Ultimate waywardness (poem)

Sometimes I ran after winds and dust storms-
got stumbled on many unknown routes and wastelands
So that they started calling me madman!

I worshiped stars, prayed skies, kept idols within my heart,
So much that I lost my wits and my faith..
so that they could execute me

I quarreled with rationalists as their ideas didn't match with mine;
disconnected with spiritualists as their deeds couldn't catch up my heeds
So that they at last made me out of them

I got broken my vows, became dishonest
broken my heart, became loser
- So that I could stop

For You.. O Lord, no one could ever know.. I was for You!

fight for promise and love

 

old memories are still afloat beyond vision in the vastness of these eyes
those memories..
the orange twilight turning into azure..
fresh air blowing on rooftop of a solitary household in great wasteland.


and mild silhouette of Himalayan foothills jutting out in backdrop.
skies where eagles used to get courage, like that of warrior of light.
and those retinas focused keenly at place far beyond where the skies meet the world,
those eyes filled with hopes,

and breath brimming with warmth of life,
and many promises ..
those difficult promises made with easy hopes.

and pains of witnessing 'goodbyes'!

That was for first time, when the warrior promised to fight
against himself, against felony, against disappointment and every other darkness.

After that.. the life became difficult.

..

oh, Afterwind!
he should keep on fighting..
for the sake of Allah.

what could be the more in this world than the joy of loving and being loved! hmm..

Review of novel ‘THE VALKYRIES’, authored by Paulo Coelho

--Reviewed by M.Tariq Rasheed Qamar, Pakistan

Some as his other books, Paulo’s this book also carries the spiritual adventure of courage, journey, struggle, hope and God’s love. The author talks of Christianity, spirituality, magic and he describes his marooning with his wife Chris in the desert for talking to his guardian angel and he meets a boy ‘Gene’, and a bunch of wayward women of some magic tradition, the Walkyries. He speaks of guardian angel protecting and guiding one by using the third person. He talks about Valkyries’ rituals exhibiting the human emotions and hatred, and his getting rid of his bad past memories.

Plus Points (Passages that inspired me)

Few passages from this novel are really inspiring and leading the reader’s attentions to the thoughts or elevation, spirituality and hope. Such elevated thoughts are similar to some thoughts from Islamic Sufism. I quote some of the lines from book below.

“Have courage.” Valhalla’s voice rang out clearly and strongly. “Open your heart, and listen to what your dreams tell you. Follow those dreams, because only a person who is not ashamed can manifest the glory of God.” P.138

“Well, meet your obligations. But obligations never prevented anyone from following their dreams. Remember that you are a manifestation of the absolute, and do only those things in your lives that are worth the effort. Only those who do that will understand the great transformations that are yet to be seen.” P.139

“that’s why people talk with their angels. Because only the angels know the best path. It does no good to seek advice about it from others.” P.142

He angel said that all the world needed was an example. People who were capable of following their dreams and of fighting for their ideas. P.158

A magus whose world is governed by laws I don’t even know –a person who feels he is alive only when he is facing challenges.” P.205

Negative Points:

Though this book seems inspired by Catholic Christianity teachings, but some ideas also come under sight are not only nothing to do with popular Christian teachings (according to my knowledge), but also are absurd and out of place (at least, nothing to do with Islamic Spirituality). For example, the story is told there about a Christian saint Maria so-called Egipciaca who surrendered her body to a boatman, in order to get to Jerusalem. Another example is that of the novel’s character Valhalla, who is described, twice a week going to casinos, becoming the lover of wealthy men, and thus being able to put together some money. Similarly another character, the Valkyries, are said to be the warriors of light and were meant for spreading the word of Christianity, are also described traveling to different desert towns and making love with men they coming across on way. Through these nasty ideas, the author seems legitimizing the prostitution for the cause of religion and the promiscuous sexual relations. The author’s such slip of pen, I believe, to be a mistake and inappropriate. So on this basis; I will give some negative points to this book too.

The wises' company

گردِ مستاں گرد، گر مے کم رسد بوئے رسد
بوئے اُو گر کم رسد، رؤیتِ اِیشاں بس است
 
Get closer to the drunkards (with the wine of Divine love), 
for if you do not get wine, at-least you will experience its fragrance.
Even, if you do not receive its fragrance,
getting just a sight of them will be enough. 

(by ?)

Poetry of Shaikh Abu Saeed Abil Kheir

If you are seeking closeness to the Beloved,
love everyone.
Whether in their presence or absence,
see only their good.
If you want to be closer and refreshing as
the breath of the morning breeze,
like the sun have nothing but warmth and light
for everyone.

~ + ~

Beloved, show me the way of this prison.
Make me needless of both worlds.
Pray, erase from mind all
that is not You.
Have mercy Beloved,
though I am nothing but forgetfulness,
You are the essence of forgiveness.
Make me needless of all but You.

~ + ~

Drink from this heart now,
for all this loving it contains.
When you look for it again,
it will be dancing in the wind.

Source: Jafar Alam's blog (Link)

~ + ~

To your mind feed understanding,
to your heart, tolerance and compassion.
The simpler your life, the more meaningful.
The less you desire of the world,
the more room you will have in it
to fill with the Beloved.

Source: faith786 blog (Link)

 

~ + ~

Suppose you can recite a thousand holy

verses from memory.

What are you going to do

with your ego, the true

mark of the heretic?

– Shaikh Abu Saeed Abil Kheir – “Nobody, Son of Nobody”

~ + ~

To your mind feed understanding,

to your heart, tolerance and compassion.

The simpler your life, the more meaningful.

– Shaikh Abu Saeed Abil Kheir – “Nobody, Son of Nobody”

~ + ~

Those with no sense of honor and dignity are best avoided.

Those who change colors constantly

are best forgotten.

– Shaikh Abu Saeed Abil Kheir – “Nobody, Son of Nobody”

Source: (link)

Sayings of Shaikh Abu Saeed Abil Kheir

A few sayings of Abu Saeed (Abu Sa'id ibn Ab'il Khair ) (967 - 1049 ce) quoted from his biography Asrar al-Tawhid :

•  The veil between man and God is not the world, is not the throne of God, it is the illusion of "I", pass beyond yourself and you are there.
• Anywhere the illusion of “I” exists is hell, anywhere “I” is absent is heaven.
• If you are not going to sacrifice your self do not spend your time with Sufi nonsense. 
• Sufism is fixing the gaze at One and living towards One.
• The meaning of Sufism is to put down what is in your head and to spare what is in your hand and not to shake when calamities befall you.
• Holding a grudge is heresy and attributing things to any cause but God is idolatry and joyfulness is duty.

Source: Wikipedia (Link)

• 
  
  “What’s in your head — throw it away! What’s in your hand — give it up! Whatever happens — don’t turn away from it.”                                                                                 

(?)  Source: nytimes (Link)

Rickshaw poetry about Self-satisfaction

Once in the city of Multan, when in pitter patter..

 Poetry on back of auto-rickshaw

Translation:
People of beauty (beautiful people) do not stay faithful, People of love (lovers) do no pray.
[But,] we are the People of humble nature (Qalander)*, we do not curse anyone

...
...
Move Sufi!


* (Qalander by nature: self-satisfied with self-respect, serene in every condition and with reliance over Allah)