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Muslim / Sufi 9th Century	About Hallaj (Mansur al-Hallaj) Timeline (9th Century)
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English version by Bernard Lewis Original Language Arabic	Your spirit is mingled with mine
Commentary by Ivan M. Granger Themes   Water   Wine         Recommended Books The Death of Al-Hallaj: A Dramatic Narrative, by Herbert Mason Early Islamic Mysticism: Sufi, Quran, Miraj, Poetic and Theological Writings (Classics of Western Spirituality), by Michael A. Sells Music of a Distant Drum: Classical Arabic, Persian, Turkish & Hebrew Poems, Translated by Bernard Lewis The Passion of Al-Hallaj: Mystic and Martyr of Islam, by Louis Massignon / Translated by Herbert W. Mason Perfume of the Desert: Inspirations from the Sufi Wisdom, by Andrew Harvey / Eryk Hanut	Your spirit is mingled with mine as wine is mixed with water; whatever touches you touches me. In all the stations of the soul you are I.     -- from Music of a Distant Drum: Classical Arabic, Persian, Turkish & Hebrew Poems, Translated by Bernard Lewis Amazon.com
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Commentary by Ivan M. Granger

The great Sufi mystic poet, al-Hallaj, was put to death by orthodox religous authorities for poems like this, in which he equated himself with God.

This is the danger faced by most mystics. The sacred experience is one of ecstatic union with the Divine. Where do "you" cease to be, and where does the Divine begin? In mystical union, these questions are artificial since the Divine is everywhere and no tangible sense of you as a separate individual remains. There aren't two in which to have a relationship; there is only the One.

As a result, mystics keep producing ecstatic and dangerous poems like this one and orthodox authorities keep trying to silence or marginalize them.

Ivan M. Granger's original poetry, stories and commentaries are Copyright © 2002 - 2008 by Ivan M. Granger.
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