Quran

Signs of Nature — Commentary by Sally Jo Gilbert de Vargas

Posted on by Sally Jo Gilbert de Vargas

“In the creation of the heavens and the earth, and in the succession of the night and day, there are indeed messages for all who are endowed with insight.“ (Qur’an 3:190)

“If you cry because the sun has gone out of your life, your tears will prevent you from seeing the stars.” ~ Rabindranath Tagore

“There is One Holy Book, the sacred manuscript of nature, the only scripture which can enlighten the reader. To the eye of the seer every leaf of the tree is a page of the holy book that contains divine revelation, and he is inspired every moment of his life by constantly reading and understanding the holy script of nature.” ~ Hazrat Inayat Khan

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The Source of Abundance — Commentary by A. Helwa

Posted on by A. Helwa

“We have bestowed upon you the source of abundance. So to your Sustainer turn in prayer and sacrifice.” (Qur’an 108:1-2)

“Do not barter away your bond with God for a trifling gain!” (Qur’an 16:95)

Within the Qur’an resides all the answers to the soul’s questions of how to approach and experience God. The Qur’an is not just a collection of rules and regulations, but is, as Imam Ali describes, “An ocean whose depth shall not be fathomed; a spring that shall not be exhausted by those who draw from it.”

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The Source of Abundance

Posted on by Jamal Rahman

“We have bestowed upon you the source of abundance. So to your Sustainer turn in prayer and sacrifice.” (Qur’an 108:1-2)

“Do not barter away your bond with God for a trifling gain!” (Qur’an 16:95)

The Qur’an tells us that we humans made a sacred covenant with our Creator before descending on earth. We testified that we would worship only God. The holy book further explains that our journey in Islam is about surrendering attachment to the ego that idolizes money, power and status.

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The Mystery of Opposites

Posted on by Jamal Rahman

“And of everything we have created opposites, so that you might bear in mind that God alone is one.” (Qur’an 51:49)

“Nothing can be clear without a polar opposite.” (Rumi)

Allah is that which unites yes with no, for in His singularity all duality is mysteriously united. Allah is both the bridge between the unseen and seen realms and the meeting point between existence and nonexistence.

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Make Room for One Another — Commentary by Sally Jo Gilbert de Vargas

Posted on by Sally Jo Gilbert de Vargas

“Make room for one another in your collective life, do make room; and in return God will make room for you in His Grace.” (Qur’an 58:11)

“Come out of the Circle of Time and enter the Circle of Love.” ~Rumi

The Qur’an enjoins those who believe in Allah to be inclusive in their communities. The Book addresses believers as men, women, people from all walks of life, all ages, all races and nationalities, and all classes. Believers are called specifically to embrace those whom others consider outcasts, such as widows, orphans, the poor and indigent, wayfarers, slaves, and immigrants.

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Kindness, Compassion and Mercy–Commentary by A. Helwa

Posted on by A. Helwa

“We have sent you (oh Prophet) as a mercy for all humankind.”(Qur’an 21:107)
“If kindness were a visible creation, nothing which Allah has created would be more beautiful than it. “~The Prophet Muhammad

One of the many reasons the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) has been respected and honored by Muslims and non-Muslims worldwide is due to his honesty and unique ability to find a peaceful resolution to conflicts that faced his community.

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Kindness, Compassion and Mercy

Posted on by Jamal Rahman

“We have sent you (oh Prophet) as a mercy for all humankind.” (Qur’an 21:107)
“If kindness were a visible creation, nothing which Allah has created would be more beautiful than it. “ ~The Prophet Muhammad

Sufi teachers repeatedly use the metaphor of water in nature. There is nothing as soft and yielding as water but for overcoming the hardest, nothing is as powerful as water.

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Restraining Anger

Posted on by Jamal Rahman

“A paradise as vast as the heavens and earth has been readied for those who are conscious of God …who restrain their anger and pardon their fellow beings…” (Qur’an 3: 133-135)
“Raise your words, not your voice; it is rain that grows flowers, not thunder.” (Rumi)

Devoid of self-control, the formidable energy of anger lacks God’s Grace.

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