#Farid al-Din `Attar

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Image, the Simurgh of Persian mystical literature, with Prince Zal, from the Shahnameh; 1428 CE.

* * * *

❝A Sufi awoke one night and said to himself, 'It seems to me that the world is like a chest in which we are put and the lid shut down. We give ourselves to foolishness. When death lifts the lid, he who has acquired wings soars away to eternity, while he who has not, stays in the chest prey to a thousand tribulations.' Make sure then that the bird of ambition acquires wings of aspiration ... Before the lid of this chest is opened become a bird of the Spirit, ready to spread your wings.❞ — Farid al-Din Attar, Conference of the Birds (trans. C.S. Nott, with minor edits), 76 #30.

[Ayn Kha]

[waiting-eyez]

[Incomparable Love]

In love no longer 'thou'and 'I" exist, for self has passed away in the Beloved...I draw aside the veil from love...in the temple of mine inmost soul, behold the Friend, Incomparable Love. He who would know the secret of both worlds, will find the secret of them both, is Love.

(Farid al-Din Attar)

[eyeoftheheart]

Invoke the One, desire the One, seek the One, see the One, know the One and affirm that it is One. Whether at the beginning or at the end all this is but one thing, unfortunately the human eyes see double.

Farid Al-Din Attar

The Book of Secrets

[editionetoile]

Farid ud-Din Attar

Book: The Conference of the birds

The thirty birds behold the Simorgh:

“The souls of the thirty birds dissolve in shame.

Then, their bodies turned to dust, they attained Life.

Purged of all, detached, liberated,

They were revitalized by the brilliance of His glory.

The bond that linked them to the Supreme Being

Was renewed; taking on a new life.

They were amazed by new manners.

All their past deeds and all their shortcomings

Vanished forever, erased from their hearts.

The radiant sun of Proximity

Shone from afar and illuminated their beings.

Then, in the reflection of the Simorgh of the worlds,

They saw, luminous, the sovereign Face.

They saw reflected thirty birds, the si morgh.

They saw that Simorgh was none other than themselves."

Farid al-Din Attar cleverly plays with the Persian word "Simorgh" by dividing it into "Si morgh," literally meaning "thirty birds." This ingenious duality explores the spiritual quest of the thirty birds in search of the Simorgh, creating a captivating metaphor where the search for self and the quest for divinity intertwine poetically. The fusion of these two meanings enriches the narrative with depth and allegory.

Painting by Mark Spain

Translated from Persian

Illustration by Laurent Guidali

Www.Etoile.App

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

* * * *

❝A Sufi awoke one night and said to himself, 'It seems to me that the world is like a chest in which we are put and the lid shut down. We give ourselves to foolishness. When death lifts the lid, he who has acquired wings soars away to eternity, while he who has not, stays in the chest prey to a thousand tribulations.' Make sure then that the bird of ambition acquires wings of aspiration ... Before the lid of this chest is opened become a bird of the Spirit, ready to spread your wings.❞ 

— Farid al-Din Attar, Conference of the Birds (trans. C.S. Nott, with minor edits), 76 #30. [Ayn Kha]

[h/t "alive on all channels"]

noche solar | solar night | by víctor m. alonso

[por ti miro al mar en la oscuridad de esta noche sin metáforas \ it is for you that I look at sea in the darkness of this night without metaphors]

[talonabraxas]

The heart is the dwelling place of that which is the essence of the universe... If you draw aside the veils of the stars and the spheres, you will see that all is one with the Essence of your own pure soul. —Farid al-Din Attar

All-Seeing Eye and the Holy Creatures Talon Abraxas

[tawakkull]

SPIRITUALITY IN ISLAM: PART 17: WARA’ (ABSTINENCE)

Wara’ is defined as holding oneself back from unbecoming, unnecessary things; as strictly refraining from what is unlawful and forbidden; or abstaining from all doubtful things lest one should commit a forbidden act. The Islamic principle: Abandon what you doubt and prefer what you have no doubt about, and the Prophetic saying: What is lawful is evident and what is forbidden is also evident, explain the basis of wara’.

Some Sufis define wara’ as the conviction of the truth of Islamic tenets, being straightforward in one’s beliefs and acts, being steadfast in observing Islamic commandments, and being very careful in one’s relations with God Almighty. Others define it as not being heedless of God even for the period of the twinkling of an eye, and others as permanently closing them-selves to all that is not Him, as not lowering oneself before anyone except Him (for the fulfillment of one’s needs or other reasons), and as advancing until reaching God without getting stuck with one’s ego, carnal self and desires, and the world.

Always refrain from begging from people,

Beg only from your Lord Who is the All-Munificent.

Renounce the pomp and luxuries of the world

Which will certainly go as they have come.

We can also interpret wara’ as basing one’s life on engaging in what is necessary and useful, as acting in consciousness of the real nature of useless, fleeting, and transient things. This is stated in the Tradition: It is the beauty of a man’s being a good Muslim that he abandons what is of no use to him.

The writer of the Pandname, Farid al-Din al-Attar, explains this principle in a very beautiful way:

Wara’ gives rise to fear of God,

One without wara’ is subject to humiliation.

Whoever uprightly follows the way of wara’,

Whatever he does is for the sake of God.

One who desires love and friendship of God,

Without wara’, he is false in his claim of love.

Wara’ relates to both the inner and outer aspects of a believer’s life and conduct. A traveler on the path of wara’ must have reached the peaks of taqwa; his or her life must reflect a strict observance of the Shari'a’s commands and prohibitions; his or her actions must be for the sake of God; his or her heart and feelings must be purged of whatever is other than God; and he or she always must feel the company of the “Hidden Treasure.”

In other words, the traveler abandons those thoughts and conceptions that do not lead to Him, keeps aloof from those scenes that do not remind one of Him, does not listen to speeches that are not about Him, and is not occupied with that which does not please Him. Such degree of wara’ leads one directly and quickly to God Almighty, Who declared to Prophet Moses: Those who desire to get near to Me have not been able to find a way better than wara’ and zuhd (asceticism).

The abstinence known by humanity during the Age of Happiness was perfectly observed by the blessed generations following the Companions, and became an objective to reach for almost every believer. It was during this period that Bishr al-Khafi’s sister asked Ahmad ibn Hanbal:

O Imam, I usually spin (wool) on the roof of my house at night. At that time, some officials pass by with torches in their hands, and I happen to benefit, even unwillingly, from the light of their torches. Does this mean that I mix into my earnings something gained through a religiously unlawful way? The great Imam wept bitterly at this question and replied: Something doubtful even to such a minute degree must not find a way into the house of Bishr al-Khafi.

It was also during this period that people shed tears for the rest of their lives because they had cast a single glance at something forbidden, and people who vomited a piece of unlawful food that they had swallowed in ignorance wept for days. As related by ‘Abd Allah ibn Mubarak, a great traditionist and ascetic, a man traveled from Merv (Afghanistan) to Makka in order to return to its owner an item that he had put in his pocket by mistake. There were many who gave life-long service to those to whom they thought they owed something, such as Fudayl ibn ‘Iyad. Biographies of saints, such as Hilyat al-Awliya’ (The Necklace of Saints) by Abu Nu'aym al-Isfahani, and al-Tabaqat al-Kubra (The Greatest Compendium) by Imam al-Sharani, are full of the accounts of such heroes of abstinence.

[nakibistan]

Inspirational Queer Muslims you need know about them

Tuways

Tuways or Tuwais was a renowned Mukhannath individual in the early days of Islamic Arabia. His/Her real name was Abu Abd al-Munim Isa Abdallah al-Dhāib. In Arabic, the name Tuways or Tuwais means peacock. They were born in 632 AD in Medina, on the same day Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) passed away. According to various scholars, Tuways is often described as one of the leading Mukhannath musicians of Medina during his/her lifetime. He/She served as a mawlā of the Banū Mak̲h̲zūm, under the patronage of Arwā bt. Kurayz, the mother of the Caliph ʿUt̲h̲mān b. ʿAffān.

Tuways initially gained recognition by performing melodies learned from Persian captives & went on to become a celebrated musician during the Rashidun Caliphate, the first Islamic Caliphate. According to some accounts, he/she was a devout queer Muslim and was never blamed for his/her queerness.

al-Dalal

al-Dalal was a Mukhannath poet & musician, based in Medinah. Not much is known about his life. Tuways was his/her master and he/she was one of the favourite pupil of Tuways. al-Dalal is often portrayed as a witty but sometimes crude male who "loved women" but disliked to have sex with them. Few accounts report that he was a bisexual, had sexual encounter with both woman & her groom.

During the reing of Umayyad Caliph Sulayman ibn Abd al-Malik, al-Dalal, along with other Mukhannathun were persecuted for their boldness. They were forcefully castrated. They were enslaved by Umayyads.

Abu Nawas

Abū Nuwās (also known as:Abū Nuwās al-Salamī, Abū 'Alī) was an openly gay poet, and the foremost representative of the modern (muhdath) poetry that developed during the first years of Abbasid Caliphate. He also entered the folkloric tradition, appearing several times in One Thousand and One Nights.

He attended a Qur’an school and became a Hafiz at a young age.His youthful good looks and innate charisma attracted the attention of the Kufan poet, Abu Usama Waliba ibn al-Hubab al-Asadi, who took Abu Nuwas to Kufa as a young apprentice. Waliba recognized in Abu Nuwas his talent as a poet and encouraged him toward this vocation, but was also attracted sexually to the young man and may have had erotic relations with him. Abu Nuwas's relationships with adolescent boys when he had matured as a man seem to mirror his own experience with Waliba. Abu Nuwas wrote poetry in multiple genres; Abu Nuwas’s diwan, his poetry collection, was divided by genre: panegyric poems, elegies, invective, courtly love poems on men and women, poems of penitence, hunting poems, and wine poems. His erotic lyric poetry, which is often homoerotic, is known from over 500 poems and fragments.

Mahmud of Ghazni

Yamin-ud-Dawla Abul Qasim Mahmud commonly known as “Mahmud of Ghazni” or “Mahmud Ghaznavi”. He was known as a great sultan of Ghaznavid Empire. But he is also controversial for his invasion in indian subcontinent & treatment of non-muslims. Besides, he is regarded as icon of queer love.

Mahmud was a bisexual muslim. Mahmud had 9 wives and innumerable concubines as well as male slaves. Mahmud of Ghazni's name is often associated with a man named “Malik Ayaz”. Malik Ayaz was a handsome Turkic-Georgian slave brought by Sultan Mahmud. He was a very close companion of Mahmud; was very devoted to the him and fullfilled his all wishes.

The relationship between Mahmud and Ayaz is highly celebrated in Persian poetry and literature.There are a set of 6 poems by Farid al-Din Attar that are inspired by this relationship. Sa'di, a 13th-century poet includes 2 stories about the lovers in his best-known work, Bustan, a collection of reflections on human nature. The chapter “Concerning Love” describes someone complaining that Mahmud’s favourite slave “possesses no beauty.” Upon hearing this, Mahmud responds, “My love, O sir, is for virtue, not for form or stature.” The second story depicts the king travelling with some of his men when an overturned chest of pearls is discovered; all except Ayaz go after the pearls. Questioned by Mahmud about the possibility of gaining riches, Ayaz explains he wants nothing. “I walked in haste behind thee, I do not occupy myself with riches away from thy service.” Nidhami-I-Arudi, a 12th-century Ghaznavid court poet describes the well-known and famous love of Sultan Mahmud for Ayaz, though he explains that Mahmud, being a “pious and God-fearing man,” wrestled with this love. One night after drinking a lot of wine, Mahmud couldn’t ignore Ayaz’s beauty: “Thereupon love plucked the reins of self-restraint from the hands of his endurance, and lover-like he drew him to himself.”

Zahīr ud-Dīn Muhammad (Babar)

Zahīr ud-Dīn Muhammad commonly known as Babar or Babur. Babar was the founder of the Mughal Empire. He was a Bisexual & was also the first queer ruler in Mughal Dynasty. Babur's religious and philosophical stances are characterized as humanistic. Babur was an acclaimed writer, who had a profound love for literature. His library was one of his most beloved possessions that he always carried around with him, & books were one of the treasures he searched for in new conquered lands. During his 47-year life, Babur left a rich literary and scientific heritage. He authored his famous memoir the Bāburnāma, as well as beautiful lyrical works or ghazals, treatises on Muslim jurisprudence (Mubayyin), poetics (Aruz risolasi), music, and a special calligraphy, known as khatt-i Baburi.

He married multiple times but had little attraction towards women. Babur had an affair with his male slave named Baburi Andijani (also known as Baburi). Babur rescued him from the Uzbek camp market in 1499. Babur mentioned his lover's name several times in the "Babarnama" and expressed his feelings towards Baburi without fear. Babur even wrote several Persian romantic poems about same gender love. It is also claimed that Babur built Babri Masjid as a token of love for Baburi Andijani (well, I am not pretty sure)

Maryam Khatoon Molkara

Maryam Khatoon Molkara was a well-known transgender rights campaigner, broadcaster & volunteer in Iran, where she is widely recognized as a matriarch of trans communities. Maryam was later instrumental in obtaining a letter which acted as a fatwa enabling sex reassignment surgery to exist as part of a legal framework. After the Islamic Revolution, Maryam faced intense backlash due to her gender identity. She underwent arrests, and death threats. She was fired from her job at the Iranian National Radio and Television, forced to wear masculine clothing, injected with male hormones against her will, and detained in a psychiatric institution. Later she was released by the help of religious leaders.She also fought for legal recognition of trans people in Iran.

In 2007, she founded the Iranian Society to Support Individuals with Gender Identity Disorder (Persian: حمایت از بیماران مبتلا به اختلالات هویت جنسی ایران) the first state-approved organization for transgender rights in Iran. Before this, she used her own property in Karaj to help other transgender people receive legal advice and medical care, including post-operative care. She continued advocating for other transgender people and bailing them out of prison after they were arrested, even knowing she would likely face violence for doing so.

Sally Mursi

Sally Mursi was an Egyptian transsexual entertainer.She was most controversial figure in Egypt for her sex reassignment surgery.Sally was born in a religious muslim family.Sally was a student of Al-Azhar, which is renowned as one of the world's most prestigious universities for Islamic learning. She completed her sex reassignment surgery in 1988. When Al-Azhar's Medical School for Boys came to know about her sex-change operation, they refused to accept her as their student.

She was also accused of trying to get out of military service and was ordered to report for induction into the army. Army doctors examined her, and finding that she was a woman, concluded that Sally was not medically fit for military service.Sally was refused a transfer to Al-Azhar’s Medical School for Girls. So she filed a case against Al-Azhar Medical School later which stirred a nationwide controversy. Despite going through many problems, she didn't stop her fight for her rights.

At that time Mohammed Sayyed Tantawi, Grand Mufti of Al-Azhar, issued a fatwa that Sally's change was necessary for her health but that before the operation she should for one year dress, behave and comply with all obligations of Islam for women (except for marital obligations).This fatwa was the first Sunni ruling on sex reaffirmation surgery. Eventually Sally won 2 legal rulings against the Al-Azhar school, but it ignored them, and also blacklisted her at other medical schools.So she completed her education from Cairo University on literature.Sally also legally married with a man in Egypt. But still transsexuals like sally faced discrimination & harassment in Egypt.

Bülent Ersoy

Bülent Ersoy is a popular transsexual singer and actress of Turkey. Often nicknamed Diva by her fans. Ersoy's some of the famous hits are "Ümit Hırsızı", "Geceler", "Beddua" , "Maazallah", "Biz Ayrılamayız" and "Sefam olsun". Ersoy Ersoy began her career as a male singer, in the genre of Turkish classical music.Her grandparents played classical Turkish music and she first took private lessons and then studied at Istanbul Municipal Conservatory. Already one of Turkey's most popular singers and actors, she gained international notoriety in April 1981 after having sex reassignment surgery in London by a British plastic surgeon. She kept the name "Bülent" even though it is a typically masculine name. After the operation, Ersoy found herself in opposition to 1980 Turkish coup d'état of Kenan Evren. In a crackdown on "social deviance," Ersoy's public performances were banned along with those of other transgender people. To circumvent the ban, she petitioned the Turkish courts to legally recognize her as a woman.The petition was rejected in January 1982. Days later, she attempted suicide. In 1983, she left Turkey in protest of the Evren regime's repressive policies and continued her career in Germany. Along with her musical career, she made several Turkish movies in Germany.Later Ersoy came back to turkey when Evren left office and many of his policies were rescinded.

[derakhtesokoot]

Carl Ernst, Sufism: An Introduction

(citation: Abu Hamid Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr Ibrahim Farid al-Din ‘Attar Nishapuri, Kitab tadhkirat al-awliya’, ed. Reynold Alleyne Nicholson (2 vols., 5th ed., Tehran: Intisharat-i Markazi, n.d.), 1, 136.)

[thefearnfaith]

Strive to discover the mystery before life is taken from you. If while living you fail to find yourself, to know yourself, how will you be able to understand the secret of your existence after you die?

- Farid Al-Din Attar

[wisdomrays]

WARA' (Abstinence)

Wara' is defined as holding oneself back from unbecoming, unnecessary things; as strictly refraining from what is unlawful and forbidden; or abstaining from all doubtful things lest one should commit a forbidden act. The Islamic principle: Abandon what you doubt and prefer what you have no doubt about, and the Prophetic saying: What is lawful is evident and what is forbidden is also evident, explain the basis of wara'.

Some Sufis define wara' as the conviction of the truth of Islamic tenets, being straightforward in one's beliefs and acts, being steadfast in observing Islamic commandments, and being very careful in one's relations with God Almighty. Others define it as not being heedless of God even for the period of the twinkling of an eye, and others as permanently closing them-selves to all that is not Him, as not lowering oneself before anyone except Him (for the fulfillment of one's needs or other reasons), and as advancing until reaching God without getting stuck with one's ego, carnal self and desires, and the world.

Always refrain from begging from people,

Beg only from your Lord Who is the All-Munificent.

Renounce the pomp and luxuries of the world

Which will certainly go as they have come.

We can also interpret wara' as basing one's life on engaging in what is necessary and useful, as acting in consciousness of the real nature of useless, fleeting, and transient things. This is stated in the Tradition: It is the beauty of a man's being a good Muslim that he abandons what is of no use to him.

The writer of the Pandname, Farid al-Din al-Attar, explains this principle in a very beautiful way:

Wara' gives rise to fear of God,

One without wara' is subject to humiliation.

Whoever uprightly follows the way of wara',

Whatever he does is for the sake of God.

One who desires love and friendship of God,

Without wara', he is false in his claim of love.

Wara' relates to both the inner and outer aspects of a believer's life and conduct. A traveler on the path of wara' must have reached the peaks of taqwa; his or her life must reflect a strict observance of the Shari'a's commands and prohibitions; his or her actions must be for the sake of God; his or her heart and feelings must be purged of whatever is other than God; and he or she always must feel the company of the "Hidden Treasure."

In other words, the traveler abandons those thoughts and conceptions that do not lead to Him, keeps aloof from those scenes that do not remind one of Him, does not listen to speeches that are not about Him, and is not occupied with that which does not please Him. Such degree of wara' leads one directly and quickly to God Almighty, Who declared to Prophet Moses: Those who desire to get near to Me have not been able to find a way better than wara' and zuhd (asceticism).

The abstinence known by humanity during the Age of Happiness was perfectly observed by the blessed generations following the Companions, and became an objective to reach for almost every believer. It was during this period that Bishr al-Khafi's sister asked Ahmad ibn Hanbal:

O Imam, I usually spin (wool) on the roof of my house at night. At that time, some officials pass by with torches in their hands, and I happen to benefit, even unwillingly, from the light of their torches. Does this mean that I mix into my earnings something gained through a religiously unlawful way? The great Imam wept bitterly at this question and replied: Something doubtful even to such a minute degree must not find a way into the house of Bishr al-Khafi.

It was also during this period that people shed tears for the rest of their lives because they had cast a single glance at something forbidden, and people who vomited a piece of unlawful food that they had swallowed in ignorance wept for days. As related by 'Abd Allah ibn Mubarak, a great traditionist and ascetic, a man traveled from Merv (Afghanistan) to Makka in order to return to its owner an item that he had put in his pocket by mistake. There were many who gave life-long service to those to whom they thought they owed something, such as Fudayl ibn 'Iyad. Biographies of saints, such as Hilyat al-Awliya' (The Necklace of Saints) by Abu Nu'aym al-Isfahani, and al-Tabaqat al-Kubra (The Greatest Compendium) by Imam al-Sharani, are full of the accounts of such heroes of abstinence.

[mrtinmtz]

The Wine of Love

In the death of night, a sufi began to weep

he said, this world is like a closed coffin in which we are shut and in which through our ignorance we spend our lives in folly and desolation, when death comes to open the lid of the coffin, each one who as wings will fly off to eternity.. but those without will remain locked in the coffin.. before the lid of this coffin is taken off.. do all you can to become a bird of the way to god, do all you can to develop your wings and your feathers, so as long as we do not die to ourselves, and so long as we identify with someone or something we shall never be free, the spiritual way is not for those wrapped up in exterior life, strive to discover the mystery before life is taken from you, if while living you fail to find yourself, to know yourself, how will you be able to understand the secret of your existence when you die...

intoxicated by the wine of love, what do all seek so earnestly, this love.. what do they whisper to each other... love love is the subject of their inmost thoughts, in love no longer thou and i exist, for self has passed away in the beloved, in the temple of my inmost soul, behold a friend, incomparable love...

one who would know the secret of both worlds, would find that the secret of them both is love...

the whole world is a market for love the eternal wisdom made all things in love, on love they all depend, the earth heavens, stars, moons... the center of their orbit found in love...

by love are all bewildered, stupefied, intoxicated, by the wine of love...

Farid al-Din Attar

[editionetoile]

Farid al-Din Attar Book: The Conference of the Birds

Temptations:

One day, an immature person went to see an ascetic and complained to him about the actions of the devil. "His trickery deceived me and led me astray from the right path and religion." The man responded, "Know, my dear friend, that before you, the devil came to me to complain about you because you afflicted him, and he is upset by your great injustice." Here's what he told me: "This world is my domain; whoever is his enemy is not my concern. So, go tell so-and-so to move on, to wash his hands of this world, which is mine. If I have, without mercy, targeted his faith, it's because he clung to the world, my kingdom. Whoever leaves my domain and renounces for good, I have nothing more to do with him, and I let him go."

ℹ️ In Sufism, the pursuit of inner truth, the purification of the soul, and detachment from the material world are central themes. The dialogue between the immature, representing the soul in search, and the ascetic can be seen as an allegory of the spiritual journey. The immature complains about the traps of the devil, symbolizing the temptations and distractions that lead the soul astray from the right path. The ascetic, embodying spiritual wisdom, responds by revealing that even the devil complained about immature souls afflicting him, thus emphasizing the consequences of one's own actions. When the devil declares that the world is his domain, he refers to material distractions and earthly attachments that distance the soul from its spiritual quest. The call to "wash one's hands of this world" can be understood as an encouragement to detach from worldly attachments, thereby renouncing distractions that hinder the spiritual journey. The reference to targeting the individual's faith underscores the importance of inner purity. The devil states that he is no longer interested in those who leave his domain, suggesting that the soul that definitively renounces material attachments is liberated from the detrimental influence of the devil. Overall, this allegory highlights Sufi themes of inner purification, detachment from the material world, and the quest for spiritual truth through the soul's journey toward divine proximity.

Artwork by John Martin "Satan Presiding at the Infernal Council" (1824) Translated from Persian illustration by Laurent Guidali Www.Etoile.App

[rudyroth79]

Știri: Premiera spectacolului „Cântece șamanice/The Quest” la Teatrul Național din Cluj-Napoca (12 aprilie 2023)

Cea de-a doua săptămână a lunii aprilie aduce o nouă premieră pe scena Studioului Euphorion al Teatrul Național din Cluj-Napoca: Cântece șamanice/The Quest, spectacol inspirat de poemul persan Conferința păsărilor (Manteq al-Tayr) de Farid ud-Din Attar. Regia spectacolului este semnată de artistul de origine turcă Çağlar Yiğitoğulları, recunoscut pentru performance-urile sale curajoase, care…

[talonabraxas]

Eye of the Universe Talon Abraxas

The heart is the dwelling place of that which is the essence of the universe... If you draw aside the veils of the stars and the spheres, you will see that all is one with the Essence of your own pure soul. —Farid al-Din Attar

[tawakkull]

ISLAM 101: Spirituality in Islam: Part 17

Wara’ (Abstinence)

Wara’ is defined as holding oneself back from unbecoming, unnecessary things; as strictly refraining from what is unlawful and forbidden; or abstaining from all doubtful things lest one should commit a forbidden act. The Islamic principle: Abandon what you doubt and prefer what you have no doubt about, and the Prophetic saying: What is lawful is evident and what is forbidden is also evident, explain the basis of wara’. [1] Some Sufis define wara’ as the conviction of the truth of Islamic tenets, being straightforward in one’s beliefs and acts, being steadfast in observing Islamic commandments, and being very careful in one’s relations with God Almighty. Others define it as not being heedless of God even for the period of the twinkling of an eye, and others as permanently closing them-selves to all that is not Him, as not lowering oneself before anyone except Him (for the fulfillment of one’s needs or other reasons), and as advancing until reaching God without getting stuck with one’s ego, carnal self and desires, and the world.

Always refrain from begging from people, Beg only from your Lord Who is the All-Munificent. Renounce the pomp and luxuries of the world Which will certainly go as they have come.

We can also interpret wara’ as basing one’s life on engaging in what is necessary and useful, as acting in consciousness of the real nature of useless, fleeting, and transient things. This is stated in the Tradition: It is the beauty of a man’s being a good Muslim that he abandons what is of no use to him.

The writer of the Pandname, Farid al-Din al-Attar, explains this principle in a very beautiful way:

Wara’ gives rise to fear of God, One without wara’ is subject to humiliation. Whoever uprightly follows the way of wara’, Whatever he does is for the sake of God. One who desires love and friendship of God, Without wara’, he is false in his claim of love.

Wara’ relates to both the inner and outer aspects of a believer’s life and conduct. A traveler on the path of wara’ must have reached the peaks of taqwa; his or her life must reflect a strict observance of the Shari'a’s commands and prohibitions; his or her actions must be for the sake of God; his or her heart and feelings must be purged of whatever is other than God; and he or she always must feel the company of the “Hidden Treasure.”

In other words, the traveler abandons those thoughts and conceptions that do not lead to Him, keeps aloof from those scenes that do not remind one of Him, does not listen to speeches that are not about Him, and is not occupied with that which does not please Him. Such degree of wara’ leads one directly and quickly to God Almighty, Who declared to Prophet Moses: Those who desire to get near to Me have not been able to find a way better than wara’ and zuhd (asceticism).

The abstinence known by humanity during the Age of Happiness was perfectly observed by the blessed generations following the Companions, and became an objective to reach for almost every believer. It was during this period that Bishr al-Khafi’s sister asked Ahmad ibn Hanbal:

O Imam, I usually spin (wool) on the roof of my house at night. At that time, some officials pass by with torches in their hands, and I happen to benefit, even unwillingly, from the light of their torches. Does this mean that I mix into my earnings something gained through a religiously unlawful way? The great Imam wept bitterly at this question and replied: Something doubtful even to such a minute degree must not find a way into the house of Bishr al-Khafi. [2]

It was also during this period that people shed tears for the rest of their lives because they had cast a single glance at something forbidden, and people who vomited a piece of unlawful food that they had swallowed in ignorance wept for days. As related by ‘Abd Allah ibn Mubarak, a great traditionist and ascetic, a man traveled from Merv (Afghanistan) to Makka in order to return to its owner an item that he had put in his pocket by mistake. There were many who gave life-long service to those to whom they thought they owed something, such as Fudayl ibn ‘Iyad. Biographies of saints, such as Hilyat al-Awliya’ (The Necklace of Saints) by Abu Nu'aym al-Isfahani, and al-Tabaqat al-Kubra (The Greatest Compendium) by Imam al-Sharani, are full of the accounts of such heroes of abstinence.

[1] Bukhari, Buyu’, 3; Tirmidhi, Qiyama, 60. [2] Qushayri, al-Risala, 111.