Schism, Diversity and Unity - a pocket-book guide to avoid some big potholes along the road to you-know-Hu

God, the Saints and You

There are some close to God,

But cannot stand that God permits

Others less ‘holy’ to be with Him,

To be near Him, unassailed

By any Retribution.

There are some close to the Saint,

But cannot stand that the Saint permits

Others less ‘correct’ to be with Him,

To be loved by Him, unhindered

By any Judgment.

We do not own God

But we presume to speak on His behalf,

We do not own the Saint

But we presume to judge others

That the Saint has, with love, shown mercy.

Do you now see?

That is what makes a Saint a saint,

And we mere jesters and observers.

Do not stand in the Saints way...

For alive or dead their stories continue

In the unveiling of Truth above falsehood,

So now... Of that part, which is fit for you?

…………………………

Schism is an ugly word in religion. In Islam's history we have seen the rise of two co-existing caliphates, the Abbasids in Baghdad and the second Ummayad Caliphate in Andalusia, Spain. We also have the 4 jurisprudence schools of Hanbali, Maliki, Syafie and Hanafi dividing the Muslim nation as well as numerous sufi orders - Adawiyya, Chishti, Mehlevi, Qadiriyya, Rifa'i, Naqshbandi etc. But is this really schism?

But in religion, diversity and unity are really beautiful words. If God had wanted a single-one-type utopia He would have made everyone alike. but He didn't. He didn't even make His Angels the same, what more Djinn or Mankind with our varying passions, wisdom and foolishness? I think that this reflects the Unity through Diversity or Plurality... a reflection of the infinite multi-faceted attributes of God. After all, even God has many names and attributes, although a couple are clearly His favourites - Most Compassionate and Most Merciful, ar-Rahman and ar-Rahim.

Thus He has decide to reveal Himself to us, in God's single-absolute-unique Oneness but One whose attributes are so vast that really, we only know Him as He guides us to know Him. Clearly it was fated that from the seed of Adam, there would grow this rich diversity in our differing races and cultures. And I see no harm in this. So long as we know where we came from (from Him) and where we shall one day return to (to Him again). And even in this understanding we must withhold judgment on those who are still travelling in the journey... as we all are.

73. HU-man-ity

I always believed that

Man was just man.

Until HU came

And changed man into HUman.

Then HU made me see,

That from Ahmad’s single Nur

Came plurality,

Thus, HUman became HUmanity.

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

In terrible danger are those who think that they have 'found' God and that their journey is at its spiritual end while they still live. For they are always at risk to pride, hubris and the ego-driven alienating feeling of 'us' and 'them'. And yes, this danger is alive in all of us, whether we are laypeople or clerics, Muslims as well as those who aspire to the Tariqas (the Path) of Islam. Thank God that God and the Prophet is ever attentive to our mischiefs, and correcting us along each step of our own personal journeys.

If the storm clouds of schism is over your house, remember God, the Prophet
and observe patience and tolerance towards those whom you think are different.

Alhamdulillah then, praise be unto God, that you are you and I am I. Two separate personalities but united in the belief and worship of One God. May God make your journey easy (but always interesting). Of course, the funny thing is that often, when the journey becomes really interesting it becomes less easy. Hehehe. Just a thought, sunshine.

Have a happy, happy day.

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will shown the Way

I Have no Purpose for Love Unless it is to Love You

I Have No Purpose Unless…

Oh Lord, Oh Love…,

I have no purpose for life,
Unless it is to live for You,

I have no purpose for love,
Unless it is to love You,

I have no purpose for knowledge,
Unless it is to know You,

I have no purpose for words,
Unless it is to extol Your beauty,

I have no purpose for piety,
I leave that for those
Learned in Your theology,

I have no purpose for death,
Unless it is to meet You,
And to finally,
Meet me.

I wrote a long post about the financial market and the Subprime scandal. But before I could post it, the day turned into night. And at night, it is best to leave matters of rights and obligations aside and to focus on what God created the night for – LOVE.

I hope you like the above prose, pet. It’s brand new. It drifted into my heart while I was driving home.

Have a lovely evening, sunshine.

Pax Taufiqa

Muhammad the River - When flesh is pressed upon flesh, what vain secret is there left to hide?

26. Dam II
Muhammad is the River
And to the Ocean he will bring us.

The position of Muhammad Most Beloved is one that will change depending upon who is looking at him. But the above prose (circa 2004) is a simple description and one that few Muslims would argue with.

11. Dam I
If some people had their way
We would be on our hands and knees
Looking for stones to throw.
They would divert Allah’s Mercy
So that to the Ocean
No river shall forevermore flow.

The prose 'Dam I' is however a defense of the furthest and most delicate interpretation of 'Dam II' of which I leave to your wisdom to ponder upon. And as they say that offence is the best form of defense, the poem is questioning certain segments of society which desires for the Prophet of God to be dead, and remain certainly dead. For Muhammad, Mercy to the Worlds to be relegated into the role of a postman of the Holy Scriptures, who came, brought a book called the Holy Quran and left us to our own devices. And such people tend to love throwing accusations of innovation and heresy at the Sufis, while their grasp of the fundamental history of Islam itself is at best tenuous and at worst misconceived.

The Sufis tell me that they are not asking for anything but Mercy from the Infinite Ocean of Love, which is the domain of God Most Compassionate, Most Merciful. I have no quarrels with them. May God, Magnificent Creator of Knowledge, Intimacy and Discretion guide their sweet wandering hearts closer and closer to Him and His Prophet. And may the Prophet, through his Companions and Saints spark the love of Love, and the truth of Truth in the hearts of all human beings, whatever hat they may be wearing, and in whatever temple they may be praying in. For even if any fool were to prejudge you by the books that you read, or the thoughts that you entertain, no one can take away the truth that within us, in the antechamber of our most private courtyard of love that men often call the Heart, lies the Throne of the Lord.

Let the drifting ones talk of theology. We are talking of intimacy. When flesh is pressed upon flesh, what vain secret is there left to hide, my friends?

Pax Taufiqa.