Heart Soul – Episode 12

Welcome again to heart and soul on Qatar foundation radio with me Lauren booth, let us all take a moment to consider where we are with our lives. What are our issues? What is our in a state? Are we looked into an ego based consciousness? How can we reach into our heart and take out what is painful? And how can we reunite as a human family? We are in a time of upheaval of violent conflict and confusion, where a moral or material sense of superiority can lead to social injustice. I'm honored to welcome back Dr. Mahmoud chandia Dr. chandia will reveal some of the unifying factors in Islamic understanding. He is a senior lecturer and program leader of Islamic Studies at the

University of Central Lancashire Peace be upon you chef is the upon you to and upon all your listeners. salaam aleikum wa rahmatullah wa barakato. I greet you with the traditional greeting of Islam. Thank you very much. Welcome Salaam. I've been finding out the Qatar foundation is really a microcosm for the great what New York has called the melting pot to people from all around the world of different faiths uniting with a common purpose for education, to find out about how to work together with different personalities and different characteristics. Allah subhanaw taala tells us in the Holy Quran that he made us into tribes and different peoples not so that we could war but

that so we could relish love and enjoy the differences between one another. So let's talk in this quite violent age, about the way in which Islamic knowledge is previous prophets and scriptures on Islam is very clear. And it distinguishes between the monotheistic People of the Book

referred to as the hallowed Kitab, the Jewish community, the Christian community,

and some would argue the sabian community, and it one hand distinguishes the People of the Book. And on the other hand, it distinguishes this particular group from the politics.

And this particular distinction is very clear. Within the Koran. It recognizes the prophets, the scriptures,

of the people of the book, and of course, it presents its own, uncompromised, uncompromising

idea of monitors.

Now, part and parcel of that is that the focus is on

how well acknowledges the Creator,

and it moves away from people.

And the idea of people being equal, albeit very diverse, is very much entrenched within the Koran and the prophetic teachings. The Quranic idea, and verse that you cited earlier on,

is from sort of hundreds towards the end of the Quran.

Now, this idea of looking beyond tribes, or any borders, of clans of families, and actually seeing the value within the human being, value of the human person, behind the name of the label, and recognizing from that the beauty of the Creator, whether it's beauty of form, whether it's the form of the human eye, I mean here that people have made differently, look different, speak different,

speak the same language, in a very different accent. All of this is the rainbow of beauty, that this human is being invited to consider and reflect upon and recognize from that the beauty of the Creator. So this recognition of difference

is basically an education to a much higher learning outcome. And that learning outcome is the beauty of the Creator. So Islam very openly acknowledges previous prophets, previous scriptures

also

established the Quran as the final

revelation and form of guidance.

And as far as interaction with any particular human being may be concerned, it is very clear that when human beings are being interacted with, even, for example, you own parents who may not be Muslim, if a child has embraced Islam, but the parents are not, Islam is still very clear in advocating that the child must be very respectful of the parent. Right, irrespective of any particularly, of course, sure. And this is something I've experienced myself, my mother is an ardent news viewer. So it's impossible for her really to have a positive view on my chosen faith, Islam. But we have to treat our parents well wherever they come from. And they have an honor, and we must

do care for them in every way. I wonder, being ourselves in Islam is something really important. And there is a big change when people accept, particularly Islam, because you want to change revolution, analyze your exterior along with your interior, it changes every aspect of your day, because as we spoke before, in the series, you have these five daily prayers. So you're sectioning off your day, around your worship to a degree. You're taking these spiritual breaks. And for women, there's a big change in how we dress. I mean, I remember getting rid of everything that I felt was immodest, and then being told by my husband, but you can wear them for me. So I thought I had to look the same

outside as inside it really is this massive learning process. I do wonder about whether people listening to this may know about how we live with our own cultures? And yet how Islam beautifies what we already have, and I want to talk a little bit about the Abyssinian hijra, perhaps? Yes, let's take the point of being ourselves and Islam changes. It's not very much teaches of yourself, be natural be genuine sincerity, of action, thought behavior is very much at the center of Islamic teachings. And the whole concept of Islam changing because the root word of Islam is a four letter root word that causes peace to spread, wherever it goes. The root form of the word emotion or faith

is that security should be the causal impact. So yes, Islam did bring change and bring changes to the society to family to the individual.

The change of attire of clothing,

for the female, as you cited your personal anecdote,

and it's when you go outside, you are a responsible individual

to bring peace and security within within society and human behavior to not lapse, and each and every single individual has the responsibility in that the male and the female. So, wherever there is guidance for the female, there is equal

guidance at another level

for the male.

And so, the idea of change coming about, change is very much individually seen as very much as part and parcel of a change maker or breaker. So when the individual is looked after, the family will be looked after society will be looked after.

So the idea of notion of change is very correct for you to notice and bring this up, because it's at the center of Islam, because if the individual does not change with his outlook, and worldview of bringing peace and security and safety, then society could be a detriment. Thank you chef Chanda for this beautiful guidance. We will be back with more discussion on the beauty of Islam and interfaith cooperation. Allah made us all different shade and color. nations and tribes recognize one another because every single Muslim is your sister and brother, so many different colors of Islam. Below but color painted everywhere you go. paint everything you see and tell everyone you know who will be

your paints and your brush will be so filled with color, every color

dollar of Islam truth is clear and blue the sky We walk under love is bright and loud as the lightning and thunder pieces proven Why does the moon so photo wonder so many different color

below with color painted everywhere you go hey everything you see in town everyone you know

paint brush will be man so filled with color every color.

Smiles woman shining like the sun upon our faces hope is rich and green as the trees of an oasis. The colors of Islam bloom in so many places so many different corners of Islam.

With color painted everywhere you go Hate Everything you see and tell everyone you know.

Brush will be even

better avocado painted everywhere you go paint everything you see inside everyone you know,

paint brush will be even

painted everywhere you go paint everything you see.

Good I will be

sharing his gems of knowledge with us today is Dr. Mahmoud chandia. And we're seeking ways in which faith supports inter community peace. There is a trip that I'd love to make sure. In Sharla, God willing to Cordoba in Spain, not because I want to see artifacts and remnants of something that's past this wonderful Islamic world that once bought so much beauty and architecture and, and wonderful spirituality to great sways of the world. I don't want to see something that's passed, but to to envision how something beautiful can happen again. And I know you often go to Cordova, don't you? Yes, I have been very fortunate to visit Cordova I take a group of students as part

of the undergraduate studies. And sometimes postgraduate students also join the trip. And it's a very fruitful trip. It's a very personal journey as well. And it is not the destination. As I tell my students, it is not the destination. It's the journey that matters. And this particular journey to Cordova, of course Cordova was at the heart of andalusi in society. And the Muslims were in Spain as part of the normal omega the Omega dynasty between 711 until 1492, the first three centuries of that very good examples of the Abrahamic faiths coming together, working on a common ground, respecting differences that they may will have and working for a common goal. And we see an

intellectual output of scientific knowledge, architecture, knowledge, irrigation knowledge, and other forms of knowledge which benefitted human progress. And that then functions all of that knowledge functions to provide a platform for the European journey sauce,

and scientific knowledge and advancement. So part of the trip and I would I would very wholeheartedly recommend any listener, that you have to give it consideration to take a trip to Cordova to Granada, to sit and just witness and have a look at how people live together.

The Mesquita in Cordoba, the Museum of the three faiths, the the Jewish Quarter,

all even today, provide an insight and the preservation of history of a particular period that the Spanish government has given attention to is remarkable, and particularly the Museum of the free faith.

right opposite the Mesquita is testimony of how people work together on knowledge issues, intellectual output, working to provide a good balance between revelation and scientific knowledge between received revelation and human rational thought and the debates of those great individuals of that time or even today to be found in many, many texts. So that particular period

provides what is commonly referred to as

a good example of CO existence? How do individuals come together on common ground? You the beginning, suggested that Qatar foundation is a microcosm, the New York, perhaps, of the Middle East. Now, in that situation,

Islamic teaching is that the human being should be an individual that works and strives hard with an unflinching commitment to human welfare, common welfare.

And it is this essence, that drove the Andalusian communities to come together work together. And we see the European Renaissance after that, and a lot of the knowledge that today, and implements and gadgets that we have today, the original contributions of knowledge, the creation of knowledge, goes back to that particular period. So when human beings come together, and not separated by labels, borders, ideologies, then the human himself his testimony of what great achievements

can be made. Absolutely beautiful. I'm wondering about this convivencia, in the current age, when opinion is just is shouted, when block capitals are used in emails from all sorts of random sources of people wishing to be heard, and everybody seems to be so on edge and angry? How do we nurture with the Islamic faith as our source of knowledge and divine scripture? How do we assist with with this new competencia? How could people at Qatar Foundation, you know, benefit from ideals that come from Islamic knowledge of ways to debate? You know, it is, you know, what it is sharing? I think it's letting go of being right, isn't it?

Well, that is a very important point that you raised. And this is one of the issues that the students are encouraged to think about and contemplate, is what how do we bring those lessons of that visit to Cordoba to Seville, to Granada, to our contemporary times, and one of the Paramount lessons that students pick up is how, during that time,

the communities were able to embrace difference,

and not allow egos to run ahead. And embracing different difference

allowed human beings to progress, they saw the value of the human, the value of that difference, which, if we can go back to the Quranic verse, which is very much the message of the Quranic verse to see the value of human difference. And each individual has a contribution to make. And that individual's contribution is within the framework of a recognition of a creator. If the recognition of the Creator is not governing framework for progress,

then they may will be some challenges ahead. This is one of the things that tied together, and the loose in society recognition of a creator of God, recognition of profits. Nevertheless, in this day and age, as we are understanding and using as a template for the foundation as a microcosm of New York of the Middle East, we would have to accept that they may well be individuals who do not adhere or subscribe to any particular faith. Nevertheless, the Quran has examples of individuals who weren't People of the Book, these individuals were still treated fairly, was still treated as humans. And they will encourage explained teachings of the faith that there was no compulsion

to change a particular faith, there was always the consequences highlighted of not recognizing a creator. So I think embracing of diversity of difference is an important lesson, the legacy of Cordoba providers in this contemporary age of ours. Mashallah, once again, Chef, we are so grateful by your esteemed presence with us here on Qatar Foundation, radio. We've learned a lot from you today. We ask a lot of Qantas amongst those who are grateful, who don't make the mistake who do not have arrogance in our hearts to feel that we are right and force others to feel they're wrong but seeking control

events here between humanity god bless you may the divine blessings of this month of peace be upon every one of us, and I'll be with you at the same time tomorrow. The producer for this series is a have a chef assalamu aleikum

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