#Persian Poetry Scholar

[unitedstatesofworld]

Joshua Hall: A Multifaceted Journey Through Life and Career

Joshua Hall a name that stands out in multiple fields, from politics to entertainment. Whether it's Joshua Hall, the former governor of Maine, shaping early American politics, or Joshua Hall, the rising basketball star making waves on the court, each has carved a unique path. In education and public service, Joshua Hall has also made significant contributions, serving as a Connecticut state representative and advocating for policies that impact communities. Meanwhile, the name Joshua Hall even appears in entertainment, adding a fictional touch to soap opera history. Across different domains, Joshua Hall continues to be a name associated with influence, talent, and dedication. No matter the field, Joshua Hall’s impact is undeniable, proving that one name can hold a multitude of legacies.

Joshua Hall: The 8th Governor of Maine

Early Life and Career

Born on October 22, 1768, in Lewes, Delaware, Joshua Hall's early education was modest, rooted in the common schools of his hometown. Initially, he served as a Methodist preacher, a role that undoubtedly shaped his leadership qualities.

Political Ascendancy

Hall's political journey began in the Maine House of Representatives, where he represented Frankfort in multiple sessions between 1814 and 1819. His peers recognized his leadership, electing him as the Speaker in 1830. Following the death of Governor Enoch Lincoln, Hall briefly assumed the governorship from January 6 to February 9, 1830, before returning to his pastoral duties.

Joshua M. Hall: Connecticut State Representative

Educational and Professional Background

Joshua M. Hall boasts a solid academic foundation with a Bachelor of Arts from Norfolk State University and a Master of Science from Central Connecticut State University. Before venturing into politics, he dedicated himself to education, teaching at Weaver High School in Hartford and serving as the vice president of the Hartford Federation of Teachers.

Political Career

Elected in a special election on April 25, 2017, Hall represents Connecticut's 7th District. Although elected on the Working Families Party line, he aligns with the Democratic Party, contributing to various committees, including Housing, Labor and Public Employees, and Transportation.

Joshua Hall: The Basketball Prodigy

Early Life and High School Career

Born on October 8, 2000, in Durham, North Carolina, Joshua Hall's basketball journey began at Southern High School. His talent led him to prestigious programs like Oak Hill Academy and later Moravian Prep, where he averaged 24 points and 4.4 rebounds per game, solidifying his reputation as a five-star recruit.

Professional Pursuits

Opting to bypass college basketball, Hall declared for the 2020 NBA Draft. Although undrafted, he secured a two-way contract with the Oklahoma City Thunder. His professional journey has seen him play for teams like the Maine Celtics and the Cape Town Tigers in the Basketball Africa League.

Joshua D. T. Hall: The Scholar of Persian Poetry

Academic Endeavors

Joshua D. T. Hall is a distinguished scholar in Near Eastern Languages and Cultures. His research focuses on medieval and early modern Persian poetry, with a particular emphasis on the works of Hafez. His dedication to literary translation bridges cultural divides, bringing Persian literary masterpieces to a broader audience.

Joshua Hall: The Soap Opera Character

Character Background

In the realm of entertainment, Joshua Hall is a fictional character from the soap opera "One Life to Live." Portrayed by actors like Laurence Fishburne and Guy Davis, the character navigated complex storylines, contributing to the show's rich narrative tapestry.

Joshua Hall: The Neuropsychologist

Professional Credentials

Dr. J. Joshua Hall is a neuropsychologist affiliated with the University of Kansas Health System. He completed his post-doctorate in Neuropsychology at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in 2010 and has since been contributing to advancements in neuropsychological research and patient care.

Joshua Hall: The Real Estate Professional

Personal and Professional Life

Joshua Hall gained media attention through his relationship with television personality Christina Haack. The couple married in 2022, with Hall supporting Haack in her real estate ventures. However, their relationship faced challenges, leading to a separation in 2024.

Conclusion

The name Joshua Hall encompasses a spectrum of individuals who have made significant impacts in their respective fields. From governance and legislation to sports, academia, and entertainment, each Joshua Hall has contributed uniquely to society's diverse tapestry.

[whencyclopedia]

Persian Rose-and-Nightingale Paintings

Rose-and-nightingale paintings and patterns (gul-u-bulbul) are a subtheme of the bird-flower (gul-u-morḡ) genre in Persian art. Bird-and-flower paintings are of Chinese origin and include pictorial elements such as flowers and plants, birds, and occasionally butterflies. This motif was then appropriated by the Persians and throughout the centuries evolved from being a decorative element within the art of books to an independent genre of painting.

Both the rose and the nightingale have important status within Persian art and literature, with roses also having a conspicuous role in Persian traditions, ceremonies, and economics. From the pre-Islamic era and Zoroastrian rituals to the Islamic period, roses have enjoyed a significant position both symbolically and practically. Roses have been associated with the prophets of Islam, especially Prophet Muhammad (570-632 CE), and they were one of the main Persian exports during the Safavid era (c. 1501-1739), which also contributed to their more abundant presence in art. The importance and presence of this motif increased so much during the Qajar Dynasty (1794-1925) that it even came to symbolize the country itself. The word 'rose' (gul) also became a generic term for all flowers. As Layla S. Diba notes:

The bird and flower decorative theme was one of the most prominent in Persian art, originating in manuscript illustration and evolving as a decorative motif and independent painting genre. This theme enjoyed such popularity due to its universal appeal and range of both earthly and divine floral meanings which it conveys. (12)

Origin

The bird-and-flower subject was popular in China from the early Tang Dynasty (618-907) and was one of the major types of Chinese painting which included birds, flowers, insects, and pets. Chinese artist-scholars depicted this motif using different stylistic and technical approaches ranging from realistic to overtly expressionistic. Regardless of the method of painting, the bird-and-flower motif had a symbolic meaning and reflected the ideas of the artist-scholar. Although the bird-and-flower theme (especially roses) had been used in Persian literature and poetry since the 11th century and throughout its golden age, it only appeared within the art of books during the Ilkhanid period in the 14th century due to Chinese influence.

Continue reading...

[howtomuslim]

Why Did the Companions of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) Embrace Islam?

One of the most frequently asked questions about Islam is, “What is the strongest proof for its truth?” The answer to this question often depends on the individual’s perspective and background. This principle also applied to the companions of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Different companions embraced Islam for different reasons, shaped by their unique experiences, knowledge, and interactions with the Prophet and his message.

Knowledge of Previous Scriptures

For some companions, the descriptions of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in earlier scriptures were compelling proof of his prophethood. Abdullah ibn Salam, a Jewish scholar, embraced Islam after recognising in the Prophet the signs and characteristics foretold in the Torah. Similarly, Salman al-Farsi, a seeker of truth who traveled far and wide in search of the true religion, found confirmation in the descriptions of the final Prophet found in Christian texts and teachings. For these companions, the congruence between previous revelations and the life of the Prophet was undeniable evidence of his divine mission.

Interestingly there were Jewish tribes who moved to Medina believing that a prophet would arise and be welcomes into that very city, a prophecy fulfilled. 

The Miraculous Beauty of the Quran

Others were drawn to Islam through the Quran, a book whose eloquence and profundity left even the greatest poets of Arabia in awe. In a society that prized poetry and linguistic mastery, the Quran’s unmatched style, depth, and rhythm were beyond human capability. For example, Al-Tufayl ibn Amr, a renowned poet, was initially cautious about Islam due to the warnings of the Quraysh. However, upon hearing the Quran directly, he was overwhelmed by its beauty and depth, which he immediately recognised as divine. Unais, the brother of Abu Hurairah and himself a poet, was similarly convinced of the Quran’s divine origin upon hearing its verses.

The Quran’s ability to address profound theological truths, human psychology, and the natural world in a manner that resonated with hearts and minds was transformative. Its impact on the people of Arabia, particularly those who understood its linguistic nuances, was unparalleled.

The Fulfillment of Prophecies

For many companions, the fulfillment of prophecies was a decisive factor in their conversion. The Quran’s prediction of the Roman Empire’s victory over the Persians after a period of defeat, as mentioned in Surah Ar-Rum, is a notable example. This prophecy came to pass precisely as foretold, strengthening the faith of many, including Niyar ibn Mukram. Such accurate predictions demonstrated that the Quran was not the work of an ordinary human but rather a revelation from the All-Knowing Creator.

The Prophet’s Miracles

Beyond the Quran, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) performed numerous miracles that convinced skeptics of his prophethood. These included the splitting of the moon, the gushing of water from his fingers, and the increase of food to feed multitudes. Witnessing such extraordinary events firsthand left many companions with no doubt about his prophethood.

The Prophet’s Impeccable Character

Perhaps the most compelling reason for many was the unparalleled character of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). He was known as Al-Amin (the Trustworthy) even before his prophethood, and his honesty, compassion, and integrity were evident to all who interacted with him. Companions like Khadijah, Abu Bakr, and Umar ibn al-Khattab were deeply moved by his sincerity, wisdom, and steadfastness. His ability to forgive even his staunchest enemies, his concern for the downtrodden, and his humility despite his growing influence endeared him to those around him.

A Message for All Backgrounds

The beauty of Islam lies in its universal appeal. It speaks to the scholar through its knowledge, to the poet through its eloquence, to the skeptic through its evidence, and to the seeker through its simplicity and depth. The companions of the Prophet embraced Islam for reasons as varied as their own personal journeys, showing that Islam’s message resonates with all who approach it with an open heart and mind.

For more about Islam visit: https://www.howtomuslim.org

Islamic Resources: https://www.howtomuslim.org/catalogue

Why Islam: https://www.howtomuslim.org/why-islam

Who was Prophet Muhammed (PBUH): https://www.howtomuslim.org/prophet-muhammed

[rrcraft-and-lore]

Tawaif - a highly skilled courtesan (skilled in: music, dance, poetry, and singing) who catered to nobility in South Asia. Similar in respects to Geisha in many ways, including that sex was NOT obligatory. It occurred, but the primary function was entertainment.

Most commonly romantic poetry like Ghazals -a form of Arabic poetry that made its way over to South Asia: odes of long lost lovers, tragedy, separation, stuff to pull at your heart strings. And, shairi, another Arab/Persian kind of poetry that is built on monorhymed quatrains or four sixteen syllable lines (keeping to the same rhyme scheme) with a caesura used between lines 8//9 to break up the first half from the second. During the British Occupation, they were simply called, Nautch girls or dance girls. But this is far from all they did or were capable of. The name itself, Tawaif, is the term for a HIGHLY SKILLED courtesan. They were trained to the upmost of artistic forms.

They were not there to perform sex acts - that was often incidental and not contractual. And the women had the power to rebuff men's advances.

The Tawaifs of India were regarded as some of the greatest performing artists of their time with documented praise and examples from travelers such as Xuanzang, a Chinese pilgrim, notable traveling Buddhist Monk and scholar who frequented India, remarking on the Tawaifs skill, beauty, and performances during once such visit to the Sun Temple in Multan. Al-Biruni, often regarded as the father of Comparative Religion studies, an Iranian polymath and scholar, regarded on their skill and larger numbers during the 11th century CE upon a visit, Ganikas, another entertainer, are a public dancing girl (very common in cities from the Vedic period upward) who received classical arts training (most obviously dancing) and often performed from public settings up to royal private ones - and would compete to become Nagarvadhu - the most beautiful woman and most highly talented in forms of art (dance mostly).

Many young girls would leave or were taken to be taught these skills, and yes, there were schools for this too as well as private tutelage. People don't often realize this, but Ancient India was a place of extreme learning with all kinds of schools for different disciplines. A place of academies. Something I've talked about, like places like Nalanda, the world's oldest residential university that attracted people from far as Greece to Japan.

Anyways, Tawaifs were so successful and sought after, that records show they were consistently among the highest tax payers. Records also show that their wealth was used (by their consent/given) to help fund rebellions against the British Raj - enough so that the British passed laws to strip them of their ability to work as courtesans and left them only with sex work, which is sadly why some stories today only speak of them as prostitutes and not knowing their full, complex, and impactful history It's said the art of all this came from Urvashi, an Apsara (celestial being of dance, song, seduction/temptation, art, music).

[michirukaioureincarnate]

Lesbian Supernatural Detective TV Show That I’ll Never Write

Wow not me doing a self-insert cuz my life is so boring but whatever cuz here's what I'm picturing:

A/N: Please note that any religious references and depictions are inspired from my own experiences with religion and the supernatural, and are not intended to offend or disrespect anyone or anything. Everything is fictional.

Setting: A quaint yet large Victorian-esque city somewhere in West Europe set in the modern day. It's a hub of creatives, mom and pop shops, students looking for cheap rent, and people who haven't bothered moving out of generational homes.

Sypnosis: Strange incidents are a norm, which explains the low rent prices, and only one person has been able to get to the bottom of the strangest cases since the citie's inception: me >:3

Why? Because I have a secret advantage that no one else does.

A qareen.

Cast

Me/Myca Kahn: 26F | 4'-11" | Pakistani | medium-length wavy-ish black hair, warm skin, medium-dark brown eyes that sparkle from being a cutie patootie A chirpy and delightful forensic science scholar who takes the detective world by storm by solving the some of the most bizarre cases in and around the city | Background: Escaped an Islamic cult-like community in Pakistan to study in Europe (idk where doh, just bear with me) and just wants to live a normal life, but alas, her shadowy counterpart makes it difficult. Very difficult. | Has a very sunny disposition for a detective, which makes it difficult for her to be taken seriously until she's in action. | Changed her name right after graduating.

Saya (means 'shadow' in Urdu): Paranormal entity | distinct colorless and cloudy eyes Myca's shadowy counterpart. May or may not take Myca's form when materializing, but is mostly just a shadowy figure lurking around her out of everyone's immediate sight. Might sometimes be noticed by others in their periphery, but never directly. | Extremely selfish in nature, but can be reasonable as long as their needs aren't directly affected. | Often recites Urdu, Persian, and Arabic poetry during emotionally charged moments, with very poignant selection. | Can notice things Myca can't and guides her with investigations, and offers assistance against paranormal hindrances. | Background: every qareen is invisible, but something the cult did brought Saya out. Deliberately chose to remain bound to me. Motive is unclear.

Hildr: 30F | 5'-10" | Scandinavian/Nordic (nationality: undecided) | straight blonde hair cut short, fair skin, and light-colored brooding eyes | very serious, grumpy, and low-key intimidating Transferred from another city and assigned to Myca for some fckn reason even though she literally can't work with anyone because none of her previous partners could keep up and, frankly, got in the way of pursuing her intuition during investigations. She knows this woman will be no different from them. | Might have an ulterior motive? But it's yet to be decided | Recently been transferred from military service to civil duties after returning from a trauamatic mission to check on a missing military squad, and witnessing some weird paranormal shit during her time.

Themes

Primary: solving mysteries and exploring complex relationships between the three characters | eventual romantic + sexual tension between Myca/Hildr with Saya interfering to create conflict and keep Myca isolated | Saya's existence unbeknowst to Hildr, so the revelation leads to a sense of betrayal and eventual deterioration of trust between Myca and Hildr

Secondary: character backstories and how it influences their personalities and decisions | Myca's corruption arc | Saya's release arc | Myca and Hildr reconciliation

Tertiary: Saya's hold and influence on Myca | fully intended to be controversial: codependent relationship between Myca and Saya that can border on it beng intimately inappropriate, but this is only to depict Myca's abusive upbringing in a symbolic manner and how she must break free from it to accept the sincerity of others that she longs for

Tentative pilot episode (idk how to do scriptwriting so bear with me cuz I might unconciously switch to my regular writing style here and there)

Supervisor at her desk queitly sifting through a file of a case Myca recently solved, eyebrows furrowed in suspicion. Camera cuts to a spread of documents under the recent case file with certain parts circled with pencil. It's clear she's caught onto something strange, but she's not sure what exactly.

Door bursts open, startling her out of hyper-focus, and Myca marches in proudly to plant herself before Supervisor's desk, a fist on her hip while her other hand holds up a clear bag filled with dissambled electronic devices.

Myca, smirking: "got yo evidence, chief." Plonks clear bag on the desk. "Time to let this hot commodity—" dramtically gestures down the length of herself "—thaw out that cold case you promised me."

Supervisor, with a dead stare, blinks at Myca slowly with a soft exhale of exasperation as she eyes her assitant at the adjacent work desk.

Supervisor: "You'd think I'd get used to this by now."

Myca, chuckling and crossing her arms: "Please don't. Your reaction's half the fun. Now, about our agreement—"

Supervisor: "That I had a non-negotiable condition for? Yes, let's discuss."

Myca rolls her eyes: "You never even told me what it was!"

Now it's Supervisor's turn to smirk, and her assistant covers his smile behind a clipboard as he picks up the phone to speed-dial someone.

Assistant: "Send 'em in."

Myca narrows her eyes at Supervisor suspiciously. The door creaks open. She turns to watch Hildr walk in with a commanding presence, and a stoic face. She has a visibly athletic build.

Camera closes up and pans over the contours of her toned shoulders, cutting down the length of her visibly strong biceps against the stretchy fabric of her fitted black turtleneck. Cut to a poised hand over a gun at the belt of her black tactical cargo pants that her top is tucked into. Camera pans up her visbily strong forearms that the sleeves are folded over. Cut to her brooding eyes under her low-set brows, looking into the camera with a despondent emptiness.

Camera cuts to Myca's surprised face as she quickly turns back to Supervisor with a serious look, trying to contain her blush. She obviously finds Hildr attractive, although intimidating as well.

Myca, clearing her throat, voice slightly high-pitched: "And what does she have to do with anything?"

Supervisor: "That's Hildr (last name undecided). She's your partne—no, bodyguard, actually."

Myca smacks her palms onto the desk and squeaks: "WHAT?!"

Supervisor: "After your stunt with the recent so-called sting operation, head of department's decided you need extra...protection. You almost got holes put into you."

Camera cuts to Myca's side-profile with a medium close-up shot, zooming in slowly to frame her head and shoulder with a sinister dimness, followed by a soft, drawn-out creepy breath that becomes more audible the closer the camera gets to Myca. Dark, smoky tendrils curl from behind Myca into the frame to brush against her ear.

Saya's deep, dark, semi-demonic whispers: "Holes? Please. We barely got scratched, chief."

Myca clears her throat, breaking the imposing darkness as the camera cuts abruptly to normal shot of her side profile. She straightens up and crosses her arms adamantly.

Myca: "I made it out alive."

Supervisor scoffs: "With a gunshot graze on your neck, Myca!"

Camera looks over Supervisor's out-of-focus shoulder at Myca, who adjusts the collar of her coat to hide the patched wound above her collarbone. "Still alive."

Camera shifts focus to Hildr behind Myca, who has a questioning/curious look on her face. Camera cuts to Supervisor's face, her brow raised in displeasure as her eyes dart between Myca and Hildr.

Supervisor: "Either you accept Hildr as your bodyguard, or you don't get the case. In fact, you won't get to work on any case with high or critical threat levels." Camera cuts to Myca, who is bewildered.

Saya's omniscent whisper that only Myca can hear: "Ooh, that would be a big problem."

Myca huffs defeatedly: "Fine. Not like I have a choice."

She turns to Hildr, who raises her brows and cocks her head slightly to better meet Myca's gaze, a hand still resting on her gun, perhaps out of habit. Myca averts her gaze abashedly and walks towards Hildr. Supervisor holds up a folder in the frame as camera readjusts to focus on it.

Supervisor: "Don't you want the case file?"

Camera switch to Myca's face with the Supervisor behind her. Myca halts and pulls her lips into a thin line, swiveling on her heel to march back to Supervisor's desk. Camera pans along from the side. Maya plucks the file from Supervisor's hand, then turns around again to rush past Hildr and out of the office. Camera cuts to Hildr in medium close-up shot just as Myca disappears past her out of the door, her eyes following Myca. Hildr exchanges a nod of acknowledgment with Supervisor before stepping out of the office after Myca.

[A/N: okay no more camera talk unless absolutely necessary cuz I be sorta tired tonight tbh]

Hildr briskly walks down the hallway after Myca, who's practically stomping off and turns a corner. Lightly jogging to catch up, she turns the corner and the space opens up to the lobby of the police station. It's sort of crowded, and she can't see Myca until a strange darkness (Saya's shaodwy tendrils) in her periphery catches her eye. Her head snaps to it with her heart pounding in her ears, but she's only met with a sight of Myca turning into a doorway down another hallway.

Hildr pauses to breathe deeply, not blinking as she attempts to compose herself before walking ahead. Her jaw is stiff, and her hand clutches the gun on her belt while her other hand tightens into a fist.

Flashbacks to a mission where she saw strange shadowy entities moving eerily across a barren landscape, following it to dead men in the same military uniform that she wore, with hollowed in cheeks and sunken eyes.

[A/N: I'm sure there could be a better depiction of PTSD done over here]

She marches with purpose, as if following after a suspect. People move out of her way, and it's only when she gets to the door and reaches out for the handle does she realize how agitated she really is. Flexing her fingers and exhaling deeply, her hand inches away from the doorknob to knock on the glass panel of the door instead, through which she can see Myca pacing about in the room with arms wrapped around herself for comfort.

The knock catches Myca's attention. Hildr watches her walk to the door and open it, standing before her. Camera points down at Myca a few inches away diagonally from Hildr's head to put their height difference in perspective. Myca's eyes gleam from the flourescent lights overhead as she looks up at Hildr.

[AN: trying to physically establish a sense of emotional and situational naivety that Myca has in order to give viewers a false impression of her being vulnerable before the real action starts]

Myca, moving back from the door: "Sorry for storming off like that back there. Come on in."

Hildr walks inside, and a medium shot from the side shows Myca and Hildr's height difference even more, with Myca's office in the background showing a whole lot of clutter pinned and taped on the movable boards and walls.

Myca, studying Hildr intently yet awkwardly: "Um, do you talk?"

Hildr, in a somewhat tired voice that's slightly deeper than most women's, and with a slight accent (cuz she's European and English is obviously not her first language): "Only when necessary."

Myca licks her lips and immediately looks away, blinking quickly. Her discreet gulp doesn't go unnoticed by Hildr, though she thinks she's making Myca uncomfortable by not saying much.

Flashbacks to Hildr's missions, how she was forced to stay quiet to remain undetected by enemies. Her entire career revolved around being as stealthy as possible, being light on her feet to avoid the sound of footsteps, and always breathing in a controlled way to not be heard.

Hildr, with a thoughtful look on her face: "They said you needed someone to watch your back while you investigated. That things are getting dangerous."

Myca sighs: "I'm perfectly capable of handling myself. What happened recently was...an unexpected situation."

Hildr walks to the movable boards pinned with maps and pictures overlayed with stickynotes of nearly incomprehensible scribbles. "Not wise, following suspects into blocked off catacombs without a plan. There are protocols in place for a reason."

Myca, grunting: "You have to think on your feet to make sure your evidence doesn't get away."

Hildr chortles behind her teeth and points to a section of the map circled in red, fingers skirting along the paths on its outskirt. "Could've deployed a unit." She explains as Myca walks up to her. "Stationed some people on these two exits to intercept them in case you couldn't chase your targets into this dead-end here."

Myca rolls her eyes. "And then what? Tie them up? Torture them for information? You save a whole lotta time and energy by just getting them to trust you, yanno?"

Hildr looks down at Myca with the slightest hint of amusement as Myca turns her way, looking up from under her long, dark lashes with skepticism. Hildr tilted her head as she leaned forward ever so slightly. "You tried to take on an entire team of criminals all on your own," she chides and picks up a document on the table to skim through. "That was reckless," she mutters, eyes flitting over the paper before turning it to Myca. "See? You weren't even authorized for it. Went rogue. I'm surprised you haven't been fired."

"Got my flawless track record to thank for it," Myca retorts with a cheeky, lopsided smile. If she was trying to come off as cocky, she was failing. [A/N: I've heard Europeans can't understand sarcasm for shit, so from Hildr's POV, Myca seems like she's trying to be something she isn't when she's just being playful.]

"Debateable," Hildr mutters and eyes the folder tucked behind Myca's crossed arms. "What about the case you got there?"

Camera cuts to a location outside an abandoned hospital on the outskirts of the city. It's nighttime, a low fog hangs at their feet, and the trees in the area are barren. Dry leaves crunch underfoot, and Myca observes the building in disrepair, with patches of vines crawling up and across walls and into broken glass panes of old windows.

"Some kids went missing back in 2006," she explains. "All we have is a YouTube video from the day before they went missing. They said they were going to camp out here at night and upload everything the next day, but that never happened."

"I read that in the file, yes," says Hildr absently as she assess the building while staying closely behind Myca. "But why do you want to investigate a case this old? You know those kids are as good as dead."

"Their souls would've aged like fine wine for a feast," cackles Saya in Myca's mind. She almost scolded them out loud before realizing she wasn't alone this time.

Behave yourself, Saya, she thought warningly. We agreed on leaving innocent souls alone.

I should be allowed a sweet treat every now and then, Saya insists mischievously.

NO!

Hildr grabs Myca's elbow and tugs her away. Myca stumbles back with a gasp into Hildr's chest, who grunts in displeasure. "Open manhole. Watch your step, Ms. Kahn."

With an embarrassed exhale, Myca straightens herself out and steps sideways to put some distance between them. She's visibly flustered, though tries not to show it to Hildr. "Sorry. I tend to—"

But Hildr's already got a gun out and pointed at the manhole. Myca wasn't sure if she imagined it, but she'd caught a glimpse of a head peeking at them from within the darkness in her periphery before it disappeared in a blink of an eye.

Saya? she asks within. Was that what I think it was?

Merely a distraction, they reply. The real treat is inside the hospital...if these gluttons haven't already consumed them.

"We should go inside," Myca says quickly.

"But there's someone down there."

"Most like a homeless person trying to figure out why we're around the abandoned parts," she insists. "Let's head inside where the real priority is."

[A/N: okay I can't write out an entire fucking episode of mystery at this point so here's what happens without the technical storytelling format]

Working backwards on the mystery, here's what I came up with for this episode:

What I'm thinking is that these boys had stumbled into an organ-harvesting and trade operation in a hidden section under the hospital. The boys were captured by the culprits and were unfortunately harvested for their organs as well. This could explain why the police could find absolutely no bodies or traces like limbs, bodily fluids, etc.

Given that Myca has a supernatural entity, Saya, attached to her, they're able to guide her in the investigation by temporarirly possessing her so she can see energies, entities, and other things not visible to human eyes. When possessed, a notable ability is that she can see through everything like the walls, floor, ceiling, and can find hidden rooms that way or people/entities in covered spaces. But when not possessed, Myca is intelligent enough to find clues on her own to solve cases, relying on creativity to do so.

Though Myca can see the spirits of those that have passed, she can't find the boys' spirits, and she can't communicate with any of the spirits anymore with Hildr constantly in her proximity.

The blueprints they have of the hospital aren't accurate—on purpose. It was created to be misleading in order to hide a section under the basement built around the sewage system, and Myca sees it when she allows Saya to temporarily possess her.

Hildr argues: "Misleading blueprints? For a hospital? That’s ridiculous. Too many people involved, too much risk. One wrong drill and your whole secret’s out."

Myca: "What do you mean?"

Hildr: "How many people's silence can you buy out? And, realistically speaking, how many of them could keep such a secret? We're talking architects, contractors, construction workers, plumbers and electrician."

Myca: "Not if it's part of an original design the hospital was built on. [City name] is really old, and I just dusted my hands off a case in the catacombs towards the city center, remember?"

Hildr, thoughtful: "Ah. Fair. Lead the way, Ms. Kahn."

[A/N: tbh I'm not great at writing mysteries so idk how the episode would progress, what clues they'd find, the red herrings they'd encounter, and what danger Myca could find herself in that would require Hildr stepping in to protect them. I think I'm good at manufacturing chemistry, but I can't do that without a justifiable lead up through this mystery. It's why I've accepted that I can never write this story :( but that doesn't mean I can't put ideas out there to come back to.]

In the end, when this case is done and dealt with, it's revealed that it could also be connected to a case of missing corpses in the city that came up sometime in later years (maybe 2010) which happened after a family realized they possibly buried their kid alive due to some prank the kid had attempted to pull. When the grave was dug up to retrieve him, the casket was literally gone. One of the caskets found under the hospital matches the one that went missing with the living kid.

They also deduce whoever was the person that kept this harrowing operation running. Perhaps a janitor from the time the hospital was still operational who joined the scheme for an undertermined motive. The person's dead now, though.

Myca returns to the hospital alone and allows Saya to feast on punished souls who had hurt people too much to be "dealt with" by Izril (basically Azrael in Arabic, which means "Whom God helps on their way."). The missing boy's souls are nowhere to be found, though Saya speculates that they may not have died during harvesting, but later when being transported away from the site, which means their souls are entrapped elsewhere and will need to be searched.

When Saya is done feeding, Myca asks a question she's asked before: if there's any true religion, and about the existence of heaven, hell, and Barzagh (a place separating the living from the hereafter). In a surprising moment of compassion, Saya says that the energies of the world operate in a way that makes the most sense to the person based on what they know and believe, and proceeds to recite a poem in Arabic called Doubt will Lead to Truth by Abu al ‘Alaa al Ma’arri (that I can't find in the Arabic script so imma just write it in English).

"By fearing whom I trust I find my way To truth; by trusting wholly I betray The trust of wisdom; better far is doubt Which brings the false into the light of day."

After ending credits, a bonus scene:

Myca enters a room in her apartment bound by supernatural constraints. She allows herself to be possessed by Saya to enter this room. There, a sleeping teenage boy lies encased in floating dark spiritual matter.

"I'm sorry for being away for so long, Ameen," she says regrettably.

"He feels abandoned," Saya says outloud through her, but in a different voice layered on top of her own.

Myca scoffs. "He's my brother. I'd never abandoned him."

She approaches her brother and touches the spiritual matter, causing a reaction where the darkness subsides, and Ameen's eyes flutter open. But only for a moment before he falls back asleep. Myca becomes desolate.

"Again, you know your brother's qareen needs a pure soul to latch onto," Saya explains sternly. "The punished ones can only satiate it for so long."

"We had a deal, Saya," she snaps. "I'll find a way to reverse whatever the fuck Murshid Abbu has done to him."

"He did to him what he did to you," Saya reminds her, "and it can't be undone. Have mercy on the child and let him go."

"No."

"He is a victim. His soul will not be puni—"

"NO!" Myca sobs, crumpling helplessly onto her knees as the scene fades to black.

[inspofromancientworld]

Brahma and its Ancient Origins

By Hossein Behzad - http://sadmu.ir/detail/5613, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=85573572

Jalāl al-Dīn Muḥammad Rūmī, also known as Muhammad bin Muhammad bin al-Husayn al-Khatibi al Bakhi al-Bakri, more commonly known in English as Rumi, was a Persian Islamic scholar, Sufi mystic, and poet who lived from 1207-1273. His name indicates that he was from the Sultinate of Rūm in Anatolia, which was part of the Byzantine Empire near the time of his birth. Rumi comes from a Persian word meaning 'Roman', meaning the Eastern Roman, or Byzantine Empire. His father was a preacher and jurist in Balkh, which was a major center of Persian and Sufi culture. When Rumi was five, the family moved to Samarkand due to the Mongols invasion, but Balkh had a deep effect on him through his life. He held a deep respect for Persian poets that went before him, such as Attar and Sanal, saying 'Attar was the spirit, Sanal his eyes twain, And in time thereafter, Came we in their train'. The family then settled in Karaman in Central Anatolia. There, his mother and brother died and his father remarried two more times. When Rumi was 21, the family settled in Konya at the invitation of 'Alā' ud-Dīn Key-Qobād who ruled Anatolia at the time so that his father could become the head of a religious school called a madrassa. When Rumi was 25, his father died and he inherited the position while continuing to learn under others. He traveled to Damascus and met with a dervish Shams-e Tabrizi, who had a deep influence on him. He tended to spontaneously compose poems that were collected by his followers and others. After the death of Shams, when Rumi was 40, he found another companion, Salaḥ ud-Din-e Zarkub, then Hussam-e Chalabi. Hussam encouraged Rumi to write his poetry down, that it 'would become the companion of many troubadours.' Over the next twelve years of his life, he dictated six volumes to Hussam. Many of Rumi's works talk about the love that infuses the world, which is a common thread with other mystic and Sufi poets. While he wrote about other religions, he held Islam above the others and the Quran as the ultimate truth.

By Photograph: World ImagingImage: Charles Masson (1841) - This file has been extracted from another file, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=85583318

Brahma is the Hindu creator in the supreme divinity that includes Vishnu and Shiva. The earliest mentions of Brahma probably date to the late first millenium BCE in the Maitrayaniya Upanishad. In it, 'one's Soul is Brahman, and this is the Ultimate Reality, Cosmic Universal or God is within each living being.' Brahma is often depicted with four faces that face the four directions and four arms without weapons in his hands, but rather holding symbols of knowledge and creation such as a copy of the Vedas and a mala, a loop of prayer beads, which symbolizes time.

In the poem, Rumi places the reader in the place of many parts of the world, beginning with 'I am the mote in the sunbeam, and I am the burning sun;/"rest here!" I whisper to the atom; I call to the orb, "Roll on!"' Not everything is pleasant, though, as he ads '[t]he warrior, the blade that smites him, his mother's heart-wrung tear;/I am intoxication, grapes, wine-press, and must, and wine' as well as 'I am both Good and Evil; the deed and the deed's intent,/Temptation, victim, sinner, crime, pardon and punishment'. It culminates with 'I am what was, is, will be; creation's ascent and fall;/The link, the chain of existence; beginning and end of all.'

You can read the whole poem here.

[dandelionh3art]

Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi, often simply known as Rumi, was a 13th-century Persian poet, Islamic scholar, and Sufi mystic. His poetry and teachings have captivated people across centuries, cultures, and religions, making him one of the most widely read poets in the world today. Rumi’s faith, rooted in Islam and deeply infused with Sufi mysticism, revolves around the themes of divine love, unity, and personal transformation.

Rumi’s Background and Faith

Born in 1207 in what is now Afghanistan, Rumi grew up in a religious family and was well-versed in Islamic scholarship. His father, Baha’uddin, was a theologian and spiritual teacher, and Rumi was exposed early on to the teachings of the Quran, Islamic jurisprudence, and philosophy. However, Rumi's spirituality took a transformative turn upon meeting Shams of Tabriz, a wandering dervish who became his spiritual guide and close friend. This relationship ignited within Rumi a profound understanding of love, a central theme in his poetry and philosophy, and deepened his journey within the Sufi tradition.

Sufism: The Mystical Path of Islam

Sufism, or Islamic mysticism, focuses on seeking a direct, personal experience of God through love, devotion, and contemplation. Unlike orthodox Islamic practices that emphasize outward forms, Sufis seek inner purification and closeness to God. They believe in transcending ego, material desires, and attachment to the self in order to reach divine love and unity with God.

For Rumi, the goal was not merely to follow religious doctrines but to experience the divine presence within. This belief is a key element in his teachings, which are often conveyed through metaphors of love and longing. Rumi’s works, such as the Masnavi, a six-book spiritual epic, and his Divan-e Shams-e Tabrizi, are considered some of the greatest works of Sufi literature. They delve into topics of spirituality, morality, and the pursuit of unity with the divine.

The Centrality of Love in Rumi’s Teachings

One of Rumi’s most famous ideas is that love is the bridge between the human and the divine. He believed that true love is a form of divine worship, and through love, one can dissolve their sense of self and become one with God. This love is not limited to romantic love; it is a universal, unconditional love for all of creation, which is seen as a manifestation of God.

Rumi often used the metaphor of a lover and the beloved to describe the relationship between a seeker and God. For instance, the famous line "I am yours, don’t give myself back to me," reflects his yearning for union with the divine. This spiritual love is a theme that runs throughout his poetry, which uses everyday symbols—such as the sun, the ocean, and the nightingale—to convey the soul’s journey toward the divine.

Rumi’s Legacy and Influence

Rumi’s teachings and poetry continue to resonate deeply in our world. His vision of a boundless, inclusive spirituality appeals to people of all faiths and backgrounds. For Rumi, all paths lead to the same truth, which is love, and his works have become a testament to this idea. His poems have been translated into numerous languages, and his influence can be seen in literature, music, and spiritual teachings across the globe.

Ultimately, Rumi’s faith and teachings offer a message of love, unity, and transcendence. He reminds us that no matter where we come from or what we believe, the essence of spirituality is finding divine love and unity within ourselves and in connection with others. This message remains as relevant today as it was in the 13th century.

[dodscans]

Hello, tysm for your work translating DoD! I have a question about chapter 68 - when Suleiman says Hurrem sent him poems again in the letter, he comments that she's "much better at this than me." Do you know if "this" is referring to Hurrem being better at composing poems than him, Hurrem being more consistent about sending him poems than he is with her, or something else? Thanks!

Hi anon. Sorry for the late response (because work has been killing me).

When he says that in chapter 68, he means that she's a better poet than him. Actually, Suleiman dabbled in poetry himself and has his own diwan. That's really cool. The Latinized version of his diwan can be found here. I'm not at all knowledgeable about classical Turkish poetry, so my comments are probably bullshit, but from what I gather, Suleiman was quite an accomplished poet. To a modern, ignorant reader like myself, his poems reeks of simping. Well, based on what I've learned in high school about classical poetry, it is indeed about simping about an idealized "beloved" in the most exquisite way, and Suleiman follows this trend. They don't have to mean what they say, because that is how poetry is supposed to be written. But knowing that all those flattery could have been written for Hürrem makes all the difference. Join the squeal party, fangirls!

So, him saying that Hürrem is better at poetry than him shows that she's quite well-read and intelligent, and has the respect of another fellow poet. And I'd like to emphasize that classical Turkish poetry wasn't just about saying pretty things; you had certain metres to follow, and say what you wanted to say in those meters with the fanciest mix of Persian/Arabic/Turkish vocabulary. I, for one, fail to understand those without the excessive use of a Ottoman-modern Turkish dictionary.

On an unrelated note, I have read some of her letters to Suleiman we still have today, and she sounds too cute! I can't tell if that's how palace people spoke at the time, or if it was her actual accent, but reading her letters about how much she misses and is worried about Suleiman make me go "awww..." While a considerable amount of letters were written by the Harem ladies' scribes, they say there's evidence that Hürrem wrote hers herself. Domestic Hürrem and Suleiman ftw!

Actually, thank you for this question. I need to revisit her letters sometime, some of which are compiled in this book.

tl;dr: Hürrem is a scholar and an intellectual.

[qalbofnight]

Har Lehza Ba Shakal Aan Blink, And There He Was In A Different Form.,

POET JALALUDDIN RUMI

Hamne beparda tujhe maah-jabeen dekh liya

Ab na kar parda ke o parda-nasheen dekh liya

Hamne dekha tujhe aankhon ki siyaah putli mein

Saat pardon mein tujhe parda-nasheen dekh liya

Ham nazar-baazon se tu chhup na saka jaan-e-jahaan

Tu jahaan jaake chhupa hamne vahin dekh liya

Tere deedaar ki thi hamko tamanna, so tujhe

Log dekhenge vahaan, hamne yahin dekh liya

Har lehza ba shakal aan but-e-ayyaar baraamad

Dil burd-o-nihaan shud

Har dam ba libaas-e-deegar aan yaar baraamad

Gah peer-o-javaan shud

Khud kooza-o, khud koozaagar-o, khud gil-e-kooza

Khud rind-e-subu kash

Khud bar sar-e-aan kooza khareedaar baraamad

Bishkast-o ravaan shud

Nai nai ke hamin bood ke mi aamad-o mi raft

Har qarn ke deedum

Ta aaqbat aan shakl-e-arab vaar baraamad

Daara-e-jahaan shud

Rumi sukhane kufr na guftast na goyad

Munkir nashvedash

Kaafir buvad aan kas ke ba inkaar baraamad

Mardood-e-jahaan shud

Notes by scholar Homayra Ziad: 1. Sly beloved or ayyār: An ayyār is a “pious rogue” and Love often appears in this form in Persian Sufi poetry.

2. Many manifestations of Reality: This imagery evokes the infinite manifestations of the Divine Unity. A Qur’anic verse that is often cited by Sufis is: “And God’s in the East and the West. Wherever you turn, there is God’s Face.” (Sura 2:115) All distinctions vanish in the Face of God. This is the central idea evoked by Sachal Sarmast too in the next song. In a similar poem, Kabir says…  In an elephant you became an elephant An ant is just a little you! As an elephant driver you sit on top  the one saying “move along” is you only you! With thieves you become a thief You’re in with the scoundrels too! You’re the one who robs and runs! The cop who nabs you, is you only you! (A song from the oral traditions of Kabir in Malwa in central India, translation by Linda Hess) 3. The broken cup: The broken cup means that no category is absolute, and that divine manifestations are always in a state of flux. The only absolute is God’s essence. 4. “Until one day he emerged…”: A reference to the Prophet (the Perfect Human, insān-i kāmil). 5. Veiling the truth: According to the Persian scholar Mohammad Reza Shafi'i-Kadkani, the last two stanzas were originally: Rumi sokhan-e kofr nagoftast (nagofteh ast) o nagooyad Monker nashavidash Kafir bovad an kas keh be enkar daramad az doozakhian shod

Many thanks to Fereshteh Amanat-Kowssar at Yale University for pointing this out. I have translated the poem based on the original, which makes far more sense than the sung version. Kufr means hiding or covering up, and the word kāfir is used to describe one who “covers up” or denies the truth. Rumi’s words, though apparently blasphemous, are closer to the truth.

[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.

[alqotaefe]

The Advantages of the Arabic Language

The Arabic language, one of the oldest and most widely spoken languages in the world, holds a unique position due to its rich history, cultural significance, and linguistic features. Here are some of the key advantages of learning and understanding Arabic:

1. Cultural and Religious Significance

Arabic is the language of the Quran, the holy book of Islam, making it a crucial language for over a billion Muslims around the world. Understanding Arabic allows access to Islamic texts in their original form, offering deeper insight into the religion and its teachings. Moreover, Arabic is the language of a vast body of classical literature, poetry, and philosophy, providing a gateway to a rich cultural heritage.

2. Linguistic Richness

Arabic is known for its expressive and poetic nature. The language has a rich vocabulary, with words that convey nuanced meanings and emotions. Arabic's root system, where words are formed from a base set of consonants, allows for a wide range of word formations and meanings. This linguistic structure enables precise and articulate expression, making it a powerful tool for communication.

3. Global Relevance

Arabic is an official language in 22 countries and is spoken by over 300 million people as their first language. It is also one of the six official languages of the United Nations. Learning Arabic opens doors to a diverse and rapidly growing region, offering opportunities in fields such as diplomacy, international business, journalism, and translation.

4. Economic Opportunities

The Arab world is a significant player in the global economy, with countries rich in natural resources, particularly oil and gas. Knowledge of Arabic is highly valued in industries such as energy, finance, and trade. It can also be beneficial for those working in international relations and global development, where understanding the language and culture can enhance negotiations and partnerships.

5. Intellectual Challenge

Arabic is considered one of the more challenging languages to learn, particularly for speakers of Indo-European languages. The script, grammar, and pronunciation present unique challenges, but mastering them can be intellectually rewarding. The process of learning Arabic can develop cognitive skills such as problem-solving, memory, and analytical thinking.

6. Cultural Appreciation and Understanding

Learning Arabic provides insights into the values, traditions, and ways of life in the Arab world. It fosters cross-cultural understanding and respect, which is increasingly important in our globalized world. By understanding the language, one can better appreciate the contributions of Arab civilization to fields such as mathematics, science, medicine, and architecture.

7. Connection to a Rich History

Arabic has been a lingua franca in many regions throughout history, playing a central role in the spread of knowledge during the Golden Age of Islam. Scholars in the Arab world preserved and expanded upon the knowledge of the ancient Greeks, Romans, and Persians. By learning Arabic, one can access a vast archive of historical texts and gain a deeper understanding of human history.

8. Global Influence

The Arab world has a significant impact on global affairs, particularly in politics, religion, and culture. Arabic media, including television networks like Al Jazeera, play an influential role in shaping international perspectives. Proficiency in Arabic allows individuals to engage with these media sources directly, gaining unfiltered insights into current events and global issues.

Conclusion

The Arabic language offers numerous advantages, from cultural and religious insights to economic opportunities and intellectual challenges. Whether for personal enrichment, professional advancement, or academic pursuit, learning Arabic can be a deeply rewarding experience that opens up a world of possibilities.

[urdubooks24]

Sufinama: A Journey Through the World of Sufism

Sufinama: A Journey Through the World of Sufism

Sufism, an ancient mystical tradition, transcends boundaries of time and space, encompassing poets, saints, and seekers of divine love. In this comprehensive guide, we embark on a journey through the rich tapestry of Sufinama, exploring its diverse facets, from poetry and music to spiritual teachings and stories. Let us delve deep into the essence of Sufism and unravel its timeless wisdom.

Poetic Gems of Sufism: Sufi poetry, with its sublime beauty and profound symbolism, serves as a beacon of light for seekers on the path of love and devotion. From the ecstatic verses of Rumi and Hafiz to the soul-stirring couplets of Kabir and Bulleh Shah, explore the transcendent power of words that echo the longing of the human soul for union with the Divine.

1. Sufis/Sants:  The luminous souls known as Sufis or Sants exemplify the highest ideals of love, compassion, and humility. Through their exemplary lives and teachings, they illuminate the path of spiritual awakening and inspire countless seekers to tread the path of inner transformation.

2. Sant Vani: Sant Vani, the divine utterances of saints, resonates with the eternal truths of existence. Immerse yourself in the timeless wisdom of Sant Kabir, Sant Tukaram, and other revered saints as they impart profound insights into the nature of reality and the essence of divine love.

3. Sufi Qawwali: Sufi Qawwali, the soul-stirring devotional music, transports listeners to realms beyond the mundane, awakening the heart to the ecstasy of divine love. Experience the mesmerizing melodies and ecstatic rhythms that characterize this rich musical tradition, celebrating the union of lover and Beloved.

4. Sufi Kalam: Sufi Kalam, the mystical poetry set to music, serves as a vehicle for spiritual transformation and transcendence. Delve into the depths of Sufi Kalam as it weaves together themes of love, longing, and surrender, inviting listeners to embark on a journey of inner awakening and self-discovery.

5. Sufi Prose: Sufi Prose, imbued with wisdom and insight, offers invaluable guidance on the path of self-realization and spiritual enlightenment. Explore the profound teachings of Sufi masters through their timeless writings, which illuminate the mysteries of existence and the journey of the soul.

6. Persian Dictionary: A comprehensive Persian dictionary serves as a valuable resource for students and enthusiasts seeking to deepen their understanding of Sufi literature and language. Discover the richness of Persian vocabulary and delve into the nuances of mystical terminology used by Sufi poets and scholars.

7. Sufi Stories: Sufi Stories, with their allegorical wisdom and timeless moral lessons, inspire and enlighten readers of all ages. Journey through enchanting tales of love, compassion, and spiritual awakening, as recounted by Sufi masters such as Jalaluddin Rumi, Attar, and Fariduddin Attar.

8. Sufi Music: Sufi Music, with its enchanting melodies and devotional lyrics, transcends cultural boundaries and touches the depths of the human soul. Experience the transformative power of Sufi music as it evokes states of ecstasy, reverence, and divine communion, inviting listeners to immerse themselves in the ocean of divine love.

9. Conclusion: Sufinama, a tapestry woven with threads of poetry, music, and spiritual wisdom, offers a glimpse into the mystical realm of Sufism. As we conclude our journey through the world of Sufism, may we carry with us the timeless teachings and blessings of the Sufi masters, guiding us on the path of love, light, and inner peace.

[aboutanancientenquiry]

Herodotus' Proem and ancient Greek epinician poetry

"Thus the numerous points of contact between Sappho 16 and the prologue of the Histories suggest that, in addition to underscoring points of significant contrast with Homeric epic, Herodotus’ rhetorical strategy may also have evoked an especially well known poetic priamel, imitating its form while contesting its argument. Looking beyond Sappho, finally, I would like to propose that epinician poetry also contributes important elements to the intertextual background against which Herodotus’ original audience may have understood Histories 1.1-5. Here I refer to both the use of the priamel in epinician and to the portrayal of Croesus in that genre. Bundy has described the priamel as manifesting ‘perhaps the most important structural principle known to choral poetry, in particular to those forms devoted to praise’.81 Race has described Pindar, the most accomplished of the Greek epinician poets, as ‘the indisputed master of the priamel’.82 Now a common function of the priamel in epinician is to intensify praise of the laudandus and his achievements—as seen, for example, in the pair of priamels that frame Pindar’s Olympian 1. The first of these (lines 1-7) addresses what is ‘best’ (ἄριστον, 1) in various spheres, and culminates in acclaim of the Olympian games, where Hieron has won the single horse race; the second (lines 113-4) considers ‘greatness’ (µεγάλοι, 113) and finds its ultimate manifestation in kingship, the political pinnacle that Hieron has scaled in Syracuse.83 Viewed against this background of epinician priamels that enhance the praise of the laudandus, Herodotus’ use of the form in 1.1-5 takes on an ironic colouring, since the general context or category of this opening is blame rather than praise—seeking the αἰτίη of the Greco-Persian wars, Herodotus proclaims Croesus responsible for initiating, within historical memory, the sequence of injustices that characterise the contentious relationship between Europe and Asia, the Greeks and the Persians.

This assessment of blame not only inverts a common use of the priamel in epinician, but also anticipates a radical departure from the portrayal of Croesus himself in the genre, where despite his foreign origins he serves as a positive paradigm of prosperity (ὄλβος) and generosity for the Greek aristocrat.84 [Note 84: Croesus makes only two appearances in extant epinician poetry (Pi. Pyth. 1.94, Bacch. 3.23-62), and his Pindaric appearance is very brief indeed. Nonetheless, several scholars have characterised the king’s generosity as a traditional theme of epinician: cf. Nagy (1990) 276; Crane (1996) 58; Kurke (1999) 131] By dramatic contrast, in his programmatic confrontation with Solon (1.29-33), the Herodotean Croesus is portrayed as a non-Greek, Asiatic ‘other’85 with a perspective on material wealth that (for all his generosity to Delphic Apollo) proves disastrously shortsighted [Note 85: This is not to deny the point made by Pelling (1997) that in some important ways Herodotus presents Croesus and Lydia as ‘on the cusp’ between East and West, and by no means straightforwardly Asiatic. Nonetheless, I would argue that in the discussion of what constitutes olbos Croesus’ focus on money (after giving Solon a tour of his treasuries, 1.30.1) allies him with the ‘objectification or reification of value among the Persians’ that Konstan ((1987) 6a) has discerned in the Histories. At the same time, and as Pelling himself ((2006a) 143) observes, much of Solon’s moralising is recognisable as ‘conventional Greek wisdom’. Only over time does Croesus come to recognise the wisdom of this Greek sage and ‘the god of the Greeks’, Apollo (1.87.3, 90.2: for these scornful references to Apollo bya still unenlightened Croesus, cf. Harrison (2000) 215)]. For as long as Croesus possesses his Eastern riches and monarchy, he is unable to appreciate the Hellenic wisdom expounded by Solon, who defines ὄλβος from the perspective of a moderately wealthy citizen of a Greek polis, while warning of the threat to human prosperity posed by the resentful deity. Only after losing his riches and power with the fall of Sardis, as his funeral pyre burns, does Croesus recognise the truth of Solon’s words (1.86.3-5), anticipated in Herodotus’ own observation of the transience of human success at the end of the prologue (1.5.4). Gregory Crane has demonstrated the rarity of the term ὄλβος and its derivatives in Greek prose; concluding that ὄλβος is a marked poetic term with specifically epinician associations, he argues that in his presentation of Croesus Herodotus ‘is exploring and redefining in prose the assumptions which underlay epinician poetry’.86 In other words, one function of the Herodotean scenes involving Croesus and Solon is to explore the complex attitudes towards luxury and wealth in archaic and classical Greek culture. If I am right to suggest that the prefatory priamel of the Histories evokes the use of that structure and the characterisation of Croesus in epinician lyric, Herodotus anticipates from the outset of his work a dialogue with one branch of the poetic tradition that engages issues of profound social, political, and historical importance."

From the article of Charles C. Chiasson “Herodotus’ Prologue and the Greek Poetic Tradition”, Histos 6 (2012), 114-143.

Source:

My only comment to this excerpt from a very good text of Pr. Chiasson on Herodotus' Proem and its relation with the Greek poetic tradition is that, if it is totally true that the opposition between on the one hand the constitutional structures and the civic virtues of the ancient Greek poleis and on the other hand the overconcentration of power and wealth in the Eastern monarchies is a central theme in Herodotus' Histories and that the dialogue between Croesus and Solon is indeed emblematic for this opposition, things are as always more complicated in Herodotus: Croesus is described in the Histories not as just a wealthy foolish Asiatic "other", but as a complex personality, not without virtues, but doomed like a tragic hero by hereditary sin and his own mistakes and blindness, who eventually loses throne and wealth, but is saved in extremis by the favor of the god to become the wise councelor of his victor. Moreover, greed is presented in Herodotus' work as a vice to which Greeks are not at all immune and which may lead important Greek figures to their doom (with most conspicuous example that of Polycrates, tyrant of Samos).

[rap-bull]

THE JOURNEY OF JAUN ELIA.

Jaun Elia: Life History and Famous Poetry

Life History: Syed Sibt-e-Ashgar Naqvi, known by his pen name Jaun Elia, was a renowned Pakistani Urdu-language poet, philosopher, biographer, and scholar. He was born on December 14, 1931, in Amroha, British India. Jaun Elia belonged to a family of scholars and intellectuals; his father, Allama Shafiq Hasan Elia, was a scholar of Persian and Urdu, and his brother, Rais Amrohvi, was a well-known psychoanalyst and philosopher.

Jaun Elia's academic journey took him to various institutions, including the University of Karachi, where he earned his Master's degree in Urdu literature. He later pursued postgraduate studies at the University of London and earned a second Master's degree.

Despite his academic achievements, Jaun Elia led a tumultuous personal life marked by financial difficulties, failed relationships, and struggles with addiction. His unconventional lifestyle and disregard for societal norms were reflected in his poetry, which often explored themes of love, existentialism, and the complexities of human relationships.

Jaun Elia's love for languages and literature extended beyond Urdu. He was well-versed in Persian, Arabic, English, and various regional languages, which enriched the linguistic diversity of his poetry.

Famous Poetry: Jaun Elia's poetry is characterized by its depth, intellectualism, and a unique blend of classical and modern elements. His verses often showcased a fusion of traditional ghazal forms with a modern, free-verse style. Here are some notable aspects of his poetry:

Intellectual Depth: Jaun Elia's poetry reflects a deep engagement with philosophical and existential themes. His verses are marked by intellectual rigor, exploring the complexities of life, love, and the human condition.

Love and Despair: A significant portion of Jaun Elia's poetry revolves around themes of unrequited love, heartbreak, and the melancholy of separation. His verses express the intensity of emotions, blending classical poetic motifs with a contemporary sensibility.

Satire and Wit: Known for his sharp wit and satirical observations, Jaun Elia's poetry often critiqued societal norms, conventions, and hypocrisies. His verses were a medium through which he conveyed social commentary and his own philosophical reflections.

Versatility in Forms: While rooted in the classical tradition of Urdu poetry, Jaun Elia experimented with various forms, including ghazal, nazm, and free verse. His poetry reflects a fusion of traditional and modern styles.

Legacy: Jaun Elia's influence extends far beyond his lifetime. Despite facing challenges during his life, his poetry has gained immense popularity posthumously. His literary contributions continue to be celebrated, and his verses resonate with readers who appreciate the depth and intellectual richness of Urdu poetry.

Jaun Elia passed away on November 8, 2002, leaving behind a legacy of profound and evocative poetry that continues to captivate and inspire lovers of Urdu literature.

Poetry collections of jaun elia

Sukhan Meri Udasee Hai Zakham-e-Umeed Mubada Tumharey Aur Mere Darmiyan Daricha Haye Kheyal Qitaat Inshaye aur Mazaameen Farnood Is Rang Ke Tufaan Shayad firaaq

Elia was not just a poet but was also an editor and a translator, especially of old Sufi, Mutazili and Ismaili treatises.

Masih-i-Baghdad Hallaj, Jometria, Tawasin, usman Isaghoji, Rahaish-o-Kushaish, Hasan bin Sabah Farnod, Tajrid, Masail-i-Tajrid, Rasail Ikhwan al Safa

[rrcraft-and-lore]

Tawaif - a highly skilled courtesan (skilled in: music, dance, poetry, and singing) who catered to nobility in South Asia. Similar in respects to Geisha in many ways, including that sex was NOT obligatory. It occurred, but the primary function was entertainment.

Most commonly romantic poetry like Ghazals -a form of Arabic poetry that made its way over to South Asia: odes of long lost lovers, tragedy, separation, stuff to pull at your heart strings. And, shairi, another Arab/Persian kind of poetry that is built on monorhymed quatrains or four sixteen syllable lines (keeping to the same rhyme scheme) with a caesura used between lines 8//9 to break up the first half from the second.

During the British Occupation, they were simply called, Nautch girls or dance girls. But this is far from all they did or were capable of. The name itself, Tawaif, is the term for a HIGHLY SKILLED courtesan. They were trained to the upmost of artistic forms. They were not there to perform sex acts - that was often incidental and not contractual. And the women had the power to rebuff men's advances.

The Tawaifs of India were regarded as some of the greatest performing artists of their time with documented praise and examples from travelers such as Xuanzang, a Chinese pilgrim, notable traveling Buddhist Monk and scholar who frequented India, remarking on the Tawaifs skill, beauty, and performances during once such visit to the Sun Temple in Multan. Al-Biruni, often regarded as the father of Comparative Religion studies, an Iranian polymath and scholar, regarded on their skill and larger numbers during the 11th century CE upon a visit Ganikas, another entertainer, are a public dancing girl (very common in cities from the Vedic period upward) who received classical arts training (most obviously dancing) and often performed from public settings up to royal private ones - and would compete to become Nagarvadhu - the most beautiful woman and most highly talented in forms of art (dance mostly).

Many young girls would leave or were taken to be taught these skills, and yes, there were schools for this too as well as private tutelage. People don't often realize this, but Ancient India was a place of extreme learning with all kinds of schools for different disciplines. A place of academies. Something I've talked about, like places like Nalanda, the world's oldest residential university that attracted people from far as Greece to Japan anyways, Tawaifs were so successful and sought after, that records show they were consistently among the highest tax payers.

Records also show that their wealth was used (by their consent/given) to help fund rebellions against the British Raj - enough so that the British passed laws to strip them of their ability to work as courtesans and left them only with sex work, which is sadly why some stories today only speak of them as prostitutes and not knowing their full, complex, and impactful history.

It's said the art of all this came from Urvashi, an Apsara (celestial being of dance, song, seduction/temptation, art, music).

[wishesofeternity]

Zeb-un-Nisa, Aurangzeb’s eldest daughter, is born in Daulatabad in 1638 when Aurangzeb is governor of the Deccan. While Daulatabad fort dominates the horizon from a hilltop, Aurangzeb is building a new capital at Khadki town, stronghold of Jahangir’s old nemesis, Malik Ambar the ‘rebel of black fortune’. Malik Ambar is now long dead, having never allowed the Mughals to claim the Deccan while he lived. Zeb-un-Nisa, daughter of the Persian noblewoman Dilras Banu Begum, grows up in this provincial capital, far from the intrigues of the Mughal court. In the Deccan, the supremacy of her father is unchallenged and Zeb-un-Nisa is given a rigorous education under the supervision of Hafiza Mariam, a scholar from a Khurasani family. Zeb-un-Nisa is an excellent student and excels in the Arabic and Persian languages. Her father is so delighted when she recites the entire Quran from memory as a child that he gifts her 30,000 gold mohurs. In her erudition and her quick wit she is very like her aunt, Shahzaadi Jahanara, whom her father respects above all the other women of the court. When she is fifteen years old, she visits Shahjahanabad with Aurangzeb’s zenana as they return from the doomed Kandahar campaign. She is enchanted with the sparkling new city, the elegant women with their refined tehzeeb, their every gesture studied and full of grace. In the travelling court of her father, in these wildering years, it is a more pragmatic and pared down zenana but in 1658, when Zeb-un-Nisa is twenty years old, Aurangzeb deposes Shah Jahan and his household moves to Shahjahanabad.

Dilras Banu Begum, the somewhat haughty senior wife of Aurangzeb, is now dead. Even Aurangzeb, when giving marital advice to a grandson, will later admit that ‘in the season of youth’, he ‘too had this relation with a wife who had extreme imperiousness’. Since the other wives of Aurangzeb have less illustrious backgrounds, the senior women of the royal zenana are Roshanara and her eldest niece, Zeb-un-Nisa.

For twenty years Zeb-un-Nisa will be one of the most influential women of the zenana at Shahjahanabad. Her particular area of interest is poetry and literature. She collects valuable manuscripts and books and her library is one of the most extensive in the country. When Aurangzeb begins to retrench imperial patronage towards music and poetry, it is the royal women, the shahzaadas, the noblemen and then, later still, the wealthy middle class of Shahjahanabad who will continue the patronage of the arts. The governor of Shahjahanabad, Aqil Khan, is himself a poet and writes under the pen name Razi. Indeed, despite Aurangzeb’s later disfavour, Shahjahanabad fairly pulses with music. It tumbles from the kothis of the courtesans, the women thoroughly trained singers themselves, who bring Delhi Qawwali singing to mainstream attention. It vaults out of the large mansions of the newly wealthy, who prefer the lighter Khayaal and Thumri styles. In the gloaming of a tropical evening, it throbs out of the immense havelis of the princes and the noblemen, in the tenuous hold that Dhrupad still has amongst the elite of the Mughal court. And the poets keep gathering at Shahjahanabad, despite Aurangzeb’s dismissal of them as ‘idle flatterers’. They come from very far, like Abd-al-Qader Bidel, whose family is Chagatai Turkic but whose poetry so defines a phase of Shahjahanabadi poetry that he becomes Abd-al-Qader Dehlvi. Some will come from the Deccan, like Wali Dakhni, and some are born in the narrow, winding galis (lanes) of Shahjahanabad itself. They will write in Persian, in Urdu, in Braj and later in Rekhti. They will write in obscure philosophical quatrains, in flamboyant ghazals or in erotic riti styles but many will glow with the high-voltage mysticism of Sufi thought, for the ghosts of Shahjahanabad’s Sufi saints will enchant all the poets of the city.

Zeb-un-Nisa, like Jahanara who returns to court as padshah begum in 1666, is instrumental in supporting the work of writers and poets through her patronage. She supports the scholar Mulla Safiuddin Adbeli when he translates the Arabic Tafsir-i-Kabir (Great Commentary) into Persian and he dedicates the book to the shahzaadi—Zeb-ut-Tafasir. She also sponsors the Hajj pilgrimage of Muhammad Safi Qazwini. Qazwini will write an extraordinary account of his voyage, the Pilgrims’ Confidant, unique in its genre and magnificently illustrated and will dedicate it to Zeb-un-Nisa. For a few years, the courts of Jahanara and Zeb-un-Nisa will nurture this eclectic maelstrom of a culture, which has much more in common with Babur and Humayun’s camaraderie of artists than it has with Aurangzeb’s increasingly austere one. When Aurangzeb bans opium and alcohol, the easy complicity that the noblemen and padshahs shared in the ghusal khaana or the Deewan-e-khaas while drinking wine, is now forbidden. The imperial women, however, continue to drink wine, often made from grapes in their own gardens, flavoured with spices.

In 1669, Zeb-un-Nisa attends the lavish marriage ceremony of her cousin, Jaani Begum, to her brother, Muhammad Azam, at the haveli of Jahanara. There will be other weddings too: her sister Zubdat-un-Nisa will marry Dara Shikoh’s youngest son Siphir Shikoh and Mehr-un-Nisa will marry Murad Baksh’s son Izad Baksh. But for Aurangzeb’s oldest daughters, there are no more cousins to marry. There is an understanding, also, that these oldest daughters, like their aunts, possess a powerful charisma as Timurid shahzaadis and must be kept within the controlling orbit of the imperial zenana. The decades pass and still Aurangzeb rules, as resolute and restless as a young man. His sons, meanwhile, are growing old and impatient. Muhammad Akbar is Zeb-un-Nisa’s youngest brother and she is particularly close to him, as their mother Dilras Banu died soon after giving birth to him, when Zeb-un-Nisa was nineteen. The other sons are middle-aged men, and there have been skirmishes, the shahzaadas jostling for power, always subdued immediately by their unforgiving father. In 1681, when Muhammad Akbar decides to challenge his father, with the support of a Rajput alliance including the Rathors of Jodhpur, Zeb-un-Nisa is in a particularly vulnerable position.

In 1681, Jahanara dies. The imperial zenana has glowed with her ambition and talent for more than half a century. If the shahzaadas are uncertain about the future leadership of the Mughal empire, then the stakes are almost as high in the imperial zenana. Zeb-un-Nisa believes she may become the next padshah begum. She is a woman of letters, like Jahanara, with the same Sufi inclinations too. She is the eldest of the Timurid shahzaadis and presides over an astonishingly talented salon. It is time, surely, for a shahzaada to ascend the Peacock Throne as Aurangzeb is already an old man, sixty-three years old. So Zeb-un-Nisa sides with the young prince Muhammad Akbar, hoping to ensure her legacy in the next court.

But Aurangzeb is able to defeat Muhammad Akbar, using a mixture of duplicity and treachery. In the process, he discovers letters which incriminate Zeb-un-Nisa, demonstrating her ardent support for her brother. ‘What belongs to you is as good as mine,’ Muhammad Akbar writes in a letter to Zeb-un-Nisa, ‘and whatever I own is at your disposal.’ And in another letter he writes: ‘The dismissal or appointment of the sons-in-law of Daulat and Sagar Mal is at your discretion. I have dismissed them at your bidding. I consider your orders in all affairs as sacred like the Quran and Traditions of the Prophet, and obedience to them is proper.’ Muhammad Akbar is exiled to Persia, and Zeb-un-Nisa is imprisoned at the Salimgarh fort in Delhi. Her pension of four lakhs rupees a year is discontinued and her property is seized.

Very soon after this rebellion, Aurangzeb leaves Shahjahanabad for the Deccan with an entourage of tens of thousands, all of his sons and his zenana. He will never return to Shahjahanabad, which will slowly be leached of all of its nobility, craftsmen, soldiers and traders. Zeb-un-Nisa will live more than twenty years imprisoned in Salimgarh fort. She will grow old here as Shahjahanabad empties of its people and becomes a shadow of its former self. But the poets and the singers do not desert Shahjahanabad, their fortunes and their hearts are too inextricably linked to the great city, to this paradise on earth. Other patrons take over the role of the nobility, humbler people, so that a critical poet will later write:

Those who once rode elephants now go barefooted; (while) those who longed for parched grains once are today owners of property mansions, elephants and banners, (and now) the rank of the lions has gone to the jackals.

Not only do the poets remain but their poetry becomes saturated with the haunted longing and nostalgia which becomes the calling card of all the great poets of Delhi. This city of beauty and splendour, abandoned and then desecrated, and then bloodied, will inspire reams of poetry on the twin themes of grief and remembrance. In the future, one of these poets will court eternity when he writes:

Dil ki basti bhi Sheher Dilli hai;

Jo bhi guzra usi ne loota

As for Zeb-un-Nisa, she waits for Muhammad Akbar to claim the Peacock Throne but he dies, in 1703, outlived by his father. From her lonely prison on the Yamuna, the shahzaadi can see Shah Jahan’s magnificent fort. The Qila-e-Mubaarak remains locked up for decades and the dust and ghosts move in. The bats make their home in the crenelated awnings and sleep as the relentless sun arcs through the lattice windows. Bees cluster drunkenly around the fruit trees in the Hayat Baksh, the overripe fruit crushed on the marble walkways like blood. Moss skims over the canals and the pools, though the waterfall still whispers its secrets to itself in the teh khana (underground chamber) as Zeb-un-Nisa waits. Zeb-un-Nisa writes poetry while she waits for a deliverance that will never come. She is a poet of some repute, and writes under the pseudonym Makhvi, the Concealed One. This is a popular pseudonym, however, and it is difficult to establish which lines are truly written by the shahzaadi but it is likely that the following wistful and delicate lines are hers, written in the grim solitude of Salimgarh fort:

Were an artist to choose me for his model—

How could he draw the form of a sigh?

She dies in 1702, unforgiven by Aurangzeb, and is buried in the Tees Hazari Garden, gifted to her by Jahanara.

- Ira Mukhoty, “Daughters of the Sun: Empresses, Queens and Begums of the Mughal Empire”