Madinat-al-'ilmi
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Nafahat al-Malik al-Ghani. Shaykh Ibrahim Some have requested some of the poetry of Shaykh Ibrahim Niasse, and I pray those more qualified than myself might post some (in translation) as they feel appropriate (or, indeed, any of the writings of our shuyukh). But I thought I would post an excerpt of Shaykh Ibrahim's Nafahat al-Malik al-Ghani, which is a poem he wrote during his trip from Mali to Guinea, thus the poem is also called Rihla Konakriyya. This excerpt appeared in an article by Andrea Brigaglia called "The Fayda Tijaniyya of Ibrahim Nyass: Genesis and implications of a Sufi Doctrine" in Islam et Societes au Sud du Sahara 14-15 (2000-2001). I have made a few minor changes to Brigaglia's translation; for those of you with "Majmu' Rihlat al-Shaykh Ibrahim" edited by Muhammad Ma`mun Niasse, the excerpt appears on pages 110-111 of the book. My intention is only to provide you all access to what has already been made available to the academic world, not to disclose the secrets of the shaykh. As Shaykh Ibrahim has himself said in "Jawahir al-Risa'il", "Sadur al-Ahrar, Qabur al-Asrar" (the unrestrained breast is the grave of secrets). "By zikr Bissikrima I passed during my outward journey And then on my way back, as if I was carried by a river. There I invoked Him by His greatest name, Approaching Him with thanksgiving. Then burst As a furnace my breast by the invocation And it was filled with lights, Essential Realities and spiritual knowledge, The mystery of the mystery of the mystery, and divine gifts. I got hold of the secret of the Seal of the Saints, To me the tongue of my transitory state was singing hymns, Expressing itself by the breath of the Creator My stomach was full, while the waist was crying out: 'Stop it! Gently! You've loaded the abdomen He bestowed me a special science and made of me His deputy If I said "Be" it would instantly be. But Him I had taken as trustee [I had given myself] as an offering, and He had singled me out as His friend. I said: "There is no god but God, and Muhammad has been sent by God." Then from me overflowed His secret Nobody comes to me And does not know Allah, the Eternal Sustainer Young or old - Since the Beloved, the Sanctuary, has come close Men or women Tramp beggars or sovereigns Had I wished, His effusion (fayda) would have permeated all the dry lands The oceans would have held His mysteries Everybody would have known them Each one, but to hear Is not the same as to see And next time you will see miracles [Proceeding] from the inundation of this Seal, leader of the noble ones All this is al-Tijani's Fayda: It is the assistance from the Elected of the world, al-'Adnani All this is a favor from the Benefactor, Whom I praise secretly and openly, Who indeed created me to heal the fracture - I am the deputy of the Secret of the Secret." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ibn Arabi - How can I know You when You are the Inwardly Hidden who is not known? - How can I not know You when You are the Outwardly Manifest, making Yourself known to me in every thing? O child of Adam, as long as you beseech Me and hope for Me, I shall forgive you whatever you have done, without minding in the slightest. I was in Murcia when I had a vision of God in my innermost being and He said to Me: "Tell My servants what you have seen of My Munificence and Bounty to the true believer. "Why do My servants despair of My Compassion, when My Compassion embraces everything?" Stations of Desire Extract from "The Hadith of Love" He saw the lightning flash and yearned toward the East. If it had flashed West west he'd have turned. I burn for the lightning, for the flash, not for this or that some piece of ground. The East wind told me a tradition about them, from the wreck of my heart, from ecstasy, sorrow, my disarray From drunkenness, reason, longing, the wound of love, from tears, my eyelids, the fire, my heart: He whom you desire is between your ribs, turned side to side in the heat of your sigh. I told them tell him he's the one who kindled the fire blazing in my heart. It is extinguished only in our coming together. If it burns out of control, who can be blamed for loving? Dont you see beauty plunders a heart that's pure? Beauty, virtues spoiler, aptly named. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rabi`a al Adawiyy "Everyone prays to You from fear of the Fire; And if You do not put them in the Fire, This is their reward. Or they pray to You for the Garden, Full of fruits and flowers. And that is their prize. But I do not pray to You like this, For I am not afraid of the Fire, And I do not ask You for the Garden. But all I want is the Essence of Your Love, And to return to be One with You, And to become Your Face." And she said: " I love You with two loves-a selfish love And a Love that You are worthy of. As for the selfish love, it is that I think of You, To the exclusion of everything else. And as for the Love that You are worthy of, Ah! That I no longer see any creature, but I see only You! There is no praise for me in either of these loves, But the praise in both is for You." ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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