Bøger af Ali Hussain

"A Taste of Imagination: Video Games and Sufi Spirituality" is a journey into the sacred frontiers of video game design, as evident in the greatest works of art in this medium in our day and age. From "Uncharted" to "Braid", this book explores the deeply spiritual motifs that animate the spirit and stories of these great works of art. By relying on the teachings of Sufi mystics Mawlana Shaykh Muhammad Hisham Kabbani and Muhyiddin Ibn al-'Arabi, "A Taste of Imagination" presents video games in a new light, not as empty entertainment, but as a medium for meaningful spirituality and storytelling.

This book is a collection of Qur'anic verses, prophetic narrations and statements by Muslim scholars and saints that are catered for Muslim artists to grow in their craft and creative process. It should not be lost on anyone in the Muslim community, especially artists, that Muslim creatives are not fully appreciated in the West by their community, neither spiritually, financially nor institutionally. Art is often perceived as frivolous entertainment that should be approached as a hobby in favor of more 'serious' vocations that bring six-digit salaries and financial stability in a world that our scripture ironically reminds constantly is a fleeting apparition.With this in mind, I present you with this book, 40 Conversations with the Prophet: On Art and the Creative Process. The organization of this work is very simple. It consists of four chapters, the first of which focuses on key verses from the Qur'an that are tethered to art and the creative process.The second is the book's highlight of 40 conversations from the hadith collection, while the third focuses on teachings from the 12th century Andalusian mystic Ibn al-'Arabi. As some might recount from my previous publication, A Nostalgic Remembrance: Sufism and the Breath of Creativity, Ibn al-'Arabi is my spiritual guide in appreciating the sacred dimensions of the creative process.The fourth and last section focuses on stories and statements by other Muslim scholars and saints throughout history, even some contemporary figures.

If you have ever fought mental health or still fighting mental health, lost a loved one or been heartbroken. This book is for you.Every poem, every quote has a different meaning, a different story. I guess you'll never know what they are...

In the "Art in Memoirs" series, author Ali Hussain tries to explore the subtle space of creativity that resides just beyond the language barrier, or even breaks it. Like those ineffable mystical experiences that effuse endless volumes of expression, this collection also attempts to whirl around the contours of writing, music and other forms of art where the infinite pierces the finite.By placing both the English and Arabic versions of each reflection side by side, the author tries to convey the unique aura of each language in conveying the richness of meaning. For those who comprehend both registers, the twin renditions will always act as serendipitous mirrors of art's memoirs. For those who know only one of these languages, then let the other act as a statue of exotic calligraphy, performing the intended meaning from a distance."Setting Forth" is the title of the first volume in the "Art in Memoirs" series.

"Mystical Musings of a Contemporary Dervish" is a collection of writings that reflect a personal journey with Sufi metaphysics and the writings of the Andalusian mystic, Muhyi al-Din Ibn al-'Arabi. The book begins with two short stories revolving around Spectre and his imaginative journey with dead leaves of autumn and aroma of a coffee cup. Thenceforth, the reader is delivered to the shore of an essay on Sufi metaphysics, titled "The Light of the Blessed Tree: Islam's Intellectual Imperative in Modernity", wherein Ibn al-'Arabi is hosted in a meaningful conversation with contemporary Western thought, represented by a wide range of figure, from William Shakespeare to Jacques Derrida. The third component of the work pays homage to the theoretical underpinnings outlined in "The Light of the Blessed Tree" and explores themes of mystical divine love and sacred art in a series of short poems and poetic reflections. "Mystical Musings of a Contemporary Dervish" is a deep experiential journey with the classical and academic studies of Islam, the heartache that comes with feeling out of place in both these worlds and eventual redemptive liberation of feeling at home in the artistic nexus of Sufism.

Al-Shaykh al-Akbar (The Greatest Master) and Khatm al-Walaya al-Muhammadiyya (The Seal of Muhammadan Sainthood) is one of a few Muslim saints who often used diagrams to convey his rich and detailed kashf (unveiling) to the reader.It is with the intention of bringing these precious renderings from the 'beyond' to readers who are lovers of Sufism, Spirituality, Art and Ibn al-'Arabi that I am motivated to compile these nineteen diagrams, translate any terms therein to English and also include the Shaykh's guide to understanding the illustrations.Aside from this preface, the titles given to each diagram and a single disclaimer in the chapter "Silent Cartography of Reality," all else in this book is Ibn 'Arabi's own words and drawings.In many ways, these diagrams serve as a visual synthesis and summary of the Shaykh's entire thought. From this perspective, this book is a gift to artists who have an interest in Sufism and spirituality. They are those who intuitively know that art, like the Unseen, is to be tasted and contemplated, as opposed to categorized and rationalized.

This book is a journey into the metaphysics of the creative process through the teachings of the Sufi sage Ibn al-¿Arabi and other mystics. This project unfolds through the life experiences and expertise of the author and two central visions of the creative process: to make connections where none seem possible or exist. This is the first definition while the second is to translate the ineffable into the tangible.This book also proceeds with the deep conviction that the mystical experience is identical to the creative process. It is divided into two sections, each exactly five chapters. The first part focuses on metaphysical foundations that apply to all crafts. Chapter one, "Following the Traces: On Storytelling", discusses the importance of narrative weaving as a sacred craft for humanity, with immense consequences on the wellbeing of the individual and society. Chapter two, "The Hidden Treasure: On the Creative Process", takes a journey through an athar (narration) central in Sufism where God describes the process of creation as a hidden treasure unfolding, from initial love to expansive knowledge. The creative process appears a five-stage journey that parallels the phases of divine creation and also mirrors an outline of the five levels of being.Chapter three, "Al-Haqiqa al-Muhammadiyya: On Artist as Art", posits the primordial light of the prophet Muhammad as the ethereal matter of creative inspiration, the creative process itself, artist and art, all at once. It also discusses the sage-artist as an instance and mirror of al-insan al-kamil al-tamm (the perfect and complete human). Chapter four, "The In-Between: On Imagination and Paradox", ventures into the most significant contributions of Ibn al-¿Arabi, one that is also central to the creative process, on the contours of human and divine imagination, as well as the intimate paradox and perplexity that is inherent in creativity and art. "Shari¿a of the Craft: On the Path to Haqiqa", the last chapter in part one, tries to outline a way for mastering crafts through the lens of Sufism, specifically the three stages of shari¿a (law/rules), tariqa (path), and haqiqa (reality). Part two focuses on different genres of art, beginning with chapter five, "Memories in Ink: On the Written Arts" that looks at translation as an art form. Meanwhile, chapter six, "The Dye of God: On the Visual Arts", looks at the crafts of painting, sculpture, and architecture as windows into the act of reading not only the body, grammar or prose of art, but more importantly its spirit and poetry. Chapter seven, "The Sawt Sarmad: On the Auditory Arts", envisions a musical instrument as a wooden sage that tries to teach the musician the importance of annihilation and being an empty channel. Chapter eight, "The Reel of Reality: On the Moving Arts", looks at theater and film as a sacred synthesis of the written, visual, and auditory arts. Chapter nine, "Märifa and ¿Urf: On Society and Mythology", expands the conversation from the creativity of the individual to that of society and community. The final concluding chapter offers some final remarks on what this book tries to accomplish and setting the frontier for further conversations.