BBC – An Islamic History of Europe
“In this 90-minute documentary, Rageh Omaar uncovers the hidden story of Europe’s Islamic past and looks back to a golden age when European civilisation was enriched by Islamic learning. Rageh travels across medieval Muslim Europe to reveal the vibrant civilisation that Muslims brought to the West. This evocative film brings to life a time when emirs and caliphs dominated Spain and Sicily and Islamic scholarship swept into the major cities of Europe. His journey reveals the debt owed to Islam for its vital contribution to the European Renaissance.” (courtesy BBC from youtube)
Moses Ibn Maimun (Maimonides) and Ibn Rushd (Averroes)
As I am soon going to Spain for a research month I couldn’t resist posting this film. This is an excerpt from the film ‘Cities of Light’ which is about the history of Al-Andalus (Islamic Spain) and the incredible flourishing of philosophy, theology, medicine, translation, and much more, among the Jewish and Muslim scholars and mystics.
Back to Andalucia
Photo by Philip C
Dear Friends and Readers, apologies for not having written a great deal recently but I have been deeply immersed in my research and writing plenty of academic stuff. Just another 2 weeks and I will be going to Andalucia, Spain for a field study. There will be plenty of work to do but I also plan, inshallah, to continue writing ‘Diary of an Andalucian Village’. So look out here for posts from Andalucia in May. I am looking forward to once again bathing in the beautiful light of Andalucia, seeing the mountains and the sea, visiting the beautiful architecture that remains from Al-Andalus and seeing many friends once again. May is definitely one of the most beautiful months of the year in the Alpujarra mountains as they are covered with so many beautiful wild flowers. A real bouquet of colour.
Diary of An Andalusian Village
This morning I have been importing some posts from my former blog JourneyWoman Some of those posts are about my reflections while living in Andalucia. To read them just go to the categories list and click on Andalucia, scroll to the bottom of the page and then click on ‘previous entries’ (there are two pages of them) now you can read them in their correct sequence.
Ibn ‘Arabi and Spiritual Refreshment
I can always rely on Ibn ‘Arabi for spiritual refreshment and feeling greatly in need of drinking close to the source of compassion I have been reflecting on the great Shaykh’s life and work recently. Ibn ‘Arabi is also known as the Shaykh al-Akbar, the greatest Shaykh. He was born in Al-Andalus in the mid twelfth century and lived half his life there before travelling east. He wrote prodigiously and claimed never to write anything he had not experienced personally. His influence on the development of Sufism was immense. Stephen Hirtenstein has written a biography of Ibn ‘Arabi and what I appreciate so much about this biography is the way he introduces the reader to the thought of Ibn ‘Arabi and also describes the historical context in which he lived, wrote, and pursued his spiritual path. Many scholars see Ibn ‘Arabi as being equally significant to our present day concerns alongside the work of Jalaluddin Rumi. To read this book is like stepping into the times of Ibn ‘Arabi in Al-Andalus and bathing in his spiritual wisdom. Having lived in Andalucia I often had a sense of his presence in the places he had been whether in the mosque of Cordoba, the port of Adra, or under the mulberry trees in the Alpujarran Mountains. It felt like remembering his presence in Andalucia brought a special blessing and that I had moved back several hundred years through time, or that time had become blurred and no longer relevant. One day, insh’allah, I hope to visit his tomb in Damascus.
If you would like to read more about this great Shaykh then just click on the image.
A Video on the History of Muslim Spain
Photo I. Chatterjee
If you scroll down to the videos on the right hand side you will see I have added a video on Muslim Spain. This is an excellent documentary that recalls the 800 year history of Arab rule in Spain. The filmography is a delight with sumptious images of Muslim architecture and gardens, such as the Alhambra and the mosque of Cordoba
Love in September
Photo by Y K Randall
What with the weather being so grey and wet here in England at the moment I can’t help but think of the warmth of Andalucia. The photo of almonds being husked by machine was taken about a year ago in my mountain village in Andalucia.
Reading the Signs of God
Photo by I. Chatterjee
I live high in the Alpujarran mountains of Andalucia in Spain and the views across the mountains to the Mediterranean are stunning and give a great deal to reflect upon. The entire universe, including ourselves, is a great book filled with the signs of God waiting to be read. At this time of year, after the intense heat of summer, the weather is beginning to change. A pleasant drop in temperature, cooler breezes, a subtle change in the quality of the light are all harbingers of the coming Autumn and as I walk above the village and look out to sea I am reminded of the importance of rhythm in our lives and its connection with time.
From the beating of our hearts and the breathing of our lungs rhythm is an essential partner in the passing of time and the two link arms and appear throughout the natural and biological world and also manifest in cultural, religious, and social scenarios. If rhythm is honoured then the result can be a creative unfolding of divine surprises and moments of grace that reveal the true humanity of an individual. It is these divine surprises and blessings that suggest to me the melodies, keys, and chords for which rhythm builds the framework.
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Haiku: Cool Breeze
Relief of cool breeze
Sweeps summer’s heat from the day,
Clarity returns
Shaykh ‘Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani on the Elements
While reading Shaykh ‘Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani’s ‘The Secret of Secrets’ (translated by Shaykh Tosun Bayrak al-Jerrahi al-Halveti) I came across the following ayat (verses) from the Qur’an which he introduces like this:
“Two of the four elements are earth and water, which are responsible for the growth of faith and of knowledge, give life to the living and appear in the heart as humbleness, for earth is humble. The other two elements are fire and ether. They are the opposites of earth and water. They burn, destroy, kill. It is the Divine that unites these opposites in one being. How do water and fire coexist? How are light and darkness contained within the clouds?
It is He Who shows you lightning, causing both fear and hope; it is He Who raises up the clouds heavy with rain.
Nay, thunder repeats His praises, and so do the angels, with awe. He flings the loud-voiced thunderbolts and therewith strikes whomsoever He will … (Sura Ra’d 12, 13)
The Shaykh goes on to speak of the union of opposites and how the human becomes a mirror reflecting the Divine Names, or Attributes. Of all creatures the human being is the only one that reflects all the Attributes. Traditionally these are seen as Jamal (Beautiful) and Jalal (Powerful). The Shaykh goes on to say, “Man contains the whole universe in his being: that is why he is called the unifier of multiplicity, the macrocosm.”
When experiencing a storm like the one I posted about yesterday, there is the experience of the Power and Might of God in the roar of thunder as the electric tension cracks through the air causing the lightning and a sonic shock wave as the surrounding air expands. Then comes the rain, beautiful, welcome, and full of blessings for the soil. The loud and magisterial followed by the musical and the nourishing. Yet even within the former there is great beauty and in the latter the power to destroy through flooding.
Observing the elements provides so many lessons on the Names of God and how their ‘energy’ works within creation and within ourselves.
Thunderous Outburst
I thought I had finished here for today but I just had to come back again and let you know that it’s raining. In this very dry and hot landscape we love water and never take it for granted. After finishing the last post I went out to take the rubbish to the bins at the bottom of the road/track. As I walked through the night the entire landscape was suddenly lit up over and over by sheet lightning. I was delighted as the rumble of thunder crossed the skies shortly after the lightning. But was it going to rain? Sometimes we get the special effects without the water as it passes over very fast. I felt one drop, then another. Finally, Alhamdulillah, as I was walking back heaven let loose its blessings. Immediately I think of Hazrat Shaykh ‘Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani and his words on the elements in The Secret of Secrets. More about that tomorrow I have to hurry before the electricity cuts out …
Herbs Against Flying Insects and a Writer’s Worst Injury
There are plenty of insects flying through the air at this time of year but the locals have an intriguing custom to keep them away. A sprig of small leaved herbs is hung over one ear. It looks like young marjoram and wilts very quickly giving the wearer something of a rakish look. Strangely it is only the men who follow this custom.
It isn’t the insects that are worrying me right now though but an injury to my right thumb (I am right-handed). I cut myself quite deeply on glass. The wound is small but deep and is now dressed and bound. Inshallah, it should be better in about three days but at present I am typing very slowly. One advantage is that I get a break from washing the dishes!
Haiku for the Mezquita in Cordoba
Splash of the fountains
in the courtyards of the sun.
Orange trees give shade
Translation and the Power of Words
Today the heat has been hard to bear. The usual breeze that brings some refreshment didn’t arrive today and even now as the call for Maghrib prayer is about to sound from my laptop it is hot and humid. The sky over the Mediterranean is pink and blue and the swallows of the village are returning to their nests under the church eaves. As they settle down for the night I continue writing. I have had a good writing day today. I completed some translation work this afternoon and wanted to press on with an article that needs to be finished tonight.
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Stay indoors and write!
It’s a beautiful day but there is writing to do. I’ve got several articles to complete and I must make time to continue with my new novel which is still very much in its beginning stages. To be fair, it is not difficult to stay indoors during the day in July. Where I live, and that’s the mountains of Southern Spain, it is very, very hot and most people stay indoors until the evening. Then the village comes alive with the chatter of families and friends sitting on their terraces and patios. Children squeal and laugh with renewed energy after the lethargy of the day, and the night sky is magnificent.
I look forward to a walk after sundown in the refreshing breeze that hardly ever fails us at that time of day. But for the moment it is back to work and I am quite content to be sitting at my laptop within the shelter of these thick, ancient walls.
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