August 2021 Message

Beloved Family,

Greetings to our family around the world as we begin the change of seasons and the Jewish New Year!

Aside from keeping very busy with our Ruhaniat unfolding, Tamam and I had our 60-year-old roof replaced and enough solar panels along with a backup battery put on the new roof to be energy independent. It was two weeks of noise and dust but now we are all complete!

I have postponed beginning our local Zikr Circle until it feels safer.

In the Jewish tradition, starting with ~ Rosh Hashannah - Jewish New Year -(September 6, 2021) until Yom Kippur - Day of Atonement ~ (Sept 15, 2021), we have what is known as the 10 Days of Tshuva, with the tenth day known as the Day of At-one-ment.

Tshuva, Hebrew, is the same root as tauba/Tawwab, Arabic, which we translate as turning toward Divine Light, and Allah continually turning toward us. This requires overcoming the attachment to our self-grasping, in other words not being attached to any particular view of ourselves, whether grandiose, exaggerated or demeaning, like self-loathing, low self-worth or esteem. Turning toward the light, which removes shadows, always feeling the love flowing toward you, no matter what your mistakes and accomplishments are. Accepting yourself just as you are!

“For sixty years I have been forgetful every minute, but not for one single second

has this flowing toward me ever stopped or slowed!”

Jelaluddin Rumi

It is a period where one takes an account of one's life - YA HASIB, opening one's heart and eyes to everything, even what may be uncomfortable to see. With the support of YA TAWWAB, this sheds light on what was previously in darkness or shadow. Adding YA GHAFUR brings our efforts in forgiveness.

It can be further understood that the mystics of old set up this ritual as a rehearsal for what in the Bible is called the "Day of Judgement." As Murshid Sam would often point out, it is called the DAY of judgment, not the NIGHT of judgment. In other words, it happens in the LIGHT.

That is, in one of the stages after leaving behind this body, one experiences what is often called a life's review in the LIGHT. I believe the phrase, "Day of Accounting," or "Day of Reconciling," rather than judging, would be more appropriate. If one is turned to the light than there is no self-loathing, just learning from one's mistakes. One does not feel cast out or separate from the Beloved while making every effort to change from selfishness to selflessness.

“Allah is your Lover, not your jailer.”

Murshid Samuel Lewis

Much love,

Shabda

<><><><>

Recite 101x

YA HASIB ~ YA TAWWAB ~ YA GHAFUR

40. Ya Hasib (yaa ḥa-SEEB)

Al-Hasib is the action of accounting for the full meaning of everything. Nothing goes unrecorded and nothing is ever lost. It means taking full responsibility for one's actions, words, and even one's thoughts. To become completely accountable allows for a new beginning of what is possible. It brings realization. A root meaning of al-Hasib is to record a business transaction in an account book with exactitude and honesty. An advanced Sufi technique called muhasibah is an honest taking account of oneself while never forgetting that you are within the ocean of divine mercy.

79. Ya Tawwab (yaa tow-WAAB)

At-Tawwab is the forgiveness that enables you to turn away from grudges, and perceived individual defects, toward the perfection of Allah. It comes with the realization that the divine beloved is always turning toward you, continually offering a gaze of deep forgiveness and endless compassion. At-Tawwab conveys the real meaning of repentance, the turning from the limitations of the false self and toward the perfection of your immortal soul, which is not separate from the divine reality.

Realizing at-Tawwab involves giving up the attachment to being right. It means giving up self-righteousness and letting go of the grudge. It is to turn your face toward someone else with forgiveness and compassion. Like Ya Wadud, it consciously uses the densest elements of a situation as an inner impetus for transformation, and to turn toward God. Repetition of Ya Tawwab allows you to turn toward the divine face in every face. It is an antidote for clinging to and identifying with, a wounded sense of self-deficiency.

Commonly translated as the Acceptor of Repentance, it has the root in the Arabic, tauba, turning. It can be understood as the Divine Forgiveness that allows us to turn from individual defect toward the Beloved, who is always facing us, continually (because of the double consonant WW) turning toward us. Many of you will recognize it as the third wazifa in the four wazifas of healing we have done before, YA GHAFFAR, YA GHAFUR, YA TAWWAB, and YA AFUW

34. Ya Ghafur (yaa ɡ ̣ ḥa-FOOR)

Al-Ghafur is the essence of forgiveness because it reveals the depth of the divine heart. Al-Ghafur means to forgive all the way into the deepest possible place, all the way to the ground floor. It is the divine forgiveness that penetrates into the most repressed secrets in our hearts. Its presence allows us to accept that there is forgiveness even for the worst crime we have ever committed in our life, or the worst crime has ever done to us.

Al-Ghafur is a healing salve for human beings' deep sense of being wounded that is due to self-identifying with shame and unworthiness. It shares the same root as al-Ghaffar. A physical plane meaning from the same root tells us it is like the substance bees make to repair their hives, which then is rubbed into the dried-out, cracked leather water-skin so that it no longer leaks.

To hear the pronunciation: Ya Hasib ~ Ya Tawwab ~ Ya Ghafur

<><><><>

Text and Commentary to Study

This next month we continue reading:

Commentary on

Cosmic Language of Pir-o-Murshid Hazrat Inayat Khan,

by Murshid Samuel Lewis

He considered this one of his best works.

Read Chapters 12 - 14, pages 113 -.132

Click to download

Commentary on Cosmic Language

<><><><>