Language, Meaning, and Purpose: Gulen’s Perspective
Language is not only a tool for describing facts and performing vocative functions – it also defines and…
Divine
146 articles
Birds of a Feather: Ibn ‘Arabi’s Mystical Grounding for Interreligious Dialogue
Mysticism is at the heart of dialogue among religions. Brother Steindle-Rast states, “Never before in history is it…
Ashq (Ecstatic Love)
‘Ashq means intense love of and fondness for perfection, beauty, or physical charm. Sufis usually call this sort…
Mahabba (Love)
Mahabba means fondness, tender and kind feelings, preference, and love. Love that affects and invades one’s feelings is…
Time: What Does the Qur’an Say About It?
All things in the universe, with their specific and suitable outfits obtained from the spiritual world, gain an…
Qurb and Bu’d (Nearness and Remoteness)
Nearness (qurb) means that one transcends corporeality in order to acquire perfect spirituality and proximity to God. Some…
Islamic Philosophy of Science
Attempting to answer questions of agency, causality and universality from an Islamic perspective is called the “Islamic philosophy…
Sakina – Itmi’nan (Serenity and Peacefulness)
Literally meaning calmness, silence, steadiness, solemnity, familiarity, the subsidence of the waves and tranquility, sakina (serenity) is the…
Basira and Firasa
Literally meaning perception, intelligence, discretion, evidence, and witness, insight (basira) is defined as having an eye of the…
Ihsan (Perfect Goodness)
Ihsan two literal meanings, doing something well and perfectly and doing someone a favor; it is sometimes used…
The Messenger of Mercy
I was invited a while ago to a meeting in Little Rock which was held on the anniversary…
Dhikr (Recitation of God’s Names)
Literally meaning mentioning, remembrance, and recollection, in the terminology of the Sufis dhikr denotes regular recitation of one…
Yaqin (Certainty)
Yaqin (certainty) means having no doubt about the truth of a matter and arriving at accurate, doubt-free knowledge…
Our Sole Duty Is to Communicate the Truth
Question: Given that God may cause us to act as a means for guidance of people to truth,…
Are We Big Enough to Be Arrogant?
A small-scale blueprint of the universe, the human body is a miraculous work of art that manifests…