The Nature of Idols - Continued - Part 1
The following was written in response to a critical e-mail I
received concerning a Sufi Reflections podcast. The podcast
contained, among other things, a commentary that dealt with, in
part, the Israeli and Palestinian conflict [ See Idols for
a transcript of that podcast]. More specifically, the
commentary focused in on some possibilities concerning the
role which the Temple Mount and al-Aqsa mosque might play
in a peace negotiation. The title of the original commentary was
'Idols'
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In your e-mail you say: "If I followed your argument,
you feel that building the Third Temple is essential
for Jews to practice their religion whereas the site is
really of little significance in Islam other than featuring
as an idol for the Muslim community." Actually, I didn't
argue either of these points.
I did say there are Jews who consider the building of
the third temple to be essential to the full practice of
Judaism. What I consider to be essential for the Jewish
tradition is irrelevant, but, I have taken note of the
fact that there are those within the Jewish community who
do fervently believe in the need to rebuild the temple
for the salvation and redemption of the Jewish people.
I also have taken note of the fact that the Qur'an warns
that “oppression is worse than murder”. These words are
embedded in other words. More specifically:
“They ask you about the Sacred Months and fighting therein:
say, "Fighting therein is a sacrilege. However, repelling from
the path of God and disbelieving in Him and in the sanctity of
the Sacred Masjid, and evicting its people, are greater sacrileges
in the sight of God. Oppression is worse than murder. They
will always fight you to revert you from your religion, if they can.
Those among you who revert from their religion, and die as
disbelievers, have nullified their works in this life and the
Hereafter.” [Qur'an 2: 217]
A lot of the foregoing has to do with one group of people
preventing another group of people from pursuing the path
of God, disrespecting a sacred place of worship, and forcing
people to be evicted from their place of worship. Since the
Qur'an describes the Jews as people of the Book, and since
the Qur'an speaks about Prophets, such as Moses, Aaron,
David, Solomon, and Issac (peace be upon them all) who are
dear to the hearts of the Jewish people as well as Muslims, and
since the Qur'an instructs us not to make any divisions among
the Prophets, then one might wish to tread a little carefully with
respect to making judgments about what peoples, sacred places,
and modes of worship might be candidates for oppression – or,
whether anyone, even if that individual may be wrong, in certain
ways, concerning a mode of worship deserves to be oppressed or
that anyone has a carte blanche right to oppress another human being.
My read on some of the Israeli political scene is that among
the driving forces at work which shape and color much of what
goes on within Israel are two, in particular, on which we ought to
reflect ... both of which were alluded to in the most recent pod-cast.
First, there is the belief about an alleged covenant between God and his
'chosen people' with respect to 'Greater Israel' involving Samaria, Judea,
Gaza and Sinai. Secondly, there is the issue of the building of the third
temple.
The two issues really have nothing to do with one another
except to the extent that they both play roles within
Israeli politics and 'bleed' over into the lives of other
people -- whether this be Palestinians or Lebanese, or
Syrians. In fact, the issue about the land is not so much
a function of the covenant supposedly governing this aspect
of things, but, rather, many fundamentalist Jews believe that
by occupying this land, the fact of occupation, in and of
itself, will hasten the return of the coming Messiah ...
not seeming to understand that all of these 'events' are
beyond our capacity to either hasten or delay … indeed,
this is what fuels the whole Israeli settlement issue, an
issue which is, and has been, manipulated by various Israeli
politicians and so-called 'leaders' for their own political
agenda.
As I pointed out in the pod-cast, the land issue is just an
expression of someone's theology and has nothing to do
with the issue of being able to observe the Jewish faith --
that is, the land is not needed to observe the requirements
of Judaism. What the actual nature of the covenant was, or
whether there were conditions associated with the covenant,
or whether such conditions were observed by the Jewish people,
or with whom, precisely, the covenant was made, or whether
the covenant was to be understood metaphorically or literally
are all matters of relevance, but irrespective of how relevant
these matters may be to the issue of the specific nature of
the covenant, these issues really have nothing to do with the
requirements that are necessary to observe Judaic practice
... at least as this has been explained by some of those who
purportedly are in the know about such matters.
The second point which should be made in relation to the
foregoing excerpt from your e-mail is this. I never said
that the Temple Mount was unimportant to Muslims, nor did
I say that the Temple Mount constituted an idol.
Idols are fashioned by human beings. Idols have to do with
the 'attachments' and theologies and false ideas which are
developed by human beings in relation to objects.
There cannot be an idol independent of human conceptual
and emotional machinations. Indeed, as is indicated in the
Qur'an, on the day of Judgment, that which has been treated
as an idol will disavow all that has been attributed to it by
human beings.
The meaning and significance of the Temple Mount exists
quite independently of our thoughts about it. It is not
the task of the Temple Mount to submit to our ideas about
it, but, rather, it is our task to submit to truths
concerning the Temple Mount, and a little later in this
e-mail I will have something more to say on this theme.
In the meantime, let the following observation suffice. Just
as the issue of land in relation to 'Greater Israel' plays no
substantive role in whether, or not, Jewish people are able to
observe the tenets and requirements of the Jewish faith, so,
too, the Temple Mount plays no essential role in Muslims
being able to practice their faith. Yes, the historical and
spiritual events associated with the Temple Mount may
have a place in our hearts, but if the Temple Mount were
to, somehow, mysteriously disappear from the face of the
Earth, nothing in Islam would suddenly become inoperative.
You go on to say in your opening paragraph that
you believe my idea [the one about possibly swapping
peace and land for releasing the Temple Mount so
that Jews can build the third temple]:
"is wrong and [my] argument lacking foundation
in Islam -- perhaps it is based in the erroneous propaganda
circulating around the West, and America in particular, that
Islam equals peace or in quasi-sufi teaching best summed up
by the Beatles' 'All You Need Is Love."
While 'peace' is one of meanings associated with the
linguistic root of the word 'Islam', there are, as you
know, other meanings associated with that root -- one of
which is 'submission'. Where much disagreement arises
is in conjunction with the question: 'submission to what'?
and/or 'what is the nature of this submission?'
There are a lot of theories and theologies which have
arisen about the nature of submission. The Prophet, himself,
alluded to this when he is reported to have said:
“There are 71 sects among Jews, and only one of them is
correct. There are 72 sects among Christians, and only one
of them is correct. There are 73 sects among Muslims, and
only one of them is correct.”
Notwithstanding the foregoing cautionary note, I believe
there is an approach to this issue which allows one to gain
some degree of insight into the matter and, at the same time, link
up the theme of submission to that of peace in a way which
points to deeper levels of significance.
Submission has to do with truth, the purpose of life
and the essential nature of being human. We were
created for a purpose, and we have been given a capacity
for truth, and by realizing the potential of that
capacity, we have, if God wishes, the opportunity
to fulfill the purpose for which we were created.
And, in the fulfillment of that purpose, there is
peace ... that is, essential peace, spiritual peace,
emotional peace, physical peace, and psychological
peace all come through submitting ourselves to the
purpose of creation.
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is reported
to have said: "There is no peace for a believer
other than in meeting one's Lord." Through fulfilling
the purpose of life, through realizing our essential
spiritual nature or fitra, we do meet our Lord within
our capacity to do so, for as the Prophet is reported
to have said: 'The one who knows oneself, knows
one's Lord.'
In the Qur'an, one finds: "I created humankind and
jinn only to worship Me." [Qur'an, 51:56] So, now
the question becomes: what is the nature of worship?
Some would wish to argue that the five pillars of
Islam are the essence of worship. Although I believe
these to be important forms of expression of
spiritual life, none of these expressions is worth
much except with the appropriate niyat or intention
which is, presumably, why the Prophet (peace be upon
him) indicated that there are many who fast and
receive nothing but hunger and there are many who
keep the night vigil engaged in prayer and receive
nothing but tiredness.
Moreover, without wishing in any to minimize the
importance of the five pillars as acts of worship,
taken in only their literal and restricted sense,
the five pillars of faith do not encompass the
broad expanse of what constitutes worship. By all
means, let people observe the five pillars in the
restricted sense, but bearing witness that God is
one and Muhammad (peace be upon him) is the Messenger
of God is more than mouthing a few words but, instead,
'bearing witness' which is something that encompasses
one's whole life and everything which is done within
and through that life.
Similarly, prayer is more than just saying the five
prayers at their appointed times. The Prophet is
reported to have said that prayer is only acceptable
to Allah when the heart is aware, and, in addition,
he is reported to have counseled that one should pray
without ceasing.
The Qur'an indicates that:
“Lo! Ritual prayer preserves one from lewdness and
Iniquity, but, verily remembrance of Allah is more
Important.” [Qur'an, 29:45]
Here is a very important indication that while ritual
prayer is important, it is not the be all and end all
of things. One can take the foregoing notion of remembrance
and align it with the Prophet's counsel to pray without
ceasing to acquire a richer sense of this facet of
worship or ibadat.
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is
reported to have said that 'the root of all prayers is
renunciation of the world, and love of the world is
the root of all mischief.' Not even ritual prayers can
be said without the intention to renounce the world,
and this includes renouncing the desire of a reward for
the saying of prayers.
Prayer, in whatever form – ritual or otherwise – consists,
according to the Prophet, in service, drawing closer,
and joining. All of life can be prayer in this sense if
God wishes.
As a minimum, fasting is only required once a year,
for 29 or 30 days. However, the greater fast should
extend throughout the rest of the year – this greater
fast is really rooted in the principles of the lesser, more
limited fast.
Fasting is not only about what we take in physically but,
as well, what we imbibe emotionally, psychologically,
financially, socially, and spiritually. Fasting during the
month of Ramazan is an opportunity to disengage
ourselves from the machinations of nafs and dunya …
an opportunity to disengage ourselves from the
worldly rhythms of life and become more under the
sway and influence of the spiritual rhythms of
Creation – both within us and without us.
There is a Hadith Qudsi which stipulates that:
“There is nothing more pleasing to Me than when my servant
Does that which I have made obligatory upon that person.”
But, then, this Hadith goes on to say:
“My devoted servant does not cease to draw nigh unto Me with acts
of free-will offering until I love him, and when I love him, I am the
eye with which he sees, the ear with which he hears, the feet,
wherein he walks, and the hands by which he acts.”
The foregoing Hadith is said, first and foremost, in reference to
the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), but there is relevance
in that Hadith for each of us according to our capacity.
Fasting during Ramadan is a good thing. Nonetheless, the matter
of fasting does not stop there … it is merely a beginning. Fasting in
the ritual sense, like bearing witness through saying the Shahadah,
and ritual prayer, is to be understood, simultaneously, in both its limited
and more expansive meanings.
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is reported to have
Said:
“When Ramazan begins, the garden is opened; the gates of the Fire
are closed; Shaytan is bound in chains; and a caller calls: 'Come
forward, o you who desire good, and retreat o you who desire evil.”
Surely, we should seek to preserve and observe the spirit of Ramazan
throughout the year. Let the garden be opened. Let the gates of fire be
closed. Let the shaytan be bound in chains and let us heed the call
of the caller to do good and avoid evil.
Or, let us, for a moment, consider charity. In its exoteric sense,
Charity can easily be calculated. Take 2 1/2 % of one's yearly
savings, and give it to any of the categories of permissible
recipients that are mentioned in the Qur'an.
Charity in its more extended sense is far more demanding. The
Qur'an indicates:
“And they ask thee (O Muhammad) what they ought to spend
(in the way of Allah). Say: that which is left after meeting your
needs.” [Qur'an, 2: 219]
And, again, the Qur'an says:
“Whoever submits one's whole self to Allah and is a doer of
good has indeed grasped the most trustworthy handhold.”
[Qur'an, 31:22]
By way of partial elaboration on the foregoing, the Prophet has
been reported to have said: “By no means shall you attain to
righteousness until you spend benevolently out of what you love.”
We tend to love ourselves and our possessions, so, unless, one
gives benevolently of these things, some of the lessons of zaqat
have not been learned, and the doorway of opportunity which
zaqat constitutes, as a potential passageway to a life-long form of
spiritual charity, may close.
The Qur'an indicates:
“Those who spend their wealth for increase in self-purification
and Have in their minds no favor from anyone for which a reward
is expected in return, but only the desire to seek for the Countenance
of their Lord Most High. [Qur'an, 92:18-20]. Even with respect to
Allah, there is only the desire for seeking the Divine Countenance
and not the expectation of its realization.
Finally, Hajj, in the lesser sense, refers to the set of activities
which transpire during a period of days in the 12th month of the
lunar calendar. But, in reality, all of life is a pilgrimage … 'we
come from Allah, and to Him we are returning” Life is the great
journey of return.
In life we repent and seek Allah's forgiveness as did Adam
(peace be upon him). The Prophet (peace be upon him) is
reported to have said:
“Satan never feels more dejected, crestfallen and humiliated
than on the day of Arafat” … the day when pilgrims stand in
the Plain of Arafat and seek God's forgiveness. The Prophet
is reported to have counseled those who were with him:
“Shall I tell you about illnesses and its remedy?” They replied:
“Indeed, O Messenger of Allah.” He said: “Your illness is your
sins, and your remedy is repentance.”
All of the different rites of Hajj are – or can be – reflected in the
events of everyday life. As the Qur'an says:
“O Humankind! Surely you are toiling towards the Lord, painfully
toiling, but you shall meet Him … you shall surely travel from stage
to stage.” [Qur'an, 84: 6, 9]
As is the case with Hajj, every day of our lives should be a matter of
seeking Allah, remembering Allah, worshiping Allah, repenting to
Allah, asking for forgiveness, eschewing Satan as did the Prophet
Ibrahim (peace be upon him), circumambulating the K'abah of our
heart, running in a frenzy between the hillocks of need and dependence,
as did Hagar (may Allah be pleased with her), and being willing to
sacrifice ourselves (not others) in the way of Allah – As the Qur'an
indicates:
“Say: Surely, my prayer and my service of sacrifice, my life and my
death are all for Allah, the Lord of the worlds.” (Qur'an, 6:162)
As was noted earlier, in your e-mail you throw out the possibility
that, perhaps, I am working under the influence of the sort of
Western propaganda which proclaims that: “Islam equals peace
or in quasi-sufi teaching best summed up by the Beatles'
'All You Need Is Love.” You go on to say that: “While I know
that your briefs usually touch on politics, your using tasawaf as
the only lens in which to examine issues sometimes becomes
misleading. My former shaykh (Allah be pleased with him)
always stressed that one could not be a true sufi by ignoring any
of Allah's commandments, however much they may seem personally
unpalatable.”
The foregoing comments open up a lot of doors which might be
explored. For instance, one could ask what the nature of tasawwuf
is and what kind of lens it constitutes and whether there were other
lenses that might be better in some way and what the criteria are
which are to serve as identifying that which is “better”. Or, one might
inquire into what it means to be a “true sufi”? Or, one might ask
about whether there are distinctions to be drawn among aspirants,
initiates, travelers, and those who have arrived in relation to the
Sufi path. Or, one might explore the issue of what the commandments
of Allah are and according to whom and on what grounds? Or,
one might seek to discover the nature of love and whether love is
all you really need and, then, proceed on to the question of 'need
for what'?
I don't propose to address all the issues, some of which are noted
in the foregoing, that are raised by the previously quoted excerpts
from your e-mail. Nonetheless, there are some observations which
can be stated.
To begin with, no one – irrespective of what kind of lens is used –
sees or understands anything beyond what one's capacity permits
or beyond what Allah bestows in the way of barakah or Grace.
Furthermore, the methodology, purposes, and components through
which, for which, and from which any given lens is constructed
can be very complex. Historical, social, philosophical, political,
emotional, theological, and personal motivations can all color
and shape the character of a given lens through which we seek
to engage reality.
An important dimension of any spiritual quest is to seek objectivity
in the lenses that are made through our efforts. That is, we endeavor
to construct lenses for engaging reality which are as free from
biases, prejudices, falsehoods, distortions, and problems as we can.
This is why the Sufi path emphasizes the importance of a process
of purification … purification of the nafs, heart, sirr, kafi, and spirit –
each of which is spoken of in the Qur'an – for example, the Qur'an
says: “God knows the secret (sirr) and that which is more hidden
(kafi).” [Qur'an, 20: 7] – and, each of which has its own methodologies,
nuances, functions and capabilities.
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