Poem: It is a party of night, prepare the tavern

محفل ِ شب ہے سجادو میخانہ
پلا پلا کے مجھے بنا دو میخانہ

آج شب بھر شمع نہ بجھنے دو
لہو پلاؤ اسے، جلادو پروانہ

شراب تھوڑی سی بہادو روزن سے
تیری دہلیز پہ کب سے کھڑا ہے دیوانہ

تیری گلی سے گزر کے زاہد بدمست ہوا
کیسا پردہ تیرا، کیسا شرمانا

میرے نشے کی آخر کوئی انتہا تو ہو
توڑ دو ساغر سارے جلادو میخانہ

ساقی ساغر ہے تیرا میرا رشتہ
معطرنظریں میریں، پاک تیرا میخانہ

رمز ِ توحید آج آشکارہ ہوجائے
شہر ِ جنوں میں بہادو میخانہ

شاعر: (آفٹرونڈ) طارق رشید

Translation:

It is a party of night, prepare the tavern
give me, give me drink so much, make me tavern myself

don't let the candle blow out tonight
feed her the drink of blood, though at expense of caterpillar's life

pour some drink from the window
since how long at Your threshold, see, is standing a madman

even the pious forget his wits while crossing Your street
what a face-veiling is your this!!? what kind of blushing is this?

there should also be some ending of my narcosis
shatter all the chalices, burn the tavern off

oh, the Host, chalice is relation between You and me..
my eyes are fragrant with respect, Your tavern is sacred and clean

let the secret of Oneness (monotheism) be exposed today,
spill the wines of love in the city of passion!

(a poem of Afterwind)

Sincerity has value, repenting brings sainthood

photo by rebelot

یہ منظوم دعا میں نے ماضی میں لکھی تھی، شائع کررہا ہوں۔ امید ہے آپ کی روحانی ضرورتوں کو پورا کرے گی۔ (آفٹر ونڈ) طارق رشید

اخلاص کی قیمت ہے تیرے دربار میں مولا
توبہ سے ولایت ہے تیرے سنسار میں مولا

اِن بھیگی نگاہوں سے دو قطرے گراکر
لایا ہوں حضور تیرے دربار میں مولا

تو دیتا رہا اتنا کہ شُکر بھی کم تھا
ہر لحظہ تیرے حضور شرمسار میں مولا

سرکار (صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم) کی سنت میں رنگ تیرا ہے
آجائے تیرا رنگ میرے کردار میں مولا

دنیا سے اُٹھانا مجھے در ِ حالتِ سجدہ
اور مے بھی پلانا تیرے دیدار کی مولا

......

Translation: Sincerity has worth in Your court, O Lord

Sincerity has worth in Your court, O Lord
Repentance may convert sinners into saints, in Your this world, O Lord

Two droplets after shedding from these wet eyes,
I have have brought them to present in the court of Your Majesty!

You kept giving off to me so much , that even my frustrated thankfulness became answer-less!
Every moment, I feel shy in front of You, O Lard

The tradition or practice of Muhammad (upon him peace) reflects Your light,
Would that that light also reflect into my character! O Lard

When will the time of leaving come, lift my soul in my state of prostration during the practice of prayer,
And also quench my thirst with the wine of manifestation (theophany/divine disclosure) of Your beauty!

(a poem of Afterwind)

Realistic prayer

"Might the fishes devour him, this dog of a Siddhartha, this madman, this corrupted and rotting body, this sluggish & misused soul! Might the fishes and crocodiles devour him, might the demons tear hm to little pieces"

- Herman Hesse in his book 'Siddhata'

photo by nickwheeleroz

2000 years ago, when a lot of offerings went futile, the people had got disappointed from gods and goddesses of ancient local religion, despair was reigning all over India. The spiritual thirst had been such widespread, that the people attached their hope with the ascetics and yogis, who used to go deep inside the deep forests of the terrains beside Ganges to perform practices and yoga, in order to search a dhamma (dharma) for the people, which could resolve their distress. Siddhartha Buddha went into the forests and underwent different practices and experiences. When he came back, he had with him something which what they say the healing madicine of that time: a dharma, or you say an approach, an ideology! He tought a more psychological and practical approach to the humanity, that said: instead of hiding yourself behind the superstitions, come out and face. Accept the reality of life. And when you have accepted the every minute and big difficulty as the reality of life and indispensable part of it, then by practice of pious virtues and compassion towards all, you can break come out from the repetitious tormenting cycles and eventually meet the eternal peace.

Zen Master Kyong Ho, in Thousand Peaks writes: Don't hope for life without problems. An easy life results in a judgmental and lazy end. So an ancient once said, "Accept the anxieties and difficulties of this life". moreover he says: Don't expect your practice to be clear of obstacles. Without hindrances the mind that seeks enlightenment may be burnt out. So an ancient once said, "Attain deliverance in disturbances".

Bible also have a say: Hope is produced by endurance through suffering (Rom. 5:2-5) and is at the same time the inspiration behind endurance and perseverance to the end (1 Thess 1:3, Hebrews 6:11; 10:22-23)

The Islamic Sufi culture spread many pearls of wisdom over times. One day i stumbled upon Javed Chaudhry's column in some urdu newspaper. The Pakistani columnist pointed out a stereotype that most of the people ask in their prayers that all the difficulties of their lives should be lifted. But the human beings who had a strong belief in Allah and they became successful, used a different and reasonable approach. Instead their prayers use be in this style: "oh, Allah! give me the enough strength to face the incumbent difficulties. and make me capable to resolve them!". These people became the conqueror of the world, and it were them who spread the word of peace and justice everywhere. This is not just matter of style, this had been keeping many important things in it.

Two styles of asking prayer were described in that column of the Pakistani journalist. I don't say that the first style is defective or false, in which the man asks the God to eliminate all difficulties. But important thing is that the second style shouldn't be ignored. As this style has a special blend of 'hope', inspiration, passion and 'commitment with the struggle'. I wonder, if the prayers asked in such manner perhaps have got much power to in the heavens, for the beauty of humanity, true sentiments and sincerity have been mixed with the request. Lets see what God says in the final testament Quran,

Nay, seek (Allah's) help with patient perseverance and prayer: It is indeed hard, except to those who bring a lowly spirit,- (Quran, 002.045)

Prayer, patience and hope

Jesus of Nazareth, Matthew 7:7-8
Ask, and it shall be given you;
seek and you shall find;
knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
For every one that asks receives;
and he that seeks finds:
And to him that knocks,
it shall be opened.

photo by msultan7

I read somewhere a famous quote that 'when i look over my past, i see it abound with miracles'. and better it should be extended as: ' and my hope doubles up, when i sense the would-be miracles, which may happen to help in any moment'. These many miracles are brought by God.

Since this world is not same in intellect, cleverness and resources. Clever people win using their intellect. Hard workers win using their sincerity and devotion with their duty. But still the success can not be consummated until and unless there is a Will of Allah. Allah feed even losers and fools (who are sincere in their commitments), and may give them through miracles more like or than intellectuals and cleverly fellows. This universal system is always working behind the
veil of time and have been keeping up an equilibrium in the universe.. You may call it Justice.

Prayer is the brain of worship. It is a very intimate and frank link between the creatures and God. So, in any time of need, one ought to turn to God and plead for help. He gives to them, who ask from Him! According to Islamic studies, no prayer goes futile. If some prayer did not bear fruit in this material world, it may still be accepted that would be transformed into blessing after the worldly life.

Hope should be said the half of belief and solid base of prayer.. It reflect the sincerity of belief. Christian mysticism gives a strong message of hope. 'Losing hope' has been declared as blasphemy, and suicide as a great sin in Islamic studies.

Now let's see, what God says in the final testament Quran:

Quran, 071.013
"'What is the matter with you, that ye place not your hope for kindness and long-suffering in Allah,-

Quran, 041.049
Man does not weary of asking for good (things), but if ill touches him, he gives up all hope (and) is lost in despair.

Quran, 003.126
Allah made it but a message of hope for you, and an assurance to your hearts: (in any case) there is no help except from Allah. The Exalted, the Wise:

Quran, 004.099
For these, there is hope that Allah will forgive: For Allah doth blot out (sins) and forgive again and again.

Quran, 066.008
O ye who believe! Turn to Allah with sincere repentance: In the hope that your Lord will remove from you your ills and admit you to Gardens beneath which Rivers flow,- the Day that Allah will not permit to be humiliated the Prophet and those who believe with him. Their Light will run forward before them and by their right hands, while they say, "Our Lord! Perfect our Light for us, and grant us Forgiveness: for Thou hast power over all things."

Master of the Jinn, a novel

Master of the Jinn, a novel by Irving Karchmar

Here is a tale set on the Path of the Heart, a mystical adventure wherein a modern-day Sufi master sends seven companions on a quest for the original Ring of Power, and the greatest treasure of the ancient world - King Solomon's ring. It is the very same seal ring of a hundred legends, given to King Solomon by God to command the Jinn, those terrifying demons of living fire.
By sea and across deserts, they are led by a strange faqir guide of many names. Through the mightiest of storms and into a lost city, the travelers come at last to the gateway of the Subtle Realm, the land of the Jinn.
But the quest has a strange effect on everyone chosen to go: visions enter their dreams, remembrances and tears fill their hearts, and mysteries abound; unearthly storms and unending night, the Gates of Heaven open
at last, and invincible demons of smokeless fire.
It is a tale woven of ancient legends found in the Old Testament, the Talmud, and the Koran, and although it is set in the present, the search for the truth of the ring leads them into a circle of ageless destiny, where the companions discover not only the fate of the Jinn, but also the Path of Love and the infinite Mercy of God


also reviews by:
* Salma Mohiuddin, Editor, Inspire Magazine
* Ali Eteraz review in Alt.Muslim online magazine
* Mary Granick - SUFISM: An Inquiry Magazine (Vol. XII, No. 2), 2005
* Skylar Burris, Editor, Ancient Paths Christian Literary Magazine
* Dave Bennett, Dharma-Talks.com
* Catchild - BookFetish.org

"A Masterpiece of Modern Islamic Mysticism"
- Amazon.com review

"Awe Inspiring Mystical Adventure"
- Amazon.com review

Buy this Ebook at Mobipocket at:
http://www.mobipocket.com/en/eBooks/eBookDetails.asp?BookID=55260
or get one for a friend that has a Kindle at:
http://www.amazon.com/Master-Jinn-Sufi-Novel/dp/B000RH0CD6/ref=kinw_dp_ke?ie=UTF8&qid=1218217938&sr=1-1

win or lose!

oh, the purpose!

if i will be the successful
i will be the happiest person

and if lose,
will cry a lot

in both situations, the thing is same
'that i loved you very much'

the wish was true!

























© Copyright Afterwind
first photo: by wszullberg, second photo: by weimieweim

Advice

"Jesus said: 'Whoever perennially lies, loses his beauty; and whoever quarrels with people, loses his human decency; and whoever is persistently despondent, becomes drawn and emaciated, and whoever behaves irritably, submits his soul to torture and misery.'"
('Jesus in the Eyes of the Sufis', by Dr. Javad Nurbakhsh)