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International Mother Language Day – Dr. Farah Nazir

Pause for Poetry – In Conversation with Abbas Mohamed

Pause for Poetry: In conversation with Rakaya Esime Fetuga

In Search of a Poetry like Prayer, and Prayer like Poetry – Yahia Lababidi

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From the poem “equator” by Soukeyna Osei-Bonsu From the poem “equator” by Soukeyna Osei-Bonsu in her poetry collection “All the Birds Were Invited to a Feast in the Sky”.
“khimar” by Soukeyna Osei-Bonsu in her poetry “khimar” by Soukeyna Osei-Bonsu in her poetry collection “All the Birds Were Invited to a Feast in the Sky”.
Soukeyna Osei-Bonsu explores themes of African dia Soukeyna Osei-Bonsu explores themes of African diaspora, identity and faith as a Black Muslim through her compelling verse, navigating a poetic course between London and Ghana.

This is a book which excavates identity and self-knowledge, a journey from the spiritual realm which also attempts to stitch whole the frayed fibres of diasporic belonging. The areas explored range from Africa to spiritual awakening taking the reader on a journey to self.

i share this with you all
because a green boat
has since come to collect me
i saw a ghanaian fisherman
moored on the thames
and i didn’t think twice
as i sailed away

Soukeyna Osei-Bonsu’s verse evokes the beauty of the earthly and spiritual realms of human experience, navigating a poetic course from London to Ghana through themes of belonging and faith.

in the basement of the heart
cartographies of dispossession occupy the rhythm

Her poems dance at the intersection between the mundane and the sacred, weaving the everyday through with perceptions of the eternal, the ancient and the evanescent.

i thumb through each black orb, counting the time
breath and matter, life and death, another human story
with the same rosary that made its way to me
that may outlive my fingers
purchase these nights before they purchase you
rain pouring into the lake at lordship rec
and a hundred and one purple clouds pulsating-
the edge of our galaxy almost visible
through the london smog
“Equator” by Soukeyna Osei-Bonsu in her poetry “Equator” by Soukeyna Osei-Bonsu in her poetry collection “All The Birds Were Invited to a Feast in the Sky”.
from the poetry book “Light Steps - A Poem on th from the poetry book “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 #mawlidunnabiﷺ #mawlidmubarak #mawlid2025 #sallallahualamuhammadﷺ
from the poetry book “Light Steps - A Poem on th from the poetry book “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 #mawlidunnabiﷺ #sallallâhualeyhivesellem #mawlidmubarak
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 #sallallâhualeyhivesellem #mawlidunnabiﷺ #mawlidmubarak
Dhu-l Nun al-Misri (d. c 859 CE /245 AH) is said t Dhu-l Nun al-Misri (d. c 859 CE /245 AH) is said to have been of Nubian decent and was the teacher of the well-known Quran exegete Sahl al-Tusturi who in turn was a teacher of Mansur al-Hallaj. Prayers and poems from Dhul Nun have come down through the ages, and his miracles and mystical knowledge are legendary in oral and popular culture. Although he is known for his focus on knowledge of God or gnosis (ma’rifa) more than fear of God (makhafa) or love of God (mahabba), the following poem attributed to him has more of the devotional quality of a love poem.
 
 
I die yet my longing for You does not die
From the sincerity of my love for You 
my desires are unobtained
My hope of hopes, of all hopes, You are my hope
The Possessor of all wealth in my neediness
You are the goal of my request, my utmost desire, 
the locus of my longings and hidden depths of my secret
In You my heart has endured what I do not tell
No matter how long my plight and love-sickness for You may be drawn out
What is evident to You between my sides from You
Is not apparent to family or to neighbours
From You is a pervading ailment within me
So that my strength has crumbled 
and my confidences have become known
Are You not the guide to wayfarers when they are bewildered?
Saviour from the brink of a crumbling precipice
You illuminate the way for those who are guided
When in their hands they do not hold a tenth of a tenth of this light
Grant me forgiveness from You that I may live in its closeness
Save me through ease from You that drives away my difficulties

You can sign up to our course on the poetic traditions of the Muslim world to learn more about early Sufi poets. Link in bio @lotetreepress
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For the sown fields of the soul whose kernels are For the sown fields of the soul 
whose kernels are concealed
the cloud of mercy 
is full of the water of Kawthar

زرع جان را كش جواهر مضمر است
ابر رحمت پر ز آب كوثر است

zar’-e jān rā kesh javāher muzmar ast
abr-e rahmat pur ze āb-e kawsar ast

sown fields of . zar’-e .  زرع
the soul . jān . جان
‎را . rā . for
whose . kesh . كش
kernels/ essences . javāher . جواهر
concealed . muzmar . مضمر 
are . ast. است
the cloud of . abr-e . ابر
mercy . rahmat . رحمت
full . pur . پر
of . ze . ز
water of . āb-e . آب 
Kawthar . kawsar . كوثر
is. ast . است
Wash your hands Because the table and divine banqu Wash your hands
Because the table and divine banquet from the heavens has arrived 
Wash your hands and mouth 
Do not eat or speak
Find those words and mouthfuls
which have arrived for the silent

‎دست بشو کز فلک مایده و خوان رسید
‎دست و دهان را بشو نه بخور و نه بگو
‎آن سخن و لقمه جو کان به خموشان رسید

dast beshu kaz falak māyede va khān rasīd
dast u dahān rā beshū nah bekhūr u nah begū
ān sukhan u lugma jū kān beh khamūshān rasīd

hand . dast . دست
wash . beshu . بشو
because . kaz . کز
the heavens . falak .  فلک
heavenly banquet . māyede . مایده
and . va . و
table . khān . خوان
arrived . rasīd . رسید
hand . dast . دست
mouth . dahān .  دهان
[direct object marker] rā . را
do not . nah . نه 
eat . bekhūr . بخور
speak . begū . بگو
that . ān . آن
word/speech . sukhan . سخن
mouthful . lugma . لقمه
find/seek jū . جو
has . kān . کان
for . beh . به
the silent ones. khamūshān . خموشان
arrived . rasīd . رسید
When the self is in need the soul ascends on a jou When the self is in need
the soul ascends on a journey to heaven
When the gate of the prison is broken
the soul reaches the land of the Beloved 

‎نفس چو محتاج شد روح به معراج شد
‎چون در زندان شکست جان بر جانان رسید

nafs chu mohtāj shod rūh beh mi’rāj shod
chun dar-e zendān shekast jān bar-e jānān rasīd

the ego/self . nafs . نفس
when . chu . چو
in need . mohtāj . محتاج
is . shod . شد
soul/ spirit . rūh . روح
on . beh . به 
ascension/ journey to heaven . mi’rāj . معراج
goes. shod . شد
when . chun . چون
the gate of . dar-e . در 
the prison . zendān . زندان
is broken . shekast . شکست 
the soul . jān . جان
the land of . bar-e . بر
the Beloved . jānān . جانان
arrives at/ reaches . rasīd . رسید
Patience is like a gentle cloud, wisdom raining d Patience is like a gentle cloud, 
wisdom raining down from it
Thus it was in such a month of patience
that the Qur’an came down 

‎صبر چو ابریست خوش حکمت بارد از او
‎زانک چنین ماه صبر بود که قرآن رسید

sabr chu abrīst khosh hikmat bārad az u
zānke chonīn māh-e sabr būd ke qurān rasīd

patience . sabr . صبر
like . chu . چو 
is a cloud . abrīst . ابریست
good/gentle . khosh . خوش
wisdom . hikmat . حکمت
rains . bārad .  بارد
from . az . از
it . u . او
thus . zānke . زانک
such . chonīn . چنین
a month of . māh-e . ماه
patience . sabr . صبر
it was . būd . بود
that . keh . که
the Quran .  qurān . قرآن
came/arrived . rasīd . رسید
Don’t strike the drum for sahur too much, that i Don’t strike the drum for sahur too much, that is to say, speak little and fall silent
They will come to understand fasting 
from fasting itself 

سحوری کم زن ای نطق و خمش کن
ز روزه خود شوند آگاه روزه

‏sahūrī kam zan ay nutq u khamush kon
ze rūze khod shavand āgāh-e rūze 

سحوری . sahūrī . 
‏sahur drum (to wake people up) 
کم . little . kam
زن . strike . zan
ای . meaning / that is . ay
نطق . speaking . nutq 
و . and . u 
خمش کن . be silent . khamush kon
ز . from . ze
روزه . fasting . rūze
خود . itself . khod 
شوند . they will become . shavand 
آگاه . aware of . āgāh-e
روزه . fasting . rūze
Like Yusuf, the one who endures patiently in the Like Yusuf, 
the one who endures patiently 
in the well of fasting
attains the kingdom of the Egypt of love

‎چو یوسف ملک مصر عشق گیرد
‎کسی کو صبر کرد در چاه روزه

chū yūsuf mulk-e misr-e`ishq gīrad 
kasī kū sabr kard dar chāh-e rūze 

like . chū . چو
Joseph . yūsuf . یوسف
kingdom of . mulk-e . ملک
Egypt of . misr-e . مصر
‘ishq . love . عشق
attains . gīrad . گیرد
the one . kasī . کسی
who . kū . کو
patience . sabr . صبر 
practices . kard . کرد
in . dar . در 
the well of . chāh-e . چاه 
fasting . rūze - روزه
Gazing up (to see the moon) my hat fell from my he Gazing up (to see the moon) my hat fell from my head
Intoxicated as my head was by the Sovereign of fasting

‎نظر کردم کلاه از سر بیفتاد
‎سرم را مست کرد آن شاه روزه

nazar kardam, kolāh az sar beyoftād
saram ra mast kard ān shāh-e rūze

I gazed . nazar kardam . نظر کردم
hat . kolāh . کلاه
from . az . از
head . sar . سر
fell . beyoftād . بیفتاد
my head . saram . سرم
direct object marker . rā. را 
intoxicated . mast kard . مست کرد
that . ān . آن 
Sovereign of . shāh-e . شاه
fasting . rūze - روزه
How wonderful the felicity, good fortune and sple How wonderful the felicity, 
good fortune and splendour of fasting is!

زهی اقبال و بخت و جاه روزه

‏
zehī iqbāl o bakht o jāh-e rūze

 
how excellent/wonderful is . zehī . زهی
the felicity . iqbāl. اقبال
and . o . و
good fortune . bakht . بخت
splendour/rank of . jāh-e . جاه
fasting . rūze . روزه
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