Elsaied abdelghani @elsaied-abdelghany - Tumblr Blog

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I used to see ghosts everywhere, They were not always harmful and frightening, Nor were they kind, But they were real. The place was always a desert, No matter what filled it. I never knew who created that desert wherever I was, Or who always stirred the storms within it. I always felt I was living the role of a lone shepherd, Tending to those ghosts.

Elsaied abdelghani

#poem #poetry #poem poetry

No matter the numbers around me and within me, No matter the awareness and the numbness, No matter my whereabouts and my God, No matter the playing music, the old Quran reciter, or the silence, I am alone.

elsaied abdelghani

#elsaied abdelghani #poem #lonliness

Forgive him, for he knew no radicalism save for his sanctification of music, and he harbored no other extreme devotion over the course of his life but this one.

#musicblr #classical music #dark academia #melancholia

There is a state of linguistic apathy that overtakes a writer at some point in their life. I do not mean the typical 'writer’s block,' but rather a detachment born from the shock of realizing that language is insufficient to change the world, and that reality is far more brutal than that. I believe we have inherited certain myths about writing that harm both the writer and the craft itself, and this idea is one of them.

#writeblr #writer problems #writers block #dark academia #literary theory

I believe that the relationship of the Left—both Arab and European, albeit with some generalization—with Iran is a peculiar one. I am referring specifically to Iran and the Islamic Revolution. There was an unusual and overwhelming eagerness to support and encourage the revolution, not only when it broke out, but even from the time France hosted Khomeini.

This raises fundamental questions about the relationship between a philosopher who is alien to a culture and the "metaphysical or transcendental" regions of the world. It questions how their interpretations are built upon factors that—while not entirely false—are ultimately shortsighted; they only perceive the immediate action while ignoring its aftermath or anticipated consequences.

Dr. Anwar has pointed out a parallel between Khomeini’s rejection of capitalism and the foundational principles of the Left, noting that this shared opposition was a primary catalyst for solidarity. This brings us to another point regarding the "causality of simplistic solidarity"—a trap into which otherwise rigorously logical philosophers often fall. It exposes how easily seemingly rebellious ideas are transmitted and swiftly adopted.

However, I suspect that the broader Leftist solidarity with Khomeini and his revolution involves a sort of "circular religious dissidence." The Left finds the Shiite departure from the Sunni majority commendable and welcome—driven by a desire to disrupt the status quo—even though this dissidence still revolves within the exact same religious sphere. This observation applies not only to the Left but is also evident in the stances of many secular enlightenment intellectuals.

What is particularly striking is that the ruling elite in Iran wields a distinct type of authority. The Supreme Leader is not merely a conventional dictator; he is a figure with a philosophical grounding that colors his legitimacy, drawing upon the theology of the faith and the concepts of "destiny and historical grievance." This very aspect appeals to Western "intellectual inclinations," as the ruler possesses a profound philosophical justification for his existence, the legitimacy of his decisions, and the significance of his historical role.

Another factor in this context is that Iran is a Shiite country. This distinction appeared intriguing and exotic to Foucault, given the general absence of major Shiite states at the time, which gave the event the aura of a novel type of revolution with a "different blend."

There is another angle—one that may seem tangential but is inherently connected in my view—which is observing a philosopher who has lived through events close to our contemporary reality and voiced their opinions on them. This has become a new metric in the realm of assessment and critique. Foucault’s stance on the Iranian Revolution and Levinas’s defense of Israel are two instances that have provoked significant rethinking regarding the impact of philosophy. They highlight the necessity of subjecting philosophy to a degree of realism and rigorous critique, while keeping emotional biases in check.

Consequently, I believe that a philosopher separated by temporal, geographical, and relational distance from the issues or concepts in question inherently remains exempt from this specific type of critique and moral trial, unlike a philosopher who is a contemporary to the event.

#philosophyblr #michel foucault #middle east history #iranian revolution #the left #emmanuel levinas #political philosophy

There is a profound sense of being lost between the molds others frame you in, the selves your own mind invents, and your constant attempts to find fragments of yourself in others just to draw comparisons

#lost #molds #society

An old wolf cackles with mania while eating his own guts, his eyes fixed on the prey.

#wolf #dark poetry #dark academia books

The seeker begins his life by discovering the ruin of his reality, and ends it searching for roots, only to find them rotten. It is a perpetual journey amidst the fungi."

#seeker #rotten

There is a myth, coincidentally told by different people, that I was born in the street, under the sunlight. I try to spread this myth among those sitting around, so they may understand the value of streets, and that merely looking at them always creates wings for me, even if I cannot stand up to fly.

Elsaied abdelghani

#poetry #poem

Louise Bourgeois

Untitled 1943

#louise bourgeois #surreal

You can imagine that every poem I have written, began with: "There was fog." And you can imagine that in every poem I have written, there is an omitted sentence at the end: "I hate writing." You can imagine that all sentences, no matter how many periods are placed at their ends, are sentences with no end. You can imagine that… if you will.

elsaied abdelghani

#prose poem #elsaied abdelghani #poem

The Shams al-Ma'arif (The Sun of Knowledge), famously attributed to the 13th-century Sufi mystic and scholar Ahmad al-Buni, stands as one of the most influential and enigmatic texts in the history of Islamic esoteric literature. Often popularly misunderstood as a mere grimoire of magic, the text is, in reality, a complex synthesis of Sufi metaphysics, elaborate cosmology, and the occult sciences.

The following selected excerpts offer a rare, multifaceted glimpse into the true nature of this monumental work. On one hand, they reveal a deeply spiritual and ascetic trajectory. The text guides the seeker toward the Divine Presence through rigorous spiritual discipline (Riyadah), the purification of the heart, and the profound contemplation of the Divine Names. It explores the intricate "Science of Letters and Numbers" ('Ilm al-Huruf), depicting a vast, interconnected universe where celestial spheres sustain earthly realities, and where the Arabic alphabet itself is viewed as the structural foundation of creation.

On the other hand, the passages do not shy away from the practical, sometimes perilous, applications of this hidden knowledge—a practice the author refers to as Simiya (spiritual alchemy or natural magic). The excerpts seamlessly transition from instructions on attaining mystical visions of angels to the mechanics of crafting talismans, summoning spirits, and harnessing the power of divine names for tangible worldly outcomes. These applications range from securing divine protection and affection to wielding authority and vanquishing enemies in human conflicts.

Together, these translations serve as a foundational guide to the philosophical and practical dimensions of Shams al-Ma'arif. They present a worldview where the spiritual and the material are inextricably linked, and where the ultimate power lies in unlocking the secrets embedded within the Word of God.

#occult #The Shams al-Ma'arif #the occult sciences

t is not important that my opinions match yours, nor that they follow any known approach or doctrine. I have a set of highly personal opinions that change over time, through experiences and readings. I still maintain my stance that I do not know when I genuinely do not know. It is not important to form an opinion on everything or to care about everything. Do not make assumptions about my opinion on anything, whatsoever. I am a person who changes all the time. I also have emotions that drive me to say extreme things; they are born of anger or other feelings, but they are not my true beliefs. I will not judge you based on any affiliation, for everyone creates their own affiliation even if it carries the same label.

Furthermore, I ask that you do not impose any axioms on me, no matter how sacred they may be in your eyes, as this is a matter that does not concern me at all. I also do not believe that discussion alone is sufficient to change ideas; rather, I still hold the radical conviction that solitude, reflection, and contemplation are the true catalysts for such change.

Moreover, I believe in the importance of a person having an opinion, whatever it may be, and that this often entails responsibility and punishment from society, and it should not give rise to any sense of entitlement.

Elsaied abdelghani

#freethinkers #PersonalPhilosophy #embracechange #PersonalGrowth