Hazrat Omar and the Harpist
A harper with a very sweet voice lived in the times of the second Caliph, Hazrat Omar (ra). He used to sing melodiously with passion, and the rich and noble used to invite him to sing at their functions. He was very popular, but as he got old, the melody in his voice was lost; now, no one invited him to sing, and he lost his livelihood and became very poor. One night, he was very dejected and went to a graveyard in Madina Munawra, the capital of the Caliphate. He started playing the harp to appeal to God, seeking His refuge. He got to sleep as he got tired of singing and fell into a grave. While resting, he felt like he was in heaven in his dreams. The same night, Hazrat Omar also heard a divine voice in his dream, commanding him to go to the particular graveyard and help the old poor man he may find there. Hazrat Omar followed the command and reached the cemetery the following day. He saw the Harper in a very shabby condition. Hazrat Omar (ra) asked the Harper to wake up and go home, telling him he would be provided for by the state from then on. The harpist was happy, but in tears, he threw away his Harper and broke it.
Harper said, cursed I am that all my life I played my Harper for people for their happiness; I had never paid any attention to Allah, who is the provider and nourisher. He repented and sought forgiveness from Allah, committing that he’d do everything to please Allah for the rest of his life. Hazrat Omar replied, may your past sins be forgiven. Be happy that you have found solace with God. He is now one with the exalted one. Hazrat Omar (ra) gave him some advice and let him go.
Do not brood over the past and wail, Omar said
Let go of the neglect and learn to contemplate (1)
Poverty does not claim to beg always
Good or bad, the past is just memories
The future is not your calling, too
Both Past and future are veils
Keeping God to us unseen
Burn all that you no longer need
Do not divide yourself into parts like reed
Reed has partitions, thus not aware of secrets (2)
How will it respond and start breathing (3)
With an Ego living if you circumbulate around Kaaba(4)
it shall be considered a sin, since you haven’t blowed out your ego.
you may circle your house a thousand times
keeping unaware of the resident within won’t help (5)
You are educated but not aware of the provider (6)
Your wailing is insane; it’d beseech you nothing
Lamenting for your sins is worse than your sins
On the road to annihilation, you have not entered (7)
The course you have taken will lead you nowhere
While you are wailing for your old sins
What will compensate for that you are in
On the one hand, you love the music of the lute
On the other, you weep and repent
When Omar consoled him this way
Emancipated with joy, the Harper lay
His soul was freed now from an abyss
His old style was dead, and a new breathed in
He was happy and more amazed at the miracle(8)
That has lifted him from the earth to heaven. (9)?
A window to Mathnavi Maulvi Ma’nvi
Translation and Commentary Seema Arif
Further Links for Rumi
Notes
- Contemplation is to remain busy in Remembrance of God, so that one can develop God consciousness. Click for details…!
- Reed has many partitions, similarly, human attention is also divided into daily affairs and remembering what happened in the past and what will happen in future.
- Reed is a lifeless thing, it speaks only when a humanbeing blows air into it. Similarly, humans can function only when Allah breeds Ruh unto them.
- Ego here means false beliefs and elated self confidence in oneself, i.e., neglecting the idea that capacity for an action is given by God.
- House here symbolizes human body. Rumi says, our awareness of various body organs is useless, unless we are aware of the Qalb, where Allah the Almighty resides. We need to develop God consciousness
- Rumi here hints at “ghaflat,” intentional or unintentional, which keeps us away from remembrance of God and developing consciousness of His right upon us.
- Annihilation or “fana” is a way orsystematic process to get rid of our selfish ego that keeps us busy in satisfying worldly needs and evades from serving the Divine. Click for details…!
- Rumi says Die before you are dead, i.e., to say cast away your worldly ways of living and opt for the way of the righteous – the people who do everything to please God instead of pleasing one’s selfish motives.
Click for details…!
- By Rememembering God and keeping Him in Reverence lifts the ranks of people. They become people of Allah to Friends of Allah – a prestigious rank.
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