A Worthy Adversar, Part 8 The Heart is a Battlefield

The title of my khutbah today is “The Heart is a Battlefield”, it is part 8 in the Worthy Adversary series on Iblis.

In the previous khutbah, I spoke on how Sufis believe that while God is closer to us than our jugular vein (Qur’an  50:16), Iblis runs through our veins, as described in the hadith “Inna ‘sh-Shayṭān yajrī min al-insān majrā ‘d-dam.”

Furthermore, based on hadith references, every human is assigned their own personal shaytan. Even the Prophet Muhammad had a shaytan, but his shaytan converted to Islam and only urged the prophet to do good deeds. While we may not be able to get our personal shaytan to convert to Islam like the Prophet, the Sufis believed that these shaytans could be tamed, trained or at least given a wide berth. An essential part of the Sufi education program was to find methods whereby the personal shaytan would have limited or restricted influence over the seeker of truth.

For the Sufis, the arena in which a battle of good versus evil occurs is man’s heart (qalb). The two warring armies consist of God, typically represented by his angel (malak), and Iblis, represented as the enemy (‘adu). Each side tries to win over the individual through reasoned argument, cajoling, desire, perception, and so on. Al-Ghazali stated that neither faction (good vs. evil) has an advantage at the beginning. However, if an individual leans towards the temptations of the enemy, his heart becomes a breeding ground for Iblis. If the individual adheres to the good, the angels will polish his heart. If all of this sounds a bit like a Donald Duck cartoon with a mini good angel on one of Donald’s right shoulders and a little devil on the left shoulder, that is actually a pretty useful mental model. Donald Duck, with his willful behavior and his short fuse when he doesn’t get things to go exactly his way, also points to a reality that extends beyond the realm of waterfowl.

In the Sufi literature, the heart is a malleable instrument, easily disturbed and transformed. In Sufi writings, you will often see the imagery of a fluttering bird, a boiling pot, or a feather lying on the desert floor and tossed about aimlessly by the winds—all of which signify the condition of the human heart. Al-Ghazali lumped hearts into four categories: 1) a heart with a lamp shining brightly within it- the heart of a true believer, 2) a black, inverted heart- that of the unbeliever, 3) an uncircumcised heart attached to its covering- the heart of the hypocrite, and 4) the heart containing many layers of both faith and hypocrisy. Reminds me of an onion, but Al-Ghazali had a different take on it. He believed the layers of faith are like green herbs that would be nourished and made to grow and multiply, whereas the layers of hypocrisy are infected with sores that fester and spread via pus.

When a person sins, according to the Sufis the sin leaves a scar, or black mark, on the surface of heart. Only repentance can polish the heart, remove the sin, and return the heart to its original luster. In this case, it might be helpful to think of the heart as an old fashioned kerosene lamp protected by a big glass chimney or globe. If the glass becomes smudged, less light is available. Al-Ghazali wrote, “These sinful vestiges rise like black smoke to the mirror of the heart, continually accumulating there, time and time again, until the heart is blackened, obscured, and completely veiled from God Most High…” In our current age of electricity, this metaphor of the dirtiness of smoke may lose its power because most of us do not clean smoky glass chimneys or soot stained walls. But try to imagine the air pollution that results from the burning of coal and you may get close to what Al-Ghazali was talking about.

In the Sufi architecture of the heart, there is an outer cover, which is sensitive to sin, and within the heart there is a satanic force which the Sufis closely link to the nafs, or the lower soul as they refer to it. The term nafs is a rather ambiguous term, subject to many interpretations within the greater Muslim tradition and I have spoken about this in a previous sermon (Methodical Soul Imaging).  Even within the mystical Islamic tradition, Sufi writers were not consistent in their definition of nafs. Some ascribed total identity to the nafs with Iblis (ex. Rumi, “The nafs and Satan have been one from the very beginning, and have been envious and hostile to Adam.”).  Others declared the nafs to be Satan’s instrument. Al-Muhasibi wrote, “…for it (the nafs) is a greater enemy to you than Iblis himself, and Iblis gains power over you only by means of it and your consent to it.” The Sufis never offer a precise, universally accepted definition of nafs but that is ok and may not matter too much for their training purposes. Both positions reflect the characteristics of immanence (permeating through the heart) and independence as manifested by Iblis.

The overwhelming Sufi approach to the nafs is to see nafs as the origin of all blameworthy impulses. However, some Quranic scholars have placed the nafs into three different categories:
1. An-nafs al ammara (12:53) “And I declare my soul not innocent. Truly the soul is that which incites to evil except when my Lord has mercy.”
2. Nafs al-lawwama (75:2) “And I swear an oath by the reproachful soul”
3. An-nafs al-mutma’inna (89:27-28) “O soul, one that is at peace! Return to your Lord,…”

The Sufis see nafs in a predominately negative light, an-nafs al-ammara. Al-Ghazali posits the lower soul has four dominant characteristics: 1) propensity to arrogant self-inflation / megalomania 2) a leaning towards deception, ruse, envy, and suspicion 3) gratification of bestial instincts (i.e. food, drink, and sex),  3) claims to being a devoted servant of God.

Rumi compares the Iblis-nafs to an innocent hedgehog who rarely sticks his head out of the burrow for fear of predators. But, when the right opportunity presents itself, the hedgehog rushes out of his burrow, spines erect, and not even the snake can stop him.

In the arena of the heart, the combat between the Iblis-nafs-mini devil and God-malak-angel uses weapons called khawatir or khatarat. Khawatir or khatarat are impulses, ideas, or notions. These impulses do not arise out of any free choice on the part of the individual and are therefore not spiritually beneficial or blameworthy. What is blameworthy is one’s subsequent actions- how you act or do not act on these khawatir. If khawatir do not come from free choice, it sounds like the Sufis are describing, what we would call in the 21st century, the subconscious mind. Or maybe not. In any case, I get the visual image of little arrows- khawatir- that the angel and devil are firing out at each other across the heart battlefield.

Many Sufis believe it is possible to trace a khatir (singular of khatarat) back to a particular source based on the nature of the act suggested, but they concede that there are often situations so ambiguous that it is impossible to decide whether the khatir traces back to Iblis, the nafs, God, the malak or a combination of all four. Al-Kalabadhi offered an introduction to a systematic analysis:

“Some shaykhs claim that there are four types of impulses; an impulse from God, an impulse from the angel, an impulse from the lower soul, and an impulse from the enemy. The one from God is a warning, the one from the angel urges obedience, the one from the lower soul is the call to passion, and the one from the enemy is the embellishment of sin.”

The intensity of the khatir may differ depending on the good or evil source. Al-Junayd remarked
“the difference between it (i.e. the impulse arising from Satan) and the one arising from the lower soul is that the urging of the lower soul continues to plague the individual and does not go away, while the one from Satan goes for a while and then returns to attack…This satanic impulse takes the shape and descends unexpectedly upon a man’s intellect while the impulse of the lower soul is continuous, moving naturally towards passion or ease.”

Al-Junayd points out that one should not assume the impulses of the lower soul are more dangerous because of their chronic quality; it is the acute attack from Satan that man suffers the greatest spiritual harm. Al-Junayd does not distinguish between the spiritual forces of God and the angel, but instead states that there are two characteristics common to all desires which come from the good: they are always in accordance with the Law, and they are embraced with great reluctance.

PAUSE

The Sufis worked out a complete psychological process by which the initial khatir (impulse) is brought into an actualized concrete act. The khatir, arising from a good or evil source, induced the mayl = inclination to a particular act. The mayl culminates in the formation of an intention or action plan,  called al-hamm. Al-Ghazali embellished a bit using slightly different jargon: khatir (impulse), sets desire = raghba, desire prompts firm intention and resolve (‘azm), ‘azm steers the will (niya) towards the movement of the body (a’ḍa).

Although the Sufis developed this causal model of behavior, most shaykhs did not share these philosophical discussions with their followers, or murids. They thought it would distract their novices from the personal concerns that sparked the original inquiry. Instead, Sufi masters would link abstract terms with traditional, concrete concepts.  Al-Ghazali linked negative khawatir with the Quranic waswasa (Iblis’ whispered temptations):

“The messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace!- mentioned the meaning of waswasa. It comprises the notions (khawatir) that come to the mind of the struggling wayfarer…And every notion has a cause which requires a name. The name of the cause of this notion is Satan, and it is not conceivable that a man can be separated from him.”

The Sufi novice, or murid, must be able to recognize and identify the cacophony of confused desires, feelings and suggestions that are felt within oneself. The most important criteria is to be able distinguish the whisperings of the devil versus the impulses of the angel: higher spirit pitted against lower soul. Al-Makki offers a few guidelines: suggestions which urge one to do good are worthy of notice. Impulses that preoccupy and upset the heart, particularly on account of past deeds and future concerns- are most likely to be satanic waswasa, intended only to obscure one’s devotion and trust in God. The more subtle assaults of Iblis consist of worrying about the where, when, or why of beneficial spiritual states. Worrying just makes these spiritual states slip away. If one fights against the bad enemy, God will reward the seeker with intimacy and hostility to Iblis. Al-Ghazali offers a more direct approach to dealing with obsessive waswasa, namely by cultivating an ascetic attitude to subdue the desires and impulses from which the khawatir are derived. Al-Ghazali urges seekers to keep family, earthly goods, and intense fantasy life at an arm’s length and instead rely on God.

New tools to deal with discerning the inner workings on the heart battlefield continue through one’s spiritual journey. Al-Muhasibi described it this way:

“It is like someone who is in great darkness going along the road…His eye are of no use to him without a lamp, nor is the lamp of any use to him without healthy vision. Neither sight nor the lamp are of any use to him if he does not throw up his gaze to where he puts his foot, and proceed with caution. And if he looks up into the sky or turns around, even if his sight is sound and his lamp is shining brightly, he will be like someone with neither sight nor lamp. And if he casts a glance towards the ground without his lamp with him, he will be like someone without sight. Healthy vision is much like the intellect, and the lamp like knowledge. And looking with caution is much like careful procedure in the intellect, seeking to obtain insight through knowledge, and turning attention to what comes to mind in accord with the Qur’an and sunna.” Al-Muhasibi, Kitab ar-ri’aya

The Sufis felt the human heart was a battlefield arising from the mists of impulses and ideas, with constant skirmishes between the forces of good and evil to determine human behavior. It is a confusing place, best described by Shaykha Benetar,

“You're begging me to go
Then making me stay
Why do you hurt me so bad?
It would help me to know
Do I stand in your way
Or am I the best thing you've had?”

My closing du’a is from Quran 18:10 “Our Lord! Give us mercy from Your presence and shape for us right mindedness in our affair.” Ameen
Rabbana atina min ladunka rahmatan wa hayyi’ lana min amrina rashada.

References:
The Sublime Quran, English translation by Laleh Bakhtiar
“Satan’s Tragedy and Redemption: Iblis in Sufi Psychology” by Peter Awn in Studies in the History of Religions (supplement to NUMEN) Vol XLIV, edited by M. Heerma van Voss, EJ Sharpe and RJZ Weblowsky, (Leiden: EJ Brill Publishers) 1983
“Love is a Battlefield”, song lyrics by Pat Benetar

A Worthy Adversary Part 7, The Nutrition Connection

In the previous khutbahs, we have explored the mythic biography of Iblis based on a variety of sources including the Quran, commentary of Quran, hadith, and didactic tales. Another group of Muslims in the Islamic tradition were also fascinated by Iblis, and their discussion and commentary will form the remainder of my khutbahs on Iblis. This group represents an important pillar of our Islamic tradition, and its members refer to themselves as the seekers of religious truth and followers of the mystic Path. This group is the Sufis.

In this metaphysical strand of the Islamic tradition, there is a rich variety of Iblis material which reflects the diversity, complexity, and depth of the Sufi world. Some Sufi writings resonate with the commentary or hadith traditions of which we have already spoken, however these stories often take on a new perspective unique to Sufis. The Sufi contribution to the Iblis biography has further transformed Iblis into an important figure in the religious symbolism of Islam.

The general outline of Iblis’ biography is taken at face value by most Sufis, but particular events and details that concern an individual or a group of Sufis are reiterated.  Some Sufi groups took an interest in Iblis’ ability to take on animal shapes; dogs, frogs, pigs, monkeys. Other Sufi orders gave Iblis a different name or title that focuses on one or more of Satan’s characteristics. For example, in Al-Makki’s work he is called, Al-Batil, “The Worthless One”, while in Al-Kubra he is called Yunaq, “The One Who Flatters with Ruses”.

By far the more compelling interest in Iblis took the form of commentary on Iblis’ progeny and in the all-too effective means of Iblis’ children to dominate man’s spiritual life. The 9^th century Sufi, Abdul-Qadir Al-Jilani, provides Iblis with a wife, Ash-Shaytana, who is formed from his left rib- as per the Eve instruction kit. As a result of the Shaytan-Shaytana union, she lays 31 eggs, which hatch out ten thousand male and female devils, who then spread over land and sea, reproducing like rabbits. Abu Hamid Muhammad ibn Muhammad Al-Ghazali  (also 9^th century) does not give Iblis a wife, instead Al-Ghazali proposes that Satan lays the eggs from which his children hatch. Al-Ghazali’s focusis not on Satan’s reproductive capacity, it is rather an attempt to describe, through the use of narrative, the interference of Satan and his family in man’s inner spiritual development. Like a true parasite, Satan lays his eggs in the hearts of men, and once the young devils hatch they reproduce exponentially. The devils feed on man’s lusts, desires, and passions. Al-Ghazali uses the satanic lifecycle to convey a spiritual allegory on the origin of sensuality and the destruction these lusts and desires wreck on man’s spiritual life. Every expression of passion is a confirmation of humanity’s coexistence with Iblis and his tribe.

“Truly the ones who spend extravagantly have been brothers of satans and Satan was ungrateful to his Lord.” 17:27

In the hadith, children of Iblis are singled out and given names based on their particular duties.  For the Sufis, these duties were important because they signified the spiritual pitfalls than a religious seeker of truth could fall into.The Sufi writers use the same genealogical structure and expand on the names and occupations of the Iblis clan.  Al-Ghazali (following At-Tabari and Muslim) lists Thabr, Al-A’war, Dasim, Zalanbur, Miswat, and Khinzab (or Khinzib) and adding Al-Walhan- the devil who disrupts wudu. Al-Makki only mentions Khinzab, Al-Walhan, and Zalanbur, and adds Al-Munaqid. Al-Munaqid gets men and women to talk about their good deeds so they lose the bonus points they have acquired through them. In a work attributed to Ibn Arabi, the same job is assigned to a different devil, Al-Mutaqadi. Two other satans are also named, ‘Utma, who urinates in the ears of those who sleep through the night, and Kahil, who induces sleep in those who are listening to the teaching of learned men or to the jummah prayer. Farid Ad-Din Attar names one devil Al-Khannas, “The One Who Slinks Away”- a name used for Iblis in Quran 114- in his discussion of At-Tirmidhi and in a story which I will bring up at the end of this khutbah- if Kahil does not put you to sleep by then.

‘Abdul-Qadir Al-Jilani relates a very dramatic Iblis story, which he claims to have come through an impressive list of authorities via A’isha. According to A’isha, when an important group of companions came to the Prophet’s house one day:

The messenger of God-may God bless him and grant him peace! –came out. A terrible fever had taken hold of him; the feverish sweat rolled off him like glistening pearls. Then he wiped his brow and said three times, ‘May God curse the abominable one!’ and bowed his head in silence. ‘Ali- may God be pleased with him!- questioned him, ‘O you who are as dear to me as my father and mother, whom have you just cursed?’ (1)

The prophet then relates the tale of Iblis asexual reproduction resulting the laying of seven eggs with seven child devils, each devil would concentrate his efforts on one segment of humanity. Al-Mudahhish targets the learned men, ulama, whom he seduces with sensual delights. Ḥadith disrupts prayer. Al-Zalabnun (Zalanbur?) is in charge of bazaars, and pickpockets and muggers are under the domain of Batr (Thabr?). Lies, gossip, and tall tales are the workings of Manshut (Miswat?) and Wasim (Dasim?) induces people to indulge in fornication. The last is is Al-A’war who protects thieves and robbers and also convinces people that if they use part of their ill-gotten goods to fulfill their religious obligations of almsgiving they will be forgiven.

The Sufis may have emphasized the inventory and cataloging of shaytans as a way to navigate spiritual progression. Once a shaytan was named, it could potentially be tamed via prayer, recitation of God's name, acts of charity, etc. 

Although the Sufis inventoried the various satanic forces embodied in Satan’s progeny, the pervasive preoccupation with Iblis was centered in Iblis’s intimate relationship with human beings. This relationship is defined by two hadith I have discussed in previous khutbahs namely, 1) each person possesses his or her own personal shaytan (or jinn) and 2) ‘truly Satan flows in man’s very bloodstream’ Inna  ‘sh-Shayṭān yajrī min al-insān majrā ‘d-dam.”

According to the first hadith, each person, including the Prophet himself has his or her own personal shaytan, although in the case of Prophet Muhammad, his personal shaytan became a Muslim and only told him to do good. Al-Muhasibi wrote that this special privilege did not make Muhammad complacent, and he reminds the reader of Quran 5:49:

“And give judgment between them by what God has sent forth and follow not their desires and beware of them so that they tempt you not from some of what God has sent forth to you. And if they turn away, then know that God only wants that he light on them for some of their impieties. And truly many within humanity are ones who disobey.”

If this caveat to beware the temptations of passions is directed at God’s beloved prophet, then Al-Muhasibi warns, imagine how much more, we normal people, must be on guard against any sense of false security that would lower our guard to Iblis.

PAUSE

The second hadith that resounded for Sufis was “truly Satan flows in man’s very bloodstream.” For the Sufis, no man or woman was exempt from this premise, they believed Satan fills human hearts the way air fills an empty bowl.

Although the Sufis psychology of Iblis’ presence at the core of every human could be treated  in abstract terms, often analogies were made which incorporated the most basic and concrete of human physiology. For Al-Makki, the prohibition to Moses from eating animal veins (as documented in the Torah) was a link to Satan’s interior presence in human veins. Al-Makki and Al-Ghazali quote an expanded version of the hadith, which are not found in the bigger collections of Al-Bukhari, Muslim or Ibn Maja, as “truly Satan flows in man’s bloodstream, make narrow his pathways through hunger and thirst.”

This expanded version of the hadith adds an ascetic element, coherent with the Sufi view that the body must be trained to detach itself from worldly pleasures.  Choosing whether to overindulge in food or to abstain is now raised to a spiritual battlefield. Gluttony allows Satan to become part of one’s flesh and blood, whereas fasting provides a shield to starve out the Evil One and render him weak.

“It is revealed that Ibrahim Ibn Adhan- may God’s mercy be upon him!- said, ‘I heard that for a day and night Iblis looked upon Jesus-may peace be upon him!- while he (Jesus) was writhing about. He (Iblis) said,’ How is it I see you writhing about?’ Shall I not bring you some food?’ Jesus answered,’You know well that if I said to these mountains and valleys ‘Become food for me, with God’s permission! Truly they would be. But you are my enemy, and my lower soul is your spy within me. However, I am starving out the spy and weakening it, that it may no longer posses the strength to pass on news about me to you. Truly my going hunger infuriates you! I wish nothing else from the world; and in this state of hunger I recite: I realize that a small loaf/ and a cup of Euphrates water overpowers hunger;/ I realize, too, that hunger is a help in prayer,’ and that a full stomach helps only to lethargy.”(2)

The belief that overeating provides Iblis with the means to occupy and control a human being’s soul is a persistent theme in the writings of many Sufis, including Attar and Rumi. As a warning, many of these stories use extremely graphic and grotesque imagery. The reason for this is the stories are supposed to be a ‘wake-up’ call and push the listener into a state of positive change.

Rumi has a quite shocking Iblis poem which describes a gourmand of lust who has given himself to oral pleasures, “Satan’s fodder.” Once this gourmand is fully enmeshed in a web of desire, his dignity and spiritual worth vanish, the wretched being is left groveling before Satan like a catamite. Resolutions to fast are useless to the one who has the “nose-bag” of Iblis tied to his face. When the death rattle finally overtakes this wretched being his mouth reeks of bad vinegar, like the mouth of Iblis. Rumi’s shocking imagery is intend to

“Wean your infant soul from the devil’s milk;

    Afterward make it join company with the angel.”(3)

Attar uses a fable he attributes to At-Tirmidhi to explain Iblis becoming a permanent component of man’s corporeal self. This myth dramatizes the particular hadith without making a specific reference to it.

After Adam and Eve have sinned and then made their peace with God, they are busily engaged in the work of this world. One day Adam goes off to work, and Iblis comes to visit Eve, bringing along his son, Al-Khannas.

“Iblis said, ‘Something important has come up. Please watch my son until I come back.’ Even agreed and Iblis went on his way. When Adam came back, he asked, ‘Who is this?’ She said, ‘It is the child of Iblis, he has been left in my care.’ Adam reproached her, ‘Why did you agree?’ He flew into a rage, killed the child, chopped him into pieces, and hung each piece from the branch of a tree. Iblis came back and asked, ‘Where is my child?’ Eve told him the whole story. ‘He has been cut into piece and each piece has been hung from the branch of a tree.’ Iblis called out to his child and he was joined back together. Alive once again he stood before Iblis. Another time he addressed Eve. ‘Here, take him; I have something else important to do.’ Eve refused. He kept after her with entreaty and lament until she agreed. Then Iblis went on his way. Adam returned and asked her, ‘Who is this?’ Eve tole the whole story. Adam berated her and said, ‘I do not know what the secret is in this affair. My order you reject, but the one from God’s enemy you accept, and you are beguiled by his words!’ Thereupon he killed the child and burned him. Half of his ashes he threw in the water and half he flung to the winds, then he left.”

Iblis returns and resurrects his son from the ashes, then asks Eve to watch over him. But she refuses because now she fears Adam’s anger. “He will destroy me!’ she pleads. Iblis reassures her, and she agrees, unable to resist Iblis’ power. Adam returns and he’s furious. He’s at his wit’s end and he comes to a permanent solution

“Adam killed Khannas and fried him; he ate half himself and gave Eve the other half to eat…When Iblis returned and asked him for his child, Eve recounted the whole tale. ‘He killed him and fried him. I ate half and Adam ate half.’ Iblis said, “This was exactly my intention in order that I might have access to man’s interior! Since his breast is now my abode, my goal is achieved.”(4)

This tale goes back to the earliest texts; Iblis has mingled himself within the fabric of each human and continues to do so. The mingling is symbolized by the eating process. Attar’s version implies that the sharing of ‘sacred’ food possesses transforming qualities, yet here the good is the food of death, and the transformation is one of spiritual degradation. The myth can be interpreted at different levels, but the central focus is the need to explain Iblis’ link with humans.

All the Sufi imagery used to describe Satan’s relationship within humans has been concrete; flowing blood, veins, food, gluttony, starvation, cannibalism. In the next khutbah, I will examine traditions that integrate Iblis into a more abstract and psychological prototype.

References:

The Sublime Quran, an English translation by Layla Bakhtiar

“Satan’s Tragedy and Redemption: Iblis in Sufi Psychology” by Peter Awn in Studies in the History of Religions (supplement to NUMEN) Vol XLIV, edited by M. Heerma van Voss, EJ Sharpe and RJZ Weblowsky, (Leiden: EJ Brill Publishers) 1983

 (1)‘Abd Al-Qadir Al-Jilani, Al-Ghunya li talibi tariq al-haqq, 2 vol

(2) Abu Talib Muhammad Ibn Ali Atiya Al-Harithi Al-Makki, Qut al-qulub 2 vol. and Ilm al-qulub.

(3) Jalal ad-Din Rumi, Kulliyat-I diwan-I Shams-I Tabrizi  ed. Badi Azx-Zaman Furuzanfar and Ali Dashti (Tehran) pp 1065-1066 #2879 and #3250

(4) Farid Ad-Din Attar Nayshaburi, Tadhkirat al-awliya

Abu Hamid Muhammad Ibn Muhammad Al-Ghazali, Ihya ‘ulum ad-din 5 vol, 40 books

Muhyi ‘d-Din Ibn ‘Arabi, Shajarat al-kawm, containing a short treatise called Hikayat Iblis

Balance and the Middle Way

Al- Fathiha - recite

Al-Baqara

Wa kadhalika ja’alnakum ‘ummatanw-wasatal-litakunu shuhadaa’a alan-nasi wa yakunar-Rasulu alaykum shahida. 

And thus have We willed you to be a community of the middle way, so that you might bear witness to the truth before all mankind, and that the Apostle might bear witness to it before you.  2:143

This verse from Surah al-Baqara is familiar to most Muslims, and is often cited to position Islam as a religion of balance, i.e. not overly formalistic as Judaism, nor overly permissive as Christianity.  This interpretation however, does not reflect the meaning of the verse in context.  It is situated within a series of ayat that acknowledge distinctions between followers of the revelations of Prophet Mohammed, pbuh, and followers of the religions that came before.  More specifically, verses 142 – 150 instruct the Prophet to turn his direction of prayer toward the Kabah, and no longer toward Jerusalem. 

That said, this is one of those verses that is taken by many to have a much broader meaning in and of itself.  Mohamed Asad writes:

“Middlemost community” is a community that keeps an equitable balance between extremes and is realistic in its appreciation of man’s nature and possibilities, rejecting both licentiousness and exaggerated asceticism.  In tune with its oft-repeated call to moderation in every aspect of life, the Quran exhorts the believers not to place too great an emphasis on the physical and material aspects of their lives, but postulates, at the same time, that man’s urges and desires relating to this “life of the flesh” are God-willed and, therefore, legitimate.  On further analysis, the expression “a community of the middle way” might be said to summarize, as it were, the Islamic attitude towards the problem of man’s existence as such:  a denial of the view that there is an inherent conflict between the spirit and the flesh, and a bold affirmation of the natural, God-willed unity in this twofold aspect of human life.  This balanced attitude, peculiar to Islam, flows directly from the concept of God’s oneness and, hence, of the unity of purpose underlying all His creation; and thus, the mention of the “community of the middle way” at this place is a fitting introduction to the theme of the Kabah, a symbol of God’s oneness.”

Asad, and others who similarly extract expanded meaning from this verse, may be over-reaching.  But he is not deviating from the general Islamic value of maintaining balance in life, balance which can be extended to any number of dimensions.   I will give more examples of how balance is referenced in the Quran, and in the Prophet’s life, but first let me say something about Asad’s assertion that this balanced attitude “is peculiar to Islam.”

Here are just a few of many possible quotes:

Thomas Merton – “Happiness is not a matter of intensity but of balance, order, rhythm and harmony.”

Aristotle – “It is better to rise from life as from a banquet – neither thirsty nor drunken.”

Shakespeare – “They are sick that surfeit with too much, as they that starved with nothing.”

Confucius – “To go beyond is as wrong as to fall short.”

Finding the middle way, or balanced attitude, it would seem, is a notion as old as philosophy itself.  And yet, it is an attitude that is so difficult for us humans to maintain that God’s revelations in Quran remind us repeatedly of its importance.

We read in Surah Al-Araf:

Children of Adam!  Beautify yourselves for every act of worship, and eat and drink freely, but do not waste: verily, God does not love the wasteful.  7:31

Say:  “Who is there to forbid the beauty which God has brought forth for His creatures, and the good things from among the means of sustenance?”

Say:  “They are lawful in the life of this world unto all who have attained to faith – to be theirs alone on Resurrection Day.”  Thus clearly do We spell out these messages unto people of innate knowledge! 7:32

There is a story in the Seerah – the life of the Prophet, pbuh, of three young men who decided to camp in one of the mosques in Medinah, to not leave the mosque but spend as much time as they could praying, fasting, and not getting married.  The Prophet heard about it so he brought them to his mosque and told them, “I fast sometimes, but I don’t fast sometimes.  I pray some nights and I sleep other nights, and I am married to women.  I am the Prophet of Allah and I am the closest of all of you to Allah.”  In other words, he told them, exaggerated piety will not get you closer to God. 

There is another story, this one about Abu Bakr.  He used to pray aloud in his backyard in Makkah.  In fact he was so loud that it disturbed his non-Muslim neighbor, whose complaints came back to the Prophet.  This ayah came in response:

Surah Al-Israa

Say:  “Invoke God, or invoke the Most Gracious: by whichever name you invoke Him, He is always the One – for His are all the attributes of perfection.”

And pray unto Him; yet be not too loud in thy prayer nor speak it in too low a voice, but follow a way in-between;  17:110

Of course we can find other examples of the benefits of balance and moderation in Quran.  But let’s come back to the present.  The challenge of finding balance in life has not diminished over time.   We all struggle with it – finding balance between work and family life, between material concerns and spirituality, between indulgence and restraint.  If you do a search on the Internet for “life balance,” you immediately see just how widespread this notion is now in our culture of pop psychology.  The focus is on “mindfulness,” “awareness,” “work-life balance,” “internal vs. external balance,” and there are myriad lists of techniques to practice to help you achieve it.  Consider the image of a gymnast on a balance beam.  Staying on that beam takes work – practice, and the tenacity to get back on the beam every time you fall, because falling off is part of the training process. 

Achieving balance in life is not just an Islamic ideal, of course.  It is a human ideal.  However, as Muslims, we have both special challenges to maintaining our sense of balance and equilibrium in this world, and special resources to help us do so.

I do not need to elaborate too much on the challenges we face as Muslims in 2016.  On the one hand, we suffer from the weight of a history that has given rise to very unbalanced interpretations of our faith – extremism that has led to demonization and violence against the civilization that nourishes and sustains us.  On the other hand, the unbalanced reaction to this extremism is the demonization of our faith and those of us who practice it, especially by those who seek to gain political advantage in doing so.  It is not easy to be Muslim these days.  Muslims are falling off the balance beam in both directions – young people who get recruited into extremism, and many more who leave faith altogether. 

Maintaining balance takes work, and courage.  Please indulge me to share the story of someone who is, in his own creative way, trying to maintain balance in a country unbalanced to extremes.  We have the special joy today of having one of our nephews with us from Egypt, Amr.  Amr could have continued his successful career as a financial advisor in Egypt, focusing solely on material gain in a society that has become dangerously oppressive and intolerant to anyone who hopes for freedom of expression.   But Amr has intuitively, and intelligently reacted to that oppression by launching a new career for himself as a travel writer for Egyptians – he will be sharing with them a hopeful vision of a free life on the road.  At first glance this might seem frivolous, since most Egyptians will never be able to leave their country.  But by sharing a window to other worlds, he will give them a sense of the possibility of other ways of being, and hopefully, a sense of balance. 

Amr is not using Islam per se to guide his new adventure.  But he is using his faith, faith that has given him the personal strength to take the risks he is taking to achieve his goals.  Faith is key, but I find that Islam also gives us specific tools to help maintain balance in this crazy world; at least it has for me.  In fact, one of those tools helped bring me into this faith.  Please indulge me again, with a more personal story.  As most of you know, I was raised as a Unitarian.  Unitarianism is a very intellectually oriented faith tradition.  The focus is on thinking, exploration, and “finding one’s own path.”  As I became an adult, I took the exploration seriously, and investigated all kinds of other faith traditions, looking for more reassurance, more comfort than constant questioning could offer.  I became fascinated for a time with the realm of spiritualism, and read everything I could find about psychics and supernatural phenomenon.  I even went to visit a psychic, someone who was followed by dear family friends who were Christian ministers.  Elwood Babbit of New Hampshire went into a trance in front of me, “left his body,” and “channeled” the spirit of Dr. Fisher, an 18^th century physician who explained to me that the struggles I had been having with my father were left over from a previous lifetime, in which he and I were brothers, Seminole Indians in what is now Florida, and we had fought with each other during those lives.  The reading gave me a sense of peace at the time.  It allowed me to view our relationship from a different perspective – from a “therapeutic” distance.  But after awhile, I grew to feel uneasy about it.  Even if this experience was “real,” how could I trust it?  I had no tools with which to discern what was real and what could be fabricated in this world of psychic spiritualism.  And that was potentially dangerous.  It was at this point that I began to read about Islam.  And in Quran I found Surah al Falaq:

Qul a’udhu beRabbil-falaq.

Min sharri ma khalaq.

Wa min sharri ghasiqin idha waqab.

Wa min sharrin naffathati fil uqad,

Wa min-sharri hasidin idha hasad.

Say:  I seek refuge with the Sustainer of the rising dawn.

From the evil of aught that He has created,

And from the evil of the black darkness whenever it descends,

And from the evil of all human beings bent on occult endeavors. 

And from the evil of the envious when he envies.  113:1-5

As I read more about Islam, I realized that this is a religion that does not deny or minimize the power of the spiritual world, in which I had come to absolutely believe.  But Islam also provides a perspective on the nature and limitations of human beings in our relationship to the world of spirit, which I had also come to recognize with absolute certainty. 

Over the years, I have found that the tools of practicing faith in Islam have helped me, both personally and even as an adherent to a widely misrepresented and mistrusted faith.  Here are just a few examples:

From Quran, for those who would misuse our faith for violent ends:

Surah Al-Maa’idah

You who have attained to faith!  Be ever steadfast in your devotion to God, bearing witness to the truth in all equity; and never let hatred of anyone lead you into the sin of deviating from justice.  Be just:  this is closest to being God-conscious.  And remain conscious of God:  verily, God is aware of all that you do.  5:8

From Quran, regarding those who play on fear and hatred for their own political gain, to boast about their own power and prowess:

Surah Luqman

God granted wisdom to the sage Luqman, who shared it with his son.  Among the advice he gave is the following, as documented in Quran:

And turn not thy cheek away from people in false pride, and walk not haughtily on earth:  for behold, God does not love anyone who, out of self-conceit, acts in a boastful manner.  31:18

“Hence, be modest in thy bearing, and lower thy voice:  for, behold, the ugliest of all voices is the loud voice of asses…”  31:19

I find comfort in these words, and many other verses I find in Quran, even if I am reading them out of context.  In fact, whenever I look in Quran for words of comfort, I can invariably find something that applies, even if the words were revealed for a different circumstance.  I believe that Quran can be useful in this way, as long as we use the verses to good purpose, even while  I understand that it is important to know the historical context of Quranic revelation, to the degree that it is possible.

But the other aspect of Islam that has helped to keep me balanced is a different, a very practical tool – the one we are using here today – the tool of prayer.   Here is another quote from a non-Muslim, Francis J. Braceland – “We can be sure that the greatest hope for maintaining equilibrium in the face of any situation rests within ourselves.”  This is true, but when we are suffering, it is hard to find the strength within to get ourselves back on track.  This is where I have found prayer so helpful.  Many times I face prayer reluctantly, as a chore, an encumbrance – especially when I am in a hurry, or feeling disillusioned about my faith.   Another, anonymous quote says “The key to keeping your balance is knowing when you’ve lost it.”  When I find myself feeling prayer as a burden, I know I’ve lost my balance.  It is only my commitment to God that I would pray the Muslim prayers, that keeps me doing it at those times.  I take that commitment as sacred, and so I make myself pray.  I get back on the beam, and I invariably find that, even if I begin with impatience, or my mind wanders around my practical cares and worries, by the end of the prayer, I have once again made a connection to God, the beam feels more like a pathway, and I am brought back to center. 

And so, I end as I began, with the opening verse of Quran, Surah al-Fatihah:

Bismil lahir Rahmanir Rahim

Alhamdu lillahi Rabbil alamin.

Arrahmani Rahim

Maliki Yawminid Din.

Iyyaka na budu wa Iyyaka nasta in.

Ihdinas siratal mustaqim.

Siratal-ladhina an amta alayhim ghayril maghdubi alayhim wa lad daaliin.

All praise is due to God alone, the Sustainer of the worlds,

The Most Gracious, the most Merciful,

Lord of the Day of Judgment.

Thee alone do we worship; and unto Thee alone do we turn for aid.

Guide us on the straight path,

The path of those on whom You have bestowed Your blessings,

Not of those who are condemned, nor of those who go astray.  1:1-7

Oh God, help us to keep balance in all the aspects of our lives.  Guide us on your path – the straight path, the middle path, the path of balance in all things.

Saddaq Allahu al Azeem.  Ameen.

A Worthy Adversary, Part 6 Evil Influences on the Mundane

The title of my khutbah today is Evil Influences on the Mundane. It is part 6 of A Worthy Adversary series.

In this khutbah, I will continue to review the hadith literature to give an overview of the presence of Iblis in daily life, the times of the day Iblis or Ash-Shaytan is most effective, and the defenses God offers believers to combat this persistent foe. To reiterate from my previous khutbah, the hadith are part of our tradition, whether we agree with it or not.  For many centuries, the hadith have been grounded in a consensus of certainty- this is how Ibn Rushd defines orthodoxy, the consensus of certainty.  However, with new sources of knowledge in the scientific, medical and technological realms, this consensus has broken down between Muslims. While you will find some Muslims who strongly adhere to hadith, you will also find Muslims who barely pay any attention to hadith. Hadith are not necessary for their daily spiritual practice. Nevertheless, I think it is important to understand the historical overview of the hadith tradition regarding the source of evil and the prescriptive measures for how to combat it. I do this so you can be sensitive to how particular theories regarding the nature of evil can direct human actions. For example, if you’ve ever had an aunty get hopping mad at you for walking in front of her while she was praying, I think you will understand the source of her anger by the end of this khutbah.

The hadith consistently emphasize the efficacy of prayer as defense to all satanic temptations. According to hadith, Satan need only hear the call to prayer to be struck down with revulsion, rendered impotent, and he quickly retreats on the wind before further damage can be done . Prayer affirms the believer’s allegiance to God and rejection of Satan’s seductive webs.

Ibrahim Ibn Al-Mustamirr Al-‘Uriqi told us, ‘My father related that ‘Ubays Ibn Maymun related that ‘Awn al-‘Uqayli related form Abu Uthman An-Nahdi, from Salman who said, “I heard the messenger of God-may God bless him and grant him peace!- say ‘He who leaves early for morning prayer, leaves under the banner of faith. But he who leaves early for the bazaar, leaves under the banner of Iblis.” --Ibn Maja, Sunan, 2:751 #2234

Since prayer is so effective at driving Satan out, Satan must work hard to weaken the prayer link between God and man. Therefore, the act of prayer is constantly attacked. Although Satan initially withdraws upon hearing the call to prayer, this is only a temporary set back, a strategic maneuver. Satan soon returns to whisper distractions (waswasa). When an individual becomes drowsy, inattentive, forgets the proper counting and sequence of prostrations and invocations, then Satan has done his job. If this happens to you, the hadith recommend that the individual perform two prostrations and continue on with prayer. The simple remedy will completely frustrate Satan’s efforts to distract the believer engaged in daily prayers.

According to the hadith literature, Satan’s attack on the prayer can externalize itself. If a person engaged in prayer allows another person to come into his presence and interrupt his recitation, then the offender must be immediately driven off, for he or she is a minion of Satan himself. In addition to apparitions of Satan in human form, he also appears as an animal, most often in the shape of a black dog. When a black dog disrupts a person’s prayer, the dog should be put to death as it is a sign of the devil.

In the hadith world view, Ash-Shaytan permeates even the most mundane levels of human existence. Ash-Shaytan is a constant companion through the daily routine.Therefore, a wide variety of du’as and formulaic invocations must be applied in order to prevent Satan from getting a foothold in the believer's heart. A Muslim must pronounce the name of God on entering his house, otherwise Satan will become his houseguest. God’s name must be invoked before eating, otherwise Satan becomes the constant dinner guest. Satan uses his left hand to eat, drink and taste, therefore Muslims can never use the left hand whilst dining. If food falls on the floor it is not proper to discard it all. Remove what was soiled, but eat the rest- otherwise you will be providing more food for Satan. I guess this makes the hadith supporters of the 5 second rule. Satan not only meddles with the meal, he also tries to tempt people into consuming what has been prohibited by divine law.

“Ibn Abi ‘Umar related to us that Sufyan related from Ayyub from Muhammad, from Anas who said, “When the messenger of God-may God bless him and grant him peace!- captured Khaybar we grabbed donkeys as they were coming out of the village. Then we cooked some of them. The spokesman of God’s messenger- may God bless him and grant him peace- cried out ‘Does not God and His messenger forbid you this? For truly it is filth from Satan’s work!” The pots with their contents were overturned and what was in them kept gushing out. “--Muslim, Al-Jami’ as-sahih, 6:65 Note: Donkey meat as well as the braying sound of a donkey are associated with Shaytan.

The hadith abound with prescriptions to counteract ritual impurity, because if there is impurity, then Ash-Shaytan is behind it.

The hadith are emphatic that Muslims must take refuge in God and in His law if they are to avoid the daily pitfalls that Satan prepares for them every minute of the day, and some times of day are more vulnerable than others. The transitions from light to darkness or darkness to light are periods of heightened satanic influence, although darkness is the most potent time for all things Ash-Shaytan.

Prayer should cease during the time of sunrise and sunset, as these are the times when the doors of Hell are opened up and Hell is also starting to heat up. After sunset, Satan wanders about freely at night. The house must be protected from Satan’s entry- lock doors, fasten waterskins and make sure the lids are tight on jars. According to hadith, Satan cannot loosen what has been firmly tied. Sunrise is the time of greatest discord between men (al-fitna).

“’Abd Allah Ibn Maslama related to us from Malik, from ‘Abd Alah Ibn Dinar, from ‘Abd Allah Ibn ‘Umar- may God be pleased with them both- who said, ‘I saw the messenger of God- may God bless him and grant him peace!- pointing towards the East. And he said, ‘Right there, truly discord is right there. Yes, discord is from right there where the horn of Satan rises.” Al Bukhari, Sahih 4:150.

The  distructive impact of fitna on the community and social subunits (family, etc) is a vivid and detailed concern of hadith manuals. For Iblis, fitna is an opportunity, from which he will send forth armies of devils to encourage discord among believers.

“Abu Kurayb Muhammad Ibn Al-‘Ala and Ishaq Ibn Ibrahim both said, ‘Abu Mu’awiya told us that al’A’mash related to us from Abu Sufyan from Jabir who said that the messenger of God- may God bless him and grant him peace!- said, ‘Iblis places his throne upon the waters. Then he sends forth his flying columns. To those who are best at sowing discord, he has granted a place close to him. One of them comes and says,’ I have done such and such’. Then he replies, ‘You have not accomplished anything.’ He said, “then another of them comes and says, ‘I did not leave him until I had caused division between him and his wife.’ He said, ‘Then Iblis brings him close to himself and says, ‘You have done well’”  Muslim, Al Jami’ as-sahih 8:138.

Anything that is contrary to proper conduct is also Satan’s work. Gambling and other games of chance were invented by Satan, as was frivolous talk and poetry. Famous hadith relate that Mohammad said, “…a man’s belly be full of pus is better for him than is being full of poetry!” (Muslim, Al-Jami’ as-sahih, 7:50).This is one example where I run into problems with hadith, and its not just because I like poetry. There are plenty of hadith that discourage participation in ancient traditions such as poetry, music, dancing, sculpture and painting. For me, there are far more dangerous influences on proper conduct in the 21st century than these activities. Sometimes I feel like Muslims are eager to accept new technology unquestioningly, because there are no prohibitions on it, no hadith to tell you not to do it. So when it comes to the things I worry about, such as propaganda, advertising, the use of social media to rob of us of our privacy and to radicalize our youth, on these topics, hadith are silent.

PAUSE

Since most of us are not as fortunate as Prophet Muhammad to have our hearts cleansed of evil influence by Jibreel, nor do we have our companion satan converted to Islam, according to hadith, the rest of us must seek refuge in God and perform extra ritual acts to escape Satan’s power.

Prayer is the most effective weapon at providing relief from satanic influences, and particular prayers are proscribed as protection against certain kinds of attacks. The first part of the shahada, la ilah illa ‘ilah, repeated many times is a general, all effective prayer against many different evils.

In addition to the shield of words, there is also the shield of sacred time, particularly the month of Ramadan.

“Yahya Ibn Bukayr related to us that Al-Layth related to us and said ‘Uqayl told me from Ibn Shihab who said Ibn Abi Anas, the muwla of the Taymi, told me that his father told him that he heard Abu Hurayra- may God be pleased with him!- say that the messenger of God- may God bless him and grant him peace!- said, ‘When Ramadan has begun, the doors of Paradise are opened and the doors of Hell are locked. The devils (ash-shayatin) are chained up.” Al Bukhari, Sahih 4:149-150.

Along with sacred words and sacred time, sacred places can be added. The Arabian Peninsula is the cradle of Islam, and all those who pray there are endowed with divine protection. Within the peninsula, the holy city of Mecca is the focal point where a believer senses most profoundly God’s mercy and refuge from Ash-Shaytan.

Nevertheless, despite the power of sacred words, time, and location, the interior state of the individual is what matters most. Hypocrites and unbelievers can perform prayers, fasts, and pilgrimages, but these acts increase their condemnation, not salvation. According to hadith, Trust in God and confidence in His Word are inner qualities and believers must accept God’s decrees with no ‘ifs’ or ‘buts’, the ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’ are Satan’s creation. In contrast to Iblis, believers must show humble trust and confidence in God’s will (irada) and command (amr). Every bow a Muslim makes during prayer is a reminder to Iblis of the confrontation that initiated his downfall.

“Abu Bakr Ibn Abi Shayb related to us that Abu Mu’awiya related from Al-A’mash, from Abu Salih, from Abu Hurayra who said that the messenger of God- may God bless him and grant him peace!- said, ‘When the son of Adam read about the prostration, he prostrated. Then Ash-Shaytan stood off at a distance and cried saying, ‘Woe to him!’ the son of Adam was ordered to prostrate and he prostrated. Now Paradise is his. I was ordered to prostrate and I refused. So the fire is mine!” Ibn Maja, Sunan 1:334 #1052

Man is weak and obedience to God’s will does not come easily to him. Iblis is constantly planning clever deceptions, forever committed to bring mankind into hellfire. Man’s ultimate victory can only be found through God’s mercy and God’s compassion, and God’s willingness to forgive man’s many mistakes. God’s forgiveness renders Iblis impotent, but God must patiently wait for men to repent first before He can give them His compassion and mercy.

“Then Muhammad said, ‘When the enemy of God, Iblis, learned that God the All-Powerful, the Sublime, had answered my prayer and forgiven my community, he took dirt and began pouring it on his head and making loud laments. The sight of his anguish made me laugh!” Ibn Maja, Sunan 2:1002 #3013

God’s mercy and forgiveness cannot be emptied, His heart does not harden. The hadith tell a story of a serial killer who had murdered ninety-nine people. This killer wanted to repent, but he was uncertain if penitence was still possible. He asked a famous sage “Is there any repentance left for such as me?” The sage was shocked, “After 99 murders?” The killer became enraged at this response, unsheathed his sword, and killed the sage right there. Now his body count was at 100.

   Soon after the sage’s decapitation, the killer felt remorseful, and sought out another man of wisdom. “I have killed 100 people,” he said, “is there any repentance possible for me?”.  Now this wise man was extremely wise, and he told the murderer, “Who would dare interfere between you and your repentance?” Then he advised the killer that in order to repent he needed to leave the evil environment of this village (where the wise man lived) and proceed onto the next village and worship the Lord there in a more righteous environment. The killer set out, but death overtook him on the way to the good village. Immediately, Iblis and the Angel of Mercy began to fight over who would possess the killer’s soul.

“Iblis said, ‘I have power over him! He never renounced his obedience to me for an instant.’ The Angel of Mercy argued, ‘But he left the village repentant’ and so they kept quarreling. ..God said, ‘Go, look. Which of the two villages was the closest (to him when he died)? Attach him to its people.’ When death had appeared to him he had urged himself on. He drew near to the righteous village and put far from himself the wicked village. And so they numbered him among the people of the righteous village.”--Ibn Maja, Sanan ,2:875 #2622

I would like to end my exploration of Ash-Shaytan in the the hadith traditions with an observation. While I do not agree with many of the hadith prescriptions and recommendations, underlying the foundation of hadith is the assumption that humans cannot control everything. This is a humbling and important reminder of our limitations.The Quran says,

“Don’t they see that We affect the land and reduce its borders? God decides, and none can reverse His judgment. He is quick to take account. Those who lived before made plots, but God controls all plotting. He knows the works of every soul and the ones who are ungrateful will know for whom is the Ultimate Abode.” 13:41-42

Unfortunately, the futility of humans controlling everything is something we have forgotten in our current era. We assume that because we can control some aspects of our world, we ought to be able to control everything. And once we have this idea of total control, it translates into comodifying  everything: everything has a price, everything can be manipulated to our desire. The result of this totalitarian idea of control results in enormous spiritual misery, abuse of power, and moral degeneracy.  Humans need to remember that when we try and control everything on a large scale, we screw it up. If you doubt me, take a look at what unsustainable agricultural practices do to our environment. The ambition to control everything is suicidal, the result is as Henry David Thoreau wrote, “Lo! Men have become tools of their tools.” The poet Wendell Barry wrote,

“Human control on any grand scale is impossible, and the technological and political controls that are possible are frequently the opposite of order; any viable human order must come to terms with the impossibility of absolute control.” – from the essay “The Specialization of Poetry”

My closing du’a is from Quran 3:8 “Our Lord! Do not make our hearts deviate after You have guided us and bestow on us mercy. Truly You alone are the Giver.” Amen.