An Echo of a Lament 

Referring to Rafi Raza’s letter, written with a sense of poetic dismay with these worldly affairs, which fully resonates with me, I take this opportunity to share some of my thoughts and my work. 

Language of myth is a language of deepest meaning. In a way it is like music. Music has no words but it can stir us to our cores. Mythical language has no literal meaning but conveys images that can send our imagination to uncharted flights. Those flights may take us to new landscapes for us to watch and enjoy and relish or it can take us nowhere. All depends. By myth I do not mean unreal. Myth is but a device of knowing. We can know things but we cannot understand. We cannot make the reality to stand-under so that we can stand above. We can only know reality in a relationship. The myth allows us to participate in that relationship.

 The theme of Last Day or Judgment Day is a frequently occurring deep theme in Quranic text. It is not simply the day of destruction. It is much more than that. I would like to share two groups of verses from Quran rendered by me (for my own enjoyment and pleasure of discovery). The first one shows a glimpse of the scope and breadth in that realm. The other one is a rendition of the three verses referred in Raza’s letter. You may find that reading Quran literarily, not literally, substantiates what I said above about meaning of myth. When we read it in that way, the most profound impact Quran makes on us is that of a lament – a lament of man’s condition. 

The following is from a Sura 56 titled “Happening” 

O Happening of that happening when it happens

Inevitable – undeniable happening

Some are elevated, some are abased

(On that day when) earth quivers and shakes

And mountains crumble away

Into fine dust

And you are split in assemblage three

One in the right – worthily

One on the left – deservingly

And the one to the fore - the best

They will be (to Us) the closest

In a Garden of Bliss

Most from the firsts

A few of the later

Resting on precious seats

Facing others in ease

Waited upon

By ever lively waiters

With ewers, cups and beakers

Serving purest drinks

Which do not intoxicate

Or bring any after-ache

And fruits of their choice

And meats of their desire

And mates with beautiful eyes

Like precious pearls in safes

No frivolity they will hear

Nor any ill they’ll speak

Enunciating, “Peace, Peace”

Those on the right – O the one on the right!

Sitting among trees of sidrs - thornless

And Talh shrubbery

With piles of blooming foliage

Drawing extensive shades

Waters constantly flowing

Fruits in abundance growing

Not by season restrained

Nor in produce constrained

For the people of the right

Reclining on thrones high

With their companion pure

Loving and equal in age

We created specially for those

Many from the earlier

And many from the late

 Those on the left – O the one on the left!

In the midst of fire blasts

And the waters scalding hot

And the shades of black smoke

Nothing to please, nothing to restore

They were indulged in luxuries before

And obstinately iniquitous they were

They argued, “What! When we are dead

And have turned into bones and dust

How again we will be raised

We and our forefathers of late”

Say, “Yes, all of late and times of yore

All will gather for that meet

Set for a day well known indeed” 

And for fun and to give another example of literarily reading Quran, I am offering rendition of the verses 2: 30- -33 referred in the letter.

And let’s not forget - meaning is in the myth. 

… And when (God) to the angels said

I will place a vicegerent on the earth

They said would you therein place

One who there would mischief make?

And on earth he will shed the blood

While we Your praises celebrate

And Your Name always consecrate 

He said, “What I know you know not”

And to Adam names of things He taught

And those things before the angles brought

“Tell me names of these,” He asked

They said “ Glory is Yours, we know not

Except what to us You have told

You are the Wisest who perfectly knows”

 

Then He bade Adam to tell

Names of things to the angels

And thus he told them well

 

And God said,

“Remember! All secrets I know

Of the earth and of cosmos

And I know what you disclose

And I know what you withhold”

Wishing you all best of readings … and writings,

Mutaal Mooquin

January 26, 2008