Fire & The Mawlid
Reflecting on subtle meanings
Recently I taught a group of parents and children a fire making class — single match technique, flint and steel and the primitive bow drill.
Some may read this and think, well that is a short class, all you need is wood, lighter fluid and matches or a lighter…correct? That is one way of looking at it, which requires nominal skill and limited reflection.
Constantly relying on products made by others, and obtained, usually with minimum effort, severely limits our abilities. What happens when we don’t have fluid, a match or a lighter to start a fire afield? What normally happens, is, we succumb to hypothermia, freeze, or find ourselves in some other form of hardship that engenders fear of the outdoors. However, with a little effort and practice, we can liberate ourselves from this fear. By learning forsaken skills, such as fire-making, we connect ourselves to an enduring tradition.
During the blessed month of Rabi’ul Awal (the third lunar month), the month in which the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) was born, all throughout the world Muslims celebrate with events honoring his (Allah bless him and give him peace) noble life. The curious might inquire as to why I would mention the birth of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) in the context of fire-making?
Throughout the sira (Prophetic biography) we read stories about campfires, cooking, boiling water and other situations, which could only occur with the medium of fire.
I invite you to reflect on how the early generation started a fire. Is not Rabi’ul Awal about celebrating the life of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace)? Is our celebration confined to a certain manner, to a certain place, only to occur with certain people? Can our celebrating also encompass experiencing what it meant to warm water for a purifying bath or ablution, or to warm food for guests and serve them as he (Allah bless him and give him peace) demonstrated?
The links between, theory and practice are connections of dhawq (experiential knowledge), which represent the reality of interconnections between our body, mind and soul — Islam, Iman and Ihsan put another way.
I was inspired to think about all of this after reading a hadith about the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) assigning himself the chore of collecting firewood as he traveled with his companions (Allah be pleased with them).
During a halt on a journey, the companions apportioned work among themselves for preparing food. The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) took upon himself the task of collecting firewood. His companions pleaded that they would do it and that he need not take the trouble, but he replied, “It is true, but I do not like to attribute any distinction to myself. Allah does not like the man who considers himself superior to his companions.” (Zarqani, Vol 4 p. 306)
Satan was condemned because he was deceived by the attractiveness of fire and its superficial qualities. Fire, as is related in the Qur’an, was the source of his arrogance. We find in the Qur’an,
“(Allah) said: “What prevented you (Satan) that you did not prostrate, when I commanded you?” Iblis said: “I am better than him (Adam), You created me from fire, and him You created from clay.”
Perhaps, if we all learned to step back from our stoves and burners, our lighters and lamps, and just tried to start a fire, from scratch, we could all become a bit more humble. When we mention the many distinctions of our Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace), his humility is near the top of any list.
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