Dr Shah-Kazemi revisits the question of religious pluralism in the light of the Qu'ran and th... more Dr Shah-Kazemi revisits the question of religious pluralism in the light of the Qu'ran and the Sufi metaphysics of the Unity of Being. According to the author, this kind of approach to the question of religious diversity and interfaith dialogue ensures that the formal integrity and distinctness of each faith will be respected, and at the same time establishes the proper level at which we can say that all religions are at one.
Disconcerting is the author's initial adoption of cliché labels, partly familiar from the us... more Disconcerting is the author's initial adoption of cliché labels, partly familiar from the usage of the secularist opposition and hostile Western journalism, in his characterization of Sh;6; affairs. Only in the course of further discussion does he tend to modify his position and ...
To speak about Meister Eckhart is to speak about spiritual realization. Almost every single sermo... more To speak about Meister Eckhart is to speak about spiritual realization. Almost every single sermon of this master of Christian metaphysics and spirituality is 'realizational': each one of them issues an imperative summons to realize to 'make real' the 'one thing needful'. Now this 'one thing' is difficult to grasp, impossible to define, but the need for it enters into the very definition of human consciousness. How then to express it, and to express it in· a way which heightens our sense of need for it, at the same time as pointing the way to the fulfilment of this need? Eckhart provides a particularly compelling model of how to express the inexpressible, and is certainly one of the most successful 'preachers' known to us, if our criterion of 'success' be this: rendering the imperative of spiritual realization not just intelligible but irresistible. One of the central aspects of this success lies in Eckhart's use of images, analogies, metaphors, symbols all of which, in different ways, do not so much express an ingenious use of language, as elicit the spiritual move required of all of us: just as the image is one step removed from that of which it is an image, so our consciousness is called to move from its outer surface to its own inner depth. Eckhart's communication of spiritual realities through verbal means, whether this be through images, analogies or doctrinal expositions, arises from this inner depth, and does not merely point to it:
Jewish, Christian, and Islamic Mystical Perspectives on the Love of God, 2014
In his magnum opus, al-Futūḥāt al-Makkiyya, the thirteenth-century Sufi Ibn al - ʿ Arab ī devotes... more In his magnum opus, al-Futūḥāt al-Makkiyya, the thirteenth-century Sufi Ibn al - ʿ Arab ī devotes a chapter to the spiritual station of love (maqām al-maḥabba).1 In one simple phrase he sums up the mystical perspective on love in Islam: “Love is the principle [or: root, a ṣl] of Being.” He adds the following lines by way of succinct comment: “From Love we have come forth, according to Love we have been fashioned; therefore we have Love as our goal, and orient ourselves towards Love.” 2 In common with all the mystics of Islam, and indeed with the mystics of all religious traditions, he also asserts that the deepest nature of love is not something that can be put into words, articulated by thought, or confined within human emotion: as its essence is identified with the very nature of Being, this essence can only be plumbed in the heart by the Spirit. This is why spiritual realization is the sole means by which the fullness of love can be attained.
In addition to all of the other aspects of his contribution to the revival of religion and spirit... more In addition to all of the other aspects of his contribution to the revival of religion and spirituality in the contemporary world, it can be confidently asserted that the restitution of prayer has indeed been realized, and not just for some, but for many, as a direct consequence of reading and assimilating Schuon’s books. It is upon this altogether fundamental theme of prayer in the corpus of Schuon’s works that we intend to dwell in this essay, albeit within a compass that can do scant justice to all of its aspects and ramifications. The intention, rather, is to draw attention to the subtlety, depth, and comprehensiveness that characterize Schuon’s elucidation of prayer, an elucidation which renders prayer not only an intelligible necessity for man in his quest for God, but also an irresistible summons and an inestimable gift from God to man.
Dr Shah-Kazemi revisits the question of religious pluralism in the light of the Qu'ran and th... more Dr Shah-Kazemi revisits the question of religious pluralism in the light of the Qu'ran and the Sufi metaphysics of the Unity of Being. According to the author, this kind of approach to the question of religious diversity and interfaith dialogue ensures that the formal integrity and distinctness of each faith will be respected, and at the same time establishes the proper level at which we can say that all religions are at one.
Disconcerting is the author's initial adoption of cliché labels, partly familiar from the us... more Disconcerting is the author's initial adoption of cliché labels, partly familiar from the usage of the secularist opposition and hostile Western journalism, in his characterization of Sh;6; affairs. Only in the course of further discussion does he tend to modify his position and ...
To speak about Meister Eckhart is to speak about spiritual realization. Almost every single sermo... more To speak about Meister Eckhart is to speak about spiritual realization. Almost every single sermon of this master of Christian metaphysics and spirituality is 'realizational': each one of them issues an imperative summons to realize to 'make real' the 'one thing needful'. Now this 'one thing' is difficult to grasp, impossible to define, but the need for it enters into the very definition of human consciousness. How then to express it, and to express it in· a way which heightens our sense of need for it, at the same time as pointing the way to the fulfilment of this need? Eckhart provides a particularly compelling model of how to express the inexpressible, and is certainly one of the most successful 'preachers' known to us, if our criterion of 'success' be this: rendering the imperative of spiritual realization not just intelligible but irresistible. One of the central aspects of this success lies in Eckhart's use of images, analogies, metaphors, symbols all of which, in different ways, do not so much express an ingenious use of language, as elicit the spiritual move required of all of us: just as the image is one step removed from that of which it is an image, so our consciousness is called to move from its outer surface to its own inner depth. Eckhart's communication of spiritual realities through verbal means, whether this be through images, analogies or doctrinal expositions, arises from this inner depth, and does not merely point to it:
Jewish, Christian, and Islamic Mystical Perspectives on the Love of God, 2014
In his magnum opus, al-Futūḥāt al-Makkiyya, the thirteenth-century Sufi Ibn al - ʿ Arab ī devotes... more In his magnum opus, al-Futūḥāt al-Makkiyya, the thirteenth-century Sufi Ibn al - ʿ Arab ī devotes a chapter to the spiritual station of love (maqām al-maḥabba).1 In one simple phrase he sums up the mystical perspective on love in Islam: “Love is the principle [or: root, a ṣl] of Being.” He adds the following lines by way of succinct comment: “From Love we have come forth, according to Love we have been fashioned; therefore we have Love as our goal, and orient ourselves towards Love.” 2 In common with all the mystics of Islam, and indeed with the mystics of all religious traditions, he also asserts that the deepest nature of love is not something that can be put into words, articulated by thought, or confined within human emotion: as its essence is identified with the very nature of Being, this essence can only be plumbed in the heart by the Spirit. This is why spiritual realization is the sole means by which the fullness of love can be attained.
In addition to all of the other aspects of his contribution to the revival of religion and spirit... more In addition to all of the other aspects of his contribution to the revival of religion and spirituality in the contemporary world, it can be confidently asserted that the restitution of prayer has indeed been realized, and not just for some, but for many, as a direct consequence of reading and assimilating Schuon’s books. It is upon this altogether fundamental theme of prayer in the corpus of Schuon’s works that we intend to dwell in this essay, albeit within a compass that can do scant justice to all of its aspects and ramifications. The intention, rather, is to draw attention to the subtlety, depth, and comprehensiveness that characterize Schuon’s elucidation of prayer, an elucidation which renders prayer not only an intelligible necessity for man in his quest for God, but also an irresistible summons and an inestimable gift from God to man.
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