Hamid Entezam

Session 32. There are many people whom have a dim view of religious diversity. They tend to view diversity as the devil’s work. Frank Peretti is a best-selling Christian fiction writer. There is a common thread in his novels: everybody who is not a follower of Jesus Christ has a demon attached to their soul. That demon feeds them thoughts, and then those thoughts guide their behavior.  This sort of exclusivist sentiment is quite prevalent in religious communities around the world. Does the Quran support the view? Does it say that only followers of the Prophet Mohammad are rightly guided and saved by God? In this presentation, we will examine this question with the aid of Rumi’s insights.

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Session 31. Religious diversity is a fact of history. Religions are quite different in their belief systems and ritual practices, which makes it hard to imagine that they are all equally “true” / “valid”. Philosophers of religion tell us that there are three distinct views on “truth” of religion: exclusivism, inclusivism and pluralism.  For whatever reason, exclusivism has always been the dominant position among religious people around the world. Each religious community believes that it has a monopoly over truth / faith / salvation: only my religion is true, only my religion offers a true path to God, only my religion is blessed by God, people who follow other religions are misguided! This sense of religious superiority creates a fertile ground for hatred and bigotry; it can easily be exploited to shed blood in the name of God and His “true” religion. In this presentation, we will discuss what exclusivism, inclusivism and pluralism mean.

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Session 30. Forgiveness is a highly celebrated virtue in all communities. Yet, it is no easy feat for the average person to forgive, because of a lack of a forgiving mind. There are many misconceptions about the nature and the primary beneficiary of forgiveness. We often think of forgiveness as a gift that we give to a wrongdoer- someone whom has wronged / hurt us. But, the primary beneficiary of forgiveness is actually the person who forgives! Forgiveness paves the way for healing, and lessens the grip of the wrongdoer’s act on the victim’s mind and feelings. In this presentation, we will explore the deeper meaning and messages of forgiveness.

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Session 29. Forgiveness is an important virtue in all spiritual traditions: it is considered an expression of love, and a yardstick for closeness to God. Psychologists also find forgiveness a valuable tool for mental health and psychological wellness. While forgiveness is not generally easy to practice (particularly in traumatic situations), some people tend to have an easier time with it than others. Mindset plays a big part in a person’s ability to forgive. In this presentation, we will explore what the Quran and the renowned Iranian poet Hafez (حافظ) teach about forgiveness. These teachings aim to foster a forgiving mind, which in turn empowers the person to forgive.

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Session 28. The conventional wisdom in orthodox Islamic scholarship is that the social laws of the Quran apply to all social settings. This simplistic view fails to consider that the laws of the Quran were intended for a Muslim Ummah (أمة): a community of like-minded “believers” whom choose to live by those laws. Modern nation-states are not organized around shared religious beliefs. Therefore, it does not make sense to force religious law on a diverse nation (whose citizens may not have any Islamic conviction). In this presentation, we will discuss why applying religious law in modern nation-states are so problematic.

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Session 27. Out of the 6600+ verses in the Quran, 350 deal with “law”. The Quranic laws may be divided into two broad categories: 1) rituals / acts of worship (ibādāt / عبادات), and 2) social relations (muʿāmalāt / معاملات). The ritual / acts of worship laws regulate a faithful’s relation with God; they are are eternal, because their subject matter is fixed. Social relation laws regulate a faithful’s relation with other humans; they may change overtime, because their subject matter (society) evolves. In this presentation, we will explore the reformist perspective on Quranic laws.

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Session 26. Despite its unparalleled achievements, modernity also has a dark side. Its rampant materialism not only has created environmental catastrophes, but also a crisis of “meaning”.  Absurdism and Nihilism, two schools of thought in the 20th-century, plainly speak of how senseless and pointless life is. This modern attitude flies in the face of the spiritual outlook of life in all world religions- an outlook that is summarized in a Quranic verse: “We are from God, and we shall return to God.” Thus, “meaning” is embedded in every particle of this vast universe; because, the universe has a Creator God, who is “the meaning of all meanings”! In this presentation, we will discuss what the Quran teaches on the meaning and higher purpose of human life.

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Session 25. Religious people often ask: why did God create us? What was His purpose? There is an unspoken assumption built into this question; namely, God has a purpose in His acts. After all, we (humans) certainly have a purpose in whatever we do / create. So, it seems odd that a super-intelligent God, the Creator of the Universe, would not follow the same pattern. Muslim philosophers and mystics have questioned the validity of this assumption.  They argue that common people have a human-like perception of God’s creative act. Thinking and purpose applies to humans, but not to God. In this presentation, we will explore the Muslim philosophers’ / mystics’ critique of the common perception of why God created the universe.

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Session 24. Trust in God (Tawakkul /تَوَكُّل) has tangible / practical benefits, which are mostly psychological. As a heartfelt conviction, Tawakkul shapes the believer’s mindset; it provides a positive outlook  for seeing and experiencing the world. In this presentation, we will discuss five fruits of Tawakkul: 1) optimism in life; 2) focusing on effort rather than the outcome; 3) freedom from fear, anxiety and stress; 4) inner peace; 5) hope in the face of adversity.

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Session 23. Trust in God (Tawakkul /تَوَكُّل) is a hallmark of faith. In the eye of the Quran, Tawakkul is an essential ingredient of faith: if a person does not put her full trust in God in daily life, she would not have true faith. She may believe in the “idea” of God, but she would not have faith in God. Conceptually, Tawakkul is difficult to comprehend, and even more difficult to practice. The difficulty is partly due to the fact that there are no concrete activities associated with Tawakkul. Daily prayer, invocation, fasting… are concrete practices we call “religious acts”; however, there are no such activities associated with Tawakkul. And therein lies the problem. We will explore some of the Quran’s teachings on the nature and meaning of Tawakkul in this presentation.

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