Reflections

 

 

Muslim College in Samarkand (Soviet Central Asia)

 

My Lord From the diversity of created things and the changes of states I have learned that it is Your desire to make Yourself known to me in everything so that I will not be ignorant of You in anything.

-Hikam


It has been over two years since I've updated this website. There were a few reasons for the delay. I was fortunate to spend a year (2005-6) roaming the Muslim areas of Southeast Asia as an exchange student at the National University of Singapore- from the worldly delights of Kuala Lumpur to the lush majesty of Borneo with its oceans stretching into infinity, unpredictability interpersed with pockets of peace. Since then, things haven't always turned out the way I would have wanted; there have been tears, agony, as well as discovery and wonderment, but I know this world is a place of struggle, not a place of relaxion.

I've managed to survive a semester at law school at UC Davis. And God-willing, I hope I can be of some benefit to society, family and my religious community.



I have the same goal that I did as I started this website- a student of Islam “sharing his notes with anyone interested.” When I started I was eager to share myself- though my old novelty is gone- Iv'e kept the old introduction that I wrote over two years ago for documentary reasons.


Anyway, the whole trip abroad to Southeast Asia definitely had a change in my religious attitude. First of all, I came to love mosques, the peace and tranquility in them, especially after the extreme radical flip-over of my world following my return from Malaysia. I just wanted to read the Quran...that was a very spiritual period...It was like a cave to crawl into, and forget the passing of time. I found guidance in the Quran. Also I was surrounded by many "normal Muslims" my friends and acquaintances.

There were some incredible experiences I never would have had in America. In the camp up in the Malaysian jungle, where after scrambling up hills, hiking through mosquito infested jungle in the middle of the night, our camp master delivered us a stirring speech and made us bow to God in thankfulness (in the middle of a river) for everything- the trees, life- in the river. That was a magical moment- I was emotionally distressed having lost my passport- I poured my heart out in the water...Then after that we all shook hands and forgave each other for any slips we might have caused one another. Here are some samples (work in Progress):

Stranded in KL!- learn about a Muslim youth camp in Malaysia
Sarawak- green, peaceful mountain paradise filled with many cultures
Arab Street- Old Muslim Quarter of Singapore
Batam- Bunking with a band of carefree Indonesian minimum wage workers
Memories from Singapore- I was there for quite a while

I really miss those days, when every day was an adventure, but I know that Allah SWT doesn't put us in any given condition so that we should be attached to that condition and long for it, but rather that we should learn about Him through it, and increase our attachment to Him- the Creator of all conditions. There are indeed many things in life which confuse me, and I have much to learn, but insyaAllah I will stick to what I know, while relying on Allah... May He have mercy on all of us. Ameen.

 

Nigerian girls

A remarkable thing is that the name of the religion Islam- (peace/surrender), while apparently simple, refers to its deepest reality.

The outward meaning of Islam is that one commits oneself to submitting to the commands and prohibitions of God, thereby

gaining peace in the next life.

The most deep meaning is that one is entirely content with the divine decree, and is at peace with however God decides his/her fate. Such a person understands that God's choice is the best and surrenders fully to His will and is thus at peace- free from anxiety and fear of the future or the past.

“Whoever relies on Allah, He is sufficient.”

“O tranquil soul- Return to your Lord, pleasing to Him, and pleased with Him.”

True surrender is to surrender your soul to the One who truly owns it, giving up your false claims of managing your own affairs. Like a good servant one ceases competing with one's Master. Like a true lover, one's will is in harmony with that of the Beloved.


Such a state is difficult to reach in its perfection, but the closer one gets, the more of an antidote one has for all of life's troubles. Why worry about anything when you know that the universe is in good hands, that neither benefit nor harm ultimately come from other than Him, and that the trials one faces are a lesson, a trial, or a merciful warning to change one's direction? Instead, concentrate on what God wants for you- worshipping Him inwardly and outwardly, according to the instructions of His prophet as long as you are alive. Leave everything else up to Him. Then you will live in eternal bliss, in the presence of your Creator.


This may sound like a fantasy to the materialists, who cannot accept anything beyond the senses. But indeed, for the awliya, whose inner eyes have opened, everything except God is a fantasy- being entirely contingent on His existence. For them its a matter of vision and direct perception, no longer simply a matter of faith. What are the fruits of this vision?


Affirming the unity of God is that one see all things as coming from God Most High in a vision preventing one from giving undue consideration to intermediate causes. Thus, one does not see good or evil except as coming from Him. The fruit of that is trust in God, refraining from complaining about people, avoiding anger toward them, contentment, and resignation to the judgment of God Most High. It is as if the affirmation of God's Oneness were a rare jewel having two coverings, one of which is farther from the essence than the other; people devote themselves to the name of the covering and neglect the essence.


This vision is simply a deep internalization of the basic Muslim credal statement- La ilaha illalah (There is no god but Allah), taken to its deepest level. In the words of Ibn Abbas, the cousion of the Prophet SAW, “La ilaha illa Allah means there is no benefactor, no harmer, no exalter, no debaser, no giver and no preventer except Allah.”


Finally, if we examine the life of the Prophet SAW whom He sent, and his companions, we find an inspiring example of how God intervenes in world history. With their single-hearted conviction, they carried the word of God from the Atlantic Ocean, to the Great Wall of China, through their systemazation and teaching in Damascus, Basra and Madina, they laid the foundations for religious sciences which still exists today in a coherent and satisfying form. The palpable results appear every time we enter a mosque and we see human beings, dressed in graceful robes, quiet and calm, standing and bowing before their Maker, reciting His words... solemn tranquility and purpose, implanted in a world of confusion, passing and short, which might otherwise have no meaning. The sahaba gave up their lives, exposing themselves to danger and hardship, far from their homes, so that millions today- the villager from Indonesia or cattle-herder in Nigeria- can go about their business- eating, marrying, working- but all the while keeping God and the hereafter in their hearts.


Anyway, I don't mean for this to be a sermon. Rather I hope that someday I myself can taste a slight portion of the faith which Ibn Abbas RA or Imam al-Ghazali RA tasted, to provide an example to others of the spiritual riches of Islam of the states of figures such as the above. My intention as a student is to continue learning, and continue to share what I believe will be beneficial to others.




I plan to keep updating this site; feel free to send comments at fmunir@uci.edu

       

That’s me below, with brothers Kemal and Maerof.