Sūrah Luqmān, (31:1-5) delivered on 1/3/2016
Shaykh Amin introduces Sūrah Luqmān with a definition of wisdom and its many levels. A reader of the Qurʾān benefits most in recognizing the phased approach in which Divine wisdom is revealed. In this lecture:
- the Qurʾān as a reservoir of guidance
- guidance as a ‘raḥmah’ (mercy) both in its reception and its distribution
- personalizing ‘raḥmah’
- ‘iḥsān’ is transitive
- practice must precede representation
- wisdom in repetition
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Sūrah Luqmān, (31:6-11) delivered on 1/10/2016
Modern day Muslims often contemporize the Qurʾān’s universal criticisms, and miss the larger message warning against the human propensity for sin. In this lecture:
- the addiction of entertainment
- societal norms facilitating the commission of sin
- contrasting entertainment in this world with the possibilities in Jannah where creativity is unlimited
- the deception in short-lived pleasures
- the inertia of extended childhood
- human creativity manifested through performing acts of worship
- the perfection in Allah’s ﷻ creation and artistry
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Sūrah Luqmān, (31:12-15) delivered on 1/17/2016
Wisdom is only good when it helps translate knowledge for the benefit of others. This is the ‘ḥikmah’ (wisdom) that Allah ﷻ bestowed upon Luqmān (AS). In this lecture:
- Allah ﷻ is above a need for gratitude Luqmān’s (AS) ingenious evaluation of Allah’s ﷻ praiseworthiness
- wisdom begins at home
- shirk as a ‘ẓulm’ (oppression) upon the self
- insights into shifts in narrative
- the universal value of appreciating one’s parents
- struggling to fulfill the rights of God ﷻ
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Sūrah Luqmān, (31:16-17) delivered on 1/24/2016
Shaykh Amin shares the parental insights of Luqmān (AS) underscoring the need to understand how Allah ﷻ works. In this lecture:
- Allah ﷻ tests us, not the other way around
- the purpose of Revelation
- ‘al-Laṭīf’, subtle and imperceptible growth essential to Allah’s ﷻ Nidzaam
- ‘al-Khabīr’, the inescapability of Allah’s ﷻ Knowledge
- the formula to creating leadership
- the value of Ṣalāh
- an understanding of ‘maʾrūf’ (equitableness)
- a need to enjoin good societally
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Sūrah Luqmān, (31:18-19) delivered on 1/31/2016
The fascinating universality in Luqmān’s (AS) advice to his son. In this lecture:
- humility without humiliation
- gratitude to Allah ﷻ wards off depression
- empowering children to become responsible for themselves
- focusing on Allah ﷻ, not on other human beings
- ʿUmar (RA) as a towering example in ‘iṣlāḥ’ (spiritual enlightenment)
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Sūrah Luqmān, (31:20-22) delivered on 2/7/2016
Shaykh Amin shares some beautiful insights on what constitutes ‘ʿibādah’ (worship) and the blessing in learning and appreciating academic Islam. In this lecture:
- ‘inʿāmāt’ (blessings): the outward and the inward
- misplaced argumentation – ʿibādah’ (worship) free of speculation
- submission cannot be passive, it should be an active choice
- the Muslim worldview
- knowledge (the correct and the incorrect) carries over into the grave
- the ‘barakah’ (divine blessings) in following academic soundness
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Sūrah Luqmān, (31:23-27) delivered on 2/14/2016
The propagation of ‘waḥy’ (revelation) weighs heavily on the ‘Nabī’ (prophet; AS), yet he fulfills his mission with purpose. In this lecture:
- the grit of a Nabī (AS)
- Allah’s ﷻ all-encompassing control and dominion
- Divine Constancy
- Ḥadīth Qudsī
- creativity in words of remembrance
- the ‘muʿjizah’ (miracle) of a Nabī (AS)
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Sūrah Luqmān, (31:28-32) delivered on 2/21/2016
Human actions have an impact on the regulation of the universe. In this lecture:
- the quantifiable knowledge of the Day of Judgment
- Allah ﷻ addressing His ﷻ beloved
- Allah’s ﷻ creativity and power manifested through the similitude of a ship at sea
- Muslim attribution to Allah ﷻ
- the resilient and the grateful
- hope through repentance
- personalizing revelation
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Sūrah Luqmān, (31:33-34) delivered on 2/28/2016
In the opening session, Shaykh Amin introduces the Sūrah with a definition of wisdom and its many levels. A reader of the Qurʾān benefits most in recognizing the phased approach in which Divine wisdom is revealed. Topics discussed include the Qurʾān as a reservoir of guidance, guidance as a ‘raḥmah’ (mercy) both in its reception and its distribution, the importance of personalizing ‘raḥmah’, the transitive nature of ‘iḥsān’, and the wisdom in repetition.
The second session covers the pettiness of modern day Muslims given to contemporizing the Qurʾān’s universal criticisms, thereby missing the larger message warning against human propensity for sin. Discussions include societal norms facilitating the commission of sin, contrasting entertainment in this world with the possibilities in Jannah where creativity is unlimited, the deception inherent in short-lived pleasures, the inertia of extended childhood, human creativity manifested through performing acts of worship, and perfection in Allah’s ﷻ creation and artistry
Wisdom is only good when it helps translate knowledge for the benefit of others. This is the ‘ḥikmah’ that Allah ﷻ bestowed upon Luqmān (AS) and the focal point of the third session. The tafsīr includes insights into Luqmān’s (AS) unique evaluation of Allah’s ﷻ praiseworthiness, shirk as an oppression upon the ‘nafs‘ (carnal self), explanatory insights into shifts in narrative; the universal value of appreciating one’s parents, and striving to fulfill the rights of God ﷻ.
In the fourth session, Shaykh Amin shares the parental insights of Luqmān (AS) underscoring the need to understand how Allah ﷻ works. Allah ﷻ tests us, and it is not the other way around. This session covers theological overviews of two Divine attributes: ‘al-Laṭīf’ (signifying subtle and imperceptible growth essential to Allah’s ﷻ ‘Niẓām’(Divine Ordinance) and ‘al-Khabīr’ (signifying the inescapability of Allah’s ﷻ Knowledge). A formula to create leadership arises out of the ‘tafsīr’ , culminating in a commentary on the societal need to enjoin good.
In the fifth and sixth sessions, Shaykh Amin shares wisdoms related to empowering children to become responsible for themselves, and the towering example of ‘iṣlāḥ’ (spiritual enlightenment) in ʿUmar (RA). Clarifications abound in what constitutes ‘ʿibādah’ (worship) and the blessing in learning and appreciating academic Islam. Other topics include: misplaced argumentation, ‘ʿibādah’ (worship) free of speculation, the need for submission to not be passive, but an active choice, the transitive nature of knowledge (the correct and the incorrect) as it carries over into the grave.
The propagation of ‘waḥy’ (revelation) weighs heavily on the ‘Nabī’ (prophet; AS), yet he fulfills his mission with purpose. This is the purport of the penultimate session where Shaykh Amin elaborates on the grit of a Nabī’(AS), Allah’s ﷻ all-encompassing control and dominion, Divine Constancy, creativity in words of remembrance, and the ‘muʿjizah’ (miracle) of a Nabī’.
In the final session Shaykh Amin explains how human actions have an impact on the regulation of the universe. Knowledge of the Day of Judgment is unquantifiable. Allah’s ﷻ creativity and power is manifested through the similitude of a ship at sea. The session comes full circle with a discussion of hope through repentance and the need to personalize revelation.