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Read more about the article Detail from an illustration of the Haft Paikar of Nizami

Detail from an illustration of the Haft Paikar of Nizami

Detail from an illustration of the Haft Paikar (seven portraits) poem of Nizami (1141-1209) from a Safavid manuscript c. 1525 from present day Afghanistan, Herat.

Continue ReadingDetail from an illustration of the Haft Paikar of Nizami

Lote Tree Press

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Free eBook available. Link in bio @lotetreepress Free eBook available. Link in bio @lotetreepress Palestinian poetry festivals grew up after the Nakba in 1948 under the imposition of Israeli military rule. At a time when it was difficult to get a book in Arabic due to censorship and the shutting down of Arab printing presses, whole villages would come together to listen to resistance poets, who recorded the injustices perpetrated against the Palestinians in verse and inspired them to dream of a better future. These poets became symbols of the Palestinian struggle and often endured threats, detention, torture and imprisonment for their poetic and political activities. A History of Palestinian Resistance Poetry explores key events in the history of Palestine and its occupation, giving context to the development of Palestinian poetry and its anti-colonial, communist, socialist, Pan-Arab and nationalist leanings. It looks at the role of poetry in rallying resistance against the British Mandate before 1948 and the hugely popular outlawed Palestinian poetry festivals that grew up in the face of Israeli military rule between 1948-1967. Features of Palestinian resistance poetry after the 1967 Arab-Israeli war are highlighted, along with the symbolism of endurance and steadfastness (ṣumūd) drawn from the natural world and Islamic spirituality. In A History of Palestinian Resistance Poetry, verses from prominent Palestinian resistance and protest poets, past and present, are woven together with their inspiring life stories. Because Palestinian resistance poets dealt with themes of protest, defiance and revolution, risking significant repressive and punitive retaliation from the authorities, they became cultural icons and symbols of the Palestinian struggle and the injustices they faced. The poets of Palestine continue to this day to record injustices and oppression, and to inspire hope and change through their poetry and activism.
Poem by Ibn Arabi Poem by Ibn Arabi
Sarāʾir al-Aʿyān  Inner Secrets of Essences  Sarāʾir al-Aʿyān  Inner Secrets of Essences  A Muwashshah poem by Ibn Arabi Translated by R.S. Spiker Inner secrets of essences      shine in existence     for those observing The lover incandescent    in ecstasy in consequence     starts wailing   By longing emaciated, by insomnia disoriented, says he: “I no longer comprehend who had things altered when distance approached me” Servants are bewildered when they are elected by the One and Only Between proclamation and silence, concealment and divulgence to every being “Justice I dispense, your avarice intense, idol-worshipping”.   All longing is hard for one who suffers the abasement of the veil He with a heart who in youth prefers that piety prevail  His Lord will reward; while he who errs must repent and quail Call on His beneficence, His mercy and munificence: “I am grieving, Consumed by His absence, without a loved one’s presence, no one aiding.”   I disappeared in Allah from what is apparent to the eye of His creation In the place of splendour “Where is where?” I cried between His station “Inattentive you are,” he said - “have you ever spied within His essence a location? Learn from events, from Qays’ and Ghaylan’s experience, and lives passing longing in its magnificence -  annihilation is its recompense when it encompasses a human being   How many times did they cry: “the one whom I love is I! Who am I?” No state do I spy nor complaint justify except in love to die I am not of those who fly from the apple of my eye once come by Forgetfulness and negligence can find no defence among the knowing  They are not senseless to the Most Merciful’s presence - they are not unthinking   To His bower thence I entered the tree grove of companionship and closeness    Marvelling whence before me the myrtle arose in robes to impress I bring the incense for the lover’s abode to the gathering in progress    Kharja Hey Gardener, patience!     From the garden’s fragrance    start jasmine gathering But by His benevolence     Leave the myrtle’s scents    for the lovers’ savouring
Join us on the 27th October at 6pm GMT for a live Join us on the 27th October at 6pm GMT for a live online sonnet writing workshop.  With roots in the highly Arabised Sicilian court of Frederick II and likely influenced by the Andalusian Muwashshah and Zajal poetic forms, the sonnet has enjoyed enduring appeal in different languages and cultures through many centuries. In this live online workshop we will look at what makes a sonnet and how to write one, followed by time for writing your own sonnet and to share your work with other participants if you wish to. Join our poetry membership for £5.99/month to attend. Link in bio @lotetreepress
“Light Steps: A Poem on the Seerah of Prophet Mu “Light Steps: A Poem on the Seerah of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), by Ali Scully (Milton Kynes: Lote Tree Press, 2022, 75pp, ISBN: 978 1916 24 8885) is a moving and glowing tribute to the Prophet Muhammad (blessings and peace be upon him) by an artist who, through his extensive travels to the Muslim world and study of nature, discovered the meaning of life in Islam. In his quest for truth, he was struck by the exemplary life and conduct of the Prophet (blessings and peace be upon him). Written as “a devotional narrative ballad”, it touches upon numerous facets of the Prophet’s marvellous life. The work is richly annotated, explaining the names, places and events associated with the Sirah of the last and final Prophet. – The Muslim World Book Review, 45:1, 2024
Replay now available - link in bio @lotetreepress Replay now available - link in bio @lotetreepress “In this sublime book Iljas Baker gives us a glimpse - in poetic form - of his spiritual journey through Buddhism, the spiritual exercise of Subud, and Islam. Many of the poems use Chinese and Japanese poetical forms, especially Haiku, Haibun and Tanka, but express somewhat uniquely an Islamic rather than a Buddhist worldview. The presence of some examples of the world-famous calligrapher Haji Noor Deen’s Chinese interpretations of Islamic calligraphy adds a beautiful and complementary graphic element to the subtle marriage of East Asian literary forms and Islamic spirit to be found in this book. Iljas’s poems and poetic artistry demonstrate the universality of Truth which, being Absolute, can and must manifest in every culture and in every art form, and both penetrate and embrace human life from the most mundane to the most exalted.” -Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, Founder and President of Cordoba House VEILS on a late evening walk to still the wheel of thought the sweet spicy scent of tree jasmine the sound of water falling a bright crescent moon and a shining star are all laid out before me and behind these wondrous veils are the many Names of God Iljas Baker was born in Scotland and now lives in Thailand where he is a retired university professor. His first book of poems Peace Be Upon Us was published by Lote Tree Press in Cambridge UK in 2023. His poems have also appeared in three anthologies, namely The God’s Eye, We Humans, and, most recently, A Kaleidoscope of Stories: Muslim Voices in Contemporary Poetry and in numerous poetry journals. He writes about essential things and his writing is inspired principally by an inclusive, compassionate interpretation of Islam and the practice of the Spiritual Exercise (Latihan Kedjiwaan) of Subud, which originated in Indonesia. He is married with a daughter and a son and two grand-daughters.
For poetry lovers and poets! A poetry club explori For poetry lovers and poets! A poetry club exploring the poetic traditions of the Muslim world. Join the poetry caravan for £5.99/month. Link in bio @lotetreepress
from Light Steps - A Poem on the Seerah of Prophet from Light Steps - A Poem on the Seerah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ by Ali Scully Link in bio @lotetreepress #muslimpoetry #muslimbookstagram #sufipoetry #muslimbookshelf #mawlid#prophetmuhammad #seerahseries #islam
from Light Steps - A Poem on the Seerah of Prophet from Light Steps - A Poem on the Seerah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ by Ali Scully Link in bio @lotetreepress #muslimpoetry #muslimbookstagram #sufipoetry #muslimbookshelf #mawlid #prophetmuhammad #seerahseries #islam #muhammadﷺ #islamicquotes
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Lote Tree Sufi Poetry

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Poem by Ibn Arabi Poem by Ibn Arabi
Sarāʾir al-Aʿyān  Inner Secrets of Essences  Sarāʾir al-Aʿyān  Inner Secrets of Essences  A Muwashshah poem by Ibn Arabi Translated by R.S. Spiker Inner secrets of essences      shine in existence     for those observing The lover incandescent    in ecstasy in consequence     starts wailing   By longing emaciated, by insomnia disoriented, says he: “I no longer comprehend who had things altered when distance approached me” Servants are bewildered when they are elected by the One and Only Between proclamation and silence, concealment and divulgence to every being “Justice I dispense, your avarice intense, idol-worshipping”.   All longing is hard for one who suffers the abasement of the veil He with a heart who in youth prefers that piety prevail  His Lord will reward; while he who errs must repent and quail Call on His beneficence, His mercy and munificence: “I am grieving, Consumed by His absence, without a loved one’s presence, no one aiding.”   I disappeared in Allah from what is apparent to the eye of His creation In the place of splendour “Where is where?” I cried between His station “Inattentive you are,” he said - “have you ever spied within His essence a location? Learn from events, from Qays’ and Ghaylan’s experience, and lives passing longing in its magnificence -  annihilation is its recompense when it encompasses a human being    How many times did they cry: “the one whom I love is I! Who am I?” No state do I spy nor complaint justify except in love to die I am not of those who fly from the apple of my eye once come by Forgetfulness and negligence can find no defence among the knowing  They are not senseless to the Most Merciful’s presence - they are not unthinking   To His bower thence I entered the tree grove of companionship and closeness    Marvelling whence before me the myrtle arose in robes to impress I bring the incense for the lover’s abode to the gathering in progress    Kharja Hey Gardener, patience!     From the garden’s fragrance    start jasmine gathering But by His benevolence     Leave the myrtle’s scents    for the lovers’ savouring
Join us on 31st August for this inspiring free onl Join us on 31st August for this inspiring free online talk on the logic of love in Muhammad Iqbal & Rabindranath Tagore by Dr. Hina Khalid. Link in bio @lotetreepress . If you can’t attend live sign up for a ticket to receive a replay of the event. You can support our work by adding a donation to your ticket. In this talk Dr. Hina Khalid will explore the theologies of two major philosopher-poets of the Indian subcontinent – Muhammad Iqbal (1877-1938) and Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941). More specifically, she will focus on their understandings of love as a cosmic principle which binds the divine reality, the finite world, and the human being in dynamic and creative symbioses. We will see how, for both poets, love is not a fleeting fancy or a subjective impulse but constitutes the very heartbeat of creation itself. Hina Khalid completed her BA, MPhil, and PhD in Theology and Religious Studies at the University of Cambridge. Her doctoral dissertation offered the first comprehensive comparative study of the metaphysical and aesthetic visions of Muhammad Iqbal (1877-1938) and Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941). She is particularly interested in the possibilities of comparative theology across Islamic and Indic traditions, and in the ways that shared devotional idioms have formed in and across the Indian subcontinent.
The Muwashshah Poetic Form of Al-Andalus We are c The Muwashshah Poetic Form of Al-Andalus We are currently exploring the poetic traditions of al-Andalus in our poetry membership, focusing this month on the Muwashshah, which was a popular form of poetry that influenced European troubadour poetry, also spreading to North Africa and other parts of the Muslim world where it is still sung to this day. This month we are exploring the history, context and poetic form of the Muwashshah, and looking at a devotional Muwashshah written by Ibn Arabi. Join our poetry membership and explore the poetic traditions of the Muslim world with us! Link in bio @lotetreepress
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Amir Khusrau was an extraordinary figure from 13th Amir Khusrau was an extraordinary figure from 13th century Delhi who made pivotal contributions to the development of South Asian poetic, linguistic, musical and mystical traditions. He was both a royal chronicler who wrote panegyric poetry and historical epics at the courts of successive rulers, and a devout disciple of Chistī Sufi master Niẓām ud-Dīn Awliyā, dying just six months after him and being buried next to him.   Although he frequented the courts of princes and sultans, he was interested in the circumstances and languages of the common people, and his work shows a love for the city of Delhi and the natural environment and flora and fauna surrounding it. His poetry experiments with combining the living poetic heritage of the Islamic world, which he was very well versed in, with the courtly and folk traditions of the land of his birth which lay within the Sultanate of Delhi. In this way he acted as a sort of cultural bridge, an iconic embodiment of the hugely creative cultural fusion emerging from the bringing together of the artistic heritage of South Asia and that of the Muslim world. We explore the life and work of Amir Khusrau in the on-demand video “Amir Khusrau - the Father of Urdu Literature”, now available in our membership. Join us on our journey as we explore the poetic traditions of the Muslim world! Link in bio @lotetreepress
Amir Khusrau, born in the Delhi Sultanate in 1253, Amir Khusrau, born in the Delhi Sultanate in 1253, is known as the Father of Urdu Literature and the Father of Qawwali. He is a cultural icon known for his legends, folktales, riddles and witticisms. His prolific poetry brought together the courtly and spiritual poetic traditions of the Muslim world with the cultural milieu of his motherland - this fusion and cultural exchange leading to new creativity and forms of expression. In this workshop we look at some of his work and then consider the possible synergism of combining our own disparate literary heritages and the multiple identities that we often straddle as Muslims in the west to write a piece of poetry representing cultural fusion. Sign up to our membership for £5.99/month to access this workshop and more. Link in bio @lotetreepress
Join our membership for £5.99/month to access the Join our membership for £5.99/month to access these lessons and more. Link in bio @lotetreepress
New on-demand session exploring the lives and vers New on-demand session exploring the lives and verses of early Sufi poets together with their historical context, including the sources of early Sufi thought and the debates around the controversial statements made by some Sufis, now available in our membership. Join us on our poetry caravan as we explore the poetic traditions of the Muslim world! Link in bio @lotetreepress
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