School of Spirituality Sciences
Lectured by Shaykh Hamza Yusuf, Shaykh Abdal Hakim Murad, Dr. Umar Faruq Abd-Allah, Imam Afroz Ali…
Courses on spirituality broken up into
- Purification and Spirituality
- Living Spiritually
- Spirituality through Poetry
PURIFICATION AND SPIRITUALITY
Introduction to Islamic Spirituality — Shaykh Yayah Rhodus
(12 classes)
This course is based on a beautiful text by one of the giants of contemporary Islamic scholarship, Habib Umar bin Hafidh, and is taught by one of his closest students, Habib Hussain al-Saqqaf in Arabic and skillfully translated by Shaykh Yahya Rhodus.
Uniquely, this course highlights not only the importance and place of Islamic spirituality and the path of spiritual turning to Allah in accordance with the Qur’an and Sunna, but also highlights the qualities of the people of spiritual attainment–and how to become such people.
Basic Islamic Principles of Spirituality with Shaykh Yahya Rhodus
(12 classes)
This lesson set covers the last section of the text “The Helping Guide”, by the great Moroccan scholar, AbdulWahid Ibn Ashir. Shaykh Yahya Rhodus guides the student through the section on the science of the heart.
Prescribed Reading: The Helping Guide of Ibn Ashir — Introduction to Islamic Creed — translated by Abdullah bin Hamid Ali
Foundations of the Spiritual Path — Shaykh Walead Mosaad
12 classes
Based on the famous treatise of the same name by the saint-scholar Sidi Ahmad Zarruq, this course will provide a summary of the requirements for spiritual enhancement. In a dense and concise summary, students will learn the foundations of spiritual development, the pitfalls associated with it, foundational treatments for the soul, and parameters for the student-teacher relationship
Prescribed Reading: Foundations of the Spiritual Path — Sidi Ahmed Zarruq
Purification of the Heart — Shaykh Hamza Yusuf
(40 classes)
The suffering of the world is spoken in terms of wars, starvation, hatred, competition, and the struggle of the survival of the fittest. However, all of this suffering originates in the human heart. The soundest of hearts was that of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of God be upon him) who, through his purity and singularity of intention, transformed the world. His teachings remain, and the challenge is ours to learn them and transform our hearts, thereby transforming the very world we live in.
This set is based on a 12-week course taught by Hamza Yusuf at the Islamic Study School in Hayward, California in the Fall of 1998 which takes the student step by step through Imam al-Mawlud’s brillant text, Matharat al-Qulub (Purification of the Heart)
Presbribed Reading: Purification of the Heart: Signs, Symptoms and Cures of the Spiritual Diseases of the Heart — Hamza Yusuf
Station of Gratitude — Shaykh Hamza Yusuf
In The Stations of Gratitude, Hamza Yusuf reminds us of these countless, often subtle gifts and discusses the different stations of those who know how to show Allah proper thanks for them. Giving special attention to the four root blessings as mentioned in Surat Al-Waqiah and the specific blessings scholars noted as the greatest of them all, Hamza Yusuf incites in his listeners nothing short of wonder for Allahs vast grace.
The Spiritual Ascension of Man — Shaykh Hamza Yusuf
13 classes
Breaking The Two Desires — Shaykh Abdal Hakim Murad
(5 classes)
Part 1:
Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FiZVwFn_WaU
Part 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgQEYuh3xoU
Part 4:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecPrCi9TtPc
Part 5: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qIyiHt6i5s
Prescribed Reading: Disciplining the Soul and Breaking the Two Desires: Revival of the Religious Sciences (Ghazali Series, Book. 22 & 23) by Imam al-Ghazali (Author), Abdal Hakim Murad(Translator)
Spiritual Refinement — Ustadh Faraz Khan
Based on the last section of “The Helping Guide” of Imam Abdal-Wahid ibn ‘Ashir, this course will provide students with an introduction to the discipline of ihsan, the third dimension of the religion in the well-known hadith of Jibril, upon him peace. Students will learn fundamental concepts of spiritual purification and cultivation, the most central spiritual states, and how to apply these practically to cultivate the state of their own souls.
Prescribed Reading: The Helping Guide of Ibn Ashir — Introduction to Islamic Creed — translated by Abdullah bin Hamid Ali
What is Sufism — Dr. Umar Faruq Abd-Allah
Dr. Umar Faruq Abd-Allah was in Cairo delivering a 5-day course in which he answered the following questions:
- What is the origin of the word Sufism? — What is its reality?
- What is the history of this science?
- What is the relevance of the outward sciences of Sharia to Sufism?
- What do Tariqa and Silsila truly mean?
- What is the nature of the Awliya?
- What is the relationship between the Sheikh and his Mureeds?
- What is the importance of the Ahlul Bayt in Islam generally and Sufism in particular?
On the Path: Counsels of Imam Al Junayd — Mohamed Ghilan
15 classes
On the Path: Counsels of Imam Al Junayd is a journey through a number of counsels of the great Muslim sage and scholar Imam Abu Muhammad Junayd Al Baghdadi. When most Muslim scholars fall either more towards the legalistic tradition or the more spiritual tradition known as Sufism, Imam Al Junayd was known as the “Shaykh of the Two Camps” because he was a master of both. In this series I begin with a biography to introduce who Imam Al Junayd was, and then go through 14 of his most famous counsels. In a time of great strife and division between Muslims, Imam Al Junayd serves as a great reminder that a true realization of Islamic ideals can only come about by bringing about the law and spirit of this tradition together.
Prescribed Reading — The Life, Personality and Writings of al-Junayd: A Study of the Third/Ninth Century Mystic — by Ali Hassan Abdel-Kader
Marvels of the Heart — Dr. Umar Faruq Abd-Allah
9 Classes
In this course, students will cover the twenty-first book of the “Revivification of the Religious Disciplines.” In this text, Imam Ghazzali gives a detailed exposition of the nature of the most important aspect of human existence: the heart. Students will develop an understanding of the characteristics of the human heart, its function, its relationship to Allah, and the means by which it is affected, both positively and negative.
Prescribed Reading: The Marvels of the Heart: Science of the Spirit (Ihya Ulum Al-Din/ the Revival of the Religious Sciences) — by Al-Ghazali (Author), Hamza Yusuf (Author)
The Marvels of the Heart — Shaykh Yahya Rhodus
12 Classes
The Wonders of the Heart” is the twenty-first book of the third quarter of the Ihya Ulum al-Din. This short course offers a detailed explanation of the text, and explores the meaning of soul (nafs), spirit (ruh), heart (qalb), and intellect (’aql). These important components as well as other including soldiers of the heart, overall attributes of the heart, the heart’s similitude and Satan’s mastery of the heart, leads one to become well acquainted with their own heart.
Prescribed Reading: The Marvels of the Heart: Science of the Spirit (Ihya Ulum Al-Din/ the Revival of the Religious Sciences) — by Al-Ghazali (Author), Hamza Yusuf (Author)
The Poor Man’s Book of Assistance — Shaykh Hamza Yusuf
16 Classes
At the Rihla Program in southern Spain, Hamza Yusuf introduced the text ‘The Poor Man’s Book of Assistance’ by the ninth century Moroccan scholar Sidi Ahmed Zarruq to a group of students at the Al-Azzargra Madrassa. The commentary given by Shaykh Hamza is full of insight and wisdom that will leave a mark on the listener’s heart — that of desiring spiritual growth and purification.
Reclaim Your Heart — Ustadha Yasmin Mogahed
Reclaim Your Heart is not just a self-help book. It is a manual about the journey of the heart in and out of the ocean of this life. It is a book about how to keep your heart from sinking to the depths of that ocean, and what to do when it does. It is a book about redemption, about hope, about renewal. Every heart can heal, and each moment is created to bring us closer to that transformative return. Reclaim Your Heart is about finding that moment when everything stops and suddenly looks different. It is about finding your own awakening. And then returning to the better, truer, and freer version of yourself.This book was written to awaken the heart and provide a new perspective on love, loss, happiness, and pain. Providing a manual of sorts, Reclaim Your Heart will teach readers how to live in this life without allowing life to own you. It is a manual of how to protect your most prized possession: the heart.
Prescribed Reading: Reclaim your heart — Yasmin Mogahed
Spiritual Guidance: Commentary on Ibn Ata’illah’s Hikam — Dr. Umar Faruq Abd-Allah
(3 classes)
Dr. Umar gives a rich, engaging commentary on the aphorisms (hikam) of Ibn Ata’illah, which are one of the greatest summaries of authentic Islamic spirituality, grounded in mainstream understanding of the Qur’an and Sunna.
Part one:
Part two: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UO3uvmmoIUo
Part three: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZTt4GehCcM
Prescribed Reading: The Book of Wisdoms: Kitab Al-Hikam, a Collection of Sufi Aphorisms — by Ibn Ata’illah al-Iskandari (Author) Shaykh ‘Abdullah Gangohi (Translater), Andrew Booso (Editor), Abdur-Rahman ibn Yusuf (Editor)
Hikam (Aphorisms) of Ibn ‘Ata’Illah — Dr. Umar Faruq Abd-Allah
5 Classes
The Book of Wisdom (Kitab al-hikam) is a masterpiece of Islamic spiritual literature by the renowned Sufi saint and sage of the 13th century AD, Ahmed Ibn Ata Allah Al-Iskandari (d. 1309), third master of the tariqa Shadhiliyya. Victor Danner, one of its foremost translators into English, observed: “the internal structure of the Hikam is such that it can be likened to a necklace of precious jewels.”
Prescribed Reading: The Book of Wisdoms: Kitab Al-Hikam, a Collection of Sufi Aphorisms — by Ibn Ata’illah al-Iskandari (Author) Shaykh ‘Abdullah Gangohi (Translater), Andrew Booso (Editor), Abdur-Rahman ibn Yusuf (Editor)
The Prayer of the Righteous — Dr. Umar Faruq Abd-Allah
(3 Classes)
Full video of Dr. Umar Faruq Abd-Allah on The Prayer of The Righteous — Lesson 1. This is a translation and commentary on Imam al-Habib Hasan ibn Salih al-Jifri’s classic text, “A Description of the Prayer of those Near to Allah” (Sifatu Salati’l Muqarrabin). PDF of the Arabic text: http://db.tt/dWQqwGsu
Part one
Lesson 1
The Prayer of the Righteous, Lesson 2 (part 1 of 2): Dr. Umar Abd-Allah
The Prayer of the Righteous, Lesson 2 (part 2 of 2): Dr. Umar Abd-Allah
Spiritual Cultivation — Ustadh Hamzah Chaudhry
2 Seasons
Based on the last section of “The Helping Guide” of Imam Abdal-Wahid ibn ‘Ashir, this course will provide students with an introduction to the discipline of ihsan, the third dimension of the religion in the well-known hadith of Jibril, upon him peace. Students will learn fundamental concepts of spiritual purification and cultivation, the most central spiritual states, and how to apply these practically to cultivate the state of their own souls.
Prescribed Reading: The Helping Guide of Ibn Ashir — Introduction to Islamic Creed — translated by Abdullah bin Hamid Ali
Imam Ghazali’s the Path of the Worshipful Servants — Shaykh Yayah Rhodus
(12 Classes)
Widely considered to be Imam al-Ghazali’s last book, Minhaj al-Abidin summarizes his teachings in an accessible manner, charting the pitfalls and obstacles to be overcome in order to draw closer to Allah Most High. He dictated these words to a group of elect students and carefully advised them to resist hindrances such as fear and impairments such as conceit, in order to find salvation by sincerely turning to Allah Most High. This book is one of the important works that help the spiritual development of the believer.
Prescribed Reading: The Path of the Worshipful Servants to the Garden of the Lord of All the Worlds — by Imam al Ghazali (author) Muhtar Holland (translator)
Imam Haddad’s Book of Assistance — Shaykh Yahya Rhodes
(24 classes)
Shaykh Yahya Rhodus will guide students through The Book of Assistance’s 32 succinct, practical chapters, covering topics such as certainty, vigilance, knowledge, reflection, prayer, adherence to the Sunna, and much more.
Imam Abdullah ibn Alawi al-Haddad was a great scholar from the ancient valley of Hadramout, in Yemen. His profound mastery over the sacred sciences was condensed into his masterpiece, the Book of Assistance. This work maps out various acts of devotion and the spiritual path in 32 succinct chapters. Imam Haddad’s work remains relevant for all of us — even now, amid the contours of the tremendous concrete jungle that is our world, we can connect to his spiritual counsels to embark on the journey of self improvement.
Prescribed Reading: The Book of Assistance — by Abdallah Ibn Alawi Al-Haddad
Paradise and its Delights — Shaykh Abdur Rahman ibn Yusuf
28 Classes
A series of in-depth lectures on Paradise and its delights from Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyya’s Hadi ’l-Arwah ila Bilad al-Afrah (Spurring the Souls on to the Abodes of Joy)
Explanation of the Qasida of Abu Madyan Maghribi (5 classes)
Shaykh Muhammad bin Yahya Al-Ninowy gives classes on the explanation of Qasida of Abu Madyan
The sign of Tawfeeq in the ways of the Tareeq. A beautiful explanation of the famous qasidah of Abu Madyan Al-Maghribi. Muhammad bin Yahya Al-Ninowy shares the wisdoms contained within this beautiful qasidah
CLASSES ON LIVING SPIRITUALLY
Ghazali’s Beginning of Guidance (Bidayat al-Hidaya) Mufti Abdur-Rahman ibn Yusuf
(3 classes)
Imam al-Ghazali’s Bidayah al-Hidayah is a highly motivational manual detailing the fundamentals of acquiring guidance through God-consciousness (taqwa). Imam al-Ghazali argues that just as there is an end to this noble objective there is also a beginning to it, which must be made firm for one to achieve success. He then goes on to expound the fundamentals of this “beginning.” While being concise and to-the-point the manual is laid out in the form of a detailed daily timetable providing the reader strong inspiration and much heart-rending counsel. The three sections of this book are on obedience, refraining from disobedience, and the etiquette of companionship with the Creator and with creation. One of Imam al-Ghazali’s final works, it embodies a lifetime of learning, experience, and spirituality and can be taken as an introduction to his larger works.
Prescribed Reading: The Beginning of Guidance: The Imam and proof of Islam — Abu Hamid Al-Ghazali
Essentials of Spirituality: Ghazali’s Beginning of Guidance — Shaykh Yahya Rhodus
(24 classes)
Part 1
Part 2
Imam Ghazali’s Beginning of Guidance outlines how a believer should practically live Prophetic guidance– day to day, from waking to sleep. The text also outlines how to avoid sin and how to fulfill the rights of others with excellence — two other keys to living guidance.
Imam Ghazali’s Beginning of Guidance is an inspiring text which outlines the fundamentals of seeking knowledge and implementing it in a Muslim’s everyday life.
“The Beginning of Guidance” is widely considered the best — and most practical — starting-point in the study of mainstream Islamic spirituality. It represents one of Imam Ghazali’s final works, and is the distillation of a lifetime of learning, experience, and spirituality. This text can also be studied prior to studying his larger works in the future.
Prescribed Reading: The Beginning of Guidance: The Imam and proof of Islam — Abu Hamid Al-Ghazali
*Traveling Light: Imam al Ghazali Ihya Ulumuddin
*35 epidodes from various scholars:
Here you will find a comprehensive study centre designed to give you an insight into Imam al-Ghazali’s masterwork Ihya Ulum al-Din. Travelling Light embarks on a journey where the light of Imam al-Ghazali’s teachings is brought forth to an audience of sincere seekers. Watch HD videos from glorious settings from around the Muslim world, as leading scholars teach the Ihya in a systematic but accessible way.
Deenstream has 10 of episodes added so far but for access to all 35 books for $12 an episode please see http://nursari.com/classes
Prohibitions of the Tongue — Shaykh Hamza Yusuf
15 Episodes
A famous hadith details several saving virtues and ends with the Prophet (pbuh) summarizing, “Shall I not tell you how to achieve all of this?” He took a hold of his tongue and said, “Restrain this.” Restraint of the tongue has been considered by scholars to be a central prerequisite to character development. This course, based on the famous text “Prohibitions of the Tongue” by Imam Muhammad al-Mawlud, will provide students with a deeper understanding of moral and immoral speech, its effects, and ways to protect one’s self from spiritual harm.
Audio Series also found here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLx9h2M7YP4RJkUTwU_0iwQPkodFq9ruci
Prescribed Reading: Prohibitions of the Tongue (Adab Sereis) by Tayba Foudation
The Secrets of Silence and Speech — Dr. Umar Faruq Abd-Allah
10 Episodes
In a hadith included in Imam al-Nawawi’s famous compilation, the Prophet Muhammad s told us that the foundation of the religion, prayer, and virtuous acts was in restraining the tongue, saying, “Is there anything that throws people into the Hellfire upon their faces — or on their noses — except the harvests of their tongues?”
This course, based on Imam al-Ghazali’s The Pitfalls of the Tongue, will provide students with an understanding of the spiritual realities of certain types of speech and silence. This understanding is essential for any believer looking to progress spiritually in their daily lives.
Prescribed Reading: Al-Ghazzali On the Treatment of the Harms of the Tongue — by Imam al-Ghazâlî (Author)
Secrets of Silence and Speech — Dr Umar Faruq Abd-Allah (6 classes)
Dr. Umar Faruq Abd-Allah taught “Matters of the Heart: Silence and Speech” while he was in Cairo from February 21-March 2, 2015. The series of 10 classes was based on Book 25 of the 6th century AH (12th century CE) classic Iyha’ Ulum ud-Din by Imam Abu Hamid al-Ghazali (RAA). Here are the 10 classe
Excellence in Faith & Action (from Ghazali’s 40 Foundations of Religion) — Shaykh Faraz Khan
(12 Classes)
This course will help students make the essential connection between sound belief and their daily practice of Islam. Ustadh Faraz Khan will take students through the first half Imam Ghazali’s treatise, The Forty Foundations of Religion. This crucial text provides a detailed introduction to the things that all Muslims must believe about their Creator, then explores how to apply that knowledge in one’s own day-to-day worship and conduct.
Imam Ghazali’s text, The Forty Foundations of Religion, focuses on the inward realities of the Five Pillars of Islam. It is too easy for the fundamental practices to become routine. Imam Ghazali remedies this by providing students with a powerful reminder of the Next Life. Its remembrance must inform our everyday life as Believers, in our prayers, fasting, almsgiving — even in our daily recitation of the Qur’an.
The first part of the course provides students with an essential introduction to the Islamic Creed. Aspects of this section are essential to ensuring one’s belief is sound and acceptable to Allah.The second part applies this foundation to worship and conduct. It will also detail the rights of others, offering guidance on perfecting conduct and social etiquette and building good character.
Prescribed Reading: Ghazali on the Principles of Islamic Sprituality: Selections from The Forty Foundations of Religion — by Imam al Ghazali (Author) Aaron Spavack (Translator)
Knowing Yourself — Imam Afroz Ali
4 Episodes
Prescribed Reading: Al-Ghazzali On Knowing Yourself and God by Abû Hâmid Muhammad ibn Muhammad al-Ghazâlî (Author)
Medical Benefits of the Sunnah — Shaykh Abdal Hakim Murad
This talk was given in April at the Cambridge Muslim College Retreat 2017.
The Spirituality & Ethics of Food — Imam Afroz Ali
6 Episodes
Designed by blending scientific knowledge and classical works by Imam al-Ghazali on the spiritual dimensions of food and eating, this work will provide students with a deeper appreciation for the spirituality and ethics of food. Students will be inspired, insha’Allah, to re-examine their own intake to better grow both spiritually and physically.
Prescribed Reading: Al-Ghazali on the Manners Relating to Eating: The Revival of the Religious Sciences — by Abu Hamid Muhammad Ghazali (Author), Denys Johnson Davies (Translator)
Who Are We? Exploring Muslim Identity : Dr Umar Faruq Abd-Allah:
(3 Classes)
- Part two: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnFVOIqlGhw
- Part three: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKl86Bu32Yo
Imam Sha’rani’s Etiquettes of Companionship (Adab al-Suhba) — Shaykh Abdur Rahman ibn Yusuf
This series will cover the subject of practising excellent conduct and spiritual etiquette based on the work of Imam Sha’rani’s Adab al-Suhba. Shaykh Sha’rani was one of the most distinguished and prolific writers in Egypt during the Ottoman caliphate, who produced works on a variety of subjects such as mystical, legal, and theological matters, as well as the history of Sufism in Egypt.
Prescribed Reading: Etiquettes of Companionship: an English translation of Adab as-Suhbah — by Imam Abdulwahhab ash-Sha’rani (Author), Muhammad Tahir Mahmood Kiani (Translator)
Sha’rani’s Etiquette of the People of Allah — Shaykh Abdur Rahman ibn Yusuf
This is a series called ‘Sha’rani’s Etiquette of the People of Allah’. This lecture will cover the topic of turning to Allah first and sincerity.
Prescribed Reading: Etiquettes of Companionship: an English translation of Adab as-Suhbah — by Imam Abdulwahhab ash-Sha’rani (Author), Muhammad Tahir Mahmood Kiani (Translator)
Recommended Reading
- In the Early Hours: Reflections on Spiritual and Self Development — by Khurram Murad
- Agenda to Change our Condition Paperback — by Hamza Yusuf (Author), Zaid Shakir (Author)
- Islamic Manners — by Shaykh Abd al-Fattah Abu Ghuddah
- The Invocation of God — by Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyyah (Author), M. Abdurrahman Fitzgerald(Translator)
- The Risalah: Principles of Sufism by Abu-l-Qasim Abd al Karim bin Hawazin Al Qushayri translated by Rabia Harris
- Treatise for the Seekers of Guidance by Imam Harith al-Muhasibi translated by Zaid Shakir
- The Secrets of Asceticism — by Imam Al-Qurtubi (Author) and Abu Salif Ahmad’ali Al-’Adani (Translator)
- Sufism for Non-Sufis?: Ibn ‘Ata’ Allah al-Sakandari’s Taj al-’Arus by Sherman A. Jackson
- Risale-I-Nur Collection by Bediuzzaman Said Nursi
- Al-Ghazali Letter to a Disciple: translated by Abdal Hakim Murad
- Al-Ghazali’s Path to Sufism: his Deliverance from Error (al-Munqidh min al-Dalal) by R. J. McCarthy
- Al-Ghazzali The Alchemy of Happiness (Abridged) translated by Claud Field (add Hamza Yusuf course)
- The ‘Awarif al-Ma’arif by Shahab ud-Din Suhrawardi translated by H. Wilberforce Clarke
- The Book of Illumination: by Ibn ‘Ata Allah Al-Iskandari translated by Scott Kugle
- The Book of the Secret of Secrets and the Manifestation of Lights by Shaikh Abd al-Qadir Al-Jilani translated by Muthar Holland
- The Book of Wisdom: Intimate Conversations by Ibn ‘Ata’ llah/ Khwaja Abdullah Ansari translated by Wheeler M. Thackston
- Commentary on Revelations of the Unseen (Sharh Futuh al-Ghaib) by Imam Abu ‘l-Abbas Ahmad ibn Taimiyya
- Concerning the Affirmation of Divine Oneness by Abd al-Qadir al- Jilani translated by Muhtar Holland
- Gifts for the Seeker — by Imam Abdullah ibn ‘Alawi al-Haddad and Dr. Mostafa al-Badawi (Translator)
- The Revelation of the Veiled by ‘Ali bin ‘Uthman al- Hujwiri translated by Reynold A. Nicholson
- Three Early Sufi Texts by Hakim al-Tirmidhi and Sulami al-Naysaburi
- Don’t Be Sad — by Aaidh ibn Abdullah al-Qarni ,
Academic Papers Spiritual Refinement
“Foundations of the Spiritual Path,” Shaykh Hamza Yusuf
“Generous Tolerance in Islam,” Shaykh Hamza Yusuf
“Climbing Mt Pergutorio,” Shaykh Hamza Yusuf
“Islamic Spirituality and Mental Well-Being,” Zohair Abdul-Rahman
To move to otherschools
- Maqsood, Ruqaiyyah Waris. The Muslim Marriage Guide (London: Quilliam, 1995).
- Masri, Al-Hafiz Basheer Ahmad. Animal Welfare in Islam (3rd ed. Leicester: Islamic Foundation, 2007
- Mahmutcehagic, Rusmir. The Mosque: the heart of submission (Fordham: Fordham University Press, 2007).
- Prolegomena to metaphysics of Islam — AlAttas
- [Book] Don’t Be Sad — Aaidh ibn Abdullah al-Qarni , Well organized and easy to read book that contains tons of great advice. Is there really a reason to be sad?
SPIRITUALITY THROUGH POETRY
Qasida Burda (The Mantle Ode) — Shaykh Abdur Rahman Ibn Yusuf
Classes 1 -22
Classes 23–39
Commentary on Imam Busiri’s classical poem in praise of the Most Noble Messenger Muhammad (Allah bless him and give him peace).
This poem is arguably the most memorized and recited poem in the Muslim world. It discusses the sublime character and exalted rank of the Prophet Muhammad (Allah bless him and give him peace). This is the same poem that used to grace the walls of the famous houses of Baghdad and still graces the Prophetic Rawda in Madina Munawwara and Salahuddin’s Tomb in Damascus.
Busiri’s Poem of the Mantle (Qasida Burda) explained.
A Conference on Rumi — Dr Umar Faruq Abdullah & others
The Poetry of Mevlana Rumi & the Contentions — Shaykh Abdal Hakim Murad:
Journey to the Masnavi — Ustadh Feraidoon Mojadedi
The Masnavi of Mawlana Jalaluddin Rumi is indeed a vast and rich ocean. Within this ocean, however, are many islands made specifically for the traveler so that he may rest and enjoy the beautiful scenery and never tire or drown in its depth. Each island is different from another, some have amazing fruits and others have sweet spring waters; some have beautiful gardens of roses and others have breathtaking and lush trees. These islands are the stories in the Masnavi, and each story has a message of its own to help us understand the subtleties of our lives and to solve issues that we deal with every day regardless of who we are and where we live.
In this course titled “Journey Through the Masnavi” we will go through some of these stories in a linear timeline that coincides with the story of mankind, starting with the creation of Adam (peace be upon him) and ending with death.
The Contentions — Shaykh Abdal Hakim Murad:
6 Episodes
Selections from the Masnavi and the Contentions — Shaykh Abdal Hakim Murad
5 Episodes
A series of lectures on both the Masnavi of Mevlana Rumi and a selection of the Contentions of Shaykh Abdal Hakim Murad.
Contentions & Selections from the Mathnawi — Shaykh Abdal Hakim Murad
6 Episodes
A series of lectures on both the Masnavi of Mevlana Rumi and a selection of the Contentions of Shaykh Abdal Hakim Murad.
Stories to Awaken You! — Ustadh Feraidoon Mojadedi
6 Episodes
One of the most fascinating aspects of the Masnavi is the use of symbolism. Mawlana Jalaluddin Rumi had a genius for selecting the perfect object to symbolize a metaphysical reality. For example, he uses more than thirteen diferent animals to symbolize the nafs (lower self or ego) in order for us to understand the various aspects of the nafs comprehensively. An important recurring theme of the book is the contrast of forms and meanings. In almost every story, Rumi keeps reminding us that forms change and are not permanent, so we should seek the inner meaning hidden in the forms.
Diwan-i Shams-i Tabriz & the 11th Contentions — Shaykh Abdal Hakim Murad
6 Episodes
This course will comprise of a compilation of material from Shaykh Abdal Hakim’s Contentions 11 as well as various readings from the Mathnawi and the Divan-i Shams-i Tabriz.
A Walk Through the Rose Garden — Ustadh Feraidoon Mojadedi
6 Episodes
The Gulistan of the great medieval poet and mystic, Sa’di al-Shirazi, is one of the most influential works in the Persian language. It is a collection of poems and stories and is widely quoted as a source of wisdom in the East and West. In this course, students will be taken a walk through these treasures of poetry and wisdom.
Key to the Mathnawi — Ustadh Feraidoon Mojadedi
4 Episodes
Among the world’s most renowned and acclaimed poets is the master of words and spiritual insight, Mawlana Jalaluddin Rumi. So beloved is he throughout the world that UNESCO declared the year 2007 as “International Rumi Year”. Eight centuries ago he kindled a flame of enduring love and for centuries since it has remained lit, vibrant as ever, warming up hearts across oceans, continents, countries, and languages.
In this course titled, “Key to the Mathnawi,” we will attempt to take a sweet drop from this ocean by exploring in depth the magnificent “Lament of the Reed”. We will also dedicate a session to his other great works, the book “Feehi Ma Feehi”.
Shakespeare and Islam — Shaykh Hamza Yusuf
3 parts
Part 1:
Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7JGw6zVKrw
Part 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEwO569-SsQ
The words “Islam” and “Shakespeare” are rarely uttered in the same breath, but there is much in common between the religion and the playwright. That commonality was explored by two notable scholars — Hamza Yusuf and the late Dr. Martin Lings. This series includes three profound talks which take the audience on an enlightening journey to reveal the power of poetry, the literary brilliance of William Shakespeare and the dire need for great art and literature to help preserve and nurture the virtues of courage, wisdom and temperance. For viewers seeking guidance and salvation, this DVD set serves as a treasure of deep understanding, offering inspiration in the quest to find the universal truths in the classical arts.
