By Tursunoy Sodiqova
(Translated by Azam Abidov)
Preamble
Every time I read Alisher Navoi, I feel as if I’m reading a beautiful commentary on the Holy Koran. Navoi’s great writings bring warmness like sunshine to your heart and light to the bottom of your heart. I will now present to you a couple of his bayts (a two-line verse which is a part of a ghazal).
NAVOI’S BLOOMING GARDEN
To share an idea that no one has told yet, or to reach a distant peak, or to make an invention is not greatness, it is only a process of uncommon events! True greatness is in the survival of those inventions! Not only survival but a person or an idea is truly great if it can keep its liveliness for ages as well. There were lots of ‘golden heads’ in the history of mankind. Great numbers of fresh ideas were proposed. But not all people, who do great works, become great men. Why is this?
How many kings and sultans have passed away since Navoi’s eminence? They were absolutely different. One of them liked Navoi and another one hated him. Unlike Navoi, both execution and power were in their hands. Therefore, shouldn’t it be surprising that Navoi was considered great man in all centuries since his death in 1501?
1941 . It was too difficult year for the Russians. There was a war in Leningrad . But in such condition, the 500th anniversary of Alisher Navoi was celebrated. Perhaps, to hold it above sincerity and was necessary to the Soviets for their political games. However there were lots of other nations and famous people in the Soviet Union then, why did the Russians call to mind Alisher Navoi? I remember the saying that my mother always repeated: ” People do not humble those who are dear to God”. The Creator made Navoi dear. Allah gives people talent and tests them with it. However, only some of them pass the exam. It is not enough to have a natural ability in order to reach the dearness, it is important to be able to hold great talent. Talent is theological light and a poet is a destination place of this sacred light. Light comes uninterruptedly, but growing of flower or thorn depends on the place. If environment is bad or faulty, talent will never grow up! Even If he grows up, people will be indifferent with him. Because he spoiled the sacred light with his bad manner, i.e., he has envy, arrogance or he is stingy, offender, liar or ungrateful and impatient. Such personality is reluctant for talent. The poet writes very expressive words but they return back hitting upon the walls put by Allah and none is able to pass them to people.
GREATNESS WILL APPEAR THERE WHERE PURE PERSONALITY, i.e., pureness of tongue, heart and feature unites with THEOLOGICAL LIGHT. It is one of the God’s boons. It is harmony of theological light with perfection. This is called to reach the Creator! No doubt that Alisher Navoi reached this high point . GREATNESS resembles to source of light – you feel warmness in your heart when you hear the name of Alisher Navoi. Greatness is beyond the period and place, it is like the sunshine without reproach – it will shine even to people who say “I do not like the sun” and flourish them all.
CAPITAL SENTENCE
A man who groans saying “How people can find me:” is the man who have already found himself. Not only found but also he thoroughly checks his faults and tries to be pure and perfect as well.
Since people try to find themselves, they will be astonished that their body is a field and you would sow what you reap there. You will see the reason of your sufferings and you will start to confess. It will be known, in the fire of which mistake you are burning and you will become silent. You will ask for God and beg to forgive your sins. One of the hadiths run in this way: ” Who finds himself he finds Allah “. How a beautiful acquaintance it is! It is the most honorable renaissance! There is no other interesting travel in the world than the visit you make to yourself. How a splendid it is when you improve yourself! True life will begin then, your kind intentions will increase! You become zealous and try to load all weight of thousands of unfruitful times upon your present days. You will come down at night and take pleasure from dawns.
Why do not people want to die? This feeling will strengthen in accordance with their age. It is not refusal from the sweet living conditions and hope for getting pleasure long time, but it is the responsibility of fulfillment of all your debts and duties you recognized after you have found the Creator. It is the harmony of your interior and exterior, it is the union of knowledge and its effectiveness. This is the main step to happiness.
Every word of Navoi leads you to yourself. A line (bayt) always comes to my lips, my soul hits with it and I feel hurt in my heart:
A man whom I wish speak to with, likes not to perceive,
There is a man who wishes me, but heart will not receive.
A word is Allah’s boon and a poetic word is like bright blessing. Light spreads but people are impressed with it differently. Various shape and multicolor blossoms grow from its warmness. The poet writes with one meaning but thousands of hearts will get thousands of meaning from it. Art is popular with this peculiarity.
You suffer from the ailment of one appearance. To want something is need of whole body. All the organs God gave you: dream, heart, eye, ear, temper, wishes and word are in need of that figure, they are wretched and do everything so that to be lovely. Your night is anxiety, your day is passion, but that figure does not consider you worthy to have talks. Why?!
You again try to check yourself. You burned for a stranger so much, you felt how it was difficult to burn without fire on the way of some definite goal. Well, how did you like its taste? How about its spiritual suffering? Remember, it is your destiny! Call to mind the second line of the bayt:
There is a man who wishes me, but heart will not receive.
My friend, call to your mind, how many people pined for you up to now? Your mother misses your smell, your sisters need generosity, your friend needs your support, your disciple needs protection, and poor relatives need your visit! You were able to flourish many hearts, but you became inattentive. You are indifferent for that sobbing and are going inexorably. You refuse many people, so, don’t you think that God will damn it! This is your harvest – people you wanted to speak do not like you at all! It is the Creator’s sentence! It is the philosophy of the ancient world that “refused things will need you later”:
You hear these voices from the center of your heart. It is the voice of YOURSELF found with honor of poet and poetry.
COLOR OF LOVE
Youthfulness is your spring. You are beautiful and green in this season. However, remember that abundance in your autumn depends on your spring. Do not think that err is human and man makes many mistakes in youth. If you feel that your work is not acceptable, so, you start to observe the Satan. Remember that you one day you will have to answer for your mistakes. All processes in our life live in harmony: we wear skullcap in order to protect our head from the sunshine and we put on our shoes in order to save our feet from the cold. God created teeth so that our stomach will not fall sick, we have mind in order to perceive good things from the bad ones etc. When people feel passion in their heart and step back from the previous position, they shift the blame to love at once. They say: “It is a trick of love but I am not to blame”. Well, what is the color of love? What are the peculiarities of love?
Alisher Navoi writes:
Lover is that man – hard to cure,
Whose tongue, heart and eyes are pure.
Let’s analyze these lines. When man falls in love, he becomes sad and thoughtful like a sick. His voice and feature soften. He speaks to himself and always begs his beloved. It is the appearance of a man fell in love.
What does “pure tongue” mean? Lover will never deceive and boast. He will never hurt somebody and gossip. He will never tells somebody’s secret to another people. It is the pureness of tongue. If he does the opposite of these, he has not fallen in love yet!
What does “pure heart” mean? A true lover will never envy, complain and revenge. He feels hurt in his heart but he will never be jealous. If he suspects, avenges or envies, he has not fallen in love yet!
To do everything sincere is also one of the faces of pure heartedness. If a lover insists that he must have his beloved, there is no love there. The biggest interest left from amorousness is only LOVE! Because of this strong feeling of fondness, your tongue and heart will become pure, is there any better award to people? It means, you will always be in plentiful with this feature all life. It also means that the sun entered your heart, almond will forever flourish in your body and a national music “Cho’li iroq” will always sound in your veins, you will never be bored – a nightingale of your heart will continuously sing!
What does “pure eyes” mean? Impure eyes are the main reason of spoiling the tongue and the heart. If you do not lose your eyes to Satan, they will become your first teacher that acquaint you with most beautiful colors of the world. The eyes pass energy to mind and it awakes heart, thus the actions will start. The eyes working sincere are pure eyes. You know that the first theological revelation came to Mohammed (God bless him) was the word “Read!” The eyes reading knowledge are pure eyes. The eyes learning craft are pure eyes. The eyes looking round with good intention, searching kindness, weeping for people’s sufferings are pure eyes. The eyes considering the people before them like the Sun and not looking straight are pure eyes.
Anxiety begins from the eyes. Shameless eyes are the slaves of carnal desire. People with such eyes will never become lovers, love will not come to them, LOVE DISDAIN THEM AT ALL!
EVERY HUMAN IS A BOON!
I like the following lines of Alisher Navoi:
“Sarv (name of the tree growing upright), rose and tulip has its own buyer, firewood is sold even it is dire”. The words of wise men are like remedy and they cure illnesses: A writer gives his newly published book to his friend and says: “Read and tell me, which book is more interesting, my or that of another writer?”. Alas! He lost his reputation with these words. Because, jealousy have appeared there. It means, hopes will be destructed in this place. Jealousy comes after arrogance. If a man meets some capable man and worries about it, he is called an arrogant. Arrogance wastes away the talent of the people. When writing the fruits of talent on the paper, the talent will be busy with himself as if he holds fire. However, he never compares or thinks about to write better than someone. He will only tries to extinguish his fire in heart. Such wonderful moments will not be given to everyone. People who reach to this point will never be jealous.
Do you remember the fact that eminent Navoi finished “Khamsa” and Hussein Boyqaro put him on his horse, holding in leash and demonstrated him among the people? Let’s analyze this event: firstly, Hussein Boyqaro shows humanity and patriotism as king – he is very glad that Turkish language raised to the world scene because of this work and his contemporary. Secondly, thus he puts the poet that raised reputation of the nation, higher than himself and with this he encourages literature and all creative forces. Thirdly, seeing one of the miracles of God in Alisher Navoi, he gratifies to the Creator and takes care of the dear man for God’s sake. Fourthly, he also was great poet and psychologist and he feels that a beautiful work like “Khamsa” will become very esteemed. Thus he puts Navoi to the saddle of triumph. However, the horse that Navoi rode was his own, symbolically, it may be said that Hussein Boyqaro was the first who voted Navoi as the king of country of lyrical poems – gazels. Despite the king put him on the horse, this luck was written in poet’s destiny. However, Hussein Boyqaro was applauded and prayed by his contemporaries for his merit.
Every human is different in the world. Some people are capable and the others are not so. But everyone has its own place – an elephant is not able to do work of an ant. Thus, I can not do you work. Regardless of anything, man is unrepeatable creature of the Creator. If he does not know to be grateful and take delight in himself, besides, if he is envious, remember that he will not become mature yet. It is bad DESIRE if you think that someone’s achievements must be yours. This ill-fated desire will bring all disasters to people.
Colorfulness makes this world sacred. All things around us are boons. Each boon is has its own meaning, living philosophy and peculiarities. “”Sarv, rose and tulip has its own buyer” – flower lights the eyes, people like it very much, they wish to cover their life with flowers, they compare all those that they like with flower etc. But “Firewood is sold even it is dire”! This is very interesting world! Every human being has special feature and taste. Every creature has its own amateur. There is nothing unnecessary in the world. Why a flower has to be haughty, though it can not be used instead of firewood. The flower may give you pleasure and raise the spirits. But firewood heats your house, boils a cattle, so, it is a good supporter in need. Only amateurs seek for the flowers but everyone needs firewood. Do not be afflicted that you are “firewood” only and do not humble other people with this word, so as the poet wrote that “firewood is sold even it is dire”. Some people are proud of their courageous children like Alpomish. Some of them appreciate their disabled and are very grateful.
While getting old, people grow wiser, their opinion and taste will change. A man, who liked a rose yesterday, may like a tulip tomorrow. However, in this case, the rose will not become unworthy, its amateurs will be found again and again – it is the skillfulness of the Creator!
What is the HAPPINESS? When it happens? Will it happen when you are rich or honorable? No! I have recently heard that a woman used a phrase “err is human”: human feature is unmanageable. There is no obstacle to human wants. Your happiness will last as long as the time of fading the flowers found after great efforts and you will be tired of everything. By the way, when you grow wiser, you will have more spiritual needs than ever. You feel happiness every time your wishes come true. That is to say, there is no account and time of happiness. In spite of your age, inshaallah, thousands of blossoms of luck will flourish in your life!..
Apple-tree has been living as its origin since it was created: it blooms and gives fruit like apples. In short, it is an apple-tree and agrees for its destiny! Its success is in its patience and therefore it has many amateurs. Apricot, cherry and others also like this. You are also like this, my dear friend, you are like a garden – but your fruits are uncountable and your amateurs are more than your fruits!
CAABA OF HEART
Islam is the most humanistic religion in the world. It wishes only kindness! Since fourteen century the scientists have been teaching the light of Holy Koran and Hadith to people. People are different, some of them are well-educated and others are green. It is necessary to ask the Creator to give skillful scientists, who are able to comment the true meanings of Holy Koran. How good are the explainers, so many bright hearts will appear and the world will become purer. Eminent Navoi is also one of the blessed people. It may be considered that the whole literary works of him are beautiful interpretations of Holy Koran. There are not many creators who sincerely and artistically interpreted Islamic knowledge as Alisher Navoi did. One of the hadiths run in this way : “Scientists are the successors of prophets”. I wish that Navoi were also along with them!
One who gladdens people with a painful soul,
Is like a builder of the blasted Caaba, told.
It is the bayt of eminent Navoi. Human body is a building of Allah. Heart is the basement of this building. If hands and legs are broken, it may be cured. Your skin also gets better gradually. But broken heart will never be treated! Therefore the Creator carefully put it among the ribs. If heart is broken, whole body will start to perish. Who is this diseased human body? He is a valuable child of some people, if he falls, his parents also will fall down! He is a father – if he faints away, his children will remain fatherless! This body is someone’s mother, if she is broken, none will be able to manage her motherhood. She is a bride, her child will become disabled! Broken heart is a disciple, but he is unable to study! What will happen if this is a poet or a scientist? How many works and inventions will not see the world! Look, how dangerous ruins it is! Broken heart brought ill-fated misfortunes. All of them happened because of a tongue and because of a man! Instigation is Devil’s work. If a man hurts somebody’s heart, he is Devilish! Allah’s disagreement will not set him at rest. He who gives pleasure to a painful man, is like a builder of the ruinous Caaba and his requital is as much as his deed. By the way, listen to the following lines:
Though Caaba is the altar of the whole earth,
But than Caaba of the heart is little worth.
Caaba is the house of Allah. Human being is also called like a building and his heart is Caaba. This Caaba is qibla (the side to which Muslims turn their faces during the pray) to all Muslims of the world. It is the place of pilgrimage because it is God’s house. Read the following bayt:
You dream of eye, like Caaba is the house of the eyes,
That my eyelashes are praying lining up so nice.
I graze at Allah in the mirror of my dream, a pupil of my eye is like a Black stone – Hajar-ul-asvad in Baytulloh. The poet writes that the black stone is a point of worshipping of all pilgrims, the pupil of eye is full of Allah’s thought and therefore eyelashes consider it sacred and read their pray around it. How a splendid comparison it is!
Well, what about the hearts, which always keep Allah in mind and are grateful? They are also Caaba, aren’t they? There is Caaba in the heart of people who say “Allah is in my heart”! Every heart saying God is sacred and every body keeping it is a MAN of EMINENT! Thus, we ruin one Caaba at every step with unawareness, jealousy or ignorance. In response to it we occur to misfortunes and reprimand “God, why did you create me such unhappy?”
With the lines ” But than Caaba of the heart is little worth” the poet writes that before going to pilgrimage, visit your relatives near to you first – your parents, friends and others, respect them as well that they put Allah in their heart.
Though man is too rich and lives in golden palace, but he feels not happy with it. it is important to take care of his soul, to find pleasant words and t take into account his mood. That is great estimation and well built of Caaba of the Heart. Try to give pleasure to the people around you and Allah living in those hearts will make your whole life comfortable!
SEPARATION LEADING TO INTEGRITY
My unsatisfied wish is that I read Alisher Navoi with dictionary. I am a helpless woman who stays near the treasure but can not find a key, I say to myself. When I read the bayts from my daybook, every time I find great delight, new odor and color not resembling to previous one. I always wonder as if I see them for the first time. This is a secretive blooming garden, I say and get pleasure:
Never put my friend the balm to ulcer in the heart again
Let I pass away, forever, let remain in heart her pain,
says the poet. Heart of man in love is broken, his beloved became unfaithful and she is indifferent or is not aware of his sympathy. The lover strongly embraces his breast and dislikes to see a doctor or friends. “Do not touch my wound, – he says, – this ulcer is my sole remembrance, which regularly reminds me about sweetheart. I could not be happy with beloved, so, at least do not take away this injury. May I pass away but I will take these pains to my grave”
Where there is love, there is no damnation there! There is no self-interest and desire! I read somewhere: wounded man curses the shooter all long life, but a man, who fell in love, proceeds to love his beloved more and more. The reason of this is that love is theological boon. To have it in heart is great reward! Because pure light came to your body, you consider the people you fell in love God’s boon and dearest. This light made you to glance at yourself and you sigh. How a poor and helpless I am, you said, – how can I aspire to love. How can I be equal to that beloved with my condition? You were ashamed of yourself, but it was the character of people trying to become pure! Being ashamed of one’s mistakes means that this man acknowledges his surrounding. Look, how beautiful merit has this love, you began to feel sorry, you tried to purify God’s boons. All “strangers” around us are lovely creatures of Allah. God’s award is more to those who protect them. Therefore Allah made separation very esteemed to lovers and made themselves patient.
So, a man who appreciates the torture he took from his beloved is a person, who is becoming pure, perfect and diligent.
It is a real climate of true love! If people have arrogance, lie, jealousy, hurt, and revenge, they have not fallen in love yet! If someone torments his couple that he “fell in love”, he has never loved! Who is unaware, inactive and indifferent, remember, he is loveless, God made the eyes of his heart blind! Beware of sighing and saying: “Love”, “I love you!” Ask the Creator to have true love. You will find love not from the self-market of Devil, but from the pure body of yourself. People live and try to have sweet children. Pure people give worthy children and pure life to the world.
Long Live Love!
Long live Despair without reproach!
Long live great Separation leading to Integrity!
Long live my graceful miracle – my sacred HEART, the motherland of my love that I passed myself and protected all long life!
If it’s fixed to be hard – be hard,
if it’s fixed to be light – be light!
I always feel myself like a sick before Alisher Navoi. I worry that I have to understand his works. I believe that I take great pleasure and my spirit satisfies from this. I also keep in mind that if I do not have time to read and understand Navoi, I pass away very poor.
Sometimes at the lessons I explain a bayt of Navoi ninety minutes, but I feel that many other pearls of the bayt are being left away. I also feel that I teach these lessons not to audience but for my own pleasure and my spirit begins to fly. I see that listeners understand the meaning of bayts and they take delight in this.
The poet writes:
Hey Navoi, grievous people know your poetry in sad,
Reading it the mournful people will be in good health and glad.
If you feel hurt from the lines you read, it means that you see yourself. You suddenly understand that your heart and spirit are very sweet and loving boons! You will find a nightingale caged in your heart! Thus you will start to share your grief. It is called like self-consciousness!
Navoi, conduct yourself, man in the world should keep the right,
f it’s fixed to be hard – be hard, if it’s fixed to be light – be light,
writes it again. I made this bayt like a stick to my spirit. I try to support my interlocutors with explanation of these lines. The solution of all poverty is on the hand of the Creator. Make risk to God and ask for aid with hope! Try to work hopefully. “If it’s fixed to be hard – be hard”, i f you trust in God, he will make your life easy. ” If it’s fixed to be light – be light ” If you are not patient and ungrateful, easy works will become difficult. It is like a saying “weeping brings weeping” or “the world is too small to impatient and wide to wide-hearted”.
Be like bloody bud, my soul, be able, in the grief, to smile.
If I have such great power, the world’s problems are too easy to solve, I say to myself. To smile with grievous heart is named like WILL and PATIENCE. However, to be strong-willed and patient is not beauty or peculiarity, it is DUTY. Because, you feel hurt with God’s will. Your sorrowfulness is fruit of your doings. Accept Allah’s response with open face, perhaps, this punishment is not so difficult because of the Creator’s generosity. If you accept not with gratefulness, you may occur to worse punishment further.
A line of Holy Koran runs in this way: “I like people who are patient in case of misfortunes”. ” Be like bloody bud, my soul, be able, in the grief, to smile” is beautiful interpretation of above-mentioned action:
SINCERE FEELINGS (IKHLOS)
“Sincere feelings are rescuing”, says the nation. People like to use these words. My dear friend, I wish that you listen to them and use it in practice. Alisher Navoi writes:
Do people get pleasure without offense,
And how does the candle light taking not pains,
An egg stuck in soil could become as full bloom,
A worm was like silk having gone to its doom.
As the small tulip egg, have you got any zeal,
Are not you kind as the worm full in silk?
There is no gain without pain, says the poet. Hurt in your heart is that sincere feeling. However, not every people have it. According to nation, people having efficiency from the boons are sincere and hopeful. Suchlike people do everything with great zeal and love, they consider all things around them boons and work hard. Long live such kinds of people in the world!
It is nothing if there is a flower but there is no scent. Bitter honey is also not worthy. What a profit if there is bread but it is burnt, there is a tongue but is not able to give pleasure. It is very important to have SINCERE FEELING (ikhlos) in order to harmonize the form with its meaning. Where there is hope for the best, there is preference. Wick is the heart of the light. If you have zeal in your heart, you will succeed. Hope of the light hurts it but it lights surrounding. Look, how it is beautiful in this brightness, a moth dies on its way, people aspire to it, and lovers compare their beloved with it. It is true delight, isn’t it?
Hope for the best (ikhlos) is zealousness, concentration, getting rid of devil, liveliness and belief. For example: my husband is not handsome and he has no special feature to tell. But I wonder of him. I think, God loves this man: my husband has never abused his ability. Actually, he is an architect and works with projects and papers. However, you always see him with instruments in hand. First of all, he made a window to the basement. Then he made a door and it was very beautiful. Thus he made all wood works of the house himself. My brothers helped him and were interested in this work. Subsequently they built their house themselves. So my sons became craftsmen too. Some people made fun of him, some of them wished to help, but he was very strong in his feeling. He found new works and was anxious for success. There is also a proverb: “God helps those who help themselves”. In brief, God makes hopeful people very useful and important. May everyone be important everywhere. It is high rank!
A man starting his work with hope (ikhlos) risks to God. He is the man leaning at physical and spiritual chances given by the Creator. Holy Koran runs that there are a lot of rewards to such people. All great inventions of the world such as seven miracles, Registon, Ulugbk observatory, Oqsaroy, clean wells and others are the fruits of works made with sincere feelings (ikhlos). It is also the reason of immortal books, melodies, pictures, craftsmanship works and others. Perhaps you tell: “No, it is talent that God gave to some selected people”. I don’t agree with you. There are many talented people in the world but they are not well known or their works do not serve to human development.
One of the meanings of ikhlos is to make people agree. There are such kind of talented people who disregard national style and dive in different “ism”s, saying that it is not important everyone to understand their works. However, to be lovely means to work on the needle and to climb to the mountains with nails. People who avoid of this work and are idle to pass their talent to nation tell above-mentioned words. We must keep in mind that talent given to us is dedicated to people, if we do not return this debt to its owner, we will depress ourselves and become sinful.
So, ikhlos is first of all love to people, to work and to oneself! Its response is very pleasant, do you hear, ” an egg stuck in soil could become as full bloom, a worm was like silk having gone to its doom! ”
Do not feel sorrow if you lost your youthfulness because of motherhood, if you was unlucky on the way of being good child, if you step aside because of everyday problems. Tomorrow, your children will become flowers, they will respect you as your parents agreed with you. Your honesty saves your children from criminal and disaster! May all the pleasure be always yours!
As the small tulip egg, have you got any zeal,
Are not you kind like the worm full in silk?
This appeal touches the center of your heart. We had a neighbor Halima opoqi in my childhood. Though she was old, she always beatified herself. I remember her words: “This girl is very diligent. I observed how she had swept and cleaned, everything was perfect!” This grandmother was too clever in family life. I found that there is a formed personality where there is ikhlos. Its name is integrity. Such people do not divide the works as small and big, any work is important to them. They do the blackest work with great pleasure, thus they are very modest. It is not heroism but it is just everyday behavior of human being. Tulip egg is planted in black soil and it turns into flower, but human must feel shame and must strive for his luck with zeal, says the poet. He also awakes your heart saying that the worm turns to silk, i.e. it is becoming immortal, so, being human, you must spread your generosity everywhere and shorten the way to bright future with great awards.
