The year is 5331and the month is Iyar according to the calendar used hear by the Jewish people of Safed. The Kabbalists repeat often the phrase of the month's acronym, ani adonai rofekha. It is the time between Pesach and Shevuot and the concentration of healing the souls is emphasized with intensity. The Jewish population of Safed is at its peak, never has the city seen so many. With a flourishing textile industry as well as its strategic geography, there is security for the Jews in both politics and economics. The Ottoman empire has made it possible for Jews to thrive without the threat of oppression. There are Jews from all over the world here, some newly arrived and others well established. The Sephardim are the majority followed by Ashkenazim, the Romanoites and then, of course, the Musta'aravim.
Upon first arriving here, I was told immediately of the great Arizal. His name, I later discovered was in fact Rabbi Yitzchak ben Shlomo Ashkenazi. A man who arrived in Safed just two years ago from the land of Egypt. I was surprised to hear this given the magnitude of his name. The people praise him and explain with sparkling eyes of all the teachings he's blessed upon them. And yet even still, they tell me off the Rabbinic leaders in Jerusalem who deny him his greatness.
It was not for several days that I was able to meet the Arizal. It was through another man of high ranking, Hayyim Vital, that I was able to arrange an audience. I was sent to Vital by community members after making my intentions known that I sought the Arizal. However, before my meeting him, Vital told me a great many things about this special Rabbi. He claimed to be his foremost disciple out of a small group of initiative disciples, who received all of his most secret and sacred teachings of the divine. He told me about his teaching techniques, how he preferred the outdoors as a class room and how many nights they would awake at midnight to engage in the Torah. The outdoors, he said, was was the prime setting to study Torah because it is wholly the Creation of God, while the synagogue was built by man. Waking at midnight, on the other hand, was a practice of diligence and commitment.
Hayyim Vital warned me of the Arizal's holiness.
“He is the transmigrated soul of Shim'on Bar Yochai, may his memory be blessed.”
I inquired into what this meant (given that as how I understood it, RaShBY was a perfected soul who had transcended the cycle of gilgul) and with a scoff he told me that, “Yitzchak Luria is devoid of imperfection. He himself is a reflection of that which is most high, and we, his disciples, contain within us the souls of Shim'on Bar Yochai's disciples.”
I wondered then if Vital thought Luria to be the messiah, which seemed to be the underlying assumption amongst many of the Safed Jews, particularly the Sephardim who were survivors of the Spanish Inquisition. The way Vital spoke of him, I could only guess he shared the same sentiments.
Vital also told me of his healing powers. “He will look through your q'lipot, into your soul, and there he will find your illness and from there he will find your cure.”
This intrigued me greatly. I asked Vital if he meant medicine or treatment. I also told him that I felt fine, and had no illness so to speak of. And yet, as I spoke these words, I knew I had missed the point. In turn, Vital did not answer me.
Rabbi Yitzchak Luria lived in a beautiful home. From his lucrative trade with commodities such as pepper, wine, cucumbers, spices and leather in Egypt, he was able to live comfortably and to spend much time in study, prayer and meditation. I was seated in a chair in his study and the Arizal entered from the back of the room. He was not an old man he looked no older than thirty-five. His beard was laced with just faint traces of grey and his eyes were a sparkling light brown. He stared at me intensely. For maybe seven minutes at just my forehead and then slowly down to meet my eyes. There was an luminous aura about him that exuded from what I believed to be his unfaltering presence and focus. He then smiled and placed his hand on my shoulder. The touch sent shivering waves throughout my body.
“You've come a long way to be here young student. I see little yetser ha'ra in you. There were only two letters that appears slanted or backwards, and they had to do with your faith. You are not solid in your faith with God and Torah and thus you follow the mitzvot without passion and commitment. I suggest you begin by reading the prayers and the Zohar in the translation of your mother tongue, this will reinstall your faith.”
The Arizal's words were soft, and his loving smile never faltered throughout his speech. I asked him many questions of how he came to this conclusion. He explained to me the workings of metoscopy, and how the letters, which only he could see, glowed on my forehead. The forehead is where the soul discloses all more clearly because of its correspondence to the sefirah Binah (which actually symbolizes the forehead) (Fine 156). The practice was very much within the realm of healing. After all, what he had done was in fact tell me what was imperfect within my soul, and then prescribe for me a cure; I must begin translating prayer liturgy into English, and become diligent to the study of them.
I found this to relate back to the Jewish concept of tikkun olam. What the Arizal appears to be doing in Safed is providing teachings through the lens of Kabbala and Torah to evoke tikkun olam and to bring the messiah. I wanted to know more about these teachings, but was not able to properly interview the Arizal until after the Sabbath.
The Sabbath, as a whole, became a blur to me. I was not allowed to write during this time, and thus cannot recall all of the many customs and rituals that the Safed Jews practiced during this sacred period of the week. Before the Sabbath arrive, I followed the men out into the fields where they prayed for many hours until the sun set. This was their practice of the Kabbalat Shabbat Service. I observed great humility and reverence among the field worshipers, and yet not a trace of sadness could be seen in their character. They called the practice the “field of holy apple trees” where they felt they were better adept to receive the Shekhina. It was also said to represent the ascent of the divine worlds (Fine 249). I then returned with a Tunis man of humble standing named Ya'akov Harari ben Yona, to his home, where he greeted his wife, mother, and young daughter by kissing their hands. The meal that was served was filling and delicious. There were dishes of many flavors with roasted chicken and fruits to finish. Along with the Sabbath meal, Ya'akov's wive had baked twelve loaves of bread the previous day. Ya'akov would often break into song throughout the meal and wine and blessings were passed all around. The next day, I joined Ya'akov to the synagogue where he prayed all day. The people of Safed were dressed in their best clothes and the feeling of festivity was in the air. At the front near the altar and the Torah, the Arizal stood with several of his disciples, Hayyim Vital among them. I could not follow in their language fast enough to keep with the prayer, but when the Torah was read by the Arizal, all became quiet and meditative. Before it was revealed, men went out to fetch their young children and I was told later that just by listening to the Torah, without even understanding its meaning, the soul was being revived. I could not help but remember the prescription that the Luria had given me just a few days before.
My second visit with Yitzchak Luria came two days later. I had prepared my main question for him ahead of time. He had allotted only a short audience with me because of his commitments to the lessons of his students and meditations. This time we met in his courtyard. I was seated on a stone bench beneath a old yet fragrant myrtle tree. The Arizal came to greet me with the same warmth and presence I had experienced the week before. He asked me about my experience of hearing the Torah and I reflected upon all I could. After we were served a cup a mint tea, I requested permission to ask my great question. With a slow, yet joyful nod of the head, the Arizal agreed.
“What are the foundations upon which tikkun olam can manifest?”
The Rabbi stroked his beard for a good fifteen minutes. The peacefulness of his presence reflected the tranquility of the beautiful courtyard and I was thus free from anxiety.
“There are eight primary teachings that I emphasize in which the seeds of tikkun olam can be planted,” he began, “The first is to have a deep concern for proper human relations. Let no one be humiliated, create no tensions between yourself and others, and so forth. For instance, if a man would like to walk in front of you, give him the honor. The importance of your ego does not match the importance of the relationship. (Fine 88).”
“Thus, you alone are held as morally responsible for your actions. It is only you who can act in respect towards others. If a man needs to be payed the day of his service, do not prolong his pay for your own convenience. Take his concerns to heart first (Fine 89).”
“Generosity and charitableness are of utmost importance if you are wishing to practice moral responsibility. In order to arouse such moral commitments, you must first generate a deep respect and trust for your fellow human beings, no matter how much they may fail you (Fine 89).”
“Respect comes when you first can practice self-effacement,” the Arizal turned to Hayyim Vital who was leaning against the archway entrance to the courtyard, “my disciple hear is working on this particularly.” He released a soft murmur of giggles and Vital stiffened. “Anger is also of great importance. I cannot think of many other things that can damage one's relationship with the most High, blessed be He, more than the embers of anger. These embers, if not tamed, grow into the terrible flames of other acts such as hatred and violence.”
Luria paused for a few minutes to enjoy his tea. His unabiding presence and concentration gave me no invitation of anxiety or over-analyzation. I simply sat and enjoyed the time passing with him. He then began again, “Melancholy is also an exceedingly unpleasant quality of personality, particularly in the case of an individual whose intention is to acquire esoteric knowledge and experience haRuah haQodesh. There is nothing that impedes mystical inspiration – even for someone who is otherwise worthy of it – as much as the quality of sadness (Fine 91).” He raised his head to me with a look of deep regret. There was compassion in his eyes, and I knew his thoughts traveled to bless those he knew with this affliction.
“You must be empathetic, and most importantly, you must seek love. Love within, love without and eventually, the divine light that permeates all creation with love.”
At this, the Arizal nodded, set down his clay cup and rose. With a lightness returning to his image, he mentioned his waiting students in the synagogue and he bade me farewell. I was led out by a servant to the world outside. I wondered if this great man could ever be frustrated. Did Yitzchak Luria ever struggle with the teaching he had just given me? There was indeed something dramatically charismatic about hiss character. I felt myself hanging on each word he said and he embraced me and all whom he engaged with-with an unmeasured level of attention. Did the Arizal dream? Did he too struggle with desires, hopes and aspirations like the weaker of us? It was not truly known if he ever spoke of his own struggles, mostly he aided others. This meeting with Rabbi Yitzchak Luria was on my last day in the city of Safed, and I returned the next morning with ideas to reflect upon for the rest of my days.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
a Letter from the Pureland
Beloved One,
I love you so dearly, and I send you blessings from this world. Thousands of sweetest of fragrances fill the forests. Everything is glowing. From the leaves of every Bodhi tree, to every grain of upon the grown. The sky is limitless and blue, and the most beautiful of music hums with the wind. Days are the same as hours, months the same as seconds. I do not know night or day. I am constantly bathed in golden light. There are streams that flow through the forest floors. The water is sweet and warm – my throat does not know thirst. From the trees are endless rows of fruit. They are heavy and ripe and slip softly into my hands just upon touch. My stomach does not know hunger.
I am hear with Amitabha, and we are smiling, filled with light and joy. My body has transformed into a structure of all perfect Buddha qualities. My mind, and heart and skin are like one infinitely compassionate cloud. Drifting high in the air, sometimes carried by the wind and sometimes still. I never fall to earth. I have no hopes or fears, no desires no animosities. The Amitabha Buddha embraces me every time we meet, and we meditate together atop sweet lotus blossoms. We observe the past, present and future lives of all the sentient beings in all the buddha-fields of the universe.
One day, in a distant, or maybe not so distant lifetime, you will join us.
Overflowingly,
Buddha Emilipraboddhitithajranamapsitabhagaragatha
I love you so dearly, and I send you blessings from this world. Thousands of sweetest of fragrances fill the forests. Everything is glowing. From the leaves of every Bodhi tree, to every grain of upon the grown. The sky is limitless and blue, and the most beautiful of music hums with the wind. Days are the same as hours, months the same as seconds. I do not know night or day. I am constantly bathed in golden light. There are streams that flow through the forest floors. The water is sweet and warm – my throat does not know thirst. From the trees are endless rows of fruit. They are heavy and ripe and slip softly into my hands just upon touch. My stomach does not know hunger.
I am hear with Amitabha, and we are smiling, filled with light and joy. My body has transformed into a structure of all perfect Buddha qualities. My mind, and heart and skin are like one infinitely compassionate cloud. Drifting high in the air, sometimes carried by the wind and sometimes still. I never fall to earth. I have no hopes or fears, no desires no animosities. The Amitabha Buddha embraces me every time we meet, and we meditate together atop sweet lotus blossoms. We observe the past, present and future lives of all the sentient beings in all the buddha-fields of the universe.
One day, in a distant, or maybe not so distant lifetime, you will join us.
Overflowingly,
Buddha Emilipraboddhitithajranamapsitabhagaragatha
The Power, Influence and Agency of Pre-Modern Muslim Women
According to the interpretations of the Qur'an and the Shari'a by Islamic scholars of the pre-modern Middle East, women were restricted to highly dependent and powerless lives. However, contrary to these interpretations, women were able to exercise a considerable amount of agency, power and control over their lives. Firstly, some women were able to gain considerable amounts of respect and prestige within society through the outlet of the Islamic mystical tradition of Sufism and occasional opportunities of religious education. Secondly, women could also yield substantial control in their home life because of the valuable role she held as child-rearer, home-keeper, and provider of hallal sex. And thirdly, women had independent ways of experiencing joy and happiness that did not rely upon what their male family members provided them.
It is an ironic situation that the same religion that produced interpretive scholars who saw to disband women of much of their power, also produced a mystical tradition that provided outlets for women to engage more fully. Sufism is an expression of Islam that focuses on the love of God rather than the rules of God. It is a tradition that elicited (and continues to elicit) deep emotions displayed often through means of passionate artistic expression such as song, dance and literature. In the Qur'an, there is no hierarchy of who is more worthy to worship God (man or woman). Both genders are loved equally by God and have equal potential to reach Paradise. The Sufis, for the most part, respected this concept.
Amongst the Sufi hagiographies of the medieval Middle East, numerous names of women were mentioned. There are many stories of Sufi sheikhas with their students, some whom are male, bestowing their wit and wisdom. One of the most famous of these women was Rabi'a al-Adawiyya. Rabi'a had a saintly image that remains in pop culture today. She instigated the concept of “unquestioning love of God” into a movement of asceticism (Roded 129). Many stories were written about Rabi'a, but also about other sheikhas. One story of the Daughter of Umm Hassan al-Asadiyya conveys a conversation she had with Sufyan al-Thawri. Sufyan asks the sheikha questions about her zealot prostration and fasting practices and they enter into a discussion about gratitude. The conversation concludes:
'[Rabi'a] You must be grateful for recognizing gratitude, and if you experience this double gratitude, His blessing will never cease.' Sufyan said: By God, my knowledge failed me and my tongue was tied, boasts of his knowledge, this suffices to prove his ignorance. If a person fears God, this is enough to prove his knowledge. Know that what hearts will never be cleansed of evil until all intentions are united in one concern for God.' Sufyan said; I despaired thinking of myself.' (Roded 130)
With the Daughter of Umm Hassan's wise answer as to the nature of gratitude as well as her extreme demonstrations of devotion to God as well as her demonstrations of disregard the material world, Sufyan repents his arrogance and cries for humility. The Daughter of Umm Hassan proves her spiritual superiority and thus confirms herself a powerful religious influence.
Another example of the presence of women can be seen among Ibn al-Hajj's descriptions of the Sufis in Cairo during the 13th century. Women participated in Sufi orders and practices such as singing, dancing and chanting. These practices are done sometimes with the company of men and many “men and women belonging to some popular sufi orders seem to have established bonds of fraternity” (Lufti 116). Women were able to lead these gathering as well. They established a more egalitarian religious construct of Islam compared to the iron-fisted patriarchy which was considered the standard of the sunnah implied by the Legal Scholars (such as Ibn al-Hajj) of the time.
It should also be noted that, for the most part, women were not barred by Shari'a from gaining an education. Women were taught Qur'an, Hadith and Shari'a at school and in their homes. They could not, however, attend madrassas. Women could be teachers, and were especially valuable in order to not upset the rules of sexual segregation with the education system. It was most common, and preferred that if girls were to be educated, it was to be done only among the company of other female peers and under the guidance of female instructors. However, this ideal was not always held to strictly, especially within Sufi education. In general, throughout time and culture, education means power and agency. By understanding a variety of Islamic literature, women could use their knowledge as means of gaining respect and by suppressing more patriarchally biased customs, not traditionally expressed in Islam. For example, many sheikhas were encouraged to leave their matrimonial lives. At this time, for a woman to do this would break the intense chains of cultural restrictions.
Another means by which women established control and power over their lives was by taking advantage of their designated gendered role of child-rearer/home keeper. A common practice among the wives of Cairo was to take a haqq al-firash (or “bed fee”) from their husbands in return for sexual favors. According to Ibn al-Hajj's interpretation of Shari'a, men are the ones responsible for providing their wives pleasure during sex. This would seem just, but added to his collective interpretations of women's rights (or lack of), this viewpoint leaves women's pleasure to be solely dependent upon their husbands giving it to them. Thus, by charging a “bed fee” within the marriage, women were able to establish power over their situation, and receive more than just supposed sexual pleasure from their husbands. The “bed fee” also provided the wife with some economic independence. The husband is the breadwinner and the one earning and controlling most all of the money. A “bed fee” on top of a dowry, gave a wife more economic control and freedom within or beyond her domestic life.
Beyond matters of sex within the home life, women were also the keepers of the house, and the ones raising the children. Because of this valuable role, they often found ways to apply more power to their lives. For instance, among the Caliphs and the noble families, mothers often had strong influence over their sons, and by informal means, were sometimes able to agent themselves as literal rulers of their empires or estates. A clear example of this dynamic can been seen in the case of the concubine to the third Abbasid caliph, Muhammad al-Mahdi (ruled 775-7785 CE), al-Khayzuran. Her power was earned by giving birth to the two heirs of the caliphate, Musa and Harun. “Khaysuran's political influence was expressed primarily in the struggle for succession between her two sons, particularly after her husband's death, and during their reigns” (Roded 85). Khayzarun was also said to have been the go-to lady amongst the generals and had a tight hold on empire's economic workings. “...al-Khayzarun used to exercise her authority over him [Musa], by assuming sole control over matters of ordaining and forbidding, just as she had done previously with his father” (Roded 87). Women from less politically and economically powerful backgrounds often used similar means to gain control. They would stand in as advisors to their husbands and male relatives, as well as manipulating their children as they raised them in order to shape the family's future. Yet even beyond the structure of their families, women were able to take control of their own lives.
Pre-modern Middle Eastern women were not solely reliant upon their male family member for happiness and fun. Often, women would let loose and celebrate freely when amongst themselves. At weddings, it is described out Cairene women would sing, and dance without fully covering themselves. They would wear adornments and indulge in food and drink. Ibn al-Hajj once again paints a detailed picture of these festivities with the example of a child-birth celebration:
When the baby was born, loud and long-drawn-out shrills were heard everywhere in the house, as a manifestation of female joy. Music, dancing, and an atmosphere of gaiety followed, and a variety of special dishes was served to the family and neighbors of the community. This... went on for seven days; every time a woman came to express her congratulations, the song and dance would start all over again. To publicize the happy event, trumpets and pipes were blown in front of the house door... (Lufti 111-112)
al-Hajj, of course despised these practices because of their supposed, un-muslim ways. He saw them not to serve the purpose of sunna. However, despite it all, these celebrations were so ingrained in the culture of the Middle East, that people were said to have taken them as seriously as religious practices (Lufti 112). Through them, women were able tot take control of their lives and create their own atmospheres of joy and happiness.
The perspectives of Ibn al-Hajj is a premier example of the Muslim salafi scholar world that oversaw much of the Middle East during Mamluk reign (13th to 16th century). These religious scholars stood as the leading authority on Shari'a, and proper Muslim behavior. As seen in the examples, the ideals of the salafi scholars were not always practiced. The scholars used this fact as a tool to condemn women's ways. “Ibn al-Hajj thus attributed the chaos in society to the prevalence of female ways” (Lufti 100). In other words, it was viewed that the haram ways of women that caused things such as famines, droughts and inflation (Lufti 101). Nevertheless, by means of religion, educations, sex, their designated gender role, and internal women's activities, pre-modern women of the Middle East were able to use agency, gain control and attain power over their lives and other's.
It is an ironic situation that the same religion that produced interpretive scholars who saw to disband women of much of their power, also produced a mystical tradition that provided outlets for women to engage more fully. Sufism is an expression of Islam that focuses on the love of God rather than the rules of God. It is a tradition that elicited (and continues to elicit) deep emotions displayed often through means of passionate artistic expression such as song, dance and literature. In the Qur'an, there is no hierarchy of who is more worthy to worship God (man or woman). Both genders are loved equally by God and have equal potential to reach Paradise. The Sufis, for the most part, respected this concept.
Amongst the Sufi hagiographies of the medieval Middle East, numerous names of women were mentioned. There are many stories of Sufi sheikhas with their students, some whom are male, bestowing their wit and wisdom. One of the most famous of these women was Rabi'a al-Adawiyya. Rabi'a had a saintly image that remains in pop culture today. She instigated the concept of “unquestioning love of God” into a movement of asceticism (Roded 129). Many stories were written about Rabi'a, but also about other sheikhas. One story of the Daughter of Umm Hassan al-Asadiyya conveys a conversation she had with Sufyan al-Thawri. Sufyan asks the sheikha questions about her zealot prostration and fasting practices and they enter into a discussion about gratitude. The conversation concludes:
'[Rabi'a] You must be grateful for recognizing gratitude, and if you experience this double gratitude, His blessing will never cease.' Sufyan said: By God, my knowledge failed me and my tongue was tied, boasts of his knowledge, this suffices to prove his ignorance. If a person fears God, this is enough to prove his knowledge. Know that what hearts will never be cleansed of evil until all intentions are united in one concern for God.' Sufyan said; I despaired thinking of myself.' (Roded 130)
With the Daughter of Umm Hassan's wise answer as to the nature of gratitude as well as her extreme demonstrations of devotion to God as well as her demonstrations of disregard the material world, Sufyan repents his arrogance and cries for humility. The Daughter of Umm Hassan proves her spiritual superiority and thus confirms herself a powerful religious influence.
Another example of the presence of women can be seen among Ibn al-Hajj's descriptions of the Sufis in Cairo during the 13th century. Women participated in Sufi orders and practices such as singing, dancing and chanting. These practices are done sometimes with the company of men and many “men and women belonging to some popular sufi orders seem to have established bonds of fraternity” (Lufti 116). Women were able to lead these gathering as well. They established a more egalitarian religious construct of Islam compared to the iron-fisted patriarchy which was considered the standard of the sunnah implied by the Legal Scholars (such as Ibn al-Hajj) of the time.
It should also be noted that, for the most part, women were not barred by Shari'a from gaining an education. Women were taught Qur'an, Hadith and Shari'a at school and in their homes. They could not, however, attend madrassas. Women could be teachers, and were especially valuable in order to not upset the rules of sexual segregation with the education system. It was most common, and preferred that if girls were to be educated, it was to be done only among the company of other female peers and under the guidance of female instructors. However, this ideal was not always held to strictly, especially within Sufi education. In general, throughout time and culture, education means power and agency. By understanding a variety of Islamic literature, women could use their knowledge as means of gaining respect and by suppressing more patriarchally biased customs, not traditionally expressed in Islam. For example, many sheikhas were encouraged to leave their matrimonial lives. At this time, for a woman to do this would break the intense chains of cultural restrictions.
Another means by which women established control and power over their lives was by taking advantage of their designated gendered role of child-rearer/home keeper. A common practice among the wives of Cairo was to take a haqq al-firash (or “bed fee”) from their husbands in return for sexual favors. According to Ibn al-Hajj's interpretation of Shari'a, men are the ones responsible for providing their wives pleasure during sex. This would seem just, but added to his collective interpretations of women's rights (or lack of), this viewpoint leaves women's pleasure to be solely dependent upon their husbands giving it to them. Thus, by charging a “bed fee” within the marriage, women were able to establish power over their situation, and receive more than just supposed sexual pleasure from their husbands. The “bed fee” also provided the wife with some economic independence. The husband is the breadwinner and the one earning and controlling most all of the money. A “bed fee” on top of a dowry, gave a wife more economic control and freedom within or beyond her domestic life.
Beyond matters of sex within the home life, women were also the keepers of the house, and the ones raising the children. Because of this valuable role, they often found ways to apply more power to their lives. For instance, among the Caliphs and the noble families, mothers often had strong influence over their sons, and by informal means, were sometimes able to agent themselves as literal rulers of their empires or estates. A clear example of this dynamic can been seen in the case of the concubine to the third Abbasid caliph, Muhammad al-Mahdi (ruled 775-7785 CE), al-Khayzuran. Her power was earned by giving birth to the two heirs of the caliphate, Musa and Harun. “Khaysuran's political influence was expressed primarily in the struggle for succession between her two sons, particularly after her husband's death, and during their reigns” (Roded 85). Khayzarun was also said to have been the go-to lady amongst the generals and had a tight hold on empire's economic workings. “...al-Khayzarun used to exercise her authority over him [Musa], by assuming sole control over matters of ordaining and forbidding, just as she had done previously with his father” (Roded 87). Women from less politically and economically powerful backgrounds often used similar means to gain control. They would stand in as advisors to their husbands and male relatives, as well as manipulating their children as they raised them in order to shape the family's future. Yet even beyond the structure of their families, women were able to take control of their own lives.
Pre-modern Middle Eastern women were not solely reliant upon their male family member for happiness and fun. Often, women would let loose and celebrate freely when amongst themselves. At weddings, it is described out Cairene women would sing, and dance without fully covering themselves. They would wear adornments and indulge in food and drink. Ibn al-Hajj once again paints a detailed picture of these festivities with the example of a child-birth celebration:
When the baby was born, loud and long-drawn-out shrills were heard everywhere in the house, as a manifestation of female joy. Music, dancing, and an atmosphere of gaiety followed, and a variety of special dishes was served to the family and neighbors of the community. This... went on for seven days; every time a woman came to express her congratulations, the song and dance would start all over again. To publicize the happy event, trumpets and pipes were blown in front of the house door... (Lufti 111-112)
al-Hajj, of course despised these practices because of their supposed, un-muslim ways. He saw them not to serve the purpose of sunna. However, despite it all, these celebrations were so ingrained in the culture of the Middle East, that people were said to have taken them as seriously as religious practices (Lufti 112). Through them, women were able tot take control of their lives and create their own atmospheres of joy and happiness.
The perspectives of Ibn al-Hajj is a premier example of the Muslim salafi scholar world that oversaw much of the Middle East during Mamluk reign (13th to 16th century). These religious scholars stood as the leading authority on Shari'a, and proper Muslim behavior. As seen in the examples, the ideals of the salafi scholars were not always practiced. The scholars used this fact as a tool to condemn women's ways. “Ibn al-Hajj thus attributed the chaos in society to the prevalence of female ways” (Lufti 100). In other words, it was viewed that the haram ways of women that caused things such as famines, droughts and inflation (Lufti 101). Nevertheless, by means of religion, educations, sex, their designated gender role, and internal women's activities, pre-modern women of the Middle East were able to use agency, gain control and attain power over their lives and other's.
Deep Listening
(adapted from a talk by Tara Brach)
It all starts with listening to ourselves. We can begin to very intentionally listen inwardly... What does your body say? What does your heart say? Where is your mind taking you to? Listen to these voices inside, and instead of fueling them with analysis and judgment, simply receive the messages with love. In that process what's clogged can become loosen and the spirt and heart and life that's there can be free.
And then there are others.
When we really listen, without impatience and resistance to how the other person is being, the other person will first go through all their habitual styles of discussion or argument. All the clogging in their fountain of speech will make it's way to the top in all shapes and forms; they'll try to impress, to dominate, to persuade, or try to do whatever they normally do in speech. BUT if we keep listening, if we can hang in there without resisting, without judgment, that person will gradually relax. And they will relax into a more naturally engaged flow of receiving and listening.
We cannot know someone if we do not listen. We cannot be close. When we can learn to listen, and unclog our fountain, we can help someone else unclog their fountain. It takes a tremendous amount of intension to do this training. It goes against all that we're wired to do. There's time to listen. There's time to practice. Just be patient.
Imagine.
We wouldn't be yelling and screaming and shooting and bombing if we didn't have a need to be listened to. We all deserve to be listened to we all need it, no matter how insane or terrible a person may seem, we all deserve to be listened to, deeply.
It all starts with listening to ourselves. We can begin to very intentionally listen inwardly... What does your body say? What does your heart say? Where is your mind taking you to? Listen to these voices inside, and instead of fueling them with analysis and judgment, simply receive the messages with love. In that process what's clogged can become loosen and the spirt and heart and life that's there can be free.
And then there are others.
When we really listen, without impatience and resistance to how the other person is being, the other person will first go through all their habitual styles of discussion or argument. All the clogging in their fountain of speech will make it's way to the top in all shapes and forms; they'll try to impress, to dominate, to persuade, or try to do whatever they normally do in speech. BUT if we keep listening, if we can hang in there without resisting, without judgment, that person will gradually relax. And they will relax into a more naturally engaged flow of receiving and listening.
We cannot know someone if we do not listen. We cannot be close. When we can learn to listen, and unclog our fountain, we can help someone else unclog their fountain. It takes a tremendous amount of intension to do this training. It goes against all that we're wired to do. There's time to listen. There's time to practice. Just be patient.
Imagine.
We wouldn't be yelling and screaming and shooting and bombing if we didn't have a need to be listened to. We all deserve to be listened to we all need it, no matter how insane or terrible a person may seem, we all deserve to be listened to, deeply.
simplification of Israeli-Palestinian negotiations...
-you did this, and it was definitely wrong.
- but you did that... and that was basically worse!
- but then you did this! That was just VILE.
- You're wrong! I didn't do this, you just fabricated it for your propaganda!!
- Aha my friend, but you're forgetting about all of this that you did...
- That's nothing compared to all that that you did!
- What the hell are you talking about?
- Don't try and deny what you did...
- I DIDN'T DO THAT YOU LIER!
- Oh yes you did... Check your sources DOUCHEBAG!!!!!
- You have some serious problems with ignorance. You and all of the fucking terrorists!!!
- Seriously? Your so dumb. We have a saying: "The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the Illusion of knowledge"
- BUT YOU ARE DELUSIONAL!
- You're just racist against "me's"! NAZI NAZI NAZI. You just want to kill us all.
- Stop complaining about nazis, you ARE THE NAZII!
- I HATE YOU
- I HATE YOU TOO!
- but you did that... and that was basically worse!
- but then you did this! That was just VILE.
- You're wrong! I didn't do this, you just fabricated it for your propaganda!!
- Aha my friend, but you're forgetting about all of this that you did...
- That's nothing compared to all that that you did!
- What the hell are you talking about?
- Don't try and deny what you did...
- I DIDN'T DO THAT YOU LIER!
- Oh yes you did... Check your sources DOUCHEBAG!!!!!
- You have some serious problems with ignorance. You and all of the fucking terrorists!!!
- Seriously? Your so dumb. We have a saying: "The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the Illusion of knowledge"
- BUT YOU ARE DELUSIONAL!
- You're just racist against "me's"! NAZI NAZI NAZI. You just want to kill us all.
- Stop complaining about nazis, you ARE THE NAZII!
- I HATE YOU
- I HATE YOU TOO!
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