The greatest contribution of mystics to human spirituality is their discovery of love. But, love always goes hand in hand with beauty. Mystics discovered that God is not only Almighty and Majestic, but also Beautiful. It is precisely the Divine’s captivating beauty that persuades a person to surrender her heart and soul to God. In […]
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The ‘Tale of Moses and the Shepherd’ is one of the most famous stories in Rum’s masterpiece, Mathnavi. In this fictional story, Rumi creates a dialog between two characters- Moses and a shepherd- to vividly illustrate two pitfalls in religiosity: formalism and exclusivism. He argues against reducing faith to formalities (such as theological doctrines and […]
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There is a great deal of misinformation- and sometimes disinformation- about Islam in the Western media. Unfortunately, some North African and Middle Eastern cultural practice are falsely attributed to Islam, simply because Muslims are the dominant religious group in these regions. For example, ‘honor killing’, ‘female circumcision’ and ‘stoning’ are incorrectly viewed as sanctioned- or even promoted- by Islam.
This lecture addresses these misconceptions; it draws a distinction between Islam as a system of faith, and local social customs and cultural practices some Muslims might engage in.
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Invariably, all world religions have formal prayers. Their forms and mechanics vary, yet formal prayers play a key role in a faith-based life. What functions do they serve? What goals do they achieve? This lecture examines the role of formal prayers in spiritual life, using the Islamic daily prayer (or صلاة) as an example.
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This lecture explores ‘Trust in God’ (توکل) from an Islamic mystical perspective.
It covers the following topics:
1) What does authentic trust in God mean?
2) Does trust in God mean inaction? Does it negate human initiative, planning and action?
3) How does trust in God impact a believer’s inner life?
4) What are the different levels of trust (weak vs. strong)?
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There has been an ongoing debate in Western academic circles and popular press about the compatibility of political democracy with Islam: can Islamic nations retain their faith and still embrace modern democratic institutions? Some analysts are skeptical and argue that at the end, Muslims have to choose between their religion and democracy. They claim that until Islam is relegated to the sidelines of Muslim life, their societies cannot enjoy progress, modern civilization and democracy.
Muslim scholars and political activists have vigorously debated this issue for over a century. Generally speaking, two camps have emerged: reformers and conservatives. Conservatives believe that political democracy is not compatible with Islam; they claim that Islam has an authentic form of government commonly known as the Caliphate- a system of government where an observant and pious ruler leads the state and ensures that the orthodox Islamic legal code is enforced. Muslim Reformers, on the other hand, argue that authentic Islam does not have any specific form of government. In every historical era, Muslims are free to choose a form of government that is in line with their religious values and responsive to the demands of the times. For this group, democracy is compatible with Islam- its principles and institutions can best safeguard Islam’s social values and facilitate the modernization of a stagnant Islamic world.
This lecture aims to shed some light on this important debate and examine the challenges facing the Islamic world in its pursuit of democratic transformation.
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There has been an ongoing debate in Western academic circles and popular press about the compatibility of political democracy with Islam: can Islamic nations retain their faith and still embrace modern democratic institutions? Some analysts are skeptical and argue that at the end, Muslims have to choose between their religion and democracy. They claim that until Islam is relegated to the sidelines of Muslim life, their societies cannot enjoy progress, modern civilization and democracy.
Muslim scholars and political activists have vigorously debated this issue for over a century. Generally speaking, two camps have emerged: reformers and conservatives. Conservatives believe that political democracy is not compatible with Islam; they claim that Islam has an authentic form of government commonly known as the Caliphate- a system of government where an observant and pious ruler leads the state and ensures that the orthodox Islamic legal code is enforced. Muslim Reformers, on the other hand, argue that authentic Islam does not have any specific form of government. In every historical era, Muslims are free to choose a form of government that is in line with their religious values and responsive to the demands of the times. For this group, democracy is compatible with Islam- its principles and institutions can best safeguard Islam’s social values and facilitate the modernization of a stagnant Islamic world.
This lecture aims to shed some light on this important debate and examine the challenges facing the Islamic world in its pursuit of democratic transformation.
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Lecture Title: Jihad: Clarification of Myths and Misconceptions
Abstract: Principles of Sprituality and Islam
Time: August 2007
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Lecture title: America’s Challenges and Opportunities
Abstract: How can we achieve a more secure and peaceful World?
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