Rumi and Nakedness

Rumi and Nakedness

Allaahu, Allaahu, Allaahu!

Hu, Muhammad, 'Ali, Hu!

Shah, Shah, Shah!

Ishq Muhammad, Vah 'Ali, Hu, Hu, Hu!

Ya Huwa Hu... Ya Huwa Hu...

***

If you can’t smell the fragrance
Don’t come into the garden of Love.
If you’re unwilling to undress
Don’t enter into the stream of Truth.
Stay where you are.
Don’t come our way.

(Rumi)

Yes, Mawlawi (Rumi) is naked. Tears of constant longing as well as pearls of ecstasy (wajd) have undressed him.

Once Mawlawi was engaged in intense Dzikrullaah, the state where "no one, not even an angel, can come between the Sufi and his Beloved", when a few fuqaha (scholars of the exterior law of religion) came to him. They asked, "We want to talk to you, O Shaykh". He replied, "Who?" They said, "Shaykh Jalal ad-Din". Mawlawi said, "There is only Allaahu in this chamber". They were astounded and, after a period of sustained silence, said, "Fine. Can we talk to Allaahu?" At last, Mawlawi said, "There is only Jalal ad-Din in this chamber". Upon hearing this, the fuqaha realized that a conversation was not meant to take place, so they left Mawlawi alone.

From the above, we learn that the fuqaha are veiled with so many layers of the exterior law. The difference between them and Mawlawi is that Mawlawi is not dressed with a single garment and in that transparency, only al-Haqq is seen. However, be careful! This doesn't mean that Mawlawi was ignorant of the Shari'ah! In the contrary, although his father, Baha' ad-Din Walad was a Sufi (and is said to be a descendant of Abu Bakr as-Shiddiq), up to middle age, before meeting with Shams ad-Din, Mawlawi had been a faqih himself, like those fuqaha, even a very stern one. It's just that he has transcended the Shari'ah (the ice of the law of exterior forms has melted in the Light of the Irresistible Truth) and arrived in the Chamber (Mihrab) of Annihilation (Disappearance) and appeared anew with the Essential Attributes, as-Sifat al-Haqqani. From the exterior point of view, he (Rumi) is but dust in the Path of Islaam, while from the interior point of view, he contains (is in communion with) all forms, and is therefore the Path itself. When one has reached this state, one may start a "new" Sufi branch, with the Permission of the Holy Prophet (SAW).

Remember again that in a nutshell, Sufism, Tashawuf, is:

Taubah (Repentance),

Shafa (Purity),

Wilayat (Being in the Intimate State of receiving the Beloved's special attention),

Fana' (Annihilation).

We may imagine Islaam as the Way towards your own Fitrah, Nakedness. Then Shari'ah is your walking, Thariqah (Tashawuf) is the manner of your walking, and Haqiqah is your Final Destination, your Ultimate Goal, al-Haqq. Then, in the words of the Holy Prophet (SAW), "Ma'rifat is Knowing al-Haqq, your Goal or Destination, the way He (Hu) should be known". Also, "If you knew Him the way He should be known, you could remove a range of mountains or crumble them in a single word". Imam 'Ali (KW) also said, "I would not worship the One I love if I could not see Him".

***

Beautiful Lover, Sweet Lover,
Didn’t I tell you
You couldn’t bear Our torment?
This is a morsel of resignation
Didn’t I tell you, you couldn’t eat it?

Those who don’t eat it remain helpless
Blood spatters from their eyes
This is a moment – it comes, it passes
Didn’t I tell you, you couldn’t sense it?

This dervishhood is a wish
It is a great example to those who know
It is a sleeveless, collarless shirt
Didn’t I tell you, you couldn’t don it?

Let’s reach the Secret of 'Ali and Zahra
Let’s go up to the Meydan
Didn’t I tell you you couldn’t put
Your soul, your head on the way of the Truth?

Lovers are ill-fortuned
They take their value beside the Truth
Loving concourse is sweeter than honey
Didn’t I tell you, you couldn’t be filled?

Mawla Sultan 'Abdal,
Our way reaches the Truth
The Twelve Caliphs of Love are our caravan
Didn’t I tell you, you couldn’t follow it?

(Shaykh Sultan 'Abdal)

Ishq,

{Dani}