Category: Timeless Stories

Come closer, and listen

On By MuhammadIn Poetry, Quran - Understanding, Timeless StoriesLeave a comment

The poem is old, the voice is modern, but the meanings are timeless.
Ibnu ‘l-Farid, a sufi from eight hundred years ago, pens down a poem out of love, and gives life to Rashah Najih, in the recently destroyed city of Halab (Aleppo).
You may be carrying weapons and plant destruction around you, but you are nothing but a ‘living’ dead.
But those with a living heart, even when buried, give life to those heart in waiting.
So

“let the dead bury the dead”

And join the living, those with hearts that hear

“Only those who hear will respond. But the dead – Allah will resurrect them; then to Him they will be returned.”
Quran 6:36

I have yet to find a non-literal English translation of the poem that would reflect faithfully its soul. Please forgive me.

History repeats itself

On By MuhammadIn Timeless StoriesLeave a comment

Mosques have always had their doors open to women from the time of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. So it is strange and weird to encounter mosques that do not allow women into their precinct.

They may try and argue for their case, but for sure it is contrary to the way of the Prophet himself.
Take for example the following narration:
On the authority of Abdullah bin Hubairah al-Saba’i, he said:
“ Bilal bin Abdullah bin Umar told me that his father Abdullah bin Umar said one day:
“ The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:
“ Do not prevent women from their share of the mosques! ”
So I said:
“ As for me, I will prevent my family, so whoever wishes, let him release his family.”
So he turned to me and said:
“ May Allah curse you! may Allah curse you! may Allah curse you!
You hear me say: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, commanded that they should not be prevented !!! “, and he stood up (and left) angry. ”
The above narration is taken from Jami’ Bayan Al-Ilm of Ibn Abdlebar and it is sound.
It is also found in many works of Hadith like the work of Muslim, Ahmed and others, but with slight differences in wordings. The core meaning “Do not prevent women from their share of the mosques” is preserved in all of them though.
So no surprises there at all. For just like there are Jews who act against the teachings of Moses, peace be upon him, Christians who acts against the teachings of Jesus, peace be upon him; there are also Muslims who act against the teachings of Muhammad, peace be upon him.