sent by Zaahied Sallie

Allah

A.L. (ARTIFICIAL LIVING)

‘So be steadfast in faith in all uprightness (O Prophet)—the natural Way of Allah which He has instilled in (all) people. Let there be no change in this creation of Allah. That is the Straight Way, but most people do not know.’ [30:30]

Humanity’s antagonism towards nature hurtles us towards a dangerous precipice: 1) the cliff of dissonance within ourselves, and 2) a hedonic treadmill that cheats us into an artificial life. Both separate us from God.

Artificialness in modern societies is widespread. Central to most circumstances is denaturation. Denaturation through social engineering has impacted every aspect of daily life. Nothing has been spared: food, bodies, relationships, education, living spaces, apparel, leisure, work, markets, trade, and healthcare.

We have essentially become disembodied, and when we separate from ourselves, we disconnect from God.

We often hear that we must become who we are, but the above verse challenges this notion and cautions us from it. Thus, reframing what change rightfully means within and without is essential in course correcting.

The guiding question is, are we moving from or towards our fitrah—the primordial state defined by God? If it is the latter, we are not changing. We are returning to ourselves. If it is the former, then change through denaturisation is occurring.

People entering Islam use the term reversion and not conversion to denote that they are returning to their original state, which is in the spirit of the above verse.

Muslims, too, need to turn back. Modern culture has diverged so far from our essence that it has removed us from ourselves. The change has been incremental and, therefore, more dangerous because it is often unnoticeable.

Gabor Maté, the world-renowned physician, author and addiction, stress, trauma and childhood development expert, says: ‘When we become alienated and disconnected from who we are, we suffer.”

Today, it is clear that a global search is underway for an antidote to the suffering inflicted by the prevailing culture.

Allah informs us that the cure is faithfulness to our inherent nature. When we divest the antithetical layers obscuring our nature, we will begin to heal.

Maté’s research concurs, and similarly, Rumi, the Afghan poet, summons: return to the root of the root of yourself.

The Prophet (s)

YOUMUL FURQĀN—THE DAY OF CRITERION

‘We sent down to Our servant on The Day of the Criterion, The Day when the two forces met in battle. God has power over all things’ [8:41].

The Month of the Quran is a phrase often used synonymously with Ramadan, and one of the many synonyms for the Quran is The Criterion (the distinction between right and wrong).

In the year 2AH, 17 Ramadan, truth faced off against falsehood and triumphed against all odds. The Prophet (s) led a small band of ill-prepared Muslims to war against the mighty Quraysh in what would become a decisive victory that would change the course of human history. A Muslim loss would have, but all extinguished the faith and faded Islam into memoriam. The Prophet (s) feared this and prayed to Allah as he always did when seeking guidance and aid.

In my book The Beloved Prophet – An Illustrated Biography in Rhyme, I tried to capture this scene in the following three stanzas:

A fear felt, but not of a blameworthy kind

Concern for ˊIslām is what distressed his mind

If they fail, no Muslims would be left behind

A future without ˊIslām; dumb, deaf, blind


Quietude seeped into his prostration; complete

Where his spirit, jugular and God dost meet

Before battle, prayer proved most apt indeed

An invocation immense, and God gave heed


`Umar and ˊAbū Bakr feared he passed in prayer

For his stillness, so complete, left them to stare

His prayer done, and with great cheer rose

The archangel armed for war and then repose

The Power of Little

The word little seldom elicits thoughts of grandeur. This frowning is unwarranted, as little can be likened to the strength of the turtle in the parable of The Turtle and The Hare. It’s counterintuitive to the dominant culture, but it’s true.

Here are a few illustrations:

1. The best way to do a lot is to start by doing a little.
2. Speak little to safeguard against evil or harmful speech that indicts.
3. Eat little to protect yourself from developing an ailing body and mind.
4. Live thriftily by spending little, and reduce your reckoning with God about your consumerism.
5. Owning little reduces stress and allows you to do the work you love.
6. When you consume little, you cause less damage to the environment.
7. Spending little means saving more.
8. Wanting little frees you from marketers and their hedonic treadmill.

Until next week, InshaAllah

Zaahied Sallie

Author of The Beloved Prophet – An Illustrated Biography in Rhyme

Join Me

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.