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Surah Al Hujurat

 Surah Al Hujurat I love this Surah for the reminder it gives regarding how Muslims should be to each other and in self and in presence of Allah SWT and his Messenger SAW. It also distinguishes Islam and Iman and explains what Iman is. Allah says he created us from one man and woman and fashioned us into tribes so that we may know one another. And He adds, that the most noblest among us are the ones who are most righteous. And as we interact with one another, we are to 1) not jeer at one another assuming we are better 2) not spy at each other 3) not call belittling names 4) speak behind each other's back 5) not to make too many assumptions or sinful assumptions. We are to check information before acting on it and possibly bring harm to others.  When it comes to believers there is more guidance on how they are to be. There are special codes of conduct when factions of believers fight. We are to make settlement between them and fight against the ones that oppress. We are to act ...
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Freedom

 In the way I understand it, every second of time, there is the human Qalb negotiating, responding, to impulses from Jism, Ruh, Nafs (mind/body/spirit complex cumulative) and deciding the course of being. There are moments when Qalb routes in the Fitrah to the whole being. There are times when Jism influencees the self's state of being through influencing Qalb. There are times when Nafs (as in the blood pumped into heart from rest of body) come with its set of being and influences the Qalb and course of action. I believe here is the spot of play of freedom. Where Qalb is presently choosing the course of action. We can choose a way to be that is informed by Fitrah- Fitrah coming from Allah who respects free will, is a nudge not a compulsion. And each moment exercising freedom to choose our purpose- worshipping Allah we experience freedom from the inertias, waswas, trappings of worldly living.  In this way Freedom is a morally positive concept. Positive in the way it breaks us f...
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The Heart

 In Islamic worldview, centered around the Quran, the Heart is the center for reason, enlightenment. A corrupt heart makes one blind to the truths and especially the One Truth that Allah is the only one worthy of our worship. Trying to make sense of the centrality of heart i come to this conclusion. Heart sets the agenda- it is the initiator of action and thought and with the impulse it creates, brain goes to task doing necessary fact reminding, reasoning, information processing. Just like a human uses a computer to do complex tasks. Just like the stage sets the context for other details to fall in place. Like that Heart dictates the actions and thoughts' nature, mood and context.  In order to be fully peaceful and alive, we can make the heart peaceful. Peaceful with the reminder (dhikr) of Allah. Then lead with that peaceful heart. And the facts and details can follow later, in sha Allah.  Peace is of the Heart. Order and Sense is of the Brain. Let's prioritise Peace in ...
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Neutralising

 Reading principles of Hermetic philosophy. It seems- they say- that Good and Bad is relative. That it is our preception that make things good and bad. It accepts polarity as a natural law. Thereby validating the existence of evil. Its a cowardly attempt to protect oneself from pain, uncertainty. Buddhism- atleast when we do Vipassana- we try to neutralise pain and pleasure. Working at the sensory level to weaken our pain-pleasure reactions.  What is we ARE supposed to feel both pain and pleasure unadulteratedly. And seeking Allah in times of both not obfuscating both a part of straight path? I have never heard Islamic scholars say things that neutralise pain. Instead they seem to stress on patience, fortitude, asking forgiveness. 
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Sirat Bridge Questions

 Sirat Bridge Questions in the 7 stations is said to be as in http://www.myreligionislam.com/detail.asp?Aid=5951  1. Faith 2. Salat 3. Fasting 4. Zakat 5. Hajj 6. Human Rights 7. Ghusl, Cleanliness
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A Custodian of Earth

 I incline to choose that nature of my custodianship of other beings on Earth is that, as a Muslim who prays, I can pray for the well being of believing beings on Earth. The more sentient I am, the more I can maybe understand their needs. The more pure and clean I am and the more faith I have, I can pray better for them. 
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Magic and Islam

 Magic has many degrees, connotations. I when I started thinking about this subject was thinking about magic as in the "alchemical transactions" cultures of people make with spirits, nature, deities in order to gain/appease them. It can range from the offering of coconuts to Ganapati to Spells to invoke spirits or so called deities. I was wondering, if Adam AS were sent to be Calipha on Earth, did that include him understanding the alchemical secrets of nature spirits and other beings that inhabit this realm or did Allah want us to totally not speak to Nature that way through alchemical transactions. I found the answer two ways. One through deduction and the other through an enlightening video.  What I deduced is nothing new. I was just chancing upon insight most Muslims already have through their faithful thinking. Allah SWT wants us to approach Him and Only Him for help. If we are appeasing river and forest spirits and asking for interpretation from supernatural beings what...
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