Spiritual Intelligence

[KhanNoonienSingh]

....

[reggie_xox]

Holy shit.
I think max 2 people will take the time to read that, if your lucky.

[KhanNoonienSingh]

Originally Posted by reggie_xox

Holy shit.
I think max 2 people will take the time to read that, if your lucky.

probably 1% of people who stumble on it.

[reggie_xox]

Originally Posted by KhanNoonienSingh

probably 1% of people who stumble on it.

Summarize it.

[KhanNoonienSingh]

Originally Posted by reggie_xox

Summarize it.

i did.

Turn your hearts to the Qur'an and Sunnah. =P

[reggie_xox]

Originally Posted by KhanNoonienSingh

i did.

Turn your hearts to the Qur'an and Sunnah. =P

Your muslim?

[KhanNoonienSingh]

Originally Posted by reggie_xox

Your muslim?

yes. my name is just a movie character's name. the first sentence of the post even said Islam.

EDIT: a lot of stuff some Sikhs might be able to identify with on a cultural level. because of the influence that Sufis have had on Punjabi culture/history.

[reggie_xox]

Originally Posted by KhanNoonienSingh

yes. my name is just a movie character's name. the first sentence of the post even said Islam.

Then how do you get your rd usernname ?
I swear.. this whole time i thought yu were sikh
Mr.Singh?

[KhanNoonienSingh]

Originally Posted by reggie_xox

Then how do you get your rd usernname ?
I swear.. this whole time i thought yu were sikh
Mr.Singh?

from a movie. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khan_Noonien_Singh

you can call me a Mr. Gill. now stop cluttering this thread!

[reggie_xox]

Originally Posted by KhanNoonienSingh

from a movie. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khan_Noonien_Singh

you can call me a Mr. Gill. now stop cluttering this thread!

Sorry sir, ill be going now.

[Muslima786]

I think many undermine the spirtuality aspect of Islam (esp the Salafis/Wahabbis )
The Prophet (swas) himself was spirtuality guided in every aspect of his life whether it be his (swas) life as statesman or a warrior, or his (swas) prophethood. His (swas)life exemplifies the spirtual journeying you speak about and yet many fail to emulate this aspect of his life. I mean people have the beard down, they emulate his (swas)mannerisms and all but when it comes to the spirtual aspect, many fail to live up. The Prophet (swas) is the quintessional spiritual figure in Islam and yet many Muslims fail to recognize this. I think we need a revival of Islamic enlightenment more then anything.

[KhanNoonienSingh]

To make things simple, we often think of there being a mind, body, and a spirit or soul. You can tell what's clearly from your body usually (hormonal), and what's clearly from your mind (thoughts arrived at by thinking, reason)... and sometimes what's 'clearly' from your soul. That need to be altruistic perhaps, morality, etc. The nature of the soul has always been described as metaphysical... so the 'scientific' discoveries about the behaviour of the brain during these 'soul' activities only reinforce the metaphysical beliefs (that the soul 'manifests itself' in the mind, so there has to be some corresponding mental function).

That leads to an important idea. These three things are really not seperate at all. Each person is a whole entity, a union of mind, body, and soul. Islamic mystics/philosophers recognized this and using the Qur'an as a guideline, tried to map it out.

However, they start from complete scratch. The division isn't simply mind, body, and soul... those things are in there, but they are arranged more according to how they might literally be laid out, rather than simply having the most easiest abstract model to manipulate in your head.

There are three important terms. These are not the different parts, these are three completely different ideas described in the Qur'an. They are the Qalb (heart), the Nafs (Self), and the Ruh (soul).

I'll say it early here, the Ruh, or soul, is the thing encompassing our ideas of mind, body, AND soul... the literal thing. Who we are. And when using that word, it often refers to the highest levels of the Ruh, which has several levels... the lowest of which exist so that we can exist in this reality. So when you look at your hands, you are looking at literally YOU, your soul, in Islam. Perhaps a meaningless part of you, but one nonetheless as long as they are attached to your body.

The Qalb is kind of like the heart of the Ruh. The Ruh is the soul, but I can't use the word soul, because Ruh has a much more extensive definition. Imagine the Ruh as simply a body, and the Qalb as the heart/mind of it. If the Qalb is messed, the Ruh gets sick. We can directly act upon the Qalb which would then have an indirect effect upon the Ruh.

Originally Posted by Sheikh Ragip

The Sufic goal is to develop a heart that is sincere, loving and compassionate, and to develop the heart's intelligence. This intelligence of the heart is deeper, and more grounded than the rational, abstract intelligence of the mind. It is said that when the 'eyes of the heart' open, one can see beyond the surface appearance of existence, and that when the 'ears of the heart' open, one can hear the reality of the truth behind the words.

To do that, read the whole shebang above about Spiritual Intelligence. So while the Qalb concept resembles stuff we already know, it still is not a biological organ. Emotions, Sheikh Ragip says in one article, are not from the Qalb, they are from the Nafs or Self.

The Nafs is the philosophical Self. It can be ruled completely by our base desires or instincts, or be elevated into a really good representation of the deeper truths within (the divine connection of our soul). The Nafs was split into 5 aspects or levels in the Qur'an, but Islamic scholars have expanded those into 7. Going through the levels should be understood as a linear growth.

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Level 1 - The Commanding Self (Nafs Al-Ammara)

The remembrance that is appropriate for its treatment is La Illah Illa Allah (There is no god except God). It is the lowest level of the self and the worst. In it is found extreme desire and lust for immortality and sovereignty. Thus it is attached to the worst of characteristics from which we have been warned by Allah and His Prophet. For example self-admiration, arrogance and pride, hardness of the heart, oppression of creatures, love for exposing the faults of others, lying, gossip, back-biting, envy, jealousy, criticism, undeserved self-praise, bitterness, attachment to what belongs to others even if it possesses what is better, lack of contentment, constant complaining, lack of gratitude, blindness to its blessings, wishing for increase without effort, extreme selfishness, greed and covetousness that knows no limit, love of control, and love of self and its desires, hatred for those who criticize it even if it is for its own good and love for those who praise it even if it is in hypocrisy, rejection of advice and counsel, and only talking about itself.

This Commanding Self is generally divided into two levels:

The Animal Self (Nafs Al Hayawaniyyah); this is the self that runs after sensual desires and material possessions without regard for right or wrong, justice or inequity, lawful or unlawful. It is drowned in the pleasures of possessions, sex, and adornments. It is characterized by lewdness, evil, and lack of humanity. It abhors religion and loves itself selfishly. It knows neither fullness, nor humility, nor thankfulness, nor honor, nor manners.

The Satanic Self (Nafs Al Iblissiyyah); is even lower than the Animal Self because its love for itself has taken it to the stage where it competes with Allah in His divinity and lordship. "I am your lord supreme…" as Pharaoh proclaimed, and "I am better than him…" as Iblis contended.

The Commanding Self is the one with the ill heart. If the heart is not healed, the nafs continues in its ways until the heart is blinded and then it is finally sealed.

The root of this level of the self is that it's convinced that it is perfect and that others are flawed and that everyone will die but it will remain immortal. It got its name because of its constant demands and its numerous calls to satisfy its desires. So it demands a thing and before it attains it, it demands another thing and so on without end. The human in this state is the friend and beloved of Satan and the enemy of the Merciful. "Except those upon whom Allah shows mercy."

Level 2 - The Blaming Self (Nafs Al Lawwama)

Its healing remembrance is Allah (God). This is the self in its original state of birth into the world as Allah says, "By the One who brought the self to equilibrium inspiring it with its transgression and its consciousness." (Shams-7:8)

This is the self that has been touched by Allah's Mercy so that when it commits a sin or falls into disobedience, it blames itself and turns to forgiveness and repents to its Sustainer. Then it holds on to obedience until it slips back into sin then it turns to forgiveness and repentance and so on.

It has grasped what the Prophet said, "All humans are prone to sin and the best sinners are those who repent."

It is a self that is in constant fluctuation between obedience and disobedience. One time it is heedless and falls and another it is aware and resists.

This is the natural station which we start from at birth and from there we descend or ascend. Its sign is the fluctuation between the characteristics of the people of this world and the people of the next world. It is not in the same evil condition as the Commanding Self but the two desires of immortality and sovereignty are still active in it although in a much reduced or weakened condition. This is the first stage of salvation for the self and the first step toward its purification and success.

Level 3 - The Inspired Self (Nafs Al Mulhamah)

Its remembrance is Hu (The Divine Pronoun HE). This is the self that has ascended through effort and commitment to its true way from the station of the Blaming Self to the station of the self that is constantly seeking forgiveness and repentance regardless of its guilt or innocence. This is due to its certainty that the root of its attributes is imperfection, fault, weakness and incompletion.

At this level the self is inspired with the early stages of love for good wholesome deeds (Amal Saleh), and for the Quran and Traditions of the Prophet. It is also inspired with love of remembrance (Zhikr) and to seeking forgiveness (Istighfar) and to correcting its intentions (Niyyah) and renewing its repentance (Tawbah).

This is the last level of danger for the self for it is still vulnerable to descending to the lower stages of Blame and Commanding. At this stage the two desires for immortality and sovereignty are dormant except in passing thoughts.

Level 4 - The Secure Self (Nafs Al Muttma'ina)

Its remembrance is Haqq (Truth). It is the self that has ascended to the first station of development and the ladders of light toward intimacy, contentment and love for Allah. Its refinement is attained through increasing commitment and honest and sincere fulfillment of its obligations with respect to the true way in all its aspects particularly with respect to human relationships and conduct before acts of worship as the Prophet said, "The Way (Deen) is in conduct," and, "The best of you in character is the best in faith."

The Secure Self has entered the pathways, methods and means of protection and healing through self-accounting, resistance, striving, and devotion. These efforts bear the fruit of certainty in the truth that Allah alone is the Actor. He is the cause and motivator of everything for there is no god but Him and no Lord but Him. And that Allah in all of his actions is merciful and generous. He knows the best interests of the self. This certainty leads to confidence in Allah. It leads to confidence in His mercy and generosity. The self becomes confident that what is with Allah is better and more enduring than whatever is in its possession or in the possession of others. In this way it reaches complete confidence in its Lord; He is the one who knows what is best for it and He is the best of Sustainers (Rabb) and the best of Trustees (Wakeel). So the self becomes secure and ceases to occupy itself with anything other than what it has reached confidence in, that is its Lord Allah.

The self in this station expands in its capacity beyond efforts and devotions toward repentance. Once it is secure with Allah it occupies itself with additional stations such as hope (Rajaa') and fear (Khawf) and trust in Him (Tawwakul). In this station the Secure Self is in constant remembrance of Allah both on the tongue and in the heart.

"Is it not through remembrance of Allah that hearts become secure?" (Raad-28)

This is the first level of completion (Kamal) of the self. The heart begins to shine with the light of consciousness. The ego's power begins to shrink so that purity, refinement, clarity, and light dominate the heart so that it becomes the Secure Self. In this station the desires of immortality and sovereignty become completely veiled and they are returned to their true owner who is Allah. Now the self begins to show its true attributes that were previously hidden; these are the attributes of servanthood (Ubudiyyah), helplessness ('Ajz), humility (Zhull), poverty (Faqr), need (Ihtiyaj), and annihilation (Fana').

Level 5 - The Content Self (Nafs Al Radiyah)

"Return to your Lord content…" (Fajr-28)

Its remembrance is Hayy (Living). As the Secure Self ascends to its Lord the lights of the heart increase and fill the entire body transforming the sensual desires of the ego to the desire for what the Prophet brought in the Quran and Traditions. Its desires are now solely for these things and it is totally content with its Lord. Now hardship and ease are the same to it as are harm and benefit, and withholding and giving because it has become certain after becoming secure that every action and deed is from Allah alone; He is its Master, Sovereign, and Creator. He is the one who grants it Mercy and Compassion. He is the one who is Tender and Benevolent toward it. Everything that is from its Beloved is accepted by it and it is content with it. It is content with whatever Allah wishes to do with it.

At this level the self's creed is that if it is tried it is patient, and if it is given it is thankful, and if it is deprived it is accepting, and if it is wronged it is forgiving. It has now become the self with a wholesome and sound heart. It fluctuates in all its states between trust (Tawwakul) and relegation (Tafweed), and contentment (Ridah) and surrender (Tassleem) to Allah. The characteristic of this self is constant cheerfulness, gratitude, and thankfulness no matter what happens.

This is the second stage of the Complete Self (Nafs Al Kamilah), which is the station of servanthood. By ascending to this level the Content Self has entered into the first stage of "…the most beautiful station." This station is connected to the station above it.

Level 6 - The Gratified Self (Nafs Al Mardiyyah)

"Return to your Lord Content and Gratified." (Fajr-28)

Its remembrance is Qayyum (Self-Subsistent). At this stage the self is not only content with its Lord it is also gratified by Him.

"Allah is content with them and they are content with Him." (Bayyinah-8)

The Prophet was asked "When shall we attain Allah's contentment with us?" he replied, "When you are content with your Lord."

At this stage the light of the heart is completed. The heart advances from wholesomeness (Qalb Saleem) to a heart that is in total awe (Khashiyah) of Allah, constantly inclined (Muneeb) toward Him, imbued with modesty (Hayaa') toward Him in every condition.

"Whoever is secretly in awe of the Merciful and comes to Him with a sound heart. Enter it in peace! This is the day of immortality. In it they shall have whatever they wish, and with Us is more." (Qaf-33:35)

The folk of this station are the people of witnessing of the manifestations of the actions of the names of Allah (Mushahadat Tajalliyyat Afa'al Allah). Their witnessing in their hearts to the manifestations of Allah's power results in their awe in the face of Allah's greatness and majesty in all of His actions that are essentially the manifestations of His names. The folk of this station are also gifted with unveiling and miracles to enable them to call people to the love of Allah. These miracles are essentially for those who deny and reject the truth but who are at the same time called to Allah. So He sends to them miracles through the folk of this station so that the egos of these people will submit to these miracles and thus return through Allah back to the path of Allah. For when Allah loves one of His servants He seeks Him and calls him to Him. If once called the servant responds then he is brought near otherwise Allah seeks him through trials, or through miracles. For Allah's command must come to be and is utterly irresistible.

This station is the last of the stations of faith (Iman) and through it the self enters the presence of the station of "…the most beautiful station" (Ihsan) which is the goal and desire of the heart of every servant.

Level 7 - The Complete Self (Nafs Al Kamilah)

Also known as the Self of Light (Nafs Al Nuraniyyah), the Muhammadan Self (Nafs Al Muhammadiyyah), and the Loving Self (Nafs Al Muhibbah).

"Allah will bring folk whom He loves and who love Him; they will be humble towards the faithful and stern toward the deniers. They shall strive in the way of Allah and will not fear any blame from the blamers. This is the favor of Allah that He grants whomever He wishes among His servants. Allah is All-Encompassing and All-Knowing." (Maa'idah-54)

"Then follow me and Allah will love you and forgive your sins. Allah is the Forgiving and Merciful." (Al Imran-31)

Its outer remembrance is Qahhar (Compelling) and its inner remembrance is Wadud (Loving). This is the station of the completeness of servanthood to Allah through the completeness of following the teachings of His beloved, Muhammad, peace be upon him. The one who reaches this station is blessed with knowing the complete love of Allah for him and for His Prophet.

This is the Station of Beauty (Maqam Al Ihsan) and it is above all the stations of faith that preceded it. In this station the servant has completely attained the level of "…the most beautiful station." And so enters into the light of His beloved, the Chosen, in the station of "Two bow's lengths or nearer." in the footsteps of the beloved, Muhammad, peace be upon him.

It is the final level in the stations of the self. This station has no end to its ascension and refinement. The people of this station have nothing in their hearts but the love of Allah and His Messenger and those who are loved by Allah and His Messenger. At this level the Completed Self becomes the mirror of the light of the essential Prophetic Muhammadan self so that it attains the complete attributes of love and servanthood. In this station the self enjoys the lights of manifestation of the Attributes and Essence of Allah (Tajaliyat Al Siffat wa Al Zhat Al Illahiyyah) so that it fluctuates in the lights of bliss in all its stations and states. It is an angelic self of light inside human bodies. The truth is that it is selfless; it has no choice and if given a choice it would chose only what Allah loves and is pleased with. If it is asked whether it is receiving or deprived it would not know because love has overpowered it and so it is totally unoccupied with causes. It is annihilated through love (Hubb), fascination (Walah), and passion (Ishq) into the light of the beauty of the essence of the Lord of causes who is its Beloved and Protector. The people of this station are the people of Divine Love and Passion. They are the people who follow the true footsteps of Muhammad.

They are busy with their love and worship of the Truth and are not distracted by creation except to fulfill their obligations. And since they have become a mirror of the Muhammadan light they are constantly in the Prophetic Presence. All their motions, stillness, words, and deeds are from Allah, through Him, to Him. All of their hearts follow the Beloved and Elect, peace be upon him because they have come to know through Allah that he (the Prophet) is the first beloved, the first light that prostrates, worships, and serves Him. Whoever of the lovers obeys him, and loves him, and models his example in character, deeds, and worship, gains the love of Allah.

The likes of these folk are the servants of Allah who have been brought near (Muqarrabun) and have been selected and have gained certainty that their first obligation, after servanthood, is to love Allah and His Messenger. This is while keeping the Law, and upholding its tenets. They are leaders of religious knowledge and they are lights of gnosis in Truth. Through the lights of their hearts the hearts of those around them are illuminated, and through their remembrance mercy descends. They have all they desire and they only desire love of Allah and His Messenger. They do not seek this world, nor are they occupied by the next world. All their concern is intimacy with Allah, to hear from Him, to be near Him for they regard even a moment of separation as torment greater than Hell.

"Truly, the God-conscious ones are in gardens and rivers, in a place of truth in the presence of an Able Sovereign" (Qamar 54:55)

Now, on a practical and personal level from one Muslim to any others reading, I have not experienced any higher than tastes of the third level. I only needed to read it's name (Inspired) to know that. I only know one person personally who I can percieve to be at a level of 5 or higher, because I cannot tell the difference between anything above 5 from where I am now.

We're born at Level 2 and most of us will probably spend most of our lives in Level 2 and how many people do we know who are at Level 1? Does the statistic of 99% of all people winding up in Hell surprise anyone now? (from sound hadith in Bukhari)

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The Ruh is also split into 7 levels. But rather than stages of being like Nafs, these are more like stages of actual existence. What really is.

Originally Posted by Sheikh Ragip

The soul or ruh is directly connected with the Divine, even if one is unconscious of that connection. The soul has seven levels or facets of the complete soul. These levels are: mineral, vegetable, animal, personal, human, secret and secret of secret souls. Each level represents the stages of evolution, and the process that it goes through in its growth. The soul is wholistic, and extends to all aspects of the person, ie: the body, the mind and the spirit. Each level of the soul has valuable gifts and strengths, as well as weaknesses. The goal is to develop the strengths and to achieve a balance between these levels, not forgoing the lower ones to focus only on the higher ones.

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The Mineral Soul

Basically, our tangible existence. Our atomic selves. Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Biochemistry, Physics, etc.

The Vegetable Soul

This is related to our anatomy and physiology. This is our 'growing' self. Just like plants simply grow. This is us as we just go about the action of any living creature... self-sustainment and growth (although for humans that also implies emotional/intellectual growth too because of our nature). The Western idea of Behavioral Psychology starts here.

The Animal Soul

Our bodies. The 'body' of 'mind, body, and soul'. Desires, passions, fears, emotions, etc. An unbalance here would be like an emotional unbalance. In traditional Sufi orders, this is the first thing they 'fixed' in their students or mureeds. Ya, Sufis were basically some of the first 'psychologists' who recognized the specificity of these problems (emotional), and utilized techniques to 'heal' them. This 'soul' is the same essence as that of Behavioral Psychology (conditioned functioning) and Ego Psychology (all things Freudian).

The Personal Soul

Our minds. The brain and the nervous system. It allows us to come up with complex reactions to the environment through the use of planning and developing complex models of thought. This includes the the ego and the sense of self. This would correspond roughly to Cognitive Psychology.

The Human Soul

This is basically the Qalb described earlier. Humanistic Psychology parallels this.

The Secret Soul

The inner consciousness. The most deep-rooted sentience within us. It remembers our divine origin and it's inside the Qalb.

"And verily, ye know of the first form of creation. Do ye not remember?"
Qur'an, 56:62

This is what remembers that. The first form of creation, another massive topic on its own but it's when all the souls were created and were made to bear witness.

This is the origin of spiritual values, such as spiritual inspiration and creativity.

The Secret of Secrets Soul

I'm not sure if it's Secret of Secrets or Secret of Secret, but whatever. This is our divine connection. God knows.

These last two (if the last one can even qualify) would be grouped under Transpersonal Psychology.

---

Each level, or soul, has positive and negative aspects. Negative being when there is unbalance within that level. There must also be a balance between levels.

I also read that the last 3 souls or levels of Ruh can be damaged by substance abuse. Very seriously so. Maybe even irrevocably (the 'heart' can indeed be sealed and completely signed off after a certain point as described in the Qur'an). This means drugs, alcohol, or other chemical addictions that alter your perception and basically ANYTHING that disconnects you from reality, even mood-altering substances. You gotta keep it real, nah mean. All things spiritual are synonymous with Truth. If reality is ugly, suffer it and you will undergo spiritual growth. We all know that and have heard it repeated in every human culture, civilization, or religion that ever was. Your body is a part of your soul as outlined above. That outline of Ruh shows WHY Spiritual Intelligence as described in the original thread works as it does. You can 'feed' input up through the souls but it HAS to start at the most BASIC levels (physical).

---

Sheikh Ragip is also known as Dr. Robert Frager, who is a Harvard-trained psychologist and founder of the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology.

The other quotes under Nafs were from a translation of a classic text by Mahmoud Mustafa.

Props to Google.

[Space-Cowboy]

I really need to get a hold of some good books on Sufism. I'm generally looking for works of authors like Michael Lings.

[KhanNoonienSingh]

this is from a post on that other ** forum, but some of it fits here and also fits the current theme of 10th of Muharram ('ashura') for Sunnis.

perfect example. just as ataturk was the Will of Allah to save a Muslim population, so is Musharraf. their own personal plans mean nothing, because they themselves are a part of Allah's Plan.

i would not ask anyone to support him, but to do their own part according to the readily apparent Divine Will and Reason in all things and events.

"Witness your time. Witness between the truth and falsehood of your age."
-Shari'ati, one of the few Muslim geniuses of the 20th century... a Shi'ite Sociologist

Shari'ati also said all civilizations arise on the heels of a migration. The Ottomans were like that. The Americans were like that. The only current situation that fits in the Muslim world is Pakistan.

the fact Pakistan got such a clever leader at precisely the right moment in time is testament to the fact that Allah's Will is at work.

without Musharraf, you'd have a Pakistan that was bombed back to the Stone Age. there would be no Pakistan. and at this moment in history, just as Turkey was the nexus of the Ummah's destiny in World War 1, Pakistan is it now. as goes Pakistan, so goes the future of the Ummah. it is not in the Arab world because the Arabs are the first victims of the major Fitna at the end of times.

"Allah, save this country! Pakistan zindabad!"
-last words of Liaquat Ali Khan, first Prime Minister of Pakistan (assassinated)

(below is relevant)

by God, your brains are meant for nothing more than remembrance, so use them and REMEMBER.

don't be slaves to the ignorance of time! by being ignorant of history, you curse time.

from a hadith in Bukhari, Allah(swa) says, “The son of Adam curses time. I am Time. Night and day are in My hand.” The Prophet(saw) also said, “Do not curse time. Allah is Time.”

as Allah is outside of time, this religion is outside of time. the Qur'an is not in chronological order as a testament to that. did you ever wonder why Allah repeatedly demands of YOU to remember things that were before your time (in the Qur'an)? time is not a barrier, and nothing seperates you from the holy Prophet(saw) or the events described in the Qur'an, like the parting of the Red Sea, or the birth of Hazrat Isa(as), if you use your HEART's intelligence.

history boils down to a series of patterns of events. recurring patterns within patterns within an overall Divine Pattern. some events like the above are in a universal reality and should not be judged in any 'historical' context (though absolutely you cannot ignore historical context when UNDERSTANDING them because they themselves are history). these underlying principles laid out in the Qur'an, this Truth... is TIMELESS.

it's not just enough to remember what happened 5 minutes ago, what happened this morning, what happened a month ago, years ago, but you have to remember and reflect. the Qur'an ups the ante by giving you direct universal core MEMORIES to put your soul 'over the top' with knowledge. memories of the heart... turn your hearts towards the Qur'an...

don't cry over time. understand time.

cuz a lot of things allegedly happened on that day.

Originally Posted by Wikipedia

* The deliverance of Noah from the flood
* Abraham was saved from Nimrod's fire
* Jacob's blindness was healed and he was brought to Joseph on this day
* Job was healed from his illness
* Moses was saved from the impeding Pharaoh's army
* Jesus was brought up to heaven after attempts by the Romans to capture and crucify him failed.

[Monica152]

i didnt read your thread
but i had to say
i never liked you anyway !!

[KhanNoonienSingh]

Originally Posted by Monica152

i didnt read your thread
but i had to say
i never liked you anyway !!

LMAO, who the hell are you?

[Monica152]

Originally Posted by KhanNoonienSingh

LMAO, who the hell are you?

im monica i thought u would know
lol emotional outburst

[mistake]

KhanNoonienSingh ...


lol! its funny how you make everything sound so easy and simple -_-

[KhanNoonienSingh]

Originally Posted by Monica152

im monica i thought u would know
lol emotional outburst

right.

sorry for whatever it was. i'm sure i was a jackass.

[KhanNoonienSingh]

Originally Posted by mistake

KhanNoonienSingh ...


lol! its funny how you make everything sound so easy and simple -_-

isn't it? it's definitely simple.

easy... i dunno about that. it's easy, but other stuff becomes 'difficult'.

i dunno. try latching onto something that forces you through shit without leaving you a choice. people used to hook up w/spiritual guides and whatnot. change your thinking about what you want out of life, and realize it can only come from Allah... so then you get some basic motivation down.

[KhanNoonienSingh]

Originally Posted by KhanNoonienSingh

isn't it? it's definitely simple.

easy... i dunno about that. it's easy, but other stuff becomes 'difficult'.

i dunno. try latching onto something that forces you through shit without leaving you a choice. people used to hook up w/spiritual guides and whatnot. change your thinking about what you want out of life, and realize it can only come from Allah... so then you get some basic motivation down.

to add to that...

the islamic way is mad simple. you all know it all already.

cuz you're a girl, Qur'anic description of the ideal woman:

"... who submit (their wills to Allah), who believe, who are devout, who turn to Allah in repentance, who worship (in humility), who travel (for Faith; wander in devotion) and fast,- previously married or virgins."
66:5

Allah can and would change anything for the dua of a believer, so do your prayers. use that motivation... try to immediately connect whatever it is you want at that moment to that current prayer. whether you simply want to just be more religious or you want other stuff too.

also fast, do the spiritual journeying stuff above, etc. ... be more 'devout'.

that's hard to describe. lets just put it like this... i said at the end of the soul article that the soul permeates through all levels, including your physical self. everything you experience or do, even with your hands, ears, eyes, etc., will affect the Qalb (heart of the spirit) which then permeates through the entire Ruh (soul... or just you).

also look at the first 3 levels of Nafs outlined there. i described a little on how to put down the Commanding Self... stay in the Blaming Self... recognize that behaviour in what you do now, and try to catch yourself from slipping into the first stage. and keep your heart open to inspiration to get to the 3rd level.

an example. a person starts doing their namazes regularly. and then starts to abstain from sin. just those two things will increase their Iman (faith) and Taqwa (being conscious of God's existence). however... now say this person's a guy. he steps out of the house and goes out to some club (yeah he's a lame teeny bopper) and when he gets in there, he doesn't dance. and doesn't start talking to girls. some girls talk to him though. he tries to avoid oogling anyone out of modesty too. the result of all this? he hasn't become evil or fallen into Commanding Self (unless the chicks gave him such attention that his ego got boosted)... but he's slipped into the lower part of Blaming Self. he is less inclined now from the heart to do 'good'. his heart suddenly won't be in prayer at that moment in time or anything else religious/spiritual. but he hardly did anything literally wrong (lets say actually going to the club was okay for a sec). he is not a bad guy, he's still nice, genuine, and nobody, not even himself has noticed a difference in him. but his heart has been affected. he will STILL be doing his namazes, but he has been set back because now the namaz will magically no longer be as 'urgent' or 'intense'. so being devout is to not let that happen. it's not really simply to just avoid bad situations, but just to keep your heart safe and developing, which is the point of being religious. it could also mean a lot of other things.

same for girls. i know it sucks, but... if you just fire yourself up for the basic ritual practices, you will get going... but the rest of your life might force you to 'stall out' as the heart (Qalb) is not allowed to fully grow or develop. i don't need to be lecturing on any shit cuz everyone knows this, but you WILL notice a spiritual difference between a married man or woman and a young single one (cuz in this society, a lot of the easiest sins are from the opposite sex). if your heart's an engine, a religiously conducive atmosphere will allow the 'engine' (heart) to start easier. family, marriage, having your life 'stable' from where the basic sins might come from.... that makes it start nicely with conscious effort, because that is a neutral stage and it's easy to just not get anywhere and just idle through life. a person indulging in a life that isn't in line with divine guidelines... for them it'll be like starting an engine in really cold weather. it won't start easily or if at all. the easiest way to start the engine is in times of trouble, need, great pain or anguish. the engine will practically start itself because it's like you fired sparks in the combustion chamber directly. the difficult, hard times in life, are like those sparks. use them.

especially if your starter is broken (and then don't let it stall out again cuz restarting's a bitch). k. maybe i'm taking this analogy too far. don't rice out your engine bay with gay chrome shit and colorful hoses either. that won't help when trying to get the thing running well.

[mistake]

KhanNoonienSingh

what daily life stuff could have good or bad spiritual side effects... ?

[KhanNoonienSingh]

Originally Posted by mistake

KhanNoonienSingh

what daily life stuff could have good or bad spiritual side effects... ?

everything that's listed as a sin or not allowed. all the little sins that we normally don't worry about anymore.

disrespecting parents, interacting with the opposite sex in inappropriate ways or even simply distracting ways (even simple attention from a lot of people everyday will boost your ego and make you more susceptible to the Commanding Self stage whether you'll admit it or not), being ill-mannered w/people, being under chemical influences (including drugs), and even some music, etc.

here's a 'vaakiya' i heard...

A man came to a Sheikh and asked if he could take him under his wing as a Mureed and teach him. The Sheikh denied him at first, but the man was insistent. So the Sheikh tells him he will teach him everything in one lesson. There was a mela/celebration going on in the town at the time. He told the man to take a pot of water filled to the brim, and go through the town, passing through the mela and to come back around to the Sheikh's place without spilling even a single drop of water.

So the guy agrees and does it. When he arrives back at the Sheikh's house, the Sheikh asks him if he spilled any water. The man says no, not even a drop. The Sheikh says this is true because Allah let him have verification of it. Then he asks the man to tell him about the sights and sounds of the mela. The man replies that he was so concerned about the water, he didn't get a chance to pay any attention at all to the mela. The Sheikh tells him that this is the lesson. The mela is the dunya (world), and the water is his Iman (faith). You must live in and travel through the world while guarding your faith (i.e, you can't avoid the world either).