The Silent Pilgrim

The Silent Pilgrim, Emha Ainun Nadjib, has travelled alone in full circle through tradition and modernity: Islamic ritualism, Western and Islamic rational philosophy, Javanese and Islamic spirituality. In the beginning of his journey he wrote an anthology of verse entitled “99 For My Lord”, referring to the 99 Names of Allah, the Asma al-Husna. At the end of his spiritually exhaustive, turbulent pilgrimage, this enigmatic Silent Pilgrim has come to understand the 100th Name of Allah: endless devotion to his fellow creatures, and his country.

Contributed by Hasyim Wahid (known affectionately as as Gus Im, the younger brother of former Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid, or Gus Dur).

Translated by Ian L. Betts