Company - Ba-gul Nashistan
Company or more specifically suhbah is a phenomenon whose effects are difficult to describe. There is this teacher of mine who always says that 'environment is silent speech' and I always used to think how right he was... The effects and impacts are so subtle that one does not even notice how one gets transformed without noticing it ever. There are few verses by Shaykh Sa'adi (rahimahullah) that I came across in a book called, Bayt ki haqeeqat. I am compelled to write them on my blog. The poetry is extremely beautiful and rhythmic. Someone who has ever experienced such company would testify to the truth contained in the verses of this hikaayat.Gili khushbooi dar hamaam roozi
Raseed az dast-e-mahboobi ba-dastam
Be-oo guftam keh mushki ya 'abeeri
Keh az boo-e dil-aaweez e tu mastam
Be-oo gufta, man gil-e naacheez boodam
Wa-leekin muddati ba-gul nashistam
Jamaal-e hum-nasheen dar man asar kard
Wa gar na man hamaan khaakam keh hastam
Raseed az dast-e-mahboobi ba-dastam
Be-oo guftam keh mushki ya 'abeeri
Keh az boo-e dil-aaweez e tu mastam
Be-oo gufta, man gil-e naacheez boodam
Wa-leekin muddati ba-gul nashistam
Jamaal-e hum-nasheen dar man asar kard
Wa gar na man hamaan khaakam keh hastam
[One day in a hamaam*, I got some perfumed soil from the hand of a beloved. I asked (the soil) , 'are you musk or ambergris, for your scent simply absorbs me.' It replied, 'I was nothing but ordinary soil, yet I have sat with the flower for a long period (i.e. it had enjoyed the suhbah of the flower for long). It is the beauty of the friend (hum-nasheen; the flower) that has affected me; else I am the same soil (khaak) that I used to be.' ]
* I have left the term 'hamaam' untranslated, for it is a culture specific term meaning a hot-water bath or more specifically a Turkish bath. I was not able to find a suitable substitute for the term in English.
Comments
Remember how one of our mentors said, "You will be, at the end of four years, what your friends are today!"
He is not my master... :) but an Ustaadh...
I still have to have a spiritual master... And I will have one, inshaAllah... And you know what, the essence of term 'Shaykh' can never be encompassed in its English counterpart... What say you? :)
I have slightly different views on this. A shaykh for me is ... well, I cannot explain but yes I have seen - not exactly seen - many... Shuyukh as you might call them collectively.
Read Shaykh Nuh on Tasawwuf. He is a buzurg from the Shadhili silsila. Here in Indo-Pak we have had other silasil... InshaAllah kabhi tafseel se baat hogi. Laikin aap ke shehr mein last year tak aik buzurg thay Sayyad Nafees Shah Sahab Rahimahullah. Read about him:
http://hmchaudhry.blogspot.com/2008/02/al-sayyid-al-sharif-anwar-al-husyan.html
I am very much looking forward to learn your perspective on the topic. And would you like to introduce Hassan Askari's p.o.v. about the perennialist group, as i think i won't get the book soon enough in Lahore: it's urgent, the spirits that straightforwardly have confirmed that modernism is negative, now want to become capable of providing an alternate Traditional world view, though someone has given us a long list to get a basic know-how of Islamic Economic principles (around 20 books, and a vol of 20 books); I have good teachers who are helping us to know the purpose of life; there are academies that can teach Arabic well; I can learn fiqah with the help of my friend; I will get motivation from your blog and God's Grace, in the first place - perennialists/traditionalists will give me a philosophical ground to show the errors of moderns and their philosophies, moreover the traditional framework executable, I hope?
I didn't mean to exaggerate, except in small details, the flow was there! :)
Assalamualaekum.
Two things first... :)
http://www.masud.co.uk/ISLAM/nuh/sufitlk.htm
And
one book that I would highly recommend you to read before you do
anything else - and get it asap if you are really interested - :) is
TASAWWUF KYA HAI? By Maulana Manzoor Naumani, Maulana Owais
Nadwi and Maulana Syed Abul Hasan Ali Nadwi (rahimahumullah). It is
published by Idara-e Islamiyat, Lahore. It is a very small and an
inexpensive book but carries in it lots and lots of wisdom.
As for Askari Sahab's views: He was very influenced by Rene Guenon.
However, in the later part of his life, probably a decade, or more than that, before he passed away, he greatly turned towards the teachings of Mawlana Ashraf Ali Thanvi rahimahullah - A great scholar and saint in the times of undivided India. He also translated Maulana Thanvi's great work on philosophy, 'Reply to Modernism' (I am not sure of the name, will confirm it for you) into English. He had also had a knack for interpreting literature and critiquing it on Traditional basis. WIll let you know more about him soon inshaAllah.
@ Speech on Sufism, I can only add that everyone should view Sufism from this perspective. It's rich, it's objective, and certainly his views are not an innovation. For example, if we read Nasr's essay on Tariqah similar views are expressed, especially that of ihsan. Thanks God it's confirmed!
Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi! Wah. I was happy to know from my teacher that Maulana Andvi initiated into the order by taking "baith" on his hand, he added when he was giving us a long list of late scholars, men of faith and walis to be read as a necessity.
WIll let you know more about him soon inshaAllah.
I am waiting patiently.
Waiting patiently is the best thing one can do, Umer...
I am really trying to actualize this sunnah of prophet SAW, i.e. to be patient. You can anytime help me by informing how best I can do that, and by praying for me also, remembering the immutable fact that to pray for other Musilms is must, a farz on every Muslim.
It was Maulana Syed Abul Hasan ALi Nadvi who wrote 'Naqoosh-e Iqbal' (also published as 'The Glory of Iqbal') and he in his preface to it, disagrees with Iqbal's take on the reconstruction. Yes of course he didn't do it without a reason; he, himself was one of the greatest admirers of Iqbal's poetry and he is also the one who introduced Iqbal to the Arab audience because 'Naqoosh...' was originally written in Arabic as 'Rava'e Iqbal' ... I will write a detailed response late inshaAllah.
They two belong to Nadva institute in India, isn't it?
And. Have you studied a book "Mazhab o Tamadun"? If so please also give us your valuable comments on it as well.
Thanks .
No, I have not yet read 'mazhab-o tamaddun' but I have its copy lying in my piled-up-for-reading books. Will surely comment as soon as I get through with it, inshaAllah. I think Salwa has read it... Will ask her to comment on the book, here on my blog. InshaAllah.
I read this book almost a year ago and was introduced to Maulana's collection by Naeema only so I am hoping she will read the book soon, and as you said, give us her valuable comments on it as well.
To tell you the truth this is what I am saying nowadays about all those books that are piled up on my desk :(
I am trying my best to finish of the work as soon as possible. Can't wait to read the Imam Ghazali book you gave. Sigh.