Someone asked Majnun, "O youth,
which way is the qibla*?"
He answered, "If you are an ignorant rock,
here's your Ka'ba. behold a rock!
The Ka'ba of the lover is the Lord,
that of Majnun is Layli's face.
Since you are neither this nor that,
you're a stone and your qibla is of stone,
shameless and brazed man!
Though the Ka'ba is the qibla of all
..... the people of the world,
still, the qibla is always the abode of
..... the soul's Ka'ba.
In the sacred sanctuary that is closest to the soul
one hundred thousand Ka'bas
..... are wandering lost!
- from Fariduddin 'Attar's Musibat-Nama (The Book of Affliction) translated by Lucian Stone (part published in Sufi, Issue 74, Winter 2007)
* Qibla is an arabic word for the direction that Muslim face for praying. It is a symbol of unification for all of humanity to face a Singular Point signifying the one direction towards God. Physically on earth the location of Ka'ba in Mecca is the point of direction (qibla) for all Muslims.
The Kaaba is in the middle of the world.
All faces turn toward it.
Take it away. See!
each is worshiping the soul of each.
- Shams e Tabriz
WaliLlahi al mashriqu wa al maghribu
Fa'aynama Tuwallu
Fathamma Wajahu-Llah.
Inna-Llaha Wasiun Alim.
Unto God belong the East and the West,
And in which ever direction you turn,
there is the Presence of God.
Truly God is Vast, Knowing.
- The Quran 2:115
which way is the qibla*?"
He answered, "If you are an ignorant rock,
here's your Ka'ba. behold a rock!
The Ka'ba of the lover is the Lord,
that of Majnun is Layli's face.
Since you are neither this nor that,
you're a stone and your qibla is of stone,
shameless and brazed man!
Though the Ka'ba is the qibla of all
..... the people of the world,
still, the qibla is always the abode of
..... the soul's Ka'ba.
In the sacred sanctuary that is closest to the soul
one hundred thousand Ka'bas
..... are wandering lost!
- from Fariduddin 'Attar's Musibat-Nama (The Book of Affliction) translated by Lucian Stone (part published in Sufi, Issue 74, Winter 2007)
* Qibla is an arabic word for the direction that Muslim face for praying. It is a symbol of unification for all of humanity to face a Singular Point signifying the one direction towards God. Physically on earth the location of Ka'ba in Mecca is the point of direction (qibla) for all Muslims.
The Kaaba is in the middle of the world.
All faces turn toward it.
Take it away. See!
each is worshiping the soul of each.
- Shams e Tabriz
WaliLlahi al mashriqu wa al maghribu
Fa'aynama Tuwallu
Fathamma Wajahu-Llah.
Inna-Llaha Wasiun Alim.
Unto God belong the East and the West,
And in which ever direction you turn,
there is the Presence of God.
Truly God is Vast, Knowing.
- The Quran 2:115
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