Dr. M. OmarJuly 2012, Orlando

www.nurspirituality.org

Contemplating the Quran in Ramadan-2Bismillah

Awaken to PresenceTransform your life

workshop series

Inspired by the First Word, authored by B. Said Nursi. See: Nursi, Words.

Let’s start with bismillah to understand

bismillah…

Internalizing bismillah opens the door to

infinite blessings

DAY 9: Those who fast begin to “read” the creation as a “book”The first verse “Recite” (Alaq, 1) is revealed to the one who fast… The scattered is united; forgotten tastes awaken on the tongue of the one who fast… She begins to “read” in excitement. Her “bismillah” (in the name of God) is no longer merely words, but penetrates her heart. In this world where she owns nothing, she sees that she is living with the permission of the One. She notices that she has been welcomed to existence only and only by the grace of God. What her lips utter, her heart joins wholly: “Bismillahirrahmanirrahim."

RAMADANinspirations

1433/2012DAY 9

www.nurspirituality.org

Aiming for the Prophetic Path of Transformation

Muhammad (p): “The utmost beauty (Ihsan) is to

worship God as though you see Him, and if you cannot see Him,

to be aware that He sees you”

…to become certain of God’s Unity through confirming belief (iman = certainty)

by personal witnessing/experience

This is the secret of direct inner transformation

All beings

exist

in the name of God (bismillah)

Reality of Things?

What is it?

What is the meaning?

Why is it created?

in need for power

Power-less Needy

in need for broadcasting

Why?Actions

Supplying of powerSpecific broadcasting

Qualities of SourcePower SupplyBroadcasting

The TV show is functioning

in the name of its Source

The TV show is a mirror to its Source’s qualities

The TV show is a servant of its Source, valuable because of its Source

Reality of Things

in need to be created

Needy

in need to be sustained

Why?ActionsFashioningSustaining

Qualities of SourceFashionerSustainer

Power-less

The bird is functioning in the name of its Source

The bird is a mirror to its Source’s qualities

The bird is a servant of its Source,

valuable because of its Source

How about us?

We need to be aware of bismillah

Say it to bring it to our awareness

Bismillah is full of infinite blessings

My Reality

in need to be created

Needy

in need to be sustained

Why?ActionsFashioningSustaining

Qualities of SourceFashionerSustainer

HumanPower-less

I am functioning in the name of my Source

I am a mirror to my Source’s qualities eg. Compassionate

(Raheem)

I am a servant of my Source, valuable because of my Source

In realityI am always connected to the Source…

When I try to live in His Name, everything in life starts making sense

In my illusion (kufr = covering up reality)• I imagine that I am the source of my life

• I fear losing it

• I worry all the time

• I assume that everything functions by itself

• Everything becomes a potential danger

The messengers of God brought the message of love and mercy

Our state of hell is the result of our imagination and living according to it

The message = bushra = glad-tidings is:Come to realityCome to felicityCome to peace & joy

The summary of the message:

“Live in the awareness of bismillah”

In the name of the Loving Grace, witness and become a mirror to Him…

In the name of the Provider, witness and become a mirror to Him…

Following the messengers mean to live a life in the name of God…

By witnessing and becoming a mirror to God’s Divine Attributes

The simple prophetic solution:

Surrender to the Truth

I Choose

(Loving Grace)

Humility• Surrendering:

Accepting reality and living accordingly

Arrogance• Choosing the illusion:

Who said my life is contingent to a Source?

Ongoing process…

Moment by moment…

Why is this critical?No paradigm shift, no inner peace…

Not noticing that everything comes to existence by the Source,

means I interact with it

as if it is by itself…

Iman in tongue and identity, but no iman in my daily life…

Disconnect everything from its Source… assume it is acting in its name

Paradigm shift… see, feel, think, talk, act

in the name of God…iman

Noticing the Divine Attributes of the Source in everything, means I live/worship “as though I see God”

Iman in tongue, in heart (love),

in thoughts and action

Inner peace… salam…

This way, each time we “say”

bismillah we reaffirm

confirmreinforce our belief in all

of the above!