Taqwa, piety and spirituality

http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2012/06/taqwa-piety-and-spirituality.html

Taqwa; God consciousness
A tribute to Marylou Ghyst and Petra Weldes

Taqwa, piety, or spirituality can be expressed both externally and internally. In the picture to the far right is Rev. Petra Weldes, possibly representing you and I, the common people who achieve piety within us, and without having to abandon the day to day life. The expressive form of piety is chosen by a few religious men and women through the costumes and the beards.  Pluralism is about the essence of what you do; finding peace within and with others regardless of the format you chose.  To claim that one is better than the other takes away any degree of piety you may have. Spirituality and arrogance are inversely proportional to each other.

I am dedicating this column to two of my favorite spiritualists, who lead a common life like you and I. Rev. Petra Weldes, who and I had extensive discussions about asking the religious leaders to the  parliament of world’s religions, had that happened, to wear clothes and look like everyone else, and hence dedicated to her.

The person who caused me to write this is Rev. Marylou Ghyst,  I am pleased to acknowledge  Marylou, our Christian Member of the World Muslim Congress, please note our membership is inclusive. We are a part of the large family of faiths and we are all in this together to create and shape a world that God willed; to attain the balance and Harmony between all elements of his creation.

Marylou’s major contribution to this forum is religious inquiry, which we appreciate, encourage and admire; it is an expression of freewill that God endowed to each one of the human beings. And because of her inquiries, we have been able to independently think and find the resources to support it. It is easy for Muslims to answer Muslims, or Christians to answer Christians, but difficult for anyone to share or understand the nuances and the cultural references. Marylou has succeeded in that endeavor. 

The first act of humanity began with free will, Adam was offered that choice, which he blundered, but God was not unhappy about it, nor did he scream at him or told him to go to hell for disobedience; instead God offered him more choices and we are here today, living with it. Thanks to Adam.

Marylou wrote, “Hi Mike, Just curious about something. The word "Taqwa" meaning God consciousness -- I was under the impression that Muslims believed God is outside the universe and therefore God consciousness is unattainable. Do I have the wrong information? Blessings, Marylou.” in reference to my note, “A good Hindu is a good Muslim, is a good Christian, is a good Jew, is a good Sikh.....when you reach Taqwa, the God consciousness, humans don't appear with religious labels..”

Taqwa means many things to many people. Islam is not a monolithic religion; we do have diversity of opinion, that we have come to accept, but don’t admit.  Indeed, Islam is about freedom but the followers are not completely free, if they were, the differences would have transformed into multiple denominations as in Christianity.

Every Prophet, Messenger and a peace maker had the special knowledge about spirituality, but more importantly they understood human nature, they were great psychologists.  Prophet Muhammad was indeed a master psychologist, he understood human nature, and initiated religious practices in the form of rituals that will help an individual achieve piety and humility, thus peace within and peace with others.

He further wanted the people to understand that the diversity is God given, and to keep the religious arrogance out, (its human to be arrogant), he prophesized that his followers will group themselves into 72/73 tribes (a metaphoric number to denote many) and advised each one to race in doing good deeds; the actions that benefit others without any return.

The concept of Taqwa exists in every religion - the Hindus call it Krishna consciousness, or Brahma, the idea of becoming a part of God, or lost in Godliness or God like, when you do not have conflicts with any one, all is yours and you belong to all. There is no barrier between you and the creation. Indeed, that is the un-expressed goal of every religion.

Jesus said, follow me, and Allah in Quraan said to submit to his will and Krishna says surrender to me - all are asking to become a part of the system to keep it functioning cohesively and out of free will.

Since my focus of this article is Taqwa, it is important to note, rather critical, that Islam is about behavior and not your costume or external manifestation. 

Further on piety:

One of the Islamic dictionaries writes;

“Taqwa is a concept in Islam that is interpreted by some Islamic Scholars as God consciousness. It has many understandings and interpretations. Taqwa may mean piousness, fear of Allah, love for Allah, and self restraint.

Taqwa allows a person to be constantly aware of both God's presence and attributes and a reminder of their relationship and responsibility to God as His creation and servant. The scholars explain that the way to taqwa is through obedience of God, avoiding disobedience, and striving to stay away from doubtful matters. “

Wikipedia:

According to Tafsir ibn Kathir, the root meaning of taqwa is to avoid what one dislikes. It was reported that Umar bin Khattab asked Ubay ibn Kaab about Taqwa. Ubay said, "Have you ever walked on a path that has thorns on it?" Umar said, "Yes." Ubay asked, "What did you do then?" to which Umar replied, "I rolled up my sleeves and struggled." Ubay said, "That is taqwa, to protect oneself from sin through life’s dangerous journey so that one can successfully complete the journey unscathed by sin."

Ibn Abbas said about verse 2:5 in the Quran, "guidance for the Muttaqin", that it means, "They are the believers who avoid shirk with Allah (swt) and who work in His obedience." He also said that Al-Muttaqin means, "Those who fear Allah's (swt) Punishment, which would result if they abandoned the true guidance that they recognize and know. They also hope in Allah's (swt) Mercy by believing in what He revealed

Islamic Knowledge websites adds:

“And We have sent down to you the Book as an explanation of everything, a guidance, a mercy and glad-tidings for those who submitted themselves to Islam.” [TMQ 16:89]

So let us understand the true meaning of Taqwa. In contrast to the distorted picture that people have today, the Qur’an and Sunnah defines the idea of taqwa as protecting oneself from the Hellfire by following the orders of Allah (swt) by doing what He (swt) has commanded and avoiding what He (swt) has forbidden. Many ayat in the Qur’an point to this:

“And unto Allah belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is on earth. And, verily, We have recommended to the people of the Scripture before you, and to you (O Muslims) that you (all) fear Allah, and keep your duty to Him, But if you disbelieve, then unto Allah belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth, and Allah is Ever Rich, Worthy of all praise.” [TMQ An-Nisa’ 4: 131]

Taqwa comes from the word 'waqiya', which means to protect. It is protection from the Anger of Allah (swt) and His (swt) punishment. This is why Taqwa is used to describe the performing of actions, which pleases Allah (swt) and abstaining from all actions that displeases Him (swt).

Taqwa in essence means god consciousness, being conscious of Allah (swt) in all our actions and affairs.

Dr. Ibrahim Syed of Islamic Research Foundation international, Inc., in Louisville writes, “It is hard to translate Taqwa into the English language. To me Taqwa is achieving Nobility, humility, generosity, forgiveness, service to mankind, animals and plants, compassion, mercy, etc.etc.”

I wrote a note about Taqwa during Ramadan. “True fasting is self-purification; and from this comes a rich inner life that brings about values such as justice, generosity, patience, kindness, forgiveness, mercy and empathy -- values that are indispensable for the success of the community.” And the values that brings closer to the godliness or God consciousness: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ghouse/spirit-of-ramadan_b_939961.html

Mike Ghouse is committed to nurturing the pluralistic values embedded in Islam and invites discussions with an open mind. Together, we can learn to be a productive citizen to our family, community, nation and the world - thus serving God’s purpose of peace; Islam the verb. Please visit www.MikeGhouse.net and if you have the time, connect with 5 other websites and 30 blogs on a variety of topics from Pluralism, Islam, India, Israel, Peace, Justice, conflicts etc. 

Dallas Natia Mushaira, aqeeda and women

http://theghousediary.blogspot.com/2011/02/dallas-natia-mushaira-aqeeda-and-women.html

There are two aspects of Mushaira I want to share;
1) Aqeeda or broadly devotion to the prophet and

2) Reduced role of women in the program.

Every one has a different level of devotion to the prophet and each one expresses it differently. As I go around different places of worship within and without the religions, I have learned to appreciate the “devotion” expressed in different formats.   

The Naatia Mushaira (Praise songs honoring the Prophet) reiterated a fact that Muslims are not a monolithic lot and I am glad we are accepting the diversity within without judgment; we are as diverse as God has made us.

Indeed, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) made our life easy for us by predicting that there will be 72 (a metaphoric number to express diversity) tribes among his followers and each one was to compete in doing good.  You may find a refreshing wisdom in it; the prophet wanted us to accept that we are going to have differences but we will join in together in creating peace, salaam to every one of the humans that share the planet with us. There is a greater wisdom in the 2^nd part of that statement that one among you would be the  righteous one,  and here is the kicker; only Allah will judge that, not now, but on the Day of Judgment, thus we were encouraged to compete in doing good without being judgmental about the other.  

Most of the Muslims understand that Allah is Rabbul Aalameen (Lord of the universes) and not our exclusive God, and they also believe that the Prophet is Rahmatul Aalameen (Mercy to mankind) and not just the prophet of men, but women as well.

A few among us strip the universality of Islam and make it a private club, and become judgmental about others and pre-empt Allah and the Day of Qayamat and condemn people.  No one can judge the faith of others, if they cannot get the Malik-i-Yo Middin that is recited at least 17 times a day; then I have no Idea what they can get out of parroting it.  

Do we have the humility to respect the way “the other” tribes worship God and respect Muhammad (pbuh)? Are we arrogant to declare that others are wrong? Are we humble enough to accept that our tradition works for us, as others’ work for them?

This is the toughest question Muslim will face. Once the humility enters our hearts and arrogance exits, Taqwa (piety and spirituality) grows within us.

AMAZING NAATS

Great poetry was recited, at the same time I was respectfully swallowing how a few of us have made Muhammad (pbuh), a substitute for God. Please don’t say Naoozu billah, only God knows what is in one’s heart.

It was refreshing to hear these couplets;

            Nirali shaan hai us ki, a ummat-e-mustafai hai

            Amal say dur hai lekin aqeedate inteha ki hai

            ( there is devotion but far from acts of goodness)

And

            Mere pyare nabee nay mujh say bus itna chaha tha

            Faqt insaan kehla-oon, faqt insaan bun jaaon

            (My prophet asked me to be a good human, I hope to become one)

And

            Le aayi hai kis mukhaam per apni fikr

            Paighambar say Ishq hai, paigham say nahin.

            (we love the prophet but have forgotten the message)       

In the past, I have heard a few couplets, where the poet was close to saying God was born out of the Noor of the Prophet…   however the following lines were mild compared to what I have heard in the past,  these  lines lead to dual interpretations;

·        Sooraj may tab aanay lagi 

·        Naat padhna ibadat kay barabar hai 
          Reading in the praise of the prophet amounts to worship to God

·        Bus itna fasila hai Rasool aur khuda may, ek dil ke paas ek rag-e-jaan ke

·        Ek shabeha noor-e-haq, dur shakl-e insaani mili

As a person who appreciates every which way people bow to the creator, it was fascinating for me to see the reverence for the prophet expressed differently. One group loves the man for the glad tiding he brought to the society and admires him for being humble, and the other one makes him divine. To you is your belief and to me is mine.

Mahtab Hussein writes on the face book, “I do have much Love for my Prophet but never worship him. I do appreciate his Human Capacity, his Eloquent Speeches, his love for people & Humanity, his personal character and his human Qualities.”

That was my sentiment as well. I love the prophet for bringing Rahmat to the world; he brought pure goodness to all humanity, of which we the Muslims are a part of.

The role of women 

Prophet Muhammad brought Rahmat, kindness to humanity and uplifted women from the oppressive traditions. He established and treated them as equals.

Women & Men are each other’s garments, each other’s respect, each others partners, being just is what God commands you to be. This equitable relationship between the husband and the wife must be one of love, mercy, tranquility, and kindness.

“Scholars have interpreted this to mean that husbands and wives need mutual support, mutual comfort, and mutual protection. It is also a reference to the fact that spouses are each other’s sanctuary in so far as each covers the others’ shortcomings and preserves his or her privacy; hence the tranquility and harmony.” Bassam A. Abed & Syed E. Ahmad.

Among us Muslims, a few of us do not have the guts to speak up when we see something wrong.  With one mouth we say Prophet is Rahmatul Aalameen but with the other we have a different rule. That "sher" is reflective of the state of affairs with the South Asian Muslims. “Paighambar say Ishq hai, paigham say nahin.”

Mere pyare nabee nay mujh say bus itna chaha tha
Faqt insaan kehla-oon, faqt insaan bun jaaon
By Khalid Khawaja

The woman who gets beaten will take the beating in all cultures, but when shameless men conveniently use (abuse) Islam to justify their acts, Prophet is not a Rahmat to them any more, Prophet was not Rahmat to Asia Bibi. Who is denigrating the prophet worse than the cartoonists?  

I urge Muslims everywhere to bring about a change and I hope in Naatia Mushairas, whereever we hold; we would want to see a women sing the Naats. They have a greater love for the man who uplifted them than the men.
  

Recently, I have witnessed shameless men walking out from a public gathering when a Muslim woman went to speak. the greatness of women is they put up with this non-sense to keep the dignity of the event, thank God , we live in America, a land of justice and as Imam Feisal alludes, the principles of dignity and equality of Islam are practiced in this nation. We don’t have to let others denigrate our religion based on our acts.  I will speak up and I hope there are more “men” out there who have the guts to speak up.

You can see how some of these men could feed the Fox news; they are a fodder to the right wing news media.  Unless we speak up against unjust practices, the right wingers beleive that we are an accomplice.

Prophet Muhammad is a mercy to mankind and each one of us who truly believes in it has to make that happen. May Allah guide us all to receive the message of the prophet to act on it and not talk about it. Amen!

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Mike Ghouse

http://www.MikeGhouse.net/