What It Means - Day 348

"'O my son! Perform the prayer, enjoin right and forbid wrong, and bear patiently whatever may befall thee. That is indeed a course worthy of resolve.'"
Quran 31:17

More advice from Luqman to his son, once again from surah 31. As we've discussed, the entire story of Luqman is amazing, especially since no one can even agree upon who he is. Obviously, his story was well-known enough for Muhammad (or God through Gabriel through Muhammad) to reference with assurance that his followers would understand the context. In this brief sentence Luqman touches upon three of what would become foundational concepts of Islam: 1) prayer, 2) enjoining right and forbidding wrong, and 3) patience. To me, the surah Luqman doesn't get the attention it deserves. In the five years I've been a Muslim I've never heard it referenced in a sermon, although the message it conveys is both straightforward and profound.

What It Means - Day 347

"But if they strive to make thee ascribe as a partner unto Me that of which thou hast no knowledge, then obey them not. Consort with them in the world in a kindly manner, and follow the way of those who turn in repentance unto Me. Then unto Me is your return, and I shall inform you of that which you used to do."
Quran 31:15

Buildings upon yesterday's passage from surah 31, Luqman's advice to his son, we are reminded that even your devotion to your parents has limits. In the end there is a bigger loyalty that we owe. I guess I was lucky, oddly, that I never found myself in a clash with my parents over differing interpretations of religion, both because they were not that interested (they both had own bad experience with growing up Southern Baptist and it turned them off religion for ever, although my mother had a more simple, yet hard to pin down, faith in God) and I certainly not shown any interest then. I've said before that I think one of the greatest gifts my father gave me was to raise me to, in the end, not give a shit what he thought about things. I tried explain this to my mom one time, which she was sort of horrified by, but when I talked my dad about it he completely understood.

What It Means - Day 346

"And We have enjoined man concerning his parents - his mother bore him, weakness upon weakness, and his weaning was two years - give thanks unto Me and unto thy parents. Unto Me is the Journey's end."
Quran 31:14

We're continuing our trek through the 31st surah, Luqman. As you know by now, I seem to always be drawn to passages in the Quran which provide a practical code of conduct. As I've said, it's not as if I don't love the more profound or metaphysical sections, but in the end we can only control what we can control. We'll never understand God, but we can understand what we do on a daily basis (or at least we can occasionally understand what we do). The passage above expresses one of the most basic admonitions of Islam, reverence for one's parents. I just love the line: "his mother bore him, weakness upon weakness . . ." It's been several years since my mother passed, and, as I've said several times in other contexts, I simply wish I had been a better son to her.

What It Means - Day 345

"And indeed We gave Luqman wisdom: 'Give thanks to God!' And whosoever gives thanks, he gives thanks for his own sake. And whosoever is ungrateful, truly God is Self-Sufficient, Praised. And behold, Luqman said to his son, admonishing him, 'O my son! Do not ascribe partners unto God. Truly ascribing partners is a tremendous wrong.'"
Quran 31:12-13

Today we're following up on yesterday's discussion of the 31st surah, Luqman. Yesterday we introduced Luqman, while also recognizing that we're not quite certain who he was. Today we're going to get into the advice that he gave his son. It's fascinating that even though we don't know who Luqman is today, he was clearly so well known that God, via Gabriel and Muhammad, would reference his story. We know that there are only rarely complete stories in the Quran, rather, familiar stories are referenced and used as seeds for reflection and commentary; Luqman's story is obviously very much in this tradition. This also brings us back to the difficult story of whether it was God who referenced Luqman's story, or rather it was Muhammad who consciously or unconsciously chose this story as the appropriate metaphor for making the point. However, as we've also discussed, most Muslims would rather not proceed down that slippery slope. No matter how you read that notion, the key is that Luqman had given advice to his son that was so well known - and so profoundly true - that it was held up as a shining example of how to lead a righteous life.

What It Means - Day 344

"And indeed We gave Luqman wisdom: 'Give thanks to God!' And whosoever gives thanks, he gives thanks for his own sake. And whosoever is ungrateful, truly God is Self-Sufficient, Praised."
Quran 31:12

It seems like I've been saving some of my favorite surahs from the Quran for last, especially considering how much time I devoted to the 18th surah, al-Kahf.  In this case I'm going to spend a couple days talking about the 31st surah, Luqman. Now, anyone who knows me knows that my favorite restaurant in Zanzibar is Lukmaan's, which or may not be drawn from the same character (or maybe he's just the owner of the restaurant, I can never get a straight answer). But who is Luqman?

According to Nasr: "Vv. 12-13 provide the only direct reference to Luqman in the Quran. There is extensive debate regarding his identity. A minority of commentators propose that he was a pre-Islamic Arabian prophet, but most commentators maintain that he was simply a righteous man or a sage. Some identify him as a Nubian, an Ethiopian, or an Egyptian slave. Others claim that he was the nephew of the Prophet Job who lived a thousand years and acquired knowledge from the prophet David, or that he was a judge among the people of Israel. In the modern period, some scholars have attempted to identify him with such ancient figures as Prometheus, Almaeon, or the Biblical Balaam. It is most likely that he was a pre-Islamic Arabian sage revered during the time of Muhammad. That he was given wisdom is thus interpreted to mean comprehension and understanding rather than revelation."

Now, even if the restaurant is just named after the owner, it's interesting that Lukmaan is still a popular name in Islamic east Africa. We'll continue to explore this mystery in the coming days.

What It Means - Day 343

I've haven't really posted too many pictures on this year-long discussion of faith, although here's an interesting one that I swiped from the web (I think from USA Today). It's a picture of Muhammad Ali's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. It's the only star that is on a wall as compared to the sidewalk because the boxer felt that it would be disrespectful to walk on the name Muhammad, which many Muslims choose out of respect for the Prophet.

It's interesting and sad how Muhammad Ali's identity as a Muslim is all too often whitewashed out of the retelling of his life.

And Another Metaphor

A picture my brother sent me of his dog Axel, and some old dude who got bumped to the floor. It was snapped during my visit back in December.

Somehow it seems like a fitting metaphor for my life at the moment. However, just as with my reaction at that moment, there's usually something to smile about.

What It Means - Day 342

Yesterday was a moving day, and a moving day. As you know the Islamic Society of Vermont recently bought an old Mormon Church and has been converting it into our new home. Our official opening will be 6 March, which, sadly, will be when I'm out of the country on the latest student trip to India.  Yesterday was the biggest moving day and we managed to get most of the things, ranging from the sacred (many, many Qurans) to the secular (pots and pans), from one building to the other. It also ended up being a lovely day full of community.

Late in the afternoon, after the main moving was finished, but also in between prayers, I walked into the new prayer space to grab an extra prayer (which would be my first in the new space; in Islam there are the obligatory prayers, the five prayers, but also the recommended by not required prayers, which would just be extra prayers that you'll often see Muslims carry out before or after the official prayers). One of the other brothers, who I barely know, asked the Imam, who was passing by, if we were going to pray (again, it was in between official prayer times), and the Imam smiled and said yes. So, the Imam went to the front and the other brother and I lined up behind him and we prayed. We were the only three there (this is fairly common during middle of the day prayers during the distracting chaos of day to day life; often the Imam is not there, nor would he ever be required to lead every prayer), and for some reason I found this really emotional and I ended up crying throughout the entire prayer. The last two months have been pretty horrible, and for that matter the last year hasn't been a hell of a lot of fun, but the faith and the community has been incredibly and increasingly important to me. Both the faith and the community came together yesterday at that moment and it sort of floored me, although in a wonderful way.

I've only been a member of the masjid for five years and I still found it a nostalgic day. One of the brothers who has been there since the very beginning told me that in the end you need to put aside the nostalgia when you think of everything that the new space offers, especially for the children, and it's hard to argue with that assertion.

We had a lot of helpers so the move wasn't that bad, although this old safe was more than a bit of a challenge. It was also a reminder that I'm growing older, because in the old days I was always one of the default choices for assigned heavy objects. Happily a couple of the younger brothers were awfully strong and tackled the safe.

For some reason this shot seemed like a metaphor for the entire day: the mihrab, which points the way to the qibla (the direction of Mecca), heading out the door.

The big moving van on its second trip to the new masjid.

And the question of how you're going to work around the qibla has been answered. The prayers were always going to be directed towards this wall?direction, but also any sermons as well. It seems like an obvious answer, but I've also visited mosques where, because of the unique shape of the building, the sermon was delivered up front, and then the Imam would walk to the side wall and everyone would turn. The projector will face to the old front of what was the church for presentations.

Puja

It seems impossible, especially coming so hard on the heels of Jordan and Namibia, but I'm heading out of the country again in a week and a half. On Thursday 5 March I'll be leading seventeen students back to India, ably assisted by my excellent friend and colleague Steve. I think it's going to be another great trip, and I'm finally starting to get excited about it (the general disaster and spectacular cratering of my life has been more than a bit of a distraction, naturally). It's mainly the same itinerary, with a few important changes, of last year's trip. That one was a third year trip based on my Dar al-Islam: India class, while this one is a second year Sacred & Secular class. Essentially we're expanding our view and making an even greater effort to explore the religious diversity of India.

Our great friend Inder Singh has arranged for invitation to a puja (pooja) while we're in New Delhi, which should make for an extraordinary ending to an exhausting and amazing first day in India. I don't think the students will know what hit them.

What It Means - Day 341

"Know that Allah does not answer supplication from a heedless heart and a distracted heart."
Muhammad, Hadith

I've talked recently about the complex history of the ahadith, the sayings of the Prophet, mainly in regards to the fact that some of them are clearly not, actually, savings of the Prophet. So, like everything else in life, we should not be lazy, uninformed consumers of information, sacred or secular, but that does not mean that we should then jump to the other side of the spectrum and assume that the original source, again sacred or secular, has no value. Often the adhadith contain material of such urgent, profound beauty that it is almost humbling to read, and I would argue that this one is a good example. We've talked many times this year (and we're down to less than twenty-five days) about the difficulty of getting into the "zone" to pray or meditate, to fight the monkey mind (as the Buddhists would say) that distract us from that quiet, still place where we need to be to pray or meditate. Even if you simply consider wudu a metaphor, it is still a necessary metaphor of an essential process.

What It Means - Day 340

"And [remember] when the angels said, 'O Mary, truly God has chosen thee and purified thee, and has chosen thee above the women of the worlds.'"
Quran 3:42

As we've discussed, one of the the things that surprises folks just learning about Islam is the respect that the faith pays to Jesus and to Mary. It's fairly well known, but it bears repeating that Mary is the only woman mentioned by name in the entire Quran. She has a surah named after her (number 19, which we've discussed quite a bit), and the third surah, Al Imran, here rendered as "The House of Imran," deals in great detail with her backstory. Here Mary's purity is celebrated once again.

Just Another Tuesday Night in Burlington

Several of my friends have asked me how I'm handling things as I restart my life again, and I've had to admit that I've been too busy to sulk much. I'm blessed to have a very rich life with more than my fair share of great friends, so it seems that I'm always being dragged off somewhere to do something every day (most of it organic, and not a concerted plan on their part to keep me busy). Case in point, this Tuesday I met my excellent friends Kevin and Marcelle at Arts Riot to see Mike Doughty in concert. Truthfully, I didn't know much about him, but in the end enjoyed the show, and, more importantly, the company.

This was the warm-up band for Mike Doughty's band, which was Mike Doughty's band in ski masks and coveralls. I don't know whether this was a commentary on contemporary America or giving a show in Vermont in the winter.

What It Means - Day 339

"At first, the Prophet Muhammad forbade the writing down of reports of what he said or did in everyday life. The Prophet distinguished what he said in revealed language (included in the evolving Qur'an) from what he pronounced of his own opinions, instructions, or decisions. Yet his followers regarded his decisions and opinions as God's guidance for them; in this light, the Prophet forbade them to write down anything that he said or did which was not explicitly the Qur'an."
Scott Siraj al-Haqq Kugle, Homosexuality in Islam (p. 77)

I'm continuing my reread of Kugle's Homosexuality in Islam. I don't know why I download book on Kindle (well, I do know why I download books on Kindle) when I'm almost certainly going to end up using them in class - which means that I need to then buy a hard copy that I can make notes on; granted, I can make notes in my Kindle, but then that wouldn't give me the exact page numbers to use when talking to my students. However, I don't know how many copies of Crime and Punishment or Winesburg, Ohio or the Meditations of Marcus Aurelius I have, all marked up, but never necessarily the same physical copy that my students have in front of them at that moment. I don't normally mind different versions, especially if it's something like the Quran because the different translations - and thus word choices - can facilitate discussion.

Kugle makes a point here that I had never heard before, but which I find completely believable: that is, that the Prophet discouraged his followers from writing down his personal comments that were not direct revelations, the very words that would form the ahadith later. I need to check on this, but it makes perfect sense because the Prophet makes clear that he was just a man, and he had to know that there was a slippery slope in venerating your own personal prophet too profoundly. We can't criticize the Christians for turning a prophet into a god and not turn around and do the same thing as well. Anyway, I'll do some research and revisit this question.

What It Means - Day 338

"When the male mounts another male the angels are alarmed and raise a cry to their lord. The wrath of the mighty One comes down up those [men], the curse covers over them, and the tempters surround them. The earth asks its Lord for permission to swallow them up and the divine throne grows heavy upon those who bear it up, while the angels declare God's greatness and hellfire rears up high."
Muhammad, Hadith (maybe)
Quoted in Scott Siraj al-Haqq Kugle, Homosexuality in Islam, (p. 85)

Once again, I'm drawing from Kugle's work. He sites this as a famous hadith often used to "justify" criticism (or much worse) of the LGBT community. Using the criteria we discussed previously on the validity of ahadith Kugle writes:

"The conservative medieval scholar Ibn Qayyium al-Jawziyya (died 1350) cites this report in his book on love but warns that its chain of transmission is quite weak. A later medieval hadith scholar who was equally conservative but had no particular obsession with  homosexuality declared this report to be an outright fabrication (mawdu). the scholar who publicized this judgment was Muhammad ibn Tahir Patani (died 1578), who was known as the 'King of Hadith Scholars' in his age and revived in his native south Asia the discipline of hadith criticism. He disparages this supposed hadith through traditional methods of isnad analysis in his book entitled Focusing Attention on Reports that Are Fabrication (Tadhkirat al-Mawdu'at). He rejected it along with hundreds of others on a myriad of topics. He disparaged the report even thou it boasts an isnad leading back to Ibn Abbas, an esteemed companion (died 686/87) who was the cousin of the Prophet and whom are attributed 1,660 reports." (p. 85)

Remember, Kugle is a convert to Islam, so he's not judging aspects of it using arguably arbitrary outside and transitory standards. Rather, he's trying to examine the issue from inside the faith. His point here is an obvious one: can we criticize an entire group of people because of a flawed process that cites something that Prophet may have never said? His argument is that all too often a hadith might be either fabricated or misinterpreted, and may only reflect the societal norms of an archly conservative society from a few centuries later rather than the actual opinion of a very loving, tolerant and in most ways open minded prophet?

What It Means - Day 337

"The most valuable kind of hadith report is known as mutawatir, or 'continuously narrated.' It has multiple and continuous isnads, or chains of transmission. One hadith scholar defines it thus: 'The mutawatir is a report that has so many narrators that it is conventionally impossible for them all to have agreed upon its fabrication. This multitude must be fulfilled on all the levels of generations of reporters.' Mutawatir reports confirm the basic beliefs and ritual practices which all Muslims concur.
   However, there are very few reports that qualify as mutawatir hadith. Our guide Ibn Hazm paid great attention to this issue and maintained that 'about 78 hadith reports reach the rare quality of reliability called mutawatir.' Other scholars think there are even fewer."
Scott Siraj al-Haqq Kugle, Homosexuality in Islam, (p. 79)

Again, I'm revisiting Kugle's book Homosexuality in Islam. This is essentially piggybacking on yesterday's discussion on the process by which Islamic scholars, at least traditionally, ascertain the validity of adhaith (the sayings of the Prophet). Whether or not you buy Kugle's argument - or even care about the argument - it's rather amazing to consider that by the strict standards there would only be around seventy-eight ahadith that would qualify as mutawatir as "continuously narrated."

Here is a picture of my collection of al-Bukhari's collection of ahadith, which is generally considered the most authentic collection. This collection contains, not surprisingly, thousands of ahadith. It's difficult to believe that only seventy-eight would qualify by the most stringent standards. It does give pause, however, when you think how we as Muslims will often unwittingly accept the validity of a single random hadith, without going to the trouble of thinking about its validity.

What It Means - Day 336

"Classical hadith scholars focused on criticism of the isnad in order to certify the authenticity of the information relayed. The first technique in isnad criticism is to check whether the chain of narration leads back to the Prophet (musnad) or whether it ends with a companion or follower who had assumed that the information came from the Prophet himself (marfu). The second technique is to check whether each link between narrators is plausible; the two narrators of each link must have lived in the same time and place, so that the later narrator could have believably heard the report from the former; if just one link in the chain of narration is not plausible, then the report is considered to have a 'cut chain' (maqtu) and cannot give authentic information. The third technique is to check the morality of all the narrators to judge whether they are believers in Islam, not biased by heresy or sectarian partisanship, and not liars. The fourth technique is to check the veracity of each narrator: that he or she is mature with an adequate memory and is not known to have made errors in transmitting information. If these texts of the isnad are all positive, then the report is considered a hadith by scholars of the classical period.
Scott Siraj al-Haqq Kugle, Homosexuality in Islam, (p. 79)

I've been working my way through Kugle's book on a re-read; I'm using it in class, and my first read was on my kindle, so now I'm focusing on my actual book copy and including the appropriate notes and commentary and directions for questions to ask students. As we've discussed, Kugle's point is that the all too frequent Islamic criticism (if not worse) of the LGBT community is based on a misreading of the Quran and the hadith. Even if you don't believe you central thesis, I would argue that it's refreshing, and important, that you have someone questioning the viewpoint from inside the faith (Kugle, as you might guess from his name, is a convert) as compared to simply attacking it from outside based on Western perceptions. As part of this reflection he discusses first the view of certain Quranic surahs, which we referenced before, but also influential ahadith. In the section above he lays out in a simplified (by his own admission) process for how an Islamic scholar might judge the validity of a hadith. Beyond everything else, I thought that it was worth noting for someone from outside the faith. Again, sometimes there is the perception, inexplicable in many ways, that Islam is a simplistic faith which is heavy on rote memorization and short an analysis and self-reflection, which could not be further than the truth. That said, I think I would argue that way too much of the analysis and self-reflection occurred centuries ago, and we as Muslims today owe it to ourselves, each other, and the faith itself to study, analyze and sometimes kick back against our own faith. If our religion can't take a little internal kickback then we don't have much of a faith.

What It Means - Day 335

"Say, 'Shall I inform you who are the greatest losers in respect to their deeds? Those whose effects go astray in the life of this world, while they reckon that they are virtuous in their works.'"
Quran 18:103-104

Amazingly we're down to only a month left in this year-long discussion of faith. I'm sure that no one who reads this blog religiously (yes, obviously, pun intended; and there are actually a goodly number of you who show up every day) has learned anything beyond the fact that I'm immensely self-absorbed, but I'm happy to say that I think that at least I've learned a lot. Does this mean that I'm a better person? I've had people ask me this question, and I usually tell them that I think my faith has given me the tools - and the desire - to be a better person. Anything beyond that is fraught with danger. When you begin to read and believe your own press clippings, especially in regards to your own goodness, you're on the very road to perdition. That said, I am trying to be a better person - which always forms the core of every prayer - and that the faith has given me that.

What It Means - Day 334

"Then he followed a means, till he reached the place of the rising sun. He found it rising over a people for whom We had not made any shelter from it. Thus [it was], and We encompassed that which lay before him in awareness. Then he followed a means, till he reached the place between the two mountain barriers. he found beyond them a people who could scarcely comprehend speech. They said, 'O Dhu'l-Qarnayn! Truly God and Magog are workers of corruption in the land. Shall we assign thee a tribute, that thou mightest set a barrier between them and us?' He said, 'That wherewith my Lord has established me is better; so aid me with strength. I shall set a rampart between you and them. Bring me pieces of iron.' Then, when he had leveled the two cliffs, he said, 'Blow!' till when he had made it fire, he said, 'Bring me molten copper to pour over it.' Thus they were not able to surmount if, nor could they pierce it. He said, 'This is a mercy from my Lord. And when the Promise of my Lord comes, He will crumble it to dust. And the Promise of my Lord if true.' And We shall leave them, on that Day, to surge against one another like waves. And the trumpet shall be blown, and We shall gather them together. And We shall present Hell, on that Day, as an array for the disbelievers, those whose eyes were veiled from the remembrance of Me, and could not hear.'"
Quran 18: 89-101

We're continuing our exploration of al-Khaf, "The Cave," the 18th surah, and the adventures of Alexander the Great, here recorded as Dhu'l-Qarnayn. He's continued his journey until he comes to the "place between the two mountain barriers," another liminal space - and we continue our metaphoric journey. In this case he hears of Gog and Magog, which those of you who are familar with the Old and New Testaments will recognize.

As Nasr tells us in the commentary:

"Gog and Magog translate Ya'juj and Ma'juj, also called Yajuj (or Ajuj) and Majuj elsewhere in Arabic literature. Commentators report that Gog and Magog are the offspring of Noah's son Japheth; see Genesis 10:2, where Magog is listed as one of Japheth's sons. Some have speculated that Gog and Magog were the ancestors or distant relatives of the Turks or possibly the Daylamites (who hailed from regions to the north of Iran), although such speculations seem to be based upon the rather fearsome reputation these two people has as warriors for medieval Muslims. Some suggest that Ya'juj or Ajuj may derive from ta'ajjuj, meaning to ignite a fire, and Ma'jujm from Mawj, referring to the waves of the sea - both of which may be destructive forces. Gog and Magog are also mentioned in the Hebrew scriptures and in the New Testament as forces of destruction: in Ezekiel 38:2, the prophet Ezekiel is told to prophecy against Gog; of the land of Magog, who would attack of Israel; and in Revelation 20:8, Gog and Magog refer to the nations that Satan will rouse to fight with him in the end times." (p. 759)

The same story is similarly told in the Persian epic the Shahnameh in the section focused on Alexander. This story also gets caught up in the Islamic eschatological tradition, which is, as we've discussed previously, more than a bit messy.  Once again, metaphors on top of metaphors, which is what drew me to surah 18 in the first place, and changed my entire perception of the Quran and Islam.

What It Means - Day 333

"Truly We established him in the land, and gave him the means to all things. So he followed a means, till when he reached the place of the setting sun, he found it setting in a murky spring, and there he found a people. We said, 'O Dhu'l-Qarnayn! Thou mayest punish, or thou mayest treat them well.' He said, 'As for the one who has done wrong, we shall punish him. Then he shall be brought back to his Lord, whereupon He will punish him with a terrible punishment. But as for the one who believes and works righteousness, he shall have a reward, that which is most beautiful, and we shall speak unto him that which is easy from our command.'"
Quran 18:84-88

We're continuing our exploration al-Kahf, the 18th surah, usually rendered as "The Cave," and the journeys of Alexander the Great (or maybe Cyrus the Great), known as Dhu'l-Qarnayn in the Quran. Again, Alexander is represented as a very godly individual, which doesn't normally align with our historical understanding of the actual historical Alexander's personality. Truthfully, this sounds like a story that Alexander might have told as he entered a new region, although not necessarily a story that Alexander would have believed, or a story that would have independently been reported about him. It is very interesting that Alexander says: "But as for the on who believes and works righteousness . . ." This is one of the over fifty times when belief and righteous deeds are linked in the Quran, and it, as we knows, plays a central role in Islamic thought. Finally, the "place of the setting sun" brings us another liminal space, which plays such a key role in this surah.

What It Means - Day 332

"And they question thee about Dhu'l-Qarnayn. Say, 'I shall recite unto you a remembrance of him.' Truly We established him in the land, and gave him the means to all things."
Quran 18:83-84

OK, before moving forward with the beautiful, metaphorical and complicated surah al-Kahf, I thought we could use a little more background. Again, from Nasr:

"Much speculation and legend surrounds the meaning of his name of title, Dhu'l-Qarnayn (lit. 'He of the two horns.'). Some suggest that he had one his head what appeared to be two horns; after calling people to the One God, he was struck in the right horn and killed, but then resurrected by God; then he was struck in the left horn, died, and according to some, was resurrected again. Other accounts say this name refers to his being the king of both Rum and Persia; or according to a hadith, it refers to his journeys, which are said to have circled around both 'horns' of the earth - the east and the west. Some report that he had a dream in which he drew near o the sun until he seized  grasp the eastern and western horns of it, and after that the people referred to him as Dhu'l-Qarnayn. Still others mention that the two sides of his head were made of copper, or that he wore a headdress or helmet with two horns at the side. Finally, some suggest that it was simply a title he was given as a way of indicating his bravery and fearlessness. Some suggest that his name means that he lived for two centuries, although this is inconsistent with the historical Alexander, who died quite young." (p. 757)

So, clearly there is no consensus in regards to the meaning of the title, beyond the sense of of some degree of duality. This brings me (not a noted Islamic scholar) to the duality of the exoteric and esoteric worlds, which seems logical (as least to me) as it followed hard upon the story of Moses and Khidr. Is this all a grand metaphor of the liminal space between these two worlds, using Alexander as the perfect vehicle for that metaphor?

What It Means - Day 331

"And they question thee about Dhu'l-Qarnayn. Say, 'I shall recite unto you a remembrance of him.' Truly We established him in the land, and gave him the means to all things."
Quran 18:83-84

We're continuing our discussion of al-Kahf, the 18th surah, and the appearnace of Dhu'l-Qarnayn, usually interpreted by Islamic scholars as Alexander the Great.

Here's more on the backstory, as usual from Seyyed Nasr's commentary in his Study Quran:

"The story of Dhu'l-Qarnayn, 'the man whose travels encompassed the east and the west,' is one of the matters about which the Makkans questioned the Prophet on the advice of some Jewish scholars, who counsel the Makkans had sought in trying to determine the truth Muhammad's prophethood . . ."

As we discussed yesterday, Alexander casts a very long shadow and he appears in the Persian epic the Shahnameh and is referenced in the west African epic the Sunjiata. As we'll see, his adventures here parallel the story that one would read in the Persian epic. Again, referencing Nasr:

"A hadith identifies Dhu'l-Qarnayn as a youth from Rum (i.e. from the western lands) who built the Egyptian city of Alexandria, in other words, the Greek Alexander son of Philip, widely known as Alexander the Great. Although he is most widely identified with Alexander in traditional Muslim commentaries, some Islamic scholars of the modern period have identified him with the ancient Persian king Cyrus the Great. According to a hadith, Dhu'l-Qarnayn was visited by an angel who ascended with him through the sky until he could see the whole of the earth and the fathomless sea that surrounds the world. Some consider him to be simply a righteous servant of God to whom God granted sovereignty over the world along with knowledge and wisdom. Others suggest that he was a prophet or an angel. He is described as one who loved God and whom God loved. The clouds, and even light and darkness themselves, were said to have been placed at his service, so that if he traveled by night, a guiding light would illuminate the path before him, while darkness would protect him from behind."

Anyone who knows the true story of Alexander, who probably did not truly find anything sacred than himself, would be amazed/amused by this description. That said, Alexander receives similar treatment in the Shahnameh, so this is hardly an isolated view. That said, and if you were going to pick a metaphor to represent the liminal spaces between worlds it would be difficult to imagine a better one than Alexander. More on this later.

What It Means - Day 330

"For example, the fourth caliph Imam Ali faced Khariji rebels who insisted that he simply 'apply' the Qur'an's judgment without interpretation. In that situation of armed conflict, Imam Ali gathered the people and brought out a copy of the Qur'an and as he touched the book he exclaimed, 'O Qur'an, speak to the people!' The people gathered around Ali saying, 'O Ali, do you mock us? It is only paper and ink and it is we [human beings] who speak on its behalf.' To this, Ali stated, 'The Qur'an is written in straight lines between two covers. It does not speak by itself. It needs proper interpreters, and the interpreters are human beings.'"
Scott Siraj al-Haqq Kugle, Homosexuality in Islam, p. 39

Kugle's book is an interesting one, and one that I'm using in my Dar al-Islam: Yemen course this semester. His point, as we've discussed before, is that the Quranic rules against homosexuality are actually misreadings, either intentionally or unintentionally, or sacred text. Essentially, the argument is that the crimes committed were not based on homosexual acts, but rather the attacks on Lot's guests, using rape as a weapon of war, in defiance of his position as a prophet. It's a compelling argument - and one that I've seen from Jewish scholars as well - although one that is also in the minority (at least for now). I might, if I have time, devote more time to it here on the blog. For now, however, I just wanted to include these words from Ali. It's certainly a theme we've touched upon over the past year: what do we want from our faith, rules or a philosophy of living a righteous life? And are we going to accept that the Gates of Ijtihad are closed and we can't discuss/argue/analyze/interpret scripture any more? Islam is a living faith, and it's a faith that should be lived, and that means grappling with the complexities. It may be messy process,but I think the faith is more than strong enough to handle the mess. It may be simpler to reduce the faith to a series of rules constructed fourteen centuries ago, but is that even true to the what the faith is about? I keep coming back to our recent discussion of Moses and Khidr, the exoteric laws were not enough, and I don't think they're enough today. I think you can be true to your faith and still interpret, as long as you aren't doing so randomly to match the superficial needs of that day. The Quran provides extraordinary lessons for living a righteous life, but that transcends the memorization of rules; interpretation has to be part of the process.

What It Means - Day 329

"And they question thee about Dhu'l-Qarnayn. Say, 'I shall recite unto you a remembrance of him.'"
Quran 18:83

Continuing our discussion of the 18th surah, al-Kahf, "The Cave," we are introduced to Dhu'l-Qarnayn, who, almost universally by Islamic scholars, is identified as Alexander the Great. Arguably no one casts a longer shadow in the ancient world than Alexander - he's featured in the Persian epic the Shahnameh and is even referenced in the West African epic the Sonjiata - so it's not particularly surprising that he would appear in the Quran, even if only as a metaphor. What's interesting is how he's presented, which we'll be discussing in the coming days. In the Shahnameh Alexander is presented as a great leader and a searcher after deeper truth, and while there is some part of that view that is true of his complex nature, it's a pretty broad generalization. In the Sonjiata he's a paradigm of bold courage. In the Quran he comes across as a man of great faith, which is much more of a stretch. We'll have much more to say about this, especially his significance as a metaphor.

What It Means - Day 328

"'And I did not do this upon my own command. This is the meaning of that which thou couldst not bear patiently.'"
Quran 18:82

We've come to the end of the brief section dealing with Khidr (the "Green One") that plays such a key role in surah 18, al-Kahf, "The Cave." As I said a few days ago, I love this surah and it definitely changed my perception of the Quran and of Islam when I first read it years ago. Again, all too often there is a perception outside that Islam is a painfully literate faith, and the Quran is chock full of angry rules, when, of course, nothing could be further from the truth. Rather, it is a religion that emphasizes love and toleration, and the Quran is rich and complex and highlighted my beautifully metaphoric passages.

In this concluding verse, as Nasr reminds us, "Khidr affirms that he did not act upon his own command, indicating that he was acting upon the Command of Will of God, which remains inscrutable to the human mind, even the mind of a prophet like Moses, without an explanation of the hidden meaning (ta'wil) of phenomena, such as Khidr provides here." (p. 756)

Yesterday I made the point that that exchange between Moses and Khidr shows the importance of both the exoteric (Moses) and esoteric (Khidr) aspects of faith. I then proposed that since Moses went to Khidr to learn does that mean that the internal aspects of the faith are more important than the external (while recognizing that both are necessary)? And this would be time for my normal disclaimer that, as we know, I always side with the internal over the external, and believe that most of the more unpleasant if not destructive aspects of my religion and any religion are based on our human attachment to a misreading of the external.

What would Nasr tell us (keeping in mind, obviously, that he's one of the world's leading experts on Sufism, which would lead us, in this case incorrectly, to think that he would downplay the external when nothing could be further from the truth; in the Skype sessions last year he made it clear that the external aspects of the faith are essential)?  On page 756 in the commentary he writes:

"Al-Razi comments that the judgments of the prophets are necessarily based upon the outward aspect of phenomena and events, citing the hadith of the Prophet: 'We judge according to the outward; and God is responsible for the inward [or secrets, sara'ir]'; by contract, Khidr's judgments were based upon the true purpose of the phenomena and events. Yet after Moses had perfected the state of knowledge of the shari'ah - that is, the Divine Law, as applied to outward phenomena - God sent him to Khidr in order to teach him knowledge on a more perfect, inward trajectory for religious knowledge if for people to move from a mastery of the science of shari'ah, or Divine Law, which orders and judges according to the outward aspect of phenomena, to the science of the inward, which apprises on of the true realities of things (haqa' iq al-umur)."

What It Means - Day 327

"He said, 'This is the parting between thee and me. I shall inform thee of the meaning of that which thou couldst not bear patiently: As for the ship, it belonged to indigent people who worked the sea. I desire to damage it, for just beyond them was a king who was seizing every ship by force. And as for the young boy, his parents were believers and we feared that he would make them suffer much through rebellion and disbelief. So we desired that their Lord give them in exchange one who is better than him in purity, and nearer to mercy. And as for the well, it belonged to two orphan boys in the city, and beneath it was a treasure belonging to the. Their father was righteous, and thy Lord desired that they should reach their maturity and extract their treasure, as a mercy from thy Lord."
Quran 18:78-82

We've reached the section in surah 18, al-Kahf, "The Cave," where Khidr explains his actions.The simplest way to think of it, and building upon a point I made the other day, Khidr represents esoteric knowledge whereas Moses represents exoteric knowledge. Moses was given the Ten Commandments, the very definition of tangible exoteric knowledge. Khidr's answers are more complex and evasive. Now, which is the better source of knowledge? Well, as with most things, the answer is somewhere in between. Having said that, it's interesting that it is Moses who follows Khidr and not the other way around.

Dune 45

Here are a couple pictures of the iconic Dune 45 in the Namib Desert in Namibia, which I did not climb (having shredding what was left of my knee on my unsuccessful climb up Big Daddy - more on that later).  I described it to a friend of mine as something akin to the Mount Fuji of Namibian sand dunes because of it's lovely symmetry. Instead of climbing I sat and chatted with our guide, and happily ate the lunch he had packed.

Besides it's beauty, Dune 45 is also beloved because it is easier to climb than Big Daddy or Big Momma, and is centrally located and right off the road through Sossusvlei.

And, no, those aren't ants.

What It Means - Day 326

"So they went on till they came upon the people of a town and sought food from them. But they refused to show them any hospitality. Then they found therein a wall that was about to fall down; so he set it up straight. He said, 'Hadst thou willed, thou couldst have taken a wage for it.' He said, 'This is the parting between thee and me. I shall inform thee of the meaning of that which thou couldst not bear patiently:"
Quran 18:77-78

And here is the third action of Khidr that puzzles Moses, less horrifying than the killing of the young boy but more mysterious than carving the hole in the boat. Khidr is cutting ties with Moses, but he's also preparing to explain his actions, which we'll discuss tomorrow.

In the meantime, we can reflect upon Nasr's words in the commentary:

"Commentators read a moral lesson into Moses' protest and Khidr's reaction, namely, that doing a good deed and then seeking worldly reward for it nullifies the spiritual merit of the good deed. Spiritual virtue and perfection come from God and should be sought for their own sake, not for the sake of worldly reward. Some commentators also suggest that Moses' protest here was the last straw, because although Moses' earlier protests concerned the welfare of others (those on the ship, the young boy), his protest in this case arose from his own hunger and desire.

According to the interpretation of this account as a symbolic narrative for the journey of the soul, if the ship broken by Khidr represents the body 'broken' by spiritual exercises and asceticism, and the slain boy represents the lower soul inclined to evil, which is slain by overcoming the passions, then the repaired wall symbolizes the 'soul at peace', which can be restored through the perfecting of character and virtue once the bodily passions and the lower soul have been subdued." (p. 754)

Beasties

One of the things - one of the many things - that made the recent Namibia trip so amazing was the tremendous variety of beasties that I saw. What made it even more extraordinary is that I had not scheduled a safari. Rather, I just saw so many animals simply driving around, both with the guide and also when I rented the truck and drove to the coast. I missed an amazing video opportunity when our guide was barreling down a gravel road and came across a couple dozen zebras racing along. We pulled aside them and they just kept galloping. I thought I was videotaping them, but in the end I wasn't - the magnificence of the moment overwhelmed my technical skills. I saw several baboons, but was never close enough to snap a picture. On the way to and from Swakopmund I should have pulled over and grabbed a picture of the ten foot high termite mounds. OK, next time.

One of the zebras taking a break from their hard-earned gallop.

A mommy and baby oryx.

Maybe my most amazing animal moment was driving along and then suddenly realizing that an ostrich was racing the car.

This was some sort of crow, who my guide identified as a stinker.

It's amazing to see a giraffe just ambling about.

I saw a ton of weaver bird nests, and I think this was the biggest one.

What It Means - Day 325

"So they went on till they met a young boy, and he slew him. He said, 'Didst though slay a pure soul who had slain no other soul? Thou hast certainly done a terrible thing!' He said, 'Did I not say unto thee that thou wouldst not be able to bear patiently with me?' He said, 'If I question thee concerning aught after this, then keep my company no more. Thou have attained sufficient excuse from me.'"
Quran 18:74-76

OK, we're back into surah 18, al-Kahf, "The Cave," and we're following the mysterious journey of Moses and Khidr. Moses was mystified by Khidr's action in cutting a hole in the boat (more on that later), and now he's horrified as Khidr kills a seemingly innocent young boy. Again, we'll devote some time at the end of the story to examining Khidr's rationale for his actions. At this point we can discuss a little of the story.

As Nasr tells us in the commentary:

"Journeying farther, Moses and Khidr encountered a young boy whom Khidr killed, reportedly by striking him in the head with a stone. Moses was outraged that Khidr would slay a pure soul, that is, a young, innocent boy who had slain no other soul or even committed a major sin. Such a slaying is completely contrary to the Divine Law brought by Moses; see 5:32. We prescribed by the Children of Israel that whosoeve slays a soul - unless it be for another soul or working corruption upon the earth - it is as though he slew mankind all together. Moses consider this act to be worse than what Khidr had done before. From a mystical perspective, the slain boy represents the soul that inclines toward evil and is 'slain' when one overcomes the anger and other negative passions within oneself." (p. 753)

Nasr's point about such "a slaying is completely contrary to the Divine Law brought by Moses" brings us back to the tension and conflict between the exoteric knowledge of Moses and the esoteric knowledge of Khidr, which we'll discuss again in a couple days.

What It Means - Day 324

OK, I promise I'll get back to surah 18 tomorrow, and this was my intention today. However, our Imam sent an email around with some pictures of the recently installed carpet in the new mosque, and it's very beautiful. However, what I wanted to share was a picture he sent along of the efforts to get the Qibla (the direction of prayer) as exact as possible in the new masjid. 

As the Imam explained:

"To set the direction of the Qibla, we used the most advanced technology. A straight line was drawn through Google Earth starting from the middle of the Ka'aba landing at our masjid doorstep.

The prayer lines are slightly angled towards the exact direction of the Qibla with the highest accuracy and reliability."

We've talked before about the process of locating the Qibla, especially since our new masjid, since it was originally a church, is naturally not facing towards Mecca. I'm excited to see how it is all set up. When I was in the new building before the construction had not reached nearly that level of completion.

Faith in the age of technology.

What It Means - Day 323

Once again I'm taking a mini-break from my discussion of surah 18 for a brief diversion. I was driving home from the gym yesterday and passed by the site of our new masjid, the former church we recently bought. The new sign had just been put up. and I really made me happy. So many brothers and sisters had been working on the interior, prepping it for the move, but there wasn't really much sign on the exterior that the upcoming change was taking place. I think I was so excited by the sign was it spoke to the energy and growth of our ummah, and our role in the faith community of Vermont. It wasn't that long ago that the community was tiny and used space on the Saint Michael's College campus.

We're right next door to a synagogue and around the corner from a church. We're also only around a block away from Veterans Memorial Park.

What It Means - Day 322

"He said, 'If thou wouldst follow me, then question me not about anything, till I make mention of it to thee.' So they went on till, when they had embarked upon a ship, he made a hole therein. He said, 'Didst thou make a hole in it in order to drown its people? Thou hast done a monstrous thing!' He said, 'Did I not say unto thee that thou wouldst not be able to bear patiently with me?' He said, 'Take me not to task for having forgotten, nor make me suffer much hardship on account of what I have done.'"
Quran 18:70-73

Well, that didn't take long. We're continuing our discussion of the 18th surah, al-Kahf, "The Cave." Yesterday Khidr made Moses promise that he would be patient with what he saw and not ask him any questions, and that falls apart immediately. They get in a boat and Khidr makes a hole, which causes Moses to ask if he actually intended to kill everyone. Khidr wants to end the partnership immediately, but Moses agrees to not ask any more questions.

While we'll wait until the end to get out the deeper meaning, at least according to Khidr and later generations of Muslim scholars, we can at least get started. Nasr tells us: "If this account is interpreted as a symbolic narrative for the journey of the soul, the ship may then symbolize the body, which carries individuals across the sea of material existence and allows them to perform acts of worship; Khidr's breaking the ship can thus represent the manner in which the hold of the body upon the soul may be 'broken' through spiritual exercises and asceticism.'" (p. 753)

What It Means - Day 321

"Moses said unto him, 'Shall I follow thee, that thou mightest teach me some of that which thou hast been taught of sound judgment?' He said, 'Truly thou wilt not be able to bear patiently with me. And how canst thou bear patiently that which thou dost not encompass in awareness?' He said, 'Thou wilt find me patient, if God wills, and I shall not disobey thee in any matter.'"
Quran 18:66-69

We're continuing our discussion of surah 18, al-Kahf, "The Cave," which I've admitted is one of my favorite surahs in the Quran. Again, as I've also admitted, I suppose one shouldn't actually admit to having a favorite divine revelation, but, as I've attempted to do from the beginning of this nearly year-long venture, I've tried my best to be honest - while also reminding folks that this is my own personal reflection, and that I don't speak for anyone other than myself. Here we have a continuation of the discussion between Moses and Khidr (the "Green One") which will dominate the next several days, inshallah, of the blog. To an outsider it seems strange for many reasons, initially, as we discussed, because if you know nothing about Islam you might be surprised that Moses is in the Quran (although, as we know, Moses is mentioned more often in the Quran than any other prophet).  It might also seems strange that Moses is taking a seemingly subservient position in the discussion" "Shall I follow thee, that thou mightest teach me some of that which thou hast been taught of sound judgment?" The simplest answer is to point out that Moses and Khidr represent two separate concepts: the former might be considered to possess exoteric knowledge and the latter possesses esoteric knowledge. God revealed the Ten Commandments to Moses, whereas, again drawing from Nasr, for Khidr, "It is an esoteric knowledge of the inner realities of things and of universal truths revealed directly to him." (p. 753) Essentially, Moses recognizes that Khidr knows things that haven't been revealed to him and he wants to learn from him. That said, Khidr lets him (and us) know that it will not be that simple, which we'll see in the upcoming days. Nevertheless, Moses promises to be patient.

What It Means - Day 320

"There they found a servant from among Our servants whom We had granted a mercy from Us and whom We had taught knowledge from Our Presence."
Quran 18:65

I'm repeating this one line from yesterday's initial discussion of the 18th surah, al-Kahf, "The Cave." We mentioned Khidr, the "Green One.," and before moving on I thought I should provide more information about him.

Nasr tells us: "He was said to have been given the name Khidr (or al-Khadir, 'The Green One') because wherever he prayed or stood, everything around him became green, that is, renewed with life; and in Islamic art forms, such as Persian miniatures, Khidr is always portrayed as wearing green.

Khidr is widely considered a prophet, although some say that he was just a righteous servant of God or an angel. Commentators put forward several arguments in support of Khidr's being a prophet, however, including that he was given direct and unmediated knowledge from God, which is the mark of prophethood, and that Moses followed him and sought knowledge from him, suggesting that, at least in some ways, Khidr was superior to Moses, and none can be superior toa prophet save another prophet. Moreover, in v. 82, Khidr states that the various acts that her performs, which are shocking to Moses, are not acts that he did upon his own command, indicating that he did them upon God's Command, another mark of prophethood. . . .

. . . Some consider Khidr to have been alive at the time of the legendary Persian hero and king Afaridun (Farakun), and at the beginning of the dime of Dhu l-Qurnayn (whose story follows immediately upon this one), as well as during the time of Moses. Khidr remains an important figure in Islamic thought, particularly among Sufi practitioners, some of whom consider him to be an eternal and mysterious mystical master who still guides or even initiates certain people into the Sufi path through dreams and visions." (p. 751)

We'll have a lot more to say about Khidr and Moses in the next few days. It's difficult for me to read about Khidr and not reflect upon the story of Gawain the Green Knight or even Tom Bombadil, although there are many other figures that would also apply.