"Insight has come to you from your Lord. So whosoever sees clearly, it is to the benefit of his own soul."
Quran 6:104
Here's another passage from al-An'am, "The Castle," one of the lengthiest and very important surahs in the Quran. In his commentary for the Study Quran Nasr writes, "Insight, literally 'insights,' translates basa'ir (sing, basirah), which is derived from the same root as sight in the previous verse. Some commentators say that sight refers to the vision of the physical eye, but insight (basirah) refers to the 'eye of the heart' (Aj) or to the 'light of the heart,' from which all vision derives. Similarly, others gloss insight as 'guidance' in the form of the vision of the heart that leads one towards the truth religion." (p. 379) Of course, what does this actually mean? In a monotheistic religion, and it's hard to imagine a religion more unabashedly monotheistic than Islam, by definition everything comes from God, so, of course, insight would as well. I love the phrase the "light of the heart," although I'm still brooding over exactly what it means. Nasr continues, "Whosoever sees clearly - that is, understands the proofs and arguments for God's Oneness and has faith in the truth of the message brought by the Prophet - it is to the benefit of his own soul . . ." (ibid) To me this bring us back to that line from Rumi about everyone seeing the unseen in proportion to the clarity of their heart. So, if you understand the totality of all things then you also see the role you play, big or small, in the world a better place by serving it inhabitants.
Quran 6:104
Here's another passage from al-An'am, "The Castle," one of the lengthiest and very important surahs in the Quran. In his commentary for the Study Quran Nasr writes, "Insight, literally 'insights,' translates basa'ir (sing, basirah), which is derived from the same root as sight in the previous verse. Some commentators say that sight refers to the vision of the physical eye, but insight (basirah) refers to the 'eye of the heart' (Aj) or to the 'light of the heart,' from which all vision derives. Similarly, others gloss insight as 'guidance' in the form of the vision of the heart that leads one towards the truth religion." (p. 379) Of course, what does this actually mean? In a monotheistic religion, and it's hard to imagine a religion more unabashedly monotheistic than Islam, by definition everything comes from God, so, of course, insight would as well. I love the phrase the "light of the heart," although I'm still brooding over exactly what it means. Nasr continues, "Whosoever sees clearly - that is, understands the proofs and arguments for God's Oneness and has faith in the truth of the message brought by the Prophet - it is to the benefit of his own soul . . ." (ibid) To me this bring us back to that line from Rumi about everyone seeing the unseen in proportion to the clarity of their heart. So, if you understand the totality of all things then you also see the role you play, big or small, in the world a better place by serving it inhabitants.
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