Reflection is Remedy

“God is the separated beloved whom the human being has to find in everything beautiful, including one’s own heart. The thousands of forms in this world are like thousands of veils across the face of a single Reality. True seekers learn to ignore the appearance (majaz) of whatever they see, and concentrate instead on the unseen, the Reality (haqiqat). In other words, God exists everywhere and those who can see beyond appearance see Him manifest in things as little as a glow-worm and as huge as the Himalaya.”
-Khurram Ali Shafique on explaining the philosophy of Muhammad Iqbal

“There are two kinds of silence: firstly, silence of the tongue, which consists of not speaking of other than God with other than God … and secondly, silence of the heart, which consists of refraining from all thought occurring to the soul that concerns any created thing. The one whose tongue is silent, even if his heart is not, lightens his burden. When someone’s tongue and heart are both silent, his innermost consciousness becomes manifest and his Lord reveals Himself to him. The one whose heart is silent but whose tongue is not speaks wisely. The one who possesses neither a silent tongue nor a silent heart remains under the domination of Satan and opens himself up to become an object of ridicule.”

—Shaykh Ibn al Arabi

Some people shake your foundations. In one encounter all of your deficiencies fall onto the floor, leaving you naked, embarrassed. You desperately try to hold onto the last remaining threads of what you held as absolute truths of yourself. But no, those have flaws and holes too. Confused, bedazzled, you seek validation. But validation cannot be sought from sentient beings.

You are left alone with the scraps of yourself on the floor. You try to put them together into a coherent whole again.

This process is personal transformation. Painful, but liberating. Traumatizing, but strengthening. Life altering. Character correcting. Life mission improving.

“But tell me, did you sail across the sun?
Did you make it to the Milky Way to see the lights all faded
And that heaven is overrated?
Tell me, did you fall for a shooting star
One without a permanent scar?
And did you miss Me while you were looking for yourself out there?”

Lines from “Drops of Jupiter” by Train

“I am going to light a fire in the Garden and pour water onto the Fire so that both these veils may disappear from the seekers, and that their purpose may be sure, and that the servants of God may see Him, without any object of hope or motive of fear. What if the Hope for the Garden and the Fear of the Fire did not exist? Not one would worship his Lord, nor obey Him. But He is worthy of worship without any immediate motive or need.” -Rabia Al Adawiyah

This song is so beautiful and also one of my favorites, I had to do a parody on the lyrics. :)

It’s a love conversation between Rabia al Adawiyah (A sincere lover of God and saint) and God:
Rabia’s words are not italicized.

Hey there, Beloved
What’s it like to be Your wali?
I’m a thousand veils away
But Lord, I’m lost in Your vast Beauty
Yes I am…
Heaven can’t shine as bright as You
I swear it’s true…

Hey there, Beloved
How I long to see Your Presence
You’re right here when I get lonely
Give my song another listen
Hear my cry…
Listen to my prayer, it’s no disguise
On You I rely…

Oh it’s what You do to me…
Oh it’s what You do to me…
Oh it’s what You do to me…
Oh it’s what You do to me…
What You do to me…

Hey there, Rabia
Don’t you worry about the distance
I’m right here if you get lonely
Give this surah another listen
Close your eyes
Listen to Qur’an, it’s My disguise
I’m by your side

Oh it’s how you long for Me…
Oh it’s how you long for Me…
Oh it’s how you long for Me…
Oh it’s how you long for Me…

A thousand veils seem pretty deep
But I’ve got love, and praise, and deeds
I’d walk to You if I had no other way
The people all make fun of me
And we’ll just laugh along because we know
That none of them have felt this way
Beloved, I can promise You
That by the time that we get through
My world will never ever be the same
And You I Praise

Hey there, Beloved
I’ve got so much left to say
If every simple song I wrote to You
Would cast Your glance this way
I’d write it all
Even more in love with You I’d fall
Across the world I hear Your call,
My dear Beloved, here’s to You
Your Love is all…

Oh it’s what You do to me…
Oh it’s what You do to me…
Oh it’s what You do to me…
Oh it’s what You do to me…
What You do to me…

Great article that describes the qualities that make up the successful employee. Not surprisingly, many of these traits/characteristics are within the muhsin (sincere believer/lover of God):

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/do-you-have-right-personality-successful-dr-travis-bradberry

They’re willing to delay gratification.
They can tolerate conflict.
They focus.
They’re judiciously courageous.
They’re in control of their egos.
They’re never satisfied.
They recognize when things are broken and fix them.
They’re accountable.
They’re marketable.
They neutralize toxic people.

I encountered these beautiful poems and had to share:

Sing! O winekeeper, of Layla’s beauty.
O Fountain of Fountains, you appeared lucid
in every symbolization, cup and wine.
Sorrows disappeared, the Presence made sweet
by the concealed secret of Layla’s treasure.
Ibn Yallas was enraptured upon drinking
the wine of spiritual tastes, annihilated then subsisted.
Upon you be peace, Best of Creation
for as long as this wine is drunk in Layla’s life.

Send blessings, O Source of Peace, upon the Intermediary,
the Sun of mankind, Layla’s visage.
O cupbearer of the lovers, fill up the cups
with the wine of spiritual tastes that revives souls.

if you stay awake
for an entire night
watch out for a treasure
trying to arrive

you can keep warm
by the secret sun of the night
keeping your eyes open
for the softness of dawn

try it for tonight
challenge your sleepy eyes
do not lay your head down
wait for heavenly alms

night is the bringer of gifts
Moses went on a ten-year journey
during a single night
invited by a tree
to watch the fire and light

Muhammad too made his passage
during that holy night
when he heard the glorious voice
when he ascended to the sky

day is to make a living
night is only for love
commoners sleep fast
lovers whisper to God all night

all night long
a voice calls upon you
to wake up
in the precious hours

if you miss your chance now
when your body is left behind
your soul will lament
death is a life of no return

-Rumi