The Clouds Beyond Us, written by Rahf Al-Rashidi, is a mysterious book. It’s an anthology of reflections, stories and poems written by somebody who thinks a lot, feels a lot and cares a lot. Just like clouds, the content of this book varies heavily, but is yet unified by a common simplicity, beauty, and spirituality….
Tag: Spirituality
The Declining World and God’s Mercy
God created the entire universe as an expression of His praise, and a domain within which humans, also imbued with faculties with which we may recognise God, may worship Him. Our objectives as humans in worshipping God therefore synchronises entirely with the wider world in which we inhabit. It is filled with the Signs of…
Delivered in Comfort: Thoughts on the Sleepers of the Cave
The Sleepers of the Cave is a story of much importance in the Quran, as is the rest of the narrative espoused in Surah Kahf (the Cave). It is to be recited every Friday, so God must have wanted to imprint these particular stories and lessons deeply into our psyche. The story is a short…
Human nature and monasticism: thoughts on Karen Armstrong’s autobiography
I chanced upon Karen Armstrong’s autobiography, Through the Narrow Gate, whilst browsing a charity shop. I heard that Karen is a highly regarded commentator on religion, but did not know much about her otherwise. This alone would not have been enough for me to purchase the book. What enticed me to purchase the book was…
Spectres and Serotonin: On Mental Health and the Supernatural in the Muslim Community
Hallucinations, delusions, emotional withdrawal, disorganised speech; these are but a few of the symptoms of schizophrenia. A friend told me that they had these symptoms around 6 years ago. And in absolute conviction, I told them that they were being troubled by a djinn – the supernatural beings, described as being made of smokeless fire…
Protagonist Syndrome: On Narcissism
Yesterday I was on the train home and saw a lone sock on the tube floor. I suggested to my friend, an aspiring play write, that he write a story about a series of very ordinary happenings that led to the sock’s current position; maybe somebody was running late, and hurriedly put their baby’s sock…
Between Harmony and Dissonance: On Muslim Unity
The importance of the Islamic fraternity is a popular lecture topic among scholars and speakers. It is stressed, repeatedly, how important it is for Muslims to be united, how important it is for the Ummah to exist, a boundary-less arch of camaraderie, engulfing Muslims everywhere, only by virtue of their faith. The Prophet of Islam,…
