About Love, Happiness, and Islam

A very short video packed with meaning.

This short 30-second video tells us much about what Islam is and Who Allah Is. The Arabs had 14 different words for love, one of which is arguably a name for Allah. And which is more loving, to sacrifice an innocent human being in order to enable forgiveness for a supposed “original sin” that God Himself is unfairly accused of refusing to forgive? Or to have forgiven Adam/Eve on the spot after they repented, and only punish people for sins they personally committed and not for some inherited sin? Allah is the same God of Psalms 136:1-3, 5, and elsewhere, “and His mercy endures forever.” “Indeed, your Lord is vast in forgiveness.” (Quran 53:32)

Surat Al-Sharh 94: Ring Composition

Ring Composition of ”The Expansion” Surah 94

This surah’s title has been translated in English variously as “The Expansion,” Al-Sharh in Arabic (also I’ve seen written Al-Inshirah), which does mean something like “expansion” but more of a “spiritual/ soul” opening with a sense of “relief” than the English word.  Al-Sharh gives the sense as if God were widening one’s inner “chambers” so one could “take a deep breath” again. We are all familiar with a kind of “tightness” in one’s chest from anxiety or discomfort from a difficult situation. It is the relief from that tightness which inshirah or sharh accomplishes. It was the first thing Prophet Musa (Moses) asked Allah for (TaHa 20:25) when Allah the Exalted gave him the mission to bring Allah’s message to the Pharaoh; the meaning implied was that inshirah would enable Musa to alleviate his anxieties so he could accomplish this task. It is a way of strengthening one’s resolve by Divine reassurance. Thus sharh is variously translated as “uplifted your heart,” “relieve the tightness in your chest,” “expand for thee thy breast,” and “comfort your chest,” among others. The title is variously translated Solace, Consolation, Relief, and The Expansion. 

What Is Thikr Allah and Why Is It Greater than Salat?

When non-Muslims pray or use the word “prayer,” usually what they mean is du’a or supplication. This is different from Salat or salah (both transliterations are used), the Islamic prayer which involves the body language of bowing and prostration and the physical perimeters of time (daily prayer times) and space (direction to pray towards Mecca), required of all Muslims. Thikr Allah — translated “remembering” or “mentioning” Allah and sometimes transliterated dhikr — is not specified as obligatory, although the Quran emphasizes it. But salat is required to be established on a daily basis. So why then do we read in Surat Al-Ankabut 29:45 (below) that thikr Allah is greater than salat?

اتْلُ مَا أُوحِيَ إِلَيْكَ مِنَ الْكِتَابِ وَأَقِمِ الصَّلَاةَ ۖ إِنَّ الصَّلَاةَ تَنْهَىٰ عَنِ الْفَحْشَاءِ وَالْمُنكَرِ ۗ وَلَذِكْرُ اللَّهِ أَكْبَرُ ۗ وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ مَا تَصْنَعُونَ
Recite, [O Muhammad], what has been revealed to you of the Book and establish salat. Indeed, salat prohibits immorality and wrongdoing, and thikr Allah (the remembrance of Allah) is greater. And Allah knows that which you do.

The Meaning of Heart in the Quran

We usually think of the heart as either a physical organ of the body or the place of emotions. But the Quran uses the word for “heart” in ways that show us a more expansive range of meaning, one that in fact revolutionizes our way of thinking about who we are and how our lives, bodies, choices/ decisions and actions intertwine, with deep and important consequences. The heart is one of the most important concepts in the Quran. as both a physical living organ and symbolically, as the seat of the soul or self, the nafs. The very name of Allah contains the image of a heart and the sound of the heartbeat, as if the heart itself was created as a symbolic force expressing Allah’s presence.

Thikr Allah and the Human Soul

The word thikr ذكر in Arabic encompasses layers of meaning, as do many Quranic words — no single English word can replace it in all instances, thus translations use various English words in different contexts. However, knowing that this is the same word helps in grasping the depth of the Quran.

It basically refers to “remembrance” or “bringing to mind” by means of words, and indeed thikr ذكر means also “to invoke” (powerful words/ names) or “say/ mention.” Thus when we say “ithkur Allah” (“ithkur” being a verb form of thikr), we mean to mention or invoke Allah and thus bring Him to mind. It has been translated “remind/ reminder.” But it also can mean simply “remember” or “bear in mind” or even “memorize,” as indicated by the context of its usage. The Quran itself is referred to as “thikr al-hakeem:” thikr (in this case, a book) which is wise, just, and balanced (hakeem), whose purpose is to bring the deeper truths about Allah and our purpose in life to our understanding.

“Remembrance” in English often implies recalling or commemorating something from the past, whereas thikr implies a “reminder” of something of which one was oblivious; something like a wake-up call from an oblivious state.

The Quran tells us that thikr Allah, both invoking His name(s) and remembering Him, is the greatest form of worship and also the most effective way to stay on the straight path:

Surat Al-ankabut 29:45
اتْلُ مَا أُوحِيَ إِلَيْكَ مِنَ الْكِتَابِ وَأَقِمِ الصَّلَاةَ إِنَّ الصَّلَاةَ تَنْهَىٰ عَنِ الْفَحْشَاءِ وَالْمُنكَرِ وَلَذِكْرُ اللَّهِ أَكْبَرُ وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ مَا تَصْنَعُونَ

“Recite what is inspired/ revealed to you of the Book, and maintain the salat (“contact prayer”—the formalized physical worship which has geo-astronomically determined time of day/ direction perimeters to maintain “contact” with Allah), for the salat prevents (or inhibits) immorality and vice; but certainly the remembrance of Allah (thikr Allah) is the greatest. And Allah knows everything you do.”

Why is thikr Allah the most important, even though salat (formal Islamic “prayer”) is one of the most crucial requirements for a Muslim? Is there some greater “power” in Allah’s name or the thought of Him?