This topic came up in discussion with a beloved yesterday evening. We were talking about what is means to carry strength as women in this world.
Sometimes the thoughts of Strength, Power and Might bring up fear, and images of traits we wouldn’t want to have or actions we wouldn’t want to carry out.
Think about what these words mean to you in the following contexts:
- Strength, Power & Might of a parent
- Strength, Power & Might of a politician
- Strength, Power & Might of the military
- Strength, Power & Might of a lion
- Strength, Power & Might of a 100-year-old oak tree
- Strength, Power & Might of an ocean
- Strength, Power & Might of a flower
- Strength, Power & Might of a baby
- Strength, Power & Might of God
- Strength, Power & Might of You
In this material world where humanity takes center stage, we struggle for strength, power and might. If we carry negative memories and beliefs about what it means to be strong, powerful and mighty in the world, we will not want to embody these qualities. Yet no one wants to be dominated by another who believes they have power over us, right?
If we feel weak or powerless in an area of life, or if we feel someone is trying to control us, we will typically put up a wall of protection around ourselves, especially around the heart.
When we need to stand up for ourselves or protect ourselves, we have to push through that wall from a state of weakness to even ask for what we need, often resulting in forceful or imbalanced actions that feel really uncomfortable – for us and for people around us.
True strength, power and might come from the Divine. The Divine Name of God, al-Aziz, means The Powerful, The Almighty, Exalted in Might, The Strength.
In her book, Divine Names, Rosina-Fawzia al-Rawi translates al-Aziz as “The Powerful, the Honorable, the Precious, the Friendly.” She further states,
“We find traces of this Divine Name when we overcome the illusion of being alone by learning to transform our lower self, who believes ‘I must fulfill my needs and find my happiness regardless of anyone or anything else.’ Clear-sightedness, honesty, and an authentic kindness towards self and others let this quality grow in you.”“Al-Aziz has the capacity to lead us from the state of weakness, guilt, and shame into a deep sense of self-esteem. The wounds of shame and humiliation can be healed. This name restores our most intimate sense of worth so that inner strength can grow.”
If you are feeling weak or powerless in an area of your life, and if you want to be respected by those around you – and, yes, you do deserve respect without having to prove anything or earn it – here is a prescription to help you:
“Those who repeat this name every day 40 times for 40 days in the second third of the night, eventually come to a place where they are free of the needs of others, free of their own needs, and they enter a quality of trust that everything they need comes to them.”Found in Divine Names by Rosina-Fawzia al-Rawi and in The Meaning of the Names of our Lord by Sidi Shaykh Muhammad al-Jamal.
As my beloved friend said yesterday evening, let your strength be in your reliance on Allah and His Beautiful Names. And do not place the fear of any strength before the Strength of Allah.
Our University teaches healing using the principles of Sufism, the Divine Names, and many healing prayers, each of which contains layers upon layers of hidden wisdom. These are all gifts given to us by Allah to navigate this earthly journey and come to know Him more completely through our own hearts.
If you’d like to learn more about the UOS programs, click here to schedule a live chat with one of our specialists.
May God’s peace and blessings be upon you with every step of your journey!
With love and gratitude,
Mastura Graugnard on behalf of all your friends and family at UOS
