“… A fountain there, called Salsabil.” ~Qur’an 76:18
“And a dervish is he who is indifferent to everything besides God.” ~Abd Al Qadir Al Jilani (ra)
Description: 40″x30″ oil and acrylic on canvas. This painting “Salsabil” is the seventh one of the series “Luminous Dark Matter”, I worked on it for 18 months, it was a pure joy to work on it visually and musically and to complete it during Ramadan. “Salsabil” is a source in Paradise. When the idea of conceiving this painting came, its imagery was so beautiful I started to work on it right away. In this context the “Salsabil” theme relates to abundance, grace, mercy and splendor that manifest multidimensionally, from the highest spheres of existence all the way to the purified human heart. When we live from this state of grace, we become an instrument through which the Divine realizes what He wills~ It takes great sensitivity to express the attributes conveyed throughout such an experience. On this painting, the two subjects manifest reception of these attributes as well as the soul’s longing for its sublime origin. The poem that inspired “Salsabil” is below.
~Salsabil: this Yearning of the Spheres~
After a sip of Salsabil,
the hidden soul appears as it is,
ornamented with its primal gems
gravity had veiled.
Now behold that which
pervades your being~
All souls are hidden
from their pre-cosmic unfolding
at the feet the Beloved yet
they dance together,
invisible lights
made visible only tonight,
how grandiose!
Let all lovers join
this whirling,
this contagious longing,
this drumbeat in my ear,
this yearning of the spheres
even unseen, to the lovers’ eyes,
we appear wrapped in
delicate veils of ecstasy,
billions of suns near,
they kiss the intimacy
between our fingerprints
and I get inflamed,
this holy burning is
our corridor to the Beloved.
© 2011-2013 Aïda Touré
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