Creative writing

Religion: Rumi – from scholar to saint

Rumi, the great Sufi poet, was actually a scholar of sharia law (Islamic law).  His responsibilities included making legal rulings and giving unapologetic lectures on how to resolve conflicts. One day, a man in rags approached Rumi and changed everything.  The following exchange, according to legend, occurred: Pointing to Rumi’s legal books, the man in rags…… Continue reading Religion: Rumi – from scholar to saint

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Quoted: Whitman, Tagore, and Rumi

I just picked up Eboo Patel’s Acts of Faith: The Story of an American Muslim, the Struggle for the Soul of a Generation at New England Mobile Book Fair in Newton, Massachusetts.  To be honest, I wasn’t searching for it; I pretty much stumbled across it randomly in the extremely small ‘Islam’ section (it’s small…… Continue reading Quoted: Whitman, Tagore, and Rumi

Creative writing

Carry these in your hands

One of the most famous Sufi thinkers ever is Rabia, who wrote in the 8th-century.  She was born in modern-day Basra, Iraq. According to folklore, Rabia was an orphan and ultimately sold into slavery; she almost had nothing except, of course, her thoughts. Legend has it that Rabia was once seen praying with a halo…… Continue reading Carry these in your hands

Creative writing

The mystery of faith for a young Dublin man

There is a young Dublin man who had been ‘lost’ for nearly 10 years.  ‘I have seen it all, done it all, laughed harder than most, and definitely partied harder than all.  I had all the pleasures in the world – beautiful women, a good physique, and charming looks’, he said.  The young Dublin man…… Continue reading The mystery of faith for a young Dublin man