Living in two worlds in Damascus

In Damascus, one can look at both worlds (Dunya - earthly life – and the Hereafter) at the very same time. This city is structured in a way where you can indulge in the most mouth watering of food varieties, at the same time spend hours of solitude at the mosque, in pure harmony.

Sufi disciples here might spend the afternoon at an extremely relaxing coffee shop, have a cup of tea with Damascene sweets, then walk back home to recite their Zikr (remembrance of God) in great solitude.

The Sufi disciple is usually a walker who passes through tough trials to get rid of the love of Dunya from his/her Heart. But once that is done with, one is allowed to go back to Dunya and live the good life that God has given us permission to live.

In Damascus you have everything in great moderation: A life of entertainment that seldom rubs shoulders with sin (unlike other capitals of the Arab World that have gone the extra mile into obscenity)… a life where the love of religion does not go into fanatism but stays within the bounds of “love.”

Head covered women in Damascus are different from women in other parts of the world… they are strong women with the freedom to live life fully, while keeping their hearts (and looks) within the codes of Islam. They walk around, go to souk, work, stay home, write, attend concerts, dine out, dance and live life without the heavy iron hand of fanatic extremism at their throats.

In fact, conservative Muslim families over here are miles and oceans away from anything resembling hate. You seldom sit with a conservative family that makes you hate the day you were born from the excess of preaching (whereas that’s exactly what you go through in Wahhabi-ruled societies).

Go to Jordan and sit with a conservative family and prepare yourself for suicidal thoughts at every interval. Go to Saudi Arabia, and within 2 minutes you’ll be chalking with the suffocating extremism.

In Syria, even the most conservative of families live within very relaxed atmospheres of moderation. It’s very difficult to describe what this means, without experiencing it first-hand… but all one can say is… no matter where you are, in coffee shop or mosque in Damascus, you are free to breathe, and you are grateful that God made it possible for something like this to exist.

Jesus descending Damascus at Umayad Eastern Minaret

Damascus, Sufi heart of the world, is where Prophet Jesus (Isa) Allayhi al-Salam, will appear towards the end of time, according to Sufi literature.

Ibn Arabi, the famous Sufi Sheikh whose tomb is located at the foot of Jebal Qasyoon, makes numerous references to this narrative in his book The Meccan Revelations (Al-Futoohat al-Makkiyya).

The belief that Prophet Isa is going to appear in Damascus during the reign of Sayyidna al-Mahdi Alayhi al-Salam, is based on many Ahadeeth (narratives) by Prophet Mohammad Salla Allahu Alayhi wa Sallam.

The end of time according to Sufis – and some Christian sects – is just around the corner. There are “signs” that are observed that are believed to announce the beginning of the end: such as great turbulence in the world, injustice, lack of ethics on a wide universal scale, materialism, bloodshed, etc.

Heart is the place of Light (Noor). It is the knower. That’s why Ibn Arabi says, “Ask your Heart,” because Heart can tell Truth from Illusion. The clash happens when “mind” gets in the way and disturbs the knowledge of the heart.

When it comes to belief, one’s heart needs to be purified from the clouds of mind

Materialism in this age and time makes it difficult for people to believe without physical evidence. That’s why believers are usually those who think outside the box. They don’t follow mentally-accepted parameters to decide on whether something is real for them or not. They follow the difficult, uncharted route of Heart… where there are no land posts, no signage, no maps.

Hats off to the believers who suffer on the path to Allah… those who cry their nights looking for a sign to calm their hearts’ fiery desire for Truth, who wait for Yaqeen (knowingness) to knock on their door and lend them peace… for they walk the untrodden paths, learn the untold knowledge, and stick to what Prophet Mohammad described -  in a Hadeeth that roughly translates into:

“The holder of religion at the end of times, is like the grabber of hot coal.”

May our vision be of Truth, may our Heart see with the light of the Prophet, and may we rest in peace in Divine Knowingness.