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Refine your heart and mind with the wisdom of Islamic spirituality
"To live a meaningful life—one that brings us joy, contentment and fulfillment—we have to do the inner spiritual work of becoming a more complete human being."
—from the Introduction
Over the centuries, Islamic sages have gleaned timeless spiritual insights and practices from sacred texts, meditation and knowledge of the heart—gems that have been passed down from generation to generation. This book invites you—no matter what your practice may be—to access the treasure chest of Islamic spirituality, particularly Sufism, and use its wealth to strengthen your own journey.
The riches include guidance drawn from the Qur'an, sayings of the Prophet Muhammad and Sufi poets such as the thirteenth-century Rumi on cultivating awareness, intentionality and compassion for self and others. This book also features entertaining wisdom teaching stories, especially those of Mulla Nasruddin, Islam's great comic foil, to expand the mind and heart. It breaks down barriers to accessing this ancient tradition for modern seekers by dispelling myths about the Muslim faith concerning gender bias, inclusivity and appreciation for diversity.
Regardless of where you are on your spiritual journey, you will find these gems worthy additions to your own treasure chest within.
"Beautiful, helpful and timely…. All those interested in the spiritual life, God, interfaith dialogue, peace and our shared human journey through life will find this to be a treasure trove of wisdom and spiritual insight."
—Rev. John Dear, author, Transfiguration: A Meditation on Transforming Ourselves and Our World
"Whether you have read these classic Islamic teachings before or they are new to you, you will find wisdom, deepen your compassion and enrich your spiritual life."
—Amir Hussain, editor, Journal of the American Academy of Religion
“Invokes the power of the Qur'an to open the doors of the heart and invite us into a direct encounter with the source of Mercy and Compassion…. As a lifelong seeker of the world's wisdom in every tradition, this is the book I have been waiting for.”
—Mirabai Starr, author, God of Love: A Guide to the Heart of Judaism, Christianity & Islam
“A gem all its own … a wonderful guidebook to spiritual living…. Allows the Qur’an to speak beyond the boundaries of Islam.”
—Rami Shapiro, author, The Sacred Art of Lovingkindness: Preparing to Practice
“Beautiful … reaches deep into the heart and soul, reminding us of our divine nature. Allow its deep Qur’anic wisdom to guide you on your journey Home.”
—Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee, PhD, Sufi teacher; author, Prayer of the Heart in Christian and Sufi Mysticism
“A modern-day jewel of some of the richest offerings of Islam…. Goes to the very depth of the rich oceans of Islamic spirituality to bring us pearls of wisdom and beauty.”
—Omid Safi, professor of Islamic studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; author, Memories of Muhammad
Introduction ix
Opening Up to the Light
Gem 1 "This Is the Book" (Qur'an 2:2)—"Meditate on Its Signs" (Qur'an 38:29) 3
Gem 2 "The Qur'an Is a Shy and Veiled Bride" (Rumi) 11
Gem 3 “I Was a Secret Treasure and I Longed to Be Known” (Hadith Qudsi) 15
Gem 4 “We Have Not Known You as We Should Have” (Hadith) 23
Cultivating Inner Spaciousness
Gem 5 “Know Thyself and You Shall Know Thy Lord” (Hadith) 35
Gem 6 “Die Before You Die” (Hadith) 41
Gem 7 “The Road Is Long, the Sea Is Deep” (Fariduddin Attar) 46
Gem 8 “In the Name of God, Boundlessly Compassionate and Infinitely Merciful” (Qur’anic Invocation) 51
Gem 9 “We Have Made Some of You as a Trial for Others: Will You Have Patience?” (Qur’an 25:20) 59
Gem 10 “Ye Shall Surely Travel from Stage to Stage” (Qur’an 84:19) 65
Gem 11 “Will You Not See? Will You Not Listen? Will You Not Pay Attention?” (Qur’an 54:17, 7:204) 68
Purifying and Expanding the Heart
Gem 12 “O My Lord! Open for Me My Heart!” (Qur’an 20:25) 77
Gem 13 “Bring to God a Sound Heart” (Qur’an 26:89) 81
Gem 14 “Who Has a Better Dye Than God?” (Qur’an 2:138) 86
Gem 15 “Embrace Not Only the Ten Thousand Joys of Life, But Also the Ten Thousand Sorrows” (Traditional Saying) 94
Gem 16 “There Is Room Inside for Only One of Us” (Rumi) 99
Remembering Your Sustainer
Gem 17 “Bow in Adoration and Draw Closer” (Qur’an 96:19) 107
Gem 18 “Truly in the Remembrance of God Do Hearts Find Rest” (Qur’an 13:28) 115
Doing What Is Beautiful
Gem 19 “Persevere in Doing Good: Behold! God Loves the Doers of Good.” (Qur’an 2:195) 121
Gem 20 “Ah! What a Beautiful Fellowship!” (Qur’an 4:69) 126
Gem 21 “Be Just; This Is Closest to Being God-Conscious.” (Qur’an 5:8) 131
Gem 22 “Confound Not Truth with Falsehood” (Qur’an 2:42) 138
Gem 23 “All Things Have We Created in Proportion and Measure” (Qur’an 54:49) 141
Gem 24 “Work in the Invisible World at Least as Hard as You Do in the Visible” (Rumi) 146
Gem 25 “Move from Knowledge of the Tongue to Knowledge of the Heart” (Traditional Saying) 151
Gem 26 “Whoever … Believes in God Has Grasped the Most Trustworthy Handhold” (Qur’an 2:256) 157
Walking on Spacious Paths
Gem 27 “Women Are the Twin-Halves of Men” (Hadith) 165
Gem 28 “Come to Know Each Other” (Qur’an 49:13) 172
Gem 29 “Be Quick in the Race for Forgiveness from Your Lord” (Qur’an 3:133) 179
Being in the Mystery
Gem 30 “Praise Be to Allah … Who Made the Angels Messengers with Wings” (Qur’an 35:1) 187
Gem 31 “What Is This Love and Laughter?” (Hafiz) 193
Gem 32 “To God We Belong and to God We Are Returning” (Qur’an 2:156) 199
Gem 33 “A Lovesick Nightingale among Owls” (Rumi) 203
Acknowledgments 210
Notes 212
Selected Qur’anic Passages and Hadith 216
The Most Beautiful Names of Allah: Asma al-Husna 225
Bibliography and Suggestions for Further Reading 229