THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM

THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM

An "elephant in the room" is an  English metaphorical idiom or expression for an obvious truth that is going unaddressed, or an apparent but difficult problem or an uncomfortable situation that people refuse to talk about. Case in point, there is a  huge "academic" hoohaa  about the  poet Rumi. 

This 13th-century Islamic philosopher, Persian poet, Sufi master, dervish  mystic, theologian, Muslim jurist, was born  Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Balkhī Rumi  807 years ago in Vakhsh, a small village in what is now Tajikistan. In his twenties Rumi traveled to Samarkand in Uzbekistan, to Iran and to Damascus and Aleppo in Syria  where he studied to be a traditional Muslim preacher and scholar, much like his father and grandfather; and he finally settled in the city of Konya in what is now Turkey. During this time Mawlana Jalal Rumi composed his greatest mystical poetic work  in the Persian language — a six-volume spiritual epic, The Masnavi.

The general theme of the Masnavi is that of tawhid — longing and desiring to attain union with God Almighty, Prophet Muhammad and Shams of Tabriz from whom he sees himself as severed and aloof. Mawlana  Rumi's other works include the Maṭnawīye Ma'nawī (Spiritual Couplets), Majāles-e Sab'a (Seven Sessions), Makatib (The Letters), Dīwān-e Kabīr (Great work) etc. “Two Kinds of Intelligence,” “Elephant in the Dark,” and “The Guest House” come from the Masnavi . “Which is Worth More?” is drawn from Rumi’s Rubaiyat which is  a large collection of quatrains, or four-line stanzas. 

These mystical teachings is an intricate tapestry  of  fables, anecdotes, stories, proverbs and allegories that have peaked tremendous interest in recent years at University level. Rumi's literary influence transcends national borders and ethnic divisions and he has been  described as the "most popular poet"  and the "best selling poet" in the United States.  As a consequence, centuries after his death, Rumi sold more than 2 million copies, making Rumi the most popular poet in the US and he also has a massive global following. To the point that  even today Rumi’s tomb draws reverent followers and heads of state annually for a whirling dervish ceremony on 17 December, the anniversary of his death. Rumi's works have been widely translated into 23 of the world's languages and transposed into various formats so much so that  readers of "inspirational" literature are drawn to Rumi’s poetry.

Be that as it may, Rumi was just an ordinary man that the academic masses are turning him into a demi god. Though Rumi cannot come close to holding  a candle to our beloved Prophet Muhammad (SAW) who should in fact deserve such reverence though much more. 

Muhammad (SAW) was illiterate but he dictated the entire Qur'an from memory to his scribes over a period of 23 years. That in itself is a huge miracle, because no ordinary person who can neither read nor write would ever  be able to produce a 114 chapter, manuscript of such astounding  perfection —  a manuscript that is totally inimitable from a literary perspective.  Yet, Prophet Muhammad (SAW) did so, which more than proves that the Qur'an is divine revelation, and that Muhammad (SAW)  was an elect of God Almighty. 

Today, the Qur'an is the most read book in the entire world and the 
liturgical guide to more than a 1.2 billion Muslims globally.
Muhammad (SAW) teaching of Qur'an gave rise to the exegesis (Tafseer) of Qur'an by several Islamic scholars. To mention but a few, there is the Tanwir al-Miqbas (Tafsir Ibn Abbas). Tafsir al Kabir (The Great Interpretation) by Muqatil ibn Sulayman. Ahkam al-Qur'an (The Commands of the Qur'an) by al-Jassas. Tafsir al-Jalalayn (The Commentary of the Two Jalals) by Jalaluddin al-Mahalli. Fi Zilal al-Quran (In the Shade of the Quran) by Sayyid Qutb. Tafsir Ishraq Al-Ma'ani by Syed Iqbal Zaheer and  Maariful Quran by Muhammad Shafi Usmani. Beside there are several dozen of additional books of Tafseer written between 687 and the present day. Not to mention the hoards of other books of Tafseer, written in languages other than Arabic.

Muhammad (SAW) was a father to 4 daughters and a husband to 11 wives. He was also a father of 3 sons all of whom died. He was a Statesman, and in several situations a Military Leader, none of which detracted from his prophethood and the compilation of Qur'an.  He was also a judge and an arbitrator. He confirmed all the previous monotheistic prophets. All his companions pledge allegiance to him.  He had the most exemplary character and forgave and forgot easily. He was extremely generous and charitable with a great concern for the poor. He was a mercy to all mankind and he was the Final Prophet. 

There are more books of hadith —  narration of events of the life of prophet Muhammad —  written than any other human being past and present. In essence, prophet Muhammad served as an inspiration to the likes of Rumi. So, you owe it to yourself to study Muhammad (SAW) rather than Rumi.

Downloads:

1) Muhammad: His Life Based on the Earliest Sources
2) The Sealed Nectar - Dr Khalid
3) The Life Of The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)
4) Short Biography of Prophet Muhammad - The Quran Project
5) Life of Muhammad - The Religion of Peace
6) Life and Teachings of the Prophet Muhammad 
7) Life of Muhammad
8) Prophet Muhammad (pbuh): A mercy to all creation!
9) PROPHET MUHAMMAD S.A.W.
10) Prophet Muhammad

YOU WILL LOVE ME LATER

YOU WILL LOVE ME LATER

My wife was cooking duck with roast potatoes for supper but soon realized that we ran out of potatoes, so she called me on my cell phone asking me to buy some on my way home from work.  A 
u-turn and a two minute detour later, I arrived at the shopping mall. It took me longer to find a parking space than it took me to get there. Anyway, it seemed like everyone who owned a car was there. Either they come to have supper at one of the restaurants in the mall or were also running last minute errand, like I was. Moments later I found myself zigzagging through the aisles on the lookout for anything that we may have run out of, that I may notice on the shelves.  As I made my way down the toys aisle, I heard crying even  before I saw the  4-5 year-old little girl sitting on the floor in the isle with a doll in her hands, with tears running down her cheeks. 

Her dad was sitting on his haunches beside her, with shopping basket in hand. He was talking to her in a soft and gentle voice. Seriously, it's not my habit to listen to other people's conversations in supermarkets but I couldn't help overhearing their exchange. Dad was explaining to his daughter that at that moment in time he couldn't afford to buy her the doll because the food stuff in their basket takes priority over toys but as soon as he saves enough money, he will definitely buy her the doll. This didn't go down to well with little daughter who loudly exclaimed "I hate you, I hate you".  In the same calm and gentle voice as he spoke to her previously he replied, 

"That's OK my sweety, you will love me later". 

I thought that was very profound. Dads are generally not known to be very tactful but this dad was an absolute scholar and a gentleman for the way he handled the situation.

I've seen similar scenarios play out a few times before in supermarkets and shopping malls, where mothers spanked their kids right there for throwing a tantrum, or for insisting on a toy that she couldn't afford or just wasn't willing to buy. I've seen parents shout at their kids for lying on the floor of the aisles kicking and screaming and embarrass themselves and their parents as the other shoppers attention was directed at then for the raucous they made.  I suppose everyone  raise their children differently. That being said, I sincerely believe in “To each his own”.

Meanwhile I looked at the Dad and felt inclined to offer to  pay for the doll, but it may seem like I’m rubbing his nose in it, that he is failing as a dad. He may consider it a slap in his face. And that was definitely not my intention. Also it would be telling that I was listening to his conversation, and I certainly couldn’t have that. Alternatively, I would upset the lesson of patience and perseverance he was trying to teach his daughter. So I just walked away, with my mind milling over “super dad”.  As I pulled into the driveway at home, my wife was standing in the doorway, smiled at me and said, “Where’s the potatoes”? I had bought countless of other grocery items but I completely forgot about the potatoes.