Qiyam Contemplation 7 One week down the line and I pray the fasting and (spiritual) feasting is going well for you all. Allah says in Surah al-Araf, part of which was covered in tonights Qiyam : And it is He who sends the winds as good tidings before His mercy until, when they have carried heavy rain-clouds, We drive them to a dead land and We send down rain therein and bring forth of all the fruits. Thus will We bring forth the dead; perhaps you may be reminded. (7:57) I pray that the winds of good tidings carry the Mercy of Allah into dead hearts and minds this Ramadan for only then may we taste the fruits of spiritual awareness! There are so many important teachings for us in this chapter: 1) The first sin ever committed by the creation of Allah was Pride. This is the actual “original sin” which led Iblis, who was in the very presence of Allah to become a Kafir (one who is ungrateful/ denies or covers the truth and then disbelieves in God) (2:34). It was when Iblis declared that “I am better than he”, referring to Adam (as) in response to his refusal to obey the command of Allah to bow down, that he led himself astray (7:11-13) - a deep lesson for us all as to the consequences of arrogance and thinking ourselves superior to anyone based on arbitrary traits, which for Iblis, was that he was created of fire, and Adam of clay. Every scholar of Tazkiya warns against Kibr – pride … for it is the path to Riya (ostentation/pretension/doing-to-be-seen), which is the “hidden shirk”. 2) The so-called “original sin”, or the original human sin (seeing as Iblis is not human) is also recounted in this Surah. It is vital for us to affirm the Quranic version of humanity’s “fall from heaven” as being due to Adam and Hawa (as) having BOTH been deceived by Shaytan, so as to redress , historically speaking (and to some degree today as well, particularly in notions of shame/purity/temptation, in which, shockingly, the idea that Hawa (as) caused Adam to fall, is actually listed in some fiqhi books), the psychological and spiritual burden womankind have lived with of being responsible for enticing Adam to eat of the forbidden fruit. The Qur’an says : “And he (shaytan) swore by Allah to them both: ‘Verily, I am one of the sincere advisers for you both.’ So he made them fall, through deception. And when they tasted of the tree, their private parts became apparent to them, and they began to fasten together over themselves from the leaves of Paradise. And their Lord called to them, ‘Did I not forbid you from that tree and tell you that Shaytan is to you a clear enemy?’” (7:21-22) Furthermore, look to when the Qur’an speaks of how their bodies were made apparent to them and they hastened to cover themselves, it addresses BOTH Adam and Hawa (as) … they were both made aware of their nakedness … whereas Muslim discourse today focuses (obsesses) on the female body only. Also important here is that the nakedness of their physical bodies were made apparent to them as a reprimand … think of this in light of trends to “bare it all” today (this point was highlighted by Qari Basheer Patel), as well as the appropriation and modification of women’s bodies in the media and global culture. Notice also Adam and Hawa (as) both turn to Allah in supplication, acknowledging their mistake, no blaming and shaming each other, but spiritual responsibility for their own actions : They said, Our Lord, we have wronged our own souls, and if You do not forgive us and have mercy upon us, we will surely be among the losers.(7:23) Then follows one of the most beautiful verses in the Qur’an on Libas al-Taqwa – the garments of God Consciousness! What more beautiful attire could we ever adorn ourselves with? “Oh children of Adam, We have bestowed upon you garments to conceal your private parts and as adornment. But the garments of righteousness - that is best. That is from the signs of Allah that perhaps they will remember.” (7:26) 3) The same co-responsibility for both men and women can be seen further on in this surah when Allah speaks about childbearing – it is BOTH the parents who pray to Allah for a righteous child whilst waiting in suspended anticipation … whereas discourse around children today tends to focus on mothering rather than “parenting” … It is He Who created you from a single person, and made his mate of like nature, in order to dwell with her in security. When they are united, she bears a light burden and carries it about. When she grows heavy, they both pray to Allah their Lord : ‘If You should give us a good, we will surely be among the grateful.’” (7:189) We need to really speak about fathering today … just look at Ebrahim (as), Luqman (as) and of course beloved Muhammad (saw) … the discourse around them in the Qur’an and ahadith focuses a lot on their role as fathers … why then are we only fixated with the duties/rewards/responsibilities of motherhood, which is not to ignore or diminish the Quran’s elevation of mothers, or the Prophets advice to honour three times the mother, but rather moving towards tipping the scales of parenting towards balance. And obviously – the very act praying for righteous children and then being grateful is directly implied in this verse. 4) Allah also instructs us on how to interact with the Qu’ran : “When the Quran is read, listen to it with attention, and hold your peace: that you may receive Mercy” (7:204) This is how we should read the Qur’an … captivated by the Kalam Allah (words of Allah), with peace – unagitated, in a calm and still manner … and then open ourselves up to its infinite Mercy … for it is from the Most Merciful Himself. and how to interact with Him as well : And remember your Lord within yourself in humility and in reverence without being apparent in speech - in the mornings and the evenings. And do not be among the neglectful. (7:205-206) Even though Iblis was in the very presence of Allah, at the end of this surah, Allah reminds us that those who are truly “with” Allah, those who “remember him in humility” as in the verse above - they are never too arrogant to worship Him and bow down to him in sujood – that ultimate act of humbleness and devotion to Allah, when we are at our lowest point physically, but our most elevated, spiritually (insha’Allah); when we disappear to ourselves to become mindful of Him. “Indeed Those who are with your Lord, are never too proud to be in His worship, They celebrate His praises, and prostrate before Him.” (7:206)
Posted on: Sat, 05 Jul 2014 01:21:03 +0000
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