‬ Delve into what this pioneering book has to say…

Background

It was a humbling experience to read this book, the depth and breadth of reading and referencing is astounding. It was like having a mentor from the past guiding you through these concepts. I was grateful to have such a great companion on train journeys. He not only builds on the great thinkers of the past (Socrates, Freud, Kant, William James etc) but surpasses them in unifying their theories and insights, just like Abdus Salam built on the theories of Einstein and other physicists to form a grand unified theory in Physics.

I wanted to set aside some time for writing down my understanding of this book. Each chapter is like a lecture, dealing with primarily a different subject area (some ideas are interwoven and in the later chapters those ideas are spun into a whole). Certain chapters will require a decent amount of background knowledge to grasp. Iqbal had his training in Philosophy but was eager to branch out to other disciplines such as Physics, Psychology, Spirituality, Politics, History, Theology, Poetry e.t.c.

Iqbal emphasised that it is incredibly important that we are equipped to deal with the very real dangers of aimlessness, atheism and agnosticism in the modern world. He especially mentions the importance of dealing with the ‘dazzling exterior’ of the West and how crucial it is to actively develop Islamic models of thought that keep pace with intellectual advances.

Here’s a summary of one of the chapter dealing with prayer:

What prayer means and how we conceive God

In this chapter, Iqbal deals with what prayer means to a Muslim.

Prayer is described as the main way to experience God, develop intimacy and closely associate with Him. To be in awe of the sheer immensity of creative activity that takes place each moment and to submit ourselves to something higher than ourselves. The inner yearning to move beyond the self, out of the abyss of a self-centred existence is achieved when we self-surrender and bear witness to God. This illumines our spiritual side and we gain a perfect companion who allows us to persevere under hardships [when we realise that we can’t solve spiritual & psychological challenges through worldly means] such as career progression/money/consumerism/TV/Social media/Games

Iqbal reminds us that the Quran says that the Ultimate reality is nearer to us than our jugular vein. “Like pearls do we live and move and have our being in the perpetual flow of Divine life”. Deeply connecting with God through reflecting on natural processes, giving heartfelt thanks, keeping ourselves accountable and calling out to God for help all help get us closer. To remind ourselves primarily that we can rise beyond a mechanised/animal existence and choose mindfulness, God consciousness and being soulful. Prayer means taking a break to reach for the sacred and experience wholesomeness.

The importance of praying together is also emphasised, to warn against the drive towards individualism. Praying together, towards a single purpose, with a singular impulse develops that unity of feeling. It also moves humankind beyond the distinctions of rank, race and status.

Conclusion

I would highly recommend this book to others, as it challenges our modes of thinking and gets us to think deeply about what it means to be a Muslim and how we conceive Islam.