The remainder of the course notes will be provided after the class, insha`Allah.
The text for this section is provided below. Please read it before Sunday.
From The Name and the Named:
"Allah is al-ism al-a'zam, the Greatest Name, which contains all the divine and beautiful attributes and is the sign of the Essence and the cause of all existence.
Allah, the cause of all existence, does not resemble in any way any of His creation. Allah is Allah's name only. Nothing else can in any way resume nor share it. As it is said in the Qur'an:
Do you know anyone worthy of the same name as He? (Surah Maryam 65)
Every Friday, One Ummah Network will publish a discourse on the names and attributes of Allah (God). This will include the following:
1.Arabic roots, linguistic meanings, and derivatives.
2.Qur'an references and their meanings.
3.Hadith references and meanings.
4.Usage: benefits of reciting and calling on the names and attributes.
5.Discussion on the manifestations of the attributes in daily life.
In addition to our printed information, we will hold discussions within the virtual world of Second Life at our virtual center Bayt al-Hikmah (The House of Wisdom) every Sunday at 9 A.M. (SLT) PDT -0700 GMT. You can sign up for and download Second Life for free at http://www.secondlife.com. After you join, be sure to join the Bayt al-Hikmah group to receive notices of events.
The first week will be an introduction and discussion of the name "Allah". We will then cover 3 attributes per week for a total of 34 weeks.
The text for this course will be The Name and the Named by Shaykh Tosun Bayrak al-Jerrahi al-Halveti (ISBN 1-887752-29-3)
Summary: "In the Islamic Sufi tradition, it is said, "Qualify yourself with the qualities of God." Compiled from classical Arabic and Turkish texts of Al-Ghazali, Ibn Arabi, Djili, and Abdul Qadir Jilani, among others, these are the divine attributes by which God manifests Himself in the world and by which He completes the spiritual life of man. "
You do not need to purchase the text to follow along, but it is optional if you would like a more in-depth study.
In addition to The Name and the Named, we will be relying on the Qur'an, several commentaries of the Qur'an, and several hadith collections.
For the "usage" portion, it is recommended that you have a tasbih (rosary beads), as some of the activities will involve high counting which might be difficult with your fingers.
There is no fee for the course, however, donations are appreciated in order to keep our website and virtual center running.
From al-Daylami in al-Irshad: He said: The Holy Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) used to patch his own clothes, mend his sandals, milk his ewe, eat with the slaves, sit on the ground, ride a donkey, and carry someone with him; he would not be ashamed to carry his own groceries and other items from the market to his family. He would shake hands with the rich and the poor alike and he would not take his hand back from the hand of the other person until that person himself withdrew his hand. He would salute anyone who came to him from the rich or poor, old or young. He would never look down on what he was offered even if it were a dry date. He had few possessions, was kind by nature, sociable, cheerful, always smiling but without laughing, always sad, but without frowning, humble without losing self-respect, generous without being extravagant, openhearted and merciful to every Muslim. He never belched out of being full and he never extended his hand (to something) out of desire (for it) -- ever.
The facade of 'freedom of expression' does little to hide the real motives behind the republication of the Danish caricatures. It is a blatant provocation, a mischief--and any fool can see that.
Afghanistan under US occupation (Photo by Yan Boechat)
No sir, not the same bait each time. This time round, you only proved that with all your noise about freedom and liberal values, you're so badly and pathetically mired up in your self-created prejudices.
This time, it is you who took the bait--and we're having our last laugh.
From al-Daylami in al-Irshad: He said: The Holy Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) used to patch his own clothes, mend his sandals, milk his ewe, eat with the slaves, sit on the ground, ride a donkey, and carry someone with him; he would not be ashamed to carry his own groceries and other items from the market to his family. He would shake hands with the rich and the poor alike and he would not take his hand back from the hand of the other person until that person himself withdrew his hand. He would salute anyone who came to him from the rich or poor, old or young. He would never look down on what he was offered even if it were a dry date. He had few possessions, was kind by nature, sociable, cheerful, always smiling but without laughing, always sad, but without frowning, humble without losing self-respect, generous without being extravagant, openhearted and merciful to every Muslim. He never belched out of being full and he never extended his hand (to something) out of desire (for it) -- ever.
