Yesterday, my family and I were approached by a couple of girls who are art students, in a cafe. They apologised for intruding, but asked us to say the first thing that came into our heads when they mentioned Iraq. I said, Mesopotamia. They were nonplussed. They had never heard of it. I said the standard phrases: cradle of civilisation, first cities ever built, etc. That is not really my perspective, but sensed that there was only so far that I could go. They were going to make an art exhibit about the war in Iraq, and one could see that they meant very well.So this set a train of thought going in me. The society that believes that Mesopotamia was the very cradle of civilisation has reduced it to a ruin and its people to destitution and despair, those who have survived. This must somehow be in the nature of a sign. When once before Baghdad was razed to the ground, those who did it were implacably opposed to the very concept of the city. I mean the Mongols. But this time around, destruction has been visited upon it by people who believe that Mesopotamia was the very beginning of everything that we are today. So for these people this is the end of an entire meta-cycle of history.As for us, this is the land which Ibrahim, peace be upon him, spurned and emigrated from. It is for us a beginning too, but in a very different way. Its destruction fits in our world-view in a very different way.
Mesopotamia
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Abdassamad Clarke is from Ulster and was formally educated at Edinburgh University in Mathematics and Physics. He accepted Islam at the hands of Shaykh Dr. Abdalqadir as-Sufi in 1973, and, at his suggestion, studied Arabic and tajwid and other Islamic sciences in Cairo for a period. In the 80s he was secretary to the imam of the Dublin Mosque, and in the early 90s one of the imams khatib of the Norwich Mosque, and again from 2002-2016. He has translated, edited and typeset a number of classical texts. He currently resides with his wife in Denmark and occasionally teaches there. 14 May, 2023 0:03 View more posts
Sdr Abdassamad
Salaam
Four Dead Birds And A Donkey
(two turtle-dove and a partride in a pear tree)
It is for us a beginning too, but in a very different way. Its destruction fits in our world-view in a very different way. – Abdassamad Clarke
It would be interesting to know your world-view in very different way.
Even now your are chipping away to get at the right lines while wondering if it would do any good at all. Make it beautiful. I would be nonlpussed looking at the skeleton of a donkey. A dead donkey being brought to life would leave me stunned.
أَلَمْ تَرَ Ø¥ÙÙ„ÙŽÙ‰ الَّذÙÙŠ Øَآجَّ Ø¥ÙبْرَاهÙيمَ ÙÙÙŠ رÙبّÙه٠أَنْ آتَاه٠اللّه٠الْمÙلْكَ Ø¥Ùذْ قَالَ Ø¥ÙبْرَاهÙيم٠رَبّÙÙŠÙŽ الَّذÙÙŠ ÙŠÙØْيÙـي ÙˆÙŽÙŠÙÙ…Ùيت٠قَالَ أَنَا Ø£ÙØْيÙـي ÙˆÙŽØ£ÙÙ…Ùيت٠قَالَ Ø¥ÙبْرَاهÙيم٠ÙÙŽØ¥Ùنَّ اللّهَ يَأْتÙÙŠ بÙالشَّمْس٠مÙÙ†ÙŽ الْمَشْرÙÙ‚Ù Ùَأْت٠بÙهَا Ù…ÙÙ†ÙŽ الْمَغْرÙب٠ÙَبÙÙ‡Ùتَ الَّذÙÙŠ ÙƒÙŽÙَرَ وَاللّه٠لاَ يَهْدÙÙŠ الْقَوْمَ الظَّالÙÙ…Ùينَ
أَوْ كَالَّذÙÙŠ مَرَّ عَلَى قَرْيَة٠وَهÙÙŠÙŽ خَاوÙÙŠÙŽØ©ÙŒ عَلَى عÙرÙوشÙهَا قَالَ أَنَّىَ ÙŠÙØْيÙـي Ù‡ÙŽÙ€ÙŽØ°Ùه٠اللّه٠بَعْدَ مَوْتÙهَا Ùَأَمَاتَه٠اللّه٠مÙئَةَ عَام٠ثÙمَّ بَعَثَه٠قَالَ كَمْ لَبÙثْتَ قَالَ لَبÙثْت٠يَوْمًا أَوْ بَعْضَ يَوْم٠قَالَ بَل لَّبÙثْتَ Ù…Ùئَةَ عَام٠ÙَانظÙرْ Ø¥ÙÙ„ÙŽÙ‰ طَعَامÙÙƒÙŽ وَشَرَابÙÙƒÙŽ لَمْ يَتَسَنَّهْ وَانظÙرْ Ø¥ÙÙ„ÙŽÙ‰ ØÙمَارÙÙƒÙŽ ÙˆÙŽÙ„Ùنَجْعَلَكَ آيَةً لّÙلنَّاس٠وَانظÙرْ Ø¥ÙÙ„ÙŽÙ‰ العÙظَام٠كَيْÙÙŽ Ù†ÙنشÙزÙهَا Ø«Ùمَّ نَكْسÙوهَا Ù„ÙŽØْمًا Ùَلَمَّا تَبَيَّنَ لَه٠قَالَ أَعْلَم٠أَنَّ اللّهَ عَلَى ÙƒÙلّ٠شَيْء٠قَدÙيرٌ
Al-Baqarah: 258-259
002.259 Or (take) the similitude of one who passed by a hamlet, all in ruins to its roofs. He said: “Oh! how shall Allah bring it (ever) to life, after (this) its death?” but Allah caused him to die for a hundred years, then raised him up (again). He said: “How long didst thou tarry (thus)?” He said: (Perhaps) a day or part of a day.” He said:
“Nay, thou hast tarried thus a hundred years; but look at thy food and thy drink; they show no signs of age; and look at thy donkey: And that We may make of thee a sign unto the people, Look further at the bones, how We bring them together and clothe them with flesh.” When this was shown clearly to him, he said: “I know that Allah hath power over all things.”
002.260 Behold! Abraham said: “My Lord! Show me how Thou givest life to the dead.” He said: “Dost thou not then believe?” He said: “Yea! but to satisfy My own undertaking.” He said: “Take four birds; Tame them to turn to thee; put a portion of them on every hill and call to them: They will come to thee (Flying) with speed. Then know that Allah is Exalted in Power, Wise.”
Salaam mun ‘ala Saeedi Abraham wa Saeedi Ezra fil ‘alamiin.
It would be interesting to see what the Art students decided on in the end, or what influence this war had on them. A picture says a thousand words doesnt it?
Masalaama
Asad Habib
What Does It Mean?
All right – take the test!
Iraq: past tense: Mesopotamia.
(Say, Abdassamad what does that word mesopotamia means?
Can you see – picture it!
– a dark shiny wet female hippo with a gaping smiling by a pool of water
– really. Haaah!)