dr. m. omar july 2012, orlando contemplating the quran in ramadan-2 bismillah awaken to presence...
TRANSCRIPT
Dr. M. OmarJuly 2012, Orlando
www.nurspirituality.org
Contemplating the Quran in Ramadan-2Bismillah
Awaken to PresenceTransform your life
workshop series
Inspired by the First Word, authored by B. Said Nursi. See: Nursi, Words.
Let’s start with bismillah to understand
bismillah…
Internalizing bismillah opens the door to
infinite blessings
DAY 9: Those who fast begin to “read” the creation as a “book”The first verse “Recite” (Alaq, 1) is revealed to the one who fast… The scattered is united; forgotten tastes awaken on the tongue of the one who fast… She begins to “read” in excitement. Her “bismillah” (in the name of God) is no longer merely words, but penetrates her heart. In this world where she owns nothing, she sees that she is living with the permission of the One. She notices that she has been welcomed to existence only and only by the grace of God. What her lips utter, her heart joins wholly: “Bismillahirrahmanirrahim."
RAMADANinspirations
1433/2012DAY 9
www.nurspirituality.org
Aiming for the Prophetic Path of Transformation
Muhammad (p): “The utmost beauty (Ihsan) is to
worship God as though you see Him, and if you cannot see Him,
to be aware that He sees you”
…to become certain of God’s Unity through confirming belief (iman = certainty)
by personal witnessing/experience
This is the secret of direct inner transformation
All beings
exist
in the name of God (bismillah)
Reality of Things?
What is it?
What is the meaning?
Why is it created?
in need for power
Power-less Needy
in need for broadcasting
Why?Actions
Supplying of powerSpecific broadcasting
Qualities of SourcePower SupplyBroadcasting
The TV show is functioning
in the name of its Source
The TV show is a mirror to its Source’s qualities
The TV show is a servant of its Source, valuable because of its Source
Reality of Things
in need to be created
Needy
in need to be sustained
Why?ActionsFashioningSustaining
Qualities of SourceFashionerSustainer
Power-less
The bird is functioning in the name of its Source
The bird is a mirror to its Source’s qualities
The bird is a servant of its Source,
valuable because of its Source
How about us?
We need to be aware of bismillah
Say it to bring it to our awareness
Bismillah is full of infinite blessings
My Reality
in need to be created
Needy
in need to be sustained
Why?ActionsFashioningSustaining
Qualities of SourceFashionerSustainer
HumanPower-less
I am functioning in the name of my Source
I am a mirror to my Source’s qualities eg. Compassionate
(Raheem)
I am a servant of my Source, valuable because of my Source
In realityI am always connected to the Source…
When I try to live in His Name, everything in life starts making sense
In my illusion (kufr = covering up reality)• I imagine that I am the source of my life
• I fear losing it
• I worry all the time
• I assume that everything functions by itself
• Everything becomes a potential danger
The messengers of God brought the message of love and mercy
Our state of hell is the result of our imagination and living according to it
The message = bushra = glad-tidings is:Come to realityCome to felicityCome to peace & joy
The summary of the message:
“Live in the awareness of bismillah”
In the name of the Loving Grace, witness and become a mirror to Him…
In the name of the Provider, witness and become a mirror to Him…
Following the messengers mean to live a life in the name of God…
By witnessing and becoming a mirror to God’s Divine Attributes
The simple prophetic solution:
Surrender to the Truth
I Choose
(Loving Grace)
Humility• Surrendering:
Accepting reality and living accordingly
Arrogance• Choosing the illusion:
Who said my life is contingent to a Source?
Ongoing process…
Moment by moment…
Why is this critical?No paradigm shift, no inner peace…
Not noticing that everything comes to existence by the Source,
means I interact with it
as if it is by itself…
Iman in tongue and identity, but no iman in my daily life…
Disconnect everything from its Source… assume it is acting in its name
Paradigm shift… see, feel, think, talk, act
in the name of God…iman
Noticing the Divine Attributes of the Source in everything, means I live/worship “as though I see God”
Iman in tongue, in heart (love),
in thoughts and action
Inner peace… salam…
This way, each time we “say”
bismillah we reaffirm
confirmreinforce our belief in all
of the above!