POETRY BLENDED WITH ISLAM!
Here’s a question:
“Do you think poetry gave birth to Islam or Islam gave birth to poetry?”. I am just curious at the same time fascinated about the blending together of two fascinating words “poetry” and “Islam"
Somewhere on the Internet I came across this factual statement that intrigued my whole being :
Among the Arabs during the time of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), poetry was as popular as music and social media are today, and eloquence was seen as a God-given ability solely reserved for those destined for greatness. The seventh-century Arabs had achieved a degree of linguistic mastery never before known in their prior history. It was believed that the Arabic tongue had realized its full potential after a long process of perfection and refinement. However, although Arabic reigned supreme among the world’s known languages at the time, it had never met a challenger as expressive, persuasive, and articulate as the Noble Quran.
“THE CONCEPT OF BEAUTY IN ISLAM”
“Or, Who has created the heavens and the earth, and Who sends you down rain from the sky? Yea, with it We cause to grow well-planted orchards full of beauty of delight: it is not in your power to cause the growth of the trees in them.” [Quran 27:60]
Today,Dear ladies and gentlemen I am definitely not here to cook up a story of fantasy or fairytale but to actually visualize and state facts. Now poetry blended with Islam!. No way! I mean how ironic yet complementing at the same time..Come to think of it have you ever wondered why we get this feeling of bliss,serenity and calmness whenever we find ourselves reading the quran. Amazing isn’t it! . I believe this is a question of curiosity and close awareness we need to give unto . Before I forget, I would love y’all ladies and gentlemen to pardon me on giving a movie review titled : “Lamya’s Poem”. Written and directed by Alexander Kronemer, a young refugee girl fleeing violence and war finds a book of poetry by the celebrated 13th century poet, Rumi. The book becomes a magical gateway where she meets the young Rumi when he was a refugee, escaping the terrible wars of his time. In a shared dream world populated by monsters and other threats that represent the perils they face on their respective journeys, she must help him write the poem that 800 years later will save her life.
SYNOPSIS :
When the story begins, Lamya is a normal 13-year-old girl, texting friends on her cell phone, arguing with her mother about homework, and day dreaming. Except that her circumstances are far from normal. She lives in war-torn Aleppo. Her father was killed in the fighting, her mother struggles and does her best, and bombs rain down on the city, still far from their apartment, but coming closer every day.
The schools are closed because of the conflict, but her beloved teacher visits her and other students each week to hand out books and assignments to keep up with their studies. On one of his visits, he gives her a book called "Rumi: The Poet of Love".
Her teacher tells her that she shares something in common with him: as a boy, Jalaluddin Rumi also lived at a time of violence and war and was eventually forced to flee his city with his family. He reminds her of the first word of the Holy Book, “Read”.
"RUMI A POET OF LOVE"
Life continues on as close to normal as possible, until the bombing finally comes to their neighborhood. Their home is devastated. Lamya and her mother leave Aleppo and become refugees.
The story shifts back in time to find the young Rumi of her teacher’s description, fleeing war just as Lamya is. Like Lamya, he is headed toward an uncertain future, but not only is his destination uncertain, but also, more importantly, his spiritual heading. Already a budding poet, the young Rumi is deeply troubled by their circumstances and wants to abandon poetry to become a soldier and fight the Mongols, who forced his family to leave. His father, the scholar Bahauddin Walad, tells him to focus on his heart, and that "someone, somewhere, needs your words."
Seeing a group of people on their way to Makkah, Baha Walad announces that they are changing their intention. They are no longer refugees, they are pilgrims.
Starring: Millie Davis, Faran Tahir, Mena Massoud, Raoul Bhaneja, Aya Bryn Zakarya and Nissae Isen.
Now how does this movie title imply to this blog post : “Poetry blended with Islam". Watching Lamya’s Poem made me think on how “poetry” and “Islam" blend together.
In Islam, the concept of beauty is not solely restricted to physical beauty or the beauty of the heart, but it also includes the realm of poetic, or literary beauty. Islam is a universal religion, intentionally designed with all of creation in mind. As a result, it takes into account the hastiness and ignorance of humankind, whilst at the same time recognizing its superiority over the other created beings. The Quran consistently draws attention to the elegance of the universe and the carefully calculated patterns of nature (i.e. the orbits of the planets, the migrations of the birds, and the anatomy of the insect). The world has indeed been bedecked with beauty.
The Quran is filled with verses that emphasize the beauty of nature. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is oftentimes compared to a natural philosopher who viewed the world as a living mechanism that clearly pointed to the existence of an Intelligent Creator. This earthly existence is more than just for passing the time – it is a process of purification in which we are to draw nearer to Allah through the many trials and sufferings we may face, and in Islam, beauty is always an indicator of the intelligent design behind this marvelous universe. It is not a luxury. It is a divine quality. Beauty is the golden thread that links the hidden, invisible, spiritual realm with our earthly existence.
Personally Poetry is simply the art of expression, I believe anything or anyone can be poetry come to think of it: Silence is voiceless and rather invisible to see nor touch but it’s an expression,action,feeling and thought which makes me picture it as poetry vice versa same goes with the religion “islam” that encompasses a holy book named “Quran” as guidance . In as much as there are lines and verses in the Quran that keeps us speechless and in great wonders ,i feel a great sense of relatability between quran and poetry.
I know another question going to pop up in your head is “Is the Holy Quran Poetry?”. Well how do i answer to this , anyways here’s a few things I can testify to down below:
The Quran’s ornamental language includes a plethora of structural elements that makes its message distinct from the content of everyday language. Through its use of stanzas, refrains, rhymes, complexity, rhythm, repetition, diction, tropes, metaphor, and many other devices, it sets itself apart from even the most well-respected recitations of the time. While there are many similarities between the language of the Noble Quran and the classical oratory of Muhammad (pbuh)’s time, the Quran is not poetry, because it is much more than poetry, on both a literary and spiritual level. For instance, in the Quran, the highest ideals of ethical jurisprudence, marital counsel, and fiscal responsibility are manifestly expressed, sometimes in the form of a parable, other times in the form of a metaphor, and other times in the form of a clear, literal commandment from God.
It is certainly true that the Quran has a poetic vibe in some parts. However, unlike poetry, its words, images, and structure awakened the original audience’s memories of familiar stories of old, stirring their hearts and tightening the strings of suspense as the text surprised its listeners by not continuing as expected. The Quran broadened the horizon of expectations, breaking the idols of old ways of thinking and replacing them with a new and higher way of living. In the same way that the Prophet of Allah (pbuh) rejected the ignorant practices of his day in order to make way for a just culture, the Quran, too, replaces outdated rules of oratory with brand new symbols.
The true nature of the stories of the prophets were revealed, illustrating time-old principles in a refreshing way; the commands given to the Jews were revised and updated for the Muslim community, the recipients of the fullest expression of God’s self-revelation. In true poetic fashion, the Quran makes full use of the beauty of nature and the range of creative Arabic expressions, urging the reader to meditate upon their greatness in order to be drawn closer to the Lord.
Hence, through its poetic language, the Quran surprises and entertains its listeners while maintaining its unique originality.
“THE AESTHETIC DIMENSIONS OF THE HOLY QURAN”
We can further take a look at some verses in the holy Quran that I feel blend together with poetry.
“Or do they say, “He has fabricated this Quran!”? Say, O Prophet, “Produce ten fabricated sûrahs like it and seek help from whoever you can—other than Allah—if what you say is true!“ [Quran 11:13]
Say, “If mankind and the jinn gathered in order to produce the like of this Quran, they could not produce the like of it, even if they were to each other assistants.” [Quran 17:88]
Let’s face the truth: while many of us have grown to think of and treat the Quran as a book, its original existence was in the form of recitation – an art form to be received through the senses and only in the present moment. In the act of reciting the Quran, a vivid communication occurs between Allah and man and, unlike a textbook, political manifesto, or set of laws, the Quran transcends its message in the same way that a poem or musical composition transcends the notes on a musical sheet in order to stir hearts, move minds, and unite spirits. Each surah has its own character which conforms to the message found within. Surah Al-Adhiyat has a choppy, rhythmic recitation designed to produce a sense of dread or terror, as it reaches its conclusion in its treatment of the Day of Judgment. Similarly, Surah Al-Mursalat mimics the drifting winds and violent gales to which it refers to in its opening verses.
These unique characteristics that set the Quran apart from other works of literature require it to be performed and recited. The sacred scriptures of all religions are originally texts for recitation or singing. Most of the original followers of the great faith traditions of the world were illiterate common-folk, which means that, whenever we read a translation (or interpretation), we miss out on the beauty of the original Arabic, because any time a text is translated, a great deal of its original impact is lost. In fact, in what is considered to be the very first revelation given to Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), the angel Jibreel recites:
“Recite in the name of your Lord who created – Created man from a clinging substance. Recite and your Lord is the most Generous – Who taught by the pen – Taught man that which he knew not.” [Quran, 96:1-5]
The recitation of our holy text in its original Arabic tongue forces us to think in new ways, challenges us to develop our cognitive faculties, and reminds us that the Allah who revealed himself to Muhammad over 1400 years ago is the same Allah who meets us where we are today. The recitation of our holy text in its original language, when done mindfully, will draw the reciter’s mind to the living cadence of the surahs and their unique personalities; it will remind us that there is a symmetry of both the hidden world and the external world and that these individual parts are equally and justly weighted, balanced out. For Allah to divulge His final revelation in the form of a verbal performance means that speech is the finest of all powers and that beauty is never an accident.
“ GREAT SCENERY’S FROM LAMYA’S POEM”
Speaking of movie ,Lamya’s Poem highlighted some adventurous scenes that kept me dumbstruck in awe especially the part where :
- LAMYA & RUMI MEET:
Early in their respective journeys, the book of poetry, which Lamya still carries, becomes a magical gateway where they both meet in a mysterious dream world. They strike up an immediate friendship that provides a brief respite for each of them. But it is short lived. Soon they face monsters and perils reminiscent of what they face in the real worlds. As the dream world becomes ever more dangerous and they become separated, the help they were providing each other vanishes just when each needs it the most.
For Lamya, these include a sinking raft, anti-immigrant demonstrations, hostile journalists, officious border guards, and harsh conditions in crowded refugee camps. Adding to her loss, Lamya is separated from her mother. All the while, the monster continues to stalk her, slowly revealing itself as the anger and hatred that threaten to permanently scar her soul.
FIGHTING DEMONS
For Rumi, the real-world threat comes from the Mongol soldier, who overrun and devastate his homeland. His monster appears as a voice trying to convince him of the futility of spirituality in such a world. “Who for?” the voice taunts. “Do you really think your little poems matter? Who will these help?”
Moving further, Rumi and Lamya both reach a crisis in their journey. Lamya’s hopes to reunite with her mother are dashed, and she feels betrayed by the book she has relied on for reassurance. Young Rumi is convinced that his words don’t matter. Up until now, the book of poems has created their magical connection. As their faith in poetry dwindles, the link between them is lost just when they need each other most.
FINDING HOPE AND FAITH
Rumi makes Hajj with his father. While he is there, he is forced to examine his own prejudices, he is reminded of the Quranic imperative to “repel evil with goodness” and is inspired by the experience to change his outlook. Lamya then helps Rumi write the poem that will save her life.
CONCLUSION :
The film ends with Lamya reuniting with her mother, and Rumi on his way to becoming a great poet. Both of them refuse to succumb to the hate around them and choose the path of faith and hope.
Furthermore,the Great Jalaludeen Rumi :” Poet of love” wrote some poetic line during the Syrian war of his era such as :
- Listen to the reed and the tale it tells,
- How it sings of separation
- Since I was torn from my reed bed
- My song has been a strain of love and pain
- I long for someone who understands the signs
- To mingle their hearts with mine
- To heal a heart that bleeds
Listen,listen to the reed and the tale it tells
FEW THINGS I LOVE ABOUT THE MOVIE “LAMYA’S POEM”:
- I am in love with the fact that Lamya’s Poem is part of the few movies I have watched that didn’t paint Muslims as terrorists
- I love the clear vivid combinations of Lamya’s imagination with the awakening of reality itself
- I love the fact that poetry can be seen as just a side truth of Islam whereas poetry was seen in the beauty of Islam even before this emerging century
- Most, importantly watching Lamya’s Poem made me realize alot of things which I had no idea of as a Muslim ,also glad it served as an eye opener to the non Muslim as well.
- Based on the movie review, I will be giving Lamya a 7/10 rate . There were a lot of fields to speak and look on let’s take family, hope, loneliness, devastation, desperation, anger and most importantly love and kindness to look into .
REAL PICTURE OF RUMI :
The Great Jalaludeen Rumi as mentioned in the movie :”Lamya’s Poem"once said
“The wound is the place where the light enters you”_Rumi
I do not claim right to the pictures above and pieces of this writeup were from Google itself so I don’t claim certain ownership to some of these two things
Watch Lamya’s Poem and kindly give a review on it. Also feel free to criticize through my blog post here on medium
Later! 🩷
REFERENCES
- Pictures /Aesthetics:Pinterest,Google
Sources:
Ghehi, B.H. “Aesthetic and Concept of Beauty in the Quran.”
Kermani, N. “God is Beautiful: The Aesthetic Experience of the Qur’an.”
