Qur'an Surah 2:115 God is Everywhere

To Allah belongs the East and the West

Wherever you turn

You find the Presence of Spirit

For Being is -

omnipresent

and

omniscient

Meditation with Qur'an Surah 2:74

Take a deep breath. close your eyes. repeat Bismallah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim with each breath. Count from 13 to 1.

Now:

See yourself in the divine realms.
See the throne before you.
Feel how light you are.
Move freely about in the celestial atmosphere.
Enjoy the Throne of God.
See angels ascending and descending.
Experience the light that is everywhere.
See the Light that is in your breast.
Feel the warmth and glow.
Your are light.

Descend downwards towards the world of matter.
Feel the density around you.
Feel yourself become heavier.
Feel how you can barely move.
Feel how slow you are.
You are becoming denser.
You can barely breath.
You just lie there, immobile.
Heavy - inert matter.

A bolt of light strikes you.

You crack open.

Within you is holy water. You didn't even realize that it was there.
It rushes forth.
Feel love and compassion streaming towards All.

Again - be aware that You are as dense as a rock.
Holy water bubbles up.
Feel the joy.
Become aware of All being around you.
Listen.
All is sentient. All is alive.
Joy overwhelms you.

Again - be aware that You are in the realm of matter.
You feel heavy.
You are inert.
There is an ocean before you.
You sink into it.
Downward you sink.
All is quiet.
You are in the Depths.
You are still.
You sense something.
You feel fear before the enormity of the Depth.
You are very still.
Then
Before you...
You are struck by
The Beauty and the Terror if Existence.

Count upwards from 1 to 13
Open your eyes.
Say: Bimallah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim - In the name of All Compassion All Mercy
Say: There is no existence but Spirit

Now read the verse (scroll down to previous blog entry)

So Mote it Be!

Quran Surah 2:74 The Opening of the Rocks

Surah 2: 74

"Thenceforth were your hearts Hardened: they became even harder than a rock. From among these hearts of stone there are some from which rivers gush forth; others which when split asunder bubble forth water; and still others that sink into the depths for fear and awe of the Depth. And the Spirit is not Unmindful of what you do."

The revelation of Surah 2:74 should cause pause and reflection in us. It is a revelation of our existential reality. These are 3 possible reactions when the Spirit splits us asunder - the 3 ways of being on the path.

The first manner is the way of the river. This refers to our action in the world. Our engagement. Here our focus is on addressing social injustice, promoting peace, overcoming poverty.

The second manner is the way of bubbling forth. This refers to dialogue and discourse. Here we engage in the world of ideas, we listen to each other, we consider each other's opinions, we state and evaluate our own views. Individuals who follow this path often engage in conversations, conferences, write papers, etc.

The third manner is the way of the deep. This refers to meditation, contemplation, deep prayer. Here we often meet both Love and find ourselves adrift in a "dark night of the soul." This is the way of the mystic. The mystical moment is often one of apprehending beauty - it is the moment of "awe". Moreover, to stand before the abyss of the divine is to stand in fear and trembling.

Different individuals have proclivities towards different paths, but each of us finds ourselves at different times on one of these manners.

The verse ends by assuring us that God does not favor any one way over the other, but is mindful of our "jihad" or struggle as we each traverse "the path."

Question: You mention that there are three paths.

Watchman: There is actually only one path, but different ways of navigating that path.

Question: Could you say a few words about how this relates to interfaith dialogue? As you know, King Abdullah has recently initiated a conference on this theme.

Watchman: We would like to congratulate his Highness on this first step. However, we need to also be aware that the Qur'an clearly moves deeper than just thinking about interfaith within the Abrahamic Faith. This verse is an excellent example of that depth. Although all three manners are found within the People of the Book, so too in Buddhism, Hinduism or various forms of polytheism. We must remember that God has sent a Messenger to All Peoples, tribes and nations.

Question: You spoke of the metaphor of water in the verse...

Watchman: Yes, water is one of the key elemental substances (along with fire, air and earth). It is often associated with spiritual significance...

Question: Christian baptism, for example.

Watchman: Exactly.

Question: What of the first verse: "Thenceforth were your hearts Hardened: they became even harder than a rock"?

Watchman: In the Rose Sufi Crescent tradition, we understand this verse as referring to the moment of hardening - the moments are spirits reenter the world of matter. In our pre-existence we are spirit but when we re-incarnate we become dense matter.

Question: Are there any other possible interpretations?

Watchman: The Glorious Qur'an is the revealed Word, delivered unto the 18,000 dimensions of reality. Wherever one is in this cosmos (both physically, mentally or spiritually) one will interpret it differently. It has a very different interpretation depending on if the "reader" perceives him or herself to be within or outside of Grace. Our RSC interpretation is for those who understand that they are within Grace.

Question: And others?

Watchman: Well, a legalist would naturally interpret "hardening" as turning away from Spirit. That is unfortunate, though. They would also probably "misread" the ending as something such as "God is watching you and will punish you."

We can also interpret the verse as speaking directly to the prophets and angels as follows:

Prophets:
Rushing water = call the world to a new paradigm of Love, Peace and Compassion
Bubbling water = dispensing new ethical teachings of Truth
Sinking into deep water = providing instructions on contemplation and union with Beauty

Angels:
Rushing water = serving to intervene in earthly affairs to promote love, peace and compassion
Bubbling water = providing comfort to the afflicted
Sinking into deep water = singing praises before Beauty

Sufis and Rosicrucians Congratulate Barack Obama

The Rose Sufi Crescent, an international Muslim-Sufi-Rosicrucian organization, extends its heartfelt congratulations to President-elect Obama. We believe that his nomination was by Divine Guidance and an answer to many hours spent in prayer. Muslims all over the world celebrate his nomination as the Sword of Allah, the Cup of Grace, the Wand of Spirit and the Coins of the Tao move upon our globe.

True Muslims, Sufis and Rosicrucians rejoice in this paradigm shifting event. May this planet earth come to realize the Kingdom on Earth. May we all unite in working towards peace, unity, justice, tolerance, appreciation of each other. May people of all faiths as well as atheists join together to lift the poor out of poverty, to reverse global warming and to protect the environment, safeguard animals, plants and humans.

May we become stewards of earth in this most beautiful day.