February 22, 2009

Music Selection - Sitar


Click above to play
 
Intoduction: Sitar is a Sufi instrument invented by a Great Sufi Hazrat Ameer Khusro, who was disciple of Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya of Delhi. It's every note is sufficient enough to make the soul dance. This instrument was laterly played by many Muslim and non-Muslim musicians of the world. Sitar music is one of the legacies of Islamic culture in Pakistan, Bangladesh and India. Here I am presenting a sample of Sitar music played by a modern times Indian American singer Anoushka Shankar.

Music Track Detail:
Name: "Naked"
Album: "Rise"
Genre: Instrumental
Played on: Sitar (Sufi instrument)
Played by: Anoushka Shankar
Download: External Link (Instructions: Go into this external link and then click on "Free User Click Here To Download"

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Previous Relevant Posts: Hanuz Dilli Dur Ast.. (Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya)

Rubaiyat of Abu-Saeed Abil-Kheir in Persian

Shaikh Abu Saeed Fazl-Ullah bin Abul-Khair bin Muhammad bin Ibrahim is a famous Sufi and poet of 4th and 5th hijri (10 A.D. & 11 A.D.). He had got a very high place in persian poetry, that he propagated the teachings of Islamic Sufism by his poetry. He had liking for great Sufis Bayazid Bistami and Mansur Halaj. His poetry had a much influence on later Sufi poets. As Shaikh Fariduddin Attar called him his spiritual teacher.

Sheikh Abu Saeed was in same era as famous scholar Avicenna. And they got discussion during 3 days in privacy. After meeting concluded, the students asked Avicenna what he got from Sheikh Abu Saeed. He replied, 'whatever I know, he can see'. On the other hand, the disciples of Sheikh Abu Saeed asked him what he obtained from Avicenna. He replied, 'whatever i can see, he knows. In the following are Persian Rubaiyat of Sheik Abu-Saeed, with Urdu and English translation.


(1)
اے واقفِ اسرارِ ضمیرِ ھمہ کَس
در حالتِ عجز دستگیرِ ھمہ کس
یا رب تو مرا توبہ دہ و عذر پذیر
اے توبہ دہ و عذر پذیرِ ھمہ کس 
اے سب کے دلوں کے حال جاننے والے,
ناتوانی اور عاجزی میں سب کی مدد کرنے والے,
 یا رب تو مجھے توبہ (کی توفیق) دے اور میرے عذر کو قبول کر,
اے سب کو توبہ کو توفیق دینے والے اور سب کے عذر قبول کرنے والے۔
Oh Knower of secrets of hearts of everyone
Helper of everyone in the state of poverty and weakness
Oh God make me repenter and accept my excuse
Oh Maker of everyone repenter and Acceptor of every's excuse

(2)
خواہی کہ ترا دولتِ ابرار رسَد
مپسند کہ از تو بہ کس آزار رسَد
از مرگ مَیَندیش و غمِ رزق مَخور
کایں ھر دو بہ وقتِ خویش ناچار رسَد
اگر تُو چاہتا ہے کہ تجھے نیک لوگوں کی دولت مل جائے
,تو پھر) نہ پسند کر کہ تجھ سے کسی کو آزار پہنچے)
 ,موت کی فکر نہ کر اور رزق کا غم مت کھا
 کیوں کہ یہ دونوں اپنے اپنے وقت پر چار و ناچار (لازماً) پہنچ کر رہیں گے۔

If you wants that you get the asset of nobles
then don't like that anyone get grievance from you
don't fear about death, don't get worry for livelihood
because every both will reach on their time in any case

(3)
در کعبہ اگر دل سوئے غیرست ترا
طاعت ہمہ فسق و کعبہ دیرست ترا
ور دل بہ خدا و ساکنِ میکده ‌ای
مے نوش کہ عاقبت بخیرست ترا
,کعبہ میں اگر تیرا دل غیر کی طرف ہے
 .تو پھر) تیری ساری طاعت بھی سب فسق ہے اور کعبہ بھی تیرے لیے بتخانہ ہے)
 اور (اگر) تیرا دل خدا کی طرف ہے اور تو (چاہے) میکدے میں رہتا ہے
 تو (بے فکر) مے نوش کر کہ (پھر) تیری عاقبت بخیر ہے۔

(If in Kaaba your heart is toward the other (than God
then obedience (prayer) is sin and Kaaba is place of idols for you
and your heart is towards God and you stay in the tavern
drink because your end (afterlife) is safe

(4)
تسبیح مَلَک را و صفا رضواں را
دوزخ بد را، بہشت مر نیکاں را
دیبا جم را و قیصر و خاقاں را
جاناں ما را و جانِ ما جاناں را
,تسبیح (و تمحید وتحلیل) فرشتوں کیلیے اور معصومیت و پاکیزگی رضواں (فرشتے) کیلیے ہے
 ,دوزخ بد اور جنت نیک مردوں کیلیے ہے
 دیبا (و حریر یعنی قیمتی ساز و سامان) جمشید و قیصر و خاقان (بادشاہوں) کیلیے ہے
 اور جاناں ہمارے لیے ہے اور ہماری جان جاناں کیلیے۔

(Recitation is for Angels, and innocence and purity is for Rizwan (Angels
hell is for the bad, paradise for noble men
(silk is for Jamshed, Qaiser and Khaqan (Kings
Sweetheart is for us (me), and our life is for Sweetheart
note: sometimes in persian and urdu poetry, use 'our'= means 'my'

(5)
وصلِ تو کجا و مَنِ مَہجُور کجا
دُردانہ کجا، حوصلۂ مُور کجا
ہرچند ز سوختَن ندارَم باکی
پروانہ کجا و آتشِ طُور کجا

,تیرا وصال کہاں اور ہجر کا مارا کہاں
 ,گوہرِ نایاب کہاں اور چیونٹی کہاں
 ہر چند کہ میں جل جانے سے نہیں ڈرتا
 لیکن پروانہ کہاں اور آتشِ طور کہاں۔

where is Your union and where I aggrieved of separation
where is the rare pearl, where is ant's courage
though i don't fear of getting burnt
but where is caterpillar and where is the fire of 'tur' mountain

when the prophet Moses requested God to show of his manifestation.. so when God showed very bit of his manifestation, the mountain of tur burnt

(6)
مجنونِ تو کوہ را، ز صحرا نَشَناخت
دیوانۂ عشقِ تو سر از پا نَشَناخت
ہر کس بہ تو رہ یافت ز خود گم گردید
آں کس کہ ترا شناخت خود را نَشَناخت
,(تیرے مجنوں کو پہاڑ و صحرا کی پہچان نہیں ہے (اس کیلیے دونوں ایک برابر ہیں
 ,تیرے عشق کا دیوانہ سر اور پاؤں میں فرق نہیں جانتا
,ہر کوئی جسے تیری راہ ملی اسے نے خود کو گم کر دیا
 ہر کوئی جس نے تجھے پہچان لیا وہ اپنی شناخت بھول گیا۔

Your mad lover don't recognize the difference of mountain and desert
the insane of Your love don't recognize the head from feet
everyone who found Your way, had lost himself
everyone who recognized You, forgot his own recognition 

(7)
باز آ، باز آ، ہر آنچہ ہستی باز آ
گر کافر و گبر و بت پرستی باز آ
ایں درگۂ ما درگۂ نومیدی نیست
صد بار اگر توبہ شکستی، باز آ
,اے میرے بندے) واپس آ، واپس آ، توجو کوئی بھی ہے، لوٹ آ)
 ,چاہے تو کافر ہے، یہودی ہے یا بت پرست ہے، لوٹ آ
 ,یہ ہماری بارگاہ ناامید و مایوس ہونے کی جگہ نہیں ہے
 تُو نے اگر سو بار بھی توبہ توڑی ہے پھر بھی لوٹ آ۔

come back, come back, whoever you are
return, even if are you non-believer, or Jew or idolater
this Our (My) court is not the court of disappointment
even) if you have broken hundred of times the vow (of repentance), come back)

(8)
من بے تو دمے قرار نتوانَم کرد
احسان ترا شمار نتوانم کرد
گر بر سرِ من زباں شَوَد ہر موئے
یک شکر تو از ہزار نتوانم کرد

,مجھے تیرے بغیر ایک پل بھی قرار نہیں ہے 
,میں تیرے احسانات کا شمار ہی نہیں کر سکتا
 اگر میرے سر کا ہر بال زبان بن جائے
 تو میں پھر بھی تیرے ہزاروں احسانوں میں سے ایک احسان کا بھی شکر ادا نہیں کر سکتا۔

i am unable rest (peace) in even a single moment without You
 i am unable to count your favours
if every hair on my head becomes tongue
i am unable to thank even single of thousands of favours of Yours 

(9)
گفتَم، چشمَم، گفت، بہ راہَش می دار
گفتم، جگرم، گفت، پُر آہَش می دار
گفتم، کہ دِلَم، گفت، چہ داری در دل
گفتم، غمِ تو، گفت، نگاہَش می دار

,میں نے کہا کہ میری آنکھیں، اس نے کہا انہیں راہ پر لگائے رکھ
 ,میں نے کہا کہ میرا جگر، اس نے کہا اسے آہوں سے بھرا ہوا رکھ
 ,میں نے کہا کہ میرا دل، اس نے کہا دل میں کیا ہے
 میں نے کہا کہ تیرا غم، اس نے کہا کہ اس کی (غم
کی) دیکھ بھال کر۔

i said, my eyes, He said, keep them on the way
i said, my liver, He said, keep filled it with sighs
i said that my heart, He said, what is in your heart
i said, Your grief (my grief because of separation from You), He said, look after this 

____________
* The above material was adopted from http://muhammad-waris.blogspot.com/2009/02/blog-post_14.html (link) and further translated into English

Note: Errors and omissions maybe expected in the translation
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Previous related post: Poetry: Abu Said Ibn Abil Khair

February 21, 2009

Hanuz Dilli Dur Ast..

The new King of muslim India had got some displeasure with the great
Sufi saint. So before going to the capital city Delhi, he sent a
message to that Sufi to leave the city.

The Sufi sent a message in reply that 'still the capital is far away' - ہنوز دلی دور است .

The King started a march with his fellows to the capital. On the way,
he was killed by his own son in pursuit of kingship!

So he could never reach the capital!

Characters:
Sufi saint: Khwaja Nizamuddin Auliya (1238 - 1325) (Urdu: حضرت خواجة
نظام الدّین اولیا),
King: Ghiyath al-Din Tughluq (... - 1325) (Urdu: غیاث الدین تغلق)
Son: Muhammad bin Tughluq

*photo by balavenise

February 20, 2009

Poetry: Seperation!

sun, moon are injury signs of this heart
stars are spread tears of these eyes
i have illuminated all this world of night for You
still wherefore art Thou evading this lover?

photo: *Sherry*

February 17, 2009

Wahatul Wujud vs Pantheism!

Pantheism is against the essence (Tawhid) of Islam, so it also has no relation to the Islamic Sufism.

Pantheism
According to WordWeb dictionary, "The doctrine or belief that God is the universe and its phenomena...". At Wikipedia "it literally means "God is All" and "All is God") is the view that everything is part of an all-encompassing immanent abstract God; or that the Universe, or nature, and God are equivalent."

Wahdatal Wujud
"Wahdat-ul-Wujood or Wahdat al-Wajud (Arabic: وحدة الوجود) the "Unity of Being" is a(n Islamic Sufim) philosophy emphasizing that 'there is no true existence except the Ultimate Truth (God)'."


Wahdat-ul-Wujud vs Wahdat-ush-Shuhud
The word 'WAHDAT' is from three arabic alphabets 'W-H-D' ('whd' means One). The word TAWHID (which means, the concept that God is One/Oneness) is also originates from these three root alphabets. So, Wahdat-ul-Wujud & Wahdat-ush-Shuhud are two aspects or versions or explanation of WAHDAT or TAWHEED or Oneness of God. These theories were given by lateral Sufi philosophers to go further into the depth of the meaning of Oneness.

According to Wikipedia: "Two main Sufi philosophies prevail on this controversial topic. Wahdat-ul-Wujood literally means the unity of creation. As originally developed by Ibn Arabi, it does not, as sometimes believed, imply that God is present in everything, but rather that God's likeness can be observed in created things.[citation needed] Wahdat-ul-Shuhud (Apparentism, or Unity of Witness), on the other hand, holds that God and his creation are entirely separate. Some Islamic reformers have claimed that the difference between the two philosophies differ only in semantics and that the entire debate is merely a collection of "verbal controversies" which have come about because of ambiguous language. However, the concept of the relationship between God and the universe is still actively debated both among Sufis and between Sufis and non-Sufi Muslims." [1]

The theory of Wahdat-ul-Wujud was propagated by the state religionists to cultivate inter-communal peace and harmony in the India during the king Akbar's time. Though he did not proselytized people by force, the king formulated a new constitution (Deen-e-Illahi) which shunned(?) cow-slaughter etc, because cow is religious sanctity before the hindu community. But in my opinion, it seems to have some social and political usage in that time. And there was a threat that might this concept of Wahdat-ul-Wujud be given a pantheistic colour falsely or erroneously, in order to intermingle and harmonize the Muslim communities' mind with polytheism, or idol-worshiping by Hindus. So, Shaikh Ahmad of Sirhind brought an new constructive explanation of Oneness/Wahdat and this theory was named as Wahdat-ush-Shuhud. According to this theory, God is seperate from His creations. This concept was brought forward in order to save the basic essence of Tawheed or Oneness of God, and Negativity is its important part.

In short these two explanations have the same meaning and same essence, which has important part of Negativity. Wahdat-ul-Wujud was misinterpret by general public and commoners, so Sufis brought the other explanation in order to see the 'Oneness' while standing at a more careful angle, in order to save the thought from being lost into oblivion.

Scope & Nature of Wahdat-ul-Wujud
Wahdat-ul-wujud was wrongly perceived by majority that might intermingle it with the Pantheism. In order to understand the true distinction between these two philosophies, we need to know more clearly about the essence, purposes, nature and scope of this Islamic belief, and it can be done only by going back to the ancient Islamic culture, history, Sufis' work and Islamic teachings.

In (the Ibne-Arabi')s view, wujūd is the unknowable and inaccessible ground of everything that exists. God alone is true wujūd, while all things dwell in nonexistence, so also wujūd alone is nondelimited (mutlaq), while everything else is constrained, confined, and constricted. Wujūd is the absolute, infinite, nondelimited reality of God, while all others remain relative, finite, and delimited. [2]

If we go deep inside the depths of Wahdatalwujud, we shall find a 'Negativity' or 'Exclusiveness' in it, which differentiates it from pantheism. 'Negativity' (Laa) or Exclusiveness of God from His creation is the first most teaching of Islam. For example,
LAA ILAHA ILLALLAH MUHAMMADUR RASULULLAH
There is no God but Allah, Muhammad is his (last) prophet

There is no God.... but Allah... (or Allah is the only God)

Wahdatal Wujud is the further philosophical extension or constructive interpretation of Islamic fundamental principal 'that God is not creation'. The main line of ideal concept is that 'God is Omnipotent and All Powerful!'.

Hallaj was a great sufi mystic with ideas of Wahdat-ul-Wujud. His philosophical and constructive explanation of this theory were ahead of time and misunderstood by the people of his city, so he was murdered by the state. Hallaj's teachings were well understood by some of his contemporary Sufi mystics, but they kept silent to save the social peace, when he was being persecuted. I am putting here a masterpiece work of this great sufi philosopher, It can help us understand the negativity or exclusiveness in the concept Wahdat-ul-Wujud. Which implies that there is a separation between God and His creations.

Al Hallaj says about God:

"Before" does not outstrip Him,
"after" does not interrupt Him
"of" does not vie with Him for precedence
"from" does not accord with Him
"to" does not join with Him
"in" does not inhabit Him
"when" does not stop Him
"if" does not consult with Him
"over" does not overshadow
Him "under" does not support Him
"opposite" does not face Him
"with" does not press Him
"behind" does not limit Him
"previous" does not display Him
"after" does not cause Him to pass away
"all" does not unite Him
"is" does not bring Him into being
"is not" does not deprive Him from Being.
Concealment does not veil Him
His pre-existence preceded time,
His being preceded non-being,
His eternity preceded limit.
If thou sayest 'when',
His existing has outstripped time;
If thou sayest 'before', before is after Him;
If thou sayest 'he', 'h' and 'e' are His creation;
If thou sayest 'how', His essence is veiled from description;
If thou sayest 'where', His being preceded space;
If thou sayest 'ipseity' (ma huwa),
His ipseity (huwiwah) is apart from things.
Other than He cannot
be qualified by two (opposite) qualities at
one time; yet With Him they do not create opposition.
He is hidden in His manifestation,
manifest in His concealing.
He is outward and inward,
near and far; and in this respect He is
removed beyond the resemblance of creation.
He acts without contact,
instructs without meeting,
guides without pointing.
Desires do not conflict with Him,
thoughts do not mingle with Him:
His essence is without qualification (takyeef),

His action without effort (takleef). [3]


Citations:
1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wahdat_al-wujud (link)
2. Imaginal worlds, William Chiittick (1994), pg.53 , (wikipedia)
3. Arthur John Arberry, The Doctrine of the Sufis.
http://www.khamush.com/sufism/hallaj.html (link)

February 16, 2009

urdu poetry

خوشی میں آنکھ سے نکل گیا آنسو
کبھی ٹِکا ہی نہیں جو، جگر رہتا کیوں

ٔغمِ حیات نے زخمِ جگر گہرا کیا
شکر صدہا، پورا ہوا فسانہءِ زبوں

محفلِ یار میں بے دلی دیکھ کر بولا
"دل ہی نہیں ہے، تو پھر کیوں رہوں"

(ساحل)

why the relentless heart (which was always sad) should have remained inside
so it shed down in the form of tear, when i was laughing

the painstaking daily life added to the previous wound made by love
thanks a lot, for the story of loss has completed

on seeing the friend's impassivity in meeting, I said myself (and left)
"My heart doesn't want to be here, then what should I stay for?"

~afterwind

How to deal with pain in love

Sufi head-dress and pearl decorations (via  Wikimedia Commons ) I asked the Sufi master to put his spell to turn my heart into a stone, to d...