“Their light will proceed before them and on their right; they will say, “Our Lord, perfect for us our light and forgive us. Indeed, You are over all things competent.” ~Qur’an 66:8

“We will soon show them Our signs in the Universe and in their own souls, until it will become quite clear to them that it is the truth.” ~Qur’an 41:53

“And proclaim the bounty of your Lord.” ~Qur’an 93:11

“Whoever knows oneself knows one’s Lord” ~Prophet Muhammad (saw)

Description: “The Very Self of the Self” is a 40″x30″ oil and acrylic painting that I worked on to celebrate the dissolution of the ego which is followed by the eclosion into divine grace: the lives of true sages are a reflection of this innermost alignment. When man is left to explore his inner life, undisturbed by all the conditionings of the world, he then exists harmonious, whole, in a natural state of awareness before the signs of all creation which are but an on-going Revelation… I immensely enjoyed developing this piece that symbolizes the glory of detachment, of unconditional alignment with the Unique and His attributes. The poem that inspired this painting is below.

~ The Very Self of the Self ~

Peel the golden layer off of you,
lo! Another one appears,
you are made of bouncy
luxurious particles
that ever reach for love,
Beauty appears from
this continual leaning
toward grace~
La ilaha illa Allah
uncover who you are,
between the praises and
the pauses caused by pain,
your soul is one elegant lover
whose movements brush Light,
embrace this delight
let us hear the holy recital
you were made to vehicle~
this intimate contact
sparked all magnificence
you see in life,
no one lives outside of it;
it’s the very self of the self!
Come in, leap in this fiery
divine romance within, there,
the Sufis gather in awe
of your soul’s buoyancy~

© 2011-2013 Aïda Touré

Description: 30″x40″ oil & acrylic on canvas.

“The Milky Way’s Savants” celebrates the manifestation of high culture on earth, how it reaches us through the birth of enlightened souls, as well as the abundance their presence brings to our lives collectively.

This painting thus captures the descent of evolved spiritual culture, that is commanded by The Divine One and coveted for eons by unloving, disconnected forces who to this day design schemes to take ownership of this high culture with its materialized vestiges. This phenomenon is observed in Timbuktu, Mali to this day where tangible expressions of this high culture, crystallized by African savants, continue to be looted even after centuries.

“The Milky Way’s Savants” addresses this ultimate reality: true richness that results from spiritual intelligence is under divine command only thus beyond material grasp, therefore it descends on earth as the Divine One wills, beyond the comprehension of those who covet it. Because high culture is a form of natural resource, embedded in the very fiber of our being, societies who receive the varied shades of this genius will always be coveted, attacked and invaded as long as they’re not prepared to defend themselves against it.

The creative evolution of this painting was particularly intense, working on it I’ve learned a lot about the expansion of Love. The Sufi poem that offered this painting is below in French and English.

~ Les Savants de la Voie Lactée ~

La voila la prosternation de l’esprit éclairé,
manifeste et majestueux; siècle après siècle,
présent sous les mêmes cieux,
de la Nubie jusqu’à Tombouctou.
O qu’ils luisent ces empires fondés
sur le socle de Rouh (as)
de mondes en mondes, nous sommes
ces lanternes en forme humaine,
depuis Atlantis jusqu’à Kemet,
les mains dans la main de Tehuti (as)
nous traversâmes les frontières
afin de répandre notre Savoir
convoité par les envahisseurs.
Ce patrimoine de l’Afrique porté
par les Savants de la Voie Lactée
se révèle à travers l’âme de l’opprimé,
héritier légitime des pharaons pieux d’Egypte,
O enfants Noirs, ravivez vos mémoires
et scintillez de toute la gloire
instillée en vos glandes pinéales!

© 2012 Aïda Touré

~ The Milky Way’s Savants ~

There is the prostration of the enlightened spirit,
manifest and majestic, century after century;
present under the same heavens
from Nubia to Timbuktu.
How luminescent these empires
founded upon Ruh (as)
from worlds to worlds,
we are these lanterns in human form
from Atlantis to Kemet,
our hands in the hand of Tehuti (as)
we crossed the borders to spread
our Knowledge coveted by invaders.
This African heritage borne by
the Milky Way’s Savants
is revealed through the soul of the oppressed,
legit heir of the pious pharaohs of ancient Egypt,
O Black children, revive your memory
and shine with all the glory
instilled in your pineal glands!

© 2012 Aïda Touré

“And remember when thy Lord brought forth from Children of Adam, from their reins, their seed, and made them testify of themselves, (saying): ‘Am I not your Lord?’ They said: ‘Yea, verily. We testify…’ ” 7:172 ~Qur’an

“Bow down with those who bow down” 2:44 ~Qur’an

Description: 30″x40″ oil & acrylic on canvas. This painting entitled “The First Realm” captures a theme dearest to my heart, I had to nurture it within for a long time before even attempting to crystallize it because from the moment it came to me it was such an important subject that I wanted to take the necessary time to accomplish this work so today I’m grateful to be able to share it in its completed form. “The First Realm” is about the pre-cosmic state of Surrender~Islam that has been instilled in the human soul by the Most Beautiful. This painting was my way of celebrating our quintessential nature which reflects immense beauty for in this state, our attributes are manifested in their pure form without any interferences of the ego so these attributes whose source is divine seem to carry us, each with its own distinct fragrance and universe. Indeed this painting relates to true wealth, wholeness and pure humility before The Most Majestic, this reverence is the constant position of the soul before the Divine Being so in order to embrace it anew we must consciously turn inward with love and gentleness. For me, this painting probably is the most significant one I ever did because it celebrates the very essence of Islam and the majestic unfolding which takes place when we align with our innate sense of Surrender, all this naturally leads to contemplation and awe of the Divine One. Below is the poem that inspired this piece.

~ The First Realm ~

Love settled on the seven lakes of your soul,
quieted by the latitude of its own being,
it ever permeates your pulse;
with each of its divine dictation,
you align with the spherical movements
every atom of the Creation offers,
microcosm of the Cosmos,
we are light-filled quarks.
Lo! There are the celestial symbolic
that the Moor mystics inscribed
upon the scintillating waves
of the two Easts;
O how sumptuous the Radiance
of their presence that extends all the way to here!
My love, robed in golden silk,
prostrate and move toward the Throne
of your soul where “Am not your Lord?”
was carved in letters ornamented
with the Light of Muhammad (saw),
can you hear the spheres’ discourse now?
“Meditate, join us and keep quiet,
you will now witness
the ecstatic dance
of Allahu’s Breath.”

© 2012 Aïda Touré

“And the stars and the trees both prostrate themselves to Allah.” ~55:6 Qur’an

Description: this 40″x30″ oil/acrylic painting is entitled “Prelude to Majesty” it was inspired by an event in the life of my great grand father who was a Sufi saint. The piece represents a visual conversation between the surrendered soul and the majesty spread out before it, constantly exhibiting its breathtaking beauties. It is during this phenomenon that the heart realizes its true nature and immersion in its Source. The bliss that arises from it permeates each breath that we take, it is the grandest love to experience; accessible to all yet it takes conscious nurturing of inwardness to know this sacred love. Compared to its Reality, the painting captures but a fragment of this grace. The feeling of pure joy I felt through this whole creative process lingers even after completion of the piece, it was moving to work on it. The poem that offered “Prelude to Majesty” is below. After the sight of the sacred healing tree, what is to be beheld is beyond anything ever seen before…

~ Prelude to Majesty ~

Al ikhlas, spherically ambient,
the heart leans on immanence,
look, we shed our selves,
souls dancing and whirling
in prelude to majesty, turn by turn,
we pick up the gems the prophets
scattered on the grounds for us;
in each one, a luminescence
infinitely undefined,
there are many paths in one
lo! in Hu’s pleasure,
lovers are refined.
Do you see the veil lifting?
Love speaks with no mouth,
we are interwoven with the signs
laid around us like sublime kisses.
Our all, lost in this splendid beauty,
we rejoice for the Garden is near,
Rubies dangle from the healing tree,
its branches prostrate with the star
in osmosis and the worlds let out:
“here, taste the bliss
that composes your soul,
in this cosmic musical scheme,
rise as it is yours to know,
yours to wallow in,
yours to revel in.
Be like the child,
free, in tune with the Light, 
whirl my loves!
The sun is up with us tonight,
that is how deep this Love runs;
let it tame the ego that defiles your glory!”
After this aural revealing,
we helplessly leave ourselves,
eager to embrace the Fragrant~
Tonight we hear the Truth as it is,
dissatisfied with the world,
Azzan is all that resounds
now nothing left to enounce…

© 2012 Aïda Touré