Truth:
“[...] We have been thrown over-ship
to the sharks.
But it was only at that moment we turned
with every face towards you
Alone.
And experienced true Iman.
Before that our prayers were not to you solely
but to many scattered
thought idols
Our long hopes
were the shirk of relying on other
forms whose only existence
was as emanations from
your Eminence. Creations
of Your Endlessness
The idol of eloquence
for self indulgences. I worshiped
in ignorance.
Your Beneficence….
[...]” - Baraka
”I have nothing except my destitution
To plead for me with You.
And in my poverty I put forward that destitution as my plea.
I have no power save to knock at Your door,
And if I be turned away, at what door shall I knock?
Or on whom shall I call, crying his name,
If Your generosity is refused to Your destitute one?
Far be it from Your generosity to drive the disobedient one to despair!
Generosity is more freehanded than that.
In lowly wretchedness I have come to Your door,
Knowing that degradation there finds help.
In full abandon I put my trust in You,
Stretching out my hands to You, a pleading beggar.” - Sh. Abdul Qadir
أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم حدثهم أن عبدا من عباد الله قال يا رب لك الحمد كما ينبغي لجلال وجهك ولعظيم سلطانك فعضلت بالملكين فلم يدريا كيف يكتبانها فصعدا إلى السماء فقالا يا ربنا إن عبدك قد قال مقالة لا ندري كيف نكتبها قال الله –وهو أعلم بما قاله عبده ماذا قال عبدي؟ قالا يا رب إنه قد قال يا رب لك الحمد كما ينبغي لجلال وجهك ولعظيم سلطانك فقال الله لهما اكتباها كما قال عبدي حتى يلقاني فأجزيه بها
A servant of Allah said: ‘ya rabbi laka al-hamdu kama yambaghi li jalali wajhika wa li azimi sulatanik’ (my Lord! All praise belongs to You as much as befits Your Glory and Sublime Majesty). This was too much for the two angels to record. They did not know how to record it. So they soared to heaven and said, ‘Our Lord! Your servant has said something which we don’t know how to record’ Allah asked them-and of course, He knew what the servant had said, ‘What did My servant say?’ They said, ‘He said ‘ya rabbi laka al-hamdu kama yambaghi li jalali wajhika wa li azimi sulatanik.” Allah said to them, ‘Write it down as if My servant has said it until he should meet Me and I reward him for it.” [Ibn Majah]
اللّهم إليك أشكو ضعف قوتي، وقلة حيلتي، وهواني على الناس، أنت رب المستضعفين وأنت ربي، اللّهم إلي من تكلني؟ إلى بعيد يتجهمني؟ أم إلى عدو ملكته أمري؟ إن لم يكن بك غضب علي فلا أبالي، غير أن عافيتك هي أوسع لي. أعوذ بنور وجهك الذي أشرقت له الظلمات، وصلح عليه أمر الدنيا والآخرة، أن ينزل بي سخطك، أو يحل علي غضبك، لك العتبي حتى ترضى
“O Allah! To you alone I complain my weakness, my scarcity of resources, and the humiliation I have been subjected to by people.
“The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity, and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern. Beautiful people do not just happen.” — Elisabeth Kubler-Ross
Based on a mixture of advices I got from very near and dear people, my hands hit the keyboard and this is what appeared:
I asked him ‘What are the secrets to my heart’
He said, ‘guard it with all your might
protect it from evil, protect it from sin
remember nothings from you, its all from Him
when everything is long gone,
your heart will be the one to win
making a connection with Him that you never imagined
filling up your gaps like you could never fathom’
With tears I said ‘but my heart is dead,
no more feeling…no more flesh
nothing but rock and dirt
I lost the meaning of life way back when’
He said ‘Don’t turn away, keep on knocking the door
Allah will answer…you’ll be picked up off the floor
your heart will become tender, filled with both happiness and grief
life will return, if only you believe’
With tear struck eyes I reached for my heart
‘you cant imagine the pain, imagine how much I’ve fought
I’ve trusted needlessly,
I’ve lost the real me
I just want to go home
home to Him, where I belong
Is there any way? To bypass the pain?
Bypass the horror?
forget this life and just move forward?’
with tear struck eyes he smiled back
‘you cant expect it to be as easy as that?
you have to turn to Him,
take the pain with stride
reach forward but don’t shut the past behind you
your past is part of who you are
part of who you will be
it is your own..different than what anyone else sees
but know all is not lost,
you will soon rise, just don’t give up…no matter the cost’
gulping air I spoke the words of my mind
‘this misery, this pain…is there any end?’
He smiled as he gave his response,
not wanting to break me…but telling the truth
‘In this life, unfortunately not
but in the end you’ll find all that you sought
I promise you wont regret the pain that you felt
you wont regret all the times that you wept
you’ll realize the reality of this life
and the fact that its fake
temporary and fleeting
with great gaps and important parts missing
when you are back with Him you’ll understand
He was there the whole time, holding your hand
and you’ll smile and nod your head…
it was all worth it in the end….’
“Come again, please, come again, Whoever you are.
Religious, infidel, heretic or pagan.
Even if you promised a hundred times
And a hundred times you broke your promise,
This door is not the door
Of hopelessness and frustration.
This door is open for everybody.
Come, come as you are.”
This being human is a guest-house.
Every morning a new arrival.
A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
as an unexpected visitor.
Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they’re a crowd of sorrows,
Who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture.
Still, treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out
for some new delight.
The dark thought, the shame, the malice,
meet them at the door laughing,
and invite them in.
Be grateful for whoever comes,
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.
-Rumi
Tags: depressionm meanness, humanity, joy, Poetry, rumi