Fire on Fire
Poetic Intensification in Toyin Falola's Malaika and the Seven Heavens: A Memoir of My Encounters with Islam
Oluwatoyin Vincent Adepoju
Compcros
The polymathic writer and scholar Toyin Falola outdoes himself in his latest book Malaika and the Seven Heavens: A Memoir of My Encounters with Islam(October 2025), through his use of self created poetry in opening the various sections of the book.
The poetry is deeply poignant, generating far reaching emotional reverberations, dramatising the penetration of Islam into the mind of the pilgrim, the pilgrim through the journey of life, his Islamic encounters bringing him into a version of Western esotericist Aleister Crowley's account of the Golden Dawn injunction to the initiate, to treat " every experience as a particular dealing of God with my soul".
This is Islam as interpersonal encounter, creedal formulations and textual engagement coming alive in spirituality as community.
It is Islam viewed through the bones, blood and flesh of a person moving amongst other people, observing how they live, struck by the reality of those people's relationship with the Ultimate, evaluating the degree to which they embody the aspiration towards transcendence within the embodied reality of human life.
The author succeeds in portraying an account of social depth, of emotional and imaginative richness dramatized by people inspired to live by the vision experienced by a man in a cave in Arabia centuries ago, a vision that continues to pulsate across the world.
From the mind of the pilgrim, the devotional, aspirational and illuminative reverberations radiate outwards to the farthest reaches of the cosmos, the human mind aspiring to encapsulate the totality of reality through devotion, to embrace the All through aspiration and imagination.
I respond to each poem through a brief introductory commentary and conclude the sequence with reflections on poetic technique and vision demonstrated by the poetry and its relationship to the book and Falola's work as a whole.
I gain satisfaction in doing this beceause it helps me better appreciate the poetry and could facilitate appreciation by others.
1. A celebration of the spirit of Falola's home city, Ibadan, defined by striving and love of life, where unfolds the author's account of the stage of his life the book narrates.
Ibadan is presented as a heroic space, a communal and spatial synergy of epic force, its history mapped by great names invoked in sequence as the poem cascades.
Food, drink, architecture, resound in the lyrical sequence dramatizing an ethos of love of life in the midst of working to transform existence into triumph:
Ibadan
Listen, hear a stirring tale!
A tale to be declaimed
In many mouths of Africa
Listen!
To Ibadan, my Ibadan
Berth and cradle of rich culture
Home of heroes and heritage
Exploits of courage and honor.
Listen and hear Ibadan!
Stories of mettle and pride
Familiar yet exceptional tales
Of hustling, bravura, and bravery!
Day and night against
Hunger and starvation
Ibadan hustle and bustle
Oluyole of conquerors!
Sweetly, Ibadan thrives
City of eternal optimists
Strivers making a living
Indomitable, hopeful, surviving.
Ibadan, thrilling tale of the best edibles
Where hot amala and ewedu dance down the throat
With juicy goat meat that embraces the palate
Longing for a frothy keg of oguro.
Take me to Ibadan!
The city of worldwide civilization
Take me to the house of Oluyole
The home of many firsts and bests.
Ibadan!
Take me to Ogunmola's town
The abode of happiness and joy
Radiant with beautiful scenery.
I've been to the East and West of the world
From the North tower to the southern coast
But there is none like the tapestry
Of russet and ochre rooftops.
Ibadan, my heart, my home!
Though our stories have been molded
This is where my heart knows
It's here my soul finds contentment.
2. A poignant recognition of Allah, the Creator of the Universe, as the author, drive and culmination of existence, the ultimate authority on the course of human life, whether that of a person or of humankind as a whole.
The poem is organized in terms of rhythm between a refrain " Should this be our last..." and various markers of Islamic ritual culture, creating a temporal sequence as the poem flows from beginning to conclusion, evoking the balance between the progression in time represented by human life and the Islamic rhythm of ritual acknowledgement and relationship with the Ultimate, from the five daily prayers to the annual month long prayer and fasting concentration of piety of Ramadan and various ritual contexts in between.
The Arabic names for these ritual activities enhance the sacerdotal, priestly, ritualistic spirit of the poem, a lyrical celebration of the Ultimate Author, in submission before His ineffable presence.
The speaker's most precious possession- his life-is recognized as more of a loan than an ownership, a creative force the Divine Owner may withdraw at will through the myriad unanticipated demands of human life.
The poem evokes the enigmas of human existence as compounded by the mystery of cosmic being and becoming in the embrace of the Ultimate:
Should This Be Our
Last Ramadan
Ya Allah
We know YOU own the heart of kings and chiefs
And as we propose, YOU sometimes dispose
But should this be the last holy month YOU will grant us
Please, count us worthy before YOU.
Ya Rabb
Should this be our last night for Tahajjud
Purify our souls, cleanse our hearts, and purge our minds
Let our breath be more pleasant before YOU
That we may hear YOU when YOU call.
Oh Allah
Should this be our last Dua at this early hour
Cause us to remember to say Astaghfirullah again
We know our ways are not pure before YOU
And our hearts are stronger than stones
But please forgive a slave like us.
Ya Rabb
Should this be our last delicious Sehri and Iftar food
May we remember to thank and praise YOU
And if our days go without food, may we be filled with YOUR power
And should our days go without water, may we be quenched
with our Nafl prayer
But above all, that YOU remember us in YOUR mercy.
Oh Allah
Should this be our last Ramadan
Let our good deeds be multiplied in manifolds
Let YOUR crescent from above descend on us
That we may find favor in YOUR sight
And lead us to YOUR Aljannah.
3. In the following poem opening the first chapter, the sense of journey is paramount, a mysterious voyage into that which is unknown and yet glorious, enigmatic yet compelling:
The Beginning
In the ancient realm of sacred tales,
Where diverse voices find their trails,
In my dream, I wandered upon a path unknown,
With an eager heart, I sought to be shown.
Through whispering winds, I heard a call,
A melody echoed through the empty hall,
It beckoned me toward a sacred land,
Where Islam's light would gently expand.
I met the faith that breathed in the sand,
Carried by the footsteps of the ground,
I walked through the verses of the Quran's page [s],
Where I discovered wisdom's eternal sage.
4. This is a magnificent piece on the sublime light of spirit projected by the community of believers as they congregate to worship the Timeless One, creator and sustainer of the cosmos.
What to others is simply the sight of people praying, is akin to the sensitive eye like the rhythm of angels in a divine court, as the human being is elevated from the creature of flesh and blood to a personage seeking to commune with He who holds the cosmos in His hands:
On a fateful day with Alhaji in Ibadan,
At Ojaba Central Mosque,
A new dawn, a new epiphany arose
Where the Prophet's footsteps marked the way,
A guiding light, shining each day.
In the words of the Prophet, I discovered anew,
The essence of faith, noble and true,
From Adam's creation to Muhammad's call,
A testament to God's love for us all.
I saw the devotion in each believer's eyes,
Their prayers ascending like a thousand cries,
Seeking forgiveness, seeking divine grace,
Humbled by the majesty of sacred space.
I saw the calligraphy adorned with dazzling intricate designs,
Unveiling truths that words alone fail to define,
The mosque's architecture, a sight to behold,
A testament to the glory of stories untold.
Ojaba opened my eyes,
To a world where unity never dies,
Where faith and heritage intertwine.
5. A wonderful image of the creator of the universe as a cosmic artist whose activity spans galaxies and is yet a sensitive father to each person.
The essence of the theistic vision, of the cosmic creator as guiding each individual, is magnificently dramatized:
If Allah can paint the sky at dawn,
With colors of crimson and golden song,
If He can sculpt the mountains tall,
And shape the valleys, one and all.
Mysteries!
If Allah can design the universe vast,
With galaxies swirling, a cosmic contrast,
If He can place the stars in a perfect array,
Lighting the heavens, night and day.
Wonders!
If Allah can listen to every prayer,
No matter how whispered, no matter where,
If He can understand our deepest fears,
Wipe away our sorrows, dry our tears.
Miracles!
If Allah can forgive, with mercy so great,
Offering redemption, wiping sins' slate,
If He can guide us on the path that's right,
Illuminating darkness with His guiding light.
Then trust in Allah's power, strong and pure,
In His hands, all things find their cure,
For if Allah can create and command,
Surely, He can hold our lives in His hand.
6. In Nigeria, one of the associations of Islam is with wealth, particularly in relation to Alhajis and Alhajas, male and female Muslims who have performed the Hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca, on account of the economic capital required to make the journey and the further financial and social capital and knowledge of Islamic arts and sciences the journey enables for the pilgrim.
The image here does not look positive, suggesting what the author sees as the non-savoury side of the Alhaja and Ahaji phenomenon:
Whether Alhaji or Alhaja!
Money is involved,
Wealth matters, inherited or not,
It is given by Allah.
A tale of families, bonded by blood,
Divided by noise.
Plot of men, executed by Shaytan.
Flamboyant with riches, lose their faith
Roaming the streets with affluence
In their luxurious cars, neither here nor there
Meet an Alhaji with plenty Alhaja,
Or is it an Alhaja with numerous Alhaji
Allah is the judge, till kiyamo!
7. The story of Afonja, Alimi and Ilorin, sad for some, glorious for others, inspires this poem.
It is a story of how Ilorin, a Yoruba city, was conquered by Muslim warriors through the backfiring of Afonja of Ilorin's pact with Muslim leaders, represented particularly by Alimi, affiliated with the Sokoto Caliphate, leaders of the Fulani jihad who had conquered the Hausa kingdoms.
The Muslim leaders Afonja allied himself with eventually killed him and took over his city, a story of the violent aspect of the penetration of Islam into Yorubaland, as different from the non-violent, represented particularly by Osogbo, where the Muslim army advancing from Ilorin to conquer Yorubaland was stopped at the Battle of Osogbo.
A primary motif of the poem is that of conflict, conflict between the pre-Islamic values represented by Afonja and the Islamic culture associated with Alimi, imposed on Ilorin. Symbols evoking these values are juxtaposed across the poem:
For Afonja or Alimi?
Ask your conscience
The bond of culture
I heard it is of Garin Alimi; ask Alaafin
Ilorin mesu jamba?
Ilorin our Makkah
Where is your conscience?
I will tell my stories of a city
It could be of love or hatred
In Ilorin
I saw no masquerade, but angels in veils
I asked, why are they wearing masks?
I got a reply. Religion!
Is a masquerade not for religion?
I got a reply in a deep voice,
Oooooooooo, mo n je!
I asked Afonja, where is your conscience?
Are you for us or for the emirate?
Strings interlaced on the head in place of bante, where is your conscience?
A city far from hell, close to paradise
Your offspring are scattered between tribes; where is your conscience?
I got a reply! It is double!
A sounding bata of clashes, accompanied by algaita from the emirate
Where is your conscience?
I'm a traveler, walking down the path of memory lane
I am with my conscience!
8. A magnificent piece about a Muslim cleric, embodying the loftiest values of the religious intelligence, expressed in the understanding of the creator of the universe as father of all, rejecting non, embracing all faiths, recognizing humanity as paramount over creed, a glorious corrective to the terrible cancer of religious dehumanization over differences in faith or even within the same faith, a negative orientation to faith absent from Yorubaland outside Ilorin:
In Agege, where faith and culture beautifully abound,
There stands a cleric, wise and revered,
A beacon of light, to be admired and cheered.
Oh, Baba Agege of noble grace,
In your presence, hearts find solace and embrace
With deep knowledge, you guide the lost,
In your words, the seeds of wisdom are tossed, your voice rings clear,
With passion and conviction, you bring hope near,
Your sermons, like streams, flow with soothing ease . . .
Enlightening minds and stirring souls with a gentle breeze.
You teach the essence of love and peace
Embracing diversity, you quelled animosity
Respecting differences, your mission begun
Through the power of faith, you heal the wounded,
Providing comfort to those who feel excluded,
Your prayers transcend barriers, bridging divides,
In this bustling community, you're a tranquil guide.
With open arms, you welcome the weary and meek,
In your presence, strength and courage they seek,
Your compassion knows no bounds or creed,
You uplift the spirits of those in need,
your devotion shines bright,
Your gentle soul blossoms like a fragrant flower.
9. A soaring celebration of the Creator and Sustainer of Cosmos and of Each Life in that Awesome Complexity.
Verbal lyricism and imagistic harmonies cohere to generate imaginative sensitivity and emotional depth, as the tiny creature on the face of a small planet orbiting a dwarf star in the Milky Way galaxy seeks to make sense of its existence in terms of belief in the Author of All who sees everything and neglects no one:
If Allah can listen to every prayer,
No matter how whispered, no matter where,
If He can understand our deepest fears,
Wipe away our sorrows, dry our tears,
If Allah can forgive, with mercy so great,
Offering redemption, wiping sins' slate,
If He can guide us on the path that's right,
Illuminating darkness with His guiding light,
Then trust in Allah's power, strong and pure,
In His hands, all things find their cure,
For if Allah can create and command,
Surely, He can hold our lives in His hand.
Summation
Poetic Technique
Employing what may be described as horizontal and vertical rhythm, allied with imagistic evocation, Falola develops emotional resonance and visual force, mapping the inner and outer landscapes of his Islamic related experience, drawing the reader into his universe, an instantiation of a global spirituality actualized through the life of one man.
Rhythm between words in the same line-horizontal rhythm, rhythm between words in different lines-vertical rhythm, in a descending cascade of affective force, generates the emotional dynamism of the poetry, while the constellation of images, of vividly actualized ideas projected through words conjuring visual force, bring alive the physical encounters inspiring the emotional music the poems synthesize.
In this manner, the reader is able to indirectly live through the poet's experiences that inspired the poetry. An Islamic vision is actualized, even beyond any knowledge of Islamic doctrine or history.
Another prism, another facet of the diamond thereby emerges, another constellation in Falola's kaleidoscope of African thought and experience constituting the ongoing development of the totality of his work.
Spatio-Temporal Radiations
With this poetry Falola emerges as a devotional writer, and, in relation to his other works, as a narrative, expository and analytical expert, dramatizing the diamond complexity and unity of the human mind at its finest, integrating the universe of cognitive and devotional aspiration through the coordinates of a single person in space and time, his spatio-temporal peregrinations akin to the movement of the human family across geographies, in temporal progressions the ultimate possibilities of which are unknown.
Falola's poetry in Malaika and the entire book as a whole demonstrates that one can identify with Islam and perhaps even practice it's culture of sensitivity to the harmony of divine transcendence and divine nurturing, without being a Muslim, as Falola demonstrates, in stating in the book that he is not a Muslim.
In a world increasingly shaped by the cross-fertilization of knowledge and cultures, members of the human family should be ever more able to learn from each other, adapting what insights they see fit from the meaning others have been able to harvest within the perplexity of the journey beyond the stars, under the sky, on the surface of the sphere orbiting the sun.
Ahmadou Hampate Ba, Titus Burchkhardt, Rene Guenon, Ibn Arabi, Farid ud Din Attar, Rumi, Idris Shah, Muhammad in his more universalistic insights as in the Koranic Sura al Nur, "Allah is light, light upon light, his light like a lamp hid in a rock, fed by an olive neither of the East nor of the West, the light of the heavens and the earth"- represent the illustrious company Falola has entered into through Malaika, bringing alive the humanistic force and transcendental elevation of the vision unleashed into humanity by the man of Arabia in a manner that all can appreciate and even identify with, even if one does not associate oneself with the institutional details of that vision.
Like Ba who ignites the creative fire of classical African thought and Islam in the minds of his readers, like Guenon, Burchkhardt, Schuon and other members of the Traditionalist school who ranged powerfully across various spiritualities as well as Islam, Falola's combined spiritual testimony, in scholarship, memoir and poetry, across endogenous Yoruba spirituality, African thought, Christianity, and now Islam, is glorious, an activist in the cause of the unity of human being and growth, a true son of the Yoruba culture in which humanity is paramount even in relation to religious creeds and other ideologies, where cognitive integration from the most diverse sources, constellating in the calabash of wisdom, as in the Yoruba Ifa knowledge system, is a prized aspiration.
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