NB session this Saturday (1/28/12) will be at 4pm (PLEASE NOTE THE TIME) sharp. Please be on time. We will try to finish at Maghrib or a little after iA.
We will continue with Saying #1 about the calf of a camel from 2 weeks ago. Below is the email from Maulana Sekaleshfar.
--START COMMENTARY--
As a complement to the last session, two
points are to be discussed this week, inshallah. One is the delicate story that
demonstrates the significance of ‘breaking’ the self in order to stay away from
harm’s way and not to attract the enemy. Before that though, I would like to
discuss, very briefly, the fiqhi scenarios involved in voting for non-Muslim –
and therefore illegitimate – parties. Since non-Muslims possess a degree of
corruption (be it doctrinal, ethical or political – after all, even if they are
ethically pure people, the fact that they are not Muslims carries a degree of
corruption with it), according to explicit verses, such as 3:149 & 5:51,
voting for them would entail you strengthening a certain degree of corruption
and this strengthening is not allowed according to the shariah. However,
sometimes, there may be a case where the best interests and welfare of Muslims
(in that given country and/or throughout the world) would substantially and
significantly increase if one non-Muslim party were to be voted in rather than
the other(s). Assuming this substantial and significant increase of interests
is substantiated before the Muslim, he/she is allowed to vote. So sometimes,
there are two non-Muslim candidates to choose from (A and B) and voting A – in
contrast to B – will lead, according to you, to a substantial improvement to
the welfare of Muslims, here it would be unproblematic to vote. Sometimes,
however, irrespective of whether A or B comes into power, neither have a say in
how to run the country i.e. it’s the people behind the scenes who pull the
strings. Here one has to be careful; in such cases, however beautiful A or B’s
words seem, assuming you deem it probable that they will not acquire
independent power once in office, voting here will not be justified because it
is tantamount to the strengthening of illegitimate authority (but assuming the
aforementioned independence is substantiated before you, voting will be
unproblematic assuming the best interests of Muslims are taken into
consideration) – ponder over this difference carefully!
Returning
to chapter 18, before pointing to the exact story there are 1-2 significant
points that need to be raised and these points also can be found in chapter 18.
In 18:10, there is a supplication that is attributed to the Companions of the
Cave. The supplication reads: “Our Lord! Grant us, from Yourself, a mercy (raḥmah) and pave for us, in our affairs, a right course of action”.
These people of the Cave were very spiritual; most of them were ministers,
judges and men of authority who had given up all their power and status for
Allah’s cause. They are requesting to be granted a mercy from Allah (from
Himself – deliberate over this subtle point) so that their affairs be aligned
with the right course. This verse is speaking to us all; teaching us how to
want from Allah at such times! More importantly, to be granted this divine
mercy, Allah provides them with the key i.e. detachment from ‘other then
Allah’, that is from all else. On acquiring and incorporating this detachment,
divine mercy will be their share. See 18:16 where this key is referred to:
“when you have detached yourselves from them (i’tazal-tumūhum) and from what they submit to other
than Allah, then take refuge in the Cave. Your Lord will unfold His mercy for
you and He will pave ease for you in your affairs”. Detachment from ‘other than
Allah’ is the key to receiving divine mercy. This is the ultimate foundation
and scaffolding to spiritual wayfaring.
And
now the story...its part of the encounter between Moses and Khidr
(alayhimas-salām). The verses that concern us are 71 and 79:
“so
they made their way until they boarded the boat; he (Khidr) cracked (broke)
it.....” 18:71
“concerning
the boat, it belonged to some poor people who work on the sea; I wanted to make
it defective because approaching them
was a king seizing every ship (that was in good state) usurpingly” 18:79
Ibn Arabi suggests that maybe the boat
is esoterically referring to the self/soul (nafs) and that Moses (or us
as readers of the Quran) is/are commanded to make it (the self) defective so
that the enemy (the king) does not approach us for the wrong reasons i.e.
abusing the (material and spiritually) wealthy and healthy self for its
illegitimate purposes. Look how delicate the esoteric dimensions can be! It’s
not easy to incorporate within our own lives. 18:82 reads: “...this is the
interpretation of that over which you could not maintain patience”. It’s
difficult! One needs time and needs to practise and endeavour and struggle.
Spiritual growth is a function of undergoing burdens (see 90:4 & 84:6). The
key to being like the calf, therefore, is patience – patience of a high and
lofty degree.
To summarize then, avoid disclosure of
yourself to others and next time you purchase a car, house etc. think twice
about its consequences one day in the future. Also, recite that supplication
continuously during the day to that extent which is feasible (at least after
the salats) and try to accomplish its preliminary states i.e. being detached
from ‘other than Allah’.
--END COMMENTARY--
See you guys on Saturday!
Iltemas-e-dua.
JazakAllah Khair.
Political science is my field and since we talk about politics so often here is a reference I recommend:
ReplyDelete"An Islamic Perspective of Political Economy: The Views of (late) Muhammad Baqir al-Sadr" by T.M. Aziz, Visiting Scholar at the Center of Near Eastern Studies, UCLA:
http://www.al-islam.org/al-tawhid/politicaleconomy/
I hope you guys get a chance to read at least a part of it - let's share our thoughts in the next session!
As-wrh,
ReplyDeleteI will try to read it IA, if I can- not sure if I will be able to discuss in next session. The author is a master in his philosophical and Gnosticism thinking who has written "FIDAK"- that dazzles the highest ranking scholars of that time at the age of 9.
I really don't know what you all went over in discussion (spe. political wise), but from the moment I came in towards the end- hearing the story of Respected Khizar a.s and Kaleem-ullah a.s. we noticed three points as our biggest hurdle and misfortune as we've been enjoying the comfort since we been nurtured in a comatose way lacking our direct attention towards Him. The points are directly or indirectly related to each other and they are “lacking knowledge, utmost believe (in God's way) and complete satisfaction." Once one finds these qualities within him/herself, then will reach to the level where s/he enjoys the hidden bounties in salat and in each and every +ve task performed to get HIS attention.
The story tells us that since Respected Khizar a.s had complete knowledge, he was kept on doing the task he was suppose to (even making a whole in a boat and killing a person)with satisfaction and without any fear, question and discomfort. Whereas, Khaleem-ullah a.s asked questions every time - even though He was the "Oolul- azam Paighummber." There is nothing to disrespect about Moosa a.s (Nao-zo- billah Wa Nastaj-eero-billah) and Lord wouldn't have had it narrated in Quran, but for us to learn from it. There is a nuance in understanding this concept rightly.
We start pointing out others faults before feeling our black spots in our hearts. But we don't point out our mistakes. We don't hide other's sin but portraits our wrong doings as a +ve and good accomplishment. Our attraction towards materialistic world is due to those three qualities that we lack unfortunately. We have also shared this narration of one of the 14 stars “If you c someone doing a sin, don't call him sinner- You never know if he has repent and Merciful forgives him last night"
Therefore we should try to teach ourselves, clean and filter worldly desiring facts of “me, myself and I."
In respect to have a complete understanding of this, doesn't matter how old we are and when were we born, most of us or all of us are still novice because our eyes are open but our hearts are still numb. If you have notice our real-notion, thn you should get into motion. IA
Ws-wrh. Jazakum.