31 REFRAINS
A phenomenal cycle dominates our sky.
The solar month is a course the Sun runs to return to the exact point in the sky as viewed from Earth, generally averaging about 30.44 days.
Another cycle, with no relevance to the former but almost identical in number, runs through one of the most poetic chapters of the Quran.
In surah al-Rahman—the Most Merciful, Allah uses a cycle of 31 refrains to return us to gratitude.
Our world is an endless banquet of favours bestowed by al-Rahman. Yet, we fail to see Allah’s incalculable gifts.
Denial is a powerful barrier or inhibitor to progress because it distorts reality even in the face of credible evidence.
Allah solves this problem by presenting the denialist with what I’ve coined as Truth Legion Therapy. Legion refers to copious, a vast number. Just one or two truths won’t do.
An avalanche of multifaceted and undeniable truths and admonishments, hammered home by 31 hooks or refrains, can better break the denial and restore us to sanity.
Your Lord is closer to you than your consciousness, and He is not unaware of your needs.
So, which of the favours of your Lord would you deny?
THE EXEMPLAR
There’s a deliberate conflation between celebrities and role models.
Celebrities may be exemplars, but not all are. The truth is most are not. The deception is an effective marketing tactic.
Popular culture stimulates vacuous mimicry. The more protracted our fixation in this phase, the more we strip ourselves of our true identity.
The inversion holds, too. Most role models live discreet lives, far from the madding crowd. Imagine how different the world would be if we took more interest in them and their work.
My dad used to say, ‘Do your best and do not sell yourself. But if you fear God, He will market the good you do.’ My dad’s sentiment best describes those urgent men and women who strive daily to better themselves and the world without seeking plaudits.
Having mentors and role models is noteworthy. Even the Quran encourages it. But they should edify, not commodify us.
Now imagine if we allowed the best exemplar to hold sway over us as we afford lesser undeserving mortals: ‘Indeed, in the Messenger of Allah you have an excellent example’ [33:26].
Humans naturally gravitate towards the dominant culture.
So, the question is, who and what do you give dominion to in your world?
We believe we are independent; we manifest our destiny, and self-will is supreme. This belief is a falsity conjured by a hypercapitalistic world and our whims.
These ideas are adversarial to any spiritual path, let alone Islam, and have left us teetering on the precipice of an egomaniacal world with God relegated to the margins. The results have been no less than catastrophic.
We can reorder this world by letting go and letting God.
The battle will be arduous as it is one of the soul, and we must strive daily to stand a fighting chance.
Until next week, InshaAllah
Zaahied Sallie
Author of The Beloved Prophet – An Illustrated Biography in Rhyme
Thanks for reading. Every Friday, I share thoughts and ideas to help cultivate the link between Allah, the Prophet and me (meaning YOU). Enter your email now and become part of the link.
| There are no products |