In Praise of Syedatun Nisa Fatima Al Zahra Radiallahu tala anha :Alama Iqbal

Allama Iqbal Poetry کلام علامہ محمد اقبال: (Rumuz-e-Bekhudi-25) Dar Ma'ani Aynke Syedda-Tu-Ni...: That the Lady Fatima is the perfect pattern of Muslim womanhood Mary is hallowed in one line alone, That she bore Jesus; Fatima in th...

The Final Brick:The Religion of Islam: Foundations of the Spiritual Path

The Final Brick:The Religion of Islam: Foundations of the Spiritual Path: Foundations of the Spiritual Path By Sidi Ahmad Zarruq Translated by Shaykh Hamza Yusuf The noble scholar, the unique of his age, the r...

Salat: The Highest Form of Yoga? by Hasan Awan

In The Name of God, the All-Merciful, the Ever-Merciful. Once upon a sacred time and space, an Eastern spiritual sage was asked by his disciples to demonstrate the postures of the "highest form of yoga", which he did for their benefit. He began by standing and facing a particular direction (the East), raising his arms and hands in awe of the Sacred space before him and within him. His eyes, humbled, looked down towards a particular position on the ground as if in reverence before this all-encompassing and transcendent Presence. Then, to some people's amazement, he began to hold postures for a certain period of time, while focusing on his breathing and meditating which started in a standing position, then a bowing position while keeping his spine straight and extended, and then ultimately in a yoga "child-pose" like position of prostration, realizing fully the form of the curvature of the spine—again aligning the posture to his breathing and meditating. Finally, after repeating this cycle over again, he ended the posture in a sitting meditative position with his arms on his thighs, this time whispering something upon his lips, and finally exiting this form of yoga with an extension and release of the neck to the right and then to the left. When finished, and after weeks of practicing this posture with his disciples every dawn, high noon, later afternoon, evening/sunset and night; and after appreciating that his disciples were physically, psychologically and spiritually transformed by this form of yoga under his guidance, the sage turned to them and congratulated them on performing the "yoga" of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and his followers! Lest one doubt the veracity of this story, allow me to state that it is indeed a "true" rendition transmitted to me, albeit dramatized. Over a period of some time, the disciples of this spiritual sage eventually entered Islam and followed this beautiful "friend of God" in practicing the Shariah and Spiritual Way (Tariqa/Sunnah) of the Prophet ﷺ. The spiritual sage's name whom this story is attributed to was none other than Shaykh Bawa Muhaiyedeen (may God have Mercy on him and sanctify his secret), who is buried in Coatesville, PA, USA. He is arguably the first well-known Muslim "saint" to be buried in this beautiful "land of the free". He is succeeded by a beautiful Muslim community he single handedly produced, who continue to practice Traditional Islam as it was transmitted to them by Shaykh Bawa. The truth of such a story should not seem so far-fetched as many parallels can be found between how certain "converts" to Islam may learn the salat and how children of Muslim families (or other Muslims new tosalat) may learn the practice of the Muslim canonical prayer through mimicking the motions of their parents or someone who prays. Such a process involves imitating the outer form of the salat—a practice which many years later may lead to an inner spiritual opening, God-willing. The only difference of the transmission of thesalat for others and the situation in this story here is that these seekers of spiritual truth learned thesalat under the guidance of a man who was privy by the divine grace (tawfiq) to a profound spiritual attainment through Islamic praxis in the form of the rites of prayer and invocation of Allah's Names. It has been about three years since I first heard this wonderful story. What intrigued me about the story was the idea that each position of thesalatwas being taken so seriously and performed with such devotion and presence of mind, body and heart by these "yogis-come-Muslims". I began to ask myself, how could it be that such "yogis" were transformed so profoundly by just practicing the outer motions of the salat for a couple of weeks while I was going "through the motions" five times daily for decades and apparently understood its meaning without any real or wholesome transformation? And then it hit me: perhaps there was a profound meaning to be found in each physical posture of thesalat—a meaning intimately related to the very fundamental notions of being Muslim (that is, one who submits their very purpose to their Lord).Was there something that "yoga" could teach me about thesalatthat I had been lacking?My heart told me there was indeed. It was for this reason I started practicing yoga and still practice it regularly. Even to this day I am astonished at how such yoga practices heighten my awareness of a spiritual attitude and divine presence realized through every posture of the Muslim Prayer. In any case, as a Muslim who now practices yoga regularly for health benefits, who attempts to pray his salat on time, and attempts to bring more presence (hudur) and concentration into salah throughdhikr(remembrance), it is important to ask myself (and others) the following questions: How physically, psychologically and spiritually present are we in our salat? And for those yoga practitioners out there who have experienced first-hand the many "healthy" effects of yoga (I have in mind forms of hatha-yoga and not other forms of yoga): How come we cannot attain the suppleness, centeredness and even "relaxation" that we attain in yoga through the salat? Does not the Qur'an state, "Spiritually successful are the believers. Those who maintain 'khushu' in their salah (prayer)" (23:2)? Now khushu is a Qur'anic term that can not sufficiently be translated by one word. However, after some years of practicingdhikr(and yoga) I appreciate more and more that Khushu is simultaneously a form of physical suppleness, psychological mindfulness and a spiritual reverence before the Divine Presence of God.In other words, khushu is a Qur'anic term which connotes the effects of being "fully present"—body, mind and spirit—before the Divine Presence in Prayer. Khushu in many ways can arguably be seen as one of the "goals" of yoga! Now, if you are still with me, in this Qur'anic light, is it possible today to practice "yoga", attain its benefits, and apply the "insights" gained through its practice in order to fully realize "khushu" insalat, ultimately appreciating howsalatmay actually be "the highest form of yoga" for the followers of Muhammad ﷺ? Let us first define "yoga" so as to appreciate how it is possible for thesalatto even be described as a form of yoga. According to wikipedia, yoga is a Sanskrit word and is defined as "the physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines which originated in ancient India, (dating back to the third millennia BC), with a view to attaining a state of permanent peace of mind in order to experience one's true self." Such practices have been integrated organically in their own way into many forms of traditional spirituality rooted in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. This to me, points to the possibility that the original form of "yoga" can arguably be viewed as a kind of inspired or "prophetic science" of the body and soul. Anyone who has truly tasted yoga and is Muslim would appreciate why I make this claim—which is just a claim to say the least. To be sure I wish also to stress the term "original" since yoga has taken on many forms and guises, especially in its New Age forms in the modern West, and is unfortunately associated with many scandals. This fact should not deter the perceptive and contemplative Muslim to appreciate its many health benefits—especially in its hatha-yoga forms. In any case, the actual term "yoga" is derived from two Sanskrit words meaning "to yoke" and "to concentrate". This naturally leads to appreciating how the form of the body can be maneuvered, positioned, or "yoked" in such a way as to illicit a proper form of concentration or discipline upon the "mind" (soul). This process of using the body as a support or means of contemplation can fine-tune itself through various postures of the body, in order to find peace and realize one's true inner self. It can be argued that in Islam such a definition and spiritual goal of yoga ultimately translates into attainingkhushuthroughsalat which, as a revealed rite in Islam, involves and integrates the body, mind/soul and spirit in its own particular manner, the ultimate objective being the attaining of spiritual nearness (qurb) to God. Through such a process of inwardness and attaining qurb, it can be said that finding peace (itmi'nan) through a penetration of the spiritual consciousness from the body to the heart (qalb) through dhikr (remembrance of God) (see Qur'an 13:28)1, is most prominently realized in that "form of yoga" Muslims identify with as the canonical prayer of Islam, that is the salat (see Qur'an 29:45). Thus, one may appreciate how for Muslims "the highest form of Yoga" can be viewed as thesalat. In regards to appreciating the form of the salat in general and the physical positions of the salatin particular, it is intriguing that Dr. Seyyed Hossein Nasr notes the following in his article, "The Interior Life in Islam": "The form of these prayers is derived directly from the sunnah of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and the daily prayers are considered as the most important of religious deeds for as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) has said, “The first of his deeds for which a man will be taken into account on the day of resurrection will be his prayer. If it is sound he will be saved and successful, but if it is unsound he will be unfortunate and miserable. If any deficiency is found in his obligatory prayer the Lord who is blessed and exalted will issue instructions to consider whether His servant has said any voluntary prayers so that what is lacking in the obligatory prayer may be made up by it. Then the rest of his actions will be treated in the same fashion.”2 The salat punctuates man's daily existence, determines its rhythm, provides a refuge in the storm of life and protects man from sin. Its performance is obligatory and its imprint upon Islamic society and the soul of the individual Muslim fundamental beyond description. Yet, the meaning of the prayers is not to be understood solely through the study of their external form or their impact upon Islamic society, as fundamental as those may be. By virtue of the degree of man's ihsan, and also by virtue of the grace (barakah) contained within the sacred forms of the prayers, man is able to attain inwardness through the very external forms of the prayers [emphasis added]. He is able to return, thanks to the words and movements which are themselves the echoes of the inner states of the Holy Prophet, back to the state of perfect servitude (ubudiyyah) and nearness to the Divine (qurb) which characterize the inner journey of the Holy Prophet as the Universal Man (al-insan al-kamil) to the Divine Presence on that nocturnal ascent (al-miraj), which is at once the inner reality of the prayers and the prototype of spiritual realization in Islam." In a footnote to this excerpt, Dr. Nasr more specifically relates themiraj(ascension) of the Prophet ﷺ to the outer and inner reality of the prayer (salat) in the following manner: "The external movements of the prayers are said by traditional Islamic authorities to be reflections in the world of form, movement, time and space of the states experienced by the Holy Prophet during his nocturnal ascension." All this is a profound commentary upon the hadith that "the salat is the [spiritual] ascension of the believer", and allows us to further appreciate how salat is a form of "yoga" in the most profound and highest sense of the term—aligned as it is to our inner, spiritual ascension to the divine presence. It is significant to note the connection between the outer physical form, postures and movements (in short, "the yoga") of the salat and the inner, spiritual essence attained through performing salat throughkhushu.Practicing yoga has allowed me to become much more sensitive to this connection between the outer form of the salat and its inner, spiritual reality (ma'na).Although one need not practice yoga to appreciate the profound spiritual meanings contained in the salat, for this writer the practice of yoga has heightened the awareness of those same realities. As such, the salat can be viewed, from an Eastern and spiritual point of view, as a form of yoga whose roots are found in the Islamic Revelation and Prophecy, which strives to attain khushu and itmi'nan as a "wasila" (means) from and to Allah (subhanahu wa ta'ala), engaging the body, mind/soul and spirit of the believer. So can it actually be said that the salat is the "highest form of Yoga"? Shaykh Bawa believed so. And I believe those who have experienced yoga and who strive to perform their salat with khushu would say the same. Perhaps one day when your children return home from school and try to teach you the new yoga posture they learned in gym class, you can retort: "Allow me to teach you the best kind of yoga." And God Knows Best. 1. Qur'anic verses cited: "Spiritually Successful are the believers. Those who maintain 'khushu" in their salah (prayer)" [23:2] "You shall recite what is revealed to you of the Scripture, and observe the Salat, for the Salat prohibits evil and vice. And the remembrance of God is greater. God is aware of all that you do." [29:45] "Those who believe and whose hearts find rest in the remembrance of Allah, Verily, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest. [13:28] 2. Footnoted hadith found in Mishkat al Masabih. By Dr. Hasan Awan

Reflection is the Light of Hearts – An Aphorism of Ibn Ata’illah Explained by Imam Zarruq

Ibn Ata’illah (Allah have mercy upon him) states in his Aphorisms (Hikam): Reflection is the light of hearts. If reflection leaves, the heart has no light. One of the great commentators on the Aphorisms of Ibn Ata’illah, Imam Ahmad Zarruq, explains: This means that reflection (fikr) is the light-giving lamp by which the heart walks in the darkness of Otherness and is able to see benefit and harm–and behold Truth and Reality with clarity. Through reflection, the heart reaches faith (iman). Through reflection, it attains gnosis (irfan). Through reflection, it rises through the ranks of submission (islam), faith (iman), and and spiritual excellence (ihsan). This is why Ka`b al-Ahbar (Allah be pleased with him) said, “Whoever seeks the honour of this life and the next should engage in much reflection.” Shaykh Abu’l Hasan al-Shadhili (Allah be pleased with him) said: “The Path is seeking Allah in four matters. Whoever attains all four is from the realized veracious ones (al-siddiqin al-muhaqqiqin). Whoever attains three of them is of the elect of Allah who have been brought close (al-awliya al-muqarrabin). Whoever attains two of them is of the martyrs of certitude (al-shuhada’ al-muqinin). And whoever attains one of these is from the righteous servants of Allah (`ibad Allah al-salihin). Thefirstisremembrance (dhikr).Its expression is righteous action (al-`amal al-salih). Its fruit is light. Thesecondis reflection (fikr).Its expression is patience (sabr). Its fruit is action. Thethirdisneediness (faqr).Its expression is thankfulness (shukr). Its fruit is increase from Him. Thefourthis love (mahabba).Its expression is rejection of worldliness and its people. Its fruit is union with the Beloved. Love is what encompasses all principles of good, and its the end of all realization. End of Quote from Imam Zarruq’s Commentary. And Allah alone gives success. Faraz Rabbani

Poem of Shaykh Ahmed Zarruq On diseases of soul

Shaykh Ahmad Zarruq has a beautiful poem on the diseases of the soul. Here is one small part (the beauty is lost but the meaning remains). "And from its diseases is burnout and neglect, and its not attempting to elevate and work hard/ And worse than that is it not caring about its shortcomings and not accusing itself/ And not seeing its shortcomings is even worse than those according to the specialists/ And even worse is to think one's soul is fine while it is in neglect and shortcoming/ Ugly in its sight is beautiful and its bad actions have been made to seem attractive/ That all stems from lack of sincerity in one's worship and their neglect of purifying themselves from spiritual maladies." The shaykh here is listing diseases of the soul and various levels of affliction. The first level is the person who finds themselves burnt out and neglectful towards their spiritual development but at the same time they feel no motivation to work towards its improvement. The next level is the one who recognizes their shortcomings but does not seek to address them. The level after that is the one who does not accuse themselves of shortcomings which leads to an inability to recognize one's flaws. When a person is not consistent in searching their soul for flaws they stop recognizing them all together and can fall into a state of arrogance and self-grandeur that is very dangerous for the soul. The stage after that which is even worse is the one thinks they are fine and they don't have any spiritual maladies while they are actually in a state of serious neglect. To this person the ugly seems beautiful and their bad deeds seem acceptable. They are in such a state of spiritual decay that their entire perspective on the world is out of order. Sin is okay to publicize, oppression is justifiable, and they are just fine. This is a very dangerous place to be in spiritually but one can see this all over the place. He then mentions the source of these diseases in a very brief way as being insincerity in action and a lack of concern for remedying the diseases of the soul. The lines that come after talk about the means for purifying the soul from the diseases mentioned. InshaAllah they will come in another post.

Decency – Dr. Shawqi Abdelkarim

Decency is defined as the state of contentment with whatever little one has and to appear rich with it despite being poor.They do not ask people persistently. Certainly, Allah the Almighty is the sustainer and no person can either increase or decrease your sustenance. Therefore, a true Muslim is the one who firmly believes to the bottom of his heart such a concept. It builds a barrier against committing a prohibition which emerges from the human desire of increasing one’s gains which do not come through lawful means. Such a tenet makes the one abstain from both prohibitions and begging from others. This is because he is confident that Allah the Exalted, has predestined his provision without resorting to trickery, “If the son of Adam flies to escape from his provision, it would go with the lightening until it reaches him” Modesty is a basic Islamic virtue which is commanded in many places of the holy Qur`an as Allah says: And whoever, [when acting as guardian], is self-sufficient should refrain [from taking a fee]; and whoever is poor – let him take according to what is acceptable. [al-Nisa`: 6]. Moreover, Allah praises those who enjoy this manner and highly recommends them when He says: [Charity is] for the poor who have been restricted for the cause of Allah , unable to move about in the land. An ignorant [person] would think them self-sufficient because of their restraint, but you will know them by their [characteristic] sign. They do not ask people persistently [or at all]. And whatever you spend of good – indeed, Allah is Knowing of it. [al-Baqarah: 273] The Quranic confirmation on this wonderful characteristic which a Muslim must observe coincides with a prophetic confirmation on training the soul to such values. Bukhari and Muslim included the narration of Abu Sa’id al-khudri [may Allah be pleased with him, that Some people of the Ansar; asked the Messenger of Allah [pbuh] and he gave them, they again asked him and he gave them until all what he possessed was exhausted. Then the Prophet [pbuh] said: “Whatever wealth I have, I will not withhold from you. Whosoever would be chaste and modest; Allah will keep him chaste and modest and whosoever would seek self-sufficiency, Allah will make him self-sufficient; and whosoever would be patient, Allah will give him patience, and no one is granted a gift better and more comprehensive than patience”. The Prophet [pbuh] regarded chastity as one of the values which, when attained by a Muslim, the whole good is attained. The Prophet [pbuh] said: “If you have four things, don’t worry about anything you missed in this world: Truthfulness in speech, preserving one’s trust, good conduct and purity of food.” In a different context, the Prophet [pbuh] said: “I was shown the first three to enter Paradise: the martyr, the one who is chaste and proud and the slave who worships Allah with devotion and is faithful and sincere towards his master.” Certainly, it is a great status and praiseworthy attribute which we must be keen to adopt. The question is which chastity do we mean? Is it avoiding sins or abstaining from asking others without need? I say, both kinds are involved here, because fasting as act of worship trains the one to abstain from desires that are objected by the organs. Fasting purifies the soul from these desires and trains it to chastity in order neither to look nor talk unlawfully. The other meaning is one of the calamities widespread at the present time. Many people ask from people whether they need or not, streets, institutions and authorities have become full of beggars. We find several kinds of begging other than those we are aware of. This is because of the absence of chastity which preserves human dignity and modesty. In this article, I’m concerned with deriving texts and evidences to address those who undertake begging as means of livelihood in the street, at work or through ways their doers think they wouldn’t be legally blameworthy. Before delving into these texts, I would like to confirm that Islam encourages spending and giving charity within a framework that unites the Muslim community. The rich gives the poor and the poor regards the rich’s wealth as his own wealth, so he wouldn’t be envious. This way the concept of the same structure is achieved which the Prophet [pbuh] talked about and texts concerning Islam encouraging giving charities are too numerous to be counted. Some might say that what makes some people ask others is their need and that charity doesn’t reach its recipients. These claims don’t justify the disastrous spread of this disaster which harms the feelings and denigrates the values of our civilized Islamic countries. To be more clear, I mention a hadith for the Prophet [pbuh] teaches the nation how to be chaste and warns against this dangerous plight, He said: “A man keeps on asking others for something till he comes on the Day of Resurrection without any piece of flesh on his face.” What a serious threat? Afterwards, the Prophet [pbuh] specifies doing such act as if he was establishing a juristic maxim which is “Necessity is measured by its extent”. He answers those who drive reasons for begging when He says: “Anyone who asks from people in order to accumulate wealth, he is as begging for stones from Hell; so let him reduce it (his punishment) or let him increase it as he wishes.” This is another text specifies those who are allowed to ask others financial assistance and those who aren’t. By contemplating it, a person becomes capable of recognizing these determinations which were confirmed by the Messenger of Allah [pbuh] in the hadith reported by Qubaisa ibn Makhariq al-Hilali who said: I guaranteed somebody else’s loan, so I went to the Prophet [pbuh] asking for his assistance. He said: “O, Qubaisa begging is forbidden except in three cases: 1. The person who has given the guarantee of (somebody else’s) loan to the extent of that loan and should then stop. 2. The person whose wealth is destroyed by a disaster can beg until his life is set right. 3. A person who becomes poor and destitute so much so that 3 wise people of his community testify that so and so has become poor and destitute, for this kind of person begging is permissible; so that person can remain alive and fulfill his necessary needs. Other than these three cases, it is unlawful to ask for others’ financial assistance.” After that, the Prophet [pbuh] calls for working and production which is better than these easy gains when He said: “It is better for one of you to take ropes and bring a bundle of firewood on his back, sell it and gives charity to others than to beg from others who then give him or refuse.” In another narration, the Prophet [pbuh] said: “It is better for one of you to take a rope and carry firewood on his back, sell it, gives charity and becomes in no need for others than going to a man to beg from him who then may give him or refuse.” Hakim ibn Hizam [may Allah be pleased with him] said: “I asked the Messenger of Allah [pbuh] and he gave me, I asked him again and he gave me, then he said: “O, Hakim! This wealth is like green sweet (i.e. fruit), and if one takes it without greed, then one is blessed in it, and if one takes it with greediness, then one is not blessed in it, and will be like the one who eats without satisfaction. And an upper (i.e. giving) hand is better than a lower (i.e. taking) hand,’ I said, ‘O Allah’s Messenger! By Him Who has sent you with the Truth. I will not ask anyone for anything after you till I leave this world.” So, when Abu Bakr during his Caliphate, called Hakim to give him (some money), Hakim refused to accept anything from him. Once ‘Umar called him (during his Caliphate) in order to give him something, but Hakim refused to accept it, whereupon ‘Umar said, “O Muslims! I give him (Hakim) his right which Allah has assigned to him from this Fai` (booty), but he refuses to take it.” So Hakim never took anything from anybody after the Prophet until he passed away.” This is because the Prophet [pbuh] forbade him from asking others, so what about you? The reward for abstaining from asking others is Paradise. Thawban [may Allah be pleased with him] narrated: The Messenger of Allah [pbuh] said: “If anyone guarantees me that he will not beg from people, I will guarantee him Paradise. Thawban said: I (will not beg). He never asked anyone for anything. When Thawban’s web fell and he was riding, he never asked anyone to give it to him. He descends and takes it, because he desired the Paradise and hated worldly pleasures. We need such spiritual discipline which enables us to understand Islam as a comprehensive religion and determine our relation with Allah, the community and with ourselves.

Tafakkur:Shaykh Ahmed Hendricks

Many years ago a book called ” Penny for your thoughts” was published. It would be interesting to see whom of the modern generation read this book or heard of it. The cliched title shouldn’t fool one. The intention of the author is to explore the content and quality of everyday thought. This book is not a treatise on logical thinking or the rules of correct reasoning. The systematic study of logic has to be looked for in other works and is usually the forte of experts and scholars. The subject of this book is more humble but extremely important. People you meet often are so deeply steeped in some thought or issue. A look of utter surprise comes into their faces when you ask them, ” Penny for your thoughts?”. What is of great interest to me is the fact that often people fail to recall the stream of thought that so deeply engrossed them. Yes we are aware of some of the many reasons why this happens. But for a Muslim to be so entirely taken over by everyday worries and concerns is not good enough. The author of this book suggests interesting and useful methods to help gain control over ones propensity to sink into purposeless thinking and well worth a read. The quality of our thought is a very serious and important subject for any Muslim to consider. Says Allah, the Most High, in the Quran surah al ‘imran verses 190 – 191, ” Surely in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the rotations of the day and night are signs for the ulul albab. Those who remember ( dhikr) Allah, the Most High, standing, sitting and whilst reclining on their sides and who think ( tafakkur) about the creation of the heavens and the earth, [ They say] O our Lord You have not created this in vain, Glory be to Thee and protect us from the fires of hell”. In this verse Allah, the Most High, speaks highly of the ulul albab or literally the possessors of mind or the intellectuals. Qualities of this kind are mentioned in the Quran precisely because Muslims are expected to emulate them. The second important attribute of this level or quality of Muslim is remembrance (dhikr). We will discuss that in a later article. Our focus in this article is on the crucial matter of tafakkur. Imam ‘Abdallah ‘Alawi al-Haddad says in his Book of Assistance, ” Know that the reformation of both the din and the dunya depends on sound purposive thinking (tafakkur), and the individual who has mastered this ability has gained a portion of every possible good. It is said: Purposive thinking ( tafakkur) for an hour is better than a years worship. It is also related that Sayyidna ‘Ali, may Allah bless him, said: There is no worship (‘ibadah) like purposive thinking (tafakkur). A certain gnostic is reported to have said: Purposive thinking ( tafukkur ) is the lamp of the heart, if it removed the heart has no light.” The reader will notice I’m translating the word tafakkur as “purposive thinking” not simply ‘thinking” or “contemplation”. Imam Ahmad al-Haddad in his excellent book “Key to the Garden” defines tafakkur as follows: “And tafakkur is the focus and movement of the heart and mind through the meaning of things in order to reach the underlying intention, and by this, the pearls of truth is reached.” Tafakkur is the art, if you like, of churning a matter around in ones mind. The intention driving this process must be to discover the truth behind a saying or clarify the real nature of a principle of belief. We shouldn’t be fooled, this is a skill one has to learn. Thinking to some purpose is a skill we have to acquire. It is also important to note that this kind of “quality thinking” formed an integral part of the texture and culture of Muslims since the time of the Prophet, may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him. A saying attributed to both ibn ‘Abbas and Abu Darda, may Allah be satisfied with both of them, goes like this ” Tafakkur for an hour is better than a whole nights salaah.” This ability and capacity to think deeply about things is the light of a Muslim. The author compares the human heart to a house and tafakkur to the lamp that provides the light in it. The heart is steeped in darkness without the light of tafakkur. Indeed the full and even basic understanding of our din is beyond the scope of the unthinking. Tafakkur in the context of din is traditionally divided into four types. The first is the level of the ordinary people (al-‘ammah). This level involves the search and discussion proofs and arguments to arrive at some conviction. Interesting to note is that the requirement or need for proofs before you believe in Allah, for example, is placed at the most basic level. The second type of tafakkur is that of the worshippers ( al ‘abidin) whose main interest is to know the rewards of a particular ‘ibadah. They want to get on with the work. Knowledge of the rewards inspire them to greater activity. A third type is the tafakkur of the ascetics (zuhhad). At this level the main focus is on the contingency of existence. They are deeply impressed by the truth of verses such as ” everything will disappear and only the Face of Allah will remain”. The results of that kind of thinking, which is often inspired by Allah, is a complete break from this world. They loose interest in wealth, fame, power and position. The fourth type is the tafakkur of the gnostics (‘arifin). They are the great searchers of the truth behind the universe and its creation. They delve into the secrets of the Names and Attributes of Allah, the Most High. And often they speak of things that far exceed the capacity of ordinary people. They are also the great lovers of Allah, the Most High. Love flows from knowledge of the Beloved. The greater our knowledge of the Beloved the greater out love for Him. So as Imam Ahmad al-Haddad says, ” Knowledge comes from tafakkur and from knowledge adoration, and from adoration love”.