The Houris of Paradise

Yemenat

Ahmed Saif Hashed

I have never entered a place like this before… It is the circus—an aura of magnificence and splendor. The architectural design is dazzling, adorned with decorative touches and other elements that make you feel, amidst the spectacle, that you are at the very center of a grand universe.

For the first time, I witnessed performances that resembled fantasy… What was once impossible became a reality before my eyes, what was distant became within reach, and the farthest was just a stone’s throw away. It was the first time I saw the houris of paradise up close, without any signs saying “Keep Out.” Astonishment engulfed me from the very first moment, holding me captive for two uninterrupted hours. Every detail here captivates you until the last moment… Here is God calling you instead of you calling Him… Here is God who loves beauty, and here, poetry holds its prominent place and presence:

”You are beautiful, and you love beauty; How is it, then, that your servants do not cherish it?”

I beheld the houris of paradise with my own eyes, just as that dervish saw his Lord… God in His utmost beauty… In His presence gather His lovers and beloveds—Jalal Al Deen Al- Rumi and the kingdom of love, the miracle-worker Shams Al-Tabrizi, the Imam of Sufism Ahmed Ibn Alwan, the Sultan of Lovers Ibn Al-Farid, the pioneer of mysticism Al-Husayn Ibn Mansur Al-Hallaj, and the great Sheikh Muhyiddin Ibn Arabi, along with the righteous and reformers seeking God through love, life, and beauty.

Beauty crowds this place, and you become a part of it… I felt as if I were in the very heart of this universe, the mother of miracles… My gaze wandered throughout the space… I sensed that the cosmos surrounded me from every