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The summaries of the first 4 chapters of Muhammad Iqbal’s wonderful “Heavenly Poem”; here he will meet in particular: Rumi and Zurvan, the spirit of Space and Time
Prey
“[…] Up to now I have lived in the pain of separation from You, show me what is beyond this blue pavilion; open the locked doors before me, make the earth the confidant of the saints of heaven! my chest a fire, leave the aloe and burn the wood, then put the aloe on the fire and scatter the fragrant smoke all over the world. Stir up the fire of my cup, I mix a glance at your apparent ignoring me!
We are looking for you and you are far from us, indeed, what am I saying? We are blind and you are present before us! Tear, therefore, this veil of mysteries, or take back this blind soul!
Muhammad Iqbal
In this first chapter, Iqbal addresses the Divine directly with a prayer. According to the author, in fact, man cannot be completely satisfied with a “one-dimensional” world like this, thus aiming to find a real bond with his Lord. To achieve this, the poet begs God to show him what lies beyond the pavilion of heaven, going beyond what is the common sight of the vulgar.
Prologue in the Sky
“[…]” Trustee that you don’t notice the deposit that is entrusted to you, don’t worry, but look within yourself! The days shine for the agitation of life, not for that light that you see in the corporeal world. The morning light comes from that sun full of burning sores, but the light of the Spirit is the pure dust of time.
The light of the Spirit is traveling without knowing the roads, it goes further than the rays of the sun and the moon. Have you erased the sign of Hope from the notebook of the soul? But the light of the Spirit sprouts from your dust! The intellect of Man moves to the assault of the world, his love attacks the One who is beyond space!
Muhammad Iqbal
In “The Prologue in Sky”, the author starts from a diatribe between Sky and Earth to illustrate the incredible value of the latter, the seat of man and, more generally, the place where the divine Spirit is manifested , animator of everything. This characteristic makes the Earth even higher than the sky, in that: “only those who fall in love with the beauty of Essence can become the Lord of all creation”.
Prologue in Earth
“What is Ascension? It is the desire of a witness, it is the examination in front of a witness. A just witness, without the confirmation of which our life would be ephemeral like the scent and color of a flower. In his presence no one remains steadfast, and where he remains, he is a perfect touchstone.
Do not miss even an atom of the ardor you possess, mature the intricacy that you carry in your knot! The more beautiful it is to increase your ardor, the more beautiful it is to experience it before the sun: mold your old form again, try yourself, be “existing”. Being “existing” in this way is what “praiseworthy” means, otherwise the fire of life is nothing but smoke. ”
Rumi in “Javid Nami” by Muhammad Iqbal
Within “Prologue on earth”, Iqbal will meet Rumi, the one who will accompany him on this journey beyond good and evil, to whom he will ask several questions, namely: what is to exist and not to exist, what does it mean ” laudable “and” blameworthy “, like going before God and the wretched of the (spiritual) birth. The great mystic will answer these questions of extraordinary poetic beauty and significance, thus preparing the poet for the journey.
The spirit of time and space leads the traveler to his heavenly journey
He said: “I am Zurvan, the subjugator of the world; now I am ascetic to the eye, now I appear. Every decision depends on my will; mute or speaking, all are my prey. The bud on the branch grows by my work, by virtue of me they cry birds in the nest; my breathless flight is the seed from the bud, every separation becomes union in my grace. I bring both reproach and exhortation, making men thirsty and then offering them wine.
I am life, I am death, I am resurrection, I am judgment, hell, heaven, huri. Men and angels are caught in my chain, the transitory world is my son. Every flower you pick from the branch is me, the matrix of everything you see is me. Prisoner is the world in my enchanted talisman, my magic breath ages this universe every day. But whoever has the words in their hearts: “There is a time I spend with God”, that hero can break my spell. ”
Zurvan in “Javid Nami” by Muhammad Iqbal
To make the definitive leap into the new world, Iqbal will find himself observing Zurvan, being legendary like an angel, originally from the Iranian world. The latter represents a kind of heresy present in Zoroastrianism which sees, besides the traditional principles of Good and Evil, also a third called Zurvan and who would represent Time. Precisely because of its neutral and at the same time absolute nature, it represents the perfect entity to make the poet proceed on this journey beyond Good and Evil.
Tomorrow a new episode with exceptional protagonists such as: Zoroaster, Christ and Muhammad. Follow us on our facebook page, Spotify, YouTube, Twitter and Instagram, or on our Telegram channel. Ogni like, condivisione o supporto è ben accetto e ci aiuta a dedicarci sempre di più alla nostra passione: raccontare il Medio Oriente.
