sufism, suluk & spirituality
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Turning to God After All Else Has Failed Us
Isn’t it the height of bad faith if we turn to God only after everyone else, or after everything else, has failed us? Isn’t that trivialising God’s greatness that we’ve put Him last on our list? If so, will He still listen to my plea for help? Should I still turn to Him? Or will it be a case of: ‘The cheek of it!’? ♦ In… Continue reading
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The Path of Knowing, Doing & Becoming
Q. I’ve been following your talks and writings, on and off for about sixteen years now. You often mention the Islamic concept of knowing, doing & becoming, describing it as the “methodology of a Muslim” and a “blueprint for a believer.” It’s even the motto of your blog and the Jawziyyah Institute. I know you’ve explained… Continue reading
correctives & clarifications, fiqh & usul al-fiqh, salafism reconsidered, sufism, suluk & spirituality, theologybalanced Islam, hadith of Angel Gabriel explained, holistic Islam: iman islam ihsan, Islam is about being transformed, Islamic spirituality, manhaj of a Muslim, manhaj of Ahl al-Sunnah, moderate Islam, sound Islamic methodology, sufism is an Islamic science, the Jibreel hadith explained, three areas of Islam, three spheres of Islam: knowing doing becoming, where does tasawwuf fit in Islam? -
Should I Stop Making Dhikr If My Heart Isn’t In It?
‘I’m remembering Allah, but my heart’s not in it; what’s the point’ is a typical anguish for many of us? ‘When I make dhikr, my heart doesn’t have focus, it’s all over the place. Is there any use’ is another one? So should we stop making dhikr because out heart lacks focus on Allah; because there isn’t any hudur al-qalb… Continue reading
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Grief & Loss: On Putting Our Sorrows to Slow Slumber
The following was written for a close family, to help console them on the loss of their dear loved one.1 ♦ Many are the emotions that assail the heart, but grief, without doubt, is the hardest of all. The pain felt at the loss of a loved one awakens grief, yet seldom is much gained… Continue reading
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7 Rights of the Heart: What Are They?
Writing about the marvels of the human heart (‘aja’ib al-qalb), al-Ghazali states: ‘The honour and excellence of man, by which he outstrips all other creatures, is his ability for knowing God, transcendent is He. It is man’s beauty, perfection and glory in this world, and his provision and store in the world to come. He is… Continue reading
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Footprints on the Sands of Time 2
‘Modernity is simply our context,’ wrote Dr Sherman Jackson, ‘We must never allow it to become our excuse.’ As various global forces currently conspire against the call to Abrahamic monotheism, here are a few more Footprints exploring the nature of Islam, Muslims and modernity (the first set of Footprints can be read here): ♦ On humility: The mark of those who… Continue reading
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40 Day Spiritual Retreat: Does It Have a Basis in Islam?
In Islam, is there any significance to the period of forty days? Why do certain people insist on going into spiritual retreats for this length of time? Some allude to the verse: And when We appointed for Moses forty nights [Qur’an 2:51], saying that it points to the importance and justification of a forty day spiritual retreat. What,… Continue reading
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Time Waits for None: Reflections on Surat al-‘Asr
In one of the shortest chapters or surahs of the Qur’an, we read: By Time! Verily man is in [a state of] loss; except those who believe and perform righteous deeds, and enjoin one another to [follow] the truth, and enjoin one another to patience. [103:1-3] This chapter, or surah, is known as Surat al-‘Asr. I hope to… Continue reading