Spirituality in Islam Aysha Wazwaz PhD Candidate M.A Contemporary Islamic Studies B.A Islamic Law

What is Spirituality about in many people’s view?

Issues that come to mind when speaking about spirituality Meditation Prayer Leaving modern life and being simple Monks Leaving materialism and living in ones oneself Contemplation Running away from life Searching for answers on what is behind life or death.

Body- Soul antagonistic or not? Do they develop on each other’s expense? most philosophical and religious thoughts considered that spirituality can only be obtained by denying the physical needs and mortification of the flesh, and that world activity or modern life arrests spiritual elevation.

The concept of spirituality in Islam compared to spirituality in other religions and ideologies Islam’s concept of spirituality goes beyond the dualism of spirit and matter and considers it as the core concept of being Muslim and reason of life.

Body- soul conflict result الحياة الحيوانية man racing to find pleasures in any way possible even if it contradicted his pure creation and even went far into comparing himself with animals rather than being a noble human. Pleasure made as a goal, whether that was wealth, fame, ownership, sex…etc. People seeking spirituality by denying their physical needs, family needs, community needs and participation in developing their community.

Islam’s view point on body and spirituality Man is a (khalifah) (vicegerent) in this world, and was created in the best way for the fulfillment of this responsibility. The body was created with a sole object (i.e the soul/ spirit) in order to function for the fulfillment of the khilafah. The body does not function without the soul, and the path for the soul development is in both in soul and body.

Is spirituality a psychological healing or not? Spirituality should not be detached or in distanced from the fundamental ontological questions: how we came to this world and why and where we are going? Spirituality should be part of the answer to these questions. SPIRITUALITY SHOULD NOT BE A SHORT WAY TO RUN AWAY FROM THESE QUESTIONS OR FROM A PERSONAL TROUBLE. IT SHOULD BE IN THE CORE OF OUR UNDERSTANDIND OF THIS LIFE AND WHAT COMES AFTER IT. Spirituality and fitra (instinct) in Islam complete each other. The Therefore, within your “fitra” the need for spirituality or (closeness to God Almighty). كل مولود يولد على الفطرة.

Islam and Asceticism Islam rejects living away from your responsibilities and proposes methods for the elevation of ones spirituality not outside this world but within life and your responsibilities. Spirituality in Islam does not isolate you from the world around you, but makes you feel as the center of the community since it pushes you into being more active as a part of the world. يايها الناس إنا خلقناكم من ذكر وأنثى وجعلناكم... إن أكرمكم عند الله أتقاكم

Symptoms of spiritual decay كل مولود يولد على الفطرة...“ Not being able to distinguish right from wrong –روى مسلم من حديث حذيفة بن اليمان رضي الله تعالى عنه قال : قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم : { تعرض الفتن على القلوب كعرض الحصير عوداً عوداً، فأي قلب أشربها نكتت فيه نكتة سوداء } مسلم حذيفة بن اليمان – Getting accustomed to falsehood, then ending seeing it as a norm. قوم لوط – كلا بل ران على قلوبهم ما كانوا يكسبون Confusion, lost in many paths, or trying out to many paths in search of answers on life. s Feeling lost و من أعرض عن ذكري فإن له معيشة ضنكاً Sadness, depression Fear, and worried الذين ءامنوا لا خوف عليهم ولا هم يحزنون

What is to be attained through spirituality? Success in both this life and the hereafter Paradise وأما من خاف مقام ربه ونهى النفس عن الهوى إن الذين قالوا ربنا الله تتنزل عليهم الملائكة الا تخافوا ولا تحزنوا وابشروا بالجنة التي كنتم توعدون، نحن أولياؤكم في الحياة الدنيا...“ اهدنا الصراط المستقيم، صراط الذين أنعمت عليهم غير المغضوب عليهم ولا الضالين Noticing the blessings that God Almgihty had given you. Living a balanced life الصراط المستقيم during happiness and sadness

Reasons for spiritual decay Lust and personal motives ( نفس ) Suspicion anger

Criterion for spiritual development Use all capacities for the sake of God Almighty and fulfilling all duties with sincerity and obedience to Him alone almighty by doing things as He had ordered in the manner that He had ordered it to be done.

Spiritual development is obligatory on every Muslim والشمس وضحاها... قد أفلح من تزكى وذكر اسم ربه فصلى، بل تؤثرون الحياة الدنيا والآخرة خير وأبقى “

Spirit and Soul conflicting or connecting Islam does not separate spiritual actions from materialistic/ or body actions but considers them tied with each other. So your actions affect your spirituality, and your spirituality affects your life and your happiness or depression and tranquility

Ways for attaining spiritual development Spiritual refrainments التخلية Spiritual elevators التحلية

spiritual refrainment تخلية Abstaining from major sins – Criterion for a major sin دين، نفس، عقل، عرض، مال – Religiosity, soul, mind, chastity, wealth Associating partners with God Almighty Killing Harming your own or other’s body and chastity (ie. Fornication or adultery) Harming the mind (drinking, drugs) Mistreating others possessions such as: stealing, interest Abstaining from minor sins – Sight sins – Hearing sins, listening to the wrong things – Some behavioral sins – Talking sins, such as backbiting أمسك عليك هذا – Eating and drinking sins

Stages of spirituality Islam Eman increases with obedience to God Almighty and decreases with sin. Taqwa: leaves everything that is forbidden or takes to forbidden paths. خشوع Ihsan: attained highest excellence in belief, words, actions and thoughts.

Spiritual elevators spiritual therapy تزكية Islam connects between faith and action, therefore strong faith stands with strong actions that base from faith ألا وإن في الجسد لمضغة …

The Road to Spirituality التحلية Faith " الإيمان بضع وسبعون شبعة أعلاها كلمة لا إله إلا الله وأدناها إماطة الأذى عن الطريق " Heart ألا وإن في الجسد لمضغة intentions ” إنما الأعمال بالنيات...“

التحلية (spiritual elevators) FAITH (Eman) التوحيد عقيدة، وعبادة وعملا Monotheism in belief, action( in accordance with God Almighty) and worship (for him Alone) Mind, heart, actions all for the sake of God Almighty Performing the pillars of Islam – Believing in one God Almighty – Praying: 5 times the obligatory, and more if wanted to increase meditation – Fasting, self discipline and training and giving up for the sake of God Almighty – Charity: monetary sacrafice, cooperation amongst the community – Pilgrimage: universal Muslim brotherhood and humility مجاهدة النفس And increasing more in good deeds for His sake and not for personal motives. Dhikir

Forms of worship in Islam (1) Spiritual worship عبادات روحية –الذكر، التسبيح، الاستغفار (dkikir, tasbeeh, asking God Almighty for fogivness) –الذين إذا ذكر الله وجلت قلوبهم – Repentance – Reading the Quran وقد قال الله عز وجل : " كتاب أنزلناه إليك مبارك ليدبروا آياته " وقال سبحانه " أفلا يتدبرون القرآن...". – invocation الدعاء Physical and spiritual worship عبادات روحية بدنية – Prayer الصلاة – All actions if done for the sake of God Almighty, including marriage and marital relations. الأعمال الدنيوية من بيع وشراء وزواج إن صاحبتها النية لله " إنما الأعمال بالنيات...“

Forms of worship in Islam (2) Physical worship عبادات بدنية –الصيام Fasting –الحج Pilgrimage (combines all kinds of worship) Monetary worship عبادات مالية (as a form of obedience) –الزكاة Behavioral worship العبادات السلوكية – Lowering the gaze, adultery, modesty تحريم الزنا، وإطلاق البصر – eating and drinking تحريم بعض الأكل والشراب, balancing and eating what is halal Contemplation worship أفلا ينظرون، أفلا يتفكرون Remembering death as a reality of life Disciplining ones self all the time قول الله تعالى : " يا أيها الذين آمنوا اتقوا الله ولتنظر نفس ما قدمت لغد "

Individual spirituality is also the criterion of community spirituality (civilization)

Understanding our own self is the first step to spirituality Man is created with a pure state of (fitra) (instinct) The fitra maybe inflicted by: environment, peers, media or even Nafs

Nafs The soul that is always self blaming النفس اللوامة The soul that orders to wrong hood النفس الأمارة بالسوء The content soul النفس المطمئنة فأما من طغى، وآثر الحياة الدنيا، فإن الجحيم هي المأوى، وأما من خاف مقام ربه ونهى النفس عن الهوى

Jihad of the nafs " قد أفلح من تزكى وذكر اسم ربه فصلى " ونفس وما سواها فألهمها فجورها وتقواها، قد أفلح من زكاها وقد خاب من دساها ” وكما في حديث أبي هريرة عند ابن أبي حاتم قال سمعت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يقرأ " فألهمها فجورها وتقواها " فقال : " اللهم آت نفسي تقواها وزكها أنت خير من زكاها أنت وليها ومولاها " وفي المسند والترمذي أنه صلى الله عليه وسلم علم حصين بن عبيد أن يقول " اللهم ألهمني رشدي وقني شر نفسي ".