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I have taken on faith for a long time that Islam is a God-given religion, but I have struggled to reconcile that belief with the harsh verses of the Qur’an, the minutia covered by the hadith, and the violence in the early history of Islam. The modern biographies of the Prophet Muhammad that I read effectively conveyed His honorable behavior in difficult times and the cultural differences between that society and ours, but they didn’t engender an emotional connection with Him. My Muslim acquaintances insist that Muhammad was “just a man like any other,” and that the Qur’an is the entire focus of their spiritual life (the Book serving the same role as Jesus for Christians, I have been told). I honestly couldn’t understand the emotional draw of the religion.
Dr. Safi’s “Memories of Muhammad” reveals an entirely different side of Islam, documenting how Muslims over the centuries have viewed and venerated Muhammad, in stark contrast to the puritanical version of Islam in vogue today. Rather than functioning as a spiritual “UPS man” whose role was merely to drop off the Qur’an, Muhammad himself was considered to be central to the revelation. Divine guidance came not only through the Qur’an, but through Muhammad, whom A’isha referred to as “the walking Qur’an”; His heart was the channel through which the Qur’an entered the world. In His lifetime, Muhammad acted as a gate through which flowed the tidings of Heaven and the mercy of God. But more than that, the Prophet was the model of the perfected and completed human being who brought together all of the divine qualities and attributes. Muhammad was the perfect mirror through which the divine qualities were reflected onto this terrestrial realm. (An example of this perspective is seen in the words of a Qawwali song: O Muhammad, Embodied Light, My Beloved, My Master, You are: The image of the perfection of love, The illumination of God’s beauty.) Indeed, divine self-revelation came through the Prophet; Muhammad bore the cosmic responsibility of being God’s representative on Earth. Muslim mystics have even asserted that the Light of Muhammad was the first thing that God created. The primordial manifestation of the Light of Muhammad was then embodied in every Prophet from Adam to Muhammad himself. Why hide these views in interfaith dialog? Even if they are not shared by Christians, they would be instantly understandable.
This book taught me that with the passing of time, the poets and scholars of Islam built on, elaborated, and found core truths in the Qur’an that anyone who loves God can recognize as beautiful. Muslim mystics developed the understanding that, “God is One. Reality is One. Humanity is One. Guidance is One. Existence is One.” Humanity is like members of one body; All races, classes, genders, and ethnicities are equal. Establishing this equality in our societal structures, however, cannot be achieved in isolation. It is futile to attempt to better the condition of humanity without first tending to the spiritual process of awakening. This awakening requires individuals to take responsibility for their spiritual lives. The Qur’an condemns those who blindly and unquestioningly follow the ways of their forefathers. The purpose of our lives is to know God and to mirror God’s attributes and divine qualities in this realm. Indeed, Muhammad compared his followers to stars that light up the spiritual night. God also desires an intimate relationship with us. The awe-inspiring, majestic quality of God (jalal) is complemented by God’s intimate tenderness (jamal) in his encounter with us. The heart is the earthly throne of God, the Lord of all worlds. Those who wholeheartedly submit their lives to God, who become intoxicated with the “wine” of His love, are not distracted by earthly riches, the promise of Paradise, or the threat of hellfire. No matter what circumstances God tests them with, whether fortune or misfortune, they trust in Him. In particular, reading the account of Muhammad’s ascension, and the poetry and devotion it has inspired, finally showed me why this faith is so loved.
Another reason I loved this book is because it reveals so clearly the soil from which my own Faith sprang. In addition to the high station of the Prophet and the relationship between God and man described above, I found other teachings to be strikingly familiar...for instance, the idea that God has guided humanity through sending prophets and messengers like Abraham, Moses, and Jesus throughout our history. Contemplating the words of the Qur’an led Muslims to understand that the same message was given to all the prophets, so all the prophetic traditions are one and all come from the One God. Since all the Prophets bring the same divine message, we should not differentiate between them or favor one over another. At least in the Sunni tradition, it is believed that the spiritual state of the cosmos gradually devolves with the passage of time after each period of revelation. Muhammad came to refresh humanity’s memory of the sovereignty of God. The Prophet spoke to the people at the level of their understanding, and His teachings progressed as his followers were able to understand more complex concepts. The way Muhammad’s revelation overturned errant practices is symbolically linked with the overturning of the Earth on the Day of Judgment. It is a small step from these insights to the concept of progressive revelation.
This book is a tremendous gift to those with no other window into the heart of Islam. However, as an outsider, I cannot put these views into the larger context of Islam today. Dr. Safi says forthrightly that he is from a Shiite background (although he presents Sunni views in a positive light as well). He also mentions that he is drawn to Sufism. Would the insights he shares be recognizable to Muslims around the world? Only to Persian Muslims? Are they mainly historical? I hope not. In any case, it is a beautiful heritage. If I could make this book assigned reading for all Americans, I would. It would go a long way towards eliminating the prejudice against Islam. You might want to buy an extra copy to share with neighbors who need it!
- Paperback: 352 pages
- Publisher: HarperOne; Reprint edition (November 2, 2010)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0061231355
- ISBN-13: 978-0061231353
- Product Dimensions: 5.3 x 0.8 x 8 inches
- Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
- Average Customer Review: 25 customer reviews
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Amazon Best Sellers Rank:
#855,330 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #166 in Muhammed in Islam
- #5925 in Religious Leader Biographies
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