The Persecuted Widow

I painted “The Persecuted Widow” to protest the mistreatment of the grieving. Unfortunately this practice is rampant in many African countries: ill-intended relatives and in-laws seem to rejoice when the head of the household passes away because it’s finally the opportunity for them to not only prey upon the deceased man’s children and wife but it’s also the opportunity to scheme in order to embezzle whatever property the deceased owned. Often times the children and widows who are subjected to such oppression can end up being homeless and destitute as a result of the abuse they endure at the hands of relatives.

In order to justify their vile actions, these relatives often evoke some flimsy “tradition” as an excuse to violate the rights of the afflicted children and their mother but in truth no authentic tradition on Earth advocates to prey upon the helpless especially in times of mourning, this is the worst kind of abuse.

The creation of this painting aims at addressing a serious issue which has more so to do with heartlessness, covetousness and dishonesty. I always wanted to address this great injustice that touches too many African children when they lose their father. Working on this painting was one of the most intense experience, it brought me great hope because even though the piece depicts the pain ill-intended family members inflict upon mourning widows and orphans, it more so shows the triumph of Divine Mercy which surrounds all the evil schemes ill-intended family members cowardly direct at children and their mother during the most vulnerable moment of their life.

“O Allah! You be the witness that I consider any violation of the rights of orphan and woman as an enormity entailing serious consequences!”
~ Prophet Muhammad (saw)

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Emerald Verses

Illuminated is the Heart
that chants the glories
of The Sublime’s throne.
Blessed be the soul
who embraces Injil
through the Holy Qur’an
like earth embraces truths
through the galaxies’ currents.
The Word commands “read!”
Lo! The inner eye opens:
Djibril (as) on his emerald seat,
Jesus (as) walking upon the sea,
Noah (as) gathers the light of humanity
and prophet Muhammad (saw)
crowns the collective being
with the altitudes of humility.
You see, Love is this gentleness
that governs the Muslim Universe,
while the moon transcribes to us:
“… unto Him is the journeying!”

2007 copyrights Aida Toure

The Prophets’ (as) Footprints

… the soul innately journeys through form, like Ruh (as) Herself circulates through the worlds. All that exists has a mysterious glorious Purpose; phenomena upon phenomena, existence by excellence is one where the soul can freely be and flow the Way Allah (swt) intended it to. Belonging to a divine system that encompasses all the confusion of materiality is the greatest grace bestowed upon us, we are that precious. But for that preciousness to come to expression, it needs Love just like flowers need the Love of Watering and Light in order to grow and wear their fragrance… thus we should let our Water run and be wild in the way we give love as Love itself gives impartially, we should be the innate majesty of our soul: we all were born in Surrender/Islam, some get numb to it for a little while and then eventually return to it inshAllah, this is why the Prophets (as) footprints blessed the Earth… Therefore the command “READ” (96: 1 Qur’an) that Allah (swt) transmitted to Prophet Muhammad (saw) is addressed to us as well. That READING is the journey to Illumination/Enlightenment, the way to the lifting of the Veil… Once it manifests, the soul has the responsibility to just exist in the holy Octave of Kun/BE. We should not wait until separation unveils the true Reality, we must welcome our selves to Healing and Wholeness now, we must reclaim our innate grace now.

copyrights 2007 Aida Toure

Sama (the poem)

Chords, loves and signs
there is some sound
in the soul’s eye,
silent yet loud
blue tambourines then
floating red harps now;
all as one, circularly
enchanted as the globes’ Zikr
our prophets (as) repeated.
Hands and lips smacked by
Tenderness itself,
we play invisible violins
and cosmic Neys
by the lovers’ earand lo!
they sob of all their emotions’ grace,
following the course of longing
and depth, they shed themselves
to wear the subtle Cloth;
cloaked in its glow,
they dance and chant
in the language Djibril (as)
taught the saints (as).

copyrights 2006 Aida Toure

Hidden Treasure (the poem)

Bismillah,
Eye in eye,
intermingling loud
and clear with the Key
you exist in,
your being is a cry for
the excellence of Sound;
you long to harmonize
with the divine praises
chanted by the Night,
you seek the Love of Love,
the lover’s heart knows
it’s not the form
but its songs’ Song
that it wants,
its constant flirtation
with Suras so that
eventually it becomes
particles of such scent
just like the prophet (as)
was the Qur’an itself.

A pause,
a tear,
then:

“Allah (swt) is The Light
of the unseen and the seen,
the Light of Isa (as)
and Muhammad (as),
the Light of the worlds
unfurling on the prayer
mat of gravity.
Allah (swt) is the Unmanifest
of the manifest, Nature praises Him
in ways we may ignore
yet He is The Beloved all
prophets (as) spoke of,
The globes’ Sustainer,
The tender force that enrobes us
The Healer of grieving hearts,
The Hidden Treasure
The Hidden Treasure
The Hidden Treasure…”

copyrights 2006 Aida Toure.

Hidden Treasure (the painting)

Pearly Tears

Create Your Own!

The Division

“Allah is to be praised and thanked for ridding us of the vices and pride of the days of ignorance. O People! Note that all men are divided in two categories only: the pious and God-fearing who are esteemable in Allah’s reckoning, and the transgressors and hard-hearted, who are lowly and contemptible in the eye of Allah.”
~Prophet Muhammed (saw)

Soninke Symphony (the painting)

L’Amoureuse

We are beauty in myriad of forms
We are the spheres sobbing
To every new born
“Welcome to Wildness my love!”
And lo! brush and pen broken
I leave my self …

cc 2006 Aida Toure

On the Creation of Visual Sufi Poetry

::: I immensely enjoy developing my paintings because the creative process has lessons, each time, a new one. It’s impossible to force realities that occur beyond our selves and which take shape through us; we can only respect their language-flow and this practice eventually helps us endure circumstances in life we have no control over and such is the spirit of Surrender-Islam.

Because my visual art developed from the poems I compose, I’m not inclined to paint realities the naked eye sees because they are obvious to us. I aspire to put upon canvas that which is subtle and that purely mingles with the soul and that walks it to its bliss.

As my Arts are islamically spiritual and spiritually islamic therefore universal, I see no division between these creative activities and the practical rituals which come with being a Muslimah. When I soak my brushes in water, it takes me back to ablutions yet this time instead of preparing my self to step upon the prayermat, it’s my paint brushes that will “step” upon canvas, they become instruments I do not view outside of my body… At that moment, everything that lingered with the words of a composed poem unravels upon canvas, each brushwork brings me the utmost solace and invites me to reflection as well. The alternate smoothness and wildness inherent to the act of painting is a mirror of the Returning process I am subjected to. :::

Pearly Tears

Your scent lingers
with each curve
tracing the Universe.
Reduced to physicality,
the soul wanders beauties
for the sake of Love
until it beholds
your face again,
between each space,
there are insane lovers
whose vocabulary flirts
with the light scattered
like pearls to adorn
your precious hiddenness.

cc 2006 Aida Toure

Harps & Tambourines

Soul wild with grace,
the heart prostrates

to the Light of its light,
Sobbing of all its softness

with all lovers of Oneness,
playing harps & tambourines,

they chant by the Spheres:
“Collectively, we are love

bowing to itself for the sake
of Beneficence, we unroll

like prayermats before
The Beloved’s eyes…”

cc 2006 Aida Toure

Unlawful Wars’ Mongers

… the power-hungry elitists
thrive off of humanity’s misery,
they invent demonic ideologies
and their spiritual corruption
shows in their nations’ policies.
See, they henerited from the
the prophets’ (as) enemies;
remember those who plotted
to silence the Messengers (as)?
Well they are their inheritors!
Their threat is unity and love;
What good is to be expected
from one whose heart
conceals such a disease?
What civilized men would
prone the racial superiority
of a people over another?
Thieves, usurpers and usurers,
these are our world leaders,
no wonder babies are massacred!
Allah (swt) is the sole Owner
of everything, Everything!
Picture a mere mortal taking
“his” property to his tomb?
Indeed when the ego leads, man
becomes a consummate fool.
Woe to the scheming elitists
who slaughter children and
the bonds of the human family.

CC 2006 Aida Toure

La Note Orange

Peace to all my readers. I have been working on so many things lately that I have barely had time to update my blog… About three nights ago, I was sitting in my room and my eyes rested on my light beige guitar and all of the sudden I saw it painted with interesting patterns. I gathered my tubes of paint and I started working on it right away… I entitled the piece La Note Orange.

Reclusion: Soul Opening

We are compelled to
praise you limitlessly
for all the beauties
you scattered across

those lines and forms
which make us circle
and wonder what are
we doing in all this?

Nothing but not-being!
Aimless and insane,
generously one with
some Grace; ink spills,

letters and pen bow …
And the soul torn open:
this was the caress
I had longed for.

Become a Flute!

::: Consider saying Thank You even when circumstances seem to not smile at you. There are some refinement taking place in you, so subtle and mathematically orchestrated that you may not perceive it. This occurance reconciles a Longing your ego transformed into fear then greed, yet in truth only the Longing in your soul abides, this longing is perfect and it deserves to be expressed for all the majesty inherent to it. Remember your Origin, the prophets (as) and the saints (as)! They were thanks to this Longing which is a cosmic force! Therefore unveil the full emptiness you are, lose your ego that fragments your dormant love and watch your being become a Flute, an unending song in human form… :::

Les Prosternes (the Prostrated)

::: I just completed The Prostrated . Al hamdulillah this painting has elements I had been longing to express for the longest time so it was a true celebration of the joy of Salat (prayer).

The prostration position in Islamic prayer is one of the most moving experience the soul can journey through. Even though to many it may be considered as just a physical position, prostration is the moment when we are closest to Allah (swt), we shed our ego and the grace unfolds…

During his prayers alone, our beloved Prophet Muhammad (saw) used to stay in prostration for a long time and he would often shed tears. Allahu Akbar! :::

Losing our Humaneness

::: I never really decided I was going to become an artist, it just happened to me. Sometimes when I am inspired to compose a poem or to paint it, I have the sad realization of how distant we have become from divine Remembrance and this is one of the most painful feelings I can experience.

In our man-made system, it’s customary to reward the ego and all the evils that derive from it. Yet humans, all divinely created, do not have their origin in this system so why do they reflect its standards all set by some false alien “authority”? Sadly enough, I often feel isolated from many of my own kind, because before they try to help that which is an expression of Love, even when they do admire it they seem to watch it in fear first, curious about how this object of admiration will “make it” amidst a fierce system that punishes the soul.

With fervor, they tend to compliment what they see, yet they have been so trained to be selfish and driven by prose that they will not do anything to help the next person even when they know it’s within their power to do so. Simple gestures can be of big help to our fellow creatures sometimes, it doesn’t require anything on our part but caring.

CARING: this is what’s lacking, this is the major cause of all our plagues (starvation, imperialism, wars, poverty, prejudice, biological and nuclear weapons …etc…). I sometimes wonder about all these evil tactics used to rout those who aspire for complete Independence and Freedom; after all, these ideals are all men’s divine right! Instead, populations are forced to dismiss or prostitute their souls just for the “guarantee” to live with security or to acquire the most basic necessities which all men deserve. But since we live in a world of widespread corruption and deliberate elitism, many end up having no other choice but to surrender to the power-hungry elitists who either open doors or close them to men’s opportunities at will.

The system supporters seem to defy Nature itself while watching if the soul will exist and evolve the way it is, with its integrity and its Love. As the soul refuses to put its spark to their service, they patiently watch its evolution or regression waiting for the opportunity to kneel it down before them, they look out for the soul’s moment of despair and desolation and lo! Like vultures, they ambush it. Verily, populations suffer! It seems there is no more heart after we have been so systematized and made to yield our true innate nature, our humaneness. I’m not proud at all to be part of a world where lowliness and cruelty are the norm. :::

Triumph of Truth

Despite all the false notions we have assimilated during our societal experiences, the Divine Truth remains and it’s up to us to rekindle its dormant flame within. We were blessed enough to have had the coming of Prophets (as) and the Divine Message they left us with to help in our inner realization, the ultimate accomplishment of life!

On that note, I’d like share verses of the Holy Qur’an which elaborate on the position of mankind in the Universe. Reflecting upon this passage can truly be empowering as it helps us understand the meaning of our existence, the untold Generosity that nurtures it and our authentic identity, enjoined by The Sole Authority: The Creator.

“And He committed for you the night and the day, and the sun and the moon, and the stars are committed by His command. In that are signs for a people who comprehend. And what He has placed for you on Earth in various colors. In that are signs for a people who remember. And He is the One who committed the sea, that you may eat from it a tender meat, and that you may extract from it pearls that you wear. And you see the ships flowing through it, so that you may seek from His bounty, and that you may be thankful. And He has cast into the Earth stabilizers so that it does not sway with you, and rivers, and paths, perhaps you will be guided. And landmarks, and by the stars they use to guide. Is the One who creates the same as one who does not create? Will you not remember? And if you count the blessings of God you will not be able to fathom them. God is Forgiving, Merciful. And God knows what you hide and what you declare. As for those they call on besides God, they do not create anything, but are themselves created!”

~16: 12-20 Holy Qur’an

The Making of Guiaalala (the light)

Guiaalala (the light)

::: Peace. I had been working on a 36″x 24″ painting entitled “Guiaalala”, it means “the light” in Eshira, my maternal dialect. This piece took me more time to complete because there was some precious intrigue I didn’t expect so I reveled in its creation. It developed slow and how pleasant it was to carry its brushwork, I learned more about patience! Guiaalala remains such a mystery, I now wish I had more canvas space to continue it… :::

Doing What’s Beautiful

“God is Beautiful and He loves beauty.”
~ Prophet Muhammad (saw)

::: As souls, it’s only natural to express beauty as it is our origin. The most difficult challenge while we experience the world is to remain attuned to that dimension in us as worldly establishment discourages the cultivation of spiritual qualities. And this because the best way to disempower humanity is to fragment, robotize and systematize their spiritual constitution so that they could be subservient to anything but The Creator.

In order to be free and to honor our full potential, we should follow our Heart, we should inwardly invite what’s beautiful until it becomes not just an internal life but a tangible reality that is uplifting to the collectivity: this implies the awakening of the divine potential in us and therefore the neutralization of all the falsehood and corruption perpetuated by usurping, ill-intended forces.

We are beauty and we are love. These attributes nurture, spiritualize and pull us to the glories of Surrender! So let us all do that which is beautiful in humility and generosity. Amin. :::

Zuhrtime Beads (the painting-prose-poem)

::: We are beads in human form abandoned here to whirling and buoyancy, we perform for the sake of Love just like the planets, the Sun and Jesus’ heart (as)! We are beads, revolving at Zuhrtime in Remembrance of our union with The Divine. :::

Language

::: Language is pure when spoken to reflect spiritual emotions. We would evolve greatly if we were more inclined toward silence and the Language that is behind it. When the Heart speaks we become quiet-natured, because the mind revels in the wild softness that murmures from the depths of Nowhere-Everywhere, it’s Love, no one I know runs away from such luxury! There are moments when our heart demands that we do not speak yet we don’t listen, if we did we would always be guided throughout existence. :::

Hidden Green One

In our obscurity you are
wearing your tone,

subtle yet vibrant,
a teacher to the soul,

you walked in
Ibn Arabi’s chest

and lo! he spoke
of mysteries and secrets;

the unknown variations
that gentle souls befriend.

You blow within the flute
each believer becomes

when you flood
their hearts with

melodies from the Throne,
wandering by the edge

of the universal state,
you guard the pure

and then you initiate,
defying the visible

and the conform way,
you impart knowledge.

You are the master
that leads the way

of earthly masters
and you whirl of

all your leaflike color
in cyclones of peace

and tenderness,
you awakened Moses (as);

rewarded and comforted
but when there was silence,

speechless yet you speak
colorful yet Green,

you exist unseen
to flirt with the hearts

that sobb in entreaty
of Allah (swt) Most High,

you are the scented tambourine,
the revolving beads within,

the inner planets in orbit,
the hidden one shy poets

insanely run to to flirt
with your somptuous,

fresh, continuous wilderness.
And you lay on the lips

of the sages with secrets
kept throughout the ages,

transcending religious
institutions and hierarchy!

O al Khidr, the saints’
cheikh no physical eye sees,

knock on this pulse’s door
and strike it with the sword

of Love until all forms
dissolve into The Humiliator.

~ copyirghts 2006 Aida Toure

The Black Hole (the painting)

::: Bismillah, I finally completed The Blak Hole , a visual metaphor for the Returning … :::

The Heart Softener (the poem)

Beloved Heart of my heart,
I am amazed at your work,
intricate, moving and divine
everywhere the Qur’an

is read by the Eye;
light upon light,
you are the scent that
surrounds Jesus Christ (as),

the compassion in the arms
Of Djibreel who hugged
Seyyidina Muhammad (saw).
You are the Life behind life,

the Veiled Breath that intertwines
with the breath of the masses.
We swirl with the Universe
to praise you O Most High,

Beloved to Yogananda, Hafiz,
Rabia, Jacob and Omraam
who all read your signs
in diagonal or in braille.

O Allah (swt) forgive us
for our failures, we bow
to you for eternity in love
with the Love you brought

forth so that we may assume
form and become I’s, impatient
to dissolve again in the plenitude
of your Nocturnal Light.

Suddenly I’m urged by quietude:
Lo! Djibi tucks in the Moon
and Papa says in chorus
with the sun Allahu Akbar!

And this poem walks out …

~ copyrights 2006 Aida Toure ~

Rasulullah (saw)

The light you blew
over the world leads

the universal Return
to the Divine Master.

You intertwine with
the believers’ pulse

as they whisper
la ilaha illa Allah!

With each motion
of the Creation,

you are there, reciting
the Glorious Qur’an

in synchronicity with
Djibreel, Ruh and all

Prophets; from Adam to
Seyyidina Jesus Christ (as).

You pull the inner Door and
lo! angels float by our lips

to embrace the Zikr we
repeat after Abraham (as),

Subbuhun Quddsusun
Rabbul Mala’ikati war Ruh

-Most Glorious and Holiest,
Lord of the angels and the Spirit-

We unfold in the Essence again.
O Rasulullah, the fragrance

of Paradise is nigh now!
You are the mercy

and the first light
out of the Light,

the heart softener
whose luminous life

left our souls longing for
the meeting with Allah (swt).

copyrights 2006 Aida Toure

Islamophobia

::: The great dislike for Islam elitist establishments’ have and openly manifest contributes to exposing their own indecency, ignorance and prejudice. Thus they are unknowingly helping the expansion of Islam amidst the masses for never will you see any Muslim insulting any prophet of God for the Holy Qur’an commands its followers to equally revere all His prophets and to not insult other people’s religions.

The relentless disrespect and persecution shown toward Muslims is such a disgrace, it exposes well the lack of tolerance the so-called “guardians of human rights” have always had for difference and for that which threatens their centuries old imperialism and quest for global control. HIStory is a testimony to this fact. :::

“Persecution is worse than slaughter”—2:217 (Holy Qur’an)