Eternal Creed: Universal Guide For Perplexing Times

Mawlana Hamzah Maqbul’s Eternal Creed Project presents Aqida Tahawiyya in the context of our times, with reference to issues raised in the modern world. The project has been such a success that Mawlana Hamzah plans to publish the text in book form. For this reason, he started a campaign at LaunchGood to realize this aim.

Defining Ahl al Sunna

The terms “Ahl al Sunna” and “Sunni” are thrown around nonchalantly and without definition or meaning, increasingly not just by Muslims, but also the mainstream media and secular academia. Although, Sunnism increasingly is being taken by secular-minded Muslims and people of other faiths to be a cultural marker with some sectarian identity politics tied to it, classically that wasn’t the case at all.

Rather the Sunni tradition was a set of ideas, a methodology and a way of viewing the world which was the common currency of all Muslims who trace their ways through an unbroken chain to prophecy and revelation. One of the earliest and most universally accepted summaries and attestations of what those ideas are comes from the renowned Egyptian Scholar of encyclopedic mastery of the sciences of the sacred Shari‘a, Abu Ja‘far al-Ṭahawi (d. 321 AH/933 CE) in his short work known as the ‘Aqida Tahawiyya.

As those ideas are becoming obscured and lost to successive generations of Muslims, what unites us as an Umma will weaken, leading to many problems. This is not the first time in our history that a situation of this kind has occurred. Whenever such a tribulation has hit Muslims in the past, a group of upright and sincere scholars has stood to renew the faith among Muslims, not through political, economic or social ideas, but through a renewal of belief and faith, which benefited the Umma in the hereafter, as well as in the aforementioned matters of this world.

Addressing our Acute Needs

The English-speaking public is increasingly bombarded with all manner of extremism and misguidance. Our youth who cannot access classical works in Arabic, Persian, Urdu, Turkish or Malay, are being presented with choices for how they view the world from ISIS, materialists, secularists and other groups who will not benefit their faith, nor their life in this world, nor the next.

There is an acute need for the rank and file of English-speaking Muslims in North America, Europe and, increasingly, around the world material of the ‘Aqida Tahawiyya as an alternative to other poisonous narratives, which are harming the Muslims.

With this in mind I pitched the idea to a very small group of enthusiastic young brothers that not only is there a need to revive the positive, non-polemical presentation of Sunni creed, but that there is also very much a practical way to implement it. In one weekend seminar consisting of fifteen hours of instruction, I told him I could transmit the contents of the ‘Aqida Tahawiyya, accompanied not by a classical commentary, but one which addressed the day to day needs of people who live in post-modern context.

Initial Successes

We started a pilot class in Drexel University in Philadelphia to much success, and in the two years ever since, we have done the class again nearly a dozen times, getting invitations from places as far as Turkey, Hong Kong, Singapore and the Caribbean.

Although there are a handful of translations and commentaries available which are rendered into various levels of scholarly quality and English, there is yet a need for a work that is not only a correct translation of the text into an accessible idiom, but also accompanied with a commentary that connects with the contemporary day-to-day life and challenges of our people. This project will put our successful presentation of the Aqida Tahawiyya into a book form, in a modern style, with examples and references which will be familiar to a modern audience and connect with them intuitively.

Such a book will not only be a necessary addition to a contemporary Muslim’s library, it will also be an indispensable teaching aid to scholars and the teachers of the sacred sciences who recognize the need to transmit the beautiful ideas that make up our sacred creed, but my not be in a position to synthesize a useful method for transmitting them.

Support the Eternal Creed Project today.

 

The post Eternal Creed: Universal Guide For Perplexing Times appeared first on SeekersHub Blog.

from SeekersHub Blog http://ift.tt/2HFQlc1

A Great Female Servant of God by Ustadh Amjad Tarsin

Ustadh Amjad Tarsin reflects on the apparent contradiction some minds see in the idea that there are female saints in Islam. He frames this within a tale of a personal journey to visit Hubaba Safiyya al Attas in Hadramawt in 2006.

While taking a class on Islamic Spirituality at the Hartford Seminary one of my Christian classmates gave a presentation on the famous lover of God, Rabiʿa al-ʿAdawiyya. Before starting the presentation she sincerely asked the question: “Does it seem contradictory in Islam to have a female saint?” I was shocked at the question and immediately shook my head, seeing no contradiction at all.

I looked around at my fellow Muslim men and women in the class and saw some hesitation on their faces. Were they perhaps thinking that there was some sort of contradiction? I don’t know for sure what was running through their minds, but it is because of my classmate’s question that I feel the need to write about my extraordinary visit to a waliya — a female saint.

Hubaba Safīyya al-ʿAttas

On September 16th, 2006 (Shaʿban 1427 H.), in Wadi ʿAmd in Hadramawt a group of friends and I drove for a few hours to visit a special servant of God: al-Hubaba Safīyya al-ʿAttas, may God have mercy on her. We desired to seek her out because her great station with God and of her endless devotion to and love of Him, Blessed and Exalted is He, was legendary.

The story I was told was that she was discovered by a scholar of Ḥaḍramawt who had seen the Prophet Muhammad, Allah bless him and give him peace, in a dream. It is said that the Prophet informed the scholar of Hubaba Safiyya and after telling the scholar where she lived, the Prophet commanded him to seek her out. Shortly thereafter, her name became well-known throughout the region, and even the most well-respected scholars sought her out to ask her for dua.

It never really occurred to me before going to Hadramawt that there existed righteous women worth seeking out, but I learned early on that even though I was living in a very conservative society, the people there nonetheless had great respect and reverence towards women of piety and knowledge. Even though I had heard great things about Hubaba Safiyya, I still didn’t really know what to expect.

A Strong Spiritual Presence

After driving several hours through the Hadramawt Valley, we finally reached the small village where Hubaba Safiyya lived. We arrived unannounced, and several children, who I later discovered were Hubaba Safiyya’s grandchildren (or maybe even great grandchildren, for she was over 100 years old at the time), surrounded us, immediately recognizing us as outsiders. The children ran off to tell the elders of our arrival, and it was immediately known that more people had come to seek the baraka of Hubaba Safiyya.

We were greeted warmly by a man in his early fifties who guided us to the Ḥubāba’s house. As we walked up the hill, the excitement and anticipation in my heart began to overflow. I felt something considerable was imminent. We finally made it to the old clay house and we awaited permission to see Hubaba Safiyya. We were graciously given sweet tea while we waited. Soon thereafter, permission was granted.

As we walked towards her room, I felt a strong spiritual presence overcome me. As we entered her room, ducking our heads to enter through the door (which was quite low by Western standards), my eyes fell upon one of the most astounding human beings I had ever seen. Hubaba Safiyya was at such a late stage in her life that she could not get up from her bed. But although she rested there weak in body — her spiritual qualities dwarfed all those present.

Immersed in Remembrance

She was completely immersed in the remembrance of her Lord. I felt from her words and demeanor that it was as if she was standing in the Rawda of the Prophet’s Mosque, peace and mercy be upon him. We all lowered our heads in front of this spiritual giant and were thankful for being able to see one of God’s righteous servants. Being in her presence made us all more mindful of our Lord and increased our yearning to seek His good pleasure and Noble Countenance.

What stood out the most to me were her eyes (a rare grayish-green color). When she looked at me through her face-veil, I felt her gaze pierce my soul. She had ancient eyes that looked like they had seen more than my imagination could muster. Her eyes were filled with wisdom, knowledge, mercy, and love. I felt something within me change forever after she looked at me.

You Have Attained Your Goal

We all asked her to make dua for us, and she gave us all hope and joy when she said, for the first time directing her words to us, saying, “You have attained your goal. You have attained your goal.” The rest of her words the entire visit were just dhikr — being completely engulfed in remembrance of her Lord.

After we left Hubaba Safiyya’s house, we all felt changed. Her prayers and her presence gave us more than words can describe. We felt an overwhelming sense of power and mercy. Although since then I have visited many righteous men, there was something absolutely unique about Hubaba Safiyya.

I was fortunate enough to visit her two more times before leaving Hadramawt, and will remember her for the rest of my life. I thank God for being able to spend time with a human being like her, and I pray to be united with her in the next life in the company of the Mothers of the Believers, Lady Asiya, Lady Maryam, Lady Khadija, and Lady Fatima – may God’s peace be upon them all.

Al-Hubaba Safiyya passed away in late 2007/1428. Scholars from all across the Hadramawt Valley flocked to her funeral, honoring one of God’s beloved saints. May God be well pleased with her and shower her with His infinite mercy.

---

Source: https://m.facebook.com/notes/amjad-tarsin/the-fragrance-of-fatima/2383248971701166/

The post A Great Female Servant of God by Ustadh Amjad Tarsin appeared first on SeekersHub Blog.

from SeekersHub Blog http://ift.tt/2FO60FG

SeekersHub Toronto is Hiring!

By the Grace of Allah Almighty, after more than six years in operation, SeekersHub Toronto Islamic Seminary is experiencing tremendous growth and impact.

This is due to our unique offering: structured Islamic learning and guidance with qualified scholars, completely FREE of charge.

To help us take our work to the next level, both in Toronto and on a global scale, we are looking to add two key hires to our management team.

SeekersHub is Hiring for Two Full-time Positions

As a part of this ongoing growth, SeekersHub Toronto Islamic Seminary is now looking to hire a number of key positions for its core functions.

We are seeking dedicated professionals who are keen to join this most noble of causes and contribute to our mission of ensuring the preservation, spread, and clarification of the Prophetic tradition — in its mainstream, reliable and balanced understandings and, with its inner qualities of beauty, mercy, virtue, and excellence.

First Position: Outreach Manager

We are presently seeking a qualified Outreach Manager with strong project management, online marketing, social media, and community engagement skills.

The incumbent’s main responsibility will be the stewardship of our Outreach function, showcasing the core values of what SeekersHub Toronto is and does, as well as the value of all our various educational services.

Second Position: Development Manager

We are also seeking a dedicated and experienced Development Manager with strong project management, community engagement, and fundraising skills.

The role is a hands-on, disciplined, high energy position that is primarily responsible for development and sustainability measures, donor management, and external engagement with strategic partners.

How to Apply

We welcome qualified applicants from all backgrounds. If interested, please apply in confidence to hr@seekershub.org with your resume and a cover letter by 31 March 2018.

 

The post SeekersHub Toronto is Hiring! appeared first on SeekersHub Blog.

from SeekersHub Blog http://ift.tt/2IuKZ4U

Spiritual Activism: Runaway Rationality

The intellect can be blinded by the passions. Only a cool and collected heart keeps the passions in check and commands the intellect to good, says Shaykh Riad Saloojee.

I am not a disembodied intellect (‘aql). My intellect (‘aql) functions within the Divinely-crafted, holistic system composed of my heart (qalb), lower-self (nafs) and senses (jawarih). It does not function independently from these other elements that constitute my human reality.

What is this relationship exactly? To put it as succinctly as possible, the intellect (‘aql) is the executive officer of the heart (qalb). It rationalizes, plans and executes the dictates of the heart (qalb). Once the heart resolves on a matter based on its perception and emotional drives, the intellect (‘aql) directs the senses to effect the edict.

The Qur’an often mentions the intellect (‘aql) in the context of the rational perception of the heart (qalb): “They have hearts that they do not reason with” (7:179) and “Do they not travel in the land and have hearts that they reason with” (22:46).

A Critical Point

Although the decision maker is the heart (qalb), we established previously that the heart (qalb) is strongly affected by the identity of the lower-self (nafs) in one or a permutation of its four realities: cow-like, predatory, Satanic or angelic. Therefore, the wild card in the spiritual equation that exists between the heart (qalb), lower-self (nafs), intellect (‘aql) and senses (jawarih) is the lower-self (nafs).

If the lower-self (nafs) is angelic, the heart (qalb) will take on its angelic identity. If the lower-self (nafs) is cow-like, predatory or Satanic, the heart (qalb) will be influenced by those tendencies in its perception, experience and will, and the heart will subsequently command the intellect (‘aql), who will direct the senses and limbs (jawarih) to speak and act.

What Drives the Intellect

The link between the intellect (‘aql) and the lower-self (nafs) should now be apparent. When traced back to their source, the rationalization, planning and execution function of the intellect (‘aql) in its normative extension reflects the propensities — carnal or ideological — of the lower-self (nafs).

My intellect is not autonomous. Pure rationality in matters of normative judgement is a fiction. As a David Hume once noted: “Reason is … the slave of the passions and cannot pretend to any other office than to serve and obey them.” What drives many of my decisions is the spiritual maturity or lack therefore of my lower-self (nafs).

Conflicts of Interest

Consider some examples. Why do rocket scientists not believe in God? Why do I not accept clear and rational truth presented to me when it conflicts with a self-interest that I perceive? Why do I rationalize my errors with argument when I know, deep down, that I am wrong?

Why do I insist on certain strategic decisions in advocacy and activism that are inconsistent when studied more closely under the illuminating light of the Sacred Law? And why do I jettison expressions of spirituality that necessitate closer scrutiny and discipline over the drives of my lower-self (nafs)?

These questions, and many more, can often be understood with greater clarity once I become more spiritually mature and self-reflective about the interconnectedness of my intellect (‘aql) to my lower-self — and once I acquiesce and commit to my own spiritual evolution and refinement. And there is nothing more rational than that.

---

Previous Posts

Spiritual Activism: Identifying My Politics
Spiritual Activism: The Me in the Mirror
Spiritual Activism: Uniting Soul, Mind and Body
Spiritual Activism: A Bleeding Heart

---

About the Series

This written series will pair with a new, forthcoming podcast, Spiritual Activism by Shaykh Riad Saloojee. He will present a paradigm for a spiritually-inspired activism that is what it was always meant to be: a vehicle for nearness to the Divine through genuine individual and social ethical change.

This series will comprise of seven discussions that explore the foundations of Islamic spirituality, the spiritual ethos that is the basis of all activism, the ailments of activism unhinged from spirituality, and an application of how spirituality must inform true environmental activism.

 

The post Spiritual Activism: Runaway Rationality appeared first on SeekersHub Blog.

from SeekersHub Blog http://ift.tt/2GsuKVp

Adab of Dua 24: The States That Can Change Fate

Allah Most High says, “I am near – I answer the call of the one who calls upon me (2:186).
Yet, many of us wonder: Are my duas being answered? Is there a certain dua I have to read for each of my concerns? Do my duas have to be in Arabic?

In this series of short talks, Shaykh Faraz Rabbani explains the reality of dua (supplication) and how to turn to Allah. It is based on a classical text on the same subject by Shaykh al Islam Zakariyya al Ansari.

This video covers the various states when we are called upon to make dua, and when it is particularly likely to be answered.

It also contains many gems about the etiquettes of visiting and being with people.

The text is divided into the 11 concise, apt sections described below.

1. The reality of dua
2. Our being called on to make dua
3. The great virtue of dua
4. The integrals of supplication, its wings, and its means
5. The conditions of supplication
6. Its proper manners
7. The times of dua and the state in which it should be made
8. Signs of acceptance of dua
9. Explaining the religious ruling of dua
10. Some encompassing supplications
11. Explaining what the greatest Divine Name is

Take a SeekersHub online course. All courses are completely free, and are taught by reliable, qualified scholars.

SeekersHub Global, a non-profit Islamic educational portal, makes sound knowledge from reliable scholars available anywhere, at any time, through online courses, on-the-ground seminars, engaging and inspiring Islamic media and direct access to scholars through our Answers service — all for FREE.

Help us continue to provide Knowledge Without Barriers through your ongoing monthly support or a one-time donation.

Resources for Seekers

• My Journey to Light, by Ibrahim J. Long
• Forgotten Sunnas: Healthy Relationships Through Visiting the Sick
• Spiritual Struggle: The Trial Of Dealing With People
• Harms of Aloneness: The Prophet’s Firm Discouragement of Living or Travelling Alone
• Can I Ask Allah to Facilitate for Me to Marry Someone
• Bringing Barakah Into Your Wealth and Life

 

The post Adab of Dua 24: The States That Can Change Fate appeared first on SeekersHub Blog.

from SeekersHub Blog http://ift.tt/2FyfWqS

How to See SeekersHub Stories on the Top of your Facebook Feed

Significant changes to Facebook’s News Feed algorithm mean you might not be seeing as many stories as usual. Facebook started prioritizing posts from paid sponsors and a few selective friends over posts from your favorite pages and publications.

While this might not be a welcome move for everyone who uses Facebook to stay connected with friends and favorite brands, it is still possible to choose what you’d like to see on your feed first.

Here’s how you can make sure to see stories from SeekersHub on the top of your Facebook News Feed.

If you’re using Facebook on a desktop

Click “See First” to never miss out on our updates!

The first step is to like SeekersHub’s Facebook page.

Then, hover over the Following button. In the drop-down menu that appears, click See first. This basically tells Facebook that you are interested in SeekersHub’s top-notch online Islamic courses, podcasts, answers and other related events.

You can even choose to receive notifications every time we post a new update.

If you’re willing to go the extra mile, you can even instruct Facebook to notify you every time we post a new update on our Facebook page. To do so, hover over the Following button and click the edit icon beside “Notifications.” Here, check the box where it says, “Be notified when this Page posts content that you might like.”

If you’re using Facebook’s mobile website or Facebook app

Go to Cult of Mac on Facebook, or navigate to SeekersHub’s Facebook page on your mobile device. Tap Following and select See First.

Tap “See first” to see posts from SeekersHub at the top of your Facebook feed.

This will ensure that you see posts from SeekersHub at the top of your News Feed.

Similar to the desktop, you can turn on notifications to get notified of updates on our Facebook page. Don’t worry about being bombed, though, as Facebook algorithmically selects up to five top posts per day and notifies you. To do so, tap Get Notifications.

By default, Facebook only notifies you of new events and Live videos, not about new posts.
To fix this, tap Edit Notification Settings. Now, check the Posts box.

If you want, you can get fine-grained control over notifications in the Edit Notifications Settings window. Here, you can specifically choose to be notified of new posts, events or just Live videos.

That’s it! You should now start seeing posts from SeekersHub on the top of your Facebook News Feed.

May Allah bless you with Tawfiq.

The post How to See SeekersHub Stories on the Top of your Facebook Feed appeared first on SeekersHub Blog.

from SeekersHub Blog http://ift.tt/2Hsc7jr

Adab of Dua 21: Consistency, Praise, and Blessed Days

Allah Most High says, “I am near – I answer the call of the one who calls upon me” (2:186). Yet, many of us wonder: Are my duas being answered? Is there a certain dua I have to read for each of my concerns? Do my duas have to be in Arabic?

In this series of short talks, Shaykh Faraz Rabbani explains the reality of dua (supplication) and how to turn to Allah. It is based on a classical text on the same subject by Shaykh al Islam Zakariyya al Ansari.

This video covers the etiquettes of wiping the face after dua. Praising and thanking Allah when one’s dua is answered. Not allowing any day or night to pass without dua. And seeking out the chosen times of dua.

The text is divided into the 11 concise, apt sections described below.

1. The reality of dua
2. Our being called on to make dua
3. The great virtue of dua
4. The integrals of supplication, its wings, and its means
5. The conditions of supplication
6. Its proper manners
7. The times of dua and the state in which it should be made
8. Signs of acceptance of dua
9. Explaining the religious ruling of dua
10. Some encompassing supplications
11. Explaining what the greatest Divine Name is.

Spread Light

Take a SeekersHub online course. All courses are completely free, and are taught by reliable, qualified scholars.

SeekersHub Global, a non-profit Islamic educational portal, makes sound knowledge from reliable scholars available anywhere, at any time, through online courses, on-the-ground seminars, engaging and inspiring Islamic media and direct access to scholars through our Answers service — all for FREE.

Help us continue to provide Knowledge Without Barriers through your ongoing monthly support or a one-time donation.

---

Resources for Seekers

Step One: Essentials Certificate Launch at SeekersHub Toronto Islamic Seminary
Imam al-Ghazali: The Unlikely Seeker
How Should the Hands Be Held During Supplication?
Istikhara: The Prayer of Seeking Guidance
The Reality and Etiquettes of Supplication

 

The post Adab of Dua 21: Consistency, Praise, and Blessed Days appeared first on SeekersHub Blog.

from SeekersHub Blog http://ift.tt/2FxYfXv

Spiritual Activism: Identifying My Politics

To identify one’s politics, one must first discern the reality of one’s desires and impulses, one’s aims and actions. For if one’s essence is a function of these things, then the underlying reality or nature of one’s self must be known, says Shaykh Riad Saloojee.

Who I am in essence is really a function of my impulses, aims and actions. It is my essence that defines my politics. My lower self (nafs) is either one or a combination of four realities: a cow, a wild-dog, a devil (Shaytan) or an angel (malak).

When my energies and drives are primarily directed to hedonistic pleasures, my lower self (nafs) is cow-like. When they are directed to the hegemony of hurt and violence over others, I am a wild-dog. And when they are directed to duplicity, arrogance and seeking self-aggrandizement, I am a devil. However, when they are devoted to pursuit of the Divine, I am angelic.

Many profound implications arise from this self knowledge. My perception of the environment around me, the values I seek, the activism I employ and my actions and reactions are all conditioned by my inner realities. Let us look at each in turn.

Inner Realities and Outward Politics

First, our environments are in essence the aggregate of the realities of our lower selves (or nufus) and their pursuits of pleasure. At the level of the family, neighborhood, province or international arena – whether social, economic or political in dimension – the preferences, culture and actions of our collective being really tell the tale of the reality of our individual inner selves.

Second, the value of happiness is relative depending on the type of lower self (nafs) that I have. The lower self pursues happiness commensurate with its nature. The cattle-like, predatory and Satanic self only pursues the acquisition of that which guarantees its pleasure. But the truest, lasting happiness is the angelic happiness of seeking the Divine, the Infinite in Beauty and Majesty, and actualizing Divine values and virtues that are necessary for a meaningful and dignified life.

Third, the change of the lower self (nafs) is the core and the key of any real, profound social change. One could argue that the common, underlying dimension of all types of activism lies in transcending the three self-centred, limiting realities of the lower self, individually and collectively, to produce social change with the deepest foundation and longevity.

Fourth, social transformation without genuine, authentic transformation of individuals is a mirage, a tree without roots, pie-in-the-sky. As I struggle to produce change in society-at-large, I should never neglect to focus in parallel on my individual, internal change. If I do not change, or am not in the process of changing, my efforts are in vain.

A Sincere Change of Heart

My change will require a constant and sincere effort. For my heart (qalb) to truly be free in its perception, experience and will, it must be free from the impact and grip of the lower self (nafs). And to free my lower self (nafs) from its cattle-like, predatory and Satanic proclivities is no easy task.

But it is a necessary undertaking for without the creation of an angelic lower self, the heart (qalb) will always be the prisoner of the lower self (nafs). Limited in its perception, suffocated from experiencing the Divine and Divine values, and fettered in its resolve and will to seek and strive for the virtuous.

It is only through the purification of the lower self (nafs) that the heart (qalb) will attain its freedom and true happiness in attachment to the Divine. And this is precisely the subject and quest of Islamic spirituality. This is precisely what is needed for activism of any kind.

---

Previous Posts

Spiritual Activism: The Me in the Mirror
Spiritual Activism: Uniting Soul, Mind and Body
Spiritual Activism: A Bleeding Heart

---

About the Series

This written series will pair with a new, forthcoming podcast, Spiritual Activism by Shaykh Riad Saloojee. He will present a paradigm for a spiritually-inspired activism that is what it was always meant to be: a vehicle for nearness to the Divine through genuine individual and social ethical change.

This series will comprise of seven discussions that explore the foundations of Islamic spirituality, the spiritual ethos that is the basis of all activism, the ailments of activism unhinged from spirituality, and an application of how spirituality must inform true environmental activism.

 

The post Spiritual Activism: Identifying My Politics appeared first on SeekersHub Blog.

from SeekersHub Blog http://ift.tt/2tlbeHt

Obituary: Habib Abd Allah bin Shihab

The Muslim Umma has lost another giant scholar, caller to guidance, and deeply devoted, exemplary servant of God and Prophetic inheritor. The learned noble, al-Sayyid al-Habib Abd Allah bin Shihab, Allah have mercy upon him, has died.

إِنَّا لِلّهِ وَإِنَّـا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ‎

“Death is sufficient as a reminder,” as Sayyiduna Umar, Allah be pleased with him, used to say.

We all bear a responsibility to uphold faith, guidance, devotion, service, and good — personally in our own lives, and socially.

Reflect on Surat al-Asr and what it calls us to. To hasten to realize true faith with deep urgency. Rush to good deeds with excellence. Call one another to Truth in all its expressions and implications, with Beauty.

Call one another to beautiful steadfastness and resolve upon all that is beloved to God, all that reflects the lights of God’s Beloved Messenger Muhammad, Allah bless him and give him peace, and his family and companions.

Strive to embody Light. Seek all means that bring Light in your life and can help you spread Light in the lives of others. And never accept Darkness.

That’s the struggle.

The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, used to pray:

اللَّهُمَّ زَيِّنَّا بِزِينَةِ الإِيمَانِ، وَاجْعَلْنَا هُدَاةً مُهْتَدِينَ

“O Allah, adorn us with the beauty of true faith, and make us guides to good who are themselves rightly-guided.” [Nasa’i and others; sound]

And all facilitation and success is from Allah Most High.

Al-Fatiha

 

The post Obituary: Habib Abd Allah bin Shihab appeared first on SeekersHub Blog.

from SeekersHub Blog http://ift.tt/2tmXeg8

Spiritual Activism: The Me in the Mirror

We must individually come to terms with the “me in the mirror” or the ego (nafs). Come to terms with its wants and desires. And we must rectify them if need be in order to affect any sort of change in the world, says Shaykh Riad Saloojee.

When I proclaim, “I love,” or “I want,” or “I know,” or “I believe,” what component of my complex identity is speaking? What is the spiritual-psychological process that produces my value-statements, emotional affirmations and the alignment of my will. Who is the “I” in the me? Who is the me in the mirror?

The human identity is a compound reality. There are other elements, beyond the heart (qalb), that constitute the human identity. The most critical to examine for the purpose of understanding the spirituality of activism is the lower self (nafs).

The Ego’s Potentialities

The nafs, or lower-self, is that human faculty that is connected with the pursuit of either carnal desires (shahwa) or intellectual or ideological caprice (hawa). The lower self (nafs) is the seat of all our egotistic potentialities.

It is the locus of legal responsibility before the Divine. Without a lower self (nafs), we would be angelic. After careful analysis of the primary texts, scholars have divided the realities of the lower self (nafs) into four:

1. The cattle-like animal self – the lower self (nafs) that finds its ultimate pleasure in materialistic and hedonistic pursuits of eating, drinking, entertainment and sexual pleasure (See, for example, Qur’an 25:44);

2. The predatory-self – the lower self (nafs) that finds its satisfaction in hegemony over others through violence and aggression. (Some texts in the Prophetic Traditions (Sunnah) speak of people with “hearts like wolves.”);

3. The Satanic or devil-like self – the lower self (nafs) that achieves its happiness in duplicity, arrogance and self-glorification. (Some texts in the Prophetic Traditions (Sunnah) speak of people with “hearts like “Shayatin” – or Satans).

4. The angelic self – the lower self (nafs) that finds its contentment in the remembrance and worship of the Divine.

What Is the I Invested In?

These four attributes are what constitute my inner reality, my inner image or my inner character. My lower self (nafs) is either one of these or a permutation of them in different proportions. For example, I could be part cow-like, part-Satanic and part-angelic.

The type of lower self (nafs) that I have is the consequence of my life’s choices and actions. I have molded myself. I can gauge my lower self (nafs) by the pursuit of its pleasures and delights.

Where, for example, are my energies, resources and time devoted? Ultimately, we devote the capital of our life to those pursuits that bring us happiness.

Change, Self, and World

Without an understanding of my lower self (nafs), which is the reality of my inner character, I will never be able to truly understand myself: how I perceive the world; my thoughts and feelings; why I want what I want; my actions and reactions.

And without this knowledge, I will not be able to begin the transformation, in myself and in my world, both within and without.

---

Previous Posts

Spiritual Activism: Uniting Soul, Mind and Body
Spiritual Activism: A Bleeding Heart

---

About the Series

This written series will pair with a new, forthcoming podcast, Spiritual Activism by Shaykh Riad Saloojee. He will present a paradigm for a spiritually-inspired activism that is what it was always meant to be: a vehicle for nearness to the Divine through genuine individual and social ethical change.

This series will comprise of seven discussions that explore the foundations of Islamic spirituality, the spiritual ethos that is the basis of all activism, the ailments of activism unhinged from spirituality, and an application of how spirituality must inform true environmental activism.

 

The post Spiritual Activism: The Me in the Mirror appeared first on SeekersHub Blog.

from SeekersHub Blog http://ift.tt/2FBBL5D