Tag: ansari

Posted in Arts, Events, Interfaith, London

‘Rubaiyat’: New Translations and New Poetry, and Zikr (Saturday, May 7, 7 PM, London)

Posted on by ansariuk

rubaiyat.jpeg

Do not worry , O Khushal!

No matter how wretched you are

You are only flesh and blood

And not some heavenly seraph.

We are delighted to welcome Sami ur Rahman who has flown in from Pakistan to present his new translations of the national poet of Afghanistan – Khushal Khan Khattak. A contemporary of Bulleh Shah, he likewise rejected caste and clerical edicts. Part warrior poet who led the Pashtun struggles against emperor Aurangzeb, part mystic, part scholar, he produced ghazals, rubaiyat, and verse treatises on the body and falconry.

Sami ur Rahman (journalist, translator, lover of mystic poetry and theoretical physics), hails from the same obscure village as the 17th century Khushal, and has published two books of translations. He will be reading in Pashtu, Farsi and English, and will include Rumi in Farsi and English.

In the other half we have original poetry from guest Jane Silk who studied Islamic and Sufi philosophy at Kings College and SOAS and then deepened her academic experience with a spiritual awakening in Isfahan. She took to a form of meditation-writing at night, covering her wall with scores of jottings. This outpouring is sometimes described in farsi as ‘taravoosh zehniyat’ – a ‘dripping of the mind’.

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As always we keep our floor open to contributions of original poetry or music from our audience.

Ending with a Sufi zikr- a traditional meditation of remembrance with chanting, movement, breathing, and music, which closes with prayers for humanity and the planet.

Please note: the Sufi zikr at approximately 9pm is FREE and you are welcome to come only for the zikr.

‘Rubaiyat’: New Translations and New Poetry, and Zikr

Poetry Cafe
22 Betterton St, Covent Garden WCH2 9BX
Saturday 7th May 2016
7pm to 9:45pm

£8 on the door 

http://www.meetup.com/SufiMusic/

Posted in Words of Wisdom

Choosing Allah consciously

Posted on by ansariuk

Shaykh Taner Ansari

Excerpt from a talk by Shaykh Taner Ansari:

All humans have nafs (ego), brain and a line to God. We have to find the correct way. Allah is Rahman (The Most Merciful) and Rahim (The Most Compassionate), so He helps us find the right course by logic, by contemplating, deduction and induction.

The first thing is this: you have to accept it – there is a God, but it’s not you. Our job is to find our essence through contemplation. Islam is acknowledgment of the fact that there is a God, and don’t try to be God yourself. You have to accept that there are rules and regulations. You have to be in sync with this.

Do we have any will power? Yes, if we didn’t have any will power, Allah wouldn’t have created us. Why? Because Allah wants to be chosen scientifically with our own free will, with no force. If Allah wanted to force (people to believe), everybody would believe.

Making the choice of choosing Allah has to be the beginning of your life. Everything has to be based on this. This is the truth and this is what we have to make peace with. Islam is making peace with Allah’s decrees and Allah’s systems. This is physics. If you think you have power too, show it to me. I am not going to ask you to make a galaxy. I am going to ask you not to eat, and don’t go to the bathroom. If you think you have power, do this.

One of the rules of being a Sufi is that you have to be on the lookout for Allah’s signs. Listen to my advice. Surrender and learn the easy way. My students have to be conscious of what they are doing. Each action has to be willing (voluntary and conscious). I don’t want you to do habitual actions – habitual actions is the killer of all faiths. Mean what you say each time.

Posted in Arts, Events, Interfaith, London, Web site notification

Festive wishes from us – and last Zikr for this year (21 Dec 2015)

Posted on by ansariuk

shaykhanneoxford

On behalf of Shaykh Taner Ansari and Shaykha Muzeyyen Ansari, the Heads of the Ansari Qadiri Rifai Sufi Order, we would like to thank everyone for attending our Zikr and all of our events this year. Thank you also for all your contributions, your help and assistance, your prayers and kind thoughts.

May Allah be happy with all our Zikrs, prayers, positive actions and intentions, and may He bless you, your family and loved ones.

Next Monday, the 21st December, will be the last Zikr of the year. We will resume again on the 4th of January, if God is willing, at the same time and place, celebrating the Prophet Muhammad’s (pbuh) birthday (Milad-un-Nabi).

We wish you a merry festive season and a happy 2016 that is full of love and light. We look forward to seeing you soon in the new year.

Ya Wadud Ya Salaam Ya Jami (Love, Peace and Togetherness),

Ansari Qadiri Rifai Sufi Order of the United Kingdom

Posted in Events, London

Event tonight: Healing Sounds of the Sufis’: Sufi Poetry, Sound Healing and Zikr

Posted on by ansariuk
If you are looking for a great way to spend this evening, we have an event tonight…
light

‘Healing Sounds of the Sufis’: Sufi Poetry, Sound Healing and Zikr

Saturday 7th November
7:00pm – 9:30pm

Poetry Cafe, Covent Garden London WC2H 9BX
 

‘Your happy songs bring to me the scent of Heaven.

Please keep singing.’ – Rumi

The theme of our next few gatherings is healing. The vibrations of unity within Sufi poetry and prayer, and using voice and frame-drums with the audience to create universal vibrations.

There will be selections from classic and modern spiritual poetry in the original and translation, including Rumi, the Upanishads, and Daniel Abdal Hayy. Please share your original or favourite spiritual poems.

We will have a selection of frame-drums and the briefest of workshops to create an audience frame-drum meditation. Chants from Sufi traditions and voice work to open our channels.

Ending with a Ansari Qadiri Rifai Sufi Zikr, led by Khaled Hakim, at approximately 9pm – a traditional meditation of remembrance with chanting, movement, breathing, and music, which closes with prayers for humanity and the planet.

£8 on the door

www.meetup.com/SufiMusic