The Very Self of the Self

oil & acrylic / By /

“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