<OT>
Islam and over a billion of it's followers are painted in such simplistic terms now a days.. Either they are moderates, meaning perhaps harmless or they are on the fringes and are either militants or thugs, with or without beards. Not much room for any thing else..
For the intellectually inclined here, following is a poem by Nasir-i Khusraw. Abu Muin Nasir-i Khusraw, ranked among the half dozen greatest poets of Persia, was born in Qubadian, a small town in the region of Marv, in 394 A.H./1004 A.D. He is well known for a number of his works in the West, most famous being "Diwan". Any one who cares to find out more, there is a lot of stuff on the net..
The Poem, essentially is a satire where he is taking to task a Pilgrim who has been to Mecca to perform Hajj, which is a pilgrimage to Ka'aba in Saudi Arabia. Once the man has performed Hajj, he is known as Haji.. Any case, here is one thinker's version of what a Pilgrimage of any kind should be..
A WASTED PILGRIMAGE
The pilgrims had returned, reverenced and honoured, giving thanks to God for His compassion and mercy, from the dangers and hardships of the Arabian journey, and saved - no doubt - from hell and painful chastisement, having walked from Arafat to Mecca and answered the pilgrim's call with joy, having performed all the duties of the Hajj and retuned home hale and hearty.
I decided to go and welcome them back but I am afraid I asked too many questions and put my foot in it.
Among the caravan, one was a particular friend of mine, a dear man.
Tell me how you made it through this dangerous journey I said. All the time you have been away I've had nothing but sorrow for companionship.
Congratulations, Haji! There's no one like you in our whole province, I am sure. Tell me how you visited that sacred place, with what honour and dignity you beheld it. Tell me about the donning the pilgrim's robe, and what your inner intentions were at that moment.
Did you prohibit to yourself everything other than the Eternal Lord?
Well . . . . no , he admitted.
Did you answer the call out of knowledge and with due reverence? Did you hear the summons of the Lord, and answer back, like Moses?
Well . . . . um . . .
At Arafat, when in the presence of God, did you welcome His Knower, and the denyer of your self?
Did the breeze of Gnosis blow upon your you?
. . . uh . . . to tell the truth I . . .
When you sacrificed the obligatory sheep did you see yourself in proximity to Him and think of the sheep as your carnal soul?
My what? I say . . .
When you entered the Sacred Grounds were you safe from the evil of your lower self and from the sorrow of separation, the chastisement of Hell?
You see, actually . . . .
When you threw stones at the Accursed One did you fling out of yourself all bad habits and reprehensible acts?
Umm . . . um . . .
When you prayed at the Station of Abraham did you, in truth, faith and certitude, submit the very core of your being to the Absolute?
The what?
At the time of circumambulation, when you were no doubt running around fast as an ostrich, did you remind yourself of the circling cherubim around the Celestial Throne?
Really, Nasir, what . . .?
Did you behold in your purity of heart the Two Worlds and become inwardly free of both Paradise and Hell?
NO, NO, NO!
Now that you have come back, is your heart pained by separation from the Kaaba?
Did you bury your selfish ego in the tomb
. . . or are you still no better than a decaying bag of bones?
I must admit he answered, that in all these matters I seem not to have known the true from the false.
Then, my friend, I said,you have not made a pilgrimage, and have not taken up residence in the Abode of Annihilation. You have simply visited Mecca and come back, having purchased the toils of the desert with your silver.
If you ever go again, bear in mind all that I have said.. |
