Spirituality-in-Islam-PPT.pdf

And Ignatian spirituality  LEARNING OUTCOME At the end of the lesson, the students can 1.1 Identify the Ignatian Spirituality from Islamic spirituality 1.2. Recognize the existence of plurality of religions 1.3 Exercise the consciousness examen as part of the Ignatian Spiritualit...

And Ignatian spirituality  LEARNING OUTCOME At the end of the lesson, the students can 1.1 Identify the Ignatian Spirituality from Islamic spirituality 1.2. Recognize the existence of plurality of religions 1.3 Exercise the consciousness examen as part of the Ignatian Spirituality. 1.4. Describe the features of Islamic spirituality, and 1.5. Reflect on their own spiritual encounters or experiences. What is spirituality?  What is spirituality? Spirituality is generally viewed as the innate human need to connect with something larger than ourselves. (Bensaid, B., Machouche, S.B.T., Grine, F., 2014)  Islamic Spirituality Islamic spirituality is defined as the presence of a relationship with Allah that affects the individual’s self-worth, sense of meaning, and connectedness with others and nature (Nasr, 1997). Cited in Bonab,B.G., Miner, M. & Proctor, M.T. (2013)  Relational quality of spirituality Core theme of Hence, central beliefs of the Islamic religion Islamic religion are lived out daily in spirituality, ways of relating to that comprises Allah, others, nature, and the beliefs, self. Similarly, in following the set of rituals and codes of Islamic rituals, religion, an individual is striving daily-living to become closer to Allah and to behaviors, and find personal worth and actualization (Khodayari-Fard et al., knowledge. 2008, cited in Bonab,B.G., Miner, M. & Proctor, M.T. (2013) ).  Fitrah “Innate and natural disposition of man to believe and worship God” (p. xxiv). “A relationship with the Creator can be established through ibadah (knowledge and actions),” and, “the key to knowledge of God is knowledge of one’s self both inwardly and outwardly” (p. xxix). “Fitrah, together with divine revelation, allows humans to attain “all levels of perception, even the knowledge of Allah in a direct and immediate way” Haque and Mohamed (2009)  Fitrah 7:172. And (remember) when your Lord brought forth from the Children of Adam, from their loins, their seed and made them testify as to themselves (saying): “Am I not your Lord” They said: “Yes! We testify,” lest you should say on the Day of Resurrection: “Verily, we were unaware of this.” Al-A’raf (7): 172 Tafsir by Ibn Kathir  Relationship with Allah in Islamic Spirituality An individual’s relationship with Allah is the focal point of Islamic spirituality. At the heart of human-divine relationship is divine love.  Allah’s love of humans is made clear in divine sayings such as the following: God ever mighty and majestic says: “O child of Adam, it is your right from Me that I be a lover for you. So, by My right from you, be for Me a lover (Ibn Arabi,1 2004 edition, p. 24)  Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) saying: Surely, my prayer and my devotion, my life, and my death are all for Allah, the Lord of the worlds. He has no partner, and this is what I have been commanded, and I am the first of the Muslims (6:162-163).  Prophetic saying God, ever mighty and majestic is He, says, “I am present in my servant’s thought of Me, and I am with him when he remembers me.” If he approaches Me by a hand’s breath, I draw near to him by an arm’s length, and if he draws near to Me by an arm’s length, I draw to him by a fathom. If he comes to Me walking, I come to him running. (Ibn Arabi,1 2004 edition, p. 24)  Religious rituals are integral to Islamic spirituality as they provide a means to demonstrate and maintain relationship with Allah. Further, they are an outward expression of the believer’s desire to maintain closeness to Allah, especially during times of psycho- spiritual or physical threat.  In addition, relationship with others is considered part of relationship with the divine. Loving others, giving unconditional positive regard to others, and altruistic acts are examples of religious virtues that demonstrate an individual’s deep and sincere relationship with Allah.  Two Complementary Views of understanding Allah’s relationship with creatures 1. Transcendence God (Allah), in His essence, is the transcendental unity who is majestic and beyond any human comprehension. However, He has an active relationship with creation at the level of immanence. In other words, Allah is immanently connected to the created order, so that divine life cannot be detached from the created order.  2. Immanence At the level of immanence, the created order (i.e., the cosmos, humanity, and each individual) is understood on the basis of Allah’s beautiful names (divine attributes). Allah’s relationship with His servants, functioning at the level of immanence, is based on divine attributes. Allah’s ninety-nine beautiful names indicate that an intimate relationship exists between individuals and the divine being.  The Root Meaning of Attachment Qualities in Islamic Faith The premise for considering aspects of Muslim believers’ relationships with Allah functioning as attachment bond can find its starting point in the Arabic word ‘Iman’ translated as ‘faith’ (Qur’an 2:108). Derivatives of the same word root convey the following meanings: safety (Qur’an 2:234), peace (Qur’an 4:91), security (Qur’an 7:97), certainty (Qur’an 2:260), and trustworthiness (Qur’an 26:107). Those who have faith experience security with Allah (Qur’an 6:82), and with believers who trust in Allah and His messenger (Qur’an 24:62).  Allah as an Attachment Figure God may be viewed in terms of: attachment social economic (as caregiver, or as (as a prestigious (as an agent in lover using the figure) socioeconomic metaphor of romantic exchange) attachment) power guidance (as king or ruler or (as counselor, coalition leader) mentor, or source of wisdom)  Allah as an Attachment Figure The attachment bond as a relationship is dyadic in form. Exploring the contribution and role of each dyadic partner is crucial when seeking to substantiate that a relationship entails an attachment bond, where one partner functions as the “stronger wiser other” (Kirkpatrick, 1992a, 2005).  Allah as an Attachment Figure as Illustrated by Divine Attributes Qualities of an attachment figure conducive to the attainment of proximity and safety include accessibility, sensitivity, responsiveness, and the capacity to provide protection; the qualities related to provision of a secure base involve support of exploration and learning (Bowlby 1977; Ainsworth et al., 1978; Sroufe & Waters, 1977; Pargament, 1997). Examination of Islamic writings reveals that among the divine names of Allah, there are divine attributes reflecting qualities of an ideal attachment figure. According to Islamic belief, Allah can be understood via the ninety-nine (Al- Bukhari3 , 1979) attributes or divine names of Allah. Each name has a specific effect in regulating divine relations with people.  Examples of Divine Attributes Al-Mu’min—The Preserver and bestower of security. The provision of security lies at the heart of the attachment bond, wherein a threatened individual turns to a stronger other in search of safety. This divine name denotes Allah as the only one who provides security for individuals in the context of either external threats and/or inward temptations (Qur’an113: 1-5; 114: 1-6).  Al-Mujib -The Responsive affirms to the Muslim believer that Allah is indeed available and willing to respond when His protection is required, Qur’anic stories revealing Allah’s commitment to respond: when my servants question you about Me, I am near to answer the call of the caller when they call Me (Qur’an 2:186).  Ar-Razzaq —The Ever-provider is provision and fulfillment of creatures’ needs including their nourishment, safety, comfort, and shielding. When believers need safety and security in various physical, social, psychological, or even spiritual domains, they can call out this archetypal name, and are granted what they need: “God is the one who gives sustenance, the possessor of strength, the firm” (Qur’an 51:58).  Al-Hafeez Allah provides care and protection for individuals who believe in Him. The pervasiveness of this protective function is demonstrated in the stories of the prophets who determinately and courageous delivered Allah’s messages, confident that He would protect them from harm and adversaries. Stories from the Qur’an give many examples of Allah protecting individuals from various adversaries. Allah saving Noah and his followers (Qur’an 7:64); protecting Moses and his people from the persecution of Pharaoh and his army (Qur’an 2:49);  Allah as an Attachment Figure In Qur’anic Stories Various stories of the Qur’an concerning Adam and other prophets including Idris, Noah, Hud, Salih, Abraham, Lot, Joseph, Job, Jonah, Moses, Zachariah, Ishmael, Jesus, and Muhammad illustrate Allah’s availability, accessibility, responsiveness (to calls for help), care, and protection. Allah as ‘Safe Haven’ and ‘Secure Base’ Key roles of an attachment figure include in Qur’anic stories (i) provision of safety (ii) a secure base wherein the attachment from which the protected one can figure acts as a haven and a confidently explore, assured of a place of refuge when reliable response from the protection is sought during attachment figure should threat times of threat be re-experienced The safe haven function, represented by the responsiveness of Allah as an attachment figure, and His availability for care and protection of Jonah (Yunus, AS). Read more on the story in chapter 21 of the Qur’an.  Allah as an Attachment Figure According to Qur’anic Verses speak of attributes of Allah consistent with the defining qualities of an attachment figure. To Allah belongs the east and He is also closer to us than our the west, wherever you go, jugular vein (50:16) there will be the presence of Allah. Allah is Omnipresent, He is closer to us than we all are, Omniscient (Qur’an 2: 115). yet we all do not see (56:85) Wherever you turn, there is He is with us whenever we are the face of Allah (2:115). (57:4)  Attachment Behaviors of Believers Proximity Seeking Seeking proximity to Allah is the ultimate goal of the rituals and practices of Muslim people. Reciting daily prayers, almsgiving, going on pilgrimage, and visiting sacred shrines are among rituals that are performed with the intent to obtain closeness to Allah. [O Prophet] Say: Surely my prayer, my devotions, my life, and my death are all for [the proximity of] Allah, the Lord of the world (6: 162).] Attachment behaviors are activated in times of intense need and in the context of threatening events.  An example of proximity-seeking: When Prophet Mohammad (SAW) and his followers were confronted with threatening news, sought out Allah, and drew upon His blessings, which in turn enabled them to confront the threat and they said: “Allah is sufficient for us. How excellent a guardian He is. So they returned with blessing and bounty from Allah, no harm ever touched them” (3:173-174).  Facilitating Psychological Proximity through Remembrance Maintaining a sense of closeness to Allah helps to equip Muslims with the courage and strength to engage and endure through the challenges of their lives. Through remembrance believers can feel endowed with care, love, and protection that can help them cope with life. Divine saying illustrated the power of remembrance and active imagination in Islamic tradition: Allah, ever mighty and majestic is He says: I am present in My servant’s thought of Me, and I am with him when he remembers Me (Ibn Arabi, 2004, p.46)  Islamic spirituality dictates that consciously balanced intimacy with the divine generates a positive awareness of the self and the environment, and further ensures intense motivation for good; this perhaps explains the Qur’anic commendation of ‘those drawn close to God’ (Qur’an 83:18). Such a reference, however, is made in contrast to human preoccupations with lower physical needs; pointing to a catastrophic degradation in the quality of human life to categories described as the lowest of the low (Qur’an 95:5), and as a result, the devastating destruction of life and environment. (Bensaid, B., Machouche, S.B.T., Grine, F., 2014)  The Qur’an shows that believers are better motivated when they act according to their inner nature and proceed according to their connection with God (Qur’an 28:77).  For one to achieve a state of spiritual health, however, the Qur’an exhorts humans to enjoy the blessings and bounties of God with gratefulness (shukr) and kindness (ihsan) and not to indulge in despair, seclusion or self- oppression. On one occasion at least, the Qur’an chastises worshippers who opt for seclusion and monasticism as a means to spiritual perfection (Qur’an 57:27).  According to Islam, humans are granted the potential to rationalize and embody faith and to move forward throughout a reflective process of spirituality leading to continuous improvement of the conditions of human life (‘umran), most notably beginning with the self. As such, when spirituality is operative, it only creates a normal yet positive condition of change instead of appealing to extraordinary miracles and shows. (Abdul-Rahman, Z. & Khan, N., 2018) Three inter-related levels of spiritual hierarchy excellence Excellence -the highest level of faith and requires active engagement in the process of awareness and submission to (ihsan) God. Life at this stage revolves continually around worship and devotion to God with excellence and perfection. Faith concerns itself with the confirmation of belief in God, the Angels, the holy books, the Prophets, the Day of Reckoning and faith Destiny; leading believers to acquire nearness to the (iman) transcendental truth, resulting in good deeds, states, and thoughts. Qur’an describes humans as weak creatures characterized by need and dependence, which perhaps explains why spiritual submission experience first begins with submission to God, following His Guidance, and showing diligent attention to external (Islam) environments surrounding the self.  End Goal: Spiritual Health For one to achieve a state of spiritual health, however, the Qur’an exhorts humans to enjoy the blessings and bounties of God with gratefulness (shukr) and kindness (ihsan) and not to indulge in despair, seclusion or self- oppression.  Words to ponder Ibn al-Qayyim explains that all human activity goes back to two fundamental processes: “The capacity to know (‘Ilm) and the capacity to act (‘amal). ” At any moment in time, we are either acquiring knowledge to build and enhance our understanding of the world or we are interacting with the world to change or maintain the order of things. This is what makes us human. (Abdrul-Rahman & Khan, 2018)  References Abdul-Rahman, Z. & Khan, N. (2018). Souls Assorted: An Islamic Theory of Spiritual Personality. Yaqeen Institute for Islamic Research. https://yaqeeninstitute.org/zohair/souls-assorted-an- islamic-theory-of-spiritual-personality/ Al-Hilali, M.T., & Khan, M.M. (1999). Translation of the meanings of the noble Qur-an in the English language. Madinah, KSA: King Fahd Complex. Bensaid, B., Machouche, S.B.T., Grine, F. (2014). A Qur’anic Framework for Spiritual Intelligence. Religions 2014, 5, 179–198; doi:10.3390/rel5010179 religions ISSN 2077-1444 www.mdpi.com/journal/religions Bonab,B.G., Miner, M. & Proctor, M.T. (2013). Attachment to God in Islamic Spirituality. Journal of Muslim Mental Health. ISSN1556- 4908,Vol.7, Issue 2. http:/hdl.handle.net/2027/spo.10381607.0007.205