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To Download the Handout Referred to in the Presentation 1 “God is Beautiful, and (S)He loves Beauty”: Foundations of Practical Spirituality in Islam1 Handout prepared by Boston College Professor James Morris to accompany his presentation on April 19, 2017 MUSICAL VERSION OF THE PAINTING (TRADITIONAL IRANIAN MUSICIANS): two opening verses of a ghazal of Hafiz: The Musician of Love has a wondrous instrument and song: the impression of each chord (S)he strikes2 has a its way to a place. The world, may it never be without the lament of lovers: such a beautifully-sounding, joy-giving melody it has! OTHER KEY REFERENTS/SOURCES OF THIS “MANDALA” FROM FAMILIAR HADITH & QUR’ANIC VERSES: • “I was a Hidden Treasure, and I loved to be known; so I am creating creation/creatures/human beings (khalq), in order that that I might be truly-known.”3 (Divine saying) • God is Beautiful, and (S)He loves Beauty. (famous saying, circulating as hadith) • And among His Signs are the creating of the heavens and the earth, and the differing of your tongues and colors.” (22:33) • We shall show them Our Signs on the horizons and in their souls, so that it becomes clear to them that Hū4 is the Real.... (41:53) [= the “two Books” of creation/the Spirit] • God’s is the place-of-shining-forth and the place of darkening: so wheresoever you all turn around, there is the Face of God! certainly God is All-encompassing, All-knowing. (2:115) • [on Dhikr/ “Remembrance of God”]Certainly in the creating of the heavens and the earth...are Signs for the people of Hearts,/ Who remember God while standing, and sitting, 1 Boston College STM-Cadigan Alumni Hall (Wednesday, April 19, 6-7:30 pm). For the draft of our forthcoming related book on this subject (“Openings: From the Qur’an to the Islamic Humanities”—and some fifty other downloadable related translations and studies—see our BC digital resources link: http://dcollections.bc.edu/james_morris 2Or: “of each veil (S)He raises.” There is no grammatical gender in Persian language, which incomparably enriches the theophanic world-view permeating most classical Persian Islamic poetry.. 3 The Arabic root here refers pointedly to our “knowing,” recognizing, being fully aware of a person. (Not an abstraction, concept, form, and the like.) 4 The ultimate divine Essence/Reality, and its cosmic manifestation as the universal creative Spirit- Breath. 2 and (lying) on their sides, and who reflect deeply on the creating of the heavens and the earth.... (33:190-191). The “Cosmic Trees” in the Qur’an (through window in painting) Haven’t you seen how God has made a symbol: a good Word is like a good Tree whose root is solid, its branches in Heaven, giving its fruit at every instant, by God’s permission.... (14:24-25) ...[the Lamp of God’s Light is] lit from a blessed Tree, an Olive-tree neither of East nor of West, Whose oil almost shines forth even though no fire touches it: Light upon Light.... (24:35) Then We cause to grow for you all from (the water of heaven) Gardens of palm-trees and vines, for you in them many fruits and of them you-all eat/—and a Tree coming forth from Mount Sinai that gives anointment and oil for those who eat.... (23:19-20) And when he reached (the fire), he was called from the right side of the valley, in the blessed field, from the Tree: “O Moses, I, verily I am God, Lord of the Worlds!”(28:30) Is that (the ‘Supreme Attainment’) better as a resting place—or the Tree of Zaqqûm? Surely We have made it as a trial for the wrongdoers! Surely it is a Tree coming forth at the root of Gehenna, its crown like the heads of devils—and they are surely eating of it, filling the bellies from it. (37:62-66). Verily the Tree of Zaqqûm is the food of the evildoer: like molten brass it boils in the bellies, like the roiling of muddy springs....! (44:43-49) ...and We only established for you (Muhammad) the Vision that We caused you to see as a trial for the people, and the cursed Tree in the Qur’an.... (17:60) THE “HADITH OF GABRIEL” (ON THE MEANING OF RELIGION/DĪN, FROM THE SAHĪH OF BUKHĀRĪ) The Prophet came out for the people (to meet him) one day, and a man came up to him who said: “What is faith (īmān)?” He replied: “Faith (means) that you have faith in God, His angels, His Books, in (your) meeting Him, in His messengers, and that you have faith in the Rising.”5 Then he asked: “What is islām6?” 5 All of these points are frequently included in Qur’anic enumerations of the universal “objects” of faith (e.g., at 2:285), although the Quran more frequently mentions simply “Faith in God and the Last Day (soul’s resurrection)”. 6 Here, as in some of the later passages in the Quran and in a number of hadith, the root islām has taken on a specific association with most basic shared ritual practices typifying Muhammad’s nascent religious community. It is important to keep in mind, however, that the primary Qur’anic sense (far closer to the Arabic root) refers to the highest spiritual condition of total “inner surrender” to God’s will (and the divine Peace 3 He answered: “Islām is that you worship God and don’t associate (anything) with Him, that you perform the prayer (salāt), give in charity, and fast during the month of Ramadan.” Then he asked: “What is ihsān?”7 He replied: “To worship God as though you see Him. And if you aren’t seeing Him, surely He sees you.” [This last sentence could also be translated as “And if you are not, you do see Him; and surely He sees you.”.] Then he went off, and (the Prophet) said: “bring him back.” But they couldn’t see anything. Then he said: “This is Gabriel, who came to teach the people their Religion (dīn).” THE “HADITH OF THE QUESTIONING” (AT THE RESURRECTION) [DIVINE SAYING]: (THE ESSENTIAL INTERPLAY OF SUFFERING AND AWAKENED COMPASSION) God says on the Day of the Rising: “O son of Adam, I was sick and you didn’t visit Me.” He said: “O my Lord, how could I visit You, and You are Lord of the worlds?!” God said: “Didn’t you know that My servant so-and-so was sick, yet you didn’t visit him? Or didn’t you know that if you had visited him you would have found Me with him?” [Then God says:] “O son of Adam, did I not ask you for food, but you refused to feed Me?” He said: “O my Lord, how could I feed You, and You are Lord of the Worlds!?” God said: “Now didn’t you know that my servant so-and-so asked you for food, but you didn’t feed him? And didn’t you know that if you had fed him you would have found that with Me?” [Then God says:] “O son of Adam, I asked you for a drink, but you didn’t give Me anything to drink.” He said: “O my Lord, how could I give You a drink, and You are Lord of the Worlds!?” God said: “My servant so-and-so asked you for a drink, but you didn’t give him any. But if you had given him a drink you would have found that with Me.” flowing from that surrender), in which meaning it is often applied throughout the Qur’an to pre-Islamic prophets, messengers and people of exemplary faith. 7 Literally (although the definition given here is far more appropriate to its particular Qur’anic usage): “to do what is both good and beautiful or noble.” The reference in the hadith is certainly to the Qur’anic usage of the term, where “those who do ihsān” are referred to frequently (25 times) with the highest praise, promised the highest paradise, associated with the prophets and messengers, connected with the central spiritual virtues, etc. Even more strikingly, the Quran insists that “Surely God is with those who act in awareness of Him and the muhsinūn” (16:128; again at 29:69); “Do ihsān, surely God loves the muhsinūn” (2:195; the restriction of God’s profoundest Love (hubb) to them is repeated similarly at 3:134, 3:148, 5:13, 5:93; ); and “God’s Lovingmercy (rahma) is near to the muhsinūn” (7:56). 4 WALĀYA (DIVINE PROXIMITY AND CARING): “THE FRIENDS OF GOD” (AWLIYĀ’ ALLĀH ) …For God will bring a group whom He loves, and they love Him…. (Qur’an 5:54) Surely the Friends of God, there is no fear upon them, nor do they sorrow; those who have faith and have been conscious of God: theirs are good tidings in the life here below and the hereafter…:that is the Immeasurable Attainment. (Qur’an 1-:62-64) THE HADITH OF THE WALI (divine saying from the Sahīh of Bukhārī) [The Messenger said that God said:] “Whoever treats as an enemy a walī (friend) of Mine, then I have declared war against him. And My servant does not draw near to Me with anything more beloved to Me than the duties I have made obligatory for him. And My servant continues to draw near to me with the deeds that come next until I Love him. Then when I Love him, I am his hearing with which he hears, and his Sight with which he sees, and his hand with which he grasps, and his foot with which he walks.
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