A R C H I V E S
Madinat al-Muslimeen Islamic Message Board
| Heart Seized by... |
|---|
| Halima |
| 05/20/04 at 05:21:14 |
| I struggled hard but did not reap the fruits of my labors. Then I gazed into myself and found that my ego and my heart were unified. When the ego and the heart are united, a portion of all that shines upon the heart is seized by the self. Thus I came to know the cause of my dilemma, that the light illuminating my heart was being seized by my ego. -Al-Nuri, in "Islamic Sufism" |
| Re: Heart Seized by... |
|---|
| Halima |
| 05/20/04 at 05:22:59 |
| When Clutches of the "Self" Break Away When clutches of the "self" break away, they clap their hands and break into dance as their imperfections fade away. The musicians within strike the tambourine, and the seas burst into foam at their ecstasy. -Rumi, "The Life and Thought of Rumi" |
| Re: Heart Seized by... |
|---|
| Halima |
| 05/23/04 at 05:32:41 |
| Instruments That Make Union Possible If you devote yourself to God in this world, He will admit you among His chosen servants in the hereafter. Such devotion, however, demands sacrifice and self-denial, the two instruments that make union with God possible. -Al-Hujwiri, "The Kashf al-Mahjub" |
| Re: Heart Seized by... |
|---|
| Halima |
| 05/23/04 at 05:34:02 |
| Art Mastered Only by the Sincere Worship is like a work of art mastered only by the sincere, the learned scholars who practice what they know, who live and walk among people like everyone else, but in their hearts they seek freedom in the serenity of the wilderness. Because of this yearning they continue to grow until their spirits soar and become united with the numinous. About such God says, "Indeed they are the finest of human beings, cherished by us." -Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jillani, "Fayuz E Yazdani" |
| Re: Heart Seized by... |
|---|
| Halima |
| 05/23/04 at 05:37:59 |
| Speech and Silence There are two kinds of speeches and two kinds of silences. Speech is either truth or a falsification, and silence is either fruition or heedlessness. If one speaks the truth, his words are better than his silence, but he who invents falsifications, his silence is better than his speech. -Al-Hujwiri, "The Kashf al-Mahjub" |
| Re: Heart Seized by... |
|---|
| Halima |
| 05/24/04 at 06:05:26 |
| I Am a Burning Candle I am a burning candle; You are the morning light, If I do not see You, I burn; if I see You, I vanish. This is my condition in separation and closeness. I can bear neither separation nor proximity. -Sufi poem |
| Re: Heart Seized by... |
|---|
| Halima |
| 05/24/04 at 06:05:57 |
| I Am a Burning Candle I am a burning candle; You are the morning light, If I do not see You, I burn; if I see You, I vanish. This is my condition in separation and closeness. I can bear neither separation nor proximity. -Sufi poem |
| Re: Heart Seized by... |
|---|
| Halima |
| 05/24/04 at 06:08:29 |
| A Sign You Are Close to Him Those loved by God are held in contempt by the vulgar, and those who deem themselves virtuous may not be so in the eyes of God....Public ridicule is the very sustenance of the chosen of God. They rejoice in it, just as others rejoice in popularity, for they know that it is a sign that they are close to Him. As God said, "My chosen are hidden under My cloak. Besides Me, only the elect know who they are." -Al-Hujwiri, "The Kashf al-Mahjub" |
| Re: Heart Seized by... |
|---|
| Halima |
| 05/24/04 at 06:11:16 |
| Once the Ego is Overcome Once the ego is overcome peace follows. "Only God and no living creature has the power to control destinies." With that conviction entrust all your cares to the Lord and follow the path of the Truth, conforming to the divine edicts, until you attain union with Him and become as pure as Adam before whom all creatures prostrated. -Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jillani, "Fayuz E Yazdani" |
| Re: Heart Seized by... |
|---|
| Halima |
| 05/25/04 at 07:24:12 |
| Liberate Yourself From the Ego Liberate yourself from the fetters of the ego and surrender yourself before God. Let the Lord be your shepherd, allow Him to attend to all your cares, and do not allow temptations to entice you. Aspirations of this world are the cause of all concern. Aspire to God and obtain freedom. -Sheikh Abdul Qadier Jillani, "Futhul Ghaib" |
| Re: Heart Seized by... |
|---|
| Halima |
| 05/25/04 at 07:28:36 |
| The Truly Learned Seek More |
| 06/03/04 at 01:37:33 |
| jannah |
| Re: Heart Seized by... |
|---|
| Halima |
| 05/25/04 at 07:38:02 |
| The Truly Learned Seek More Practice what you have learned, for theory without practice is like a spirit without a body. One who is content with learning alone is not learned, for the truly learned seeks more than mere words. Divine guidance entails self-mortification, without which contemplation is unattainable. -Al-Hujwiri, "The Kashf al-Mahjub" |
| Re: Heart Seized by... |
|---|
| Halima |
| 05/25/04 at 07:39:13 |
| Do Not Look at Your Own Form Do not look at your own form, be it beautiful or ugly; look at the true object of your love, and the goal of your search. Do not look at your own state, which is feeble and vile; look at the true object of your hopes and aspirations. In whatever state you are, seek God. Seek God as if your lips were dry and you were seeking water. Dry lips are a sign that you will eventually reach a spring. Dry lips are a message from the water: ‘If you keep searching, you will find me.’ To seek is a blessed activity; it destroys the obstacles on the path to God. If you seek, you will find. -Rumi, “Mathnawi” |
| Re: Heart Seized by... |
|---|
| Halima |
| 06/02/04 at 05:09:27 |
| b]Allow God's Power to Pervade Your Actions When we allow God’s power to pervade all our actions, and submit to his decrees, we shed all anxiety about the effects of our actions on others; we cease even to consider the effects of our actions. When we cease to consider the effects of our actions, we are adopting the attributes of God himself. -Qushayri, “Risalah” |
| Re: Heart Seized by... |
|---|
| Halima |
| 06/02/04 at 05:11:35 |
| The Only Hope of Attaining Bliss Yet I realized that my only hope of attaining eternal bliss was by detaching myself from all worldly desires, and by honouring God in every aspect of my life. I knew that I had to leave the mansion of deception, and set out with all vigour towards the house of God. I had to turn away from wealth and position, and flee from all the worldly obligations that consumed my time. -Ghazali, “al-Munqidh min ad-Dalal” |
| Re: Heart Seized by... |
|---|
| Halima |
| 06/02/04 at 05:12:45 |
| Proximity and Distance are the Same O God, it would be impossible for me to distance myself from you; it would be impossible for you to distance yourself from me. In the certainty of our relationship, proximity and distance are the same. -Hallaj, “Tawasin” |
| Re: Heart Seized by... |
|---|
| Halima |
| 06/03/04 at 01:10:34 |
| God Has No Equals Consider the way for ordinary people. They should believe in the unity of God. They should expel from their minds all ideas of other gods, or other beings which are similar to God; they should know that God has no equals. Yet equally they should realize there are spiritual forces which are opposed to God. They should trust God, and fear all that are opposed to him. -Junayd, “Tawhid” |
| Re: Heart Seized by... |
|---|
| Halima |
| 06/03/04 at 01:15:54 |
| Gabriel (AS) and Muhammad (SAW) in Heaven Gabriel (AS) and Muhammad (SAW) entered the heavens, and met a man who was watching human spirits go past. At some he said, ‘A good spirit from a good body.’ At others he said: ‘An evil spirit from an evil body.’ Muhammad (SAW) asked who this man was. Gabriel (AS) answered: ‘It is Adam (AS), reviewing the spirits of his descendants.’ -Ibn Ishaq, “The Life of Muhammad (SAW)” |
| Re: Heart Seized by... |
|---|
| Halima |
| 06/03/04 at 01:17:46 |
| All Problems Stem From An Illusion Those who believe everything to be created by God see Him in everything. They find comfort in regarding the Creator and not His creation. All problems stem from the illusion that created things hold the ultimate power. Turn to Him, therefore, if you seek deliverance. -Al-Nuri, "The Kashf al-Mahjub" |
| Re: Heart Seized by... |
|---|
| Halima |
| 06/04/04 at 01:04:53 |
| Prayer is the Foundation Prayer is that which enables the soul to realize its divinity. Through prayer human beings worship absolute truth, and seek an eternal reward. Prayer is the foundation-stone of religion; and religion is the means by which the soul is purified of all that pollutes it. Prayer is the worship of the first cause of all things, the supreme ruler of all the world, the source of all strength. Prayer is the adoration of the one whose being is necessary. -Ibn Sina, “Kitab al-Najat” |
| Re: Heart Seized by... |
|---|
| Halima |
| 06/04/04 at 01:07:32 |
| The Ultimate Cause of a Being God has no ultimate cause. The ultimate cause of a being is the ultimate reason why that being exists. Yet God does not exist for the sake of any other being; he exists for the sake of his own perfection, which is both the cause and the consequence of his existence. -Ibn Sina, “al-Risalat al-Arshiya” |
| Re: Heart Seized by... |
|---|
| Halima |
| 06/04/04 at 01:09:16 |
| Reason, Our Most Precious Gift Since reason is our most precious gift from God, we should do nothing to reduce its status or degrade it. Since reason should govern our conduct, we should allow nothing to govern it. Since reason is the sovereign over all human facilities, it should not be made subject to any other faculty. -Razi, “Kitab al-Muluki” |
| Re: Heart Seized by... |
|---|
| Halima |
| 06/07/04 at 01:36:48 |
| Status on the Spiritual Path On the spiritual path no one has higher or lower status than anyone else. -Nizam al-Din, “Fawa’id al-Fu’ad” |
| Re: Heart Seized by... |
|---|
| Halima |
| 06/07/04 at 01:37:44 |
| The Virtuous Man and the King A certain man was renowned for his virtue. The king asked him, ‘How do you spend your time? The man replied, ‘I spend the nights praying, and I spend the days laboring. I try to regulate my family’s expenses, so I can spend as little time as possible laboring, and as much time as possible praying.’ The king gave the man enough money to support himself and his family, so that he could pray during the day as well as the night. -Sadi, “Gulistan” |
| Re: Heart Seized by... |
|---|
| Halima |
| 06/07/04 at 01:38:44 |
| A Basket Full of Bread A basket full of bread sits on your head; yet you go from door to door begging for crusts. Attend to your own head. Knock on your heart’s door. -Rumi, “Mathnawi” |
| Re: Heart Seized by... |
|---|
| Halima |
| 06/10/04 at 02:03:42 |
| To Think About God In order to think about God, you may compare him with other beings; but remember that he is incomparable. In this way you will live in the house of truth. -Ibn Arabi, “Fusus al-hikam” |
| Re: Heart Seized by... |
|---|
| Halima |
| 06/10/04 at 02:06:40 |
| Addressing God in Words When people address God in words – in the form of intimate conversation, petition and pleading, gratitude, remorse and repentance, and so on – they are in a position of separateness from God. When they address God directly through the heart, and when they listen to him in the heart, they are in a position of union with God. -Qushayri, “Risalah” |
| Re: Heart Seized by... |
|---|
| Halima |
| 06/10/04 at 02:08:48 |
| To Him, I Am a Vessel I belong to God, as has often been shown; yet I also belong to myself. He becomes himself through me. I live in him, and I live in myself. I have two aspects, he and I, divine and human. But he is not I, and I am not he. My actions are the theatre in which he expresses himself; to him I am a vessel. -Ibn Arabi, “Fusus al-hikam” |
| Re: Heart Seized by... |
|---|
| Halima |
| 06/14/04 at 01:55:56 |
| The Established Friendship Friendship takes many years to establish; so do not fall out with a friend over a single disagreement. -Sadi, "Gulistan" |
| Re: Heart Seized by... |
|---|
| Halima |
| 06/14/04 at 01:58:30 |
| Those Shocked by Mysticism There are many people who are shocked by mysticism, and they mock it, calling it nonsense. These people are blinded by ignorance. By following the mystical way I came to understand the true nature of God’s revelations to Muhammad. -Ghazali, "al-Munqidh min ad-Dalal" |
| Re: Heart Seized by... |
|---|
| Halima |
| 06/14/04 at 01:59:53 |
| Lost in the Desert A man lost his way in the desert, and wandered aimlessly for several days. He ran out of food, and thought he would die. Then he saw a bag lying in the sand. He opened it, and at first he thought it was filled with grains of barley. He was overjoyed. But when he tried to eat them, he discovered they were pearls—and he plunged into despair. -Sadi, "Gulistan" |
| Re: Heart Seized by... |
|---|
| Halima |
| 06/16/04 at 02:19:16 |
| You Must Become Mad You must turn your intelligence into ignorance; you must become mad. Whenever you see something that may yield material profit, flee from it. Curse anyone who praises you. Lend your wealth to the poor and the feckless. Abandon the security of your home, and live in places of danger. Throw away your reputation, and embrace dishonor and disgrace. I shall test my intellect to the limit; and then I shall make myself mad. -Rumi, "Mathnawi" |
| Re: Heart Seized by... |
|---|
| Halima |
| 06/16/04 at 02:21:47 |
| A Brave Knight or a Devious Thief? Had the world been conceived just to praise God, there would be no fervor in glorifying God. Equip man with a sword, remove his infirmities, and see what he will be: a brave knight or a devious thief? -Rumi, "Mathnawi" |
| Re: Heart Seized by... |
|---|
| Halima |
| 06/16/04 at 02:23:45 |
| I Fear I Will Become Attached Once a rich merchant, seeing Rabi'a's house falling into disrepair, gave her a thousand pieces of gold and a new house. ... Immediately she returned the money to the merchant and said, "I fear I will become attached to this house and will no longer be able to occupy myself with the other world. My only desire is to be of service to God." -Rabi'a, "Rabi'a the Mystic" |
| Re: Heart Seized by... |
|---|
| Halima |
| 06/18/04 at 03:35:33 |
| The Devil in Your Nature Cries Out When you resolve to become pious, the devil in your nature cries out at you, "Tread not those paths, O confused one; distress and poverty will overcome you. You will be despised, let down by friends, you will regret it." Dread of the devil has bound their souls; the cries of the devil are the drover of the damned; the call of the Lord is a guardian of the saints. -Rumi, "Mathnawi" |
| Re: Heart Seized by... |
|---|
| Halima |
| 06/18/04 at 03:38:33 |
| The Mightiest Force Driving Humankind Since the dawn of human consciousness, religion has been the mightiest force driving humankind toward an unknown goal. It has allowed the teeming millions to experience a greater joy and a creative fervor; it has furnished them with the strength and the courage to achieve imperishable cultural feats and enabled them to reach unimaginable spiritual heights. -Muhammad Asad Loepold Weiss, "Islamic Sufism" |
| Re: Heart Seized by... |
|---|
| Halima |
| 06/18/04 at 03:40:13 |
| Refraining from Wrongdoing I once saw a Christian monk gaunt through self-sacrifice and doubled over by the fear of God. I asked him to show me the path of God. He replied, "If you knew God you would know the way to Him. I worship Him although I do not know Him; you disobey Him though you know Him. With knowledge comes fear, yet you are self-assured; with heresy ignorance, yet I feel fear within me." His words moved me so deeply that since then I have refrained from wrongdoing. -Abd'Allah bin Mubarak al-Marwazi, "The Kashf al-Mahjub" |
| Re: Heart Seized by... |
|---|
| Halima |
| 06/20/04 at 04:47:15 |
| You Gave Me a New Life Blessed was the hour that You saw me. I was dead and You gave me a new life. You sought me like a mother; I shunned you like a fool. Happy is he who espies Your face, O You whom pure spirits praise. How I reproached You with many silly words. -Rumi, "Mathnawi" |
| Re: Heart Seized by... |
|---|
| Halima |
| 06/20/04 at 04:49:31 |
| When You are Aggrieved Shed tears when you are aggrieved. Your grief will heal those in grief. Be steadfast and awaken, fast regularly, starve! Starvation is one of the labors of surrender. -Sha'wana in "Rabi'a the Mystic" |
| Re: Heart Seized by... |
|---|
| Halima |
| 06/20/04 at 04:51:35 |
| The Cup of Divine Wisdom Give your life for that cup of divine wisdom. How can you succeed without endurance and patience? To wait for the sake of that cup is no hardship. Show patience, for patience is the key to joy. -Rumi, "Mathnawi" |
| Re: Heart Seized by... |
|---|
| Halima |
| 06/25/04 at 02:10:44 |
| You Have Become Arrogant In separation from God you have become arrogant; pay heed before His scourge strikes you down. Do not exult because of your good fortune. Over and again God admonishes you with the examples of the transgressors before you. If you really want to enjoy the limitless bounty of Allah, surrender yourselves before His will and endure all afflictions with fortitude. -Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jillani, "Fayuz E Yazdani" |
| Re: Heart Seized by... |
|---|
| Halima |
| 06/25/04 at 02:13:49 |
| Seek Self-Discipline Seek self-discipline with all your soul. Devote yourself to worship and save your soul. Be grateful that God gave you the gift of self-discipline, for you had no power over it. He inspired it within you with the command, "Be!" -Rumi, "Mathnawi" |
| Re: Heart Seized by... |
|---|
| Halima |
| 06/25/04 at 02:16:30 |
| My Children in Exile The saints are My children in exile, torn away from My dominion and glory. Despised and alone they endure their trials; in secret I am their intimate friend. -Rumi, "Mathnawi" |
| Re: Heart Seized by... |
|---|
| Halima |
| 07/02/04 at 01:38:16 |
| Sin That May Deface Your Purity Whenever you are tempted by this world, picture a derelict covered with filth whose noxious odor is intolerable. Reviled you will shut your senses to the offensive sight. In the like manner, stay away from abomination of sin that may deface your purity. The Lord shall bless you with much bounty; therefore let not the cares of this world drive your peace away. -Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jillani, "Fathul Ghaib" |
| Re: Heart Seized by... |
|---|
| Halima |
| 07/02/04 at 01:40:53 |
| During Sleep During sleep the spirit is set free. Behold how it rejoices in the place [of freedom]. The wicked is delivered from his wickedness; the prisoner escapes the sorrow of his confinement. The world appears wide, but in truth is very narrow. Its laughter lamentation, its glory shame. -Rumi, "Mathnawi" |
| Re: Heart Seized by... |
|---|
| Halima |
| 07/02/04 at 01:42:52 |
| A Trickle of Wisdom Knowledge is light; avarice ice. Knowledge is water; this world dirt. A trickle of wisdom appears from beyond to check the vices of this world. Should the trickle become abundant, none would endure, be it virtue or vice. -Rumi, "Mathnawi" |
Madinat al-Muslimeen Islamic Message Board |