A Cup of Religion Poured into the Sea of Life - Rumi and the Veneration of the Prophet

A Cup of Religion Poured into the Sea of Life

When we whirl we forget our names,

We forget our past, our history and our story,

We are pulling strands of creation

And with our right hand raised

We receive the Lord's attention

And with our left hand lowered

We become nothing but a channel,

A river of strings, flowing into

The ocean of love, attended by

The remembrance of God,

Praises for the Prophet.

People talk of unity

But we are not,

Being only mirrors of mirrors,

Raised by the bar above the dot,

Mortal creatures

And servants of God.

A little elucidation is perhaps useful for the phrase '...the bar above the dot'. It is in reference to the Arabic alphabet 'ب' ('ba'). The symbolism is significant because the bar lying horizontal reflects the essence of the Prophet being in prostration while the dot signifies God. Above the bar is all of Creation. The lesson here is that God chooses to look at all of Creation through the sight of Muhammad Habibullah. It is one of many lessons that manifests Muslims' great reverence to the person that is known as Muhammad. Is it any wonder that Orientalists in the past often refers to Muslims as Mohamadens? They were far from wrong.

The concept of Muhammad is however not an easy idea to grasp. For you can read thousands upon thousands of books, hear sermons and sohbets recounting the magnificent and delicate natures of the Prophet, but you won't be near to encompassing the knowledge of Muhammad. For the Secrets of Muhammad is with his Lord. And it is not a fixed sum, for it grows with each second that passes through Creation, rising as the Prophet's station rises in the Divine Presence. The whirling dervishes do not add to or augment religion nor the knowledge pertaining to the Prophet- Simply because their understanding of religion has crossed many oceans of contemplation, following the sails of their Grandmaster, Mevlana Jelaludin Rumi, who himself, maddened  with love, continues to pursue the Prophet. Rumi has taken a cup of religion and poured its contents into the sea of life.

Are you ready, sunshine? It is a good day to sail.

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way