Tag: poetry

  • A Tasbih

    A Tasbih

    SubhanAllah, I murmur a proclamation of glory attesting my Lord free from any deficiency thirty-three times Alhamdulillah, I whisper an assertion of praise all praise belongs to Him, and Him only thirty-three times Allahu akbar, I utter a declaration of truth He is above all, far greater than any worry thirty-four times SubhanAllah. Alhamdulillah. Allahu…

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  • Panegyric Poetry and the Poetics of Panache: Exploring the Rich Heritage of Mappila Songs

    Panegyric Poetry and the Poetics of Panache: Exploring the Rich Heritage of Mappila Songs

    The word Mappila (sometimes pronounced as Moplah) comes from the ancient Dravidian language, meaning “great child” (maha, “great” and pilla, “child”). The Mappilas today are for the most part descendants of foreign traders from the Middle East who visited the southwestern coast of India, known as the Malabar Coast, through Indian Ocean trade routes. 

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  • Exploring Love Through Poetry: The Question of Happiness

    Exploring Love Through Poetry: The Question of Happiness

    The term ḥubb possesses the term khamr (wine) as a synonym, and khamr, in turn, was referred to as Umm Laylā by the Arabs. Laylā, in this context, refers to ecstasy and intoxication, and umm is present for it induces a state of ecstasy, begetting it as a mother begets a child. Love, likewise, intoxicates…

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  • Reflections On Love and Suffering

    Reflections On Love and Suffering

    The term dīn is not understood in our Tradition as the term “religion” is throughout Western religious history, but rather carries four primary significations: (1) indebtedness; (2) submissiveness; (3) judicious power; (4) natural inclination or tendency. [1]

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  • Exhale

    Exhale

    Breathe.  Gather the winds and make them plead,  Bring cirrus, stratus, and nimbus into thee,  Breathe.  Until thy lungs are ruptured and sore,  Stoke the fire in thy belly, make it roar,  Breathe.  And leave no room for doubt,  Breathe with certainty inside and out,  And bring the heavens to a halt in one clean…

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  • A Ballad for the Beloved, the Moon

    A Ballad for the Beloved, the Moon

    Wander along the trail of submission, oh child of grief and loss.There you shall find what you seek most dear,engaged in remembering the Beloved: The Moon,who rose amongst the desert tribes,bathing the Arabian peninsula.The creation rejoiced as his light transpired,enveloped with the wisdom in Hira. Yet evil endures in the hearts of men,when the Self…

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  • The Qur’an: An Aesthetic Treasure Trove

    The Qur’an: An Aesthetic Treasure Trove

    The cosmos held its breath in anticipation. The fabric of the Unseen dilated and grew infinitely thin. Rip! It irrupted with the Divine Command, Iqra’!

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  • A Prayer is a Blessing for the Heart

    A Prayer is a Blessing for the Heart

    A prayer is a blessing for the heart; Produces joy and jolly, Protects from foolish folly, A never-ending growing gift from God. A prayer is a blessing for the heart, A sprout of strengthened faith with spreading parts.

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  • Nadir

    Nadir

    What err’rs have you made, foolish one? What spurs you to these acts, my son?

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  • Wading with Musa

    Wading with Musa

    Tell them you follow Musa. That we must walk through the valley of the shadow of death before reaching Tuwa.

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