the Wali Qutb. From the esoteric point of view, this is how the Din of Islaam is preserved by Allaahu 'Azza wa Jalla from time to time, that is, through the presence of the Wali Qutb which functions as a Pillar and Axis that connects the physical dimensions of the Earth to the hidden dimensions of the Primordial Muhammadan Reality. Note carefully: It is incumbent upon every Muslim to recognize the Wali Qutb of his age.

Examples of Awliyya Qutb, among others, are Hazrat Shaykh 'Abd al-Qadir al-Jailani (radhi Allaahu anhu), Hazrat Shaykh Muhammad Ibn 'Arabi (radhi Allaahu anhu), Hazrat Imaam Abu al-Hassan as-Shadzili (radhi Allaahu anhu), Hazrat Khwaja Mu'in ad-Din Chishti (radhi Allaahu anhu), and Hazrat Khwaja Muhammad Baha' ad-Din Naqshband (radhi Allaahu anhu).

O beloveds of Allaahu, my dear brothers and sisters, let nothing remain in your hearts but Allaahu Jalla wa Jalal. Know that Allaahu's obedience to you is always greater than your obedience to Him. Know that His love for you is far greater than your love for Him! Few people realize this and therefore most of us are thankless.

May Allaahu continue to guide us in the genuine Prophetic Light, in the Straight Path (as-Siraat al-Mustaqim), so that each of us may reach the elevated stations and ecstasy which He reserves for His beloved servants. Ameen.

Ishq,

{Dani}

The Wings of Solitude

The Wings of Solitude

The Wings of Solitude

(Dedicated to Khalil Gibran)

Somewhere in the book of existence, upon its silent pages,
Between the hour of union and the hour of separation,
Between our journeying and realization,
Between our knowledge and understanding,
Between infinity and infinity,

Among those born of women, reared by men, and nourished by the sun,
Some spend their lives wayfaring as pilgrims,
Some spend their lives as orators upon the hills,
Some spend their lives quenching their thirst for the beauty which they only wish to cage,
Some spend their lives in pursuit of the faces which will give them naught but masks,
And the gods which they only desire to crucify.

Some stand frozen and yet proud like unto dead corpses,
Overpowering the world with their heaviness,
Veiling the world with the darkness of their own souls,
Some weave their houses with the silky hands of ache and sorrow in their silent suffering.

Some voice the pain caused by the fetters that enslave them in the name of love,
Some release their endless youth in fields of flowers,
Tasting the sweetness of the wine that exists between a man and a woman,
Letting their spirits understand beauty.

Some erect palaces of diamond, marbel, and gold as if competing with the unborn glory of the firmament of existence,
Some build their temples within themselves and play the music of their infinite longing upon their flutes which only the still night can bear in its own heart.

Some shout at the distant mountains and remove the wings of their dignity,
Some seek refuge from such ailment and agony in their solitude and sit beside the calm waters, ever distant and lonely, yet very close to the Heart of all hearts.

Some live and die like the winds,
Racing along with the shadows at a frightening pace,
Imprisoned in the dark labyrinth of Nature's restlessness,
Appearing with the sun of their delight at dawn, and
Vanishing with the sun of their grief at noontide,
Never knowing why.

But I only wish to spend my life with you, my Beloved,
Speaking of the fragile little winged creatures that soar so high in the boundlessness of the spacious sky which love spans for them,
Bending with the reed upon whom, like unto a woman and a mother, the burden of life falls,
Singing the song of the morning dew and the silent-bound waters,
Resounding the depths of the solitude of God,
Painting the curves of passion upon the summits of beauty.

I only wish to spend eternity with you, my Lover,
Burning with the sun and the stars of your passion,
Kissing the shyness of the moon in your countenance,
Threading the lonely path of return with a winged heart and bleeding feet,
Encircling the universe in the freedom of our aloneness,
Dissapearing upon the furthest horizons with a tear and a smile.

I only wish to walk this lonely road to the end with you, my Love,
Embracing its mysteries without being offended by their depths,
Leaping upon the lonely shores of existence with the naked children of the seasons,
Rejoicing with the grass and the flowers kissed by the morning sun,
Conversing with the rain that fills the earth with tenderness and moistens the heart with compassion.

I only wish to breathe your breath, Gibran,
Befriending your solitude,
Shaking before the breeze of the tender winds in your utterances,
Swallowing the wine and the mist of your language which, uttered by infinite strings and proclaimed upon the high tides of your infinite passion,
Bespeaks the innocent tempest, the swirling winds, and the eternal hues of your infinite sky.

Take me home, my hidden Desire,
Lead me to the place where all the winds are born as wayfarers and die as silent martyrs.

Take me home, my winged Prophet,
Let us walk hand in hand in all seasons, naked like unto babes,
Running like unto the lonely brooks and the mountain streams in a hidden vastness known only to the poets of life's seasons.

Take me home, my eternal Delight,
Bring me to the entrance of your shrine with the delight of the white lily, and
Enfold me in the wings of your solitude.

Many are those who sacrifice their lives in battle fields,
Many are the babes taken away from their mothers' breasts,
Many are the flowers crushed before blossoming.

But I just want to die beside you, my Sweetheart,
After we have lived enough and therefore died enough,
Endlessly asking for the answers about the meaning of life and the secret of death,
Which not a single demon knows and which no angel can bear.

Come close to my bosom, my Brother,
Who speaks my language of mist and breathes my breath of fire,
Whose spirit is the soul of my heart,
Whose flame is the light of my comprehension.

Hold me tight, my Friend,
Let us carry our great secret to the infinite silence beyond the mournful sky and the restless sea.

Had we not planted anything in this field called life with our staggering hands,
We would not be harvesting the fruits of our restlessness today.

But I say unto you, my Love,
Just kiss my silent sorrow and caress my broken wings,
Pierce me with your sentiments and break the chains of my hands and feet,
Open the doors of my heart and light its corners with your beauty,
Shut my ears to the clamor of the world and whisper into the heart of my life's autumn the murmur of the rivulets of wine and the poetry of the forgotten dust of the past.

Put me to sleep with your song of the timelessness of love and beauty,
Weave around my heart the wings of the seafaring falcons,
Dissolve my breath in the infinity of your penetrating gaze,
Burn my wounded spirit in the fire of your imagination,
And crucify my restlessness in the depths of your solitude.

Love,

Dani

Reflections of Passion

Reflections of Passion

Reflections of Passion

Countless are the living strings of the silences that hide Love's yearnings,
Yet allow my flute to claim the sacred tones of your inner harp,
For the flute-player is drunk with the passion that necessitates his home-coming,
And allow the passion within his passion, and the serenade within his serenade, to moisten your soul with infinite tenderness.

Passion is the blossoming of your desires when you yield to the sweetness of life's honey.
It is a dignified depth calling unto a majestic height.
It is life's own quivering hands.
It is Love's winged Messenger that gathers all things of dust and fire unto her bosom.

Passion is that which moves the still night with dreams without offending her solitude.
It is the nectar hidden in every pleasure, not a burden unto your breath.
It is the ecstasy in your seeking and finding.
It is the beauty that speaks the depths of being and the heights of becoming.

Passion is the Mother unto all your silences and tides, your joys and sorrows.
It is the vessel capable of all forms and is itself a nakedness unto all.
It is that which suspends nothing in itself for it bears not masked faces nor caged songbirds.
It is the everspringing hope in the winter of your soul's grief, a swirling harmony in the songless sky, and a mighty dawn unto the faceless night.

In passion, take with you the wingless and the breathless,
For nothing of wonder shall descend with the morning mist and rain unless all riddles are solved in passion, and unless all songs are sung in its heart.

Even as the spring flower is the temple for beauty and fragrance,
So is your heart the temple for passion where God beholds Himself as Love.

Even as the lightning precedes the thunder,
So does passion precede your breathing.

Even as the cup holds the wine,
So does your soul hold the intoxicating myrrh made of the morning light and the silhouette.

They say, "Ay, too often is passion something of bewildering madness and uncertainty."

But I say unto you, "Unless you caress the wind with its own essence, which is in yourself, and unless you recognize the taste of honey by quenching the thirst of your own soul, you shall never know what passion is, for it is not a distant haze, but the mist that dances in God's solitude simply because you exist."

Pity the butterfly that knows not the language of the wind's swiftness nor the beauty of its own fragility.

Pity the lover that knows not his Beloved except only in the name that pricks his tongue and crucifies his understanding.

Pity the purposeless evening wind that knows not its destination in the traceless silence of space.

Pity the weak heart that places the blessed words of the Prophet upon a staggering tongue.

But I say unto you, "In passion's own longing is the breath that knows itself, the eye that sees itself, the waves that know their shores, and the beauty that houses itself."

Love,

Dani