A painful but truthful song

Can you win a chess-match in a single move?

There was once a Sufi called "Arshad" who was a contemporary of Sebara the emperor. (Names changed). Arshad had supported an enemy of Sebara and this enemy too was also inclined towards Sufism, and hence Sebara wanted to kill Arshad. Sebara obtained the fatwa from the Ulema on the grounds that he did not recite the Kalimah (profession of Islamic faith) fully. He would only say la ilaha (there is no god) but did not say illallah (except one God).

On the basis of the fatwa Sebara ordered his execution and when the executioner raised his sword, one of Arshad’s disciples rushed and whispered in his ear:   

‘now at least say illallah and save your life’. 

Arshad replied ‘do you want me to speak lie to save my life?’ 

The disciple, surprised at this reply said, ‘is it lie to say illallah? ‘

No’, said Arshad, ‘it is the highest truth but for me it would be a lie’.  

‘Why’, the disciple asked. 

‘Because’, Arshad said ‘I have not been able to really deny so many gods of desire still sitting in my heart. How can I then say il lallah (except One God)? I am still worshipping so many idols of desire and not free of them’. 

And his head was cut off.

I say, Arshad was wise, he knew that Sebara just wanted him killed anyhow, so why tell a tell a great lie and then die. Arshad knew that even the simple blinding-desires that crop up in all our minds were idols too. He did not become a hypocrite, the truth shall set him free. And at least, he did very great in that he did not make his "desire to live" into an idol. He valued the Kalima more than his life. May his soul rest in peace.



It's not just Arshad, but yes, Rumi knew this truth too when he said in the Masnavi, "everything except God is an idol". The Prophet himself said that the truest words spoken by any poet are those of Labid: "Know that everything is vanity save God."

But as young children, our elders have misguided us sometimes, but mostly unintentionally, they told us that the earth was flat in shape and it took a younger son to correct that it was not. 

Here is a song that I wish to share with you, it's a conversation between a father and son... the father wants the son to follow the usual way, the prevalent society way, but the Son, the son has found some new truths to share, and he just can't ignore them, so he fights for the truths, but he fails again and again to spread them, so then he tells his father that he realizes that his only way is to go away. (Refer Surah 109 of the Qu'ran)

Well, this song is composed and sung by Yusuf Islam earlier known as Cat Stevens before he changed to Mohammedic religo-morphology. Click on his names to listen to the originals at Youtube.



I just love the way he sings with his eyes closed and deep. And I just loved it the way he sings the line "If they were right--I'd agree, but it's them they know, not me" with so much feeling that I can relate to. If ever I get a chance to meet him, yeah, I just wish I could share my thoughts with him. I heard this song for the first time thanks to the Boyzone Album -"By Request". I used to sing it as a growing teenager. Here is the version by Boyzone, I just loved it the way the Dublin audience sang with them. God bless Ireland, Ireland is number one in the world in giving charity to the needy.



Here is the lyrics of the song:

Father to son:  

It's not time to make a change,

Just relax, take it easy.

You're still young, that's your fault,

There's so much you have to know.

Find a girl, settle down,

If you want you can marry.

Look at me, I am old, but I'm happy.



I was once like you are now, and I know that it's not easy,

To be calm when you've found something going on.

But take your time, think a lot,

Why, think of everything you've got.

For you will still be here tomorrow, but your dreams may not.



son says to Father: 

 How can I try to explain, when I do he turns away again.

It's always been the same, same old story.

From the moment I could talk I was ordered to listen.

Now there's a way and I know that I have to go away.

 I know I have to go.

Well here, in this player, I have sang the last two stanzas of the song. Hope you like it.

  

Father says to son:

It's not time to make a change

Just sit down

and take it slowly

You're still young--that's your fault

There's so much you have to go through

Find a girl, settle down

If you want, you can marry

Look at me--I am old

But I'm happy.

Son says to Father:

All the times, that I've cried

Keeping all the things I knew inside

And it's hard

But it's harder to ignore it

If THEY were right--I'd agree 

But it's them--they know,

Not me.

now there is a way

and I know

 that I have to go away

I know I have to go. 

We have to stand up for the truths, have faith in the truths. Just by having faith in the truths itself, gives you the persona, the way how to spread the truths. Our chances in spreading the truths is directly proportional to how much faith we have in the truths. I tell myself everyday that there is never a need to quarrel for the truths, never a need to get angry, because: Truth stands out clear from error. Have faith.



But we don't know the whole Truth yet, the unfathomable God is the whole Truth, it's a constant struggle..getting and spreading. Enjoy the pain!