Light Over Light

= LIGHT OVER LIGHT =

{And when My servants ask you concerning Me, then surely I am very near; I answer the prayer of the suppliant when he calls on Me, so they should answer My call and believe in Me that they may walk in the right way.}
Quran, Sura 2–186 also 50–16

True Happiness Can Be Found

True felicity (saʿāda ) - which is more stable and more integrated (made whole) than what is commonly understood as 'happiness' - can be gained by the sincere and consistent effort of the seeker of truth, which in turn is a function of Allah’s mercy and guidance.

Allah says in the Quran
{ سَنُرِيهِمْ آيَاتِنَا فِي الْآفَاقِ وَفِي أَنفُسِهِمْ حَتَّىٰ يَتَبَيَّنَ لَهُمْ أَنَّهُ الْحَقُّ }
{ Soon We will show them Our Signs in the horizons and in themselves until becomes clear to them, that it (is) the truth. } 41-53

It is {the revelation of the book (scripture) from Allah, the Exalted in Power, Full of Wisdom.} 46 - 2

The disbelievers claim that religious teachings only rest on 'man-made' ideas, having no relevance for human life. In truth, it is a revelation from Allah to dispel the darkness of ignorance while opening the heart* to the light of divine guidance.

{ And be steadfast in patience, for indeed, Allah does not allow to be lost the reward of those who do good (of the righteous). } 11-115

*Hearts are (potentially) places of intellect or ’intellectual intuition’, which is an understanding (maghrifa مَعرفَت ) beyond the confines of emotion and reason. Pure intellect (ʿaql) transcends modern limited rationality, while based on revelation (naql ).

→ The ideal rational faculty is that which accepts from God the knowledge of Him that He gives to it and does not try to go beyond its own limitations by reflecting upon Him.

Those who rely on their mental capacities (on reason) alone: Lā yaʿlamūn:
{ Allah has sealed their hearts so they do not know. }
9-93

For those who yearn to come to an understanding of the Real ( الحَقّ ), Allah, consider the following:

Spiritual advancement is necessarily combined with knowledge of Allah سبحانه و تعالى : It will make the seeker of divine knowledge realise that he needs to wake up from his sleep of love of this world (dunyā) while following the ego (nafs).

On Recognizing the Alchemy of Felicity
About the Heart
Study the Quran Regularly

اقرءوا القرآن فإنه يأتي يوم القيامة شفيعًا لأصحابه

”Study the Quran (regularly), for it will act as an intercessor and entreat for its readers on the day of Judgement.”
Prophet Muhammad ﷺ

He also said:

Undoubtedly, the heart gets rusted like metal gets rusted when water goes over it. The People asked, "How can they (hearts) be cleaned?"
The Prophet replied,
"To remember death in abundance and to recite the Holy Quran."
Mishkāt
The Shariah as Mercy to Mankind

The Shariah (Shari`a) is compassion and justice, it is the basis for correct and benevolent behaviour and it seeks the welfare of human beings.

→ If its application leads to the opposite, then our understanding and interpretation needs to be re-evaluated in the light of the Texts.

The Sacred Law - Sharia
Quran on Race and Culture

وَمِنْ آيَاتِهِ خَلْقُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَاخْتِلَافُ أَلْسِنَتِكُمْ وَأَلْوَانِكُمْ
{ And of His signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the difference of your languages and hues. Lo! herein indeed are signs for men of knowledge. } 30-22

Comment: This verse indicates the difference between races and languages and that those differences are a blessing, not to be taken negatively, and that we are called to relate to and learn from each other, instead of isolating from each other or negative thinking about ’the other’.

This - in order to become truly human.

On the Quran
The Postmodern World

[We are living in the era of postmodernity (or postmodernism) when] the fundamental, eternal truths of religion and divinely inspired traditions are regarded as mere man-made theories, or discarded altogether as futile illusions.* Absolute values are denied and relative values affirmed; nothing can be certain, except the certainty that nothing can be certain.
From Prolegomena; Sh Syed M Naqib al-Attas, p.87

*This is mentioned in the Quran:
أَمْ يَقُولُونَ افْتَرَاهُ بَلْ هُوَ الْحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّكَ لِتُنذِرَ قَوْمًا مَّا أَتَاهُم مِّن نَّذِيرٍ مِّن قَبْلِكَ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَهْتَدُون
{ Or do they say, "He (Muhammad) invented it"? Rather, it is the truth from your Lord, that you may warn a people to whom no warner has come before you [so] perhaps they will be guided. } 32-3

Postmodernism And Modernity
Postmodern Man Is Distracted From His Self / Soul