The Republic of Rumi !

I must congrats myself and so many other participants of the RR workshop for going through a journey of a garden to find our true "self".

Saturday, 10-April-2010...I must tell you that Shafique Sahib touched the highest point of teaching and WE - the learning.

The workshop gave me so much insight and gave me so many things to think about time to time...

Every Saturday, since few weeks, we gathered at TDC to collectively learn the Republic of Rumi in the presence of Khurrum Shafique.

Actualy, Shafique Sahib took the credit to explain the whole book to us and he did it well.

So the last Saturday, we finally finished the book and after the workshop we conveyed our understanding about the whole book...
I was on the very low of understanding when I talked about my reaction or understanding after reading the book "Republic of Rumi".

And I think...I missed one big point that is ... INTERPRETATION....
which was empathised by the poet in the whole book.

Interpretation : An explanation or conceptualization by a critic of a work of literature, painting, music, or other art form; an exegesis.

This is the basic point on which we should concentrate....we have so many signs and hints around us...

We have Allah's books and we had Prophets (who explained/interpret the Allah's teaching to us as exactly as they are) - than the interpretation fall onto ordinary human shoulders. I am now in understanding that the human has interpreted the whole teaching very wrongly or they had interpreted it the way they want it to be -

I read once that History is like an ocean in which every fisher caught fishes with his own net....every net is different in its breath and depth....And every fisher tries to caught a fish where no other fisher has gone...these fishers are like history writers....who have their own understanding or perception of every happening in the history and when the fisher set his shop on the side of the road....the customers who are the reader...picked up the piece of fish which they think will amuse them....

In this way...reader...basically is the most ignorant of the actual ocean.... hmmm....

Frankly...when I first approached Shafique Sahib's workshop I kind a didn't liked what he said about certain names of literature. He categorise the literature into good and bad.

And he mean by good literature which gives the true meaning or the correct interpretation of society/human and religion.

Few weeks.....I didn't understand at all what he basically is telling me -

After so many days when I took RR workshop regularly....I started to notice the difference between good and bad literature myself.

And thus today I we concluded that Interpretation is what is most important....

But are we interpreting the history clearly???

Allah granted the Joseph to interpret everything the way they are HE also granted him wisdom and words and courage to speak up. As we read that he sent back the people to first clear his position in front of his first master...than he courageously asked the king to grant him all the kingdom....which means that he was confident enough to take care of the kingdom on the basis of his interpretations....wisdom.

And thus Joseph managed to come in contact with the common masses.

But nowadays to get in touch with common masses can be bit different. There were times when people used to inspire by poetry...art and literature...Sufi had his own way to communicate the interpretations and Poets had his own ways....

Now we can't rely on Poets or Sufis....as they are merely the actual poets and Sufi...

Nowadays...common masses are inspired by media...which can be TV or Internet....

May we think that someday...we will find a courageous person who will take all the masses attention by his/her website....we will visit that website everyday and will nod our heads in yes to be completely agreed with his sayings...

He, the "webmaster" would nurture our souls and will interpret the actual religion or faith to us?

Or...some newscaster will do the same...?

Anyways...the book sure give me so many questions and I am still in position of raising more...

I am so glad and happy to attend the workshops and I must say thanks to Shafique Sahib to give us the opportunity to open our brain to the reality.