Coming Back to the Meeting Between Shams and Rumi
In the context of a discussion of “Rumi in the Light of History”, I'd like to cast as much light as possible on the conversation that took place between Shams and Rumi when they first…
Category: Miscellaneous Nonfiction
The Hajj: My Reflections and Revelations
It’s been eleven long, interminable years since I traversed land and sea, crossed oceans and sand dunes, and embarked upon the most sacred journey a Muslim can possibly make: the Hajj (pilgrimage to…
Vayeshev: Heaven and Hell from a Jewish Perspective
Delving into the past can be useful in helping us to better understand our identity, especially in regards to the derivation of our attitudes, beliefs, emotions and thoughts. When our curiosity about our past, as…
Jihad In Islam: What Is The Meaning Of It?
Jihad in Islam. Just looking at those words alone without any context stirs up so many different ideas in people. For people in the west, jihad in Islam seems scary. The concept creates fear. People…
Listen to the Feminine: Women in Islamic Spirituality
It has always seemed presumptuous, even somewhat preposterous, to me for men to pontificate in an authoritarian manner about the role of women in Islam as if the feminine principle is something which needs to…
The Timeless Need for Forgiveness
Just as it is important to believe in God’s mercy and forgiveness, it is also necessary to base our relationship with others on forgiveness. To expect God’s forgiveness, we should forgive those who do wrong…
Christos Razdajetsja! Christ Is Born!
Christ is born; let us glorify him. Christ comes down from heaven; let us go out to meet him. Christ lives on earth; let us exalt in joy. All you faithful, sing to the Lord,…
Honey from a Lion’s Ribs: Thinking and Praying Over Jerusalem
Light me a candle in the Holy City of my heart. And I will stand by it as the smoke ascends to heaven. Light me a candle in the Holy City of my soul.…
Can Piety and Creativity Co-Exist?: An Islamic Perspective
Humans have a great capacity for creativity and manifest their creative capacities in a myriad of ways. Simultaneously, religion enjoins us to be pious. Does religion stifle creativity by codifying personal and societal rules and,…
Oh, Ye Lovers!: A Meditation on Mawlana Rumi and St. John of the Cross
“The people of the city, young and old Were all lamenting, crying, sighing loud The villagers as well as Turks and Greeks, They tore their shirts from grief for this great man. ‘He was our…