1. Paradigm Shift Awaken to Presence Transform your life workshop series http://www.nurspirituality.org/ Dr. Eren Tatari October 2012, Orlando

2. Any topic (theological, practical….etc.) MUST start with the essentials. Without setting the foundations straight, we cannot get anything else right. This is why we have a hard time “fitting” in Divine Guidance to “our existing paradigm”… Every piece of the puzzle is meaningful; but we can only notice this when we look at the meaningful big picture!

3. Paradigm shift! transformation As long as you wear green glasses, you WILL see the world green! -A child -A lawyer -An envious person -Whatever is inside…

4. What is our paradigm? Our current paradigm: – How do you relate to things/people? – How do you interpret your existence? – What is your criteria/guide in making each decision? What sources has shaped (and shape) your paradigm? – Family, society, school, media…. Changing norms we conform to, unconsciously – “Our” version of religion: secular, Godless religion with an aloof God that has no bearing in our daily life… “ID TAG MUSLIM” Smudge of popculture and Qur’an understood through ‘pop’ paradigm So we continue to have all kinds of psychological issues, see none of the light and peace (salam) promised… We begin to doubt the message or feel helpless/hopeless…

5. What should it be? – Whatever will meet my utmost need/desire: joy – happiness – peace – The glad-tidings from the Divine… must give it a chance… see if it will bring peace… Qur’anic paradigm: The Creator sets forth all of the above… Transformation – Current paradigm  Qur’anic paradigm

6. There is a message, speaking to us… calling itself glad-tidings (bushra) So let’s give it a chance… – To see and confirm if indeed it will meet my needs

7. Qur’anic Paradigm Witness (shahada): witness the signs (ayat) in the scriptures and the creation Divine Oneness (tawheed) Confirm (tahqiq): by using God given qualities and teachers (scriptures, prophets, universe, me) Certainty (iman) Process: submission (muslim) not linear, not once continuous transformation

8. Work on IMAN… The rest flows! Iman Mu’min Joy&Peace

9. Let’s talk about iman… The big picture… The Qur’anic paradigm… Paradigm shift

10. Why are we here? The purpose of our creation is to “worship” our Creator. “I created jinn and mankind only to worship Me” (Qur’an 51:56) “Worship” is a comprehensive concept in Islam: Recognizing our servanthood (ubudiyah) while confirming (tahqiq) our Creator’s Infinite Attributes (Asma al-Husna) Paradigm shift

11. We are special… He creates us because of His Infinite Compassion and Love. وَرَحْمَتِي وَسِعَتْ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ “My loving mercy overspreads every thing” (Qur’an 7:56) رَبَّنَا وَسِعْتَ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ رَّحْمَةً “Our Sustainer! You embrace all things within your mercy” (Qur’an 40:7) Paradigm shift

12. We are special… Among the many created beings, God has made the human as the most exalted, special. وَإِذْ قَالَ رَبُّكَ لِلْمَلَائِكَةِ إِنِّي جَاعِلٌ فِي الْأَرْضِ خَلِيفَةً … And Lo! Your Sustainer said unto the angels: ‘Behold, I am about to establish upon earth a steward…’ (Qur’an 2:30) He reaches out to us through His scriptures and prophets:  Loving GUIDANCE He gives us the potential to connect with Him and to contemplate His Attributes of Perfection (Asma ul-Husna) Paradigm shift

13. Think of a high-tech laptop that is manufactured to perform advanced functions = human being It needs a manual to teach the user how to use it = guidebooks = scriptures The user also needs teachers to show how to apply the manual = messengers Scriptures are our manual telling us how to fulfill our purpose and find ultimate inner and outer peace and success in this life and the afterlife. Paradigm shift

14. What the manual says = what the teachers did The Qur’an explains us how to be in sync with our nature (fitrah) and submit (tasleem) to our reality (haqiqah) Our reality is that we are ‘abd of God Essentially, ‘abd means 100% dependence on our Creator, which signifies 0% ownership We do not own anything: our life, feelings, thoughts, actions, or body So, the question of what we do with OUR time or OUR life is fundamentally wrong! Paradigm shift

15. You are God’s trust (amanah) to yourself! Use your potential in the best/intended way for His sake  journey towards becoming the pleased soul (pure ‘abd) يَا أَيَّتُهَا النَّفْسُ الْمُطْمَئِنَّةُ ارْجِعِي إِلَىٰ رَبِّكِ رَاضِيَةً مَّرْضِيَّةً “O soul that has attained to inner peace! Return to your Lord well pleased and well pleasing” (Qur’an 89:27-28) Paradigm shift

16. Happiness / Inner Peace All of us want to be happy! = given The only solution is to function as we were designed for LAPTOP Only for Excel Potential? As a coffee tray Misuse? Pour a cup of water Damage? Paradigm shift

17. Imagine you… Paradigm shift