#Ramadan2024 - Day-16
What is liberated worship?
When Moses finds the burning bush and meets God in the sacred valley, God summarises for him the aim of life:
إِنَّنِىٓ أَنَا ٱللَّهُ لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّآ أَنَا۠ فَٱعْبُدْنِى وَأَقِمِ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ لِذِكْرِىٓ ١٤
"I am God; there is no god but Me. So worship Me and keep up the prayer so that you remember Me." — Qur’an 20:14
What does it mean to worship and remember God? We know through our studies and Islamic-law what are the best ways to worship God — which actions are pleasing and displeasing to Him. How to perform our prayers in a way that is inline with the best of manners and pleasing to God.
وَمَن يَأْتِهِۦ مُؤْمِنًۭا قَدْ عَمِلَ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ فَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ لَهُمُ ٱلدَّرَجَـٰتُ ٱلْعُلَىٰ ٧٥
"Those who return to their Lord as believers with righteous deeds will be rewarded with the highest of ranks" — Qur’an 20:75
God makes reference in the Qur’an to ranks of believers. In this life we see many ranks of believers.
Imam Ali has said worship can be of three kinds:
Worshipping God out of fear of Him and His punishment — this is a low state, worshipping like a slave.
Other people worship God seeking his reward and bliss in the after-life. This is the middle state — the worship of merchants hoping to do something now in exchange for something later.
Finally the best of people worship God, most exalted is He, out of gratitude and only because of their love for Him — this is the most excellent worship and is the worship of the free and liberated mind.
اَللّٰهُمَّ أَعِنِّيْ عَلَىٰ ذِكْرِكَ وَشُكْرِكَ وَحُسْنِ عِبَادَتِكَ.
Allāhumma aʿinnī ʿalā dhikrika wa shukrika wa ḥusni ʿibādatik.
O Allah, help me in remembering You, in being grateful to You, and in worshipping You in an excellent manner.
#Ramadan2024 - Day-17
Does Fire Burn?
Abraham brought the truth and threatened to disrupt the establishment.
Even though he brought clear truth — he was considered too powerful and heretical; the leaders of his community sought to burn him alive.
قَالُوا۟ حَرِّقُوهُ وَٱنصُرُوٓا۟ ءَالِهَتَكُمْ إِن كُنتُمْ فَـٰعِلِينَ ٦٨
قُلْنَا يَـٰنَارُ كُونِى بَرْدًۭا وَسَلَـٰمًا عَلَىٰٓ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ ٦٩
"They said, ‘Burn him and avenge your gods, if you are going to do the right thing.’
But We said, ‘Fire, be cool and safe for Abraham.’" — Qur’an 21:68-69
Abraham was saved, the fire didn’t burn him, in fact it was cool around him and a place of peace for Abraham.
When we put paper in a fire it’s common to assume that fire burns. People often conjoin the cause and the effect to assume that all fire always burns.
Cause and effect are not linked like this however.
Fire burning, isn’t a logical certainty. It’s possible to conceive of a fire that doesn’t burn, and burning that isn’t caused by fire…
It is all in God’s plan — when a fire is lit, it has no innate property of burning. God acts at every moment to cause the fire to burn.
Simply put, fire doesn’t burn innately, God creates burning at the same time as there is fire.
God reinforces these common causes and their effects to help us make sense of the world and for our convenience.
If God wanted he could choose for any fire to be cool and peaceful. Anytime we use a knife to cut fruit, it is God that enables the knife to cut, not an innate property of the knife.
This is all very philosophical and arguably just academic — but in short we should be grateful for everything around us at all times.
Anytime we cut fruit or cook food, we should thank God that he allowed the knife to cut, that he allowed the fire to cook and that he provided us and nurtured us with sustenance and tranquility.
All things we link with a cause and effect, at any given time we should thank God for continuing to sustain them and continuing to maintain the universe for our ease and pleasure.
All things are a sign of Him, God, most exalted.
Read more here: https://seekersguidance.org/answers/islamic-belief/the-islamic-conception-of-causality-and-scientific-progress/
#Ramadan2024 - Day-18
Do you want an easy life?
وَلَا نُكَلِّفُ نَفۡسًا إِلَّا وُسۡعَهَاۚ وَلَدَیۡنَا كِتَـٰبࣱ یَنطِقُ بِٱلۡحَقِّ وَهُمۡ لَا یُظۡلَمُونَ﴿ ٦٢ ﴾
"We do not burden any soul with more than it can bear- We have a Record that tells the truth- they will not be wronged."
— Qur’an 23:62
Times of ease and times of hardship — struggles eb and flow like seasons with the passing of time.
The warmth of summer is followed by the harsh of winter — only to bloom once more into the beauty of spring. 🌸
Life is testing, for anyone in any given situation.
God’s promise is always kept — no soul will be tested with more than it can bear. Strong people will find their strength tested more and more — as a means of proving their mettle and their faith.
It’s important to remember throughout good and bad times that they are temporary, all things come to an end good and bad. Our tests will end and likewise our easy periods are a chance for respite before further tests.
We never despair in times of difficulty and we never become complacent in times of ease
Regardless of our state we will always be tested, even people with immense wealth and privilege are tested in other ways that may not be obvious.
Tests are a chance for us to learn and improve — to demonstrate ourselves. At the end of it all we’ll find respite and reward after the test.
#Ramadan2024 - Day-19
What is freedom? 🦅
In life we’re free todo what we want.
We can’t fly or teleport. God limits the set of actions we may choose from but we’re still free todo everything within our limited grasp.
What is freedom then?
Freedom of choice is the freedom to choose our actions — if i feel hungry i’m free to gorge, if i’m angry i’m free to shout…
Just because i’m free to do these things doesn’t make them good choices.
This apparent freedom of choice often ends up making people slaves to their environment, their emotions and social pressure.
What appear to be free-choice are actually poor choices guided only by impulse, desires and social pressure.
أَرَءَیۡتَ مَنِ ٱتَّخَذَ إِلَـٰهَهُۥ هَوَىٰهُ أَفَأَنتَ تَكُونُ عَلَیۡهِ وَكِیلًا﴿ ٤٣ ﴾
“Have you seen ˹O Prophet˺ the one who has taken their own desires as their god? Will you then be a keeper over them?” — Quran 25:43
Good choices are informed by meaning, purpose and righteous intentions. Choices that please God and helps us to draw closer to Him.
#Ramadan2024 - Day-20
Do you ever feel too busy?
In the modern world we get so busy with work, pre-occupied with chores, trying to find time to meet our obligations while still doing the things we enjoy.
In all the busyness it’s easy to forget where it all comes from. The daily miracles of waking up healthy and able to think, just to have the ability to go on with our day.
It’s easy to lose perspective and forget our sustainer. Not from any bad intent, but just because we’re pre-occupied with things we have to do!
إِنَّمَآ أُمِرْتُ أَنْ أَعْبُدَ رَبَّ هَـٰذِهِ ٱلْبَلْدَةِ ٱلَّذِى حَرَّمَهَا وَلَهُۥ كُلُّ شَىْءٍۢ ۖ وَأُمِرْتُ أَنْ أَكُونَ مِنَ ٱلْمُسْلِمِينَ ٩١
"[Say Prophet], ‘What I am commanded to do is to serve the Sustainer of this town, which He has made inviolable. Everything belongs to Him; I am commanded to be one of those devoted to Him;" — Qur’an 27:91
Islam comes to warn us, enjoining us to appreciate our sustainer and worship Him, most exalted.
Despite all the external factors of today’s age, the political winds of change and the economic tides we are not able to control — it’s important to remember who sustains us individually every day.
وَأَنْ أَتْلُوَا۟ ٱلْقُرْءَانَ ۖ فَمَنِ ٱهْتَدَىٰ فَإِنَّمَا يَهْتَدِى لِنَفْسِهِۦ ۖ وَمَن ضَلَّ فَقُلْ إِنَّمَآ أَنَا۠ مِنَ ٱلْمُنذِرِينَ ٩٢
I am commanded to recite the Quran.’ Whoever chooses to follow the right path does so for his own good. Say to whoever deviates from it, ‘I am only here to warn.’" — Qur’an 27:91-92
We won’t be able to help everyone, but we can control our own lives.
We can ensure we take time to worship God, remain grateful and devoted to Him. In doing so we can aim to be among those who are successful in this life and the next.