Reflections of Peerless Men
Letter 149
My dear! Know that Prophethood
and royalty are like twins.
The angels are perpetually alongside the Prophet and devils alongside
the
kings. Awlia (Divine Patricians) are in contact & familiar with
both angels
& devils until they reach the rank of Faqr (Poverty) and Fanaa
(Evanescence). After this level there are no angels or devils. This
beatitude
befalls someone that has escaped the vanity & conceit of worship
&
obedience. And this sun rises above the tower of Mahab-bat (Divine
Love).
Was-Salaam (Peace & Godspeed).
End.
Faqr (Poverty) is when the
person takes from this earth
exactly the minimum that he needs and needs nothing—from anyone or
anything—except
the provision & support from Allah, both on the surface of his
actions
& speech as well as deep within his mind & heart. Fanaa
(Evanescence)
is the signature of grasping Tawhid (Divine Oneness),
when the person accosts this Oneness less & less of his Self
remains until
nothing left other than the minimum required biological &
psychological
operations.
Pir Jamaal (Beautiful Old
Sage) says that Awlia (Divine
Patricians) the noble elite of the Divine Court amongst the human
beings, are
commingled with both angels and kings i.e. half a prophet half a king.
But this
is temporal, as soon as the Awlia (Divine Patricians) acquire the
stages of
Faqr (Poverty) and Fanaa (Evanescence), enough attributes of humanity
has left
them so that they are now firmly enveloped within Tawhid (Divine Oneness).
In this stage there are no concepts of self-admiration or
self-righteousness.
Indeed prior to this rank, we
are in the depth of the
darkness of the night. Once Mahab-bat (Divine
Love)
is accumulated high like a tower in our hearts, then the sun of this
resplendent
rank shall rise above this towering Divine Love and our hearts lucent
with
Divine Light and all darkness evanesced forever.
Letter 150
Know that once Mahab-bat (Divine
Love)
casts a shadow upon the Salek (Traveler of the Divine Path), it becomes
mandatory for Salek to nurture this love and facing no matter what
trials &
afflictions, not to lose this love and clasp at it hard.
If he does not appreciate this
Divine Love and neglects
nurturing it, then the devils shall whisper desires & lust within
him.
Consequently, he will become mean and suspicious, thus observing the
faults—even non-existent ones—within his friends & loved ones
(including
the Lord). And this is the just reward for carelessness in nurturing
Mahab-bat
(Divine
Love).
Peace and blessings of Allah upon the illiterate Arab Prophet Mohammad.
End.
Love is a responsibility,
indeed a grave one. Love is not a
bunch of emotions and funny feelings. It is an object from another
universe,
immensely complex which compels man to feel, say and do what normally
he may
not. It is the glue of the creation and it is the gravitational force
that
attracts us to each other.
Love needs to be nurtured and
maintained. Pir Jamaal
(Beautiful Old Sage) says neglect this love and much hate and heartache
shall
drown your senses.
Lovers, go back to your loved
ones, stop this ceaseless
chase for money and material, go attend to the heart of your loved one.
Your
parents, your mate, your child, your neighbors…
Lovers your suspicions and ill
feelings towards people are
false! Go to your loved ones before succumbing to your hate; attend to
the
Divine Love deep within your heart. Know that moment when you nurtured
that
love, your ill feelings towards people shall halt forever.
Letter 151
The distinguished &
venerable ones in the realms of
Zahir (Manifest) & Baten (Searchless & Hidden) know that once
the Faqr
(Poverty) & ‘Ishq (Unrestrained Love) united in presence of each
other,
pride & honor shall be transformed whilst facing the ‘Ishq
(Unrestrained
Love) such that the Faqir (Pauper) ‘Asheq (Unrestrained Lover)—in the
eyes of
the above said folk—become this world (Faqr) and the world after
(‘Ishq).
(Mendicancy the symbol of this life and love the symbol of the
hereafter)
In that moment of reunion,
Faqr (Poverty) opens the mouth of
Qayrat (enviously wanting no other than Allah around) and from those
lips songs
of ‘Ishq (Unrestrained Love) sang: “Whose will be the dominion that
Day?" That of Allah, the One the Irresistible!” (Koran [40:16]) Due to
this the gentleman of all Faqir (Paupers), the Mustafa (Chosen of
Allah)
Mohammad Peace Be Upon Him said, “Faqr (Poverty) is my pride”.
Until such time when the Salek
(Traveler upon the Divine
Path) truly understands the meaning of the verse, “So, verily, with every
difficulty, there is relief”
and again “Verily, with
every difficulty
there is relief” (Koran
[94:5-6]), he will not be able to reach the
hereafter (Realm of Love) and shall never behold the unrivaled beauty
of the
Faqr (Poverty) (True way of living on this earth). Was-Salaam (Peace
&
Godspeed).
End.
Jonaid said that Sufism has
eight characteristics from eight
prophets: generosity from Abraham, assent from Isaac, patience from
Job,
Ishaarat (Paradigm & Hinting) from Zechariah, estrangement from
John,
ruggedness from Moses, wandering from Jesus, and finally Faqr (Poverty)
from
Mohammad—Peace and blessings of Allah upon all of them collectively.
Sufism is Prophetic Atavism,
throwback upon the simplicity
and contentment of the daily life satisfied by a piece of bread, a cup
of water
and much smiles and affection, the way of life of Mohammad Peace Be
Upon Him.
Therefore Faqr (Poverty) is
the epitome of this life and
fervor of ‘Ishq (Unrestrained Love) the epitome of hereafter.
At the end of each & every
hardship & affliction,
there is the Divine Beloved awaiting our arrival, to fall in love by
the
gravitational force of the Divine Beauty, no matter what the hardship
no matter
what the cause or fault, loving the Beloved is the fruit of surviving
the afflictions.
Faqr (Poverty) was the pride
of the Prophet because this
mendicant begged no one but the Beloved Provider. Go beg for a paycheck
or love
or health or safety from other than Allah and you shall receive none
but denial
& betrayal endure the poverty & scantiness, place your trust
solely
upon the Beloved Trustee, therefore honor & glory shall rush their
way
towards you and that which you love shall be everlasting surviving the
annihilation of this world and your loved ones eternal in
hereafter.
Background: A
14-year-old AIDS orphan in
front of her windowless one room home showing us how she provides for
her two
siblings by taking in wash. She has been the head of her family since
she was 12.
©
2004-2002, Dara O. Shayda