Exposition of the Hadith, “The parable of my community is the parable of the Ship (Ark) of Noah: whoso shall cleave to it is saved, and whoso shall hold back from it is drowned.”
On this account the Prophet said, “I am as the Ship (ark) in
the Flood of Time
I and my Companions are as the Ship of Noah : whoso clings
(to us) will gain (spiritual) graces.”
When you are with the Shaykh you are far removed from
wickedness : day and night you are a traveller and in a ship.
You are under the protection of a life-giving spirit : you are
asleep in the ship, you are going on the way.
Do not break with the prophet of your days (1) : do not rely on
your own skill and footsteps (2).
Lion though you are, you are self-conceited and in error and
contemptible when you go on the way without a guide.
Beware! Do not fly but with the wings of the Shaykh, that
you may see (received) the aid of the armies of the Shaykh.
At one time the wave of his mercy is your pinion, at another
moment the fire of his wrath is your carrier.
Do not reckon his wrath to be the contrary of his mercy : be-
hold the oneness of both (these qualities) in the effect.
At one time he will make you green like the earth, at another
time he will make you full of wind, and big.
He gives the quality of inorganic things to the body of the
knower (of God), in order that gay roses and eglantines may
grow on it ;
But he (the Shaykh) alone sees (them), none sees but he :
Paradise yields no scent but to the purified brain.
Empty your brain of disbelief in the Friend, that it may feel
sweet odours from the rose-garden of the Friend;
So that you may feel the scent of Paradise from my Friend,
as Mohammad the scent of the Merciful (God) from heaven.
If you stand in the rank of those who make the spiritual
ascension, not being (self-naughtedness) will bear you aloft, like
Buraaq.
Tis not like the ascension of a piece of earth (an earthly being)
to the moon; nay, but like the ascension of a cane to sugar.
Tis not like the ascension of a vapour to the sky ; nay, but
like the ascension of an embryo to rationality.
The steed of not-being (self-naughtedness) became a goodly
Buraaq : it brings you to (real) existence, if you are non-existent
(self-naughted).
Its hoofs brushes the mountains and seas till it puts the world
of sense-perception behind.
Set your foot into the ship and keep going quickly, like the
soul going towards the soul’s Beloved.
(With) no hands and no feet, go to Eternity in the same fashion
as that in which the spirits sped from non-existence.
IF there had not been somnolence (dullness and inattention)
in the hearer’s hearing, the veil of logical reasoning would have
been torn asunder in the discourse.
O Heaven, shower pearls on his (the Shaykh’s) rede! O
World, have shame of (be abashed by) his world!
If thou wilt shower (pearls), thy substance will become (in-
creased in splendour) hundredfold : thy inorganic (matter) will
become seeing and speaking.
Therefore thou wilt have scattered a largesse for thine own
sake, inasmuch as every stock of thine will be centupled.
1) i.e. the Sufi Shaykhs who are the spiritual heirs and representatives of the PRophet
2) Reading
The Mathnawi of Jallaulddin Rumi Tr Books III and IV pg 308, tr: Nicholson
from Foundation for Science Technology and Civilization - Jan 2007
However again during the reign of Sultan Ahmed III (1703-1750), which is during the Tulip Age, there is strong evidence both in the Surname (chronicle) of Mehmed Hazin and the Surname of Vehbi, as the witnesses of the era, that Ibrahim Effendi, the dockyard architect, had invented the submarine which was called “Tahtelbahir”. Seyyid Vehbi compared this submarine invented by the architect Ibrahim Effendi to an alligator, and tells in his Surname that during the circumcision ceremony that Sultan Ahmed III held for his sons, while the sultan, the viziers, and the sultan’s sons were watching the shows in the coastal palace in Aynali Kavak, the alligator-like submarine slowly emerged on the water and moved slowly to the sultan, and after staying on the sea for half an hour, submerged in the sea again to the great surprise of the public; then emerged one hour later, with five people walking outside the mouth of this alligator-like submarine with trays of rice and zerde (dish of sweetened rice) on their heads. The book Surname-i Humayun of Seyyid Vehbi, which explains the technical information concerning this sub-marine submerging in the sea and the crew being able to breathe through pipes while under the sea, demonstrates to us the first Ottoman trials of submarines were successful. The Surname of Mehmed Hazin, who told of the events of October 1, 1720, during the circumcision ceremony of the sons of Sultan Ahmed III, related that a fish-like submarine was present; however, his secrets were buried with him.
Although it is mentioned by Bahaeddin, the historian, that the first submarine was used during the Seljuk period against the Crusader knights in the siege of Akkah in 1150, it is understood that the submarine built by Ibrahim, the architect, in the Ottoman era during the reign of Ahmed III was more developed and could stay under water for one hour. Considering that the British tried to build a small submarine half a century after Ibrahim and failed, it is obvious that the Ottoman success in this field is most notable. However in 1776, the submarine developed by the American scientist David Bushnell was a success. The sketches of a submarine project in the archives of the Stockholm Military Organization are interesting for the assessment of all the technical developments of the era.
References:
Seyyid Vehbi : Surname. Suleymaniye Library, Hamidiye 952, foliea 171 b
Mehmed Hazin: Surman, Bayezid Library, Nureddin Pasa, 10267, folio 132 b
Saban Dogen, Musulman ilim onculeri ansiklopedisi, Istanbul 1984, s. 205
Flack, N.D. Diving vessel by the Ms. Day London 1775
Fledhaus, F. M.: Die Technik Ein Lexikon der Vorzeit, der geschichtlichen Zeit und der Naturvolker. Munchen 1970 sp. 1122.
When someone asked him [Mawlana Jami] why he seldom used the technical language of Sufism, he said: “That would be all very well if we wished to deceive each other for a while, turning a subject of real importance into a verbal plaything.” (Rashahat Ain al-Hayat)
The Java Post is Indonesia’s biggest media news network which operates in all the 33 provinces of the republic. The following story was on the front page of the the Java Post, translated by Lukman Hoja:
The Java Post
Wed 19 September 2007
Following Zikr Activities in Sufi Mosque, New York
A place where thousands meet, where they descend from the mountains every Friday night.
In the center of skyscrapers and amidst the lights of Broadway and Times Square, a tarikat community finds a niche in New York.
Last Friday night, the Java post followed the activities of Masjid Sufi on 39th St, New York City.
Fuad Ariyanto and F Arnaz
It’s not easy to find this mosque. For those who are new and who do not have any inside contact, the masjid will be difficult to find. It differs from the other masjids in Manhattan that have signboards, this Nakshibendi Hakkani masjid does not even have a signboard. It is located in an apartment building. The masjid is on the 3rd floor. The front door is an iron gate and it locks electronically, like a prison. For anyone to access the masjid he has to press the buttons outside the building. Only when it is answered from the inside will the door be opened electronically. This masjid is only used on Friday nights. The daily activities however are conducted in the Catskill Mountains , New York where Shaykh Abdul Kerim el-Kibrisi the deputy of Shaykh Maulana Nazim al-Hakkani al-Kibrisi lives.
The Java post arrived in the masjid [at Sidney center - sic] with Ashari, an Indonesian undergraduate student studying in America. In a space that is not too large the jamaa sits on the floor in front of Shaykh Abdul Kerim who is giving a lecture. There is a triangular flag with a crescent without a star behind him - there are other flags with different symbols on them. That flag is also found in front of the kible. The men wear kufis with green turbans wrapped around them. In the middle of the speech the Shaykh managed to reprimand one of the women Jamaat when her cellphone rang. ” I have told you thousands of times please turn off your cellphone when you enter this masjid. This is a place of worship and the time here is only for Allah. Please leave your business for a while”.
After the speech that touched on democracy and the khilafat, the Shaykh led the zikr that was participated by the jamaat who were sitting on the floor. One of them was accompanying the rhythm of the zikr with a drum. The shaykh also has a drum with him but it was larger. He played it when the rhythm started to speed up. The zikr was long with the melody that went high. Hu hu hu, Haq Haq Haqq that was what was uttered among others. They did not seem influenced or disturbed by the chaos that was happening down in the streets. Their bodies moved from left to right or front to back. Once the jamaat clapped their hands together with the beat.
The only difference was this zikr was not accompanied by whirling which is often the case with the followers of sufism. ” Whether we whirl or not, that entirely depends on the Shaykh. If he gives us the order, if he orders us to, we will follow” says Saifuddin, 30, an undergraduate of New York University, who is one of the followers. The Zikr was closed by a dua by someone from the jamaat. The session continued with Salatul Isha and Salatul Tarawih of 20 rakats. Before the salat the Shaykh said “This is an intensive prayer and it will not take long as we will only read short surahs” The Tarawih was four rakats with salams, with the tahiyyat in the second rekat, like the Isha prayers. Although they perform 20 rakats the salat moved very quickly. It only lasted twenty five minutes because the Shaykh who led the prayer only read short surahs quickly. When he was reading Surah Yasin for example, he would only read the first two ayats. In the second and the fourth rekat in the course of the tarawih prayers he would always read Surah Ikhlas. It was the same with Salatul Witr. In the second rakat the Tahiyyat was read. At the end of the salat one of them recited the selawat once and Suratul Ihlas three times. The selawat was recited once more and the whole jamaat got up together to continue the next cycle. At the end of the Salat the jamaat kissed the Shaykh’s hand and they gave salams to each other, while standing in a circle . The Shaykh then gave a short speech after that was over. The jamaat did not leave immediately after the prayers but stayed to eat together with around 9 women jamaat that were present that night. Shaykh Abdul Kerim also joined in the meal. When the Java Post wanted to leave, the Shaykh who is around 49 years old, stopped us from leaving. “You are already here, come eat with us”, he said. The food that was served that night was a mixture of macaroni, bread, and a spicy dish. “I didn’t count how many Naksibnedid followers there are in New York, probably about 10,000 people” says the Shaykh who is from Cyprus when he was asked how many followers he has. The Shaykh who has been in America for 31 years expressed thanks to Allah because his effort to bring people to the way of Allah has been successful. “In the near future I will be in China; perhaps the mission there will be heavy for me, but I will try to carry it” he says. For the Jamaat the zikr had become a necessity. “Every Friday night I am always here”‘ continues Saifuddin, whose ancestry is from Mali, Africa but who was born in America. “Zikr and the spiritual washing done by Shaykh strengthens our faith”, he says.
The food that was eaten that night was prepared by the Osmanli Dergahi, Sidney Center, the center for the Naksibendi activities in New York. “Every Friday we descend from the mountains to give an opportunity to the city people to worship with us because they are not able to come to our center often”, says Ekrem Kethuda, who lives in Sidney Center. Besides worshiping, the activities there according to Ekrem who is 30 years old, is to prepare us to live life, to be self sufficient and not be dependent on the city. “For example, we make our own yogurt, we do not want to be dependent on the system of this country”, he continues. Until now no less than 15 men like himself live in Sidney Center. The number continues to grow because increasingly more New Yorkers feel that their hearts are empty although they have enough wealth. “This is the reality of life in the city wherever it may be, life that is only for this dunya, but the life that is everlasting is forgotten”, continues Ekrem who has since 5 years fallen in love with this tarikat.
Could the Ottomans be any more practically poetic…
From
Other Matters http://othermatters.wordpress.com/2007/12/17/poached-ottoman-recycling/
Looking at the domed ceiling of the Suleimaniya mosque I marvel at the ingenuity of Ottoman architecture: In the past the interior of the mosque was lit by huge braziers and wicker lamps. The damp, oily black smoke would rise to the ceiling, to be collected as it cooled into hidden ducts that were built within the dome itself. Slowly the liquid smoke would filter down and was collected in tiny pots, to be sifted, mixed with oil and gum, to be made into ink. That ink would then be used to write the Qur’ans that were read by the Ottomans themselves. An economy of resources at work: light to smoke, smoke to ink, ink to books, books that were read in the same light that would produce the ink. Truly, the hermetically sealed world of the Ottomans was a riddle that kept its answer to itself.
Farish Noor, Wonders of Islamic Civilization
Maulana Rumi’s (R) work which has long been misused by those who, while enjoy the role of ‘poet’, spend their time ‘channeling’ the saint when performing their ‘translations’. In so doing, they give completely different and new understandings to the character of Maulana Jallaluddin Rumi (R). This excerpt from Maulana’s ‘Masnavi’, his comprehensive work on matters on faith and spirituality, attends to the question of Shia mourning on Ashura. I find so many meanings within this, but I will point out that I found this passage a quick answer to those who accuse Maulana of some sort of mystic removed from the necessary discussions of Islam in his time, and those who try to paint traditional Sufism (as taught by those such as Maulana Rumi(R)) as being somehow Shia influenced.
InshaAllah the true character of Maulana Rumi (R), whose name was Jalaluddin for a reason, shall indeed be opened up for all to understand. Now on to the passage:
Reference: Masnavi (tran: Nicholson pub: 1994)
————————————-
Comparison of (the behavior of) the heedless man who wastes his life and (only) begins to repent and ask pardon (of God) when he lies in extreme distresses on his death-bed to the yearly mourning of the Shiites of Aleppo at the Antioch Gate (of the city) during the Ashura; and how a poet, who was a stranger arrived (there) on his journey and asked what was the cause of these shrieks of mourning.
On the day of Ashura all the people of Aleppo gather at the Antioch Gate till nightfall.
Men and women, a great multitude, and keep up a constant lamentation for the (Holy) Family.
During the Ashura the Shiites wail and lament with tears and sobs on the account of Karbala.
They recount the oppressions and tribulations which the (Holy) Family suffered at the hands of Yazid and Shimr.
They utter shrieks mingled with cries of woes and grief: the whole plain and desert is filled (with their cries).
A stranger, (who was) a poet, arrived from the road on the Day of Ashura and heard that lamentation.
He let the city and resolved (to go) in that direction : he set out to investigate (the cause of) those shrill cries.
He went along, asking many questions in his search “What is this sorrow? Whose death has occasioned this mourning?
It must be a great personage who has died: such a concourse is no small affair.
Inform me of his name and titles, for I am a stranger and ye belong to the town.
What is his name and profession and character ? (Tell me) in order that I may compose an elegy on his gracious qualities.
I will make an elegy - for I am a poet - that I may carry away from here some provision and morsels of food”
“Eh” said one (of them) ” are you mad? You are not a Shiite, you are an enemy of the Holy Family.
Don’t you know that the Day of Ashura is (a day of) mourning or a single soul that is more excellent than a whole generation?
How should this anguish (tragedy) be lightly esteemed by the true believer? Love for the ear-ring (Huseyn) is in proportion to love for the ear (the Prophet).
In the true believers view the mourning for that pure spirit is more celebrated than a hundred Flood of Noah.”
The poet’s subtle discourse in criticism of the Shiites of Aleppo
“Yes,” said he ; but where (in relation to our time) is the epoch of Yazid? When did this grievous tragedy occur? How late has (the news of it) arrived here!
The eyes of the blind have seen that loss, the ears of the deaf have heard that story
Have ye been asleep till now, that (only) now ye have rent your garments in mourning?
Then O sleepers, mourn for yourselves, or this heavy slumber is an evil death.
A royal spirit escaped from a prison : why should we rend our garments and how should we gnaw our hands?
Since they were monarchs of the (true) religion, twas the hour of joy (or them) when they broke their bonds.
They sped towards the pavilion of empire, they cast off their fetters and chains
Tis the day of (their) kingship and pride and sovereignty if thou hast (even) an atom of knowledge them.
And if thou hast not (this) knowledge, go, weep for thyself, for thou art disbelieving in the removal (From this world to the next) and in the assembly at the Last Judgment.
Mourn for thy corrupt heart and religion, for it (thy heart) sees naught but this old earth.
Or if it is seeing the (spiritual world), why is it not brave and supporting (others) and self-sacrificing and fully contented?
In thy countenance where is the happiness (which is the effect) of the wine of (true) religion? If thou hast beheld the Ocean (of Bounty), where is the bounteous hand?
He that has beheld the River does not grudge water (to the thirsty), especially he that has beheld the Sea and (those) clouds.
“[When Osman Gazi (namesake of the Ottoman Empire) died c.1326 his sons] Orhan Gazi and Alaeddin Pasha met with other prominent men to see what [property] Osman had left and to decide what the brothers should inherit. There was only the land he had conquered. There was no money, no gold. He left a fairly new saddle cloth, some armour, a container for salt and one for spoons, and a pair of strong boots. He also had some good horses and several flocks of sheep…a few mares and several pairs of oxen. Osman had no other possessions”
-Ashikpashazade (2nd half of 15th century; 1970 edn) p. 36. The historian stresses that Osman I was a genuine leader, not someone who sought riches for himself.
|
