I want to offer a clarification regarding an email that went out on Tuesday of this week. I received some feedback, and I realize the message may have been misleading.
Here’s what the email said:
“God puts a flame in our hearts that calls us to seek Him, and He sparks that flame with His passion when He wills.
“Then He gives us many ways to find Him and to know Him – through the examples of the prophets and through the knowings He breathed into each of our hearts.
“If you are being called, we invite you to join us for the following programs.
“We have 2 special opportunities coming up to help you know God and your own divinity – one from the inner, and one from the outer which touches the inner.”
The 2 opportunities it refers to are
- Last Wednesday’s class on “Knowing the Beauty of Your Own Heart,” which I refered to as the inner, and
- The new webinar which starts this coming Thursday called “Blessed Guidance through the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)” which I refered to as the outer.
Here’s the point of clarification. I refered to the guidance through the Prophet (pbuh) as the outer, because we learn through observing the examples of his life and his sayings and teachings. There are things we can observe outside of ourselves and they touch our inner hearts and souls very deeply.
Regarding the knowing of the heart, we cannot witness our own hearts on the outside – at least not as easily – though our hearts are mirrored for us by how we relate to everything we see on the outside.
The reference was not to say that the class about the Prophet (pbuh) was strictly an outer experience and not heart-based. This is not true. Learning the teachings can transform you at a very deep inner level. The reference is to the opportunity we have to witness the examples we can observe through the life of the Prophet, pbuh, with our outer eyes and perceptions.
Allah gives us opportunities to know Truth in every mirror – from the outer and the inner, and there is no outer and no inner when you truly know.
Sufism is mysticism and it is also very practical. Words try to explain that which cannot be described. There is a unity which can only be experienced, and any attempt to put it into words by nature creates separation and thereby falls short of the truth.
I hope this brings clarification and not more confusion. I apologize if I have written anything misleading.
Have a beautiful weekend.
Blessings and gratitude for you!
Mastura Graugnard on behalf of your friends and family at UOS
