The Conference of The Birds

The Conference of the Birds

The Conference of the Birds was written by Farid al-Din Attar, a 12th Century Persian poet. He is one of the greatest figures in the history of Sufi poetry and one of the main inspirations for Rumi. The poem is a work of over 4000 verses and is a masterpiece. There is a beautiful illustrated book for younger readers retold by Alexis York Lumbard.

Indeed birds are mentioned many times in the Quran:

-And there is no animal in the earth, nor a bird that flies on its two wings, but (they are) communities like yourselves 6:38

-Seest thou not that Allah is He, Whom do glorify all those who are in the heavens and the earth, and the birds with wings outspread? Each one knows its prayer and its glorification. And Allah is Knower of what they do. 24:41

Many will liken ‘hope’ and ‘fear’ to the two wings of a bird. Believers must keep them in balance in order to sustain a balanced life. We try to fear Allah’s displeasure and balance it with hope for His Mercy in equal measure.

Was it not a raven that demonstrated to Qabil how he should bury his brother Habil?

Prophet Sulayman AS was able to speak to the Hoopoe bird who belonged to the army he commanded.

Finally, we hear the story of what happened to Abraha and his elephants when they were thwarted in their attack on the Ka’aba by flocks of birds.

In this version of Conference of the Birds, we read a delightful story based on the original, where Alexis York tells us of the spiritual journey by a community of birds led by the inspiring Hoopoe. This journey is a quest to seek closeness to the Divine and maps their conversations along the way.

The journey will be long and hard we are told and as the birds get set, the Duck hesitates. “I care not for long trips. I am quite happy in my pond,” he says. We hear of the first vice that can prevent us from seeking nearness to our Creator; fear and laziness. The Duck is comfortable, afraid of something new and believes that the journey can wait till tomorrow. “But don’t you know that tomorrow may never come your way?” asks the Hoopoe. As the Duck observes that even the clouds advance with purpose, he embarks on the journey.

Next we meet the Parrot, weighed down with jewels and earthly goods. “I cannot fly any more. I am too tired,” she pants. The Hoopoe encourages the Parrot to put aside these earthly riches so the spirit can fly like the wind. And so we meet the second vice; that of being grounded by the weight of what we buy and accumulate. Our riches, our houses, our cars should serve us on our journey to Allah and we should not become their servants, bound and tied down by them.

After a long journey, they notice a storm brewing in the distance. At this point the small Finch trembles with a mighty fear. “Sorry Master, but I cannot go any further. I’ll never make it through thunder and lightning.” Owl glares at the Finch; physically larger and more intimidating. The Hoopoe squares up to the Owl saying “No, do not laugh, do not condemn when others fail or fall. There is a weakness to be found hidden inside us all.” Now we learn of the third and fourth vices; fear and negative judgement. The little Finch is frightened, the large Owl mocks him and the Hoopoe reminds us that we all have the strength within to ride internal and external storms. On our path towards Allah, we may need to dig deep, discover strength and bear with patience what comes on our path. With an explosion of courage the little Finch hurls himself into the storm.

On and on they travel for many days. Now they see their destination in the distance yet they feel disheartened by what is still left. “How much further must we go?” complained the Partridge. And here we are introduced to the fifth vice; impatience. The Hoopoe exhorts them all to patience and forbearance. The journey has been difficult, they are weak but with every hardship, greater is the reward. No burden is greater than we can bear and our journey will come with trials and difficulties to test out mettle and polish our souls.

As they approach the final stretch, the over zealous Hawk disappears into a big band of mist. “Am I going the right way? Forgive me. I have made a terrible mistake- without you I am lost.” The sixth vice is ego and self-reliance. In order to gain closeness to our Creator we need to shed our ego, our pride and our self-reliance. The Hawk forgot to call on Allah’s help and believed that he could manage alone. Once he disappeared in the fog, he was reminded of his vulnerability and complete dependence on Allah’s mercy and help.

Finally, the birds complete their journey. The spiritual quest to be closer to Allah was a journey of shedding internal weaknesses and flaws; a personal journey of bettering themselves and lifting one another through support and empathy.

What a beautiful lesson for us all.

Breaking Bread

‘Breaking bread’ is a well known phrase, with Biblical origins, which expresses the sharing of food in a manner that increases connection, cooperation and kindness. It can also signify forgiveness and moving forwards.

The dining table is a wonderful place to gather as families, relatives, friends and communities to bond over food and nourish appetites and relationships. How many times is a birthday, end of exams, an anniversary and a reunion celebrated over food and conversation!

Aside from the way we grow closer to those we know, a meal is a way to create new relationships with those we don’t know.

The Great Get Together has been an annual event since the horrific murder of MP Jo Cox in 2016. With the logo, “We are far more united and have far more in common than that which divides us,” more and more communities are getting together to relax, enjoy and share food whilst learning from one another and creating stronger communities.

Watch out for Altrincham’s Great Get Together in Stamford Park on Saturday 22nd June!!

Nisa-Nashim, a local Jewish-Muslim womens friendship group has held a ‘Challah’ evening and an ‘Iftar’ for its members. The Challah is a loaf of bread traditionally eaten on the Jewish Sabbath and the Iftar is the evening meal eaten by Muslims in Ramadan at the end of a fasting day. By sharing these meals together, ladies were able to unite around a meal, learn more about one anothers’ faiths and build lasting friendships that are premised on respect and understanding.

Just this week, local Muslims have been gifting Iftar platters to their neighbours to share the evening meal after a day of fasting. It is a wonderful expression of kindness and care and provides an impetus for us all to be reaching out to one another all year round.

The Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, said:

“Shall I show you something that, if you did, you would love each other? Spread peace between yourselves.”

And “O people, spread peace, feed the hungry, and pray at night when people are sleeping and you will enter Paradise in peace.”

You may have heard of Blackburn teacher, Catherine Coulthard, who planned to fast the whole of Ramadan to show support to her students who are taking GCSEs.

“It makes you really appreciate that all we have to do is turn the tap on or go to the fridge and grab a drink.”

“They are fabulous and deserve so much respect. I admire them so much” were her words about her students!

Food and conversation are wonderful ways to get to know one another better; in our families, on our streets and in our communities. It is a way to bond, learn, connect, forgive, re-start and build relationships. In the humdrum of daily life, taking time out for simple pleasures with those we know and those we don’t can have lasting benefits.

I ask myself first and foremost: Can we create a new dinner table test? Can we invite others, from diverse communities different from our own to share a meal and conversation? Can we make our tables places where we feed our souls on the wealth of contrasting human experiences from our own and taste of cultures and ways that are new to us?

Ramadan Reflections

Fasting and Growing!

Going without food and drink for a day is no easy feat! It takes effort, determination and a healthy dose of willpower. As Ramadan fast approaches, Muslim communities are preparing to re-set their daily schedules to fast during daylight hours…… for a month.

However, fasting is not a new concept and is practised by many faiths and cultures. The Old and New Testaments both mention fasting in relation to Moses and Jesus (peace be upon them.) Buddhist and Hindu communities have a fasting tradition too; albeit with differences. Many give up something during Lent and Jews may fast on Yom Kippur.

Fasting hinges upon the belief that giving up something will fuel our souls with new growth. That’s quite a different outlook, when we as humans tend to want to satisfy our needs quickly and without waiting. Our consumerist language reflects that in slogans such as ‘Grab and Go!’ ‘Fast Fashion’ and promoting the latest ‘Must Haves.’ Denying our physical needs may sound alien but is actually about nurturing the internal; it’s about spiritual growth and connecting with God. Communities also make an extra effort to come together to eat and pray. With avoiding food and drink comes the really hard work of going that extra mile to be a better person; avoiding being unkind, being upstanding, refraining from harsh words or backbiting etc….

We live at a time when wants and desires can be satisfied at the click of a button. We don’t need to move very far to get hold of the latest ‘must haves’ or receive a parcel delivered straight to our door. There is a huge disparity in what we feel we need and the effort expended in getting hold of it; a huge mismatch in work, energy and time spent acquiring more. What does that mean in terms of how we develop patience, forbearance and internal growth? How do we learn to distinguish what we want from what we need, wait for things to come to us, invest time into saving up, sometimes do without and yet still be grateful to God and generous to others?

Fasting is a time to press the pause button and re set. Effort and hard graft have to be put in for results to be achieved. It is the spring cleaning of the soul, after all.
It’s not easy though- I often find that more lunch time meetings crop up and coffee shop aromas seem more enticing during Ramadan! That is where the self discipline and patience come in.

Finally, it is a time to remember those who have less; living in poverty, fear and famine. Fasting sharpens our awareness of the situation of others. The closure of Ramadan brings the strong tradition of charity; reaching out to those less fortunate than ourselves- on these shores and beyond.

The last few decades have seen the emergence of some amazing initiatives that serve to share the Ramadan experience with friends and neighbours. ‘Taste Ramadan’ and ‘Dine at Mine’ are two such projects wherein Muslim families and mosques open their doors to share the evening meal with friends and strangers. And where better to bring people together than at the dining table?!
Why not take on the challenge of fasting with a Muslim friend this year?

I am always in awe of those who commit themselves to rigorous training regimes; marathons, mountain climbs, cross channel swims etc…. Ramadan is like one of those training regimes but where the body is put through its paces so the soul can grow nearer to its Creator.

‘Fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may attain Piety.” (Quran 2:183)

Sara Saigol