You know how Oprah has ‘Super Soul Sunday’? Well, I was thinking it might be cool to start “Islam Soul Sunday”, where we do a deep dive into one of the spiritual teachings of this stunningly beautiful religion each week.
Let’s start today, with a story:
Back in 2006, while I was still at university, I remember attending an event with a very famous, influential Muslim scholar. The audience had a few notable Members of Parliament and it was all in the aftermath of tragic events that had occurred in London in July 2005.
The Muslim scholar spoke for well over 90 minutes. I remember him mentioning Aristotle and the Buddah, and I remember that he was a very articulate preacher… but I literally don’t remember any of the substance of what he shared. It was a good talk, but something was missing…
…Then, an Algerian scholar called Shaykh Zakariyyah as-Siddiqui was invited to speak. He spoke for about 10 minutes, in Arabic, which was then translated for us. The audience was stunned. And 15 years later, I still remember his talk to this day. He didn’t share anything ‘new’ or anything that we didn’t already know. But, the presence, depth, beauty and simplicity of what he shared was stunning.
That’s why I quote the essence of his talk at the start of the introductory chapter of my book.
He said:
“Islam can be summarised in three:
Be with Allah, without creation.
Be with creation, without ego.
Wish for others what you wish for yourself.”
This is the essence of Islam.
And it’s the essence of the book, “Inside the Soul of Islam.” The aim of the book is to transform you into someone who embodies these teachings, just by reading it. You’ll discover…
- The very specific way in which we can detach ourselves from creation and connect ourselves, wholeheartedly with Allah. This is the essence of ‘tawhid’ or ‘oneness’ and helps us to live by the first statement. (Chapter 9: Remembrance – the Spiritual Cure; Page 140)
- How we can transcend the ego as we interact with creation, including when we interact with all the people, objects, situations and challenges happening in our lives (Chapter 16: Psychological Idolatry – the Source of Spiritual Sickness; page 228)
- How we can truly wish for others what we wish for ourselves, even when they don’t treat us well… and why this is a very high spiritual station that every believer aims for… and how you can naturally fall into it by deepening your understanding of the Psychological Reality of how the mind works (Chapter 7: Spreading Peace – the First Commandment; page 114-117)
If you’d like a spiritual upgrade during these last few precious days of Ramadan, check out the book or the audiobook version here:
