Al~Muntaqim, Dry and Dusty

A daily fiddle tune and name for God has made for a rather divine vacation thus far. I have learned one important lesson: that I cannot attempt reels if I want to learn a tune every day, because these tunes take me several days to learn, it turns out. So I'll stick with jigs, polkas, and old time for a bit.

A favorite name for God so far has been Al~Batin: The Hidden Traveler. It is the quality of God that lives deep within and is hidden from others; the traveler within us that walks without feet. It reminds us that sometimes, wisdom is best left as a secret within our hearts. Silence is important and beautiful at times. On the day that I had chosen this name, I happened to have a fiddle lesson. My teacher aptly chose "Arkansas Traveler," and brought to light the old time bowing patterns that lid hidden within this simple melody.

This morning brought me to Al~Muntaqim, a quality of God connected with sweeping out the dusty rooms of our heart, or purifying ourselves from any affectations we may have taken on to please others. The book shares a lovely Shabistari poem the illustrate the point:

"...Why don't you sweep out the rooms of your heart

and prepare them to be the home of the Beloved?

When you leave, the One can enter.

Freed from self, the Beloved reveals its beauty.

Purified from all impressions

your real self outgrows differences--

knower and known become one."

Searching for a tune that could somehow connect, I was delighted to learn that one of my favorites from Brittany Haas's CD happens to be called "Dry and Dusty."