Bismi’Llāhi ir-Raḥmān ir-Raḥīm In the Name of God, the Universally Merciful, the Singularly Compassionate   Come, come, whoever you are. Wanderer, worshiper, lover of leaving. It doesn’t matter. Ours is not a caravan of despair. Come, even if you have broken your vows a thousand times. Come yet again, come, come.  –Mevlana Jelaluddin Rumi Throughout […]

Bismi’Llāhi ir-Raḥmān ir-Raḥīm In the Name of God, the Universally Merciful, the Singularly Compassionate   The final nights of Ramaḍān are calling. The Friend ﷻ is near. Who is eager for the meeting with their Lord ﷻ? Who is seeking Him ﷻ in the dark of the night? Have you not considered that unto Allāh […]

Bismi’Llāhi ir-Raḥmān ir-Raḥīm In the Name of God, the Universally Merciful, the Singularly Compassionate   [This entry builds on post 13: Mindfulness and Meditation] Breathing  is one of the sublime miracles and mechanisms of the human BodyMindSoul experience. It is not accidental that the Arabic words for breath (nafas) and soul (nafs) share the same […]

Bismi’Llāhi ir-Raḥmān ir-Raḥīm In the Name of God, the Universally Merciful, the Singularly Compassionate   Today’s post is focused on a piece by Oriah Mountain Dreamer that speaks volumes about what it means to be a real human being. Your humanity is realized not by limiting and controlling your experiences, but rather by allowing your […]

Bismi’Llāhi ir-Raḥmān ir-Raḥīm In the Name of God, the Universally Merciful, the Singularly Compassionate   In our technologized world, we might easily be exposed to a sensory smorgasbord on any given day, to the point of sensory overload. There is an industry dedicating vasts amounts of time, energy, and resources to the study of human […]

Bismi’Llāhi ir-Raḥmān ir-Raḥīm In the Name of God, the Universally Merciful, the Singularly Compassionate   Most of humanity is immersed in the life of the world. Even monastics spend a large portion of their time caring for their monastery. The fact that this is the nature of things is not insignificant. You can try to […]

Bismi’Llāhi ir-Raḥmān ir-Raḥīm In the Name of God, the Universally Merciful, the Singularly Compassionate   The Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ said, “Oh People! Allāh ﷻ is the Pure (al-Tayyib) ﷻ, and He ﷻ only accepts that which is pure! Allāh ﷻ has commanded the messengers, for He ﷻ said, ‘Oh messengers! Eat from the pure foods, […]

Bismi’Llāhi ir-Raḥmān ir-Raḥīm In the Name of God, the Universally Merciful, the Singularly Compassionate   The Beloved ﷻ loves for His ﷻ creation to turn to Him ﷻ from that place of sincere need, brokenness, and humility — the pure tender center of the heart. So, turn to Him ﷻ with all of your needs […]

Bismi’Llāhi ir-Raḥmān ir-Raḥīm In the Name of God, the Universally Merciful, the Singularly Compassionate   Fasting and fast-breaking times are auspicious and powerful occasions for making supplication (du’a) to Allāh ﷻ for what you need. The Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ said, “Three types of supplication are undoubtedly granted: a parent’s supplication for his/her children, the supplication […]

Bismi’Llāhi ir-Raḥmān ir-Raḥīm In the Name of God, the Universally Merciful, the Singularly Compassionate   One constant in the world of forms is change. Where we are concerned, the body ages, beauty fades, senses diminish, intelligence dulls, sensory pleasures become increasingly mundane and unsatisfying, and the accumulation of possessions fails to satisfy the heart’s longing […]