SO yesterday I kind of took the day off. I shouldn't, I know! But I became overwhelmed and the flow of negativity ensued and I thought it rather best for the peace and sanity of my mind to not to burden it much. Alhamdulillah for everything. Alhamdulillah.
Yesterdays lesson was on Birth of Adam (A). It is a poem from the second book of Iqbal called "piyam-e-mashriq" and it is in Farsi. They have started giving the original text in Persian alongside the translation. ALhamdulillah. I really wanted that, and somehow liked the Persian version better. Poetry, more than anything else, loses its soul when translated. It becomes like a second-hand object. Something is already lost when the words of soul are put in the alphabetical order, and when even that is altered, you know something far worse results.
Anywho, this is the part of the poem we were doing for June 7th
The Birth of Adam
Love exclaimed, 'Now one has been born who would roll his heart in blood!'
Beauty trembled when she realised that one with a penetrating look had been born!
Nature was distraught because, from the dust of a world without will,
One had been born who could make and unmake himself, and watch over himself.
From the heavens the news went out to Eternity's sleeping-chamber:
Beware, you who are veiled, one has been born who will tear away all veils!
Desire, resting in the lap of life and forgetful of itself,
Opened its eyes, and a new world was born.
Life said, 'Through all my years I lay in the dust and convulsed,
Until at last a door appeared in this ancient dome.'
[Translation by Mustansir Mir]
میلادِ آدم
نعرہ زد عشق کہ خونین جگرے پیدا شد
حسن لرزید کہ صاحب نظرے پیدا شد
فطرت آشفت کہ از خاکِ جہانِ مجبور
خود گرے خود شکنے خود نگرے پیدا شد
خبرے رفت ز گردون بہ شبستان ازل
حذر اے پردگیان پردہ درے پیدا شد
آرزو بیخبر از خویش بہ آغوشِ حیات
چشم وا کرد و جہانِ دگرے پیدا شد
زندگی گفت کہ در خاک تپیدم ہمہ عمر
تا ازین گنبدِ دیرینہ درے پیدا شد
حسن لرزید کہ صاحب نظرے پیدا شد
فطرت آشفت کہ از خاکِ جہانِ مجبور
خود گرے خود شکنے خود نگرے پیدا شد
خبرے رفت ز گردون بہ شبستان ازل
حذر اے پردگیان پردہ درے پیدا شد
آرزو بیخبر از خویش بہ آغوشِ حیات
چشم وا کرد و جہانِ دگرے پیدا شد
زندگی گفت کہ در خاک تپیدم ہمہ عمر
تا ازین گنبدِ دیرینہ درے پیدا شد
Again there were some fabulous, ingenious comments. And after reading them, I was like now what should I write? Everybody has alhamdulillah so well articulated their feelings and thoughts that not only I have been agreed upon by many people, but have also learnt so much from them. MashaAllah, TabrakAllah! But here is my reflection. I won't go into the beauty of the eloquence and the power of the scenario and the scene depicted. it already has been done much better than I could have tried to do, so instead I'll say what this passage taught me:
Khudi
wow SubhanaAllah I read it again slowly. Such a powerful message of human worth. These are the elements of human nature. Things that make up humans, not life, because life is in animals and plants too. But being a human is something totally different. We are put on an elevated status. Just the thought that all the angels bowed down to a being made of clay seems to suggest that Allah subhanawatala has made us special.
Love exclaimed, 'Now one has been born who would roll his heart in blood!'
SubhanAllah yes!! Love is something enchanted, no really. How can you describe love. It is given to humans by Someone divine, and it cannot be grasped totally by any means by any word. Animals love, but when humans love, the love is so pure. I just can't say anything. It's so majestic and ethereal. Have you seen the eyes of a believer filled up with tears at the mention of the name of his Lord, that is Love. Love is what made Companion Ali (R) sleep in the bed of Prophet salalhu elehi wasslam. Love is what made Companion Talha (R) "the living Martyr". Love is what binds us with Allah. Ibn al Qayam (R) said that I don't remember exactly, but it was something like, there is a bird, Taqwa and hope are its two wings, and love is its head. (I should check for I may be saying it wrong) Beautiful! MashaAllah
Beauty trembled when she realised that one with a penetrating look had been born!
Beauty tremebled!! hmm why could that be? Yes It feels to me that we humans have been given the ability, the eyes to see the real inside of people. It is not the facade and sham appearance that matters, but the internal light is what is actually beautiful.
Now the trembling of the beauty contrasts with the first line which suggested that love became alive and got reinvigorated with the birth of Adam (A). This alludes to the falsity of common mistake that love and beauty go together. Humans were given love, and a true love is capable of discerning true beauty. It is not made delusional by physical features but is much more meaningful and deeper than that.
Nature was distraught because, from the dust of a world without will,
One had been born who could make and unmake himself, and watch over himself.
This is pretty much self-explanatory, and it is the one which resounds the concept of Khudi the most in this passage. But is very powerful, indeed... the maker of destiny :) Legendary. a leader. A Leader :) Prophet slalahu elehi wasslam said that everyone is a leader to the people under him. We all are leaders.
From the heavens the news went out to Eternity's sleeping-chamber:
Beware, you who are veiled, one has been born who will tear away all veils!
This one I found a little difficult to understand first, for I was thinking that eternity is only for Allah subhanawatala so what is the purpose of bringing this on here? But I guess, it is because even when humans die, people die, their deeds live. A person can live for thousands of years, or maybe millions (like Prophet Adam elehi salam) in the memories of people. This is kind of a long life to live. Then there is Heaven and Hell where our deeds will live forever. So eternity in a very restricted and particular sense is applicable here. But the main reason to use it here is to motivate individuals, that they are no longer slave of the time is a sense that good travels and their one hasanah done with sincerity may live till the end of times.
Desire, resting in the lap of life and forgetful of itself,
Opened its eyes, and a new world was born.
Yes desire is what makes us human. :) What is desire? Khuhaish? Nafs? or something more subtle or a combination of everything? a Passion? Desire can make new worlds. When you want something really hard, want it with full heart, you can do wonders. Everyone will get what they work for. If I desire to go to Jannah, then it requires action. A new "world" is born everyday on facebook, when the desire to do good to people encourage or drive people to make islamic pages, and commit to it. Look at Brother iPoet, and Sheikh Muhammad Alshareef. Desire is something forceful. Alhamdulillah. I desire to meet Allah and may Allah desire to meet me. Ameen.
Life said, 'Through all my years I lay in the dust and convulsed,
Until at last a door appeared in this ancient dome.'
At last, life has come which one might have thought is the whole of all the different elements previously mentioned. Though it is the truth. But here, I believe, Allama has just used it in the sense of being alive. I will say it again that all the other life cannot really justify the true purpose of this Creation and the Earth. It is with the birth of Adam elehi salam that life is truly given meaning.
Alhamdulillahilladhi tatimmu bissalihat
All praises and thanks to Allah through Whom all the good things reach culmination
whew I really couldn't have written this yesterday. It is nowhere near good even today or could be in the near future, but it is something. And I ask Allah to improve it and make me progress, InshaAllah.
Things I have learnt:
- We can change our destiny.
- Love is when you roll your heart in blood. When you are ready to give sacrifices.
- You can lie with your actions. So do good. Do sadq-e- jaria.
- Be not listless. Burn with desire, and ask Him to guide you.
I will now post my reflection on the blog, iA
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