Visual Sufi Poetry

“And We have created above you seven paths, and We are never unmindful of creation”. ~23:17 Qur’an

“And wherever you turn there is the Presence of Hu, for Hu is all pervading, All Knowing.” 2:115  ~Qura’n

“The whole earth is a place of worship” ~prophet Muhammad (saw).

Description: I worked on the painting “Atoms’ KaBa” by intervals for months, it was indeed a journey whose dimensionlessness lingers with me still. I first wrote the poem of the same title and the painting came out of it, slowly. “Atoms’ KaBa” evokes the process of evolution that leads toward the sacredness of all that is, in a context of pure Light, being the very quintessence of everything seen and unseen. “Atoms’ KaBa” is an invitation to turn inward, to embrace the pilgrimage we all are subjected to through the breath as it flows from and back to The Divine. We are signs of Tahwid, the Unity that governs existence, the Reality that mystics have expressed for eons and which is starting to be acknowledged by quantum physics as the “unified field”. Every atom is a sacred space, whose forces emanate from the Divine Consciousness itself; this places great responsibility on us to awaken to our connectedness with the Cosmos and thus to transcend the conditioning imposed to us by external sources. In such station of consciousness, there no longer is such a thing as separation, no projection of anything being “outside” of ourselves. In this, lies the importance to live in reverence, gentleness and love so we can inwardly retrace the Way to the ultimate Treasure within.

Atoms’ KaBa

We gather within you

wave after wave to pull you

and your seven spheres

toward the frequency of Tahwid.

To know oneself is to know Us

beyond the spatial realm,

man is the temple of the Opening

we continuously erect

through the breath,

the sign of Love itself!

The state of being is sacred,

love around infinite Love,

you curl around the Pulse

within or without

it does not matter

for the lover only sees one!

You are a fullness of empty space

praising The Divine.

Know that the KaBa by excellence

dwells in each of your atoms

so revolve my love and

retrace your immanent Source.

(c) 2009 Aida Toure.

Description: I painted “Kemet Incandescence”

Ancestral Devotion

for the album cover of “Ancestral Devotion”, the new CD by Jazz musician Lonnie Plaxico. The piece was inspired from Africa’s ancient art that captures the spirituality of African culture, its reverence for the feminine principle and the sacredness of music. In experimenting with this different yet ancient genre of  two dimensional African art, I experienced such proximity to the very foundation of all civilizations; that I plan to explore it more. Through this painting, I wanted to honor the sacred feminine as well as the origin of the spiritual tradition of Light now known as “Sufism”.

~ Kemet Incandescence ~

Inner lamps all lit,

a billion ecstasies

are now speaking of Hu;

each, gracefully interweaving

in the Universe’s womb;

whispers of light are induced

in the pure child’s mind

through the rays of Shams,

royalty bestowed by the Divine.

You see, nobility never exiles,

although ever coveted by the fallen ones,

it dances in and out of these truths

the African genius has laid like gems

in the depths of humanity’s collective self,

yes we are these muses

who bore Kemet Incandescence,

through our Harps, Flutes and hands,

revealing the Music of the spheres

the pineal gland is immersed in:

Bismillah ir Rahmanir Rahim…

copyright 2009 Aïda Touré.

(c) 2008 Aida Toure

Illumination at the Door (24″ x 30″ oil on canvas)

“…And Hu is with you wheresoever ye may be…”
~ 57:4 Quran

Description: the visual landscape of this painting came from this poem I composed about the culture of egolessness, love and contemplation which magnifies the quality of our life, of our overall human experience. “Illumination at the Door” suggests enlightenment and the discovery of our inner being that always expands as it is an octave of the Reality the soul floats in… Striving for peace, concentration, humility, contentment and heart generosity causes our inner doors to open and when they do, nothing the world of illusion imposes even matters, because it immensely pales in comparison to our authentic Reality, this exquisite Reality that allows us to stand and exist in the fullness of the grace bestowed upon us by The Creator solely.

~ Illumination at the Door ~

The subject tonight is love,
come out of your ego

and watch it dance around itself
until complete dissolution.

Let The Beloved be,
there is no use for “I”, “you”

nor “we” anymore,
Illumination is at the door;

can you hear its Knocking?
Who will get up and answer?

Whose heart is pure enough
to endure this Ringing inside?

The Sun has risen at midnight!
There will be no sleeping tonight,

there will be no unfulfilled
longing tonight!

Only this continuous beating,
only this Sound that brought

galaxies at prophet Muhammad’s (as) feet;
Jibreel (as) stood at the Limit,

Miraj upon Miraj,
no pen will write beyond that…

copyright 2008 Aïda Touré.

“And of everything We have created pairs”
~ 51:49 Quran

Description: “On the Edge of Union” came out of a poem of the same title. This painting evokes the intertwining of opposite poles, which sustained by Love, leads to blissful flowing with The Divine. On the painting, the opposite poles are expressed through the feminine and masculine principles: the left side of the piece symbolizes the feminine principle nurturing its sacred activities, the right side symbolizes the masculine principle’s conscious protection of the feminine’s sacred work that serves to sublimate life. The pull to such fusion manifests on all levels of existence, within the individual, without, in Nature and the Cosmos… Our potential for Harmony with the purest Reality lies in understanding the purpose of our polar opposites, without the repression of any of them for each has a specific role that enhances and gathers the other which eventually leads to Wholeness, to alignment with our Essence. Throughout history, the enlightened selfless souls who conveyed the divine Message to mankind existed “on the edge of Union”, they encouraged us to cultivate our innate full potential. Once mankind learns anew to transcend materialism and to revere and balance out the activities of their opposite poles, the world will reflect more harmony, compassion, unity and peace inshAllah.

~ On the Edge of Union ~

The Universe totters in the palm
of Love in circle and laughter,

rocking between worlds
the saint’s heart mirrors

as he burns with the desire
to walk off the Earth to step

into the Invisible, soul naked
and wild he exists on the edge

of Union, mingling with Ruh (as)
and its friends in chorus:

“We are in Love for the sake of
The One whose Majesty beautifies us!

We can’t take any more of this, someone,
anybody, please borrow our mouths…”

copyright 2008 Aïda Touré.