I heard the Moazan calling for Salah! The aesthetic pleasure of “Azaan” (Prayer call) came from the holy Mosque. My heart sank into a deep melancholic world. I was walking through a steeply pathway into the fields where the sun was bursting over me and I lost the glimpse of reality standing still for hours under the burning sun taking my shadow as my soul and the ultimate truth as I wanted to punish my body for all the sins while glancing eye to eye with all its mighty heat. I could feel the sweat pouring out my body, my lips were dry and eyes sunken.
“The wound is the place where the Light enters you”. —-Rumi—
Suddenly, Breaths were heavy when I saw water in front of me falling out of the tube-well. I resisted the urge to drink and took a long sigh, walked pass it because it was Ramadan and I wanted to feed my soul not the body. Pure asceticism. My body was urging for food and water, but my soul wanted cleanness and purity from all bodily pleasures. Fireball (The Sun) was so intense that I looked at it politely even it felt lovely. I was in love with my sufferings. Desperately waiting for sun to set so that I may have “Iftari” (Breaking the fast) as soon as possible.
Celebrate! The month of fasting has come.
Pleasant journey to the one
Who is the company of the fasting.
I climbed the roof to see the Moon,
Because I really missed fasting
By heart and soul.
Ghazal No. 370 from the Divan-e Shams-e Tabrizi,
“Mevlana Jelaleddin Rumi
Divan-i Kebir,” Volume 13, 2001.
Ramadan is here
Have you ever felt like you will be starved to death? If you didn’t follow your basic survival instincts but have to endure until the sun is set. Leaving the comforts of your home. Going to University, your work or market. Such hard times rarely comes to you unless your religion do have a fasting month
.
Fasting makes you a philanthropist:
The urge to suppress yourself to drink water when you have it in-front you all the time. We realizes the importance for those who are depraved of such basic needs. For those who died of hunger everyday in Africa and War torn middle-eastern countries like Syria, Palestine etc.
World now knows what Muslims do in this month. Fasting is the willing abstinence or reduction from some or all food, drink, or both, for a period of time.
We never value such things which comes easily to us.
Therefore, In history of all religions. fasting was meant to be an important devotion and supplication to be sublimated.
Offering five times a day Salah (Prayer)
Not only we develop compassion and love for humanity. We share Iftar dinners, throw Iftar parties. Wake up early for suhur (Eating at Dawn for fast), offer longest one hour Salah ( Prayer) called the “taraveeh”. Do shopping for Eid after Ramadan. In short its the month of reincarnation. To be reborn and to regain the faith.
Mevlana Jelaleddin Rumi
Music + Dhikr + Dance (Whirling dervishes) = Rumi
“Busy days galore…thoughts in a kaleidoscope of dervish dances.”
― Al Cash
Is there any better dervish in history than Rumi? I make one of my Ramadan goal to study the Islamic Persian Sufi poet. The most inspiring of all, his words are eye openers for me. I have never been so much captivated by any poet before.
“You were born with wings, why prefer to crawl through life?”
― Rumi
I went into the bookstore and asked for Rumi’s poetry book.
The bookseller looked at me with astonishment and asked quickly Do you know Persian?
I said “No” he smiled and then asked: “Then what is the pleasure in reading translation? I say if you truly want to understand Rumi read it in its original language otherwise It will be a futile effort. I left his shop and find another one from where: I bought an English version next day and read the best-selling poet of America from 13 century Islamic world.
After Experiencing Rumi I wanted to be a dervish Conquering ones soul, finding the meaning of our existence. What a peaceful and aimless life it would be to wander and to lose our own identity. As he wrote:
“I am neither of the East nor of the West, no boundaries exist within my breast”.
Against Tyranny please watch the video below:
Must watch and share this Ramadan ad for injustice to Muslims all around the world specially in Jerusalem the capital of Palestine.
Thankyo
The Portrait of an Artist 