Ahmad Kutty – Giants of Islamic CivilizationJall adDn Muhammad Rm
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AI: Transcript ©
Alhamdulillah wa Salatu was Salam ala Rasulillah while he was happy
he moraine
rubbish rally so the way silvium re water Luca tamilisai lea Coco
Lee.
Once again we ask Allah subhanaw taala
begged him imploring His mercy and grace Allahumma limnol meiofauna
we'll find out we might allow them to do was
teach us that which is beneficial for us and bless us in the
knowledge you have granted us and increase our knowledge.
Before I proceed, I want to ask you a favor next week,
I will need to start the class half an hour early show that only
next week I need to attend another lecture. So, I will leave one
o'clock
I hope we all can understand Inshallah, this is only for next
week. So we will start at 1145 inshallah.
So, Inshallah, please keep that in mind.
And I will try to be sharp and sharp, this time.
Now, today, we are approaching
the study of another personality.
Many people, when they hear the name of Rumi, they have this
concept of a
free
wheeling and dancing,
crazy man,
you know, who is just
bearing the label of Islam and then
makes utterances and statements sometimes denouncing Islam in the
eyes, they think or interpret.
And,
and therefore it has nothing to do with Islam, according to them.
And there are Muslims and non Muslims, so called Muslims and non
Muslims sharing this view.
Now, we need to keep in mind that
Islam, as it has been
practiced, and believed and experienced,
have embraced our
races and
all kinds of thinkers, scholars, philosophers,
and the way each person has experience related to Islam may be
slightly different from the way another person or other thinkers
have related and experience it.
One of the best way to understand this is
keep in mind, the Hadith Jibreel. With the Prophet said, there are
three dimensions of Islam. One is the outward level of conformity,
observance of the rituals.
It's Islam, in that sense, literal sense. And then there is another
level which is a deeper level, which is emaan faith, as
the seat of faith, the heart.
Then of course, then there is a third level of experiencing the
faith
and experiencing this faith,
where is from individual to individual, there are various
spiritual types even among the sahaba.
You know, so this is how, if you want a window or, or, or a glass
or lens to view, the various types, the fingers color scholars
and philosophers Islam, you need to keep this in mind.
To put it in a different way. Islam is a civilization
try to relate to these three dimensions. So in doing so, a try
to there were three streams actually in Islam, like tradition,
scholarship,
Revelation, reason and intuition.
Revelation is the study of the Scripture, the Quran and Hadith as
the revealed scriptures, the Quran and the authentic sunnah of the
Prophet and then use of reason to understand this to interpret it.
Try to relate to it according to changing circumstances, then there
is that individual subjective experience of faith.
Sufism is an expression of that
even as the Jewish related to Islam with a reason to come out in
foreign reduce rules
to to judge
10s personalities to apply it in the court or give verdicts and
counseling.
They will those who were more focused on purifying the spiritual
heart and, and developing that communion with Allah subhanho wa
Taala in the love of Allah subhanho wa taala. In doing so,
they have exercised EGT had of course I'm calling to explain this
by using the
the interpretation of Ebro Tamia who is going to be studied next
time inshallah nobody could accuse me of being
a crazy Sufi.
He says that even as the folk haha have made EGT hard and some of
them made errors in judgment. The Sufis made the Tierra de ba.
So sometimes they made mistakes. So how do you judge them?
You don't judge them by the errors they made, you judge them by their
overall legacy and contribution and performance. Even our Mobarak
we mentioned is studied him, he said, Don't judge a person by
looking at one thing or two he has done look at the overall
legacy contribution and difference he made in the world. Now, I want
you to keep in this in mind, while judging Maulana Rumi I am not, I
don't consider myself worthy of judging this great personality,
because I have studied him as much as I could. And my background is
shaker and Sharia and tafsir and yet I could not judge him
conduct condemn your stuff for Allah stuff for Allah, I am not
worthy of measuring the depth of this credit
score and and Sophie st and and mentor. So of course I need to
express that okay, this is a very, very vast topic. Because you know,
why?
Rumi is the most
influential poet and thinker in America today. And of course, in
the West also, he has been worried vary widely popular in all levels.
And in his own time, he deeply influenced our levels of the
society
from the top to the bottom.
And what kind of influenced him made
I have no doubt in my mind. He guided many, many people,
countless people to discover Allah Spano Tala to come to God
Almighty. So, this is what. So, nobody is no poet, he is the most
widely read poet, millions of copies of his poetry have been
sold. And of course, even
strange people study him and I will come to that Shala so in this
session, we are going to touch briefly some of this
origins and education is Sophie and she initiation and
transformation. How he became an extract point and mentor, and then
his massive literary output. His message of course, Rumi's message
should not be room's message. And then Cushing roomies Islam, many
people crushing it, I want to deal with that a little bit. And the
abiding influence of this is great.
Personality.
His full name was gelato de Muhammad, of course, his name is
Mohammed. Of course, his
gelato.
Mohammed, and he was born in Belarus.
Bulk was part of Afghanistan
is part of Carozza and which is now in Afghanistan. Of course at
that time, they have to understand this boundaries didn't know
They exist
because he was born in Beirut, which is now part of Afghanistan.
Upon his call him Belfie
Jalaluddin al Belsey. The man from birth, of course, just like it
happened with Biruni everybody want to claim that he is one of
them? Of course Iranians one, because he is of a Persian
stock of course.
It is said that Maulana Jalaluddin,
his lineage goes back to Abu Bakr, Saudi Arabia lower low,
but he was born into a Persian milieu.
And therefore, he, he mastered
Arabic and Persian, but he wrote most of his works in Persian and
partially in Arabic, his Arabic is excellent. He will compose poems
in Arabic,
but he is known as Rumi, the man from Rome, because he settled in
Anatolia, Anatolia, which was referred to as Rome at the time.
But have you know is Roman
he is called Maulana Maulana means,
our master our teacher,
to Turkish Turkish people call him Milena moulana.
They pronounced says, of course,
they revere him so much. All the Turks revere him
and, of course proud of,
of claiming him
as the great
mentor, he died in cornea, Anatolia, personally part of
Turkey in the twirl 73
This is just now
Romi was a product of perfect Islamic milieu, because Carozza
and was the center of I already mentioned,
Islamic scholarship.
There are great scholars,
theologians, Jewish and mystics, Sufi scholars, saints,
living in that part of the world and he himself is, is born into a
family and
his ancestors were Hanafi jurists actually so deeply spiritual
milieu.
Moral and spiritual ideals of the Quran and the Sunnah, was lived
and practiced by people at all levels. Very, very
religious family and milieu. And I already mentioned that Islam had
been practiced at three levels, outward conformity, belief,
spiritual realization. Okay, Rumi came from a long line of Hanafi
scholars and jurists who are also practicing Sufis.
This gap or wedge between Sufism or Sharia did not exist in that
time.
Great scholars were also Sufis. They practiced spirituality,
including people like Rob the salaam of the salaam, was, was a
great
he has poem about the degeneration of Sufism. But his is his works on
spiritualities is highly cherished. And Imam nawawi able to
hold on we are going to talk about him even a Tamia you won't even
though he would be the last person to be
considered a Sufi, but documents are come out showing that he was
affiliated with the Sufi masters, as is lineage going, he gave birth
to Sufi master and things like that. Of course, this is now
almost accepted that he was not a did not denounce Sufism or of his
works. When carefully studied by the way, I wrote a thesis paper on
Norberto thermistor. So Wolf, I discovered that he is only
condemning the heretical status of Wolf is not condemning Sufism, he
made a distinction between pseudo Sufis and genuine Sufis. The
Romans also famous for him like Junaid and others, they are the
true representatives of Islamic spirituality refers to the URL
Bashar
Al
Messiah, the great masters. Okay, so we need to put this, this kind
of notion to rest
and Romi received training in all of the Islamic sciences.
It's because of his deep mastery of Islamic sciences, theology,
philosophy, and Quran Tafseer Hadith. And fiqh is very, very
deep mastery. That's why when the orientalist approaches work, if
they cannot really, because of his depth, they get only one aspect,
one dimension of meaning. Whereas this man is deeply
imbued with this knowledge, vast knowledge, storehouse of
knowledge. Therefore, it's very, very hard to translate him,
according to the every one of them have come out with this, that
because of his, this is all because of his depth
in understanding the ceramic tradition, horizontally and
vertically,
not just the superficial level, deeper level. And
so, he is a master, he has great deep mastery of Arabic literature.
And he quotes from it Tafseer Of course, of course, that Hadees,
fake tasawwuf theology and philosophy.
He really
makes cating attacks on rationalist philosophers who want
to dispense with religion and Revelation said this is philos
reason is, it cannot get to the mystery of Allah subhanaw taala
without revelation without Rasul Allah without the Quran,
you cannot get to the truth. So of course, he's not rejecting reason
he, he assigns a role for reason, but reasons should not overstep
his boundaries.
And this thing is stressed throughout his works.
And that's why the rationalist philosophers in the modern world
who study Ruby, who had left their religion, they discover faith
again, I will come to that. So this teacher was his father. It
was a first teacher who is father, who was a great scholar he was
referred to as Sultan Rama. He was a Hanafi jurist, just like his
grandfather was a harmful jurist. His father was a Hanafi jurist.
And of course, he is a practicing Sufi. And it said that he had
engaged in kind of exchange with the philosopher and theologian or
Razi. Razi is the author of The encyclopedic commentary on the
Quran. He's a theologian and philosopher, and Muslim, great
scholar, but his approach to Quran was more rational. So,
you know, Robbie's father did not like that approach. That of
course, reason has its limits. So he thought he is overstepping
Iran, therefore,
he had some very, very heated exchanges. And some people say
it's because of this enemy team.
That ensured from that, that Romans father had to leave
bail,
and go elsewhere because his life was in danger, because
Razi was very influential with the rulers of the time and is the
governor. This is one, but of course, another
explanation is, that's not the reason that he left too because
just like many scholars did,
the Mongols were approaching and of course, Mongols were known for
their,
you know, butchering and Masako in committing genocide, so many
scholars left to battle in order to flee from the Mongol invaders.
He left with his family traveling to Makkah and Medina Of course, he
performed the pilgrimage with the family, his son was with him his
wife, and of course then he spent some years in Damascus.
And also Baghdad and other places finally settled down and
In Anatolia at the invitation of the governor, Governor of
Anatolia,
invited him and, of course, he set up a college, of course, a number
of colleges were set up in Anatolia at the time. The governor
set up a college for him to teach. There were other scholars also
teaching there, but he was the main scholar in that college.
Room. His father, as I said, was a jurist giving fatwas and of
course, he was also a Sufi Shea's mentoring students
embarked in modern spiritual training.
When his father died, when he was, Oh, almost 25 years, I remember
correctly
27 writing
and then he succeeded to his chair,
as a teacher, and preacher,
and Rumi started teaching and preaching or for enrolling Santa
Fe folk.
At that time, he was not so much a
because I don't, the person who initiated him into Kosovo, Sufism
was,
was a disciple of his father
Berhanu Dean,
and of course, who mentored him and trained him, and then, Sufi,
Rumi had already become a practicing Sufi.
But then,
still, he was more like a preacher and jurist more than
a Sufi master, but the age of 37
Orientalis, we'll call this money wandering the rubbish, actually,
now,
facts are coming out to show that this was not a wandering dervish.
This was a scholar of Shafi School of jurisprudence, world trade and
Islamic sciences, you know, look how they want to. So they think
that the here comes in a trade wandering dervish, and then
suddenly, this le traitement transforms Rumi into a into a
madman, you know, that's not the case. Now, his works have also
been unearthed by scholars which show how deeply he mustered Eve as
a half inch of the Quran memorized, not really memorize the
Quran, he was deeply immerse in the Tafseer and he's the one who,
who was
who never compromise with following the Sunnah of the
Prophet anybody compromise with following the Sunnah of the
Prophet who would rebuke them and things like that. So this was not
a wandering, a strange dervish. He was a scholar practitioner of, of
sunnah of the Prophet, Allah Islam, and of course, he is a
Sufi. But this man had this longing, spiritual longing, and he
was looking for a real brother, who would share the same kind of
yearning force, you know, that communion with Allah subhanaw
taala, because
they got this kind of concept from the Hadith of the Prophet,
actually the Oh hoo, wah, you know, the spiritual brotherhood.
Brother should be a mirror of his brother.
You know, one, we explained this or this, we'll look at this in a
very superficial way. But this chorus looked at it that a mirror
is someone who would help you correct yourself.
So that he will see
the poison within and try to help you purify yourself when you
purify your heart, through this kind of a mirror.
What happened to
the heart reflects the truth, the real knowledge, microphone.
The true wisdom.
It is in this way
that he they look at each other. So shamsudeen lokala Romi as his
mirror Ruby Lucara template
A mirror.
So they became so much attached. And of course, Rumi was utterly
devoted to conversing and
communing with his brother. So much so that he even neglected his
other work because he thought Now, this is the perfect time for him
to polish the mirror of his heart.
Of course, this is the awareness because he was completely fired up
by this spiritual yearning. You know, even our claim describes
this thing for him is a disciple of Imam Ebro Tamia. He said, in
the heart of human being, there is this unquenchable thirst,
this restlessness, this anxiety, all of this comes from
our disconnection with Allah subhanaw taala.
And it can only be quenched by actually devoting ourselves to
Allah.
And even our claim, I want to say it now, because there is a book
out there. Love humbly is, you know, the love of God,
as taught and expressed in the humbly school, meaning that even
as some scholars said that the theme of Islamic civilization is
knowledge. There are other scores coming out, no, it's the love of
God.
That is the heart of Islam. And that was
that gives us a lens to study Rumi.
So this love of Allah, this is what the claim is speaking about.
And that's what the message of Rumi is also this love of Allah
subhanaw taala. Once a person has been transformed by this yearning
for the love of Allah, and try to gain that and purge himself for
that
everything else
is secondary.
While doing so, everything out there for him a means of gaining
this love. So it's not the monasticism of the Christians.
Because for Christians, you have to forsake everything. But this
Sufi masters, they married, they had children, and they were
involved in society charactering The rulers, everything. That's
what this is how you get the love of philosophy, but they look at
everything as a mirror of the beauty of Allah.
So the look at the author equals Shayla who is to todo lo Allah and
know who wide everything out there is revealing the wisdom and the
glory and the Oneness of Allah.
See, and that is with us her heart. Also, if you think deeply,
your heart, your pulse, you know, it's our messages to you the
messages, you should look.
They are talking about the opening the eye of the heart when the
Quran says there are many who are is but they don't see.
They are blind, because they only see outward appearances.
But these are the people who the their eyes of the heart have been
opened. So this what happened. So he became spiritually utterly
transformed.
Not just but that doesn't mean he gave up jurisprudence. No, no, no,
he didn't.
Doesn't mean he gave up prayer. He never gave up prayer. I was
addressing a group of clergy in when a
couple of years ago, and then you know, we were talking about how
Rasulullah sallallaahu Salam
you know, shed so much tears while praying to Allah subhanaw taala
in this prayer in sujood so that blanket was soaked with tears,
as I shall learn to describe it. Then I had to also follow it up
with a story of Rumi. It is said in winter month when it is really
really cold and Anatolia.
He was making bad jokes then he cried so much. Show that his beard
got stuck frozen
And the talk is weird for him to stand up. So
this is the man. Rumi is not somebody who say once you get to
Toronto, you don't need to take a bus to reach there. You know, like
the so called, you know, Mystic say You know, you don't need to
pray because you're always pray. So you don't need to perform namaz
five daily prayers, because you are already with Allah.
Because once you are you have already reached render. So why do
you take a bus to reach them? That's not this is how the missin
repeat this is not the way. So, here the first time gounder
between shamsudeen and shamsudeen was over 60 At that time, whereas
Rumi was 237 young person.
So, he wants to just shake him up.
Because you know, look at the question itself that shows that
how shamsudeen is as color he he find no discord or, you know,
contradiction between Sharia and Haqiqa. The question is, who is
superior in spiritual rank by as either Stamey or Prophet Muhammad?
Who is asking this question
this shamsudeen sums, the, you know, a number of seminars
translated, one of the one of
wrote about the one of Rumi, one the one of the one dedicated to
the memory of shamsudeen as trying for a son, triumphal son, because
So, Ruby replied, What a strange question.
Muhammad salallahu Salam is greater than our the saints put
together.
You don't need to ask this question, the discussion should
never arise, because Muhammad Sallallahu al Islam is the sale of
prophets. And of course, he can never No sane can compete with him
in spiritual. So why is it then that Muhammad said to God
Almighty, I didn't know you as I should have.
While Why is it said, glory be to me how exalted is my stage?
Meaning of course, this is somebody who is so much immersed
with the spiritual experience. So he lost his. So his are consumed
by that vision of God. Okay, so he's not literally saying that he
himself is God, but he's lost. So, Rumi explain that one masala Islam
was the greater of the two because by us, it could be filled to
capacity by a single experience of divine Brussels, whereas
Rasulullah as capacity was unlimited, and could never be
filled with one vision, you understand less nothing is
yearning for more and more. So, of course, immediately jumps realize,
you're not talking about an ordinary Sufi, you're talking his
talk, talking with a spiritually attained person. So, they became
clung to each other, each one is benefiting from the other and they
are conversing and conversing for days and days. Even No, not much
for you understand. So this arouse the jealousy of, of His disciples,
Rumi's disciples, they thought, their master now is just solely
devoted to this. Of course, this is a faith because you need to
have some retreat for spiritual development. So because that's how
Rumi look at it that is a perfect opportunity for him to purify
himself and again, you know, closer and closer to Allah
subhanaw taala. So, this mirror of spiritual mirror.
So,
now I am not talking about what happened to Rumi to shamans,
because some say Shams, relocated himself disappeared from the
scene. Or some say some of the
jealous disciples of Rumi murdered him.
Only Allah knows what happened. But
Romy had already given shumsa One of the
girls you know
of his family and marriage.
And, of course, then suddenly one night, people came to call him
out. And then after that, he was no more seen.
They say that he was murdered others say he, he had said that he
would disappear. So only Allah knows the truth what happened. But
then after he left, what happened is
suddenly, Rumi became an ecstatic poet until that time himselves
said he has no value for poetry, he attached no value, because
he's, he's just color of Quran and things like that for and Quran
contrast points except those who are using poetry for good purpose
and things like that. So he has, back then, spontaneously, he
paused for a you know,
it was points came out, of course, he has no control it just like
river flowing
from him. And of course, all of these are expressions of love.
You know, he's not talking about physical love. He's talking about
love of God, what now, this western people read into it, that
he's talking about physical now. Start for Allah start for Allah.
So that's not the way Muslim scholars and
and those who, who we interacted with him understood, because
although he uses all this metaphors, it are referring to the
love of God, actually the real love.
Okay, so his love, intense love and longing for surrender to God
made him an ecstatic poet and teacher, port for the spiritual
experiences. And all of them every single work of his, if you read
carefully is filled with verses from the Quran. traditions of the
prophets are allowed Islam and Tales from the saints before him.
And literature, poetry, Arabic poetry, it's all He uses all of
them. To, you know, to explain, of course, this is not
his massive Navy's magnum opus is a massive work and six volumes.
And Nicholsons, who words I will explain who in the Corson is it
contains almost as many verses the Iliad and Odyssey together and
about twice as many as that the community, you know, this Divine
Comedy.
These are great to works in English and European literature.
So Nicholson who translated Rumi is one of the I Will we need to
it is referred to as a spiritual commentary on the Quran, actually
Masnavi
mastery is just like so many people made Tafseer of the Quran.
Some of them have theological orientation, some of them
philosophy call orientation, some of them, you know, fakey
orientation,
Rumi is making a spiritual commentary on the Quran. And of
course, this is even recognized now by
all those who study deeply Barthelemy. They said this is this
is a spiritual Tafseer of Quran. So Jeremy, one of the great poets
Persian poets who came after him, he called it Quran in Persian,
mean Quran, transfer to push it. Of course, he's talking about the
meanings of the Quran transferred into push, rendered in push.
One of the latest researchers oriented race into muscle he said,
muscle memory itself is composed
on the border of the Quran, meaning in the sense, the way it
runs from one team to the other is not just influenced by the team,
even the organization and things like that. It's trying to transfer
the inner meanings of the Quran
because
unfortunately, whether we like it or not, if you look at the fossil
literature
Most of them are not giving us a spiritual insight into the Quran.
They are either dealing with the loss Feck or theology, they are
not whereas if you look at the Quran SAR always talking about
Allah and he signs,
you know,
demand from us to surrender to Him
to allow him more than anything else, isn't it? That is what the
Quran is all about from every verse is filled with this kind of
exhortation that calling us to allow smaller Ouattara. Now, so
where do you find this kind of commentary? Of course, definitely,
you will find it in machinery. But of course, it's very, because He
does it by using all of the toolkit available to him. It was
translated to English by the great Orientalist Nicholson.
Actually it is said about Nicholson that this is one of the
greatest scholars
of Islam, produced by orientalists. British Orientalist
is
one who is teaching machinery
he cannot control his tears.
He will we hear the same attire comparable to Rumi, even a topi
and everything he will, and when he is lecturing on trees, is a
deeply emotional person he was.
And then, of course, he devoted his life. And then at deathbed is
sad, it's sad that he is now understanding Rumi better.
Okay.
He's the Coulson student, our burrito,
also translated some of the other works for Rumi.
Of course, I have this here. Mystical points of Rumi, Volume
One and two, this is volume tool. And of course, if we read
this introduction here
are the Muslims who, who cast doubts on Romans Islam
will be ashamed of reading what arbery wrote
how Ruby influenced
the Coulson and arbery
who have been trained as academics. And you know, the
training, academic training in the western universities was natural
faith.
It will turn you against God and faith and religion everything
because you become so much proud of your rash reason, the power of
reason. And then how this great one's
gay gain their faith in God and not only gain their faith in God
and
they found this experience of faith the greatest thing
greatest thing
and, and they.
So, they were transformed by their study of Rumi three Euro. The one
is another Ambassador called poetry which was inspired by his
meeting with Shams Okay, the one of course that has been translated
by
and worked by Annemarie Schimmel. AnneMarie Schimmel was the
greatest scholar of Sufism in Harvard University, German scholar
and she is the one who through her studies
turned you know,
she was so much more by the Quran. She said that Quran is such
that even though you may have heard a verse 1000 times, every
time you hear it, it is as though it's a fresh revelation.
So a numerous shimmer said about Rumi is mustard away that it is
definitely a commentary on the Quran.
Persian commentary on the Quran and of course, she has written
extensively. It's all about extracting data
So Devin Lau and his yearning to connect with God, Rumi also left
VR in more than 100 letters. This has now come out and all these
letters
contrary to what people have formed about him, he is interested
in guiding and helping even the poorest of the poor.
The letters they address to the princess to the governor's to the
rich men,
helping them kind of selling them how they should help the needy
person, people with loans come to him asking, so he writes to
someone, please help
all kinds of counselors is trying to influence move the society
towards Allah subhanho wa taala, towards practice of Islam and real
sense.
So he is not a monkey sitting in a cell, just concerned with his old
his, his concern with the poorest of the poor, as well as with
everybody, all layers of the society. There are letters
addressed to different people different
helping people in every station, and that's what the for him what
the Prophet did. So, he is trying to follow the example of the
prophets of mouse.
What is Ruby's message of course our is message, every work that
you take of Rumi
is simply calling us back to Allah subhanaw taala.
But in order to get to Allah, we need to kill them that's the ego
stands in the way
our jealousies times in the way our pride stands in the way
our enemity hostility so we need to purge we need to overcome that
knifes
die before you die. That's the message
you know, he talks about
so many stories are there one story says Daddy You know this is
a parable actually is using this to teach us that we cannot flee
from Allah
we cannot flee from Allah you know Salam Monterrey CERAM is sitting
with this courtiers with this big assembly and a man as writer
comes.
And as Ray looks at this man who sold us to take
so the man turns to slay Monterey Salem asking him to save selenium
when I slam orders the vent to take him far away Twinstar
Okay, so,
of course
then what happens Sulayman or Islamize visa aisle,
you know, why were you looking at him
and I have ordered him I have taken to Hindustan
The answer came from Israel.
My order the order form for me from my Lord is that I should take
a stroll in Hindustan
so it's good that you transported in there
that's my order. So the This parable is using to teach us we
can never free from Allah subhanaw taala.
So
where can we flee from Allah?
It is in this our every single lesson. And then another thing of
okay, of course what happens now, people are always concerned about
the words of prayer, isn't it?
How we have become so obsessed with the letter of our many people
say that, you know, beloved really alone cannot pronounce these words
in Arabic properly. Or they say that Salman Farsi could not
pronounce because they were a b c bellava, sub cerium and Salmaan
was pushing. So the mockridge so this obsession with the makrut
obsession with Tajweed as Imam Xiao Lilla is to see TGV This
is a key to the Quran isn't it?
But now it has become an end in itself.
So articulating the sound
So pronunciation is just only a means. So roaming, want to teach
us this, that there is a parable The story reported in the tafsir
works that the Shepherd was making supplication to Allah. You're
asking the last one on what? To help him clean his house and this
and that. So most RSL and gotsoccer so upset What do you
think Allah is? Allah? Is someone fixing your, you know, picking the
eyes from your hair and things like that? You understand? So what
do you think bodies are gorgeous, glorious exalted and Teasley. So
Allah answered, Musa alayhis salam, you know, I am not
concerned with the words he speaks. I'm concerned with the
heart. Because he's turning to me.
He is not by a master of language of articulation. So I don't look
at your words, I look more into your heart. Rasulullah sallallahu
sallam said, Allah looks at your heart more than your appearances,
including even the words, so don't be stuck with the words.
Meaning now we should pour our heart before Allah.
Understand, of course, then he also comes to the conclusion how
then Musar Islam approach this sharper than already yours a
Sunday transcended from that phase,
he has gained a better
awareness of Allah subhanaw taala. So he realized Allah is more than
that. So meaning why these things may be allies, just like Allah has
sending so many ropes from the heaven, helping people to get to
him.
So this means the or devices. So for person, what's important is
turning your heart to Allah. Then Allah well, even though you
started out with a bad, you know, little ignorant, ignorance, you
were ignorant. But then because Allah opens your heart, you will
gain a higher awareness. And then you will know, this is exactly
what you see, among the spiritual practitioners in Islamic
tradition.
They don't have much theological knowledge.
But then because of their practice, connection with Allah
subhanaw taala, the kind of words that come out, kind of works they
have produced
as a more a better understanding and awareness of the majesty and
glory of Allah then those of jurists themselves, to understand
that's what we that Rumi is pointing out because these people
were suffering from this literalism so they he calls it
habit and ritual, Islam is WebU reduced to habits and rituals.
Our hearts are not awake.
They are live Allah taka in the Quran about against heedlessness
heedlessness so we need to get rid of that heedlessness, God is near
I am closer to you than your own jugular vein. So this is the kind
of okay so
you read in the Hadith of the Prophet Wallah, Grandma, grandma
the love of the and make my love for the greater than my love for
myself and greater than my love for everything else, including my
love for water on a trusty day of the of the summer or summer. You
see, so if you look at it, this
what the meaning of this prophetic prayer? That's what
Rumi puts it in so many words. He says, As soon my two eyes shut
from desires for this world and the next, this I learned from
Muhammad,
meaning what you have to
leave your obsession with this world and desires. Of course, he
is not preaching for us to renounce the world. Now another
because our office, you know, disciples, they were artisans said
about them that they will be baking the bread and their face
will be ready and smiling and at peace because they are engaged in
liquor.
They are always in liquor. So people explain to people who
traveled to Turkey and and dealt with these people who were
influenced by the teachings of Rumi, then notice this thing. So
he uses out of the toolkit at his disposal. Do
have knowledge of the Quran, Hadith stories of prophets and
saints, Islamic theology, philosophy, Arabic literature,
nature and observation, because we observe keen observer of nature
and every single thing in nature uses it
as a bait to get people to Allah.
He tells us about spring, in the spring is a sign of resurrection.
For somebody who doesn't believe in resurrection, it says, look at
the world what was there? This Earth was dead. Now is cutting
with life. You see, and this is the way he is teaching.
And how do we get this love of Allah subhanaw taala the Quran and
following the footsteps of the Prophet, flee to God's Quran, take
refuge in it there with the spirits of the prophets marriage.
Okay, they met okay, this poetry actually the book conveys the
perfect circumstances, those fish of the pure sea of majesty. Okay,
it's poetic language actually. So he warned us not to walk away from
the Quran. But there is the only way to gain divine love free to
the Quran
and
harmonize your spirit with the spirit of the prophets. Okay.
You know, I'm quoting some of these in order to refute this idea
that Rumi was not a believer in Quran or follower of Rasulullah
said Rumi statement. Muhammad brought many items in the world so
that religious communities were saying all our sustaining role,
you understand?
If it had not been for mamas efforts,
you would have worship riders like your ancestors. This head of yours
has escaped from prostrating to idols, so that you may recognize
his claim of gratitude upon the religious community. So if you
speak talk about gratitude for this liberation, so that he may
also free you from the invalid holder. You see, is he getting
away people away from the Quran, or deeper into the Quran? Actually
is getting people deeper into the Quran?
The light of Monmouth does not abandon Arabs or Austrian or Jew
in the world. May the shade of his good fortune shine upon everyone
he brings out of those who are led astray into the way out of the
desert.
Meaning what is he say?
He says or Austrian need Mohammed Junius. Mohammed is not saying
that Zoroastrian Jew doesn't need more ml.
Rather what he's saying, Whoever you are, come,
wander idolater worshipper of fire come even though you have broken
your walls 1000 times come and come yet again. Ours is not a
caravan of despair. Of course the hope is where
in Mohammed Salah Islam is the guide. Quran is the guide. So
Quran says that it is a mercy. It's Rasul Allah is a mercy for
the entire world. How is a mercy? So he is saying he is a mercy for
Christian is a mercy for the Jew. Not that they remain Christian.
They come to Allah. That's what he's saying. So how people miss
him a bit. You know, Ruby today is the most admired poet in America.
He is popularized by poets like he's a professor of poetry and
literature. Corbin barks.
Coleman Barks have produced so many works on Rumi, Robert Bly and
even the by the New Age, apostate apostles like Deepak Chopra.
Of course, he's from Singapore, Madonna and Oprah Winfrey and
countless others are strapped for Allah, you know, because they take
some words and and run with it is thinking that is what is preaching
for Allah. But, but we have to know that he is the most misquoted
and misunderstood
you know, poet, because they take his words after context
there are countless quotations and evidences in his works, which
scholars come out typically shows you know, how deeply
fun grounds
He's in Islam and Quran and Hadith of the prophets of Allah Islam.
You know, because many of these people don't know what hadith is
all about.
So, you know, I have spent all my life in Quran and Hadees and
faker.
Almost every poem I read in Rumi
his either paraphrasing a Hadith of the Prophet, or inferring a
lesson from the Hadith of the Prophet.
Sometimes he called the Prophet directly many times, hundreds of
hundreds of times he quotes directly the prophet, but other
times he doesn't quote it, but it's already there that is
paraphrased in his own words. And the same thing with the Quran or
he says works are full of quotations from the Koran all
sorts of people quote him new age group free thinkers, gay
activists, and even atheists and rationalist you know, why they
want to project their own subjective ideas onto his poems.
Especially the his hymns on demand in Lao have been turned into a
celebration of Eros. This erotic love
actually is no talking about erotic Lao is talking about divine
love.
But of course they they want to detach you from base deep Islamic
roots
Okay, you want Why am I going for fast?
There is nothing farther from the truth as Rumi was a devout Muslim
as strict for our of the Quran and the Sunnah. It said that in his
deep conversation with shamsudeen
One day they missed Jama in the masjid
one time on prayer.
And they made up for it. So you see how otherwise he was always
praying in the masjid and attending Jama.
He followed the Sunnah of the Prophet diligently. He said I am
the servant of the Quran as long as I have a life, I am the destiny
on the part of Muhammad the chosen one if anyone costs anything
except this from my sayings, cut off him and outrage by these
words, you know, you understand. So you see how, of course this is
just one quotation of course, there is no need for us.
To
all of those who have studied him deeply have establishes a thorough
grounding in Islam and Islamic faith.
But
muscle memory contains anecdotes and stories derived largely from
the Quran and the Hadith as well as everyday tales. One of the
greatest living other witches and Rumi ha the hiree has shown that
some 6000 verses of the one and the mercenary are practically
direct translation of Quranic verse into poetry.
Okay.
Of course, then, I already mentioned about the Hadith itself,
because many of these people they are not trained in, in Hadith,
they may read the Quran, but Hadees itself is another ocean. So
if you are deeply familiar with the Hadith, you will see most of
these parables and stories that Rumi quotes from the Hadith
literature actually.
Now you should know that Muhammad is the leader and guide. As long
as you don't come to Muhammad fest. You won't reach us be among
a community of believers who are blessed by Divine Mercy. Don't
abandon the way of conduct of Muhammad, but be governed by it.
No.
Look at the director, words from Rumi how he attaches. Of course
there are countless statements like that scattered throughout his
work that
now I have
All because this thing is a wash topic.
What is the influence of grooming?
Believe me, according to my study, now I have a phone no one who has
brought people to Allah more than Romi
no other Muslim thinker or scholar or jurists
have influenced have such influence.
There is no shortage of those who have been transformed by the
message of Rumi. Many of them are embracing Islam, the French
professor of philosophy will deal with three. She called herself
have actually, because that is the French
II we evil. He was Hawa actually, she was a rationalist who had no
faith either born born into a Catholic family, she lost his
faith. Then she happened to read the dissertation of Dr. Escobar.
And his work on reconstruction of religious thought in Islam.
And through his work,
she discovered Rumi and then she studied Rumi, she regained her
faith embraced Islam, and, and of course devoted the rest of her
life to work, putting out works on Islam, inviting people to Islam.
And of course, she has a work on called prayer in Islam. And she
also made the Basia that when she dies, she should be buried in
cornea.
Okay, and of course, we have Kabir and kabylia, Hamas, Ki, Abraham
Gamar. All of these were
Americans, this, Kabir and they were all Americans, studying
Islam, born into a Christian background, they embrace Islam.
And of course, these are the people who really represent the
real legacy of Rumi, and, you know, doctrinaire Cabal, the poet
philosopher of Islam,
considered him as his mentor.
A cabal was
completely immersed in philosophy, especially the rational
philosophy, he lost his faith in Islam.
Then he came back to Islam through
to Rumi. So what a great influence. And he said, as long as
you have Rumi as your mentor, you will never be lost. Meaning
because he gave
all of his synthesizing and trying to reconcile reason, Revelation
and intuition, and placing revelation and usually higher than
reason, because the greatest threat to humanity is when
praising reason about Revelation. So Rumi, that's how room is
successful. It does it. orientations, chairs, Nicholson
and arbery, openly admitted I have this work, and preface in this
work before he doth put out this preface. arbery said I had lost my
faith in God Almighty. But then after immersing himself
in the study of Rumi, he regained his faith in God. And the same way
Nicholson of course, after many years of study, it completely
transformed. Now the soccer they also called for an army of
scholars to undertake deeper study of Romi to serve as an antidote to
the rampant materialism are going to agnosticism chipping away faith
in God.
You see how the influence of this person is?
Now I have discussion.
So the interest in Romi you see how Allah subhanaw taala works?
Is there is people here are so much against Islam and Muslims.
Allah has his own way. You know, Allah is your room, he is to what
to turn people who are away from Islam, just either tone down their
imagery of or trying to undress, make them understand. And many of
them convert to Islam, through Rumi, if even if they don't
convert to Islam, they have a better appreciation of the depth
of Islam. And that's what you see the depth of this.
The people who read Rumi have already. So now at the same time,
there is no shortage of Muslims, who could consider Rumi as a
heretic.
The point to the summer and worrying dance rituals associated
with his name. Now
there is no doubt
Oh
my
god
I should have gotten
my dog was Hello
Shannon
she had to run her mother masu
Can you hear us
okay he
he further
along with buffalo medulla
there is no doubt that his understanding of Islam is
different from the understanding of many Muslims today because many
of us just look at the jurisprudence and the outward
rituals and dogmas. And we fail to recognize the spiritual aspect,
the inner depth of so
So definitely we will our judgment, we will rush to judge
some of these practices completely honest Slavic. Whereas, of course
they do we'll be honest lambing, somebody thinks that the way to
worship Allah is through wedding dance.
That is not what they thought actually they were our people who
prayed five times a day till our butt, they dancing Joy actually,
dancing itself is not forbidden in Islam. Were they men and women
dancing together there? No, it's men dancing. And of course women
may be dancing by themselves Rasul Allah allowed this other seniors
to dance in the masjid, isn't it? So, they are expressing their job
of, of discovering Allah subhanaw taala in this way, because some
jurists may find fault with it, but they are not considering it.
Dispense at the expense of the Salah as considering it as sunnah
that people should follow. If they did that, definitely it's heresy.
If somebody thinks in order to become Muslim, you have to dance.
And that's a form of worship in Islam, of course, then that is
heretical idea or whatever. But, so you should not we should not
rush to condemn this. As long as these people were really devote
people, even Ibrahim Dharma Dharma and I mentioned, and all those
people who, who went and practice this, they are sheiks. Now, they
say whenever they go there, this people who participate in this,
they are prey.
And even some of them 99 year old, he is observant of prayer, he
cannot get to the masjid but following the Jama as it is taking
place in the masjid in his home, because he cannot you see her so
they were very particular they are not saying that this dance
replaces salah. I don't know if if that is so but so those who who
are scholars who look at it objectively, they consider Romeo's
greatest one of the greatest exponents of Islamic spirituality.
And
everyone this Muslim scholars as normal scholars say his message is
highly relevant today. In a in a because we have this religious
tension and rivalry. People of different religions. You know,
Rumi's messages. Come back to Allah subhanaw taala
didn't Allah say tabula Calima or people of the book come to the
thing that
It's common to us what is that? Allah?
So Allah is common to so come to Allah.
And let's discuss our differences then come back to Allah subhanaw
taala This is the message of Rumi May Allah subhanaw taala have
mercy on him May Allah subhanaw taala inspire us to love Allah to
Allah His messenger and to allow those who love the messenger of
Allah and the Prophet. And may Allah increase our love for
actions and words that will bring us closer to the level philosopher
Donatella Kula COVID Johanna was tabula. So next week, Inshallah,
half an hour before he will have the class only for next week. I
hope you understand, you know, 11 fortify, we start next week and
shall and we will stop at one. By the way I'm going to talk about
Ibn Taymiyyah is a different personality altogether. But of
course, he's also a great Muslim and theologian and jurist as
Salaam Alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh