Is there an age or year of your life you would re-live?
If I had to think of one, it would probably be marrying my first wife.
Suffice it to say I destroyed a long standing friendship. I experienced more heartache than I can fathom. And spent the night behind bars for the first time in my life.
All that being said, I know I can’t get another chance, and I’m glad. All those experiences made me who I am today, and I think I’m ok.
A work in progress, sure. But I’ve become someone I would have never imagined being back then.
This name means that Allaah has unlimited mercy, which He shows to everyone, regardless of whether a person is a Muslim or not.
This name comes in conjunction with another great name “Ar-Raheem” in the phrase “Bismillaahir-Rahmaanir-Raheem”, which in translation means: “In the name of Allaah, The Gracious to all in this world and The Merciful only to believers in the hereafter”.
Ar-Rahmaan emphasizes here the breadth and greatness of Allaah’s mercy.
Feel free to dive into some brief reflections on the path of Sulook (spiritual journeying) – the link above is to a thread on my Twitter account. It’s an adventure I’ve been on for some time now, and I’m constantly trying to find new information to help me understand it and implement it in my own life.
One thing that helped me enormously was a detailed study of Ibn Qudaamah’s book Mukhtasar Minhaaj al-Qaasideen – (literally) the abridgement of the methodology of the desirous ones. It’s all about the journey of seeking spiritual perfection – or at least what comes as close as possible to it (since we’ll never be ‘perfect’).
Why I’m on this journey
I was born with a rare metabolic disorder. It prevents me from processing a component of protein in the right way. The end result is that very important things like Serotonin and Tryptophan are in short supply in my brain. Because of that I had great difficulty with focus, impulse and emotional control, and thinking in general. It leads to a greatly increased risk of anxiety and depression. This caused me to both need and want to find ways to gain some level of self mastery.
In addition to that, I finally started to get my condition under control through new developments in therapy. Al-Hamdulillaah (all thanks and praise is due to Allaah [God]).
Next Steps
I’m going to try and share more and more of these gems with time. Please be patient.
I’m at the beginning of my journey and have been asking myself a similar question.
I to feel inclined to battle demons. An earlier version of this was just that. Now I fight not because I want to. I tell stories not because I need to. I do these things because I hope that my successes (however few) and my failures (far too many for my taste) can serve as lessons for others.
Because of my wading deeper into Islamic Psychology and Spiritual Purification I feel it necessary to put all of these experiences in context. To reflect back on the lessons learned (or at least the ones that should have been) and to project forward a better version of myself and (hopefully) help others do the same.
It often seems reading about others struggles with the same or similar challenges as us allows us to look at our own lives anew. When their stories can share victories or hard won truths it allows us to course correct without all of the associated pain and suffering. Allaah knows best.
I won’t beleaguer the point further, but thanks again for showing what this journey could be.
Al-Qurtubee’s (may Allaah shower him with Mercy) explanation:
Regarding the Almighty’s saying, “Those who have believed” (*alladhīna āmanū*): the word *alladhīna* is in the accusative case because it functions as the object of the verb—meaning, “God guides those who have believed.” It has also been said that it stands in apposition to the phrase “he who turns back” (*man anāba*), and thus it also occupies the accusative position. “And whose hearts find peace in the remembrance of God” means their hearts find tranquility and solace in the Oneness of God, thereby finding peace. It is said that their hearts are constantly at peace through the remembrance of God with their tongues. Qatadah, Mujahid, and others stated that this refers to the Quran. Sufyan ibn Uyaynah said it refers to His command; Muqatil said His promise; and Ibn Abbas said it refers to swearing by His name, or finding peace in the remembrance of His grace and bounty—just as hearts tremble at the mention of His justice, retribution, and decree. It was also said that “remembrance of God” means they remember God and reflect upon His signs, thereby recognizing the perfection of His power with insight. “Verily, in the remembrance of God do hearts find peace”—meaning the hearts of the believers. Ibn Abbas stated that this refers to the taking of oaths; when one’s adversary swears by God, one’s heart is put at ease. Other interpretations suggest “remembrance of God” means obedience to God, the reward from God, or the promise of God. Mujahid stated that this refers to the Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).
As-Sa’dee’s (may Allaah shower him with Mercy) explanation:
Then, the Almighty mentioned a characteristic of the believers, saying: {Those who have believed and whose hearts find rest in the remembrance of Allah}—meaning that their anxiety and agitation vanish, and they experience joy and delight. {Unquestionably, by the remembrance of Allah hearts find rest}—meaning it is fitting and proper that hearts find rest in nothing other than His remembrance; for there is nothing more delightful, desirable, or sweet to the heart than loving its Creator, finding intimacy with Him, and knowing Him. The extent of a heart’s remembrance of Him corresponds to the extent of its knowledge and love of Him. This interpretation applies if “remembrance of Allah” refers to the servant remembering his Lord—through *tasbih* (glorification), *tahlil* (declaring His oneness), *takbir* (magnifying Him), and the like. Alternatively, it is said that “remembrance of Allah” refers to the Book He revealed as a reminder for the believers. In this context, the heart finding rest in the remembrance of Allah means finding tranquility upon understanding the meanings and rulings of the Qur’an; for it points to the manifest truth, supported by evidence and proofs. Through this, hearts find rest, as they only find tranquility in certainty and knowledge—qualities guaranteed in the Book of Allah in the most perfect and complete manner. As for other books that do not refer back to it, the heart finds no rest in them; rather, it remains anxious due to conflicting evidence and contradictory rulings. {If it had been from [any] other than Allah, they would have found within it much contradiction.} This is something recognized only by one who has studied and contemplated the Book of Allah alongside other forms of knowledge, for such a person perceives a vast difference between them.
Why this verse?
Good question.
For me, mental health is a major priority. And Dhikr (the Islamic practice of remembering God/Allaah) is how I practice mindfulness. I combine it with breath work – following the advice of Dr. Benson in his book Beyond the Relaxation Response:
The larger reason I go to all this trouble is that I was born with a rare metabolic condition that leads to significant neurological challenges if left untreated, which mine was for over 40 years (between the ages of 12, or even earlier, and 52).
So this verse has special meaning to me, and I’ve tasted the truth of it repeatedly. That’s why I keep coming back to it.
What’s your favorite ‘Quote’ & (more importantly) Why?
If you had to be an animal for a week, which one would you be and why?
I have a picture from when I was a baby in Florida with my first pet – a beautiful long-haired white cat named Snowball. I’ve had many cats throughout my life and would have one now if I could.
That one’s easy – the Quran. I’ve read no less than a dozen translations. Some of those multiple times. I’ve also read countless explanations and reflections. I come back to it over and over because it’s the source of all guidance and what I try to base my decisions upon – not that I’m always successful at it.
