What It Means - Day 227

"And he surveyed the birds and said, 'How is it that I do not see the hoopoe? Or is he among those who are absent? I will surely punish him with a severe punishment, or I shall slaughter him, unless he brings me a clear warrant.'"
Quran 27:20

This seemingly strange passage is drawn from the 27th surah, al-Naml, here rendered as "The Ants." The quoted speaker is Solomon.

Once again, thanks to Seyyed Nasr for his corresponding commentary in the Study Quran:

"The hoopoe (hudhud) is a medium-sized birth with a long thin bill, notable for a distinctive crest on its head. In the commentary, the hoopoe is described as knowing where the nearest water as, and when Solomon asked about the water, he discovered the hoopoe was absent; others say that he learned of the hoopoe's absence, because if was the bird's function to shield Solomon from the sun. Some note that Solomon's reaction shows one of the qualities of a great leader - he was aware of the condition of those he led, down to that of a single bird. As a spiritual allegory and symbol, this passage is interpreted to be a drama between the spiritual heart, or the spirit within one, and the ego. The hoopoe symbolizes an aspect or faculty of the soul, while Solomon is the spiritual heart that must control the soul and take it to task when it disobeys.. The soul can become lost in heedlessness of God; yet its faculties are able to bring to the soul knowledge and wisdom previous undiscovered." (p. 932)

I chose this passage for several reasons, one related to Attar's work (referenced below), the biggest being the fact that the Quran is an intensely metaphoric work (unlike the painfully literal work it is often portrayed to be by folks unfamiliar with it). Also,once again, how does one begin to understand the Quran unless you're willing to truly study it, which means owning and tearing into something like the Study Quran. There are worlds within worlds here, which from a Muslim perspective proves the miraculous origins; how could an unlettered merchant have produced this work of lyric poetry and transcendent philosophy?

And the actual hoopoe, who doesn't look that mischievous. Actually, this is making me want to get back to reading Farid un-din Attar's Sufi masterpiece the Conference of  the Birds, in which the hoopoe plays a very big role.

What It Means - Day 226

"He is not one of us who does not show compassion to our little ones or respect our older ones."
Muhammad, Hadith

Yes, I have quite a string of ahadith going here, and, for that matter, a string of seemingly simple ahadith. However, simply because it is "seemingly simple" does not mean that it is simple at all. One of the things that drew me to Islam in the first place is its collectivist nature - which also runs parallel to the fact that in other ways it is intensely individualistic (there is no strong priesthood, so there's really nothing between us and God). In the US today we've become a society that doesn't care enough about the most vulnerable members of our society, but ratchets that up by being almost intentionally cruel to society's weakest members. As people often point out on Twitter, it's the cruelty itself which is the point. However, as President Obama pointed out yesterday in his critique of "woke" online culture, it's not simply enough to call the president a motherfucker (and Lord knows I've done that enough). In the end what matters is what we do to help our "little ones" and "older ones" that matters. I've just started working in support of the South Burlington Food Shelf and my goal is to try and give back more and more every year.

What It Means - Day 225

"The one who tells another about something good will have a reward like those of the one who does it."
Muhammad, Hadith

And here's another example drawn the ahadith, the sayings of the Prophet.  There are many things I love about the ahadith, and one of the biggest being the subtle, and often oddly funny, common sense that they display. This particular hadith reminds me of one of my favorite ahadith: "Be easy. Do not be difficult." Not every aspect of our faith has to be so profound that a group of religious scholars argue about it for decades. We are often so quick to share snarky or embarrassing stories, but oddly less likely to share stories of kindness. So, something as simple as sharing kindness are an essential part of the faith.

What It Means - Day 224

"Verily Allah is Kind and loves kindness, and He rewards kindness in a way that He does not reward harshness."
Muhammad, Hadith

Yes, this is very short - and sweet - but I still like it very much. It's another passage drawn from the sayings of the Prophet, the ahadith, that i dip into now and then. I don't know why I love this one so much, other than it gets to what I think the faith is about; and, for that matter, what every faith is about. Why would we worship a cruel, judgmental god - and why would a cruel, judgmental god create the world in the first place?

What It Means - Day 223

"Why don't you struggle in the way of God and on behalf of those who are oppressed? On behalf of those men, women and youth who say 'O Lord! Help us to escape from this town whose people oppress us, give us a guardian appointed by you, and grant us aid from one close to you.'"
Quran 4:75

The more I study the Quran the more glaringly clear it is to me that Islam is a faith about, among other things obviously, justice. I mean, I knew this, and certainly writers like Nasr in the Heart of Islam made the point repeatedly, but as I read and reread the Quran and the ahadith it just keeps jumping out at me. Islam is not a faith that allows you to sit on the sidelines; rather, we are required to fight the good fight. to always stand against oppression. Increasingly this leads me to call out non-Muslims who attack our faith, but I think it also puts me at loggerheads with folks inside of my own faith. We can't be a religion that stresses justice, but then act unjustly towards women or members of the LGBT community within our own ummah.

What It Means - Day 222

As you know while I mainly talk about passages from the Quran or the ahadith or sometimes one of the Islam-themed books I'm reading, I do sometimes talk about other issues relating to faith. Today will be one of those days. Last night I was blessed to be invited to have shabbos dinner with my student Destiny and a group of wonderful young Jewish students from the University of Vermont.  We met at the apartment of Rafael, who is working on his Ph.D. at UVM, but Destiny was the main cook (which made her slightly nervous). I am happy to report, for her sake, that it was a delicious meal, and equally happy to report, for my sake, that it was a wonderful evening socially and spiritually. As Muslims we are taught to respect all faiths, and, as I've said, I think there are a thousand paths to God. One of my goals as part of my own journey is to learn more about other faiths, not simply as subjects in my classes but also as part of my lived experience. I'm also going to make a more concerted effort to get members of our masjid out and about more often to other religious organizations. We frequently invite other religious groups into our community for worship or meals, but we could definitely make a more a greater sustained effort to visit them as well, not simply because we're not akin to an exhibit at the zoo, but we also need to own that other religions are not the only ones with something to learn.

From right to left: Destiny, Rafael, Ben.

What It Means - Day 221

"Truly the believers have prospered, who are humble in their prayers, and who turn away from idle talk, and who give the alms, and who guard their private parts, save from their spouses or those whom their right hand possess, for then they are not blameworthy - and as for those who seek beyond that, it is they who are transgressors - and who keep their trusts and their covenant, and who are mindful of their prayers. It is they who are the heirs, who shall inherit Paradise, abiding therein."
Quran 23:1-10

Here are the first ten verses from the 23rd surah, al-Mu'minun, here rendered as "The Believers." Actually, this passage is very similar to a section from surah 70 that I wrote about a couple months ago, and, truthfully, I think I like the other one a tad better. I've said many times that I'm drawn to the sections in the Quran which provide a very specific list of actions to perform (not that I don't like the more metaphoric chapters as well, naturally). This particular passage calls for a very straight-forward, mindful and humble approach to life. And while I can't begin to understand God, I can understand this appeal.

What It Means - Day 220

"And they say, 'The Compassionate has taken a child.' You have indeed asserted a terrible thing. The heavens are well-night rent thereby, and the earth split asunder, and the mountains made to fall down in ruins, that they should claim for the Compassionate a child."
Quran 19:88-92

This passage is drawn from the 19th surah, Maryam, which, as we've discussed already tells the story of Mary and the birth of Jesus. I'll have more to say about it later. As I've said previously, it's one of the surahs that I always recommend to non-Muslims as an introduction to the faith and to the Quran itself. This is a passage which, if read the wrong way, can seem like an attack on Jesus, but in fact it's not that at all. It comes in the chapter right after the retelling of the Jesus story. After telling the story it became necessary to throw in the reminder that Mohammad, or the reader, should not assume that this meant that Jesus was actually the son of God (because from an Islamic point of view there's no such thing). Instead the point is made that it's an insult to Jesus himself to suggest that he's the son of God because, again from the Islamic point of view, he isn't the son of God nor did he claim that he's the son of God. So, it's not a shot at Jesus, which Muslims would find absolutely horrifying, but instead a shot at those who would promote Jesus as something that he wasn't, and would in fact, personally, find repugnant.

What It Means - Day 219

"Hi _____. Thank you very much for your comments. I'm going to very respectfully disagree however, mainly based on your very valid point about God's law versus human law. All religions, Islam included, have traditions that are much more man-made than divine, based more on the viewpoints of traditional patriarchal societies than revelation. I would argue that this is one of those instances. There are no passages in the Quran which directly deal with this issue, the references in the ahadith and the sunnah are few and contradictory, and there was never been consensus among religious scholars. As one moves further from revelation by definition it becomes more about very human perceptions and traditions; my main point is that the issue is not as definitively as it seems. Again, I'm disagreeing with you but very respectfully."
GS on FB

What you see above is the rarest of rare occurrences: me involved in an argument, even a very gentle one, on Facebook. Anyone who follows me on Twitter knows that I'm very opinionated, but that doesn't carryover to Facebook. When I'm on Facebook I'm mainly interested in seeing if my friends are still alive and reveling in pictures of their dogs and grandkids. I avoid political, and especially religious, arguments like the plague. In this case I made an exception. I had shared a story about a US mosque that had been founded and was led by a woman. A Muslim woman from overseas jumped in and told me that what the story represented was wrong, and that we needed to follow God's laws and not that of man. You can see how my response responded to that allegation, while also trying to be polite. Why did I respond? First off, it was not to try and tell another Muslim what to believe. Rather, I wanted to let anyone reading the exchange that Islam is a complicated faith and that it allowed for debate. Plus, as you know, the issue of the treatment of our sisters is something that almost qualifies as a trigger issue with me (apparently I'm the Bud White of my masjid, although a much gentler one).

Aiken

I'm sure I must have posted a picture of Aiken Hall, my home here at Champlain College for the last decade. It is a beautiful old building. Because it began its life as a private home it has all sorts of unique little corners; I usually tell my students that they can find my office if they go to the second floor and try to figure out where I would hide from them (this naturally takes them to my hidden office).

I chose this picture because it nicely frames Aiken Hall, although it also hides my office pretty thoroughly (I'm tucked away on the second floor and my office is almost entirely enshrouded by red leaves).

What It Means - Day 218

"God, there is no god but He, the Living, the Self-Subsisting, Neither slumber overtakes Him nor sleep. Unto Him belongs whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is on the earth. Who is there who may intercede with Him save by His leave? He knows that which is before them and that which is behind them. And they encompass nothing of His Knowledge, save what He wills, His Pedestal embraces the heavens and the earth. Protecting them tires Him not, and He is the exalted, the Magnificent."
Quran 2:255

As Nasr tells us, "This verse is known as Ayat al-Kursi, the 'Pedestal Verse,' sometimes rendered 'Throne Verse,' and is perhaps the most well known single verse in the Quran, taking its name from the Pedestal (kursi) mentioned in it. It is often recited by Muslims setting out on a journey or seeking either spiritual or physical protection; and like the short surahs toward the end of the Quran, it is often one of the first passages Muslims memorize." (p. 110) It's not difficult to see why this verse is so popular, even if you're not a Muslim. In beautiful language it speaks to the omnipotence and omniscience of God.  That said, we did understand that God was powerful, as gods tend to be. Instead, I'm drawn to this verse by the line, "Protecting them tires Him not . . ." I would argue that what is most important is the compassion of God as compared to the raw power of God.

My Grandson

OK, I guess it's not my actual grandson, but it may be as close as I come. My son assures me that he took an oath when he was fourteen that he would neither get married nor have children. I actually sort of remember this oath, although my son and I differ in the details. Mainly we disagree on the inspiration for the oath. He tells me that I made him promise to never get married nor have kids, whereas I, sort of, remember him volunteering this decision. So far he's kept to his word, although he'll only be thirty-two this March so he has lots of time to change his mind and break this unbreakable oath. Certainly I never had any plans to have kids, which is strange since my son is the best thing that ever happened to me by far. I think he would be a great Dad although I hope that if he ever has kids it is because he truly wants them. Sometimes we get wrangled into things against our will; and this may just be the influence of reading "The Untold Lie" from Winesburg, Ohio with my first year students today.

So this is my grandson Odin. He certainly is a much more peaceful and compliant sleeper than his father ever was.

What It Means - Day 217

   "Yet when those who are weak and oppressed rise up and come to power; they can end up quickly oppressing others. The Israelite Tribes were oppressed in Egypt under Pharaoh's idolatrous ego, as the Qur'an narrates. Yet when the Israelite Tribes tasted freedom from oppression, they turned against their Prophet, trying to oppress Moses and render him weak. Like the Israelite Tribes, the Muslim community also has a history mixed with success and failure. Their initial fervor in standing up for the weak and dispossessed was galvanized by the Prophet Muhammad, himself an orphan, and his earliest followers were slaves, women, ethnic minorities, and other marginalized outsiders. In their fervor, the earliest Muslims established an innovative new commonwealth, based on a brother-and-sisterhood of belief, shared wealth, and mutual protection. Their experiment conflicted with Arab tribal forces in Mecca and later Jewish sectarian forces in Medina, the two forces that defined the status quo of military might, trade profits, and religious legitimacy in Arabia.
   The initial success of the Muslims' experiment, however, rendered it liable to compromise and retrogression. Muslims increasingly turned to fighting external enemies in order to bolster their mutual solidarity, while allowing old tribal pride and patriarchal values to creep back into their community. As warfare generated power and profits, Muslims returned to the old inequalities and hierarchies. They began keeping slaves even though the Qur'an urged them to free slaves. They began acting as patriarchs even though the Qur'an declares the moral equality of men and women. They began living in luxury even though the Qur'an warns against the hoarding of wealth. Within a few generations, the Muslims' experimental commonwealth of liberation became an empire that rivaled Rome. The Qur'anic message of liberation was interpreted as an Islamic character for domination."
Scott Sirah al-Haqq Kugle, Homosexuality in Islam: Critical Reflection on Gay, Lesbian, and Transgender Muslims, pp. 36-37

Several months back I was having dinner with my SO and I was talking about a squabble I was having with another convert at the masjid. I made the point something like, "Well, you know how converts to any faith can be annoying because they're so super-charged and fixated on the rules," to which she surprised me by saying, "But I don't think you are." Truthfully I hadn't really thought about it in that way, and obviously I'm very annoying in many other ways. I'm sure I delivered one of my canned responses which always goes something like, "I think religions are founded by one or two individuals with a new and pure view of the transcendent, that is later ruined by generations of mean-spirited pricks." Or, that religions are often contaminated by political or economic or dynastic expediency, although the Prophet himself managed to rise above these distractions. Essentially, I can never separate my view of religions from my training as a historian and my decades of teaching history; I simply have a clear sense of the compromises that religions make as they evolve and devolve (which may be why I find myself drawing a distinction between faith and religion).  Kugle does a nice job laying out the quandary that the early Muslims found themselves in as they suddenly, and almost inexplicably, found themselves in control of an empire. The simple political and social structure that served the needs of the Prophet's generation were now stressed by the challenges of managing an empire. At a certain point did a faith based on fighting oppression become a religion that all too often re-enforced oppression?

Montreal Funday

I've often stated that I'm frustrated with my failure to make it up to Montreal more than I do. Yes, I do dragoon my friends into heading up to CFL games, but I don't make it into the city as much as I should. It's rare that one is fortunate enough to have a city so diverse and fascinating and, well, international, so close to you. Last year I actually bought the Lonely Planet Guide to Montreal as step one to getting up there more. Like many folks, I guess, I'm a little put off by the general confusion of driving in Montreal, especially since they're under road repair (to be fair, they're always under road repair). However, we all have smart phones with GPS and the nice phone lady will actually lead you around Montreal as well as Indianapolis, and she's proven to be spot on the last couple of trips up there. So, I'm going to get over my trepidation of heading into Montreal. Yesterday I headed up there with my most excellent friend Cyndi for a day of goofing. Our initial goal was to make it back to the Kouign Amann bakery to get their famous pastry specialty of the same name (which was apparently born in the French town of the same name). Our friend John Stroup had directed us there on our Alouettes game trip a few weeks ago (which I've still somehow not blogged about) and it did not disappoint. Yes, the thought of driving five hours round to another country for pastry might seem foolish to some people, but they are not people I'd want to hang with anyway. From this simple goal the trip began to take on a life of its own and further evolved (or devolved). Cyndi and I had actually called the bakery on Thursday to tell them that we were heading up on Saturday to buy three kouign amman butter cakes (why three? because we couldn't quite pull the trigger on four). After the bakery and carrying the thirty pounds of butter cake through the streets of Montreal (it was probably less, but it might have actually been heavier) we decided to grab some lunch. Through sheer happenstance we ended up at the Cafe ze Yeti, which turned out to be a treat. It's this lovely kid-friendly care down a side street (I think Saint Andre) off of Mount Royal (where the bakery is located). And then we headed off into the wilds of southern Quebec to find the Fromagerie Kaiser, a great cheese shop located in the middle of cornfield. It's right off of route 202, which runs parallel to the border. If you take the Augsburg-Noyen border crossing (which gets about thirty cars a day, so they appreciate the business) it can't be more than a couple miles from Noyen. You take a right into the cornfield, which means you're getting even closer to the border. It was so good, and a reminder of what cultural rubes we Americans are (we claim sophistication simply because we choose cheddar over American cheese). Crossing the border back into the US the border guard asked why we had gone to Canada and we told him about our adventures. He asked: "You didn't bring back fifty pounds of cheese, did you?" CB's response: "I think we tried' fifty pounds of cheese at the fromagerie." He laughed and sent us on our way. I think this is now going to be an annual fall event.

The inside of the Kouign Amann bakery on Mount Royal. It was packed, with a short queue snaking through the tiny bakery, but they were on top of things and it only took a couple minutes.

Sure, it looks like Cyndi is carrying three pizzas, but those are the three kouign amman butter cakes.

A slice of the legendary kouign amman. They had me at the descriptor "sugar laminate."

The Cafe ze Yeti, which we stumbled into because the place CB found on her phone was packed. It's a lovely, bright cafe with a children's play area in the back.

The brunch special, very European.

And, come on, any cafe with a cryptozoological theme is appreciated.

The Children of the Cheese. Seriously, it's in the middle of a huge cornfield, but it's famous and was packed.

After the crowd began to thin out. You had to take your ticket right inside the front door, in what's essentially a mud room, before you entered the main area. If you had to make you way up to the front counter to get a ticket you'd never make it.

What It Means - Day 216

"Remember when you were few and oppressed to the ground. And fear that people would carry you off my force. But God gave you shelter, aiding and strengthening you. And providing for your welfare that you might give thanks." Quran 8:26

This is a slightly different translation of the Quran that I normally cite, having drawn this from Scott Sirah al-Haqq Kugle's Homosexuality in Islam. Kugle's work is very interesting and I'll be using it this spring in my Dar al-Islam: Yemen course - so I'll have a lot more to say about this subject down the road. As Kugle reminds us, "Islam began as protest against a system of oppression." I think this is essential to remember because I think that the religion, as with most religions, eventually became in many ways instead an apparatus of oppression. Islam is certainly not alone in that. One has only to look at how Jesus, who not only charged us to love the poor and the oppressed and the immigrant but who was in many ways a revolutionary, albeit a peaceful one, is used to justify a cold status quo. Kugle continues, "The Qur'an encourages solidarity with the oppressed and this is an essential component of hits message. It is inseparable from the divine charge to act with justice and responsibility." Truthfully, if our faith is not about compassion  and kindness and tolerance and fighting oppression and standing up for the weakest among us then what is it about? When we allow our faith to become a vehicle for oppressing women or hating followers of other religions or persecuting members of the LGBT community then we are no longer Muslims.

What It Means - Day 215

I've talked a lot about the unique structure of the Quran, but it occurred to me that I'd never actually shared it with you. First off, there are 114 surahs, or chapters, in the Quran. As we've discussed there is no inherent correct chronological order, which means that you can pick it up anywhere and not necessarily be missing any of the story. So, what I thought I would provide today is a walk-through of all the surahs, including the number of verses in each.

1. The Opening - al-Fatihah - 7 verses.
2. The Cow - al Baqarah - 286 verses.
3. The House of Imran - Al Imran - 200 verses.
4. Women - al-Nisa - 176 verses.
5. The Table Spread - al-Ma'idah - 120 verses.
6. The Cattle - al-An'am - 165 verses.
7. The Heights - al-A'raf - 206 verses.
8. The Spoils - al-Anfal - 75 verses.
9. Repentance - al-Tawbah - 129 verses.
10. Jonah - Yunus - 109 verses.
11. Hud - Hud - 123 verses.
12. Joseph - Yusuf - 111 verses.
13. The Thunder - al-Rad - 43 verses.
14. Abraham - Ibrahim - 52 verses.
15. Hijr - al-Hijr - 99 verses.
16. The Bee - al-Nahl - 128 verses.
17. The Night Journey - al-Isra - 111 verses.
18. The Cave - al-Kahf - 110 verses.
19. Mary - Maryam - 98 verses.
20. Ta Ha - Ta Ha - 135 verses.
21. The Prophets - al-Anbiya - 112 verses.
22. The Pilgrimage - al-Hajj - 78 verses.
23. The Believers - al-Mu'minun - 118 verses.
24. Light - al-Nur - 64 verses.
25. The Criterion - al-Furqan - 77 verses.
26. The Poets - al-Shuara - 227 verses.
27. The Ants - al-Naml - 93 verses.
28. The Story - al-Qasas - 88 verses.
29. The Spider - al-Ankabut - 69 verses.
30. The Byzantines - al-Rum - 60 verses.
31. Luqman - Luqman - 34 verses.
32. Prostration - al-Sajdah - 30 verses.
33. The Parties - al-Ahzab - 73 verses.
34. Sheba - Saba - 54 verses.
35. The Originator - Fatir - 45 verses.
36. Ya Sin - Ya Sin - 83 verses.
37. Those Ranged in Ranks - al-Saffat - 182 verses.
38. Sad - Sad - 88 verses.
39. The Throngs - al-Zumar - 75 verses.
40. The Forgiver - Ghafir - 85 verses.
41. Expounded - Fussilat - 54 verses.
42. Counsel - al-Shura - 53 verses.
43. Gold Ornaments - al-Zukhruf - 86 verses.
44. Smoke - al-Dukhan - 59 verses.
45. Upon Their Knees - al-Jaihiyah - 37 verses.
46. The Sand Dunes - al-Ahqaf - 35 verses.
47. Muhammad - Muhammad - 38 verses.
48. Victory - al-Fath - 29 verses.
49. The Private Apartments - al-Hujurat - 18 verses.
50 - Qaf - Qaf - 45 verses.
51. The Scatters - al-Dhariyat - 60 verses.
52. The Mount - al-Tur - 49 verses.
53. The Star - Najm - 62 verses.
54. The Moon - al-Qamar - 55 verses.
55. The Compassionate - al-Rahman - 78 verses.
56. The Event - al-Waqiah - 96 verses.
57. Iron - al-Hadid - 29 verses.
58. She Who Disputes - al-Mujadilah - 22 verses.
59. The Gathering - al-Hashr - 24 verses.
60. She Who Is Examined - al-Mumtahanah - 13 verses.
61. The Ranks - al-Saff - 14 verses.
62. The Congregational Prayer - al-Jumuah - 11 verses.
63. The Hypocrites - al-Munafiqun - 11 verses.
64. Mutual Dispossession - al-Taghabun - 18 verses.
65. Divorce - al-Talaq - 12 verses.
66. Forbiddance - al-Tahrim - 12 verses.
67. Sovereignty - al-Mulk - 30 verses.
68. The Pen - al-Qalam - 52 verses.
69. The Undeniable Reality - al-Haqqah - 52 verses.
70. The Ascending Ways - al-Ma'arij - 44 verses.
71. Noah - Nuh - 28 verses.
72. The Jinn - al-Jinn - 28 verses.
73. The Enwrapped One - al-Muzzammil - 20 verses.
74. The Covered One - al-Muddaththir - 56 verses.
75. The Resurection - al-Qiyamah - 40 verses.
76. Man - al-Insan - 31 verses.
77. Those Sent Forth - al-Mursalat - 50 verses.
78. The Tiding - al-Naba - 40 verses.
79. The Wresters - al-Nazi'at - 46 verses.
80. He Frowned - Abasa - 42 verses.
81. The Enfolding - al-Takwir - 29 verses.
82. The Cleaving Asunder - al-Infitar - 19 verses.
83. Those Who Defraud - al-Mutaffifin - 36 verses.
84. The Sundering - al-Inshiqaq - 25 verses.
85. The Constellations - al-Buruj - 22 verses.
86. What Comes by Night - al-Tariq - 17 verses.
87. The Most High - al-A'la - 19 verses.
88. The Overwhelming Event - al-Ghashiyah - 26 versses.
89. The Dawn - al-Fajr - 30 verses.
90. The Land - al-Balad - 20 verses.
91. The Sun - al-Shams - 15 verses.
92. The Night - al-Layl - 21 verses.
93. The Morning Brightness - al-Duha - 11 verses.
94. Expansion - al-Sharh - 8 verses.
95. The Fig - al-Tin - 8 verses.
96. the Blood Clot - al-Alaq - 19 verses.
97. Power - al-Qadr - 5 verses.
98. The Clear Proof - al-Bahhinah - 8 verses.
99. The Earthquake - al-Zalzalah - 8 verses.
100. The Chargers - al-Adiyat - 11 verses.
101. The Calamity - al-Qariah - 11 verses.
102. Vying for Increase - al-Takathur - 8 verses.
103. The Declining Day - al-Asr - 3 verses.
104. The Slanderer - al-Humazah - 9 verses.
105. The Elephant - al-Fil - 5 verses.
106. Quraysh - Quraysh - 4 verses.
107. Smal Kindnesses - al-Ma'un - 7 verses.
108. Abundant Good - al-Kawthar - 3 verses.
109. The Disbelievers - al-Kafirun - 6 verses.
110. Help - al-Nasr - 3 verses.
111. The Palm Fiber - al-Masad - 5 verses.
112. Sincerity - al-Ikhlas - 4 verses.
113. The Daybrea - al-Falaq - 5 verses.
114. Mankind - al-Nas - 6 verses.

Obviously verses doesn't tell the whole story because some verses are much longer than other verses, but you do get the idea that as the Quran progresses the surahs do get generally shorter and shorter.

What It Means - Day 214

"It should be known that there are three grades of Fasting: ordinary, special and extra-special.

Ordinary Fasting means abstaining from food, drink and sexual satisfaction.

Special Fasting means keeping one's ears, eyes, tongue, hands and feet - and all other organs - free from sin.

Extra-special Fasting means fasting of the heart from unworthy concerns and worldly concerns and worldly thoughts, in total disregard of everything but God, Great and Glorious is He. This kind of Fast is broken by thinking of anything other than God, Great and Glorious is He, and the Hereafter; is is broken by thinking of worldly matters, except for those conducive to religious ends, since these constitute provision for the Hereafter and are not of this lower world."
Abu Hamid al-Ghazali, Inner Dimensions of Islamic Worship

al-Ghazali is, not surprisingly, entering into a section on the benefits of fasting as part of worship. I was thinking of setting this discussion aside and revisit it during next Ramadan's fasting, although I guess this year of discussing faith will have run its course before Ramadan rolls around again (this is already day 214!?). At this point I think what I want to point out is fasting, or as part of this specific discussion Ordinary Fasting, is a means and not an end. The very fact that al-Ghazali ranks Ordinary Fasting squarely below Special Fasting and Extra-special Fasting makes this point clearly. If we only focus on the lowest level of fasting, using al-Ghazali's definition, then we're potentially missing the bigger picture, not only of Ramadan but maybe of our faith itself. If we don't eat and drink during daylight hours but don't tie that to an effort to change our behavior then what have we accomplished?

What It Means - Day 213

"The seventh duty is to select from one's wealth what is best and dearest to one - the finest and most excellent part - for God, Exalted is He, is Good and accepts only what is good."
Abu Hamid al-Ghazali, Inner Dimensions of Islamic Worship

al-Ghazli is continuing his discussion of giving alms, specifically, but I would also propose, more generally, performing kindnesses. I'm not discussing all of this section, or this work, but I thought it would be helpful if I listed the eight aspects that al-Ghazali identifies in giving alms: 1) Understand the Purpose and Significance, 2) Payment at Proper Time, 3) Give in Secret, 4) Give Openly, 5) Avoid Taunting and Hurting, 6) Adopt Humility, 7) Give the Best and the Dearest, and 8) Seek the Worthy and Deserving. Is it really a kindness when we're giving the least of what we have? I mean, we do it all the time, certainly me included, when we take a bunch of unwanted clothes to drop off, making sure that we pick up our receipt for tax purpose. al-Ghazali continues, "Not to make the offering from the best one has is to be guilty of bad manners, since it means that one is keeping the best for oneself, for one's servant or for one's family, and so preferring others over God, Great and Glorious is He." And this is what I continually find myself coming back to, the notion that if you want to worship God then perform a kindness for someone else. It's not that going on the hajj isn't a part of faith, but we can't turn it into the main point of faith; rather, it's the thousand opportunities we have every day to make someone's life easier.

What It Means - Day 212

"Another saying has it that three things are necessary to make a kindness complete: thinking little of it, doing it promptly, and keeping it out of sight."
Abu Hamid al-Ghazali, Inner Dimensions of Islamic Worship

This is a brief little section from al-Ghazali, and I suspect that my commentary won't be particularly Proustian either. Here he is continuing a discussion on the implications of giving charity and more generally in sharing kindnesses. This is a small section called "Adopt Humility." As I've said many times one of the things that first drew me to Islam is the emphasis on humility. I suppose all religions share the same admonition, and maybe it's just the Muslims who pull it off more routinely. Why? I don't know the answer to that, although maybe it's a cultural thing - but since there are 1.6 billion Muslims in the world, and surrounding the world, that's a more difficult argument to make. Sometimes I think it's aesthetic, that is the generally stripped down nature of mosques themselves play a role, but of course not all mosques are that aesthetically spartan (I'm looking at you, Sheikh Zayed Mosque). So maybe it's within the faith itself. Humility is stressed so repeatedly throughout the Quran itself and the ahadith that it's difficult to get any other message, and it's at heart of this passage from al-Ghazali.

What It means - Day 211

"The third duty is secrecy, for this is farthest removed from hypocritical display and reputation-seeking. Said the Prophet, on him be peace: 'The most meritorious form of Almsgiving is the effort to help a poor man, made in secret, by one who is himself of little means.' According to one of the scholars: 'Three things are accounted among the treasures of righteousness, one of them being to give Alms in secret.'"
Abu Hamid al-Ghazali, Inner Dimensions of Islamic Worship

al-Ghazali is continuing his discussion of giving aid, and here he stresses the importance of giving in secret. Certainly Islam is not alone in this, and you could easily pull out similar dictates from Judaism or Christianity or other religions. The point here, obviously, relates to sincerity. If you're doing these good deeds solely to be seen doing good deeds then you're doing it for yourself and not for God or the community. It's said than done because all of us want to be well thought of and even if your motives are really pure it's easy to imagine yourself being recognized for your kindness and generosity, even if it's only thinking of yourself as the guy who routinely carried out acts of kindness and generosity. You'll often see videos on Facebook of someone filming themselves helping someone out, and, on the one hand they did help someone out, but on the other hand they also filmed themselves doing so and then shared it. I do work in support of TechDren which I share on Facebook and Twitter and through general emails and while the goal is important I have to be constantly mindful of the role that personal vanity is playing in my decision to do so. The other night I went to our monthly potluck at the masjid, which was a time of celebration because we've raised enough funds to buy the old Mormon church and turn it into our new home. While I gave money there were brothers, of far less means, who gave a ton more money than I did, which doesn't speak well of me. What struck me the other night was that no one there made any effort to discuss how much they had given. No one. It was very humbling, and also spoke to their faith and their adherence to the concept of keeping your charity in secret.

What It Means - Day 210

"It may be argued that a well-to-do person is not obliged to pay for the relief of want except by way of a loan, and that no donation can be required of him once has has discharged his due by giving his Alms. If could also be argued that he is nevertheless required to make a donation and that lending is impermissible, i.e. it is not permissible to burden the poor with the acceptance of a loan. There is no unanimity on this question."
Abu Hamid al-Ghazali, Inner Dimensions of Islamic Worship

I chose this passage, another from al-Ghazali's work, for a couple reasons. First off, it continues our earlier discussion about the importance of aiding the poor in Islam. Here the point is made by some that the requirement of unreservedly aiding the poor is so essential that even giving a loan would be unacceptable; essentially, that you should always just give the money with no thought of getting it back. In classic thought there is never interest charged on a loan, and this is taking it a step further. Secondly, this passage shows that there is no total agreement on this point in that some would argue that once you have met your required giving it would be OK to give more in the form of a loan, but that in the end there "is no unanimity on this question." It shows how these issues have been discussed and argued for centuries, and sometimes no clear answer was ever reached. In fact, even the issues of whether or not we've reached definitive conclusions on this arguments is, well, still argued. We've discussed the notion of the gates of Ijtihad and the notion that the main decisions have been reached centuries ago and thus the gates are now closed. Others would argue that the gates can never be closed because scholars should always be studying and arguing these issues.

What It Means - Day 209

My excellent friend and colleague Trish snapped this picture from the women's section at the back of the mosque in Pemba. The folks at the mosque could not have been kinder to us, so I do feel more than a bit using them as an example of a far broader problem, but the picture is simply too representative not to use.

In this blog stream, and more generally in the blog itself, I've always tried to be true to myself. Doubtless, I've shined myself up a bit, either consciously or unconsciously. As Freeland reminds us in her Portraits & Persons, the hero of your autobiography is a fictional person. However, I do try to be honest, and this plays itself out in this year of talking about faith is an effort to be honest when there are things about my faith which I simply don't agree. I'm not vain enough to claim, or even assume, that I have the definitively correct answer, but I am also not afraid to speak up when I think when I stand in opposition, even when I'm in the small minority. One of the areas where I routinely find myself out of step is my firm belief that men and women should pray together. Islam, like all religions, has many aspects which are portrayed as foundational parts of the faith which are actually merely cultural or have historical roots lost in the mists of time. The separation of men and women in the mosques have much more to do with traditional cultural legacies from patriarchal parts of the world and the Prophet's own complex family life than any valid spiritual reason. I'll talk more specifically about this issue later. If a desire to respect a woman's modesty becomes a justification for her to be further treated as a second class citizen, especially religiously, then we need to rethink the whole thing. And, yes, I know that I am in the minority on this front, but that's never stopped me in the past (as one of my brothers said, knowingly but also patiently, "you're just the brother who asks all the questions."). Check out the Twitter feed @SideEntrance which shares the experiences of women in mosques around the world; I retweet all of her photos and stories.

Another Sabbatical?

I guess if we're closing in on the Trip of Mystery (and my stupid 60th birthday) I guess it means that I'm closing in on another sabbatical. My last one centered around a year spent at Zayed University at Abu Dhabi in the UAE, and it was an extraordinary experience both professionally and personally. If this one comes even close to how amazing the other one was I may not survive it (and you can read that many different ways). Actually, I was supposed to be on sabbatical this year, but several of my all-time favorite students dragooned me into postponing it for a year so that I could bring them back to Jordan on another trip; if you're my age and you're postponing anything then you must love your students more than you would ever publicly admit. The plans for still up in the air, and I know that this is the very definition of jinxing the process, but right now it looks like I might be spending the spring semester 2021 in Bethlehem University in the West Bank and then following it up with time at Deakin University in Melbourne, Australia (or maybe it will blow up into something even bigger). When I know more you'll know more.So, I'll either be out of the country for eight months or maybe more than a year. As my most excellent friend Cyndi opined, "You're crazy, you know that you're crazy, right?"

Trip of Mystery Countdown

Yes, inexplicably, we're closing in on the Trip of Mystery. We're down to less than three months until my 60th birthday, and that means less than three months until I take off for the mad secret trip. While the trip itself has been discussed - and eventually planned - for a long time, I've added a component of sport and more importantly charity to it. You have to guess where I'll be (city and country) on 7 January 2020. Each guess is $5, with all the proceeds going to support TechDren, the non-profit organization started by Champlain College students to collect, refurbish and deliver laptops to elementary school students in Zanzibar. If you, in fact, pick the correct location then you win two things: 1) glory (it's a big planet out there, so this will take some serious thought) and 2) I will take you out to dinner on my dime (if you live in another state or country it may take a while, but I'm a man of my word).  You can either send me some actual cash (old school) or send me a check or go to the TechDren website and donate directly (and then just let me know your choices via email).

It is a big planet. so you should probably send along many guesses to increase the chance of winning.

What It Means - Day 208

"They cited the words of God, Great and Glorious is He:

'And spend from what We have provided them with.' [al-Baqarah, 2:3]

as well as His words, exalted is He:

'And spend from that which We have provided you.' [al-Munafiqun, 63:10]

They maintained that these duties, far from being abrogated by the 'Verse of zakat' form part of the mutual obligations of all Muslims. In other words, whenever a well-to-do Muslim encounters one who is in need, it is incumbent upon him to relieve that need, over and above his payment of the Alms."
Abu Hamid al-Ghazli, Inner Dimensions of Islamic Worship

Almost everyone knows that charity is one of the five pillars of Islam, and some even know that it calls for every Muslim to donate 2.5% of their total worth to the poor every year. I've never done any research on how many Muslims actually do this, although I suspect it is many. The Prophet also reminded us that "every act of kindness if charity" so it's important to keep in mind that this is more than simply a cash payment. Recently our masjid raised around a million dollars to buy a church so that we can convert it into a mosque, and the fact that we raised that figure, while somehow not managing to sell our old mosque, within three months is rather extraordinary. I donated a goodly amount of money, or least what I consider a goodly amount of money, to the cause, although I certainly should have donated more. Truthfully (and I do try and be truthful during this discussion of faith, even when it doesn't reflect very well on me) I've been a little conflicted during the fund-raising process. As you know I'm a part of TechDren, which is the non profit started by Champlain students that works to collect, refurbish and deliver laptops to elementary school children on the island of Pemba in Zanzibar. These deserving young students are almost entirely Muslims. I've been selling guesses on the Trip of Mystery to raise money for TechDren. I've never had much success interesting my fellow brothers and sisters in supporting TechDren nor in supporting the South Burlington Food Shelf (it's brand new and I'm happy to serve on its board). I'm happy that we have the new space, but do we really need the new space? Is this another form of vanity? I'm having one of those The Bishop's Wife "that one big roof would pay for a lot of small ones" moments. Yes, this space will allow us do more things for the members of our community, especially the younger members, but couldn't we with a little creativity done that in the old space as well? As Muslims shouldn't our efforts be directed towards the less fortunate, both Muslim and non-Muslim?

What It Means - Day 207

"In short, the worldly and spiritual aspirations in the human heart are like water poured into a cup full of vinegar; as water goes in, and equal volume of vinegar inevitably goes out and the two can never combine."
Abu Hamid al-Ghazali, Inner Dimensions of Islamic Worship

al-Ghazali finishes his reflections on the difficulty of praying without having your prayer corrupted by the concerns of this world with a fitting analogy. Confucius was famous for using the example of a bucket held in space by ropes and that you could actually fill it with water if you did so slowly and carefully; too fast or too clumsily would to the bucket tipping over and all the water being lost. It's an analogy for the logical and measured pace and intentionality of education, and how we our students can lose everything if they're not "filled" correctly. al-Ghazali is taking this a step further and proposing that some things cannot be carried out successfully no matter how carefully and slowly they're approached. However, couldn't the vinegar and the water coexist in the bowl if they are both added slowly and intentionally? And isn't there a purpose for both water and vinegar? To me this brings it all back to my previous comments about balance.

What It Means - Day 206

"This is bitter medicine, so bitter that we instinctively recoil from taking it. The sickness remains chronic and the disease becomes incurable. Great men have endeavoured to perform two cycles of Prayer without having any internal conversation about worldly matters, only to find themselves unequal to the task. No hope, then, for the likes of us! If only we may be safe from temptation during half of the Prayer, or one third, so that our deeds are at least a mixture of good and bad!"
Abu Hamid al-Ghazali, Inner Dimensions of Islamic Worship

Anyone who reads Saint Augustine's Confessions, and we should all read Saint Augustine's Confessions, is always taken by the line, "God grant me chastity and continency, but not yet." This statement is not a celebration of sin, but rather a declaration of how difficult faith is. I guess it's not surprising that this line popped into my head when I was reading al-Ghazali's comments, wherein he's continuing his reflection on the difficulty of praying without thinking about the events of the world or even noticing who is praying next to you. There's that dumb line "dance as if no one is watching you" that makes its way around Facebook every so often; maybe  we need to reach the same sense of release wherein we pray with the same freedom.

Oh, and this is inspiring me to reread the Confessions (because I clearly need more to read at the moment).  I remember it being a deeply moving work, although I read it over thirty years ago and long before I was technically a person of faith (whatever that means). Or maybe I was always a person of faith, but not officially a person of faith (again, whatever that means).

What It Means - Day 205

"Our base desires are numerous and human beings are seldom free of them. They all share a common root, namely love of this world."
Abu Hamid al-Ghazali, Inner Dimensions of Islamic Worship

Here al-Ghazali is repeating a common refrain found throughout the Quran itself, the fundamental problem of humans devoting way too much time to this world as compared to the next. I chose this passage because it is a worthy follow-up to the conversation we were having yesterday (and, well, appropriately enough because it's the next paragraph in Inner Dimensions of Islamic Worship). I'll make the same point I made yesterday, and a similar point that I made to my commentary on the original passages from the Quran: to me this is all a matter of degree. If God created this world, well, then He/She/It expected us to live in this world. Do we really believe that God created this world solely to act as a temptation away from the divine world? Simply because we're way too often mean-spirited pricks why do we so often impose the same unpleasant, nefarious nature on God? In these issues I tend to take the side of the Zoroastrians, who believed that Ahura Mazda created the world for us to enjoy, although within moderation, as compared to the Hindu belief that we need to ignore the illusion, or maya, or this world (although even Hindus accept that you need to work in this world to support those in your life). It's not that I would disagree with al-Ghazali, but I would modify his statement to read: "They all share a common root, namely excessive love of this world." I would argue that a monomanical fixation on the next world is also a form of irresponsible vanity.

Afternoon at Lukmaan's

I don't anything profound to add here other than I love this picture of my dear friends Omar and Steve working on Swahili at Lukmaan's. It's our favorite restaurant in Stone Town in Zanzibar, and Steve is making productive use of his time while waiting for the octopus curry to arrive.

Steve is heading back to Zanzibar in January on a TechDren trip to deliver more laptops to elementary school students in Zanzibar. I'm missing the trip because I'll be off on the Trip of Mystery. I'm officially jealous.

What It Means - Day 204

"Consider this analogy: There was a man beneath a tree. He wished to correct his thoughts, but the sparrows disturbed him with their chirping. He would chase them with a stick and then resume his train of thoughts, but the sparrows would come back and he would have to scare them away with the stick once again. Eventually someone told him: 'This is like being a slave at a wheel, going round and round forever. If you want to escape the vicious circle, you should fell the tree.' So it is with the tree of base desires. Thoughts are attracted to its ramifying twigs and branches, just like the sparrows to real trees. Flies are attracted by filth and chasing them becomes a fulltime occupation, for they just keep coming back. Random thoughts are like flies."
Abu Hamid al-Ghazali, Inner Dimensions of Islamic Worship

I understand al-Ghazali's analogy although I don't think I agree with him, although I suspect we're just talking about mattes of degree here. In Islam we do not have anything like monasticism; we're expected to be out in the world. As we've discussed we don't have a sabbath, and we don't have days where we stay home and can't interface with the world around us. Even if it's Friday - and, for that matter, even if we're fasting during Ramadan - we're expected to be in the world. Even if we're getting our five prayers a day in we are actively engaged in the world in between. The world is a gift from God, and this is why I made the point about this being a matter of degree. Clearly al-Ghazali is talking about the need for us to not put too much time and especially emphasis into our fascination with the outer world. How many of us complain about some aspect of the world distracting us from prayer or some other part of our faith when we are mostly in control of that world, or at least in control of our perception of that world. As Epictetus reminds us: it's not the event but our perception of the event.

The other thing about this statement from al-Ghazali is that it sounds like something you would find in the Hindu Upanishads or from a Buddhist sutra. There is a very metaphysical side to Islam which folks on the outside never recognize.

What It Means - Day 203

"Internal causes pose a more serious problem. One's worldly concerns may be many and varied, so that the mind does not dwell on a single subject but keeps flying from one direction to another. Tolower the eyes is then of no avail, for plenty of distractions have already got inside. The way to deal with this is to make a deliberate effort to comprehend the meaning of the words one is reciting in the Prayer, concentrating on this to the exclusion of everything else. It is helpful to prepare for this before the initial consecration, by reminding oneself of the Hereafter and that one is standing in communion in the awesome presence of God, Glorified is He, and under His scrutiny. Before consecration for Prayer, one should empty the heart of all its cares, leaving oneself free of potential distractions."
Abu Hamid al-Ghazali, Inner Dimensions of Islamic Worship

Yes, and here's even more from al-Ghazali. As you might guess I'm truly enjoying working my way through his Inner Dimensions of Islamic Worship. And again, for a person who doesn't take his faith as seriously as he might/should, I seem to spend a lot of time studying it. Now, how do I go about spending more time living it? I don't know if al-Ghazali has answered my questions, but then I don't know if the Quran or the ahadith have necessarily cleanly answered my questions, but all three have given me more tools to use in answering questions. al-Ghazali proposes, "Before consecration for Prayer, one should empty the heart of all its cares, leaving oneself free to potential distractions." We sometimes think that prayer is what will help us "empty the heart of all its cares," but al-Ghazali seems to be saying that we need to do that before we ever prostrate. I was never truly a Christian, but at least I grew up in the Christian tradition. I wonder if the perception that prayer will "empty the heart of all its cares" is reactive as compared to proactive? If you believe that someone died for your sins would you be more likely to approach prayer as an opportunity to reactively hand over your cares and sins to a greater power? In Islam we believe that we are totally responsible for our sins. In that sense does it mean that we need to proactively "empty the heart" before we start? Granted, al-Ghazali might simply be lumping cares together with distractions, as the cares can lead to the distractions. This morning I found myself fretting over my dental appointment this afternoon and tomorrow afternoon's break repair for my car and thus it was more difficult to reach that quiet meditative place where prayer is most possible. However, I still assumed that in the end I adhered to the belief that I had to clear my mind before prayer (which, naturally, I did clumsily and incompletely). It didn't occur to me that I would jump into prayer and hand these problems off to God. Now, the obvious question is: why shouldn't I? What is wrong with prostrating and saying to God, "this has all gone terribly awry, I need you to help me fix this"? Do I not do this because I think of it as something that Muslims don't do or because I personally have trouble asking for help? And if it's vanity in my real life that keeps me from asking my friends and loved ones for help, is it also vanity that prevents me from asking God for help? Wow, looking back over this morning's writing I've left behind a ton of question marks. Oh well, let's keep pushing forward, and maybe the question marks will eventually begin to turn into definitive exclamation marks.

What It Means - Day 202

"INTERNAL STATES CONDUCIVE TO PERFECTING THE LIFE IN PRAYER

SHAME
  As for shame, it is something additional to all the rest, for is is based on the realisation of one's deficiencies and the apprehension of sin. It is quite possible to conceive or reverence, fear and hope, without this element of shame."
Abu Hamid al-Ghazali, Inner Dimensions of Islamic Worship

Around twenty-three centuries ago the Chinese philosopher Mencius proposed, "A man must not be without shame, for the shame of being without shame is shamelessness indeed." Mencius, often referred to as the Second Sage, that is, second only to Confucius in Chinese history, wrote that there were four divisions of the human heart, with the most important being the Heart of Shame. His point, while obviously more complex than I'm presenting, was a straightforward one: without an understanding of one's own intellectual or moral shortcomings it was impossible for improvement. With that in mind it's difficult to argue that shame doesn't play a role in prayer, although, not surprisingly, this is also dependent upon degree. Religions can clearly morph into nothing more than shame-inducing engines. How many people do you know who are almost emotionally crippled because of the crushing shame that their religious upbringing imposed upon them? Clearly there is a difference between feeling shame in the failure of our actions, which might represent nothing more than a failure in courage and reserve on our parts, and feeling at the core of our inner beings; the former is useful and should be inculcated while the latter is destructive and should be avoided. All those centuries ago Mencius believed that people were essentially good, which he "proved" by his example of a child falling into a well. If you saw a child fall into a well your first response as human being would be the aid the child; now, you might later decide you didn't like the kid and leave him there or might corrupt the act by pulling out the toddler and negotiating for a reward, but the very fact that your first inclination was to save the child shows that you're, at your heart of hearts, inherently good. So, the shame that Mencius is talking about relates to your actions and not your nature. Similarly, Muslims believe that humans are inherently good. We don't believe in original sin. With that in mind, I would argue that, yes, shame is key in both religion and in prayer, but it's about our actions and us acknowledging when we're not trying hard enough or not letting ourselves off too easily, and not in regards to who we are at our essence.

What It Means - Day 201

"INTERNAL STATES CONDUCIVE TO PERFECTING THE LIFE IN PRAYER

HOPE
  As for hope, this is unquestionably something else again. There are many who revere some kind or other, and who are in awe of him or afraid of his power, yet do not hope to be rewarded by him. In our Prayers, however, we must hope for the reward of God, Great and Glorious is He, just as we fear His punishment for our faults."
Abu Hamid al-Ghazali, Inner Dimensions of Islamic Worship

OK, so the last couple days I've stated some skepticism about al-Ghazali's proposals, or at least a degree of reservation in regards to the nature in which they were presented. That said, it's difficult to quibble with the centrality of hope in prayer. Seriously, if you're only prostrating or kneeling or genuflecting or stretching out flat on the ground solely to avoid punishment then what's the point of your religion? That said, if you're only praying in hope of gaining something then your religion seems equally pointless (as my friend Dave is fond of pointing out, God is not an ATM). The psychologist Lawrence Kohlberg laid out what has become known as, not surprisingly, the Kohlberg scale on moral reasoning. This is not a measure of how moral you are, but rather how you approach moral decision making. Of the six possible levels the lowest two are defined as Pre-Moral, in that you're not really operating within a structured moral universe based on a collective understanding. Rather, the lowest level is when you make a decision simply to avoid punishment. So, if you don't want to get spanked on the butt then you shouldn't put your hand on the stove. Is this any different than praying to avoid punishment (or, as is often stated in the Quran, the hellfire)? That said, the level above it, also defined as Pre-Moral, is when you make a decision solely in hope of getting a reward. Is not pitching a fit at the grocery store in hopes of getting a cookie any different than praying because you want something, especially if it's materialistic, from God? So, I do think that hope is central to the process, but it's hope for a better world and your role in making that a reality.

What It Means - Day 200

INTERNAL STATES CONDUCIVE TO PERFECTING THE LIFE IN PRAYER

AWE
  As for awe, it is over and above reverence. In fact, it represents a kind of fear that grows out of the latter. Without experiencing fear, one will not stand in awe. There is no ordinary fear of things we find repugnant, like scorpions or bad temper, but this is not called awe. What we call awe is the kind of fear we have of a mighty king. Awe is the kind of fear induced by a sense of majesty."
Abu Hamid al-Ghazali, Inner Dimensions of Islamic Worship

This clearly builds upon our discussion from yesterday, and as much as I'm learning from al-Ghazali's writing (and I feel it's been incredibly beneficial) this speaks to the dangers of imagining God is a immensely powerful king. I'm not disagreeing with the need for Awe, but instead disagreeing with the metaphor. Truthfully, I think the much better metaphor is the awe you feel standing in front of your mother. In a famous hadith the Prophet was asked who we should respect the most (I'm paraphrasing) and he said "your mother," and then the man asked who he should respect the second most and the Prophet said "your mother," and the then the man, who by this time must have realized that the fix was in, asked who he should respect the third most and the Prophet said "your mother," and then the man asked who he should respect the fourth most and the Prophet said "your father." I would argue that the awe we should feel towards a "mighty king" should also be about fourth on the list. Instead I think we should feel the awe we feel towards the giver of life, the actual life force, not the mighty judgmental king who could end our lives. That's a much better metaphor. I can remember the awe I felt towards my mother in her final months when she wasn't much more than a dry husk fighting for another day, and the sense that I had somehow come from that body. With every child that body was never the same. She gave in a way that no mighty kind ever did, and that's what is worthy of awe. So, it seems to me that that is the sort of awe one should feel during prayer, and awe based on the life that you are living.

What It Means - Day 199

"INTERNAL STATES CONDUCIVE TO PERFECTING THE LIFE IN PRAYER

REVERENCE
  As for reverence, this is something beyond both awareness and understanding. A man may address his servant in full awareness of his speech, and understanding the meaning of his words, yet without reverence, for reverence is an additional element."
Abu Hamid al-Ghazali, Inner Dimensions of Islamic Worship

We're continuing our reflection on al-Ghazali's guidelines in regards to prayer. And, again, like the others, I guess Reverence is the very definition of a "well, duh!" I mean, God is God, right, so by definition shouldn't you revere God? However, if you take a step back, what does that mean? I would argue that this is one of those instances where our tendency to anthropomorphize God becomes most apparent. When we "give" God a physical form, and we imagine standing in front of a massive throne wherein sits an immensely powerful image of patriarchal authority, potentially sneakily kind, but more likely harsh, and always judgmental, then Reverence takes on a very specific meaning. You're sitting in your college classroom, waiting anxiously for your ancient professor to come, an old school white dude, respected but also prickly as hell, known both for being a stickler but also for his bad temper, and you're trying to remember what to do: definitely come early; come prepared with a question but not a provocative one; for the love of all that is holy be sure that you've done the reader; do not talk in class, etc. OK, you revere your professor, but isn't that reverence based on fear? Even if you secretly love the professor and appreciate what the professor has to say, aren't you simply trying to curry favor by fastidiously following the rules? That can't be what we mean when we revere God. And this is another one of the dangers of picturing God in a physical form, especially a strictly patriarchal form. If God doesn't have a form, and is, instead, as I would argue, the present but intangible quiet kindness at the center of all things, then revering God would not be sitting up straight physically, but instead sitting up straight morally. I think you revere God by approaching each moment of the day with the solemnity they deserve and focusing on how you make the lives of others better. There is a presentness and intentionality that every moment requires and I think that is reverence. So, I think prayer requires the same sort of reverence. You're not quiet and humble because you're in the presence of God at that moment during prayer, because aren't you in the presence of God every moment of every day. At that quiet,  meditative moment you're focusing on the gifts of your life and thanking God for them, and also reflecting upon your shortcomings and vowing, if only to yourself, to become a better person. That moment of utter truth is reverence.

What It Means - Day 198

"INTERNAL STATES CONDUCIVE TO PERFECTING THE LIFE IN PRAYER

UNDERSTANDING
  Understanding the meaning of one's words is something goes beyond awareness, for one may be conscious of making an utterance, yet not be aware of the meaning of the utterance. What we mean by understanding, therefore, is an awareness that also includes comprehension of the meaning of one's utterance. People differ in this respect, not sharing a common understanding of the Quran and the glorifications.
  How many subtleties of meaning we come to understand in the course of ritual Prayer ! Things that had never occurred to us before . . .
  It is in this context that prayer becomes a deterrent to decency and mischief, for the understanding it bring is a positive obstacle to vice."
Abu Hamid al-Ghazali, Inner Dimension of Islamic Worship

Following up on yesterday's blog post, here is the second of al-Glazali's guidelines for prayer. Again, these are all of interest to me as I fight against - and am routinely trounced - by monkey mind. This "rule" from al-Ghazali is obviously huge, and one that truly speaks to me. I can't imagine where I'd be in my faith without the work of Seyyed Nasr, especially his The Heart of Islam and his Study Quran. My relationship with him, such as it is, actually began when I emailed him to thank him for his hard work and scholarship and, well, guidance; his response was kind and generous and something I'll always cherish. As I've said many times my favorite part of Ramadan is quietly studying the Quran, and there's so much depth and subtlety inherent in the book that I don't know how you can begin to grasp it without the related commentary.

What makes this especially interesting/meaningful/maddening to me is my own tortured relationship with Arabic. I've never shown any great proficiency with language, and this is especially true when you're talking about trying to learn a language as difficult as Arabic in your 50s. Essentially I suck at it. Once a brother told me that prayers in Islam only count when they're in Arabic, to which I replied something like, "Brother, stop it, and don't say that again." The absurdity of his statement is profound because God speaks many languages including many far older than Islam. You'll sometimes here a similar opinion, in my mind equally ill-considered, in relation to a brother or sister offering suggestions on interpreting the Quran if they don't speak Arabic. It forms the default shutdown of discussion, especially if the Arabic-speaking brother is being lead into an area that is controversial or at least uncomfortable.Their response will be something between a gentle "But, brother, if you spoke Arabic . . ." to a more terse "You do not speak Arabic so you are not fit to comment on this issue." As we've discussed previously, a small percentage of the world's Muslims speak Arabic as a first language, so on one level (and this is the Marxist is me coming out) this is a very conscious or even unconscious effort to promote the primacy of a part of the world that may have given birth to the faith but is now a corner of the Dar al-Islam. If you're reading serious commentary, and from different perspectives, that walk you through the complexities of the issue, and that can include debates over Arabic construction, then I do think you're fit to comment on Quranic interpretation. Yes, it would be wonderful if we (Muslims) all spoke Arabic so that we could have deeper conversations about the meanings of the Quran and the ahadith but we don't. What matters is the broader conversation, and the role of every individual playing an active role in their life of faith, not a small minority playing the intellectual Get Out Of Jail card to end the debate.

Now, spinning back to prayer, I think the same thing holds true. What matters is you understanding the weight of the words you're speaking, no matter the language, not simply parroting Arabic phrases because that makes it easier for you to fit into the club.

Having said all that, yes, I really should learn Arabic, and I'm going to redouble my efforts. This is especially pressing in regards to something that may very well be happening soon, but more on that later.

What It Means - Day 197

"INTERNAL STATES CONDUCTIVE TO PERFECTING THE LIFE IN PRAYER

AWARENESS
  By conscious awareness we mean that state in which one's mind and feelings are in no way distracted from what one is doing and saying. Perception is united with action and speech. Thoughts do not wander. When the mind remains attentive to what one is doing, when one is whole-heartedly involved, and when nothing makes one heedless, that is when one has achieved conscious awareness."
Abu Hamid al-Ghazali, Inner Dimensions of Islamic Worship

And following up on yesterday's discussion of the challenges - or at least my challenges - of sometimes losing focus during prayer, here's another passage from Ghazli's work. He provides six key concepts, which I'll tackle over the next week.

So we start off with Awareness. Truthfully, although al-Ghazali is obviously correct in the need for awareness, bringing us back to our discussion of monkey mind, I don't know if this necessarily gives me the tools I need to avoid wandering off during prayer/meditation. Or maybe he does. I'm struck by al-Ghazali's statement that, "Perception is united with action and speech." In The Heart of Islam Nasr proposes that all of life is a jihad, in that it's all a struggle for God and with the support of God. Maybe it's better to think of prayer in the same way. By that I mean that it might be better to not think of prayer as some isolated event where you connect with God several times a day, but rather a more seamless part of your daily life; which would, in theory, make the transition into the prayer space, physical and spiritual, less jarring? Essentially, live my life in a more intentional way, where perception is more clearly united with action and speech. However, as Muslims we are supposed to live in the world. Islam is a very active faith which requires you to play a role in the outside world, but then step away from it five times a day for a more pure, focused meditative moment with your faith.  In classic Islamic thought there is no separation between the secular and sacred worlds, but clearly we do draw a line. When we take our shoes off before entering a mosque or perform ablution before praying we are clearly crossing a boundary. Of course, you are bringing the best parts of the faith, the guiding principles of how you treat others, with you when you cross back.

Hmmm, all I think I've done so far is muddy the waters.