::: I have been submerged with work lately but I’m slowly getting back to soliloquizing…

After the beautiful responses I had in regards to my paintings, I decided to create a site aidatoure.com just for them. My gratitude to all those who have been kind and supportive of my Arts. :::

Said Nursi was a Turkish scholar of outstanding capabilities for learning. He earned the name Bediuzzaman (Wonder of the Age) in youth. He led a life of self-sacrifice for the sake of Islam at a time when the Ottoman empire’s collapse ushered in repressive anti-religious policies from the new government. In 1925 he was sent into exile and imprisonment for the next 25 years of his life. During that time of persecution at the hands of governmental authorities, he went through deep spiritual transformations. He wrote beautiful poetry and a body of work including the masterpiece Risale-i Nur, the Treatise of Light. Said Nursi writings elaborate on the truths of the Holy Qur’an which awaken man to contemplation of the Universe, its functioning and signs. This contemplation thus opens him up to his true nature, to the purpose of the Creation and to the attributes of the Unique Creator. Said Nursi taught that this realization helps defeat the ills that plague mankind.

“Now I see clearly that most of my life has been directed in such a way, outside my own free-will, ability, comprehension and foresight that it might produce these treatises to serve the cause of the Qur’an. It is as if all my life as a scholar had been spent in preliminaries to these writings, which demonstrate the miraculousness of the Qur’an”
– Said Nursi

I pleasantly came across the beautiful Indian saint‘s autobiography one day “by accident” in a bookstore. I was about 23 years old with a great longing for answers to my inner Quest. Born to a Muslim father and thus in Islam, I was raised with the moral and traditional values of Islam.

When I found out about Yogananda’s work, I had already studied the Bhagavad Gita so I was yet familiar with certain Indian spiritual and cultural notions. What I enjoyed the most while reading “Autobiography of a Yogi” was the moving description of Yogananda‘s quest for the Divine from childhood, his first meeting with his spiritual master, his practice of Kriya Yoga, its benefits and the tradition through which it was revealed.

After having read the whole book with its striking motherly charged energy, I was clearly encouraged to formally embrace the practice of Islam. I then realized that the manifestation and work of saints transcend the notion of “religions” as conceived by the mundane.

Omraam Mikhaël Aïvanhov was a French philosopher, pedagogue, mystic of Bulgarian descent. I first discovered his work in childhood. At the time, my dear mother collected his books. With the influence of my elder brother Roland, my attention for Omraam’s work grew. He was the first sage I read. I can remember that at a young age, the sight of his picture on the back cover of his books always intrigued me because he looked unusually peaceful and harmonious. His words moved me by their quietness and profundity; they had a simplicity that was pleasing to my young mind! It is almost as if he was expressing himself in that way so that even children could comprehend him. His work resonated in me because he exceptionally expressed faith in the youth, he always stressed how important it was to be one’s true, higher self and to honor one’s purpose even if it implied going against the grain.

::: InshAllah in the days to come I will share pictures of the graceful beings whose life and work profoundly touched me from childhood until … :::

::: Before accomplishing any great task, we need a solid foundation. Our biggest challenge in life lies in finding out our authentic Identity, what we will stand for and what we want to represent. After this firm foundation is laid, all that we do seems to be created already and to just slip in and out of our minds throughout the journey of existence. Being the receptacle of such occurances is the utmost blessing that mankind may know, it is true Success for right then we know our role as pure receivers, humble souls and not ego-driven restless doers that seek to dominate and disempower others. Let all that we do repose upon Light, Patience and Love. Amin. :::

::: Oftentimes in what we tangibly do, there are formulas to follow, especially if our work method is the product of some institution. Usually, the thought-process acquired as a result of association with certain institutions garantees the external validation of our work regardless of its authenticity and quality.

I get questions about how I started writing so I’m going to address it here.

Writing & Art just happened to me after I had been compelled to retreat from certain worldly situations (including school) that profoundly drained me. Once I was allowed to tend to what felt most natural to me (Stillness, Quietude and Listening) I picked up a green pen, bought a pink note book and suddenly I started writing. I was 23 years-old then. Over the years, my experience of Art assumed diverse forms … yet they all seem as one discipline to me.

I did not have any academic training so I have no systematic, recognized formulas to observe. As far as conveying my work to the universal family, I know which “established” way to not follow. The discovery of the appropriate way to follow is at times an incredibly puzzling process for me since I have no living example to draw upon. I have had no teacher, no mentor, nor any form of support from any conventional instutition. I did not attend any, remember? So everything artistic that I do is born of some Impulse I cherish as it’s all I have had all along.

On that note, I just completed my new book of Sufi poems which I’ll gladly reveal in due time through Zuhrtime.com, inshAllah … :::

::: The importance of love resides in the fact that it challenges the ego and its narrowness. We are conditioned to embrace the ego’s states yet the Presence of love is always there, subtly stirring us to breaking all attachments to false systematizations we have developped. These systematizations are the clearest reflection of ego’s dominance in our dimension. Life is of better quality when we harmonize to the Heart that is beyond all that we know… Experiences and emotions fill our journey to teach us this: be love ... :::