Translation by Imam Bilal Hyde
Al-Fatihah
Bismi-llah ir-Rahman ir-Rahim
Al-hamdu lillahi rabb-il-'alamin
Ar-Rahman ir-Rahim
Maliki yawm id-Din
Iyyaka na'abudu w iyyaka nasta'in
Ihdin-as-sirat al-mustqim
Sirata-lla dhina an'amta 'alaihim
Ghair-il-maghdubi 'alaihim
wa lad-Dallin
Amin
We begin in the Name of God,
Everlasting Mercy, Infinite Compassion.
Praise be to God, Loving Lord of all the worlds.
Everlasting Mercy, Infinite Compassion.
Eternal Strength of every living being,
Whose Majestic Power embraces us on the day of the great return.
Only You do we adore, and to You alone do we cry for help.
Guide us, O God, on the path of Perfect Harmony,
the path of those whom You have blessed with the gifts of Peace, Joy, Serenity and Delight,
the path of those who are not brought down by anger,
the path of those who are not lost along the way.
Amin
So be it.
http://www.hilalinstitute.org/suras.html
Sunday, October 5, 2008
What is Islam?
The Historical:
Islam is a "religion" carrying on the traditions of various Prophets and Messengers throughout time. It is a universal dispensation of God (Allah)'s words meant to uplift and enlighten humanity. It has been said that Islam started even before the Prophet Adam (The Primordial First Human), and that the Prophet Muhammad (saw) represents the universal human soul that was present when Adam was "between water and clay". Though all revealed traditions throughout time pointed towards the Unity of God (Allah) using the language and understanding of those particular people.
"All the prophets brought the words of Allah, and all the words they brought are true. Allah sent His messages through each of the prophets, and they brought His commandments step by step."
-Bawa Muhaiyaddeen
The historical Prophet Muhammad (containing the thread and essence of the Nur Muhammad or Light of Prophethood), is the seal of Prophets not for reasons of exclusion. Instead, the Prophet made the final claim, in that no level of secrecy or exclusiveness could remain. The message is simple:
God is One. "La Ilaha Ilallah Muhammadir Rasulallah" (There is no god but God and Muhammad is his Messenger)
"To see division is not Islam. To see other men as different is not Islam. In this world and the next, there must be no prejudice in our hearts, for all will come together on the Day of Reckoning and the Day of Judgment. All of us will come together in heaven. Therefore, we must not see any differences or create any divisions here. Where Allah does not see a difference, we must not see a difference. We must not despise anyone whom Allah loves—and Allah loves everyone. He belongs equally to everyone, just as Islam belongs equally to everyone. Islam is unity, not division."
-Bawa Muhaiyaddeen
Known for his sincerity and compassion, the Prophet of Islam was always a seeker of Truth. In his state of meditation in the cave Hira, the Prophet was visited by the angel Gabriel who brought the first words of the Qur'an, the book that was to confirm and contain all messages of truth throughout time, and make them accessible for all regardless of social status.
"Muhammad, the Messenger of God, did not keep anything other than God. From the time of his appearance until the time he departed, the only wealth the Messenger of God displayed and the only power he showed was the wealth and the power of God's qualities of compassion and grace."
"Brothers in Islam! You who are Ïmän-Isläm! You must not see differences between yourselves and your neighbors. You must not discriminate against any religion. You must not oppress or harm any man, no matter what religion or race he may be. Islam is one and Allah is one; just as we in Islam see Allah as one, we must see all mankind as one."
-Bawa Muhaiyaddeen
Source:
http://www.bmf.org/wisdom/golden-words-648.html
http://www.bmf.org/iswp/true-islam.html
Islam is a "religion" carrying on the traditions of various Prophets and Messengers throughout time. It is a universal dispensation of God (Allah)'s words meant to uplift and enlighten humanity. It has been said that Islam started even before the Prophet Adam (The Primordial First Human), and that the Prophet Muhammad (saw) represents the universal human soul that was present when Adam was "between water and clay". Though all revealed traditions throughout time pointed towards the Unity of God (Allah) using the language and understanding of those particular people.
"All the prophets brought the words of Allah, and all the words they brought are true. Allah sent His messages through each of the prophets, and they brought His commandments step by step."
-Bawa Muhaiyaddeen
The historical Prophet Muhammad (containing the thread and essence of the Nur Muhammad or Light of Prophethood), is the seal of Prophets not for reasons of exclusion. Instead, the Prophet made the final claim, in that no level of secrecy or exclusiveness could remain. The message is simple:
God is One. "La Ilaha Ilallah Muhammadir Rasulallah" (There is no god but God and Muhammad is his Messenger)
"To see division is not Islam. To see other men as different is not Islam. In this world and the next, there must be no prejudice in our hearts, for all will come together on the Day of Reckoning and the Day of Judgment. All of us will come together in heaven. Therefore, we must not see any differences or create any divisions here. Where Allah does not see a difference, we must not see a difference. We must not despise anyone whom Allah loves—and Allah loves everyone. He belongs equally to everyone, just as Islam belongs equally to everyone. Islam is unity, not division."
-Bawa Muhaiyaddeen
Known for his sincerity and compassion, the Prophet of Islam was always a seeker of Truth. In his state of meditation in the cave Hira, the Prophet was visited by the angel Gabriel who brought the first words of the Qur'an, the book that was to confirm and contain all messages of truth throughout time, and make them accessible for all regardless of social status.
"Muhammad, the Messenger of God, did not keep anything other than God. From the time of his appearance until the time he departed, the only wealth the Messenger of God displayed and the only power he showed was the wealth and the power of God's qualities of compassion and grace."
"Brothers in Islam! You who are Ïmän-Isläm! You must not see differences between yourselves and your neighbors. You must not discriminate against any religion. You must not oppress or harm any man, no matter what religion or race he may be. Islam is one and Allah is one; just as we in Islam see Allah as one, we must see all mankind as one."
-Bawa Muhaiyaddeen
Source:
http://www.bmf.org/wisdom/golden-words-648.html
http://www.bmf.org/iswp/true-islam.html
Alif of the Heart: Bawa Muhaiyaddeen's Embodied, All-Encompassing Qur'anic Vision
Author: Azeem Muhammad Khan
Mentor: Dr. Ibrahim Farajajae
The binary created between so-called "folk" versus "high" religion has been followed nearly dogmatically up until the present day both inside and outside of academia. This distinction is most obvious in the study of religious scriptures, since it is believed that only the elite can truly comprehend their depth. Muhammad Raheem Bawa Muhaiyadeen, a modern Sri Lankan Sufi Muslim offers a doorway to another possibility- one that suggests that some of the highest, most sophisticated, esoteric knowledge of Islam has been and continues to be passed down orally through seemingly simple language. In fact Bawa's work hints at the influence of Ibn al'Arabi, various south asian scholars and persian poets. That in addition to a literacy in Sri Lankan traditions, Hinduism and Buddhism. One is not able to separate what is "high" and what is "low" in Bawa's works, since all are blended seamlessly, defying categorization and presumptions. Grounded in Islamic history, Bawa sees the Qur'an as a tripartite text, existing outwardly as a text, inwardly in the body and as the cosmos as a whole. The Qur'an is meant to be embodied, internalized within the heart as a key to unlock a unity-consciousness, which the goal of Bawa's path. Allah, the only Being can only be known by one who annihilates their limited sense of being into the unlimited. As he continuously points out, "Only Allah can know Allah". The implications of this Qur'anic vision are not only the breaking down of common understandings of "oral" religion as was previously mentioned, but a real tool of transforming the self, following the example of the Prophet Muhammad in tracing the light of revelation back to its source.
Author: Azeem Muhammad Khan
Mentor: Dr. Ibrahim Farajajae
The binary created between so-called "folk" versus "high" religion has been followed nearly dogmatically up until the present day both inside and outside of academia. This distinction is most obvious in the study of religious scriptures, since it is believed that only the elite can truly comprehend their depth. Muhammad Raheem Bawa Muhaiyadeen, a modern Sri Lankan Sufi Muslim offers a doorway to another possibility- one that suggests that some of the highest, most sophisticated, esoteric knowledge of Islam has been and continues to be passed down orally through seemingly simple language. In fact Bawa's work hints at the influence of Ibn al'Arabi, various south asian scholars and persian poets. That in addition to a literacy in Sri Lankan traditions, Hinduism and Buddhism. One is not able to separate what is "high" and what is "low" in Bawa's works, since all are blended seamlessly, defying categorization and presumptions. Grounded in Islamic history, Bawa sees the Qur'an as a tripartite text, existing outwardly as a text, inwardly in the body and as the cosmos as a whole. The Qur'an is meant to be embodied, internalized within the heart as a key to unlock a unity-consciousness, which the goal of Bawa's path. Allah, the only Being can only be known by one who annihilates their limited sense of being into the unlimited. As he continuously points out, "Only Allah can know Allah". The implications of this Qur'anic vision are not only the breaking down of common understandings of "oral" religion as was previously mentioned, but a real tool of transforming the self, following the example of the Prophet Muhammad in tracing the light of revelation back to its source.
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