All Mohamed Ghilan
Don’t rely upon your actions
By: Mohamed Ghilan Source: Mohamed Ghilan This is part 1 of the series addressing the aphorisms of Ibn Ata’ Allah As’Sakandari Aphorism #1: From the signs of relying upon the actions – loss of hope in times of failure Ibn Ata’ Allah may Allah have mercy on him starts off his aphorisms by correcting the Muslims’ belief and creed that they hold in their hearts. Given the nature of how things work in this world, many of us might fall into the trap of believing that it is our actions that will get us into Paradise. If we testify to the oneness of God and recognize the status of Muhammad peace be upon him as His Messenger, pray our five daily prayers, fast the month of Ramadan, pay the...
Being “one of those Sufis”
By: Mohamed Ghilan Source: almadinainstitute.org Imam Abū Hāmid Al-Ghazzāli in his Deliverance from Error talks about having investigated all the intellectual discourses in order to find certainty. The only discourse he couldn’t intellectually comprehend was that of the Sufīs. He read their books and tried to figure it out, but eventually acknowledged that this was one discourse that can’t be intellectualized – it must be realized. That’s the meaning of his statement: فعلمت يقينا أنهم أرباب الأحوال، لا أصحاب الأقوال I knew with certainty that they [Sufis] are people of states, not people of statements Islam is a tradition about obtaining a state. This is embedded...
Watch that tongue
By: Mohamed Ghlian Source: Mohamedghilan.com No part of the body has received attention from our Prophet peace be upon him to warn us about as much as the tongue. Yet, it seems that for most of us there is no part of the body we pay less attention to than our tongues. And in spite of the damage we inflict upon ourselves and others around us, very few of us make a conscious effort to control this piece of flesh that seems to make a vow every morning to get us in trouble one way or another. If each of us takes the time to take him or herself into account about what they’ve uttered throughout the day, and the possible here now and hereafter repercussions of those seemingly effortless...
