Songs of Presence, Qasidas of the Shadhili Path : This outstanding limited print edition helps you master the Qasidas and elevate your choral singing. It is comprehensive, functional, durable and pleasing to the soul. With more than 200 Qasidas, 'Songs of Presence' has almost every qasida you can expect to be sung in a Sufi (or Mawlid) gathering, especially those of the Shadhili Order. This includes Inna Fi al-Janna, Ayyuha al-Ashiq, Bushra Lana, Da'uni Unaji, Qad Kafani 'Ilm Rabbi, Ya Imam al-Rusl, Ishrab Sharab Ahl al-Safa and Da' Turq al-Ghayy.
It even contains Qasidat al-Burda, al-Muhammadiyya and Tala'a al-Badru 'Alayna.
Every Arabic letter has been fully vowelled following the Mughal Qur'an system. This system was designed by great scholars to make the correct pronunciation of every letter easy on non-Arabs. Thus Songs of Presence is as easy to read from for non-native Arabic speakers as it is for Arabs.
The Qasidas found within 'Songs of Presence' contain reflections of the spiritual states of their authors: saintly and profoundly learned sheikhs and gnostics. The majority focus on Allah, drawing close to Him and the stages which occur in that journey. The rest focus on the attributes and inward realities of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and give him peace.
Although they are found in the traditions of many Sufi orders, most of the qasidas have been chosen from the living tradition of the Shadhiliyya Sufi Order in the Levant, with the others being of North African origin.
'Songs of Presence' was specifically designed to facilitate choral singing. Repeated choruses are underlined, repeated phrases are gold-coloured and repeated verses are indicated in the margins. This lets you stay focused on the words without anxiously wondering if you'll be repeating something or awkwardly singing on whilst everyone else is repeating.
In Songs of Presence, qasidas are grouped up by maqam and ordered by letter. This helps you transition between qasidas smoothly without any frantic page-flipping. The running headers even indicate which qasida is coming up. And if you're singing a pre-agreed medley, you can pre-mark 3 additional qasidas using the two book markers and flap.
The pages are proportioned harmoniously and enjoy gilded edges. The cover is embossed and foil-stamped with design from the Abul Hasan Al-Shadhili Zawiya in Amman. Art and calligraphy adorns it, with contributions from Besim Bruncaj, Ibrahim Batchelder, Mukhtar Sanders, Alparslan Babaoglu and Mothana al-Obaydi.