IN THE NAME OF GOD, MOST GRACIOUS, MOST MERCIFUL ACADEMY OF ISLAMIC THOUGHT (AIT) MODULE II PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT VICEGERENCY AND RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD SESSION 1 Jihad Turk

INTENTION What does intention mean? Reflection: Why are we taking this class?

STORY OF CREATION (30) And Lo! Thy Lord said unto the angels: “Behold, I am about to establish upon earth one who shall inherit it.” They said: “Will You place on it such as will spread corruption thereon and shed blood- whereas it is we who extol Your limitless glory, and praise You, and hallow Your name?” God Answered: “I know that which you do not know.” (Chapter 2)

(31) And He imparted to Adam the names of All things; then He showed them to the angels and said: “Declare the names of these [things], if what you say is true.” (32) They replied: “Limitless are You in Your glory! No knowledge have we save that which You have imparted unto us. Verily, You alone are all- knowing, truly wise.

(33) Said He: “O Adam, convey unto them the names of these [things].” and as soon as [Adam] conveyed unto them their names, [God] said: “Did I not say unto you, ‘Verily, I alone know the hidden reality of the heavens and the earth, and know all that you bring into the open and all that you would conceal’?”

(34) And when We told the angels, “Prostrate yourselves before Adam!” – they all prostrated themselves, save Satan, who refused and gloried in his arrogance: and thus he became one of those who deny the truth. (35) And We said: “O Adam, dwell you and your wife in this garden, and eat freely thereof, both of you, whatever you may wish; but do not approach this one tree, lest you become wrongdoers.

(36) But Satan Caused them both to stumble therein, and thus brought about the loss of their erstwhile state. And so We said: “Down with you, enemies unto one another; and on earth you shall have your abode and your livelihood for a while!” (37) Thereupon Adam received words [of guidance] from his Lord, and He accepted his repentance: for, verily, He alone is the Acceptor of Repentance, the Dispenser of Grace.

(38) [For although] We did say, “Down with you all from this [state],” there shall, nonetheless, most certainly come unto you guidance from Me; and those who follow My guidance need have no fear, and neither shall they grieve; (39) But those who are bent on denying the truth and giving the lie to Our messages – they are destined for the fire, and therein shall they abide.

CHALLENGES TO FAITH: SATANIC WHISPERS (22) And Satan will say when the matter is decided: "It was God Who gave you a promise of Truth: I too promised, but I failed in my promise to you. I had no authority over you except to call you but you listened to me: then reproach me not, but reproach your own souls. I cannot listen to your cries, nor can you listen to mine. I reject your former act in associating me with God. For wrong- doers there must be a grievous penalty." (Chapter 14)

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ADAM (AS) and SATAN Both disobeyed God, but  Adam (AS) and Eve (AS), even though they had committed a sin, turned back to God because God sent them guidance  Satan did not ask for forgiveness

CHALLENGES OF LIFE (31) And We shall try you until We test those among you who strive their utmost and persevere in patience; and We shall try your reported (mettle). (Chapter 47) (155) Be sure we shall test you with something of fear and hunger, some loss in goods or lives or the fruits (of your toil), but give glad tidings to those who patiently persevere, (156) Who say, when afflicted with calamity: "To God We belong, and to Him is our return" (157) They are those on whom (Descend) blessings from God, and Mercy, and they are the ones that receive guidance. (Chapter 2)

INTUITIVE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD (172) When your Lord drew forth from the Children of Adam - from their loins - their descendants, and made them testify concerning themselves, (saying): "Am I not your Lord (who cherishes and sustains you)?"- They said: "Yea! We do testify!" (This), lest you should say on the Day of Judgment: "Of this we were never mindful" (Chapter 7)

INTUITIVE KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND BAD (7) By the Soul, and the proportion and order given to it; (8) And its enlightenment as to its wrong and its right;- (9) Truly he succeeds that purifies it, (10) And he fails that corrupts it! (Chapter 91)

THE HUMAN PREDICAMENT -Neutral: Free will and Intelligence -Challenges: Temptations from Satan and tests from God -In our favor: Prophets and Revelation and Intuitive Knowledge of God and of Good and Bad

Understanding “Al- Nafs” Segment II by Dr. Maher Hathout

AL-NAFS – “THE SELF” Can be manifested in several ways:  The Soul  The Spirit  Moment of Self- Awareness

FOUR KINDS OF “AL-NAFS” DESCRIBED IN THE QURAN 1. “Al-Nafs Al-Ammarah”- this Nafs can command you to commit wrongs 2. “Al-Nafs Al Lawwama”- this Nafs will hold one accountable, and blame one’s self for doing wrong 3. Nafs that is qualified to choose between right and wrong 4. “Al-Nafs Al-Mutma’inna”- the state of absolute peacefulness, satisfaction, contentment, and tranquility

Purifying Al-Nafs

CONTEMPLATION  First steps to reaching purification of “al-nafs”: contemplation, meditation, observation, research  This process makes you more sensitive, more enlightened, and more capable of understanding how to communicate with God  In the Quran, Surah Ali-Imran (3: ) shows how “al-nafs” guides people to search into the heavens and earth to find messages from God:  There are “ayaat” or signs for those who reflect  People are in constant remembrance of Allah (SWT) in all positions and situations  Succession of contemplation and meditation ends with a conclusion that leads to a prayer

A GIVING ATTITUDE Giving kindness, love, ideas, energy, and yourself – involves a certain attitude Surah Al- Layl ( 92: 18-21) One who gives from his or her wealth is doing so for purification and elevation to ultimately become closer to God.

IMPORTANCE OF GOOD COMPANY  We are affected by our environment and companions  Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was given clear instructions by God to keep himself amongst those of noble qualities, as stated in Chapter 18: “Keep yourself patiently with those who cry unto their Lord morning and evening, Seeking His Countenance...”  It was reported that the Prophet (PBUH) said: “The similitude of a good companion and that of a bad one is that of the owner of musk and of the one (iron-smith) blowing bellows. The owner of musk would either offer you free of charge or you would buy it from him or you would smell its pleasant odor, and as for the one who blows the bellows, he would either burn your clothes or you will have to smell its repugnant smell.”

FACTORS THAT NEGATIVELY AFFECT AL-NAFS  “Al-Hawa”- best described as a mixture of whims, desires & ego  Submission to these whims leads one to stray from self- purification  There are approximately 20 places in the Quran dedicated to warning people of the dangers of hawa. Examples are:  Surah Al- Araf (7: 176)  Surah Al-Jathiya (45: 24)