A Book, Man the Metaphysical Creature and the Delusional Sinner - Books connect us!

CORY DOCTOROW. Previously I have mentioned a book that I am becoming rather fond of, ergo, Cory Doctorow's book entitled "Content - Selected Essays on Technology, Creativity, Copyright and the Future of the Future". And in one giant leap of inspiration (or melodrama, depending on how you look at this sorta things), I said that his book FEELS spiritual.

So I am glad that Cory writes in one article concerning eBook as follows: - "I take the view that the book is a "practice" - a collection of social and economic and artistic activities - and not an "object". Viewing the Book as a "practice" instead of an object is a pretty radical notion, and it begs the question. Just what the hell is a book?"

JUST WHAT THE HELL IS A BOOK? Some seven years ago I recorded the following prose about religion and books -

123. Alone II (With Poon)

If the Lord takes back His Faith,

His Books and His Ways,

What is left of your faith,

Your books and your ways?

In the context of any religion, all faiths are driven by the holy scriptures we inherit from our forefathers, regardless whether we are Buddhist, Hindu, Christian, Jewish or Muslim. Whether they are said to be the direct word of God or a collection of gospels, sermons and traditions of Prophets and Saints, almost all believers in God follow some holy prescription in a book form. But really, what is a book? And if God suddenly decides to make all Bibles disappear from the planet, or all Qurans suddenly going amiss in the blink of an eye - what then will be left of the Christians or Muslims? That is the question posed by the prose.

So back to Cory's question - I absolutely agree with him. A book is indeed a form of practice. A code of activity and conduct, whether it be physical, mental or spiritual. I think it is wrong to look at a book as an object. An object has a mass and a weight, and the bigger they are, the heavier they feel. Many holy books are heavy and big indeed. Which is kinda odd considering the view of many people that holy scriptures are intended to elevate man and free him from the bondage of ignorance, arrogance, hatred, envy and hubris.

WE ARE METAPHYSICAL CREATURES. A book is a form of practice manifested in a printed text. The true nature of a book cannot be contained in the four corners of its binding. Not just the holy scriptures, but really... any book whatsoever. Because the reader is a human being - and he is in truth a metaphysical creature, with a soul and a spirit, only that just for this brief moment, we are stuck in our vessel of clay.

DELUSIONAL SINNER. I don't know if Cory Doctorow is an atheist, believer, Christian, Jew, Muslim or whatever. I find it hopeful that wherever I read, I sometimes see glimpses of a unifying truth which refuses to be caged in a 'religious' form. Perhaps I am delusional, my friend. But when such delusion makes me believe in a unifying conscience and truth that breaks through our artificial barrier of religion and ideology... well, I am very happy to be delusional this way.

Have a lovely day, sunshine.

wa min Allah at-taufiq

An Angelic Message via Mr. Funny Guy

I was in your neighbourhood, sunshine, and I thought it would be a good time to drop in. So I followed the smell of your mother’s cooking and the gospel that was playing in your soul. But arriving at your heart’s door, I was surprised to find an angel peeking through a hole along your white picket fence! The angel was a creature of light and cloaked in feathers of light. He was too engrossed with whatever he was looking at that he did not notice me at all.

I crept close beside him. Well, I guess the correct term is ‘it’, since angels are without gender, but frankly I just do not have the moral fibre to refer to an Angel of God as ‘it’. But I am enough of a fusspot to ask the winged herald, “What the heck are you doing?”

The angel was totally unaffected by my sudden appearence, turning calmly to me and smiling. I find this apparent inability of angels to be surprised infuriating sometimes. But that is besides the point, anyway, this was his reply, “Hi, Taufiq! I was just wondering how to plug this hole.”

Indeed? You were not sneaking a peak?

The angel drew back and stood up to his full height, casting a shadow of light upon me. “Angels do not peek.” He replied coldly. “We merely observe”.

"Hey! I am not judging you." I chuckled. “It is all the same to me - To-may-to To-mah-to, you know. Hehehe.”

The angel gazed at me for a moment before replying, “Ah… We were warned about you, Son of Adam. You are the one that likes to make Ha-Ha. Mr. Funny Guy they call you amongst the lesser brethren”.

“What a pack of lies!” I rejoined hotly.

“You say that, but you are clearly lying."” The angel continued. “I discern that this is yet another one of your attempts at humour.”

Okaay, this angel is a critic. I decided to move on and said. “Oh, nevermind. I am going in now. Are you coming? Or are you too busy ‘fixing’ the peak-hole…”

“I must fly, mortal, for I have urgent errands. As for the hole, I shall ask one of the cherubims to plug it. But this you can tell your friend – That when he sings praises of God, please stop singing the hymns with such sincerity. Or at least not too loud. For he is distracting us from our assignments. Peace!” With that, he was away, flying at a great velocity until he was a speeding little dot in the farthest horizon of your conscience.

Well. Ahem. Here I am then, sunshine… And that was the angel’s message. So keep the volume down, will you?

Hehehe.

Have a good Friday, sunshine.

Pax Taufiqa.

GOD, PROPHET AND ROCK & ROLL

I love music. We all do, I am sure. The musical preference may differ but the love of music is universally shared. Everyone, from tyrannical dictators to saintly mothers, in their own peculiar way, has an inclination towards music in some form. Often music involves the transmission of humanist and spiritual ideals in formal or informal surroundings. It is therefore not surprising that at its very earliest conception, music was a major part of the spiritual transmission and experience of man.

Spiritual music falls into many specialized categories. We have the American-African gospel music of the South, which arose amongst the Negro slaves as an expression of their yearning for freedom and struggle against daily subjugation under the whip of their 'Masers'. In the Indian Subcontinent, Qawwali is just one form of (as practised by the late great Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan) music glorifying the Lord, and in remembrance of the extraordinary life and character of the Prophet. In many aspects of Classical, Baroque or Romantic concertos of Western composers (especially in the early traditions), there exists an inner and spiritual purpose; as an invitation and exhortation to spiritual improvement and elevation. It is interesting also that in many forms of music, and especially spiritual or folk music, the instruments utilized often reflect the landscape whence it came. Thus, in the haunting flute of the Cheyenne, one can almost imagine the flowing grassy steppes of the Dakotas. In the beat of the murawiz and Ghazal, we are transported to Arabia. In the thumping orchestral performance of the Classics, we find ourselves seating in resplendent opulence of Renaissance Europe, glorifying Christ in stupendous arias. To each race and place, there arose its spiritual music equivalent.

My purpose however is not to dwell in music which is clearly spiritual and as intended by the songwriter. It is our suggestion that even popular music, or more commonly known as pop music (including Rock & Roll) has deep and at times, extremely thoughtful spiritual and mystical emphasis, perhaps beyond the original intention of the songwriter and composer.

A couple of years ago, I noted how pop songs, especially love songs, extols or demands love in the most complete and unconditional form with phrases like; undying, one and only love, faithful and complete, true and forever, cannot live without you, etc.. In my immature understanding I asked myself, surely this songs refer to no mortal love but God himself? Surely these songs are nothing less than expressions of love between God, Prophet and humanity? This was however an intellectual exercise. Intimate experience only occurred about 2 years on. For in those days, I used to recite dzikr (remembrance of Names of God) on the drive to work (no doubt to get as many brownie points as possible). One day however, being the unrepentant hypocrite that I truly am, I found my remembrance of God rather ritualistic and dry. I felt out of tune with the divine cosmos. Driving home later that day, I instead switched on the radio and the station was playing “Suci Dalam Debu” (Purity in the Dust) by Iklim. The lyrics (by S. Amin Shahab / Music by Wan Zul) shook my heart as they appear to transform a rock ballad into a haunting and exhaustive tale of the human spirit, repentance, and the all-encompassing outpouring of Divine Love and Mercy;

Kuharapkan kau kan terima – I hope you will accept (me)
Walau dipandang hina - Though I am dishonoured
Namun hakikat cinta kita – For the certainty of our love
Kita yang rasa - Is what we feel

Suatu hari nanti – One Day
Pastikan bercahaya - A Light will surely shine
Pintu akan terbuka - And a Door will open
Kita langkah bersama – Through which we shall both enter

Di situ kita lihat – And there we will see
Bersinarlah hakikat – The Light of Certainty
Debu jadi permata – Where Dust is transformed into diamonds
Hina jadi mulia – And the (once) dishonoured is honoured.
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This song was not new to me. Yet its meaning changed for me from the time I originally heard it in 1990s. From that day onwards, I continue to listen, and experience many songs which were once understood only in its basic man-woman love dichotomy to something more beautiful. Even new releases astounded me, as Kelly Clarkson did, in “Breakaway” (Matthew Gerrard, Bridget Benenate, Avril Ramona):

(chorus) I'll spread my wings and I'll learn how to fly
I'll do what it takes til' I touch the sky
I'll make a wish
Take a chance
Make a change
And breakaway
Out of the darkness and into the sun …
… Wanna feel the warm breeze
Sleep under a palm tree
Feel the rush of the ocean
Get onboard a fast train
Travel on a jet plane, far away (I will)
And breakaway…

I must admit that some understanding of the 'trigger words' which have parallel meanings as understood and practiced by past and present mystics, greatly influenced the experiences of these songs. Common words and phrases will then carry different meanings, as in Breakway where the singer seeks to “… sleep under a palm tree, feel the rush of the ocean, get onboard a fast train, travel on a jet plane, far away…”. Sleep and dreams are ideas that arise again and again in Sufi lore, as do the Ocean, which is commonly also called the Mercy Ocean, in which humanity is sprung from and must return to. The concept of change and travel, reflects the concept of hijra, wherein one migrates and adapts to a new environment (or new self) for the sake of the Lord and His Prophet. Of course, when Kelly sings “…And breakaway out of the darkness and into the sun…”, the meaning is plain not only to the brethrens of Islam, but also believers of many other faiths. In Sufism however, the Sun may commonly be used in reference to God Himself. A Sufi lore speaks thus, Only by the Sun will you see the Sun. And this inevitably takes us further into the realm of Tawhid, which is the concept of Oneness of God, the cornerstone of all monotheistic faiths.

In the earlier Suci Dalam Debu, the word hakikat mirrors the personal certainty of experience and belief in God, the Angels and the Prophet. It is the highest form of understanding and a quest for all Muslims. The idea of purity in the dust can be referred to the pouring of the Divine Light of Muhammad (NurMuhammad) into the earthly vessel of clay that we call our body; alternatively, it may also refer to man’s too common weakness in judging people at their exterior/manifest (zahir) without understanding the core (batin). Additionally, the nur or light plays a key role in Muslim literature. For darkness is perceived not as a substantive reality, but merely the absence of light. Just as evil is no significant matter, being merely an action devoid of good. These are all codes and keywords common in many Sufi poetry and lore, none more so than in the writings of Maulana Jelaluddin Rumi, whose writings continue to be in the bestseller list of the West.

What is attractive is that these experiences bring the Divine to a human level of understanding – a little gleam of joy stolen from songs which others may call mere entertainment, so-called 'low brow' pop songs. In any event, they show a very real and caring Lord, a very real and loving Prophet, and the fortunate happenstance that we, the children of Adam, are all in His care. This is not an academic discourse, but experience. Many a times, this intimacy is expressed in the separation between the lover and the beloved, and the terrible yearning for union with the Beloved, which in Christian mysticism may be “rapture” or in terms of Sufism, in the “annihilation” (fana) of the believer in the Lord. Often, the sense of longing is almost physically painful, as Jennifer Paige sings in Stranded;

You know it only breaks my heart
To see you standing in the dark
Alone waiting there for me to come back

… If it's coming over you
Like it's coming over me
I'm crashing like a tidal wave
That drags me out to sea
I want to be with you
If you want to be with me
Crashing like a tidal wave
I don't want to be
Stranded…
I can only take so much
These tears are turning me to rust
I know you're waiting there for me to come back
(Matt Brownleewe & Arbuckle Lee)

The fear of the singer turning into rust by her constant tears can be resolved through Alchemy which is the mythical science of changing base metal into gold, for gold does not rust. At another level however, real Alchemy refers to the transformation of man, locked in his earthly vessel, into a creature which mirrors his real (haqiqat) station as a member in the most honoured congregation (Mankind) of the most praised being (which is essentially the meaning of the name, Muhammad). Gold can also mean the message of the Messenger, the Quran and the Sunnah, which shall not be dulled by time, and is guaranteed by God Himself in an unbroken chain (silsalah) of the Prophet’s inheritors that is golden in name and nature.

There is a price however to be paid by these songwriters and singers. Such is the adulation of the fans and the material rewards that many, sadly, fall into temptation. But don’t judge them too harshly and remember the warning given by an old sinner;

Songwriters and stagewalkers,
Balladeers and raconteurs,
Playwrights and soul singers.

O’ artisans, be wary!
For thy nemesis has cultivated the skill
Thou both share far longer than thee;

The ability to weave a good story
And move the heart of thy most belligerent enemy.

This article is not knowledge. At best it is personal reflection, and perhaps a lot of what I may wish to communicate is lost in the transmission. There is no real rule, nor guide or manual that can help us understand a song(and dare I say it, life itself) save through the prism of love. And that is the only key. Every thing else depends upon the heart (and ears) of the beholder as each man and woman continue to create and recreate their respective and very individual universes. And if the Lord is how His servant makes Him to be, then may He be the Lord who leaves signals and signposts, in the most odd and unexpected of places, to guide the wandering soul home;

.

… Yes, there are two paths you can go by, but in the long run
There's still time to change the road you're on…

… And if you listen very hard
The tune will come to you at last.
When all are one and one is all
To be a rock and not to roll…
(Stairway to Heaven performed by Led Zeppelin, Paige/Plant)

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God, Prophet and Rock & Roll was written 3 - 4 years ago as a magazine article. Perhaps you may notice that it isn't as light-hearted and mad as my normal postings. But I think the point is clear. And I hope you enjoyed reading the article as much as I did writing it. Let the Music play, Amadeus!

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God bless you, and have a great Saturday, sunshine.

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Pax Taufiqa.