You Asked, He Said - An Allegory

This is a map technically known as a squiggly doodlee,

You Asked - He Said (An Allegory)

O' God! You are the Hidden Treasure

And You wanted to be known,

So tell me where You are hiding

And show me all the treasures

That You own…

The Dot beneath the Bar,

The Dot beneath the Bar…

He said.

Like all treasures,

You will find Him buried

In the earth called Man,

The Dot beneath the Bar…

He said.

In the place marked ‘X’

On the Divine Map of Muhammad,

On the lower left of your breast

Where resides your spiritual heart,

Pass the witnessing of Time,

Under the shadow of the One-eyed King,

Across the open desert,

Beside a water tap

That someone left running,

Away from the book-burners -

The deniers and usurpers,

Within sight of Mount Qaf,

‘786’ said the sign

Beneath a shining star

And a luminous crescent moon…

The Dot beneath the Bar…

..................

This prose is an allegory derived from many beliefs and dogmas of the religion known as Islam. It is talking about the journey we take in meanings as we walk our simple quiet way across life, and to hopefully find the meaning of the Divine etched within our hearts.

This is, I believe, the promise held by each man, woman and child on this planet. Surely, our task, as brothers and sisters united in the belief of One God, is to help each other along the way.

Perhaps the name of your map, and the labels and pictures written within may differ from my scroll. But no one who believes in God can deny that our end destination is to Him, regardless of our differences.

With that poignant but hopeful note, I wish you a lovely Friday.

Pax Taufiqa

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

The Trinity of Divine Love - You know, I think we need not worry...

47. We need not worry

We walked a little then paused

By a clear blue stream,

Beside the running water,

You looked at me and enquired,

"Is this a dream?"

And I said no.

We passed over the Bridge of Choices,

And waved to the little dragons

That were perched on top Mount Qaf.

By the shore, we could see a mist,

Descending from an unseen height,

Quietly you took my hand and asked,

"Is this a dream?"

And I replied no.

From where we stood we saw

A glittering heart rising

From the sea, It was bright

As a star, and wide-eyed you asked,

"How could this be?"

And I said, "I don't know".

A ship was waiting for us

At the little harbour of Hope,

We made our way down a pebbled

And sandy path,

Upon reaching the gangway

We could read her name,

"The Faithful".

I looked at the ship doubtfully,

"Do you think it is seaworthy?",

You smiled replying,

"You know, I think we need not worry."

It takes two to tango. But for real love, nothing beats a threesome. That is you, God and the other. This does not in anyway diminish your love. Actually, the trinity of divine love flows from the fountain of truth, and it shatters the hidden tyranny of our egos. For our ego will have its claim in everything, even in matters of the heart. For your ego is changeable as a chameleon, and it easily changes its colours and spots to mimic your heart. Are you sharp enough to notice this cruel deception?

I read an old book a long time ago, and this was what the author had to say about true love and the false love of the ego...

“Oh people, seek real love, a love that cannot go astray. That love is the love of God and the love for His creatures for the sake of His love for them... Love pertaining to the ego is not love, as all the ego knows is to love itself, and what is commonly called love is but a mutual understanding to support each other’s egoism. Don’t trust your ego, nor anyone else’s, for the ego is disloyal by nature.” - OCEAN OF UNITY, Sheikh Nazim al-Qubrusi (Turkey, 1987)

So follow your heart and conscience, sunshine. If you follow it in everything, it is unlikely that your ego can deceive you when it comes to love. Then, just as the prose ends, you can assure your beloved and say, "You know, I think we need not worry..."

wa min Allah at-taufiq

It is you, so the day is lucky already! - God's Grace and Human Gratitude

163. How lucky are you!

How lucky are you to be

In the company of the certain ones,

To only worry about the little inconveniences in life,

About your weight, where to eat today,

And how to survive till payday.

How lucky are you to be you,

Though you fight to hide your true station,

Suffering those little sins to keep heaven at bay

While you finish your furlough here.

How lucky are you to know

That when the time comes for you to leave,

There is a space for you onboard the vessel

Departing this mortal hassle.

How lucky are you!

For I espied you, with other beautiful souls,

Chatting atop Mount Qaf, and joking

About mortal bodily functions

And other things

I care not to mention.

Thus am I certain

Of what I speak.

You think I jest,

But I speak the truth.

How lucky are you to be you!

I do not intentionally lie in this almanac. But sometimes I do not disclose everything. But in this prose I am pouring my every little praise for you. Thank you for dropping by, and thank you for sharing your good luck with me.

'Good Luck' or as some serious beards would call it - 'Divine Grace'. It is the claim for all grandchildren of Adam and Eve. If they only would raise their heads above the rat race, and ask the right questions. And perhaps not to be so infatuated with worldly cheese...

Have a lucky day, sunshine. But what am I saying? It is you... so the day is lucky already. Praise the Lord!

Pax Taufiqa.

Breath of the Sun of the Sun (5 Postcards from me to you)

This poem is from the chapter entitled 'The Bride's Dress', written early this year. And the year itself is coming to it's last week. But you continue, for you are being sustained by the breath of the Sun of the Sun, the Light upon Light which has no beginning and no end that we can speak of. You are leaving 2010 with hope in your heart and a lovelight in your eyes. Here where I am, I can see you, a star shining bright in the cosmos of my soul.

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My friends, I am sure I do not cherish you enough. I am sure I have taken you for granted. For that I am sorry, and I hope you will accept these 5 postcards as a token of my esteem.

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My friends, some of you I have met but I suspect there are many whom I have not met, and may never meet in this life. But I know you already, for we sat together on the grassy slope of Mount Qaf, and there we traded stories and promises. Even then, I noticed the particular sweetness in your smile.

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Have a wonderful Sunday, sunshine. And for those celebrating Christmas, I hope it has been a joyous day for you!

.

Pax Taufiqa.

Waking up Mikhail, the Saints and the Condors of God

18. I am awake, why are you still asleep?
I am awake,
Why are you still asleep?
I am holding you in my arms,
But I see you are still dreaming.

Will you not open your eyes?
And see who is beside you?
It is I, your Beloved.
The one who loves you,
With a love constant and certain
With hope passionate,
Set above the highest peak
Of mortal conjecture.

Oh, beautiful one,
There are condors here,
Falcons and mighty eagles of God,
Circling my anticipation
For you,
And their cries break
The sullen silence
Of high solitude, crying out,
“Oh, Lord, there is None
But you who can love
The way you do!”

If you could see and hear them,
You would not despair!

Oh, sleeping child,
I see tears well beneath your eyelids,
What awful torment are you suffering?
Let me send Artiya’il into your dream
To wipe that tears away,
Let me send my Friends, many and true,
To give solace to you.

Oh, sleeping child, listen to what they have to say!
For they will tell you of me.
And that you are always in my embrace,
And that I shall not let you fall,
Nor sleep too long.

Oh, sleeping child,
My Friends will attend to you
Though their gaze is set forever to the Moon,
My Moon that I created
Before the first moan of life
Ever fell from the lips
Of a man or an angel,
Before the first flicker
Of my many stars,
Before the first dream
Ever lapped the shore
Of your distant but compelling sleep.
……….

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I was writing this prose in my head as I gazed at my son asleep beside me, when suddenly, he openned his eyes and said, "Hey, Papa. I am not asleep."

Do you not feel the same, cradling your young child in your arms?

And if you feel the same way I do, then, how can we not be brothers and sisters?

Have a wonderful Saturday, my friends.

Pax Taufiqa.

Footnote - Poem from chapter 31, 'Eggshells & Cinders', circa early 2008.

The Gates of Love

Love is not all joy.
It is also to learn how to cry.
So disdain not sadness,
For of all the gates of the House,
It is through Love
That sadness enters
And departs.

.......................................

If you want to love, you must learn tears and sorrow. Sadness and bleak tomorrows. I have cried my fair share, but when weighed in comparison, my cup of joy floweth over...

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Smiling, laughing or crying, if it is in the name of Muhammad, Habibullah, the Red Rose in the Garden of Creation, it is all worth it. Nay, its worth will only be understood later, when you and I meet and greet on top of Mount Qaf. Until then, Salams!

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Hehehe.