24 – Standing Vigil Over Myself
What can I practically do to inculcate beautiful character (akhlaq) by ensuring that my heart (qalb) does not fall prey to the selfish, evil and subtle snares of my lower-self (nafs)? How can I become more aware of what lurks within me? And how can I guard myself from character that the Divine despises? While knowledge of the science of purification of the heart and its practice is a gradual means to cleanse the heart, one method of Divine remembrance is of particular help in the struggle for a noble character. One of Allah’s Names is al-Raqib or the Ever-Watchful. Muraqabah is a word derived from the same root. Muraqabah, or Divine mindfulness or vigilance, is the effort to always be conscious of the watchfulness of the Divine over my senses (jawarih) and my heart (qalb). Allah states in the Qur’an: Verily, Allah is Ever-Watchful over all things. His watchfulness is constant and lasting. His knowledge encompasses me in every way. Not only does Allah watch over my words and deeds, but He is watchful over my inner states: my thoughts, emotions, feelings, drives, ideas – whether I am aware or unaware of them. Muraqabah is a very powerful form of Divine remembrance (dhikr). The essence of dhikr (Divine remembrance) is that we remember Allah with our hearts. The external forms of dhikr (Divine remembrance) are a means to generate an internal consciousness of Allah. Dhikr (remembrance) is meant to penetrate our hearts. The most powerful and transformational remembrance is dhikr of the heart. Though muraqabah (Divine mindfulness or vigilance), I will cleanse my heart. How? In addition to muraqabah being a blessed form of Divine remembrance, my awareness of the Divine’s watchfulness over me will make me more sensitive to what is happening inside me. When I know that Allah is watching my heart (qalb), I will become more uncomfortable with harbouring within me anything He does not love. The more sensitive I am, the swifter is my consciousness of the impulses within me. I will not allow them to grow, to gain momentum, to become stronger, to turn into word and action. I will sever them at the roots by not indulging them, by turning the gaze of my heart away from them. Muraqabah is a struggle. It does not come easy. It requires that we constantly strive to be aware of Allah’s watchfulness. And to re-set our consciousness when we forget. And while muraqabah (Divine mindfulness) begins with a rational and conceptual knowledge of Allah’s watchfulness, it is meant to deepen and become experiential. Muraqabah is a consciousness of the heart (qalb) and not the mind. I am meant to feel that Allah is watching me. His watchfulness produces a spiritual emotion in the heart (qalb) of awe and reverence. To coin an example: How would you feel when you know that a very noble, saintly person is watching you? We have all had that experience. We know how this feels; and we also know by experience what this does to naturally alter our behaviour in incredible ways. Similarly, how would we feel when we truly know that Allah, the Infinite in majesty and beauty is watching us. Allah – who possesses all the attributes of perfection. Allah – Who is Infinitely-Loving but has the power to hold us to account for our misdeeds. There is no inherent disconnect or contradiction between Islamic Spirituality and social or political activism. In fact, Islamic spirituality is not only relevant but essential to all forms of activism. This podcast with Shaykh Riad Saloojee will present a paradigm for a spiritually-inspired activism where activism achieves 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 will explore 1. The foundations of Islamic spirituality; 2. The spiritual ethos that is the basis of all activism; 3. The ailments of activism unhinged from spirituality; 4. The laws that govern activism; 5. The importance of "inner," spiritual activism for beneficial "outer" activism; 6. Vignettes from Prophetic activism; and 7. An application of how spirituality must inform true environmental activism. For more podcasts by SeekersGuidance, visit SeekersGuidance.org/podcasts . RESOURCES For more information, the following are the links for 8 videos, between 6-8 minutes, that detail the different facets of muraqabah: Aiming for Ihsan: The 101 of Muraqaba: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6RrM0iq-vw&index=1&list=PL1NafrfCDW9OTcppH6DsBqQIpnWk2XQX5 The Experience of Muraqabah: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqnAbqW-4Ns&index=2&list=PL1NafrfCDW9OTcppH6DsBqQIpnWk2XQX5 Cultivating a Relationship with Allah: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Cj_izVsyRI&index=3&list=PL1NafrfCDW9OTcppH6DsBqQIpnWk2XQX5 Focus, Concentration and Patience: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODvDOBFzLvs&index=4&list=PL1NafrfCDW9OTcppH6DsBqQIpnWk2XQX5 Dealing with Distractions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGLQI8uZsuM&index=5&list=PL1NafrfCDW9OTcppH6DsBqQIpnWk2XQX5 Making Muraqabah a Full-Time Effort: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lw9C-jceElU&index=6&list=PL1NafrfCDW9OTcppH6DsBqQIpnWk2XQX5 The Most Important Opportunity for Muraqabah: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZR2fxqpI2ts&list=PL1NafrfCDW9OTcppH6DsBqQIpnWk2XQX5&index=8 The Fruits of Salah: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnBDR1FvpOQ&list=PL1NafrfCDW9OTcppH6DsBqQIpnWk2XQX5&index=9
23 – Knowledge That Truly Empowers
In the next series of discussions, we will be looking at a number of means to help protect us, and our activism, from the ills within us. Today’s discussion concerns knowledge (‘ilm). Knowledge (‘ilm) is light. It is the energy that propels us to journey in nearness to the Divine. Allah is not worshipped with ignorance. Our Islamic tradition emphasizes knowledge. The Qur’an speaks abundantly about knowledge as do the Prophetic texts. And many of us have committed those texts to heart. But have we taken them to heart? We are told that seeking knowledge is mandatory upon the believer; that those who know cannot be compared with those who do not know; that Allah eases a path to Paradise for the one who seeks knowledge; and that Allah raises those who have knowledge in degrees of nearness to Him. Knowledge has different levels. The first level of knowledge that I must know are the essentials. Knowledge of the pillars of faith – of Allah, His Messengers, His angels, His Books, the Last Day of Judgement and the Divine Decree – inform me of the context and environment of my existence. These pillars provide me with my map of life. Without them, I will not understand my world or how to navigate within it. Then comes knowledge of the pillars of Islam: the testimony of faith (shahadah), prayer (salah), zakah, fasting (sawm) and pilgrimage (hajj). They are my response to the constants of the environment that I find myself in. Other knowledge is also obligatory. This includes the knowledge that I need to know depending on my circumstances. A social or political activist, for example, needs to know the Divine norms and guidelines that connect to his or her activism. Knowledge precedes action. What about knowledge of Islamic spirituality? How important is this knowledge for all Muslims, including the activist? Contrary to much popular perception, spirituality is not an optional field of study. Having a conscious awareness of the Divine (taqwa) that leads to obeying His commands and refraining from His prohibitions is mandatory. Hell is not an option for the believer. And what is necessary to attain something mandatory is mandatory itself. Therefore, knowledge of the diseases of the heart and the means to protect oneself from them is essential knowledge. Knowledge is to be lived. Our current paradigm of Islamic studies places a premium on knowing. Very little emphasis, if any, is placed on practicing what we know. But we don’t learn to learn. Knowledge is not an academic exploration. We learn to practice. To do. Knowledge without practice is neither empowering nor transformational. On the contrary, it is a path to self-delusion (ghurur) and arrogance (kibr). The Satan (Shaytan) was one of the most knowledgeable of all creation. But where did his knowledge take him? The Qur’an does not say that we will enter Paradise and be rewarded for our knowledge alone. Rather, it always couples those who believe and practice what they know. Knowledge does empower. But knowledge must be understood in a qualified sense: It must be the right knowledge; and it must be practiced. Only this knowledge is beneficial to us. We need a regular diet of this type of knowledge. The Messenger ﷺ prayed to Allah to protect him from knowledge that does not benefit and a heart that does have reverent awe of the Divine. From this subtle juxtaposition, we learn that not all knowledge empowers. But the right kind of knowledge does, indeed, empower us with a spiritual connection to the Infinite. There is no inherent disconnect or contradiction between Islamic Spirituality and social or political activism. In fact, Islamic spirituality is not only relevant but essential to all forms of activism. This podcast with Shaykh Riad Saloojee will present a paradigm for a spiritually-inspired activism where activism achieves 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 will explore 1. The foundations of Islamic spirituality; 2. The spiritual ethos that is the basis of all activism; 3. The ailments of activism unhinged from spirituality; 4. The laws that govern activism; 5. The importance of "inner," spiritual activism for beneficial "outer" activism; 6. Vignettes from Prophetic activism; and 7. An application of how spirituality must inform true environmental activism. For more podcasts by SeekersGuidance, visit SeekersGuidance.org/podcasts .
22 – Politics of the Veil
The greatest peril in our relationship with the Divine are the sins (dhunub) of the lower-self (nafs). Sins are transgressions against the Divine will. They are disobedience to Him in what He prescribes and proscribes. We don’t usually understand sins as having consequences. But they do. Regardless of their consequences, it be should be enough to us that when we commit a sin, we transgress against Allah’s infinite beauty and majesty. No sin is small in relation to the greatness of the One that we commit the sin against. And because most of us will not worship Allah for who He is, He tells about the consequences of our sins. The Messenger (ﷺ) teaches me that whenever I disobey Allah, a black spot forms on my heart. If I seek forgiveness and turn back to Him in repentance, that spot is removed. If I persist in my disobedience, another spot appears. And so on – until my entire heart (qalb) is covered and I am veiled. Is there a greater agony than being veiled from Allah, the Source of everything, the Owner of all peace, happiness and security? Apart from being veiled in the Afterlife from the Divine and subjected to His wrath, there are also different levels of punishment and veiling in this life as well. The consequences of sins (dhunub) in this life are multifold and numerous. Through study of Islam’s texts, our saintly scholars have enumerated many of the harms of sins. Those harms range from sadness; anxiety and worry; loss of internal energy; contraction of sustenance; spiritual blindness; loss of Divine facilitation in doing acts of worship; physical illnesses; an increased attachment to sin; delaying of repentance; and many other forms of punishment. Our teachers state that sins (dhunub) are perturbations in the web of our lives that ripple back to affect us – unless Allah forgives and erases their effects. The way we perceive the world, at all levels, is ultimately a reflection of what we are and what we do. Prophetic texts teach us that when we commit indecency, we are afflicted with ailments; when we withhold obligatory charity, we are afflicted with scarcity; when we commit economic injustice, we are afflicted with difficulty in our sustenance; when we violate the rights of others, we lose our security. At this deeper reality, our personal, familial, communal, social, economic and political realities are interconnected with our choices of adherence or rebellion to the norms of the Divine. As we mature spiritually and intellectually, this becomes clearer to us. We begin to slowly graduate from perceiving and experiencing the world through a materialistic lens. And as our experience of causality becomes liberated, wider, and more nuanced to include the spiritual realm, this will undoubtedly affect the way that we interact and act in our social and political engagement. We will place the highest premium on moral character: We will not pursue means that are illegitimate in the sight of the Divine; we will be more sensitive to our failings and shortcomings; and we will regularly turn to Allah in forgiveness and repentance. Every sin produces a ripple. Every ripple has an effect. The Muslim activist who is disobedient to the norms of the Divine is a negative energy to herself and produces injustice to others. To truly care for the world demands a better me. It demands a more sensitive emotional maturity and a perceptive spiritual intelligence that recognizes the interconnectedness of all things. There is no inherent disconnect or contradiction between Islamic Spirituality and social or political activism. In fact, Islamic spirituality is not only relevant but essential to all forms of activism. This podcast with Shaykh Riad Saloojee will present a paradigm for a spiritually-inspired activism where activism achieves 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 will explore 1. The foundations of Islamic spirituality; 2. The spiritual ethos that is the basis of all activism; 3. The ailments of activism unhinged from spirituality; 4. The laws that govern activism; 5. The importance of "inner," spiritual activism for beneficial "outer" activism; 6. Vignettes from Prophetic activism; and 7. An application of how spirituality must inform true environmental activism. For more podcasts by SeekersGuidance, visit SeekersGuidance.org/podcasts .
21 – Slips of the Tongue and Pen
The first step in purifying our hearts (qulub) is to become vigilant regarding the use of our senses. Our senses are the gates to our hearts (qulub). Whatever I allow through my senses and limbs will either beautify my heart or corrupt it. Indeed, the contents of my heart – my emotions, thoughts, ideas and will – are all the result of the choices I have made in the use of my senses. Our saintly scholars have specified seven important portals to the heart: the eyes, ears, tongue, hands, feet, stomach and sexual organs. The Divinely revealed texts mention them all. But specific mention is given to the tongue. In one tradition, the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) stated that if we guarantee him the purity of our tongue and private organs, he will guarantee us Paradise. The tongue has been singled out for mention because it is prolific in disobedience to the Divine. The tongue is responsible for lying, backbiting, slander, verbal abuse, vain speech, exaggeration, hypocrisy, false praise – and the list goes on and on. For this reason, the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) taught that the key to all good is to restrain the tongue. “Are people not cast into the Fire upon their faces due to the harvest of their tongues?” he asked. The word harvest could not be more appropriate. Words have tremendous consequences: hurt that never heals, marital discord, family conflict, social strain, political tensions, and even war. We take the tongue’s power very lightly. The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) warned that a person would say a word that he or she deems insignificant but will be thrown into the depths of Hell because of it. Controlling the tongue is a difficult and painful struggle. The intent of controlling the tongue is to learn how to talk in balance, to speak only what is beneficial and beloved to the Divine. The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) taught that one who believes in Allah should speak that which is good or remain silent. We live in a global society that emphasizes talking. We are taught to speak, express, promote our views, broadcast ourselves. We have innovated different media to encourage us to give free rein to our tongues. With an audience at the touch of our fingertips, we are encouraged to share the personal day-to-day minutiae of our lives with strangers. And to maintain our captive audience, we need to ensure that our tongues and pens keep generating interesting, engaging, risqué and even scandalous material. The Muslim activist is busy speaking, writing, communicating, commenting, critiquing, dialoguing and discussing. There is often little time for quietude and sincere evaluation of the quality and quantity of our words. Ultimately, every word of ours is recorded. And every word is an evidence. When it remains within the normative framework of Islamic values, it is for me; when it does not, it is against me. Knowing this, I must undertake a struggle (mujahadah) to watch what I say; not talking unnecessarily; not talking when my lower-self (nafs) demands to talk; treasuring my moments of silence; and making time for remembrance of Allah and reflection. I should never forget that the Beloved (peace and blessings be upon him) was the busiest man in history. He accomplished what no man or woman has ever accomplished, and what none will ever accomplish. Yet, he (peace and blessings be upon him) was described as having extended moments of silence. There is no inherent disconnect or contradiction between Islamic Spirituality and social or political activism. In fact, Islamic spirituality is not only relevant but essential to all forms of activism. This podcast with Shaykh Riad Saloojee will present a paradigm for a spiritually-inspired activism where activism achieves 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 will explore 1. The foundations of Islamic spirituality; 2. The spiritual ethos that is the basis of all activism; 3. The ailments of activism unhinged from spirituality; 4. The laws that govern activism; 5. The importance of "inner," spiritual activism for beneficial "outer" activism; 6. Vignettes from Prophetic activism; and 7. An application of how spirituality must inform true environmental activism. For more podcasts by SeekersGuidance, visit SeekersGuidance.org/podcasts .
20 – Idolizing the Means
Allah is the Cause of all causes, the Originator of means and ends. Nothing exists except by His will and power. This belief is a necessary truth of his Divine unicity (tawhid). We seek nearness to Him by surrendering to His prescriptions and proscriptions and actualizing them in our lives. This striving is our worship (‘ibadah). Without practical surrender, internally and externally, our protestations of Divine love are hollow and meaningless. Our striving is necessary. But it is not sufficient. Even as we strive, we must never lose sight of the fact that any change and movement, within us or in the world, are by His will alone. As a Prophetic text teaches: Whatever He wills, will be; and whatever He does not will, will never be. It is in our nature to forget this reality. As we observe the positive consequences of our striving, we begin to attribute those results to our effort. We perceive that we are the cause of the effect – especially when the effects are pleasing to us and come in quick succession. Through this perception and experience of cause and effect, our hearts (qulub) gradually attach to the instruments of my action and detach from their awareness of the One who created them. This leads me to construct an intrinsic and inherent power within those means. At a deeper, and truer level, this is akin to a type of worship of the means. An indicator of this disease within me is that I become very frustrated when I don’t achieve what I work for. I am so conditioned to the results following my effort that, when they do not, I wilt within: anger, anxiety, resentment, doubt in the Divine, and even depression. Were I unattached to the avenues of my action to begin with, I would have found tranquility whether the means produced their intended outcome or not. I would have found tranquility in the Divine, the Real, the Permanent, and not in the vicissitudes of the finite. In instances where I am blessed with talents and successes, and when I do not pay enough spiritual attention to the reality of the Divine will, I will attribute my talents and successes to my ability. This is the disease of self-admiration or vainglory (‘ujb). I become infatuated with myself, self-centred and veiled from the Giver of the bounties Himself. No matter what my accomplishments are, I am and will always be in a state of destitution to the Divine. My reality is utter poverty on two counts: First, my essence before my creation was non-being; and second, I am in need of Divine sustenance in every moment of my existence. If such sustenance were withdrawn, even momentarily, I would lapse, once again, into nothingness. Incidental characteristics – good health, wealth, intelligence and status, for example – do not alter my original reality of poverty. Those conditions are merely temporary. They will pass; they cannot endure. Tests and trials, as we are reminded by our saintly scholars, are there to remind me of my essential poverty and indigence to the Divine. While we often conceive of trials as occasions of terrible want and constriction, it is the subtle trials of plenty and sufficiency that often pose more serious challenges. And while we often conceive of trials as occasions of terrible material, social and political challenge, it is often the subtle trials of intellectual and spiritual challenges that are more dangerous to one’s faith. Islamophobia is a challenge, for sure. But have I ever considered the certain, toxic effects of a spiritual disease such as self-admiration (‘ujb) – a disease that veils me from true, spiritual happiness and freedom? And, if this is so – and it is – should the activist not devote at least as much energy to freeing herself from inner injustices to the Divine even as she strives to free others from outer inequities? There is no inherent disconnect or contradiction between Islamic Spirituality and social or political activism. In fact, Islamic spirituality is not only relevant but essential to all forms of activism. This podcast with Shaykh Riad Saloojee will present a paradigm for spiritually-inspired activism where activism achieves 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 will explore 1. The foundations of Islamic spirituality; 2. The spiritual ethos that is the basis of all activism; 3. The ailments of activism unhinged from spirituality; 4. The laws that govern activism; 5. The importance of "inner," spiritual activism for beneficial "outer" activism; 6. Vignettes from Prophetic activism; and 7. An application of how spirituality must inform true environmental activism. For more podcasts by SeekersGuidance, visit SeekersGuidance.org/podcasts.
19 – The Making of a Megalomaniac
Pride and arrogance (kibr) were Shaytan’s cardinal sin. In fact, his pride and arrogance caused him to become Shaytan – the one damned and distant from the Divine. A profound lesson for each of us is that Shaytan became Shaytan because of his lower self (nafs). This is itself an evidence and proof that our foremost danger resides within us. A further potent lesson for each of us is that Shaytan was very near to the Divine. He had deep, experiential knowledge of Allah and spent company with the noblest of angels. But even with all of this, he fell from grace to become the most bases and despised of all creation. While it was his act of disobedience that led to his downfall – he rejected the Divine command – the source of his folly was not the act itself. His lower self (nafs) was filled with pride and arrogance (kibr). When commanded to prostrate to Adam, his lower self (nafs) did not permit him to obey Allah. Pride (kibr) is a terrible, cardinal sin. It is to deem oneself superior to others and to deny the truth. The Messenger (Allah’s choicest peace and blessings be upon him) taught us that one with a mustard seed’s worth of pride would not enter Paradise. It was the pride (kibr) of the Shaytan that caused him to rationalize the Divine command in an irrational way. He posited that he was better than Adam (peace be upon him) because of their differing material make-up. His reasoning was flawed and flowed from the ideological caprice (hawa) of his lower self (nafs). As we learned previously, the existence of ideological caprice (hawa) makes it very difficult to recognize our faults because we believe ourselves to be correct. And because of this, our intellectual caprice (hawa) is a very malignant barrier to repentance (tawbah). This idea of rejection of truth is central to understanding the illogic of pride (kibr). A person with pride and arrogance (kibr) finds it very difficult to accept their faults, receive advice or have anyone disagree with them. When truth is presented to them, they rebel, deem themselves faultless and attribute fault to others. In the field of activism, our lower selves (nufus) are often fed at different levels by status, leadership, praise and prestige. This forges a sense of inner privilege and elitism – even at the most grassroots level of activism. We start to ringfence our selves; we avoid those who are critical of us and sidestep those who counsel us. After a while, the Muslim community, and those we serve, are seen to be too retrograde for our “progressive” vision. We insulate and isolate ourselves from people of knowledge and our teachers. In a revealing statement, the Messenger (Allah’s choicest peace and blessings be upon him) noted that leadership and power is a “wonderful suckler and a terrible weaner.” If I choose not to live within the sphere of the purification of my lower self (tazkiya), the disease of pride (kibr) in my heart (qalb) is a given. No matter how bleak it looks on the outside, I should never forget that the fall from grace begins from within. There is no inherent disconnect or contradiction between Islamic Spirituality and social or political activism. In fact, Islamic spirituality is not only relevant but essential to all forms of activism. This podcast with Shaykh Riad Saloojee will present a paradigm for a spiritually-inspired activism where activism achieves 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 will explore 1. The foundations of Islamic spirituality; 2. The spiritual ethos that is the basis of all activism; 3. The ailments of activism unhinged from spirituality; 4. The laws that govern activism; 5. The importance of "inner," spiritual activism for beneficial "outer" activism; 6. Vignettes from Prophetic activism; and 7. An application of how spirituality must inform true environmental activism. For more podcasts by SeekersGuidance, visit SeekersGuidance.org/podcasts .
18 – A Heart Co-opted
To associate partners or equals with the Divine (shirk) is the antithesis of Divine unicity (tawhid). This association is the sin of all sins, the ultimate criminality. It is the unforgivable sin in the sight of the Divine. It is unforgivable because it is the pinnacle of ingratitude: a denial of the source of your existence and every virtue and grace. Moreover, it is a pronouncement to the cosmos and every existent thing that their existence is vain, purposeless and useless. Ostentation or show-off (riya’) is termed by the Messenger (Allah’s choicest peace and salutations be upon him) as the minor association (al-shirk al-asghar). Ostentation (riya’) is forgivable. But it is included within the rubric of Divine rejection to indicate the severity of its disease. Ostentation (riya’) is when the heart (qalb) harbours an ulterior motive in its act of nearness to the Divine. That is, to seek a benefit from other than the Divine through worship. Such benefit could be material or non-material like status, prestige and power. Ostentation (riya’) uses faith for finite gain. Ostentation (riya’) is the opposite of sincerity and truthfulness (ikhlas and sidq). It is termed the minor association to indicate its subtlety. The Messenger (Allah’s choicest peace and salutations be upon him) stated that ostentation (riya’) was the greatest thing that he feared for Muslims, and that it was more imperceptible than “the crawling of an ant.” Ostentation (riya’) has every relevance for our activism. As we have learned, there is no dichotomy between spirituality and activism. For the true Muslim activist, activism is a spiritual activity – an act of worship (‘ibadah) to draw nearer to the Divine by living and projecting His Names and Attributes into the public realm. Any venture into the public space usually brings me face-to-face with the challenges of power, influence, acclaim, recognition, praise, leadership, resources, competition, agenda-setting, networking, coalitions. And it is utterly inadequate to advise me to simply “fix my intentions” or “be sincere,” as though the act of continually re-orienting to the Divine in the face of such tremendous inner challenges could be accomplished by the reprise of a phrase. No. As we have seen, without a process of inner purification (tazkiya), the lower self (nafs) will simply imprint its own inclinations onto our heart (qalb) and its will. Without care and attention to the root causes of the nafs’ attachments, I will get nowhere fast. Here, the activist who genuinely wants to seek the Divine cannot but pause in fear. The spiritual taint of ostentation (riya’) nullifies or defiles good works because they are directed to other than the Divine. Whatever might be ventured, nothing is gained. I’ve only travelled backwards, away from the Divine. What good is the sweat, blood and tears if, in the end, I have only ruined my soul and gained nothing of Divine nearness? And this is far from being a call to non-action, as some might perceive it or want to perceive it. It is rather a call to action. We have already established the importance and nobility of a spiritual activism. We cannot afford to chart a path in our activism that does not grant an essential primacy to the purification of our selves (tazkiya) and the cultivation of beautiful character (akhlaq). For in the end, the essential value of everything we do, big or bantam, rests only on the answer to a single, simple question: Did my heart (qalb) do it truly for Him? There is no inherent disconnect or contradiction between Islamic Spirituality and social or political activism. In fact, Islamic spirituality is not only relevant but essential to all forms of activism. This podcast with Shaykh Riad Saloojee will present a paradigm for a spiritually-inspired activism where activism achieves 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 will explore 1. The foundations of Islamic spirituality; 2. The spiritual ethos that is the basis of all activism; 3. The ailments of activism unhinged from spirituality; 4. The laws that govern activism; 5. The importance of "inner," spiritual activism for beneficial "outer" activism; 6. Vignettes from Prophetic activism; and 7. An application of how spirituality must inform true environmental activism. For more podcasts by SeekersGuidance, visit SeekersGuidance.org/podcasts .
17 – A Constitution Corrupted
All good comes from remembrance (dhikr) of the Divine and all harm comes from heedlessness (ghaflah). Heedlessness or negligence in remembering the Divine (ghaflah) is the polar opposite of Divine remembrance (dhikr). Heedlessness (ghaflah) is anytime that I am not remembering the Divine. It is the root of all harm because when I am in heedlessness (ghaflah), I am distancing myself from the source of infinite good and benefit. The origin of every disobedience to the Divine, every sin, and every evil inner trait (khuluq) is heedlessness (ghaflah). For if I truly remembered the Divine with my heart (qalb), how could I transgress against His wishes; if I truly remembered the Divine, how could I adorn my inner reality with those traits that He does not love? The grave consequences of heedlessness (ghaflah) should never be discounted in any way. It is for this reason that Allah commands us to be in abundant, constant Divine remembrance (dhikr). The commandment to engage in Divine remembrance (dhikr) is always coupled with the adjective, ‘plentiful’ or ‘abundant.’ Furthermore Divine remembrance (dhikr) is always highly recommended, without any restriction of time, place or occasion. Life is a struggle against heedlessness (ghaflah). And the avenues of Divine remembrance (dhikr) are diverse and themselves plentiful and abundant: reciting the Qur’an, prayer (salah), sending peace upon the Messenger (Allah’s choicest peace and salutations be upon him) (salawat), supplication (du‘a), reflection, Divine mindfulness (muraqabah), charity (sadaqah), forgiveness and other virtues, as well as the many untold actions of the senses that seek the pleasure of the Divine. Heedlessness (ghaflah) affects the spiritual heart (qalb) and its functions. As we discussed earlier, the heart (qalb) is created to perceive truths, experience them and seek them. It was created to know, experience and resolve to seek the Divine. Anytime that I am in heedlessness (ghaflah), I will be unable to perceive truth clearly, experience it, and act to follow it. And my activism will be affected accordingly. At another level, which we have also discussed, the distance from the Divine will only empower my lower self (nafs), which will then lead my words and actions through its carnal appetites (shahawat) and ideological inclinations (ahwa’). I will not lead my nafs but be led by it. And my activism will again be affected accordingly. The seeds that generate our heedlessness (ghaflah) are the sundry attachments of our lower selves (nufus) that are enabled by certain environments and company. Without doubt, I will take on the ethical or unethical characteristics of my environment and friends. I am not spiritually immune to the influences around me. Little by little, my inner moral reality will begin to conform to my outer moral stimuli. Why else does the Divine exhort us in the Qur’an to “seek the company of the truthful?” (Qur’an 9:119). The verse indicates that the cultivation of outer and inner sincerity is attained through being with those that have acquired these spiritual states. And why does the Divine further exhort us to not follow “one whose heart is heedless of Our remembrance” for their “affairs will be excessive.” (Qur’an: 18:28). If we do not guard ourselves against heedlessness (ghaflah) in our activism and do not pay attention to the company and environments that we subject ourselves to, we will empower the inclinations of our lower self (nafs) and, after a period of time, the moral constants that we so firmly recognized will become grey and greyer until they are ultimately whitewashed unrecognizably. A constitution corrupted. “You who have attained faith, remember Allah abundantly.” There is no inherent disconnect or contradiction between Islamic Spirituality and social or political activism. In fact, Islamic spirituality is not only relevant but essential to all forms of activism. This podcast with Shaykh Riad Saloojee will present a paradigm for a spiritually-inspired activism where activism achieves 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 will explore 1. The foundations of Islamic spirituality; 2. The spiritual ethos that is the basis of all activism; 3. The ailments of activism unhinged from spirituality; 4. The laws that govern activism; 5. The importance of "inner," spiritual activism for beneficial "outer" activism; 6. Vignettes from Prophetic activism; and 7. An application of how spirituality must inform true environmental activism. For more podcasts by SeekersGuidance, visit SeekersGuidance.org/podcasts.
16 – Falling from Grace: Virtue to Vice
The inner image of the heart (qalb) is its character, or khuluq. Evil character (khuluq) is due to the impact and stranglehold of the lower self (nafs) upon the heart and its lack of refinement and reformation. As this stage, it would be useful to enumerate some of the cardinal vices of the lower self (nafs) in juxtaposition to the virtues that are inculcated when the lower self (nafs) is in a state of balance. Ostentation or showing-off (riya) is the opposite of sincerity (ikhlas). Ostentation (riya) is to seek the pleasure of other than the Divine in worship. It is termed the minor association, or shirk, with the Divine for this reason. Lying (kadhib) is the opposite of truthfulness (sidq). Treachery (khiyana) is the opposite of trustworthiness (amana). Pride (kibr) is the opposite of humbleness (tawadu’). Pride is when one deems oneself better than others and rejects the truth when exposed to him or her. Delusion (ghurur) is when one thinks that he or she possesses a quality or attribute that they do not have. It is the opposite to seeing one’s reality as it is. Self-aggrandizement (‘ujb) is when one possesses a quality or attribute but deems that to his own talent and efforts. It is opposite to attributing that quality to Allah. Vulgarity and lack of modesty (badha’a) is the opposite of modesty (haya’). Vulgarity is a lack of spiritual sensitivity to the Divine and to His creation. Heedlessness (ghafla) is the opposite of being in a state of remembrance (dhikr) of the Divine. Ignorance (jahl) is the opposite of knowledge (‘ilm). Miserliness (bukl) is the opposite of magnanimity (karam). Rancour and malice (ghill) is the opposite of having a heart freed from such emotions. Covetousness (tama’) is the opposite of contentment (qana’a). Love and attachment to the world (hubb al-dunya) is the opposite of abstinence and spiritual ascetism (zuhd). Haste (‘Ajala) is the opposite of deliberation (ta’anni). Anger (ghadab) is the opposite of forbearance (hilm). Doubt (shakk) is the opposite of certainty (yaqin). Injustice (dhulm) is the opposite of justice (‘adl/qist). Laziness (kasl) is the opposite of resolution and striving (mujada). These vices are only a sampling. There are others. However, they give examples of spiritual ailments that stem from the lower self’s (nafs) primary inclinations of carnal desire (shahwa) and intellectual caprice (hawa). They further illustrate the subtlety of the many diseases of the lower self and the essential importance of purifying it. And, lastly, for our specific purpose, they provide a bridge into how these ailments are projected upon our activism rendering our actions unjust, unwise, vainglorious, hasty, spiteful, false, treacherous, dubious – and the list goes on. The activism of the activist must make him or her a key to virtue and a lock to vice. But if I am ignorant of the vices within me and negligent in changing them, I will become a lock to virtue and key to vice – all the while preaching a gospel of productive and progressive change. There is no inherent disconnect or contradiction between Islamic Spirituality and social or political activism. In fact, Islamic spirituality is not only relevant but essential to all forms of activism. This podcast with Shaykh Riad Saloojee will present a paradigm for a spiritually-inspired activism where activism achieves 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 will explore 1. The foundations of Islamic spirituality; 2. The spiritual ethos that is the basis of all activism; 3. The ailments of activism unhinged from spirituality; 4. The laws that govern activism; 5. The importance of "inner," spiritual activism for beneficial "outer" activism; 6. Vignettes from Prophetic activism; and 7. An application of how spirituality must inform true environmental activism. For more podcasts by SeekersGuidance, visit SeekersGuidance.org/podcasts .
15 – The Enemy Outposts in Your Head
We have established the foundations for Islamic spirituality and saw how that spirituality may be projected upon the realm of activism through a deeper understanding of the concept of vicegerency (khilafa) and its realization of the Divine Names and Attributes. Continuing along this line of inquiry, we enter a new field of discussion: the ailments of activism. Our method thus far has been to examine everything at its first-principle level. To understand activism, we needed to understand Islamic spirituality; to understand Islamic spirituality, we needed to wrap our minds around the material and non-material dimensions of the human identity – in particular an examination of the lower self (nafs); and now, to explore the ailments of the lower self (nafs), we need to understand their root causes. Understanding the root inclinations of the lower self (nafs) will allow us to understand its ailments and to more profoundly appreciate the perils and pitfalls of activism. The lower self (nafs) has two core inclinations: shahwa, its carnal desires, and hawa, its intellectual, philosophical and ideological caprice. These two drives define the lower self. Carnal desires (shahwa) are just that. They are the physical drives within us that arise within the lower self (nafs) due to our material existence and connection to the world. They are the drives of eating, sleeping, sensual pleasure and others. Some of these desires are permissible, even obligatory, others recommended, others reprehensible, and yet others forbidden. We are discussing more essentially the latter, that is, those forbidden and prohibited. Our intellectual, philosophical and ideological drives (hawa) are those inclinations within the lower self (nafs) that run counter to the Divine will, expressed in the Divine communication of wahi, in the Qur’an and the teachings of the Messenger (Allah’s choicest peace and salutations be upon him). Whenever I hold a view, idea, notion, philosophy or intellectual inclination that is contrary to the Divine will, this is hawa and the inclination of my lower self (nafs). This inclination is neither in reality rational nor spiritual. It is only an expression of the propensity of a lower self (nafs) yet to be refined or reformed. And I must know this. Both desires of the lower self (nafs) are deadly to my material and spiritual existence. They are impediments to my journey to the Divine. They are obstacles to the achievement of the true freedom of the heart (qalb) and its happiness. Both drives are precisely what the purification (tazkiya) of the lower self (nafs) is meant to cleanse. Of the two, the deadlier is hawa, or intellectual caprice. Why? For many reasons. It is more subtle, more difficult to detect, easier to rationalize away, and at many times the justification and perpetuation of the shawha or carnal desire itself. For example, reasoning and believing the imbibing of intoxicants to be beneficial justifies its perpetuation and therefore its harms, makes one blind to reject any valid counter-arguments, veils one from being self-critical and renders the possibility of remorse and repentance very difficult. It is through the gates of one and both of these drives that other spiritual ailments find their expression. The practice of gluttony and licentiousness, for example, are driven by carnal desires (shahawat); pride and self-aggrandizement, on the other hand, come from intellectual caprice (hawa). From this basis, we can now begin to speak with greater depth about some spiritual ailments that are the bane of our activism – surreptitiously, and most often unbeknownst to us. As someone once noted: You cannot fight an enemy that has an outpost in your head. But, more precisely for our purpose – heart. There is no inherent disconnect or contradiction between Islamic Spirituality and social or political activism. In fact, Islamic spirituality is not only relevant but essential to all forms of activism. This podcast with Shaykh Riad Saloojee will present a paradigm for a spiritually-inspired activism where activism achieves 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 will explore 1. The foundations of Islamic spirituality; 2. The spiritual ethos that is the basis of all activism; 3. The ailments of activism unhinged from spirituality; 4. The laws that govern activism; 5. The importance of "inner," spiritual activism for beneficial "outer" activism; 6. Vignettes from Prophetic activism; and 7. An application of how spirituality must inform true environmental activism. For more podcasts by SeekersGuidance, visit SeekersGuidance.org/podcasts .
14 – Tranquility in the Tornado
The Divine is al-Wakil, The Trustee, the Advocate, the Disposer of Affairs. When we choose a trustee to oversee our affairs, we naturally select someone who best represents our interests, who truly advocates on our behalf, who disposes our affairs in the most suitable and beneficial manner. Through these meanings, we can understand that the Divine is the only true means by which we can secure every dimension of our welfare. Why? Allah created us, understands our every need, at every level – material, emotional, physical, spiritual, psychological and more – and is capable of the subtle complexity of realizing those needs in the right balance, in the right way. Only He can truly fulfil what we need. For He is what we truly need. From this Divine Name, we appreciate the necessity to rely upon Him as our Trustee and to attain a state of tawakkul or reliance upon Him. There is no contradiction, as I might be tempted to think at this point, between my reliance upon the Divine (tawakkul) and my striving and struggle. The essential reason for this is straightforward: My reliance upon Him is an inner state of my heart (qalb). I have been tasked to worship the Divine through work, seeking, earning. My worship of the Divine (‘ubudiyyah) necessitates struggle and striving. I cannot realize His worship (‘ubudiyyah) with misplaced passivity. But while I strive and struggle, I must know – and this is the key – that He is the ultimate disposer of everything; that the means and ends are His creation; that nothing is attained without His will; and that nothing is thwarted except by His will. I need to free myself from the worship of other than Him. Thus, I must liberate myself from relying upon creation which includes, as a subset, me – my power, ability, talents – and also includes the various means and avenues that I rely upon to accomplish my aims, whether material or other human resources. I must work diligently but my heart must rest in the experiential knowledge that He is in control, has always been in the control, will always be in control. What comes, comes by Him, when and how He decides; what does not come, does not come by Him as well, for a wisdom that He knows. The realization of this Divine Name confers peace of mind and peace of heart. Without it, I would have traded the security and surety of permanence for impermanence. I will build the foundation of my existence on the created ephemeral and my world will shake, rattle and roll as the ephemeral is always in flux. Inner tranquility will always be elusive. Without truly infusing this virtue into our hearts, our activism will not be guided and garlanded by the security and safety of the Divine. Attached to what are ultimately only created means, we will find no anchor. When stormy seas come – and they will come, for that is the nature of world – we will be in tumult within, lurching from failed ‘god’ to failed ‘god,’ unable to navigate with clarity and vision. With this name, we conclude our discussion on how we can connect spirituality to activism through realizing the Divine Names and Attributes at our human level, becoming the representative of the Divine (khalifa) and then projecting those meanings upon the social realm. We cannot discuss every Divine Name. The few that we have discussed are a sufficient sample to allow us to extend our spiritual imagination regarding the application of other Divine Names in the field of activism. In the next series, we will examine the inverse of these values and how they are the inner ailments of activism. There is no inherent disconnect or contradiction between Islamic Spirituality and social or political activism. In fact, Islamic spirituality is not only relevant but essential to all forms of activism. This podcast with Shaykh Riad Saloojee will present a paradigm for a spiritually-inspired activism where activism achieves 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 will explore 1. The foundations of Islamic spirituality; 2. The spiritual ethos that is the basis of all activism; 3. The ailments of activism unhinged from spirituality; 4. The laws that govern activism; 5. The importance of "inner," spiritual activism for beneficial "outer" activism; 6. Vignettes from Prophetic activism; and 7. An application of how spirituality must inform true environmental activism. For more podcasts by SeekersGuidance, visit SeekersGuidance.org/podcasts.
13 – With the Patience of a Saint
Yet another Divine Name representing Divine beauty is al-Sabur, the Patient. To emphasize the magnitude of the quality of patience at the Divine level, the name is formed on an intensive Arabic morphological scale: the Divine is al-Sabur and not merely al-Sabir. In relation to the Divine, this name informs us that Allah chooses not to react immediately in meeting out consequences when His norms of justice and equity have been transgressed and violated. If He did, Divine justice would obliterate us all. The Qur’an states: If Allah punished humankind for their injustice, He would not have left any creature on earth (16:61). The Divine grants respite but does not forget. As human beings, we are meant to adorn our characters with this attribute of Divine beauty. Indeed, patience is one of the most exhorted and repeated virtues in the Qur’an, mentioned over 90 times. Why this tremendous emphasis? Well, as we have learned, the purpose of Islamic spirituality is the reformation and purification of the lower self (nafs) to free the heart (qalb) and allow it to experience, desire and strive for the Divine – to find its true liberation and happiness. Patience is an essential virtue in this quest. To struggle against the inclinations of the lower self (nafs), demands patience, as does the acquisition of every other virtuous characteristic. There is no truthfulness, generosity, forbearance, justice and wisdom, for example, without patience. In summary then, one could define patience as our struggle in enduring what the lower self (nafs) finds displeasing and difficult. There are three types of patience: patience in performing the prescribed and beneficial; in refraining from the prohibited and harmful; and in accepting the Divine decrees of trials and tribulations. And this encompasses all of life itself. Perhaps this is why the reward of patience is so momentous: It is a secret, unseen worship of the heart. The Divine states that the patient will have their reward without measure (39:10). Without patience, we will never realize our purpose of existence, the vicegerency (khilafa) of the Divine. We will be unable to inculcate the Divine Names and Attributes at our human level and project those in our dealings with creation. To the degree that I lack patience is the degree to which I will fall short in being a true representative of the Divine. The implications of the presence of patience or its deficiency in the field of activism are clear and rational. How can I remain true to my values and principles, enjoining what is virtuous and beneficial without practicing patience? How can I summon the internal strength to remain distant from that which is injurious and unethical without patience? And how can I respond to the numerous pressures, externally and internally, with elegance and grace without patience? I can’t and won’t. Without patience, I am reactionary, hasty, haphazard; preferring my petty politics over principle, preferring what is immediate and short-sighted; and giving priority to the sympathies and antipathies of my lower self (nafs) over the unity and stability of the collective good. How often is my impatient activism really simply a tantrum to realize the childish demands of my lower self (nafs) – now, now, now. There is no inherent disconnect or contradiction between Islamic Spirituality and social or political activism. In fact, Islamic spirituality is not only relevant but essential to all forms of activism. This podcast with Shaykh Riad Saloojee will present a paradigm for a spiritually-inspired activism where activism achieves 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 will explore 1. The foundations of Islamic spirituality; 2. The spiritual ethos that is the basis of all activism; 3. The ailments of activism unhinged from spirituality; 4. The laws that govern activism; 5. The importance of "inner," spiritual activism for beneficial "outer" activism; 6. Vignettes from Prophetic activism; and 7. An application of how spirituality must inform true environmental activism. For more podcasts by SeekersGuidance, visit SeekersGuidance.org/podcasts.
03 – The Me in the Mirror (rebroadcast)
TOPIC ONE - UNDERSTANDING ACTIVE SPIRITUALITY 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 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: 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); 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.”); 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). The angelic self – the lower self (nafs) that finds its contentment in the remembrance and worship of the Divine. 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 moulded 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. 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. There is no inherent disconnect or contradiction between Islamic Spirituality and social or political activism. In fact, Islamic spirituality is not only relevant but essential to all forms of activism. This podcast with Shaykh Riad Saloojee will present a paradigm for a spiritually-inspired activism where activism achieves 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 will explore 1. The foundations of Islamic spirituality; 2. The spiritual ethos that is the basis of all activism; 3. The ailments of activism unhinged from spirituality; 4. The laws that govern activism; 5. The importance of "inner," spiritual activism for beneficial "outer" activism; 6. Vignettes from Prophetic activism; and 7. An application of how spirituality must inform true environmental activism. For more podcasts by SeekersGuidance, visit SeekersGuidance.org/podcasts.
02 – A Bleeding Heart (rebroadcast)
TOPIC ONE - UNDERSTANDING ACTIVE SPIRITUALITY The first frontier lies within. Before we can interpret or attempt to change our outer world, we must first understand our inner world. Why do I exist? Who am I? What is the meaning of life and what is my place and responsibility in it? If we do not answer these essential existential questions, we run the risk of acting in discord with ourselves and worse – creating discord in the very environment we seek to change for the better through our activism. Any foundational understanding of Islamic spirituality begins with a discussion of the heart (qalb). The heart (qalb) is our most precious gift from the Divine. It is the fountainhead of our spirituality. The heart is the locus of all our normative cognition and judgement – right and wrong, ethical and unethical, good and bad. Second, it the seat of emotional experience – love, hate, hope, fear, gratitude and others. And third, it is the reservoir of will and resolve, volition and striving. The heart (qalb) was created to grace us with the opportunity to connect with the Divine, the infinite in Majesty and Beauty. Through the heart, we are able to know the Divine, experience the Divine and desire to seek the Divine. And since the Divine is the source of all virtue, the heart (qalb) is the compass by which we perceive virtue, experience it and strive to actualize it. These three functions of the heart (qalb) illustrate its primacy in every endeavour. Allah says, “It is not the eyes that are blind, but the hearts in the chest (22:46),” and the Messenger (sallallaho ‘alayhi wa sallam) told us of an organ, the heart, which if rectified, the entire body would be rectified; and which, if corrupted, the entire body would be corrupted (Bukhari). The first link between spirituality and activism should now be obvious. It is the spiritual heart that is the birthplace of all words, deeds and all activism. If our hearts are clouded, veiled or obscured from the Divine, how will we know virtue and vice, in a world where virtue and vice is often inverted, and where vice is frequently ribbon-wrapped in the attractive garb of good; how will our hearts find their inner tranquility and contentment by connecting to the Divine in the midst of the struggles and strivings in our activism; and how will we find the resolve and inner strength to act ethically and virtuously in the face of pressures and challenges. We will not be able to stand whole and true. We will shatter from within. A heart distant from the Divine will perceive truth as falsity and falsity as truth. It will incline not to justice but to obvious and subtle injustice. It will become anxious and fearful in times of difficulty. And it will lose its resolve and steadfastness in the face of temptation. If our hearts are not connected to the Divine, our activism will be unhinged – normatively, spiritually and practically. A well-known Muslim activist once recently confessed: All this work – and I feel spiritually dry and barren within. There is no inherent disconnect or contradiction between Islamic Spirituality and social or political activism. In fact, Islamic spirituality is not only relevant but essential to all forms of activism. This podcast with Shaykh Riad Saloojee will present a paradigm for a spiritually-inspired activism where activism achieves 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 will explore 1. The foundations of Islamic spirituality; 2. The spiritual ethos that is the basis of all activism; 3. The ailments of activism unhinged from spirituality; 4. The laws that govern activism; 5. The importance of "inner," spiritual activism for beneficial "outer" activism; 6. Vignettes from Prophetic activism; and 7. An application of how spirituality must inform true environmental activism. For more podcasts by SeekersGuidance, visit SeekersGuidance.org/podcasts.
01 – Uniting Mind, Body and Soul (rebroadcast)
TOPIC ONE - UNDERSTANDING ACTIVE SPIRITUALITY Islam provides a view of human reality that is cogent, holistic and practical, always sensitive to both constant and changing needs of the human experience. It is from the remarkable and miraculous beauty of Islam that all elements of the human identity are fused together seamlessly: the spiritual heart, with its need for timeless truths and values; the intellect, with its need to conceive and chart a course for a life of freedom and happiness; the senses and limbs, with their energetic need to do, to affect, to change. Heartless spirituality, irrational belief, and hollow, mechanistic action have no place in Islam. Allah says in the Qur’an: By the passage of time. Surely, mankind is in loss, except those who believe and work goodness, and counsel one another to truth, and counsel one another to patience (103:1-3). Those who believe. Change begins with belief. The residence of belief is the spiritual heart (qalb). The heart is the locus of normative perception, experience and will. It is the fire of belief that sparks all movement and action. Belief in the Divine Unicity of God (Tawhid), if it is truly experiential and not merely conceptual, provides the most powerful motor of internal normative and ethical change and gives birth to words and action. That ethical change reflects in character that is animated by Divine values and virtue. And work goodness. The works of goodness that follow belief are the emotional and physical manifestations of the exigencies of Divine Unicity and its values of loving-mercy, justice, equity, kindness, moderation, love and generosity, first manifested within me, in my worship and my relationships. If I do not change, I cannot be an agent of meaningful change. From me, that goodness must ripple outwards, touching my most intimate circles and then outwards still, to affect my environment – family, neighborhood and community; social, economic or political. I seek to impact my surroundings for the better for I am a piece of the social puzzle. I affect and am affected. And counsel one another to truth, and counsel one another to patience. The quest for the collective good always brings challenges. Hence, I must counsel to truth with the means of truth; and I must counsel to patience with the means of patience. This is faith in action. At every level, we cannot conceive of a spirituality that does not necessitate action. And we can never understand action as barren from spirituality. The relationship is integral. After all, our faith is a unity of the faith of Iman, the action of Islam and the spiritual excellence of Ihsan. Faith (Iman) leads inexorably to the practice of that faith (Islam), the aim of which is to achieve a heart that testifies to the Divine presence by the realization of Divine values as a permanent and stable feature of one’s character. Activism aside, this is how we are all meant to live without any exception: in active spirituality, in spiritual activism. There is no inherent disconnect or contradiction between Islamic Spirituality and social or political activism. In fact, Islamic spirituality is not only relevant but essential to all forms of activism. This podcast with Shaykh Riad Saloojee will present a paradigm for a spiritually-inspired activism where activism achieves 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 will explore 1. The foundations of Islamic spirituality; 2. The spiritual ethos that is the basis of all activism; 3. The ailments of activism unhinged from spirituality; 4. The laws that govern activism; 5. The importance of "inner," spiritual activism for beneficial "outer" activism; 6. Vignettes from Prophetic activism; and 7. An application of how spirituality must inform true environmental activism. For more podcasts by SeekersGuidance, visit SeekersGuidance.org/podcasts.
12 – Penny-Wise, Pound Foolish
No action of the Divine is irrational — though it might be supra-rational. Nothing that the Divine does is in vain or without purpose. All of Allah’s actions realize welfare and benefit, even though the human intellect is at times unable to perceive the comprehensiveness or subtlety of His wisdom. One of the Names and Attributes of the Divine is the All-Wise (al-Hakim). The root word connotes the meanings of excellence and perfection, decision and judgement, wisdom and balance. Human wisdom is a reflection of this Divine name. Wisdom is an inner character (khuluq) drawn from the All-Wise. At our created level, wisdom is to act purposefully to realize benefit or welfare. It comes with a careful consideration of the probable or certain outcomes of words and deeds, and then acting in a manner to best realize those benefits. Wisdom is thus a special gift. It requires intellectual, emotional, spiritual and life maturity that provide a discerning sensitivity to time, place, personality, context, and consequence. The Qur’an states that it is a tremendous bounty and blessing: He gives wisdom to whomever He wills. And whoever is given wisdom, is certainly given much good. And only people of understanding will pay heed. (Qur’an 2:269). Only people of wisdom will truly know the value of wisdom! Knowledge is not a means in itself. Knowledge without proper application is not only without benefit but harmful. Energy and dynamism is also not an avenue in itself. Energy and dynamism unchanneled is without benefit and also harmful. For both knowledge and energy to be harnessed properly, to be projected onto social reality in way to secure benefit and welfare, wisdom is indispensable. Wisdom is needed to steer and navigate activism. As wisdom begins to grow into an inner character, it impacts activism in manifold ways. First, the events and challenges in life are not seen anarchically. But this, I mean that the spiritual core of an activist always knows that the Divine acts purposefully and intentionally – and that nothing, no matter how bleak, is without wisdom. This works to ground one away from existentially anxiety, depression and doubt. Second, a heart that draws from Divine wisdom, knows that everything is interconnected and acts accordingly. The scholar and poet, Moulana Rumi (Allah be pleased with him), coins the story of an ant who is walking on a rug and sees nothing of its beautiful, intricate and interconnected tapestry – visible only from a dimension higher above. The activist working on the ground, who has his or her heart in a higher spiritual dimension, knows that everything in existence is indeed connected by the wise, Divine creative plan. He or she will not become easily impatient or hasty. They will remain composed and calm – and only act in ways that are deliberate, careful and considerate. Third, once we recognize that wisdom is a Divine gift, we become more cognizant of the importance of taking the consultation and advice of those who have lived longer, seen more, and know and experienced more of the Divine. Our individual, atomistic personality becomes readier to receive advice from others who are able to render decisions based on a confluence of their intellectual, spiritual, emotional and life maturities. Their eyes see clearer. Without their input and assistance, it is sometimes the blind leading the blind. And lastly, wisdom teaches us that life is not about absolutes. Life decisions are usually not black or white. One of the great scholars of our Islamic legacy reminds us that wisdom is not knowing good and bad but knowing the best good and worst bad. Wisdom is about the subtle shades of benefit and welfare in both the secular and spiritual world. Perhaps that is why it is such a rare and precious commodity. There is no inherent disconnect or contradiction between Islamic Spirituality and social or political activism. In fact, Islamic spirituality is not only relevant but essential to all forms of activism. This podcast with Shaykh Riad Saloojee will present a paradigm for a spiritually-inspired activism where activism achieves 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 will explore 1. The foundations of Islamic spirituality; 2. The spiritual ethos that is the basis of all activism; 3. The ailments of activism unhinged from spirituality; 4. The laws that govern activism; 5. The importance of "inner," spiritual activism for beneficial "outer" activism; 6. Vignettes from Prophetic activism; and 7. An application of how spirituality must inform true environmental activism. For more podcasts by SeekersGuidance, visit SeekersGuidance.org/podcasts.
11 – Labouring With Love
Why do Muslims, when asked whether God is love, respond with, “No. He is Merciful?” Rahmah in Arabic is not mercy. Rahmah has the meaning of merciful-love or loving-mercy. The word rahmah is derived from a root which denotes the womb. We would never describe the mother’s relationship to her child as based on mercy, or mercy primarily, but rather a loving-mercy or merciful-love. As for Allah being love itself, He is – He is al-Wudud, or the Loving. In the Qur’an, Allah introduces Himself firstly as al-Rahman and al-Rahim. Among the most common linguistic interpretations of the subtlety between these names – for both share in the root of rahmah, or loving-mercy – is that al-Rahman refers to the loving-mercy of the Divine for all creatures, without exception, and al-Rahim is a special mercy reserved for those who love and obey him. Islam teaches that Allah’s loving-mercy encompasses all things (Qur’an 7:156). There is nothing existent that is deprived of the Divine manifestations of His loving-mercy. All are enveloped within it: believer, disbeliever, obedient, disobedient. A famous Prophetic Tradition states that Allah declares: Certainly, my mercy supersedes my anger (al-Bukhari). We are not ruled exclusively or primarily through Allah’s Name, the Infinitely-Just (al-‘Adl). If we were, if we were tasked with a standard of care befitting of Divine justice, we would be incapacitated and fail. None of our intentions, words or acts would meet the measure of Infinite Beauty or Majesty. Allah reminds us that if He would hold human beings to account for their injustice, He would spare none on this earth (Qur’an 16:61). But rather, He rules and administers through His loving mercy. The Messenger (peace be upon him) is described in one verse as a loving-mercy to the worlds using the verbal noun rahmah and not an adjective – meaning, as an ultimate emphasis, that he was loving-mercy embodied (Qur’an 21:107). So, consequently, it must also be for the vicegerent of the Divine. Of the most principle Divine Names to be embodied, internalized and actualized are those pertaining to the Divine’s loving-mercy. All activism is an act of love. A Muslim does not delight in the suffering of anyone, at any dimension of suffering, whether individual or collective, secular or spiritual. A Muslim is always desirous and solicitous of the welfare of others, and strives to provide relief to others, in both their here and Hereafter. Any activism bereft of mercy is not Islamic and can never be – no matter what the interpretation, legal justification or rationalization of justice. This last point is critical. For if our justice is not tempered and overseen by our loving-mercy, we will undoubtedly fall into injustice. An obsession with justice and only justice will eventually turn us tyrannical in ways that are imperceptible and inconspicuous. An eye for eye makes everyone blind. How often does our activism rebound on us? History is replete with examples of victims who turned into victimizers, oppressed who became oppressors, and those who exacted justice, without or at the expense of mercy, and became mercenary. When our inner character is imbued with the beauty of the Divine Names of loving-mercy, we never lose sight of our own histories: Imagine, if the Divine dealt with us with Infinite Justice, we would never have been given the respite to learn and change. Someone infinitely greater forgave our trespasses. And, we should too invest our optimistic hope in others, to the greatest extent possible. There is no inherent disconnect or contradiction between Islamic Spirituality and social or political activism. In fact, Islamic spirituality is not only relevant but essential to all forms of activism. This podcast with Shaykh Riad Saloojee will present a paradigm for spiritually-inspired activism where activism achieves 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 will explore 1. The foundations of Islamic spirituality; 2. The spiritual ethos that is the basis of all activism; 3. The ailments of activism unhinged from spirituality; 4. The laws that govern activism; 5. The importance of "inner," spiritual activism for beneficial "outer" activism; 6. Vignettes from Prophetic activism; and 7. An application of how spirituality must inform true environmental activism. For more podcasts by SeekersGuidance, visit SeekersGuidance.org/podcasts.
10 – Justice Now!
The discourse of activism is often framed through the lens of seeking justice. But what is justice? In our Islamic understanding, one of the Names of the Divine is the Infinitely Just, or al-‘Adl. As we have mentioned previously, Allah possesses Names of Majesty and Rigor (jalal), which signify power, might and strength; and He possesses Names of Beauty and Benevolence (jamal). His name, the Infinitely Just, is a name of Divine Majesty and Rigor. Justice is to give everything its due right, measure and proportion. In the Qur’an, this is exemplified by what Allah terms the balance: He has raised the heavens and placed the balance – that you do not transgress the balance (Qur’an 55:7-8). Allah is the Infinitely Just. He commits no oppression or injustice, major, minor, or infinitesimal. His actions, commands and decrees are always just and equitable. An inductive analysis indicates that justice (‘adl) is a universal constant that infuses every aspect of the Islamic theology, legal code and spirituality. As vicegerents of the Divine, we are meant to embellish our inner character with justice in its most penetrating, nuanced and unique manifestation. The Divine exhorts us: O you who have believed, stand persistently for justice, witnesses for Allah, even if it be against yourselves, parents and relatives. Whether one is rich or poor, Allah is more worthy of both. Follow not your personal inclinations and drives that you swerve from justice (Qur’an: 4:135). The verse indicates that the impediments to the full external realization of justice and equity are internal – within our lower-selves. Social phenomena are the collective projections of our inner states. Where injustice exists, it is due to the socialized or institutionalized projection of the states of our inner selves. Because of this, the verse first addresses the injustice hidden in the subtle and not-so-subtle drives and impulses within us. Then, the verse addresses us to stand for justice in the midst of filial relationships that cause us to be partisan. And finally, the verse widens the circle to encompass economic or social stratifications and, by implication, all other social relations. We see then that the value of justice in our tradition is truly universalized. Oftentimes, our discourse frames justice in purely political terms. But justice cannot be restricted to either the personal or the political, or both. Its reach is further. As a Divine Name manifested in our inner character, justice must permeate every aspect of our lives, beginning from our relationship with the Divine. If we do not seek justice in our relationship with the Divine, how can we hope to realize justice with His creation at large? Justice is interconnected in the web of our existence. It must be expressed in the personal, spiritual, intellectual, emotional, moral, family, social, economic, political, local, national and international dimensions. To restrict its scope is the very definition of injustice and a feature of the caprice and arbitrary motives of my lower-self. In fact, the seeds of a sincere, sacred and sanctified justice begin with self-critique, stepping away from my lower self, interrogating its selective justice and its rationalizations of its selective justice. Practically speaking, it is inconceivable, and spiritually and intellectually dissonant, that an Islamic activist, taking inspiration from his or her faith, does not pray or respect the letter and spirit of the Sacred Law. Where is the ‘Islam’ in our Islamic activism? Where is our personified loving surrender to the Divine that is connoted and denoted in the word ‘Muslim?’ There is no inherent disconnect or contradiction between Islamic Spirituality and social or political activism. In fact, Islamic spirituality is not only relevant but essential to all forms of activism. This podcast with Shaykh Riad Saloojee will present a paradigm for a spiritually-inspired activism where activism achieves 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 will explore 1. The foundations of Islamic spirituality; 2. The spiritual ethos that is the basis of all activism; 3. The ailments of activism unhinged from spirituality; 4. The laws that govern activism; 5. The importance of "inner," spiritual activism for beneficial "outer" activism; 6. Vignettes from Prophetic activism; and 7. An application of how spirituality must inform true environmental activism. For more podcasts by SeekersGuidance, visit SeekersGuidance.org/podcasts.
09 – Activism in the Spiritual Envelope
At this point, the intersection between activism and Islamic spirituality, and therefore our paradigm of spiritual activism, should stand out in sharp relief. As a summary, we can connect the dots as follows: The purpose of human creation is the realization of loving submission (‘ubudiyyah) to the Divine. The locus of this loving surrender is the spiritual heart (qalb), which is the seat of normative perception, experience and will. The heart is profoundly influenced by the lower-self (nafs), whose reality can be materialistic, hegemonic, Satanic or angelic. The nature of the lower-self (nafs) determines the orientation of the heart; the heart in turn commands the intellect (‘aql) to rationalize and execute its commands; and the intellect (‘aql) commands the limbs and senses to act. As the heart (qalb) grows in spiritual awareness and nearness to the Divine, we realize the purpose of our creation: to be the vicegerent of the Divine by adorning our hearts with Divine Names and Attributes to the most perfect extent possible at our human level. These qualities are our inner character (akhlaq). Our inner character is a necessary and essential consequence of our spiritual quest – the deeper our spirituality, the more constant and anchored our inner character. We now stand poised to offer a definition of what is spiritual activism. Spiritual activism is the experiential, practical realization of Divine Unicity (tawhid) in the Names and Attributes of the Divine, manifested within our inner character at our human level, externalized in our words and deeds, and projected onto the social realm in an attempt to transform it accordingly. True activism cannot be divorced from its spiritual Divine origin or inspiration in both means and ends. The metaphorical vertical relationship with the Divine is what gives meaning and value to our horizontal relationships, individual and social, with creation. Indeed, only when activism operates within this spiritual envelope – at every instant, at every level – is it a means of worshipful surrender to the Divine and a means of true freedom and liberation for oneself and others. It is worth noting that the normative, universal values of our tradition are not novel. If we reflect carefully, we will realize that every beautiful universal virtue is in reality an expression of a Divine value; and that every such value is a remnant of the teachings of the Emissaries and Messengers of the Divine. While the Divine lineage of these ethical constants may have been forgotten, their source nonetheless is the Divine. This, then, are the first-principles of a paradigm of spiritual activism. The details of activism will flow from these principles naturally and consequentially. The first of these details that we will discuss is a selection of Divine Names and Attributes that have particular relevance to social activism. Allah is the Lovingly-Merciful, the Source of Peace and Security, the Infinitely Just, the Wise, the Patient, the Trustee. A social activist who wishes to produce true change must fully internalize and actualize these values. In the spiritual realm, not to be adorned with these attributes, to be deficient in them, is to be maligned with their opposite. When we are not adorned with these attributes, our activism is a recipe for failure. For I act either with a heart connected in agency for the Divine; or I act as the proxy of my lower-self and its base biddings. There is no inherent disconnect or contradiction between Islamic Spirituality and social or political activism. In fact, Islamic spirituality is not only relevant but essential to all forms of activism. This podcast with Shaykh Riad Saloojee will present a paradigm for a spiritually-inspired activism where activism achieves 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 will explore 1. The foundations of Islamic spirituality; 2. The spiritual ethos that is the basis of all activism; 3. The ailments of activism unhinged from spirituality; 4. The laws that govern activism; 5. The importance of "inner," spiritual activism for beneficial "outer" activism; 6. Vignettes from Prophetic activism; and 7. An application of how spirituality must inform true environmental activism. For more podcasts by SeekersGuidance, visit SeekersGuidance.org/podcasts.
08 – The Activist as Vicegerent
In a very august assembly, in the presence of beings created from pure light, Allah announced that He was going to create a vicegerent or representative (Khalifa) on earth. You are that steward, that vicegerent, that representative. Our real home is Paradise. We were born to die and journey back home – but only if we are successful in embodying the meaning of being the vicegerent (Khalifa) during our brief sojourn on earth. Our success, both here and in the Hereafter, rests on this. What does being a vicegerent entail? In the case of any vicegerency or representation, there are two parties. And the party that assigns or appoints a vicegerent or representative does so using criteria of value, that reflect, especially in cases of personal representation, their ethos and normative principles. The representative or vicegerent is meant to reflect those in his behaviour – their autonomy circumscribed, in a sense, by the normative envelope which confers upon them their role and distinction. We are the representatives and vicegerents of the Divine, God, Allah himself. And the most powerful and congruous explanation of our vicegerency is that we are meant to represent His Names and Attributes to the greatest extent possible at our human level. Allah is Infinite in His essence, Names and Attributes, and actions, without compare or similitude. We can never actualize the perfection of His qualities. But we can adorn ourselves, internally and externally, with His Names and Attributes to the extent permitted by the finitude of our human reality. Allah is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise, the Generous, the Giving, the Lovingly-Merciful and the Source of Peace and Security – among His Names of beauty and majesty. We, too, are meant to embellish our character (khuluq) and become knowledgeable, wise, generous, giving, lovingly-merciful and the giver of peace and security to others. We are taught by our spiritual tradition that we can adorn our character with each of Allah’s Names and Attributes. The fulfillment of the aim of truly becoming Allah’s representative is another lens to understand the basis of Islamic spirituality: the purification of our lower-selves to adorn our hearts with Allah’s Names and Attributes, which are the foundation of all virtuous character (khuluq). It is through this understanding of vicegerency (khilafa) that we see once again the primacy of inner character as the reality of our earthly mission. In this envelope, all activism must be firmly situated and sealed. I must never divest myself of this normative vicegerency in any sense, and in any field of life’s endeavours. And as we are meant to be the individual vicegerents of Allah on earth, so too must we as a community become a collective vicegerent of the Divine. For what is activism and advocacy except the social projection of Allah’s Names and Attributes upon society at large leading to both inner and systemic transformation. This intellection of the human role is far more ennobling and substantial than an activism shorn of Divine spirituality, founded on the limiting and crude supposition that we are merely material beings, and political ones at that – when your life and mine was in every way meant to reflect nothing less than the beauty and majesty of the Infinite. There is no inherent disconnect or contradiction between Islamic Spirituality and social or political activism. In fact, Islamic spirituality is not only relevant but essential to all forms of activism. This podcast with Shaykh Riad Saloojee will present a paradigm for a spiritually-inspired activism where activism achieves 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 will explore 1. The foundations of Islamic spirituality; 2. The spiritual ethos that is the basis of all activism; 3. The ailments of activism unhinged from spirituality; 4. The laws that govern activism; 5. The importance of "inner," spiritual activism for beneficial "outer" activism; 6. Vignettes from Prophetic activism; and 7. An application of how spirituality must inform true environmental activism. For more podcasts by SeekersGuidance, visit SeekersGuidance.org/podcasts.
07 – The Ethics Of Virtue
TOPIC ONE - UNDERSTANDING ACTIVE SPIRITUALITY The hallmark of the purification of the lower-self (nafs) is the freedom that the heart (qalb) will enjoy from all material and abstract created things, as well as the heart’s indescribable, ever-increasing joy in nearness to the Divine. In loving surrender to the Divine is freedom from the vagaries of the slavery to all besides; in loving surrender to the Divine is lasting, permanent happiness beyond the temporary or transient. Proximity to the Divine produces innate change that reflects in words and deeds. Indeed, the most essential fruit of true spirituality is a transformation in my internal character, or khuluq. Without such change, my spiritual transformation is simply a claim, devoid of substance. The Messenger (sallallaho ‘alayhi wa sallam) stated: I was only sent to perfect the most beautiful standards of character. Other texts emphasize that nothing is heavier on the scale of good deeds than virtuous character. Indeed, virtuous character is so seminal in Islam that a well-known spiritual wisdom affirms: All of spirituality is virtuous character; and the one that surpasses you in virtuous character surpasses you in spirituality. What is character? Character (khuluq) is the internal image or the attributes of my heart (qalb) – what I look like within; my interior form; my inner appearance, whether beautiful or ugly. As the lower-self is purified, and the heart (qalb) journeys in nearness to the Divine, it begins to value and embody the virtuous qualities beloved to the Divine and reflect those virtues in creation. The beauty of the vertical relationship with the Divine – and Allah is exalted above all analogy – is now reflected in the horizontal relationship with creation through the values of loving-mercy, justice, equity, kindness, forgiveness, generosity, patience, wisdom, sacrifice, devotion, service and others. These values are Islamic universals. They form the bedrock of our faith and are meant to apply in all times and in all circumstance: personal or political, solitary or social, in geniality or grumpiness, in poverty or poverty. Spirituality is meant to produce character traits (khuluq) that have reached a steady-state of permanent expression. This requires work and effort. Through the discipline and purification of the lower-self, virtuous character slowly becomes our natural disposition. Its expression and actualization become less difficult and deficient, and more perfected and pleasurable. We are meant to be sincere and truthful in the expression of our values. There should be no dichotomy between our private and public lives. What good is an activist that promotes global welfare and equity but renders injustice to his or her parents, spouse or children? What good is an activist that promotes values in public but is the last to practice them in private? What good is an activist that encourages sacrifice and humility but is burning aflame with the desire to seek name and fame? The quest for virtuous character in whatever we do is a public activism in and of itself. Our hypocrisies, and the dissonance between our values on the one hand, and our words and deeds on the other, will not enjoy the pleasure and solicitude of the Divine and such efforts will be – surely and certainly – barren, arid and impoverished. There is no inherent disconnect or contradiction between Islamic Spirituality and social or political activism. In fact, Islamic spirituality is not only relevant but essential to all forms of activism. This podcast with Shaykh Riad Saloojee will present a paradigm for a spiritually-inspired activism where activism achieves 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 will explore 1. The foundations of Islamic spirituality; 2. The spiritual ethos that is the basis of all activism; 3. The ailments of activism unhinged from spirituality; 4. The laws that govern activism; 5. The importance of "inner," spiritual activism for beneficial "outer" activism; 6. Vignettes from Prophetic activism; and 7. An application of how spirituality must inform true environmental activism. For more podcasts by SeekersGuidance, visit SeekersGuidance.org/podcasts.
06 – The Spirit Of Human Freedom
TOPIC ONE - UNDERSTANDING ACTIVE SPIRITUALITY The aim of every human being is happiness. We live our lives in pursuit of happiness. Happiness is relative; it is variegated and actualized differently from one person to another. And the truth of the matter, as we have seen, is that the relativity of our happiness depends on the reality of our lower-self (nafs). While the heart (qalb) was created to know, experience and seek the Divine, the lower-self (nafs) can take one of four realities, each of which defines and experiences its own brand of happiness. The cattle-like lower-self finds satisfaction in material and hedonistic pursuits; the predatory-self through violent and aggressive hegemony over others; the Satanic-self through self-glorification and arrogance; and the angelic-self through knowledge and remembrance of the Divine. Freedom is a means to pursue happiness. It is not an end in itself. The value of freedom lies in the extent to which it facilitates our pursuit for happiness. We value freedom for the choices it allows us, the actions we can then undertake, and the availability of means that allow us to maximize or optimize our experience of happiness. Islamic spirituality is about freedom in the most profound, meaningful and true sense: the freedom and happiness of the heart (qalb). We have established that the heart (qalb) is an organ of cognition, whose ultimate purpose rests in knowing, experiencing and seeking the Divine. The heart (qalb) that connects with the Source of Peace (al-Salam), the Source of Security (al-Mu’min), the Enricher (al-Mughni), and the One who Bestows Without Measure (al-Wahhab) truly finds everything. In a moment of heart-felt connectedness with the Divine, a saintly soul uttered: What has he found the one who loses You; and what has he gained the one who finds You! For the heart (qalb) to be free, it must be free from the suffocating grip of the carnal proclivities (shahwa) and the philosophical caprice (hawa) of the lower-self (nafs). Without freedom from the lower-self (nafs), the heart (qalb) will be blinded in its sight of the Divine, numbed in its emotional experience of the Divine and fettered in its seeking of the Divine. Without being free from the lower-self (nafs), the heart (qalb) is confined to the experience of the happiness of a cow, wild-dog or Satan. Is a cow, wild-dog or Satan happy? Yes, it is – but happy only with the happiness of a cow, wild-dog or Satan; not the happiness of an angel, which is a happiness whose source is the timeless Infinite Beauty and Majestic of the Divine. Without doubt, the balanced satisfaction of the drives of the lower-self (nafs) is necessary for the pursuit of happiness in the life of the world and Hereafter. We are both body and soul, spirit and matter. Islamic spirituality nurtures the needs of both. The lower-self will always have material needs and will require the freedom to pursue them. It will always need freedom of mobility, expression and association. However, these freedoms are neither absolutes nor ends in themselves. They are means to pursue the freedom of the heart (qalb). The happiness of the lower-self (nafs), tied as it is to the necessities and exigencies of this word, can never exceed the quantum of four-dimensional being. As for the heart (qalb), it is an organ of supra-dimensional creation and subtlety. Its happiness knows no such perimeters. And for such to be attained, Islamic spirituality emphasizes freedom from the lower-self (nafs) – as opposed to the opposite: freedom of the lower-self in its excessive and destructive indulgences. There is no inherent disconnect or contradiction between Islamic Spirituality and social or political activism. In fact, Islamic spirituality is not only relevant but essential to all forms of activism. This podcast with Shaykh Riad Saloojee will present a paradigm for a spiritually-inspired activism where activism achieves 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 will explore 1. The foundations of Islamic spirituality; 2. The spiritual ethos that is the basis of all activism; 3. The ailments of activism unhinged from spirituality; 4. The laws that govern activism; 5. The importance of "inner," spiritual activism for beneficial "outer" activism; 6. Vignettes from Prophetic activism; and 7. An application of how spirituality must inform true environmental activism. For more podcasts by SeekersGuidance, visit SeekersGuidance.org/podcasts.
05 – Runaway Rationality
TOPIC ONE - UNDERSTANDING ACTIVE SPIRITUALITY 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 follows. 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. 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 Western thinker once noted: Reason is the slave of the passions; it 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). 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’s nothing more rational than that. There is no inherent disconnect or contradiction between Islamic Spirituality and social or political activism. In fact, Islamic spirituality is not only relevant but essential to all forms of activism. This podcast with Shaykh Riad Saloojee will present a paradigm for a spiritually-inspired activism where activism achieves 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 will explore 1. The foundations of Islamic spirituality; 2. The spiritual ethos that is the basis of all activism; 3. The ailments of activism unhinged from spirituality; 4. The laws that govern activism; 5. The importance of "inner," spiritual activism for beneficial "outer" activism; 6. Vignettes from Prophetic activism; and 7. An application of how spirituality must inform true environmental activism. For more podcasts by SeekersGuidance, visit SeekersGuidance.org/podcasts.
04 – Identifying My Politics
TOPIC ONE - UNDERSTANDING ACTIVE SPIRITUALITY Who I am in essence is really a function of my impulses, aims and actions. 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 primary 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; when they are directed to duplicity, arrogance and seeking self-aggrandizement, I am a devil; and 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. 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. It could be 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. 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. And this is precisely what is needed for activism of any kind. There is no inherent disconnect or contradiction between Islamic Spirituality and social or political activism. In fact, Islamic spirituality is not only relevant but essential to all forms of activism. This podcast with Shaykh Riad Saloojee will present a paradigm for a spiritually-inspired activism where activism achieves 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 will explore 1. The foundations of Islamic spirituality; 2. The spiritual ethos that is the basis of all activism; 3. The ailments of activism unhinged from spirituality; 4. The laws that govern activism; 5. The importance of "inner," spiritual activism for beneficial "outer" activism; 6. Vignettes from Prophetic activism; and 7. An application of how spirituality must inform true environmental activism. For more podcasts by SeekersGuidance, visit SeekersGuidance.org/podcasts.
03 – The Me in the Mirror
TOPIC ONE - UNDERSTANDING ACTIVE SPIRITUALITY 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 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: 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); 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.”); 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). The angelic self – the lower self (nafs) that finds its contentment in the remembrance and worship of the Divine. 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 moulded 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. 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. There is no inherent disconnect or contradiction between Islamic Spirituality and social or political activism. In fact, Islamic spirituality is not only relevant but essential to all forms of activism. This podcast with Shaykh Riad Saloojee will present a paradigm for spiritually-inspired activism where activism achieves 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 will explore 1. The foundations of Islamic spirituality; 2. The spiritual ethos that is the basis of all activism; 3. The ailments of activism unhinged from spirituality; 4. The laws that govern activism; 5. The importance of "inner," spiritual activism for beneficial "outer" activism; 6. Vignettes from Prophetic activism; and 7. An application of how spirituality must inform true environmental activism. For more podcasts by SeekersGuidance, visit SeekersGuidance.org/podcasts.
02 – A Bleeding Heart
TOPIC ONE - UNDERSTANDING ACTIVE SPIRITUALITY The first frontier lies within. Before we can interpret or attempt to change our outer world, we must first understand our inner world. Why do I exist? Who am I? What is the meaning of life and what is my place and responsibility in it? If we do not answer these essential existential questions, we run the risk of acting in discord with ourselves and worse – creating discord in the very environment we seek to change for the better through our activism. Any foundational understanding of Islamic spirituality begins with a discussion of the heart (qalb). The heart (qalb) is our most precious gift from the Divine. It is the fountainhead of our spirituality. The heart is the locus of all our normative cognition and judgement – right and wrong, ethical and unethical, good and bad. Second, it the seat of emotional experience – love, hate, hope, fear, gratitude and others. And third, it is the reservoir of will and resolve, volition and striving. The heart (qalb) was created to grace us with the opportunity to connect with the Divine, the infinite in Majesty and Beauty. Through the heart, we are able to know the Divine, experience the Divine and desire to seek the Divine. And since the Divine is the source of all virtue, the heart (qalb) is the compass by which we perceive virtue, experience it and strive to actualize it. These three functions of the heart (qalb) illustrate its primacy in every endeavour. Allah says, “It is not the eyes that are blind, but the hearts in the chest (22:46),” and the Messenger (sallallaho ‘alayhi wa sallam) told us of an organ, the heart, which if rectified, the entire body would be rectified; and which, if corrupted, the entire body would be corrupted (Bukhari). The first link between spirituality and activism should now be obvious. It is the spiritual heart that is the birthplace of all words, deeds and all activism. If our hearts are clouded, veiled or obscured from the Divine, how will we know virtue and vice, in a world where virtue and vice is often inverted, and where vice is frequently ribbon-wrapped in the attractive garb of good; how will our hearts find their inner tranquility and contentment by connecting to the Divine in the midst of the struggles and strivings in our activism; and how will we find the resolve and inner strength to act ethically and virtuously in the face of pressures and challenges. We will not be able to stand whole and true. We will shatter from within. A heart distant from the Divine will perceive truth as falsity and falsity as truth. It will incline not to justice but to obvious and subtle injustice. It will become anxious and fearful in times of difficulty. And it will lose its resolve and steadfastness in the face of temptation. If our hearts are not connected to the Divine, our activism will be unhinged – normatively, spiritually and practically. A well-known Muslim activist once recently confessed: All this work – and I feel spiritually dry and barren within. There is no inherent disconnect or contradiction between Islamic Spirituality and social or political activism. In fact, Islamic spirituality is not only relevant but essential to all forms of activism. This podcast with Shaykh Riad Saloojee will present a paradigm for a spiritually-inspired activism where activism achieves 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 will explore 1. The foundations of Islamic spirituality; 2. The spiritual ethos that is the basis of all activism; 3. The ailments of activism unhinged from spirituality; 4. The laws that govern activism; 5. The importance of "inner," spiritual activism for beneficial "outer" activism; 6. Vignettes from Prophetic activism; and 7. An application of how spirituality must inform true environmental activism. For more podcasts by SeekersGuidance, visit SeekersGuidance.org/podcasts.
01 – Uniting Mind, Body and Soul
TOPIC ONE - UNDERSTANDING ACTIVE SPIRITUALITY Islam provides a view of human reality that is cogent, holistic and practical, always sensitive to both constant and changing needs of the human experience. It is from the remarkable and miraculous beauty of Islam that all elements of the human identity are fused together seamlessly: the spiritual heart, with its need for timeless truths and values; the intellect, with its need to conceive and chart a course for a life of freedom and happiness; the senses and limbs, with their energetic need to do, to affect, to change. Heartless spirituality, irrational belief, and hollow, mechanistic action have no place in Islam. Allah says in the Qur’an: By the passage of time. Surely, mankind is in loss, except those who believe and work goodness, and counsel one another to truth, and counsel one another to patience (103:1-3). Those who believe. Change begins with belief. The residence of belief is the spiritual heart (qalb). The heart is the locus of normative perception, experience and will. It is the fire of belief that sparks all movement and action. Belief in the Divine Unicity of God (Tawhid), if it is truly experiential and not merely conceptual, provides the most powerful motor of internal normative and ethical change and gives birth to words and action. That ethical change reflects in character that is animated by Divine values and virtue. And work goodness. The works of goodness that follow belief are the emotional and physical manifestations of the exigencies of Divine Unicity and its values of loving-mercy, justice, equity, kindness, moderation, love and generosity, first manifested within me, in my worship and my relationships. If I do not change, I cannot be an agent of meaningful change. From me, that goodness must ripple outwards, touching my most intimate circles and then outwards still, to affect my environment – family, neighborhood and community; social, economic or political. I seek to impact my surroundings for the better for I am a piece of the social puzzle. I affect and am affected. And counsel one another to truth, and counsel one another to patience. The quest for the collective good always brings challenges. Hence, I must counsel to truth with the means of truth; and I must counsel to patience with the means of patience. This is faith in action. At every level, we cannot conceive of a spirituality that does not necessitate action. And we can never understand action as barren from spirituality. The relationship is integral. After all, our faith is a unity of the faith of Iman, the action of Islam and the spiritual excellence of Ihsan. Faith (Iman) leads inexorably to the practice of that faith (Islam), the aim of which is to achieve a heart that testifies to the Divine presence by the realization of Divine values as a permanent and stable feature of one’s character. Activism aside, this is how we are all meant to live without any exception: in active spirituality, in spiritual activism. There is no inherent disconnect or contradiction between Islamic Spirituality and social or political activism. In fact, Islamic spirituality is not only relevant but essential to all forms of activism. This podcast with Shaykh Riad Saloojee will present a paradigm for a spiritually-inspired activism where activism achieves 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 will explore 1. The foundations of Islamic spirituality; 2. The spiritual ethos that is the basis of all activism; 3. The ailments of activism unhinged from spirituality; 4. The laws that govern activism; 5. The importance of "inner," spiritual activism for beneficial "outer" activism; 6. Vignettes from Prophetic activism; and 7. An application of how spirituality must inform true environmental activism. For more podcasts by SeekersGuidance, visit SeekersGuidance.org/podcasts.
