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Echoes from Eternity
"This collection of over a hundred qasidas ('odes'; the Arabic plural being qasa'id) is intended for use in choral singing at gatherings of Sufi initiates. Most have been chosen from the living tradition of the Shadhiliyya Sufi Order in the Levant, the remainder being of North African origin. These qasidas are melodious and have refrains that are easily learnt. Singing them has many potential benefits. Besides the light which comes from the remembrance of Allah, and the light of the sacred knowledge encapsulated in the words of spiritual masters who composed them, they are also sung as a form of respite (rawha) from the rigours of worship or work. It is part of the Sunna of our Beloved Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) to take breaks, as in the example of tarawih prayers, and to vary our forms of worship so as to avoid boredom or fatigue.
The poems in this book contain reflections of the the spiritual states of their authors: saintly and profiundly learned sheikhs and gnostics (people with inner knowledge of Allah) such as Ibn al-'Arabi, Abu Madyan, 'Abd al-Ghani al-Nabulsi, and 'Abd al-Rahman al-Shaghouri (Allah be well pleased with them all). To understand and benefit from their words it is necessary to possess a sound understanding of the Arabic language; it is also imperative to tread the spiritual path under the guidance of a genuine spiritual guide (murshid). Something of the significance of these songs may also be understood through acquaintance with the main themes of Sufi poetry and the stories and symbols of Islamic literary culture. The stories of Layla and Majnun and 'udhri lovers who conceal their chaste love and often die from their passion were taken as symbols and played on resourcefully by centuries of Sufi poets. They serve to unlock the intense feelings of love and awe which act as a catalyst to gather the soul's focus on Allah, so that the Divine Presence may be witnessed." - Excerpt from the Introduction
The poems in this book contain reflections of the the spiritual states of their authors: saintly and profiundly learned sheikhs and gnostics (people with inner knowledge of Allah) such as Ibn al-'Arabi, Abu Madyan, 'Abd al-Ghani al-Nabulsi, and 'Abd al-Rahman al-Shaghouri (Allah be well pleased with them all). To understand and benefit from their words it is necessary to possess a sound understanding of the Arabic language; it is also imperative to tread the spiritual path under the guidance of a genuine spiritual guide (murshid). Something of the significance of these songs may also be understood through acquaintance with the main themes of Sufi poetry and the stories and symbols of Islamic literary culture. The stories of Layla and Majnun and 'udhri lovers who conceal their chaste love and often die from their passion were taken as symbols and played on resourcefully by centuries of Sufi poets. They serve to unlock the intense feelings of love and awe which act as a catalyst to gather the soul's focus on Allah, so that the Divine Presence may be witnessed." - Excerpt from the Introduction
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First published January 1, 2010
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June 3, 2011
This collection is a long over-due, beautifully composed, collection of traditional Arabic qasidas that are frequently sung throughout the Middle-East and North Africa in the gatherings that the Darqawis have made popular. In the tradition of his teacher, Mustafa Styer has produced an exceptional text which argues for the care and esteem at which its contents are held.
Displaying 1 of 1 review