Abundance from the Desert: Classical Arabic Poetry

12 Ecstasy

228 Ecstasy Provide me one telling detail of her, so it’s as if you’re giving me her first name, last name, and nickname. —Baha’ al-Din Zuhayr, No. 21 In this chapter we shall read poetry by Ibn al-Farid (d. 1235), the greatest Sufi poet in the Arabic literary tradition. To comprehend more fully his verse and consider it in context, however, we must first inform ourselves about Sufism and review the historical development thereof. Sufism, or Islamic mysticism, has its basis in the human spirit’s yearning for communion with God; it answers the needs of those individuals who want to experience God personally. The well-known hadith, spoken by God through the angel Gabriel, apprises man: “My servant draws nigh with nothing more dear to Me than such obligations as I have imposed upon him, and still he approaches Me with supererogatory works, so that I may love him. For if I love him, I am the Ear by which he hears, the Eye by which he sees, the Hand by which he takes, and the Leg by which he walks.”1 Sufism, then, essentially is about drawing near to God through piety, and experiencing God’s love. God—while also being awesome and fear-inspiring, of course—is after all the Loving One (Qur’an 85:14). The word Sufi is thought to be derived from suf, or “wool”: the first Sufis typically wore coarse woolen clothing. They were ascetics, and asceticism has remained always fundamental to Sufism (it being understood that a person who occupies himself with physical indulgence cannot progress spiritually toward God). They emerged in the early eighth century, in strong contrast to persons of the Islamic Empire given to luxurious habits and worldliness. Al-Hasan al-Basri (d. 728) was the first major Sufi figure. His teaching has come down to us in the form of sayings; here are some of his utterances: Ecstasy 229 “God has made fasting a hippodrome for His servants, that they may race towards obedience to Him. Some come in first and win the prize, while others are left behind and return disappointed. “You meet one of them with white skin and delicate complexion, speeding along the path of vanity: he shakes his hips and claps his sides and says, ‘Here am I, recognize me!’ Yes, we recognize you, and you are hateful to God and hateful to good men. “Cleanse your hearts (by meditation and remembrance of God), for they are quick to rust; and restrain your souls, for they desire eagerly, and if you do not restrain them, they will drag you to an evil end.”2 Al-Hasan al-Basri was said to have been extremely fearful of God; his face suggested to all that he had just witnessed a terrible calamity. In his outlook, he was characteristic of the early Sufis, who were reputed to have been acutely aware of God’s wrath. Their fear of hellfire and their corresponding hope of heavenly reward were reputedly the motivating factors in their asceticism. The next major Sufi, Rabi‘a al-‘Adawiyya (d. 801), also of Basra, was contrastingly motivated by a desire of intimacy foremost; she is widely regarded as the person who introduced the element of love to Sufism. What follows is a transcribed Rabi‘a prayer: “O God, if I have worshipped You out of fear, then burn me in Hell; and if I have worshipped You out of desire, then exclude me from Paradise; but if I have worshipped You out of love, then deprive me not the contemplation of Your Eternal Beauty.”3 She reportedly received multiple marriage offers, but accepted none. She rebuffed one suitor with these words: “O sensual one, seek another sensual like yourself. Have you seen any sign of desire in me?” To another she said: “My existence is in Him, and I am altogether His. I am in the shadow of His command. The marriage contract must be asked for from Him, not from me.”4 About loving God she has a few short poems to her name, of which this one is famous: I love You with two loves: with longing and a love because You are worthy of it. As for the longing, it involves my remembering You and none else. 230 Abundance from the Desert As for the love of which You are worthy, it involves Your lifting...