Islam and Spiritualism
However, the
most unfortunate and pathetic treatment has been meted out to the very concept
of ‘Spirituality’, partly owing to its wrong conception and misinterpretation
among common masses by pseudo-scholars....
There is a
great deal of negativity in the world.
Choose to befriend people of quality character, purpose, and who will
inspire and elevate you. Be a difference
maker and learn how to take the goodness in your heart and put it back into the
world....
The image of a
“good” Muslim is often one of a bearded man or a Hijabi woman praying 5 times a
day and fasting all month during Ramadan. But is that really what a Muslim or a
“good” Muslim means?...
Our perceptions
do require management, and who better to do that than our very Maker Himself?
He has given us the Qur’ān for that exact purpose, and one such Āyah that
assists in managing such tendencies...
Surprisingly
though, emotional suffering is necessary for our journey in life. Allah
designed this world, enclosed with suffering and pain, not only as a test but
also as a means to get to know Him and draw closer to Him....
Allah knows
more than anyone else (including yourself) what is best for you. So do not get
too attached to a certain result and get deviated with an expectation that was
never yours to begin with. ...
At first I may
still be reciting the words of the Qur’an by rote, and bowing and prostrating
mechanically. But as I move through the Rakats, I find myself breathing more
deeply, relaxing and opening up to the silence and spaciousness around me.....
A story tells of how someone who asked Ali ibn Abi Talib, “Did you come to know God intimately through Muhammad or did you come to know Muhammad through God?” Ali replied, “Had I come to know God through Muhammad I would not have served God, and Muhammad would have been more firmly fixed in my soul than God. God acquainted me with Himself through Himself.”....
The more I read about the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, the deeper I fall in love with his exquisite character, his sensitivity, his ability to acknowledge his own and others’ emotions. To me, the beauty of his personality lies in his transparency and honesty regarding his own feelings and of those around him. If he was happy, his Companions and his family members knew, and vice-versa. If he was upset about something, they could easily tell, and vice-versa....
Sufism is a spiritual psychology that calls on me to be a constant witness to my states. It involves zooming out of my thoughts, feelings, emotions and sensations and observing them from a more objective vantage point. I acknowledge the grip that shame and fear had/has on me, as well as a mix of envy, pride and resentment. Then, slowly and gently, they are transformed in the alchemy that is Zikr, the repetition of Divine names and attributes that transports us into another realm of conscious awareness....
“Kibr is to knowingly reject Truth and to belittle other people.” This Hadith exposes two strains of this deadly disease, both dealing with our exaggerated ideas of self-importance. The first suggests that I am more important than the Truth. The second suggests that I am more important than other people....
The consensus between the scholars is that it is prohibited to interact casually with the opposite gender; men with women and women with men. However, if the situation calls for it, then interact on a necessity basis and do so with some respect and dignity. The guidelines mentioned above are only for our best interests. Whether it is to remove ourselves from dangerous situations if we feel temptation or to perfect our interactions to avoid marital discord; all of these instances just shine a light on the beauty of Islām and it is the traditions set from the time of our Prophet (Sall Allahu Alayhi w Sallam) that will help to safeguard us from problems that are increasing in our time....
In a world generally worried about violent extremism, it seems to be business as usual for at least some militant groups inside and around Pakistan. There are two kinds that exist—those who target the State, and others who are compliant with the State’s broader strategic goals. However, the implications of both types are dangerous for the country. A glance at some of the terrorism data—none of which is available in Pakistan...
Reading Rumi,
we often come across the imagery of humans being akin to diamonds or rubies at
our core, that is, our highest potentiality. Mining these valuable gems from
the Earth requires drilling through layers of hard rock that settled over
centuries and, frankly, are impossible to move without heavy machinery.
Similarly, the inward spiritual journey demands burrowing through the embedded
beliefs forced onto my psyche by family, religion and society that are blocking
the radiance of my truest self....
To
diagnose and treat the diseases of the heart normally requires the help of an
expert mentor or Shaikh. Here are the qualities of a good Shaikh. (1) He
possesses necessary religious knowledge. (2) His beliefs, habits, and practices
are in accordance with the Shariat. (3) He does not harbour greed for the
worldly wealth. (4) He has himself spent time learning from a good Shaikh. (5)
The scholars and good mashaikh of his time hold good opinion about him. (6) His
admirers are mostly from among the people who have good understanding of
religion. (7) Most of his followers
Theology
can be regarded as the science dealing with questions that deal with our
concept of God, creation and humanity and the relations between them. Within
this context, can Sufism be seen as an integral part of theology?
Rabi’a Basri is a classical example of
how faith and love can set you free. She was the first female Sufi Saint of
Islam, Rabia al-Adawiyya, also known as Rabi’a Basri. She made one of the
greatest contributions towards the development of Sufism. She was a teacher of
women as well as of men; a woman who called no man her master. Her reputation
excels that of many Muslim men within the early days of Sufism....
Almighty
Allah reveals in the Holy Qur’an: “And the servants of the Most Merciful are
those who walk upon the earth easily, and when the ignorant address them
harshly and cruelly, they say words of peace (Salaam!).” (Surah Al-Furqan
25:63.). Realistically speaking, we will not come across good people at all
times in our life; there will always be people who will test our patience, our
moral endurance and our spiritual fortitude by vexing, taunting, troubling and
persecuting us. However, according to this Qur’anic passage, it is the
believer’s duty to react to our persecutors with greetings of “Salaam!” or
“Peace be with you!”. Saying “Salaam” is the sign of a sound heart, of a heart
at ease, as mentioned in the above Qur’anic quotation from Surah Al-Furqan. In
other words, a pure and clean heart or a "heart at ease" is a heart
which has reached security and peace, a heart of taqwah (piety) that respects
the rights of Allah and the rights of fellow humans. Saying “Salaam!” sincerely
to one-and-all is an affirmation of peace in our whole being, and a commitment
of a genuine Muslim towards world peace and harmony among all peoples of good
will....
THE
‘heart’ and religion are two human domains that accommodate each other well. It
thus may not be wrong to say that the heart is the ‘heart’ of religion. The
heart is seen as the repository of human emotions, and emotions relate to
religion in a very personal and profound way. Some use these emotions more
powerfully to delve deep into the oceans of meanings, using them to generate
knowledge and gnosis, while many others float on the surface restricting the
meanings to only the literal domain.
Islam came to
set all our relationships right. This includes our relations with Allah as well
as with other human beings. Today, unfortunately, these teachings can mostly be
found in Muslim societies in their violation. The best we do today is
reciprocate; more commonly we backbite, cheat, and hurt our relatives and
continue the spiral of hurt and humiliation as they respond. And we just
abandon those of our relatives who are economically unfortunate. There are
three reasons for this sad situation....
The best among
all people, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) who is sinless, repented to
Allah more than 70 times a day. Hence we should be hasty to genuinely seek
repentance and forgiveness for all our mistakes, misdeeds and sins that are
committed overtly or covertly. Today, with the dominance of technology, some or
a few of us can commit mistakes intentionally or otherwise....
Through
centuries the heart-breaking events of Karbala are remembered every Muharram.
Imam Hussain’s values of justice, truth, courage and sincerity to God are
commemorated. Throughout Muharram and particularly in the first 10 days,
Muslims have religious gatherings at homes and in public spaces to remember the
story of Karbala. Elegies are recited where listeners are moved to
tears....
Days before his
murder, Alauddin recorded a video of himself reciting the passage from the
Quran known as An-Naba. Its 40 verses capture the wonders of the earthly world,
but they also describe how all of Allah’s creations will be accountable for
their transgressions in life after their death....
Zulhijjah is the last month of the Islamic calendar. Literally, it means ‘hajj.’ Obviously, this name of the month indicates that the great annual worship of ‘hajj’ is performed in this month, which gives it special significance. The 9th day of Zulhijjah is called ‘Youm-ul- Arafah’ (The Day of ‘Arafah). This is the date when the Hujjaj (Haji pilgrims, plural of Haajj) assemble on the plain of ‘Arafat, six miles away from Makkah al-Mukarramah, where they perform the most essential part of the prescribed duties of hajj, namely, the ‘Wuqoof of’Arafat...
The Quran asks
us to see signs of God’s Qualities in the book of nature, and it’s worth
contemplating the spider a little further in order to get a better perspective
on patience. Web-weaving spiders patiently wait for their prey to come to them
– they are receptive in a deadly way. Females are generally the most prolific
web-weavers, and are also more deadly than the male. Interesting to note, too,
that like patience itself, spiders are often something we would prefer to
overlook.....