When we think about the Divine and about our own true nature, at times we may be blessed with the gift of inspiration.
It is something that comes unbidden, sometimes when we least expect it, suddenly we feel as though we understand something that was foreign to us before. That's what I mean when I use the word inspiration in this context. A feeling of intellectual or spiritual upliftment that accompanies understanding.
I believe this feeling comes from a Divine source, however I've always been a bit confused by something. I've found through my own musings and writings that at times, inspiration does not bring one the truth. At times, inspiration can be contradictory or even just plain wrong. What do I mean?
Historically we see that individuals can and do have multiple trains of thoughts. There are many beliefs and interpretations of beliefs. Some of these state different perspectives than others, even if they are from the same source. Why would this be? Why would we receive inspiration from a Divine source, yet have it not bring us the truth?
Sometimes, the truth is not exact. Sometimes the truth is like a bullseye that we aim towards and sometimes the truth is more nebulous. I believe that inspiration serves as a key to help us approximate the truth, particularly those truths that are particularly nebulous and difficult to grasp. One can spend lifetimes, ages, millennia, eons studying God, yet never truly understand what the Divine is. However, moments of inspiration serve to slowly draw us towards the center.
Through inspiring us to understand, or at least believe we understand some small nugget of the truth, God slowly brings us closer to Him. What does it matter if our moment winds up being superseded by another moment of inspiration that is yet closer to the truth? All that truly matters is the search for and movement towards the center of all things.
This serves as the gravity that draws us inexorably inwards - towards a timeless existence and towards our ultimate goal.
Tuesday, May 26, 2015
Sunday, January 11, 2015
The Power of an Apology
There have been many instances of violence in our world throughout history. Recently, a segment of violent actions that has garnered a lot of attention are terrorist attacks. Many of these carried out by Muslims around the world.
I often hear the familiar outcry from sources on the internet and in my life - Why don't more moderate people denounce these actions? I also read a lot of jokes regarding Islam, the Holy Prophet and other aspects of my faith which I find sacred in attempts to satirize the terrorists or to in some cases to inflame passions even more.
My response is simple. When I apologize for something, I own it.
People who perform acts of stupidity, terror, anger, violence, etc... are not ones who practice my faith. Now granted, no one can tell anyone else what faith they belong to. I cannot in good conscience say that a person who wants to be Muslim is or is not a Muslim regardless of their actions, no matter how heinous. That decision lies in God's hands alone. However, the practice of faith and the expression of faith are different. Many Muslims act in ways that are contrary to their faith. This is the true dilemma. In Islam, there is no orthodoxy, there is no proclaiming that your faith is not mine - there is supposed to be no compulsion in religion.
This means that moderate Muslims can denounce the actions of radical Muslims, yet we cannot separate our faith. We cannot truly say, "those people are not Muslims" because no one has the authority to do so.
Now as a Muslim, a part of my identity is intertwined with the 1.5 billion other Muslims around the world. We are a brotherhood, but I'm also linked with the other 4.5 billion people who are not Muslims. We are all tied together. Whether we accept it or not. We are a large brotherhood of people with differing opinions and differing passions.
When we give terrorists a platform, we are giving into their demands. When we ask innocents to defend terrorists by accusing a faith followed by billions peacefully, we are giving into their demands and letting them control the conversation.
The death of any innocent must be met with outrage, but the aftermath cannot pigeonhole a large, global problem into a simple black or white decision.
I often hear the familiar outcry from sources on the internet and in my life - Why don't more moderate people denounce these actions? I also read a lot of jokes regarding Islam, the Holy Prophet and other aspects of my faith which I find sacred in attempts to satirize the terrorists or to in some cases to inflame passions even more.
My response is simple. When I apologize for something, I own it.
People who perform acts of stupidity, terror, anger, violence, etc... are not ones who practice my faith. Now granted, no one can tell anyone else what faith they belong to. I cannot in good conscience say that a person who wants to be Muslim is or is not a Muslim regardless of their actions, no matter how heinous. That decision lies in God's hands alone. However, the practice of faith and the expression of faith are different. Many Muslims act in ways that are contrary to their faith. This is the true dilemma. In Islam, there is no orthodoxy, there is no proclaiming that your faith is not mine - there is supposed to be no compulsion in religion.
This means that moderate Muslims can denounce the actions of radical Muslims, yet we cannot separate our faith. We cannot truly say, "those people are not Muslims" because no one has the authority to do so.
Now as a Muslim, a part of my identity is intertwined with the 1.5 billion other Muslims around the world. We are a brotherhood, but I'm also linked with the other 4.5 billion people who are not Muslims. We are all tied together. Whether we accept it or not. We are a large brotherhood of people with differing opinions and differing passions.
When we give terrorists a platform, we are giving into their demands. When we ask innocents to defend terrorists by accusing a faith followed by billions peacefully, we are giving into their demands and letting them control the conversation.
The death of any innocent must be met with outrage, but the aftermath cannot pigeonhole a large, global problem into a simple black or white decision.
Sunday, October 5, 2014
A true smile
Many of those I've spoken to, or heard speak using different media have remarked that they don't believe in God. It's becoming quite common. A response from many who follow different religious traditions is that religion brings with it ethical thoughts and behaviours, to which the common reply is to look at different interpretations of Islam around the world. Looking at it, the initial purpose of many religious traditions to my understanding was to bring about social reform and change and to encourage behaviours that are ethically rooted, however this is not the sole purpose of faith.
Human beings, when we are fortunate to have enough empathy and to reach a certain level of educational achievement tend to be intelligent enough to be able to differentiate right from wrong and to live relatively ethical lives. When civilizations develop enough, we are often able to consistently develop people who can consistently act in an ethical manner.
However, material well-being does not equate to happiness. I know many individuals who are materially very well-off, however they don't seem to be happy. They may be content with their lives, they may be satisfied with their position in life, but material well-being alone does not seem to consistently bring with it happiness. Gaining a great deal of material good brings a short rush of what seems to be happiness, but even that fades very quickly. When you finally get that new item you really, really wanted - it makes you "happy," but never for very long. Material goods are actually a bit like an addictive drug, the more you get, the more it takes for you to stay satisfied for the same amount of time.
Spiritual happiness is different. Spiritual happiness brings with it a sense of balance, a sense of true, deep, innate happiness. I believe the ultimate reason for religion and faith has always been to guide us to this happiness.
A true smile is a gift from God, a true smile cannot be taken away from someone for long. Conversely, the smile that forms due to material goods cannot last for long.
I pray all of us have a true smile on our lips at least once.
Human beings, when we are fortunate to have enough empathy and to reach a certain level of educational achievement tend to be intelligent enough to be able to differentiate right from wrong and to live relatively ethical lives. When civilizations develop enough, we are often able to consistently develop people who can consistently act in an ethical manner.
However, material well-being does not equate to happiness. I know many individuals who are materially very well-off, however they don't seem to be happy. They may be content with their lives, they may be satisfied with their position in life, but material well-being alone does not seem to consistently bring with it happiness. Gaining a great deal of material good brings a short rush of what seems to be happiness, but even that fades very quickly. When you finally get that new item you really, really wanted - it makes you "happy," but never for very long. Material goods are actually a bit like an addictive drug, the more you get, the more it takes for you to stay satisfied for the same amount of time.
Spiritual happiness is different. Spiritual happiness brings with it a sense of balance, a sense of true, deep, innate happiness. I believe the ultimate reason for religion and faith has always been to guide us to this happiness.
A true smile is a gift from God, a true smile cannot be taken away from someone for long. Conversely, the smile that forms due to material goods cannot last for long.
I pray all of us have a true smile on our lips at least once.
Sunday, September 21, 2014
What's in a name?
Names seem to have a great deal of significance in our lives. Particularly when given the responsibility and the honour of giving a name to a new individual, the consequences and importance of a name become apparent... but what is in a name?
When mankind was created, according to the Holy Qur'an 2:31 God did something, "and He taught Adam the names - all of them. Then He showed them to the angels and said, "inform Me of the names of these, if you are truthful.""
The angels then reply to the Creator in 2:32, "They said, "Exalted are You; we have no knowledge except what You haev taught us. Indeed, it is You who is the Knowing, the Wise.""
Finally, God goes on to say in 2:33, ""O Adam, inform them of their names." And when he had informed them of their names, He said, "Did I not tell you that I know the unseen [aspects] of the heavens and the earth? And I know what you reveal and what you have concealed.""
Names are how we identify ourselves, but that identity is an important aspect. Our sense of self is a very poignant gift of the Creator, one that He didn't even give to the angels. I would argue that although another entity or organism may be self-aware, it cannot hold a true identity without the ability to name itself.
What's in a name? Everything - our thoughts, our persona, our beliefs, our ideals. All of these are found within our names. Not in the actual name or in the meaning of the word or words by which others call us, but by the esoteric process of naming. I have many names, I can be called by many different terms and I respond to many terms of endearment as well as dislike, however I exist through having been named.
I think therefore I am, but I only think because there is an I.
When mankind was created, according to the Holy Qur'an 2:31 God did something, "and He taught Adam the names - all of them. Then He showed them to the angels and said, "inform Me of the names of these, if you are truthful.""
The angels then reply to the Creator in 2:32, "They said, "Exalted are You; we have no knowledge except what You haev taught us. Indeed, it is You who is the Knowing, the Wise.""
Finally, God goes on to say in 2:33, ""O Adam, inform them of their names." And when he had informed them of their names, He said, "Did I not tell you that I know the unseen [aspects] of the heavens and the earth? And I know what you reveal and what you have concealed.""
Names are how we identify ourselves, but that identity is an important aspect. Our sense of self is a very poignant gift of the Creator, one that He didn't even give to the angels. I would argue that although another entity or organism may be self-aware, it cannot hold a true identity without the ability to name itself.
What's in a name? Everything - our thoughts, our persona, our beliefs, our ideals. All of these are found within our names. Not in the actual name or in the meaning of the word or words by which others call us, but by the esoteric process of naming. I have many names, I can be called by many different terms and I respond to many terms of endearment as well as dislike, however I exist through having been named.
I think therefore I am, but I only think because there is an I.
Wednesday, July 30, 2014
Thy Will be Fulfilled
Rumi wrote a very interesting passage in his Masnavi about a conversation between 2 individuals, one of whom was a saintly person. It is presented here in slightly modified form for the purposes of this medium.
The saint had no possessions, in fact he had no friends and no living family either, yet he was very happy. He was asked why.
Now, when I got to this part, I was thinking in my head - I know why! He is happy because he finds satisfaction in his spiritual life. He must have God and the Angels to fill the place of family, friends, and when you have such company why would you need any possessions? I was right to a certain extent, yet I was also very wrong.
The saint in this story spoke of death, life, happiness and resignation. The crux of his message was one of love. If you love God enough, then His will is your only desire. If God wills that your entire family perishes, that must make a true lover happy, because nothing else matters.
It was a very unique and profound way of stating it. Nothing like what I had expected (Rumi's great at finding a path one wouldn't think of treading alone). The thought that one's desires and wishes can be sublimated to such a level that even what others would label a catastrophe brings joy. That, is deep love. Where the only joy one gains is from what happens... That is contentment.
No matter what happens to that individual, they can never be unhappy. The example of a blade of grass that bends with the wind comes to mind. That blade of grass is small, unobtrusive and does not break. At the end it isn't just belief in God that's important. It is belief in the workings of God, in the way the world is. It is joy in the face of the storm.
The saint had no possessions, in fact he had no friends and no living family either, yet he was very happy. He was asked why.
Now, when I got to this part, I was thinking in my head - I know why! He is happy because he finds satisfaction in his spiritual life. He must have God and the Angels to fill the place of family, friends, and when you have such company why would you need any possessions? I was right to a certain extent, yet I was also very wrong.
The saint in this story spoke of death, life, happiness and resignation. The crux of his message was one of love. If you love God enough, then His will is your only desire. If God wills that your entire family perishes, that must make a true lover happy, because nothing else matters.
It was a very unique and profound way of stating it. Nothing like what I had expected (Rumi's great at finding a path one wouldn't think of treading alone). The thought that one's desires and wishes can be sublimated to such a level that even what others would label a catastrophe brings joy. That, is deep love. Where the only joy one gains is from what happens... That is contentment.
No matter what happens to that individual, they can never be unhappy. The example of a blade of grass that bends with the wind comes to mind. That blade of grass is small, unobtrusive and does not break. At the end it isn't just belief in God that's important. It is belief in the workings of God, in the way the world is. It is joy in the face of the storm.
Friday, July 18, 2014
Here piggy piggy piggy...
I remember grade 5 very well. I was 10 years old, life was good - until we began our unit on pigs... gasp...
"Why do I need to learn about these animals?" was my first thought, this was quickly replaced by horror when I discovered we had to go on a field trip to a pig farm.
I argued with my teacher and told her that it was "against my religion." ... She responded with exasperation and told me that, "I'm not making you eat the pigs!" The field trip was mandatory, and to be honest I learned quite a bit that day.
Looking at it years later, it really brings to the forefront a prejudice that most Muslims and I would presume Jews and some Christian sects as well would hold - that pigs are a taboo animal. This taboo extends quite a ways into our lives, so much so that some predominantly Muslim countries have few or no porcine livestock at all. I've even heard many Muslims refer to pigs as "dirty animals," and other far worse things.
I've begun to think about this and to take exception to it.
I mean sure, eating and consuming pig flesh is forbidden in the holy Qur'an as well as the Old Testament, yet nowhere (to my knowledge and reading of it) does it state that pigs are evil, that they are creatures to be reviled. Rather, God has created this world, this entire universe and everything in it. That to me is a clear indicator that we should love pigs as a part of creation. When you love the Creator truly, you cannot help but love His creation. Every aspect of creation deserves unconditional love, particularly by a being called upon with the high title, "vicegerent of God on the Earth."
If we are to be worthy of this high title the Divine has given us, we must look past cultural taboos and interpretations and love even that which we feel we should not. Our prayers cannot be for our own sakes, or even our spiritual lives alone, I believe Mark Twain put it best when he wrote,
"But who prays for Satan? Who in eighteen centuries, has had the common humanity to pray for the one sinner that needed it most[...]?"
- Mark Twain's Autobiography
"Why do I need to learn about these animals?" was my first thought, this was quickly replaced by horror when I discovered we had to go on a field trip to a pig farm.
I argued with my teacher and told her that it was "against my religion." ... She responded with exasperation and told me that, "I'm not making you eat the pigs!" The field trip was mandatory, and to be honest I learned quite a bit that day.
Looking at it years later, it really brings to the forefront a prejudice that most Muslims and I would presume Jews and some Christian sects as well would hold - that pigs are a taboo animal. This taboo extends quite a ways into our lives, so much so that some predominantly Muslim countries have few or no porcine livestock at all. I've even heard many Muslims refer to pigs as "dirty animals," and other far worse things.
I've begun to think about this and to take exception to it.
I mean sure, eating and consuming pig flesh is forbidden in the holy Qur'an as well as the Old Testament, yet nowhere (to my knowledge and reading of it) does it state that pigs are evil, that they are creatures to be reviled. Rather, God has created this world, this entire universe and everything in it. That to me is a clear indicator that we should love pigs as a part of creation. When you love the Creator truly, you cannot help but love His creation. Every aspect of creation deserves unconditional love, particularly by a being called upon with the high title, "vicegerent of God on the Earth."
If we are to be worthy of this high title the Divine has given us, we must look past cultural taboos and interpretations and love even that which we feel we should not. Our prayers cannot be for our own sakes, or even our spiritual lives alone, I believe Mark Twain put it best when he wrote,
"But who prays for Satan? Who in eighteen centuries, has had the common humanity to pray for the one sinner that needed it most[...]?"
- Mark Twain's Autobiography
Sunday, June 22, 2014
The Mirror
Mirrors have a great deal of spiritual significance - at least metaphorically. Imam 'Aly ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him and his family) was once noted to have said that "remembrance of God (Zikr) is like polish for the heart." Why would we polish our hearts? So that we can reflect better.
The spiritual self is often compared to a mirror. The cleaner it is, the better the individual, the purer one is. However, there is another way of looking at the mirror of the self.
A mirror reflects an image. This image does not exist as substance or matter. Therefore, the internal aspect of a mirror is in it's non-existence. What a mirror reflects is non-existent. It is perceived, it reflects reality, but in and of itself, it does not have a being. If a mirror were to be focused upon emptiness, it would reflect only emptiness.
Our spiritual mirrors reflect our own selves, our own being is reflected in the mirror of the self. What happens when the self disappears? What happens when all we leave is the mirror?
Rumi argues in his Masnavi that since "Not-being is the mirror of Being, [...] a wise person would choose their own self to be Not-being (self-abnegation)." This would mean that Being would be displayed in that Not-being.
Complicated... What does this mean? Not-being in this sense would be to forego the self, when an individual ceases to be an individual, they are infused with the rest of creation. To quote, "Not-being and Defect, wherever they occur, are the mirrors of the Beauty of all beings. [...] Defects are the mirrors of the attributes of Beauty [...] because one contrary shows forth its contrary." Rumi is saying that no individual, no matter how pious is perfect. The belief in self-perfection is a path which leads to only pain.
When we understand that our existence and our faults are actually the reflection of the Divine things become more clear. Our faults, our defects, serve to mirror and showcase the attributes of the Divine. Our clear mirror, when it reflects only it's defects and not our own imaginary image is the closest we can get to understanding and "seeing" God. Only through examination of the unavoidable faults in each of us, do we have the opportunity to see the perfection of He Who has no faults. To get to this stage, we must first remove all the avoidable faults. We must cleanse the mirror, polish it's reflective surface and have it reflect... nothing.
Through the image of nothing, everything becomes clearer.
The spiritual self is often compared to a mirror. The cleaner it is, the better the individual, the purer one is. However, there is another way of looking at the mirror of the self.
A mirror reflects an image. This image does not exist as substance or matter. Therefore, the internal aspect of a mirror is in it's non-existence. What a mirror reflects is non-existent. It is perceived, it reflects reality, but in and of itself, it does not have a being. If a mirror were to be focused upon emptiness, it would reflect only emptiness.
Our spiritual mirrors reflect our own selves, our own being is reflected in the mirror of the self. What happens when the self disappears? What happens when all we leave is the mirror?
Rumi argues in his Masnavi that since "Not-being is the mirror of Being, [...] a wise person would choose their own self to be Not-being (self-abnegation)." This would mean that Being would be displayed in that Not-being.
Complicated... What does this mean? Not-being in this sense would be to forego the self, when an individual ceases to be an individual, they are infused with the rest of creation. To quote, "Not-being and Defect, wherever they occur, are the mirrors of the Beauty of all beings. [...] Defects are the mirrors of the attributes of Beauty [...] because one contrary shows forth its contrary." Rumi is saying that no individual, no matter how pious is perfect. The belief in self-perfection is a path which leads to only pain.
When we understand that our existence and our faults are actually the reflection of the Divine things become more clear. Our faults, our defects, serve to mirror and showcase the attributes of the Divine. Our clear mirror, when it reflects only it's defects and not our own imaginary image is the closest we can get to understanding and "seeing" God. Only through examination of the unavoidable faults in each of us, do we have the opportunity to see the perfection of He Who has no faults. To get to this stage, we must first remove all the avoidable faults. We must cleanse the mirror, polish it's reflective surface and have it reflect... nothing.
Through the image of nothing, everything becomes clearer.
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