2. Climbing into Emptiness

3. The Ascent Within

4. Where Heaven Meets Earth

5. Not to Conquer, but to Surrender

6. The Call of the Mountain

7. Footsteps on the Path

8. Between Ice and Light

9. The Sacred Climb

10. Higher Than Everest

Daily Practice: The Art of Stumbling Gracefully

Today, when you inevitably fall short of your own expectations, whether you lose your temper, waste time, or struggle with your fast, do not turn away from God in shame. Instead, practice Immediate Return. Catch the moment of failure, pause, and present your weakness to God without excuses. Say, internally or aloud: "O Sustainer, this is my poverty. I bring my brokenness to Your generosity." Do not wallow in guilt. Imagine the laughter of the Prophet ﷺ, a laughter of expansive mercy, making your affair light. Let your mistake make you humble, soften your heart toward the mistakes of others, and then simply begin again.

Journaling Prompt

Think of a time recently when you felt you deeply failed yourself or God. How did you react? Did you try to hide, or did you try to overcompensate? What would it look like to bring that exact failure directly to Al-Kareem (الكريم), asking Him to transform it into a moment of grace? Write down the honest words you would say.

Humaira Masihuddin is a lawyer based in Islamabad and holds LLM in Public International Law from the University of London, LLB (shariah and law) from the International Islamic University, MA in Cultural Anthropology from University of Pittsburgh USA and an MSC in Criminal Justice Studies from University of Leicester in UK. She is a criminologist cum victimologist and and has been visiting faculty in a number of law enforcement and security training schools including, Punjab Police College Sihala, Police Training School in Islamabad, Federal Police Academy and the Federal Judicial Academy, Defence services academy. 

She started judicial trainings in 2006 and has since then trained Family court judges, Additional District and session judges, ATC judges and prosecutors in diverse subjects such as Therapeutic jurisprudence, guardianship and custody issues, women specific legislation Etc., 

She has twenty three years of experience as a trainer in the criminal justice system and has besides judges trained police officers, lawyers , prison staff and investigators She regularly imparts trainings on Theories of Criminality, Criminology of violent extremism and Terrorism, Interrogation, Victimology, Gender based violence, Policing of Vulnerable Groups and fundamental rights in the constitution of Pakistan. Diverse topics including the concept of Multiculturalism and Pluralism with special reference to Islamic teachings, Human Rights, Rights of Minorities in Islam and other topics are also taught by her on various forums as part of her social engineering project. 

Humaira has worked on a wide range of issues as a consultant for various organizations including enabling environment for minorities in electoral and political processes, She was Technical advisor for project Police Awam Saath Saath, assignment included sharing of media products with police , lawyers and others , research on police heroes and best practices. Sexual harassment at the work place. Procedural defects in laws related to offenses against religions, comparative study of Blasphemy laws in Pakistan, Iran, Bangladesh and India. Pluralism and treatment of minorities, Trafficking, Child sexual abuse. Street children and prevention of HIV/ AIDS.

Podcast Summary:

In this episode of The Hikmah Project Podcast, host Saqib Safdar warmly welcomes lawyer and scholar Humera Nasihadin to explore the life and philosophy of one of the East's greatest visionaries—Allama Muhammad Iqbal. Saqib, a long-time admirer of Iqbal's work, introduces Humera as an expert who has been studying and teaching Iqbal for over two decades. With degrees in law, anthropology, and Sharia, she brings a unique perspective to Iqbal's deep, multi-faceted thought.

The conversation spans Iqbal’s significant contributions to poetry, philosophy, and Islamic thought, focusing on his key concepts like Khudi (selfhood) and his deep spiritual connection to Rumi. Humera discusses how Iqbal drew inspiration from the Qur'an, blending traditional Islamic values with a forward-looking vision to meet the challenges of modernity. She explains that Iqbal’s poetry is not just to be understood intellectually but felt deeply, as it touches the soul and offers universal insights.

Together, Saqib and Humera recite and analyze some of Iqbal’s most poignant verses, bringing out their relevance to contemporary issues like nationalism and the Palestinian cause. Humera highlights Iqbal’s role as a spiritual and philosophical leader whose timeless wisdom continues to inspire generations. She also shares personal anecdotes about how Iqbal's influence extended beyond the intellectual to deeply spiritual realms, resonating with anyone seeking to understand the profound relationship between humanity and the Divine.

The episode concludes with reflections on how to study Iqbal today, especially for younger generations who may lack access to the Urdu language, but whose thirst for his teachings remains strong. Iqbal's message of self-actualization, love for the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), and unity of the Muslim Ummah remains as relevant today as ever.

Please visit www.thehikmahproject.com for full notes

Introduction:

• Mark’s book, Heart-Centered Business, is dedicated to Al Amin, highlighting the deep trust and love Mark strives to embody in commerce and life.

Mark Silver's Journey:

• Raised in a Jewish family, Mark dreamed of becoming a rabbi but felt something was missing.
• While exploring deeper spirituality and starting his journey with business owners, he encountered Sufism through teachers from the lineage of Sheikh Muhammad Jamal.
• Initially, Mark struggled with his transition from Judaism to Sufism, feeling conflicted about betraying his heritage.
• A profound spiritual experience led him to fully embrace Sufism, taking shahada and finding healing between his Jewish and Islamic identities.

Sufism and Business:

• Sufism’s teachings deeply influenced Mark’s approach to business, focusing on love, integrity, and the sacredness of relationships.
• He emphasizes that business, often seen as detached from spirituality, can be an act of love and service, challenging modern capitalism’s toxicity.

Heart-Centered Business:

• Mark founded Heart of Business in 2001 to help entrepreneurs integrate spirituality with the practical aspects of running a business.
• His approach involves seeing business as a dynamic set of relationships, not just transactions, encouraging entrepreneurs to cultivate curiosity, compassion, and a healthy relationship with money.

Key Themes and Quotes:

1. Dedication to Al Amin:

• Mark admires the trustworthiness and integrity of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), striving to embody these qualities in his business practices.

1. Love in Business:

• Love, if unleashed, could transform the world of business, making it a part of a culture that lifts and serves everyone.

1. Essence of Business:

• Business lies in the aliveness of relationships, not just in transactions or systems.

1. Healthy Relationships:

• Healthy businesses necessitate healthy relationships, avoiding the pitfalls of unhealthy dynamics.

1. Curiosity and Shame:

• Cultivating curiosity is crucial as it shifts the internal narrative, softening judgment, and opening the heart to truth and possibility, countering shame.

1. Seeing the Divine in Business:

• Every aspect of business, including clients, colleagues, and even money, should be viewed as an expression of the divine.

Practical Application:

• Mark's work involves practical business coaching, spiritual guidance, and retreats to help entrepreneurs align their business practices with their spiritual values.
• His virtual retreats offer a space for deep spiritual practice, helping participants gain insights and make decisions aligned with their heart’s guidance.

Conclusion:

• Saqib and Mark discuss the importance of integrating spirituality with business, emphasizing that such integration can lead to profound transformation and healing in the business world.
• Listeners are encouraged to explore Mark's work and consider how they can bring more heart-centered approaches to their own business practices.

Contact and Further Information:

• Listeners can learn more about Mark Silver and Heart of Business at https://www.heartofbusiness.com, where they can find resources, assessments, and information on joining the community for support and growth in heart-centered business practices.

Fawzia Al-Rawi has been teaching Sufism for over 25 years. She holds workshops in various countries and works particularly with women. Her teachings draw on a wealth of experience from a bicultural environment which uniquely enables her to build a bridge of understanding between different cultures, open a space where these can meet and thus contribute to peace. Further details can be found on her website

1. Qu'ranic Arabic for Beginners with application to Wazifah Ibn Mashish, Ibn Arabi's Prayers of the Week (Wird) and his Salat al-Faydiyyah

2. Fusus al Hikam & Classical Commentaries - line-by-line reading with Dr Hany Ibrahim

Session notes to follow shortly for members...

Markfield Conference Centre Ratby Lane Markfield LE67 9SY

Fri, 5 May 2023 18:00 - Mon, 8 May 2023

Further details can be found here

About Guest:

Dr. Laird has practiced integrative patient care in a variety of outpatient settings for forty years. As an early member of the holistic medicine movement, Dr. Laird noted with concern that "body-mind-spirit" medicine generally lacked deeper understandings of spiritual transformation.

In early 1980's, he organized several major conferences exploring scientific and spiritual perspectives on healing. He founded the Great Smokies Medical Center and co-founded the Great Smokies Diagnostic Lab in North Carolina to expand innovative and comprehensive patient care options.

Although schooled in several spiritual traditions, Dr. Laird's personal spiritual practice for over thirty years has been classical Sufism. Spiritual healing in this tradition is based on deep and subtle understandings of the human heart.

As a co-founder and past president of the University of Spiritual Healing & Sufism, Dr. Laird played a leading role in shaping academic and clinical instruction on the application of these classical perspectives.

He has provided personal healing sessions to hundreds of people with a wide variety of physical, emotional, and spiritual concerns. Having taught these approaches to several thousand people in the past twenty years, Dr. Laird is widely recognized as a sincere, engaging, fun, and uniquely effective teacher.

Dr Hany Talaat Ibrahim, author of Love in the Teachings of Ibn ʿArabī and professor at the University of Calgary and Mount Royal University Canada, walks us into the world of Ibn al-ʿArabī and the Metaphysics of Love in face of some Islamic scholars’ criticism of the great saint. Acknowledging that such criticism might scare off seekers, like it initially did for Dr Hany, this  conversation is significantly pertinent to our times.

Specializing in pre modern Islāmic thought, Arabic Ṣūfī literature and Islāmic art and architecture, Dr Hany speaks to all spiritual seekers in a language that is clarifying and comprehensive. He addresses, perhaps, many of us, at different stages on our journey—cautious in our spiritual undertaking—to open the ears and eyes of our hearts. Although not explicitly mentioned as such, this interview is highly relevant to persons coming from a traditional Islāmic schooling and upbringing, underpinned by a limited understanding of what Ṣūfism, the mystical dimension of Islām, is.

In context, Dr Hany emphasizes the station of Ibn al-ʿArabī, a ‘ārif bil’Lāh (عارف بالله), gnostic, and an ʾimām (إمام), spiritual leader, for all times. He says, the knowledge conveyed to us through him was received directly from God. He reached al-’ijtihād al-muṭlaq (الاجتهاد المطلق) and discerned fiqh (فقه), jurisprudence. We are advised to take heed of this. To receive our understanding of spiritual openings according to the teachings of Ibn al-ʿArabī, and not the opposite.

Dr Hany extends a gnostic’s gentle embrace, inviting the wayfarer, hesitant or not, to sharpen understanding in three dimensions of Islām: expanding on what it means to fulfill the obligations of submission—ʾislām (إسلام), the obligations of faith—ʾīmān (إمان) and the obligations of spiritual excellence—ʾiḥsān (إحسان) in light of exerting personal effort, juhd (جهد), and the process of purifying the soul, an-nafs (النفس), in order to attain the level of witnessing to the Oneness of Being. Meaning is reinforced through Qur’ānic passages, marrying the three distinct but intertwined stages of spiritual development to the declaration of unity, tawḥīd (توحيد), with a discernible Qur’ānic definition of the two paths to God: those who are chosen, al-mujtabūn (المجتبون), and those who are guided to repent and seek Him, al-munībūn (المنيبون).

Witnessing, the backbone of unification, is talked about as an oxymoron; witnessing behind a veil, the ḥijāb (حجاب); annihilation, fanā’ (فناء); and, what it means when gnostics speak about Oneness, that is, God who witnesses God through the Muḥammadan Light—Nūr Muḥammad (نور محمد).

Dr Hany elaborates on the subject of incarnation and Ibn al-ʿArabī’s position on the importance of strictly adhering to the sharīʿa (شريعة). Other concepts and frameworks discussed include the absence of a lineage in the Akbarian heritage; the role of a living shaykh (شيخ); the relationship between the Ṣūfi order, at-ṭarīqa (الطريقه), the educational litany, wird at-tarbiyya (ورد التربيه), and the disciple’s progression, the murīd (مريد) that is, toward the witnessing of God and an affirmation of Creator and creation.

Furthermore, we explore the three stages of fanā’ together as elucidated in the story of Mūsa (Moses, موسى) and al-Khidr (the Green man, الخضر) ‘alayhim as-salām in the Holy Qur’ān. Firstly, there’s annihilation in action, al-fanā’ fīl af‘āl (الفناء في الافعال); secondly, annihilation in attributes, al-fanā’ fīl ṣifāt (الفناء في الصفات); and thirdly, annihilation in the essence, al-fanā’ fīl dhāt (الفناء في الذات). His shared words of wisdom remind us: “If you are God-fearing, if you are pious, God Himself will teach you.”

In closing, we are reminded of the richness and multifaceted nature of the Arabic language. Etymological roots gather both negative and positive connotations to birth different meanings. All strings come together to weave an exquisite tapestry rooted in the seeds of love. Indeed, one of the meanings of the Arabic word for love, ḥubb (حب), means seed; and the root of kufr (كفر) is to cover—as in, veil. Dr Hany concisely wraps up the underlying meaning that Ṣūfism as a path to God embodies: “This is the path on reaching annihilation and witnessing God; it is not you, it is only Him.”

Supplementary resources and transcript can be found through the link below

https://www.thehikmahproject.com/ibn-arabi-and-the-metaphysics-of-love-with-dr-hany-ibrahim-early-release-episode-for-members/

In 1974, Jane was at the brink of giving up her PhD, finding herself, like many of us do, in a profession (as a physicist) stuck at the fork of dissatisfaction. Around this time, she went on a car-ride to Gloucestershire—enticed by the country’s offering of stunning and varied countryside. Coincidently, she joined a study group at Swyre farm reading what came to be known as 29 pages: an introduction to Ibn al-ʿArabī. Although ungrounded in any kind of theology with little intellectual understanding of what was being said at the time, subliminally, she knew, a deeper calling and invitation. Three years later, after a serious motor bike accident, she enrolled in an intensive eight month course of study on Ibn al-ʿArabī  at the mystical grounds of Swyre farm.  

Jane’s foundational grounding was in Ibn al-ʿArabī, under the mentorship of Bulent Rauf, a Turkish Ṣufī with a strong connection toالشيخ الأكبر (al-shaykh al-ʾAkbar). Ibn al-ʿArabī’s teachings were the basis for the unified perspective. Intentionally, the study of metaphysics continued with the Christian tradition, Bhagavad Gita, Tao de Ching, and the like. A means of expansivity. Can one recognize the unity within other traditions? At the same time, let go or not get fixated on a belief?

With Jane, together we traverse the paved road of digital archives; the why and how there are now over 3,000 copies of manuscripts in digital form today. Our conversation highlights and distinguishes the role of books as a conduit to personal transformation, bridging each individual to receive directly from الوجه الخاص (al-wajh al-khāṣ),  the ‘particular face’ of God. Jane paints the imagery of a private umbilical cord between each person and the One Reality. There is no intermediary. The connection, the transmission, is direct. In context, what is fascinating, is the large number of original manuscripts that have been preserved, either written by or attested to by Ibn al-ʿArabī, from around 800 years ago! Almost 66 to count and the knowledge, as Jane reminds us, is in the books. 

Enfolding and unfolding in discourse are Ibn al-ʿArabī’s renowned texts: الفتوحات المكية (Futūḥāt al-Makkīyah) and theفصوص الحكم (Fuṣuṣ al-Ḥikam), connecting us back to disciples including Ṣadr al-Dīn Qūnawī, Moa'yyad al-Din al-Jandī, and ʿUsman Yaḥya. 

Most pronounced is Jane’s exposition on Ibn al-ʿArabī teachings on love; “He and Rūmī are completely at one really on this matter.” Everything is underpinned by love.

We journey in and through with Jane, from the Beshara School back into the web of knowledge preservation and sharing, circling and backtracking, to the four elements constituting Beshara’s residential courses at the time: working with the mind; meditation; work as service to others and the world; and, devotional practice. Full embodiment of the human constitution of thoughts, emotions, and bodily feelings. Experiential knowledge beyond intellectual standing. Deepening integration. Connecting, receiving, directly from the One. Reminded, once again: “The written heritage has an extraordinary pedigree.”

Ibn al-ʿArabī see things visually—letters, grammatical forms, and syntax; they all form a world of their own, a universe of rules and meaning through which الله (Allāh), God, communicates with us. Through visualization, one taps into the portal for the imaginal realm and arriving at greater intrinsic meaning becomes possible. Eloquently expressed, as illustrated, by Sidi Shuʿayb.

To access this shoreless ocean comprised of multilayered meanings, Shuʿayb also looks at the root words of the Arabic language with quite a literal approach to interpreting the Qurʾān. By bringing the implicit forward, conscious understanding manifests and the message of Islām, from the outward شريعة (sharīʿa) to the inward طريقة (ṭarīqa), continues to propagate as a waveform in the universe. A deep learning opportunity for the listener arises through Shuʿayb’s detailed discussion on the Nūr Muḥammad ﷺ, relayed in the context of the ḥadith in which ʿĀʾisha r.a. says that ‘His character was the Qurʾān.’  

Steering with the theme of this podcast, the Qurʾān in the works of Ibn al-ʿArabī, we delve into specific verses and passages. Shuʿayb explains: every page has an honouring of the Prophet ﷺ and every page has many verses of Qurʾān and they’re very much connected. The potential permutation of meaning from a linguistic undertaking reminds us of the importance of إجتحاد (ʾijtiḥād) and the myriad عقيدة (ʿaqīdas) underlying a spiritual walking. As Sidi Shuʿayb touches on in this podcast, طحقيق (ṭaḥqīq), our internal validation, becomes essential to uncovering our story and the story of creation.

Once again, Ibn al-ʿArabī’s role as a dragoman reminds us that through the special face of حق (Ḥaqq) in every created being the تجلی (tajallī) of Allāh hits, yielding depth to the phrase Islām, in surrender, is the دين (dīn) of Allāh. Every person is painted a unique picture through the means that Allāh reveals Himself, never twice to two people nor in the same way twice, allowing each individual thread of creation to be carried forward into the world as a unique expression of truth.

So in contrast to the negative connotation traditionally derived from scholarly works for example with a concept such as كفر (kufur), this conversation extends an invitation to a change in viewpoint where the word كافر (kāfir), through inflection, can also mean the people who cover up their station, beautifying revelation. Other words with inflected meanings are examined in the context of the original Qurʾānic sūras.   

Together, we explore the subtle nuances. We begin to taste, through a seamless transmission of love, the paradoxical nature, and perplexing depth, of what it means to hold close proximity to the Divine—taking off the covering of those who are drawn near. The kind of love experienced by the ʾawliyāʾ—the friends of God, lovers of the Divine Truth, al-Ḥaqq. 

The transcript can be found at https://www.patreon.com/hikmahproject

A. Helwa reminisces about details shaping her own journey interwoven with a common thread: the heart of engagement both with the Creator and with creation, His creation. We are invited to explore: revelation as a revealed truth, a living Book, and the light of Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ; the balancing act of two realities, vicegerency and servanthood; and, our role in awakening to remember, to answer to life with our highest integrity and become instruments of love. 

She reminds us that what may appear as seemingly insignificant moments passing us by, fleetingly, often gone by unnoticed, are truly infused with the Mysterious. If only we stopped to see, to witness, and to listen; to listen deeply. Sometimes, life’s greatest teachers are unnamed. The limitation is in our awareness to the miracle that is.

Here, in our discussion, we examine the non dualistic unity, reality, that’s expressed in dualistic language. The message of the prophets and saints, and the essence of surrender and the Islamic tradition. Veiling; intention; silence; and self-confrontation. 

We tap deeper into the Qur’an being veiled, but also it’s unveiling through symbolism; a Book that allows each person to meet it where they're at; a Book that the great mystics Rumi and Ibn al-ʿArabī based their ideas and works on. 

Here, in our discussion, we step into spaciousness. Language, as an axis, a tipping point, to openings, guidance, receptivity and inner transformation. Our relationship to God. Prayer, as an offering, carried with the word Be, and so it is. Walking in the way of the prophets as an answer to the needs of creation. Fasting, within holy reflection, as an anchor for inner beautification—a sharp contrast to the shadow forces shaping human behavior today (driven by self-consciousness).

In closing full-circle, A. Helwa summons grace: pause between words and recognize that the very spaces are an intimate part of revelation that give language its meaning; live a life being a prayer, be an answer to prayer.

A. Helwa believes that every single person on Earth is deeply loved by the Divine. She is a writer who has inspired hundreds of thousands of readers through her passionate, poetic, and love-based approach to spirituality. Her popular blog @quranquotesdaily, was established while obtaining her Masters in Divinity, as a means of helping others overcome personal and spiritual struggles on their journey of experiencing divine love.

With over 15 years of experience writing and speaking on Islam and spiritual development, A. Helwa draws from her personal experiences and traditional sources to help her readers access 'Divine love in everyday life.'

When Helwa is not reading at coffee shops, she can be found climbing mountains, camping in deserts, hiking jungles, or reading about black holes

Leader in the field of Islamic psychology, Dr Abdallah Rothman shares his journey into Islam and what it means to heal the heart and psyche from an Islamic perspective; the way to relieve the suffering that is a part of the human condition, as taught by two prominent and influential Sufi figures in the Shādhulli ṭarīqa, and experientially understood.

Despite world travel to explore spiritual communities in search for truth; it wasn’t until his encounter with saintly Sufi teacher Sidi Shaykh Muḥammad Saʿīd al-Jamāl ar-Rifaʿi that his life’s trajectory changed. Captivated by the science of the soul from the Islamic tradition and drawn to this notion of healing and spiritual development, Dr Rothman experienced first-hand the incomparable healing power of love.

He later studied with Shaykh Nooruddeen Durkee in effort to quench his thirst for knowledge. Virtues of wisdom, humility, patience, and diligence were given space to grow under Shaykh Nooruddeen’s care, guidance and ‘tarbiya’. A disciple-teacher relationship integral to the heart and soul’s processing, purification and healing.

Dr Rothman further explains that both secular mindfulness and non-secular spiritual modalities appear, at surface level, similar in reward and benefits to the Islamic approach of going inward and cultivating presence. Consistent, diligent inner-work and practice will improve emotional well-being, energy, and tranquility. And yet, intention makes all the difference—seeking the annihilation of the self to then be unified with the One, with Allāh; to realize, actualize, and embody being.

The Islamic tradition honours Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ as an exemplar: the epitome of high moral standing, good character and being. To emulate and take on the Prophet’s traits and conduct as one’s own is to strive and draw closer to Allāh; the heart of spiritual training, tarbiya, in one sense; and, the connection of a purified heart to wisdom and witnessing Truth.

To bring home the message of Islamic spirituality, Dr Abdallah Rothman draws upon key aspects in the Prophet’s life, ʿalayhī as-ṣallātu wa-salām, highlighting the significance in certain acts of worship, linked to the objective and actualization of Oneness, tawhīd. Distinctly, the retreats to Cave of Ḥira and the daily practices of night vigil, qiyām al-layl. 

Relatable to every wayfarer, this podcast connects spiritual training ethos, the role of the heart in personal and emotional well-being, and purification to honing presence and witnessing the One. Concepts of islām (surrender), amāna (trust), tawakkul (reliance), and baraka (blessing) remind us that we are not responsible for the outcome of events, but rather, our responsibility lies in intent and action and ultimately, our alignment and submission to serving the Divine Will.

Speaker:

Dr. Abdallah Rothman is the Principal of Cambridge Muslim College, founder of Shifaa Integrative Counseling, co-founder and Executive Director of the International Association of Islamic Psychology, and visiting professor of psychology at Zaim University Istanbul, International Islamic University Islamabad, and Al-Neelain University Khartoum. He holds an MA and a PhD in psychology and is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and a Board Certified Registered Art Therapist (ATR-BC), licensed in the United States and currently living in the UK.

Specializing in Sufism, Dr Ali paves the way of understanding the spiritual dimension of Islam. He introduces us to Ibn al-ʿArabī, the great mystic of the Sufi tradition, and clarifies the dimensions of Sufi walking: الشريعة (ash-sharīʿa), الطريقة (at-ṭarīqa), and الحقيقة (al-ḥaqiqa). In discussing this basic framework, Dr Ali uses rhetorical speech to teach us how one goes about to ascertain inward truths and realities, planting the seed of the esoteric methodology of questioning and striving. 

In our discussion, considerations are given to: the essentials of Islamic theology and understanding the Qurʾān; the basis of attaining knowledge on the premise of unveiling; the four main commentators on Ibn al-ʿArabī and the gist of their work; the complexity of Ibn al-ʿArabī’s terminology and the potential benefit of studying English-Arabic translations alongside an instructor; acquiring and building a vocabulary in Arabic; the recommended trajectory of study for students new to metaphysics; and, the challenges of self-study and the value of approaching Ibn al-ʿArabī’s cosmology through a course or a layman’s book.

This podcast also provides information on the upcoming courses on the Ḥikmah Project, and a modest overview of Dr Ali’s contemporary books, which, in his words, ‘are written as an introduction to the School of Ibn al-ʿArabī in simple language’.

For further details, visit www.thehikmahproject.com

The conversation flows to cover Islamic jurisprudence, the Nur Muhammad (the Light of Muhammad), and Ibn al-ʿArabī’s role as the conveyor of the message of this Universal Light. Dr. Winkel talks about situational decision-making and governance in its connection to the اسم (ʾism), archetypal name, the حال (ḥāl), one’s state or condition, and the حكم (ḥukum), the ruling; fasting as a prompter of اجتهاد (ijtiḥād), prompting a soul conversation in its inward reality; moon sighting as it arises in the hearts of the عارفون (ʿarifūn), arising in the full moon of Truth as the truth of Muhammad ﷺ; and, the paradoxical outward disconformity amongst Muslims that parallels inward conformity and harmony.

The conversation flows to cover Islamic jurisprudence, the Nur Muhammad (the Light of Muhammad), and Ibn al-ʿArabī’s role as the conveyor of the message of this Universal Light. Dr. Winkel talks about situational decision-making and governance in its connection to the اسم (ʾism), archetypal name, the حال (ḥāl), one’s state or condition, and the حكم (ḥukum), the ruling; fasting as a prompter of اجتهاد (ijtiḥād), prompting a soul conversation in its inward reality; moon sighting as it arises in the hearts of the عارفون (ʿarifūn), arising in the full moon of Truth as the truth of Muhammad ﷺ; and, the paradoxical outward disconformity amongst Muslims that parallels inward conformity and harmony.

With his permission, Dr Winkel's translation of the Chapter on Fasting from Futuhat al Makiyya is available on our Patreon site

https://thehikmahproject.com/the-mysteries-of-fasting-in-the-futuhat-al-makkiyya-of-ibn-arabi-with-dr-eric-winkel/

The life of  ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, fourth caliph of early Islam and fountainhead of Shi‘ite and Sufi lineages, ‘is both inspirational and controversial: intrinsically inspirational and extrinsically controversial.’ These words set the tone for what is a detailed and penetrating view of the figure of Imam ‘Ali on various planes, the spiritual and ethical, the individual, the political and social. The author draws a unique portrait in which the powerful spiritual undercurrents of early Islamic history can be discerned at play, and where the sanctified heart of the Imam is revealed as a fulcrum of the harmony between the most diverse and even divergent tendencies.

These spiritual reflections on the life and thought of Imam ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad, bring to life what is essential and inspirational in his biography. ‘Ali is viewed as the paragon of statesmanship, chivalry and mysticism, a man of action and contemplation, the greatest hero of his age as well as its wisest sage. The interplay between his dramatic outward story and his profound inner story heralds the triumph of the human spirit over the difficulties, tragedies and absurdities which are inevitable in ‘the life of this world.’

This exceptional book may be too Shia for some Sunnis, and too Sunni for some Shia, and it may be too political for some, and too spiritual for others, and so its main value lies precisely in a higher perspective where it reveals harmony, in a keen vision of the forces of tawhid, the drive to union, alive at the centre of historical events as in human hearts. It will have a cathartic effect upon the many, Sunnis and Shia alike, who wish to see ‘Ali as a fountainhead of unity in Islam, not as a source of division. It makes accessible to both Muslims and non-Muslims the treasures of loving mercy flowing from ‘Ali, a global paragon of initiatic wisdom.

Shaykh Ebrahim is also the founder and Leading Partner of Schuitema Associates, a business transformation consultancy that is based in South Africa and Pakistan.

Bonus material (transcript etc) is available to members via Patreon here

Ibn al-ʿArabī’s teachings on proximity and distance are brought closer to home as Dr. Eric Winkel explains ‘two bows lengths’, the geometrical, mathematical reality when two curves are brought closer and closer together. The study of the Futūḥāt is a counsel to mankind; a living continuation of Ibn al-ʿArabī’s job as a dragoman for our time to help us draw closer to the True. It provides counseling; it shifts our perspective; and throughout, Dr. Eric Winkel affirms this conveyor role that is anchored in his translations by pinning the directive question: ‘What does Ibn al-ʿArabī say in English, today?’ 

An introductory to Akbarian metaphysics, the role of Ibn al-ʿArabī as the conveyor of the universal message of Islam, the Nur Muḥammad and the seal of Muḥammadan sanctity, the culmination of fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) and the seal of the sanctity of Ibn al-ʿArabī, and what it means to the everyday person to be an inheritor. of Ibn al-ʿArab.

The Sufi walking into the realm of the Sacred is a return back to our essence; to be, and act, from a place of unconditional love. Shaykh Kabir Helminski touches on the possibility that every soul has a uniquely subjective vantage point within the non-dual unified reality. He provides insightful remarks on our human experience; the different levels of human consciousness, our partaking in a process of conditioning, deconditioning and reconditioning; and, our role as reflectors of the Divine Reality, as modeled in the mirroring of Shams-i Tabrīzī and Jalāluddīn Rumi. The transformative power of Rumi’s teachings, the pedagogy of love, becomes magnified through sohbets, arts, language, and music. This conversation, centered in the heart of its tradition, greets us with love.