Indubitaly no man is born fatherless;
Only one Jesus exists in the world.
- Shabestari

The Sufis believe that Jesus was born of Mary through the breath of the Holy Spirit, and had no physical father.
The Qoran describes the Divine animation of man as a breathing of God’s Spirit unto the human frame, using the the same expression for the generation of Jesus as for the creation of Adam, that is, by a blowing of the Divine Breath, respectively, into the womb of Mary and into the clay of Adam’s body - a breath which is none other than the Grace of the Holy Spirit.

What the Sufis understand by a reference to the concept of ‘Father’ with respect to Jesus, such as when the Gospel quotes Jesus as saying, “I go to the Father” (John 16:16), is that the saints are the spiritual children of the Divine, so that Jesus as a saint, can be regarded as just such a ’spiritual offspring’.

As Rumi puts it,

My boy,
All the saints are sons of God:
Whether here or there, present or absent,
Always aware, vigilant and awake.

Shaikh Shabestari provides a lyrical rendering of this concept in his Golshan-e raz:

First the suckling infant,
Bound to a cradle, is sustained on milk,
Then, when mature, becomes a wayfarer;
If a man, he travels with his father.

The elements of nature for you
Resemble an earthborn mother,
You, a son whose father
Is a patriarch from on high.

So Jesus proclaimed upon ascension:
“I go to my Father (Abba) above.”
You too, favorite of your father,
Set forth for your Father!

Your fellow-travelers went on;
you too pass on!
If you wish to be a bird in flight,
Leave the world’s carcass to vultures.

In his commentary on the Golshan-e ráz, Shaikh Làhiji explains the concepts of the Holy Spirit (ruh al-qodos) and the ‘Spirit of God’ (ruho’lláh), which appear in another part of Shabestari’s work, verse by verse in the following manner:

Within the inner court of holy Oneness
Lies the soul’s monastery.
Perch of the Simorgh of Subsistence.

(The commentator, Làhiji): That is to say, the inner court of sanctum of holy Oneness (wahdat) of the Divine Essence, which transcends and is hallowed from all blemish of multiplicity (katharat), is the soul’s monastery (dair-e jan), and the temple (ma’bad) of the Christians, that is to say, the community of the prophet Jesus. Hence, the holy monastery of Divine Unity is the house of worship for the soul, the human spirit (ruh-e ensani), the origin of which is the World of Supra-Formal Entities (‘alam-e tajarrod). This sanctum of Divine Oneness is the soul’s temple and the roost of the Simorgh of true Subsistence (baqa) because the wellspring and reality of Subsistence is Divine Oneness, unblemished and consecrated from all contrariness and disparity generated through mortal annihilation (fana).
By realisation of this station (maqam), Jesus was graced with life and immortality. Since pure freedom from the bondage of custom, convention, blind imitation, and habit, which Christianity (tarsa’i) exemplifies, was manifested by Jesus, the poet further comments: From the Spirit of God sprang this attainment,
Brought forth by the Holy Spirit.

The ‘attainment’ here implied is that of dispassion, detachment and emancipation from the bondage of multiplicity and habit, all of which Christianity represents, and consequent at-one-ment with the spiritual level and monastery of the Divine Essence in its sacred Oneness. Such labour was manifested by Jesus (as the ‘Spirit of God’). No previous prophet, however graced with the virtues of perfection, ever quite attained his degree.

Nurbakhsh, Dr. Javad. Jesus in the Eyes of the Sufis.Terry Graham, et al. Trans.
London: Khaniqahi-Nimatullahi Publications, 1983.

Hymn XVI: Happy the Souls That First Believed

Happy the souls that first believed,
To Jesus and each other cleaved,
Joined by the unction from above
In mystic fellowship of love.

Meek, simple followers of the Lamb,
They lived, and spake, and thought the same;
They joyfully conspired to raise
Their ceaseless sacrifice of praise.

With grace abundantly endued,
A pure, believing multitude,
They all were of one heart and soul,
And only love inspired the whole.

O what an age of golden days!
O what a choice, peculiar race!
Washed in the Lamb’s all-cleansing blood,
Anointed kings and priests to God!

Ye different sects, who all declare,
“Lo, here is Christ!” or, “Christ is here!”
Your stronger proofs divinely give,
And show me where the Christians live.

The gates of hell cannot prevail;
The church on earth can never fail;
Ah, join me to thy secret ones!
Ah, gather alt thy living stones!

Scattered o’er all the earth they lie,
Tilt thou collect them with thine eye,
Draw by the music of thy name,
And charm into a beauteous frame.

For this the pleading Spirit groans,
And cries in alt thy banished ones;
Greatest of gifts, thy love impart,
And make us of one mind and heart.

Join every soul that looks to thee
In bonds of perfect charity;
Now, Lord, the glorious fullness give,
And All in All for ever live!

Wesley, John Rev. M.A. “A Collection of Hymns, for the Use of the People called Methodists.”
London: Wesleyan-Methodist Book-Room, 1889.

“I believe that all human beings, whatever their backgrounds, whatever generation they belong to, are all created in the image and likeness of God. Therefore, in each of us there is a spark of the divine.”

Larry Parsons - youth work and the spark of the divine.

Larry talks of ‘fanning the flame’ and then protecting it. He talks about “inspiring leadership within the peer group as essential to rejuvenating the community”. He talks about “helping young people who are perhaps unemployed, apathetic and drifting, to dream dreams, to discover that spark within them and to rise up from the ground, and in their turn inspire others, and to show them that they have the power to make life worth living”.  

Source

Or the violation of the second law of thermodynamics.

“Scientists have often been baffled by the existence of spontaneous order in the universe. The laws of thermodynamics seem to dictate the opposite, that nature should inexorably degenerate toward a state of greater disorder, greater entropy. Yet all around us we see magnificent structures—galaxies, cells, ecosystems, human beings—that have all somehow managed to assemble themselves.”

Strogatz, Steven. The Emerging Science of Spontaneous Order. Theia. ISBN 0-7868-6844-9

The Cerebral Application of Constant Magnetic Fields: A Brief Review of the Jesenik Procedure

Author: Otto Grünner ^a

DOI: 10.3109/15368378809027750

Publication Frequency: 4 issues per year

Published in: Electromagnetic Biology and Medicine, Volume 7, Issue 2 1988 , pages 209 - 218

Subjects: Cell Biology; Molecular Biology;

Abstract

Our frequent observations that geomagnetic perturbations between 10 and 100 nT were associated with changes in neurotic complaints suggested that cerebral application of artificial electromagnetic fields could have beneficial consequences. Patients who were diagnosed as suffering from neuroses or who had chronic headaches from various etiologies were exposed to various intensity (0.07 mT, 0.88 mT, 2.6 mT and 9.64 mT) constant, homogeneous magnetic fields. During magnetic field exposure, increases in forehead electro-dermal resistance and decreases in complaints were noted for both groups; patients suffering from headaches displayed the greatest improvement. Significant relative increases in alpha activity but decreases in delta and theta activity were correlated with the field-associated improvement of symptoms. No adverse effects were observed. Assuming that pretreatment electroencephalographic records contain not more than 11% low-frequency beta (12.5-17.5 Hz) activity, patients who display irritability, insomnia or chronic, intermittent headache pain will respond favorably to the treatment.

Source: Informaworld.com

March 20, 1998
Web posted at: 2:05 p.m. EDT (1405 GMT) ATLANTA (CNN) –

An experimental treatment for severe depression, in which powerful magnets are applied to patients’ heads, is showing signs of success, a medical journal reports.

Emory University researchers report in the journal Psychiatric Annals that more than half of the patients treated improved with no serious side effects.

Depression affects 37 million Americans. It is estimated one in four women and one in 10 men suffer from depression.

In the experimental treatment, doctors use a powerful electromagnet to stimulate a specific area of the brain. It seems to work best in the left front portion of the brain, believed to be underactive in people with depression. The treatment lasts only about five minutes.

“The electromagnet induces electric current in the brain and we know that that causes brain cells to fire, to become active, to do things, to kick out brain chemicals which are called neurotransmitters,” said Dr. Charles Epstein of Emory University.

While the magnetic therapy is being studied it is only available for people with severe depression, said Dr. William McDonald of Emory University.

“The people that we’ve treated have far and away been very ill people. These are people who have otherwise gotten ECT (electro convulsive therapy),” he said. ECT is a controversial treatment, usually tried as a last resort, in which electric pulses cause a seizure,.

One patient, Ruth Wright tried ECT but suffered memory loss. She also tried anti-depressants, but they didn’t work, so she turned to magnetic therapy. She’s had it for a year and said she’s much improved, even happy.

“Situations which would have thrown me a year ago, I can handle now with some degree of reasonable behavior,” said Wright.

The treatment is experimental and the long-term effects are unknown; researchers say seizures are a possibility. As with other treatments, it is not unusual for patients to relapse once treatment ends. The researchers aren’t sure yet if it will help people with mild depression.

Medical Correspondent Rhonda Rowland contributed to this report.

source: CNN.COM

Confronted with the grief of a student over the distress that has befallen him, the student asked him “why teacher, doesn’t the love of God protect us from harm?”

The teacher looked in the distance and answered “As his word teaches everything in life returns to us, so that should direct our ways. In life everything that befalls us is an opportunity to learn and I needed still a lot to learn about the essence of life as in His love He gave me many opportunities to learn. Sometimes a lesson is painful and only that pain can occupy our mind. If we widen our view the necessity to learn presents itself.
We are never alone in our times of distress. The field of trouble is also a door of hope as long as we allow His light to penetrate our darkness.”

From a work in progress based on Psalm 119, 54
- working title “Songs from the wilderness”", H. Blum 

Isa 11:10 And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious.

Rom 15:12 And again, Esaias saith, There shall be a root of Jesse, and he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles; in him shall the Gentiles trust.

Jesse is an anglicanized form of Yishay/Isai meaning my substance. Yesh being, existence, essence, substance. Yud as a suffix indicates first person singular possessive; av (father) becomes avi (my father).  So I do not agree with the general translation as “I possess”; “wealthy” only when used in reference to the underlying Hebrew root.  

Rev 5:5 And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.

Rev 22:16 I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, [and] the bright and morning star.

The letter of Muhammad to Negus, king of Abyssinia (Ethiopia).

Al-Baihaqi, on the authority of Ibn Ishaq, gave the following narration of the Prophet’s letter sent to Negus:
“This letter is sent from Muhammad, the Prophet to Negus Al-Ashama, the king of Abyssinia (Ethiopia). Peace be upon him who follows true guidance and believes in Allâh and His Messenger. I bear witness that there is no god but Allâh Alone with no associate, He has taken neither a wife nor a son, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger. I call you unto the fold of Islam; if you embrace Islam, you will find safety,

“Say [O Muhammad (Peace be upon him)]: ‘O people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians), come to a word that is just between us and you, that we worship none but Allâh, and that we associate no partners with Him, and that none of us shall take others as lords besides Allâh.’ Then, if they turn away, say: ‘Bear witness that we are Muslims.’ ” [The Holy Quran, 3:64]

Should you reject this invitation, then you will be held responsible for all the evils of the Christians of your people.”

Prof Dr. Hamidullah (1909 - 2002), a reliable verifier, has adduced a version of the above letter disclosed only a short time ago and identical to Ibn Al-Qaiyim’s narration. Dr. Hameedullah exerted painstaking effort and used all means of modern technology to verify the text of the letter, which reads as follows:
“In the Name of Allâh,the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful. From Muhammad the Messenger of Allâh to Negus, king of Abyssinia (Ethiopia). Peace be upon him who follows true guidance. Salutations, I entertain Allâh’s praise, there is no god but He, the Sovereign, the Holy, the Source of peace, the Giver of peace, the Guardian of faith, the Preserver of safety.

I bear witness that Jesus, the son of Mary, is the spirit (ruh) of Allâh and His Word which He cast into Mary, the virgin, the good, the pure, so that she conceived Jesus. Allâh created him from His spirit (ruh) and His breathing as He created Adam by His Hand. I call you to Allâh Alone with no associate and to His obedience and to follow me and to believe in that which came to me, for I am the Messenger of Allâh. I invite you and your men to Allâh, the Glorious, the All-Mighty. I hereby bear witness that I have communicated my message and advice. I invite you to listen and accept my advice. Peace be upon him who follows true guidance.”

Source

News release
World’s largest-ever study of Near-Death Experiences
Ref: 08/165

10 September 2008

The AWARE (AWAreness during REsuscitation) study is to be launched by the Human Consciousness Project of the University of Southampton – an international collaboration of scientists and physicians who have joined forces to study the human brain, consciousness and clinical death.

The study is led by Dr Sam Parnia, an expert in the field of consciousness during clinical death, together with Dr Peter Fenwick and Professors Stephen Holgate and Robert Peveler of the University of Southampton. Following a successful 18-month pilot phase at selected hospitals in the UK, the study is now being expanded to include other centres within the UK, mainland Europe and North America.

“Contrary to popular perception,” Dr Parnia explains, “death is not a specific moment. It is a process that begins when the heart stops beating, the lungs stop working and the brain ceases functioning – a medical condition termed cardiac arrest, which from a biological viewpoint is synonymous with clinical death.

“During a cardiac arrest, all three criteria of death are present. There then follows a period of time, which may last from a few seconds to an hour or more, in which emergency medical efforts may succeed in restarting the heart and reversing the dying process. What people experience during this period of cardiac arrest provides a unique window of understanding into what we are all likely to experience during the dying process.”

A number of recent scientific studies carried out by independent researchers have demonstrated that 10-20 per cent of people who go through cardiac arrest and clinical death report lucid, well structured thought processes, reasoning, memories and sometimes detailed recall of events during their encounter with death.

During the AWARE study, doctors will use sophisticated technology to study the brain and consciousness during cardiac arrest. At the same time, they will test the validity of out of body experiences and claims of being able to ‘see’ and ‘hear’ during cardiac arrest.

The AWARE study will be complemented by the BRAIN-1 (Brain Resuscitation Advancement International Network - 1) study, in which the research team will conduct a variety of physiological tests in cardiac arrest patients, as well as cerebral monitoring techniques that aim to identify methods to improve the medical and psychological care of patients who have undergone cardiac arrest.

University of Southampton