Hamid Entezam

The Ramadan fast is typically understood as a religious “obligation”; a Muslim is required to fulfill this obligation to secure God’s pleasure. The observant Muslim celebrates the successful discharge of his obligation in Eid al-Fitr. In this view, Eid al-Fitr is an Islamic “holiday” or “festival”. However, both the Ramadan fast and Eid al-Fitr have a much deeper meaning and significance. Muslim mystics view the Ramadan fast as a spiritual discipline; the ultimate goal of the observant Muslim is to foster spiritual development and to cultivate qualities of character. The culmination of his labor is “Fitr”: re-birth and renewal. In this presentation, we will explore the spiritual meaning of  “Eid” and “Fitr” in Islam’s mystical tradition.

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Self-purification (تزکیه نفس) is a core principle in Islam: it is key to an ethical and spiritually fulfilling life. For this reason, Sufi Muslims consider self-purification the Greater Jihad (جهاد اکبر). As we go through the maze of life, our inner space (heart / soul / self) can become corrupted by negative thoughts,  excessive desires, greed, anger and harmful behavior. In this state, we will lose our moral sensitivity and receptivity to God. Self-purification is a conscious effort to detoxify our “self”. In this presentation, we will address these questions: What does “self-purification” mean? Why is it so important? What are some of its benefits? How can we purify our “self”? 

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Starting with Epicurus some 2300 years ago, some philosophers have argued that we cannot reconcile the existence of evil with the idea of a loving God who is All-Knowledgeable and All-Powerful. If God is Just, why is there so much disparity / inequality among humans in terms of abilities, IQ, physical attractiveness and circumstances of birth ? If God is fair and just, why must some people suffer while others prosper? This question goes to the heart of the notion of Divine Justice. In this presentation, we will examine Divine Justice through the verses of the Holy Quran and the teachings of Rumi.

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The holy Quran makes a sweeping statement about “suffering”: “Truly, God created man in travail.” (90:4). This is a sobering pronouncement from our Creator: pain and anguish go hand in hand with living in the natural world. However, Rumi sees “meaning” and spiritual value in suffering. Suffering can be transformed into growth. In fact, both Rumi and the Buddha agree that suffering and enlightenment are closely related. In this presentation, we will discuss what the Quran and Rumi say about suffering.

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Spiritual teachers in all religious traditions say that- suffering is an unavoidable part of life. This is a tough pill to swallow for citizens of the modern world, whom are raised to believe that they are entitled to happiness: if you work hard and abide by the rules, you are guaranteed to enjoy a pleasant life. Yet, we can clearly see that suffering visits everyone around us- regardless of their state or status in life. Buddhism arguably has the most comprehensive and systematic teachings on the subject of “suffering”. The Buddha said: “all I teach is suffering and the end of suffering.”  In this presentation, we will explore the Buddha’s teachings on how to cope with suffering in life.

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The rise of Sufism in early Islam coincided with the height of the Dark Ages in Europe. At a time when Europe was plagued by the Inquisition, and the Christian Church burnt people alive at the stake for heresy, Muslim Sufis taught tolerance and respect for “other” faiths. Contemporary Muslim societies have a rich tradition of tolerance in their own history to draw inspiration from. In this presentation, we will discuss real life stories of early Sufi masters and how they practiced tolerance in their daily lives.

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Session 36. Islam is often portrayed as a harsh and intolerant religion in Western media- a view that is mostly informed by actions of extremists such as ISIS, Wahhabi Salafis and the ruling clerics in Iran. But, a careful examination of the Quran shows that the Prophet Mohammad encouraged tolerance among his followers. Quran’s stance on tolerance is rooted in some of its keys teachings: 1) humanity has one universal nature; 2) cultural and religious diversity is God’s Will; 3) there is not a single way to salvation; 4) other religions have a divine origin. These teachings lay a firm foundation for tolerance in Islam. In this presentation, we will examine Quran’s position on religious tolerance.

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Compassion is viewed by many as an ethical virtue. But, Islam takes it much further: compassion pertains to the essence of God, the Creator. Thus, the universe is a showroom of God’s compassion. The universe and all its inhabitants owe their very existence to God’s compassion. Adam (the human prototype) was created on the image of God, which implies that our humanity rests on “compassion”. If someone lacks compassion, he is still an ape- not a man. In this presentation, we will explore A) what compassion entails, B) what the Quran teaches about compassion, and C) some practical examples of compassion for daily life.

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Compassion is a hallmark of authentic religion. The infusion of compassion into religious life was the culmination of a spiritual transformation in Axial Age (a 600-year period in history between 800 BC to 200 BC). Pre-Axial religion was mostly concerned with rituals and animal sacrifice; as such, religion did not have much ethical and spiritual content. Axial Age sages and prophets gradually shifted the focus of religion from rituals to a spirituality of compassion. Henceforth, authentic religion would be less concerned with beliefs, dogma and rituals; its primary aim would be to change the believers at a profound level: to empty them of their selfishness and fill them with a genuine concern for “others”. In this presentation, we will discuss how compassion became the defining feature of authentic religion.

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All surveys show that religious membership is in decline in America- to the tune of a 23% decrease over the past 20 years. This is a huge decline, given that religious affiliation tends to change slowly over generations. For some odd reason, America began to be less religious starting in the early 1990s. Sociologists have investigated why young Americans are abandoning religion by the millions today. In this presentation, we will examine the statistics, the factors behind the decline of religion, and some solutions offered to restore acceptance of religion.

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