ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Affan Yesvi
Affan Yesvi BLOGS
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Living in his splendour
April 17, 2025, 9:20 AM IST
A miracle is like a screen which obscures the reality from view, said Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya (1238-1325), the beloved saint and one of the most famous Sufis of the Indian sub-continent. There are innumerable miracles…
April 17, 2025, 9:20 AM IST
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The interplay of thoughts and health, and the wisdom of the Sufis
April 10, 2025, 5:47 PM IST
The power of thoughts can cause either illness or recovery, said Ibn Sina (980-1037), the great philosopher and physician. Commonly known in the West as Avicenna, Ibn Sina is often described as the father of…
April 10, 2025, 5:47 PM IST
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The sublime Thursday’s
April 3, 2025, 1:32 PM IST
In the early 13th century, Hazrat Amir Khusrau the legendary poet, composer, inventor, linguist, historian and scholar, wrote Qissa-ye Chahār Darvēsh (The Tale of Four Dervishes), known as Bāgh-o Bahār (Garden and Spring) for his Pir,…
April 3, 2025, 1:32 PM IST
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Feasting on divine light
March 27, 2025, 3:25 PM IST
“Fasting is half the prayer, the other half is patience,” said Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya (1238–1325), the revered Sufi saint. During the holy month of Ramadan, fasting acquires deeply spiritual significance for the devout. Hazrat Rumi…
March 27, 2025, 3:25 PM IST
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The nightingale sings His hymn
March 13, 2025, 8:13 AM IST
“Whatever you see, is engrossed in His recollection (Zikr). But their hymns are known to those who have spiritual perception. Not only the nightingale sings His hymn, every bramble is immersed in extolling him,” said Hazrat Saadi…
March 13, 2025, 8:13 AM IST
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Hidden sweetness in the stomach’s emptiness
March 6, 2025, 3:22 PM IST
We are in the midst of the holy month of Ramadan – a time of introspection and rejuvenation. These are days for abstinence from food and water from dawn to dusk, and the God-given opportunity…
March 6, 2025, 3:22 PM IST
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Hayrat and the ways of God
February 27, 2025, 10:51 PM IST
Gnosis is continual amazement (ḥayrat), said Hazrat Abu Bakr al-Shibli (861-946), an influential Sufi of Persian heritage. The term ‘gnosis’, not in common use in current times, has significance in various contexts, including religion and…
February 27, 2025, 10:51 PM IST
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Wear gratitude like a cloak…
February 20, 2025, 3:57 PM IST
Gratitude, or shukr, is a transformative element in Sufi philosophy. Gratitude embodies a profound spiritual practice that blesses seekers with a constant connection with the Almighty. Those who regard gratitude as only the expression of…
February 20, 2025, 3:57 PM IST
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Let love’s fire burn in every heart!
February 13, 2025, 10:36 AM IST
The great Sufi Masters have stressed upon some major principles which may help an individual to commence on his spiritual journey and actively pursue the call of his heart. These principles include awareness of time…
February 13, 2025, 10:36 AM IST
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Listen to the ocean…
February 6, 2025, 3:51 PM IST
If speech is silver, silence is gold. How many times have we heard this proverb? Scholars believe that the proverb originated in Arabic culture, where it was used as early as the 9th century. The…
February 6, 2025, 3:51 PM IST
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Life is rigged in your favour
January 30, 2025, 3:46 PM IST
In our modern times, one often finds people talking about what kind of energy an individual has, and how it influences his or her life. There is enough research to support that people who have…
January 30, 2025, 3:46 PM IST
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The sea is the meaning
January 23, 2025, 3:43 PM IST
A Sufi master once said that the traveller should not speak about his spiritual experiences, since that will decrease their effect on his heart and detract from his truthfulness with His Lord in them. Indeed,…
January 23, 2025, 3:43 PM IST
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Prayer and illuminated soul
January 15, 2025, 3:10 PM IST
“Whenever He releases your tongue to ask, know that He wants to give to you.” So said the great Sufi master Ibn Aṭā Allāh al-Iskandarī (1250-1309) in Kitab al-Hikam (The Book of Wisdom), acknowledged as…
January 15, 2025, 3:10 PM IST
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May the ray of light expand within
January 8, 2025, 3:44 PM IST
For centuries, the human mind has been mystified by the question – what is the worth of man’s existence? According to scriptures, this question existed even before man was created. The Holy Qur’an tells us…
January 8, 2025, 3:44 PM IST
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Appear as you are. Be as you appear
January 1, 2025, 10:50 AM IST
It is indeed a strange phenomenon of our times that all of us seem to be trying to escape the present moment in one way or the other. Those who are blessed with a high…
January 1, 2025, 10:50 AM IST
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Mirror and the sufi mystics
December 25, 2024, 3:34 PM IST
‘I am a mirror set before your eyes And all who come before my splendor see Themselves, their own unique reality… Though you have struggled, wandered, travelled far, It is yourselves you see and what…
December 25, 2024, 3:34 PM IST
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Glorifying the words of God forever…
December 19, 2024, 3:44 PM IST
As I stood at the majestic main gateway of the Taj Mahal, I looked up at the words artistically inscribed on it. “O soul, thou art at rest. Return to the Lord at peace with…
December 19, 2024, 3:44 PM IST
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Purity of writing, purity of soul
December 12, 2024, 4:03 PM IST
The divine word is imbued with deep sanctity and reverence in the Islamic cultural and spiritual traditions. Love and devotion for The Omnipotent and The Omniscient Almighty expresses itself in a blossoming of artistic efforts,…
December 12, 2024, 4:03 PM IST
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The Dargah of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti at Ajmer: Generous as the river, warm as the sun…
December 6, 2024, 2:59 PM IST
The tomb of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti continues to be one of the most popular shrines of religious syncretism and is visited by millions of people from across the world. Heads of states have offered chadar at the dargah with reverence. Pilgrims…
December 6, 2024, 2:59 PM IST
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Jogi and the Sufi folklore
November 29, 2024, 11:07 PM IST
Jogi And The Sufi Folklore Mein jaana Jogi de naal O I want to go with the jogi With earrings in my ears I want to go with the jogi This jogi entered my heart…
November 29, 2024, 11:07 PM IST
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