Date: Friday October 7, 2011
Time: 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Location: Auditorium, Noor Cultural Centre
Click HERE for more details plus scholarly endorsements of the book!
TORONTO BOOK LAUNCH for "In the Light of a Blessed Tree"
Date: Friday October 7, 2011
Time: 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Location: Auditorium, Noor Cultural Centre
Click HERE for more details plus scholarly endorsements of the book!
STANDING TOGETHER AGAINST ANTI-SEMITISM
We categorically condemn the vandalism and hateful, antisemitic symbolism that sought to desecrate the Beth Tikvah Synagogue here in Toronto on August 4, 2011, and we are both shocked and appalled that the perpetrators seemed to have associated their hatred and desecration with the religion of Islam. As Muslims we unequivocally reject such attribution, and we bear clear witness that such behavior has no place within the religion of Islam. More, we applaud all those, including the Canadian Council of Imams (CCI), who immediately rose to stand with the victims against this criminal expression of ignorance and hate. To see the CCI statement, click here.
We further decry all those who seek to spread dissension, mistrust, fear, and hatred through the malicious misrepresentation of people belonging to any race or religion or gender or orientation, and we call upon all truly religious people to serve as conduits of the Divine light that dispels all darknesses.
May the Jewish community of Beth Tikvah take heart that they are not alone and that we stand with them, and may all maliciously maligned and oppressed people take heart. We are one human family, all, and we are all created in the Divine image. Let us then raise the call for universal respect, for universal reverence, and let us together stand as we uphold and defend the dignity of every human being.
We further decry all those who seek to spread dissension, mistrust, fear, and hatred through the malicious misrepresentation of people belonging to any race or religion or gender or orientation, and we call upon all truly religious people to serve as conduits of the Divine light that dispels all darknesses.
May the Jewish community of Beth Tikvah take heart that they are not alone and that we stand with them, and may all maliciously maligned and oppressed people take heart. We are one human family, all, and we are all created in the Divine image. Let us then raise the call for universal respect, for universal reverence, and let us together stand as we uphold and defend the dignity of every human being.
NEW BOOK IS (finally) OUT AND AVAILABLE!
With great delight, we can finally announce that
In the Light of a Blessed Tree: illuminations of Islamic belief, practice, history
was officially published on August 1, 2011 (1 Ramadan 1432) and can now be be purchased from its publisher, Wipf & Stock Publishers. A specific link to the book can be found below.
This modest but special book presents an absolutely original, experientially textured introduction to Islamic belief, practice, and history for both the intrigued newcomer as well as for those who already possess some basic literacy in Islam. Slowly crafted over the years following the terror attacks of September 11, 2001, In the Light of a Blessed Tree speaks with scholarly integrity but in an everyday voice, full of real-life narratives that "illuminate" the beliefs, practices, and histories described. More, it brings the reader in touch with the psychological, social, and cultural forces that shape the way we come to the question of Islam in a wounded world, still grappling with the trauma of 9/11 and very much still in a state of war. For these and other reasons, it speaks to contemporary images and realities, even as it walks through the ancient origins of Islam.
In the Light of A Blessed Tree thus serves thoughtful western readers (in North America and Europe, primarily) who are shopping for an accessible, concise, and reliable trade book covering the basics of Islam, and yet it can easily serve as an introductory text for university, community college, or even upper-level high school courses that include Islam and the religions of the Near East.
In the Light of a Blessed Tree: illuminations of Islamic belief, practice, history
was officially published on August 1, 2011 (1 Ramadan 1432) and can now be be purchased from its publisher, Wipf & Stock Publishers. A specific link to the book can be found below.
This modest but special book presents an absolutely original, experientially textured introduction to Islamic belief, practice, and history for both the intrigued newcomer as well as for those who already possess some basic literacy in Islam. Slowly crafted over the years following the terror attacks of September 11, 2001, In the Light of a Blessed Tree speaks with scholarly integrity but in an everyday voice, full of real-life narratives that "illuminate" the beliefs, practices, and histories described. More, it brings the reader in touch with the psychological, social, and cultural forces that shape the way we come to the question of Islam in a wounded world, still grappling with the trauma of 9/11 and very much still in a state of war. For these and other reasons, it speaks to contemporary images and realities, even as it walks through the ancient origins of Islam.
In the Light of A Blessed Tree thus serves thoughtful western readers (in North America and Europe, primarily) who are shopping for an accessible, concise, and reliable trade book covering the basics of Islam, and yet it can easily serve as an introductory text for university, community college, or even upper-level high school courses that include Islam and the religions of the Near East.
As an American-born professor of Islamic Studies, with degrees from both the US and Canada as well as many travel and study periods in the Arabic-speaking world and other parts of the world where Muslims predominate, I have visited and personally interacted with countless academic, religious, and general audiences since Sept. 11, 2001, and so this little book reflects the questions, concerns, and tenor of the many communities and individuals I have encountered. In my experience, what people need, at least in the very beginning, is not something overly formal and long-winded but rather something simple, well-written and within their reach, something that can prepare them for a higher level of engagement if they have the time and the desire for more. That is truly all this book seeks to be and do.
Check it out, along with endorsements from highly-regarded Muslim, Christian, and Jewish scholars, on the publisher's website by clicking here!
Check it out, along with endorsements from highly-regarded Muslim, Christian, and Jewish scholars, on the publisher's website by clicking here!
DISCUSSION: What is prayer to you?
I recently was asked to answer this question (in 250 words or less) in preparation for the 10th annual, Muslim-Christian "Building Bridges" seminar, sponsored by the Archbishop of Canterbury (Rowan Williams) in collaboration with Georgetown University. Each participating scholar-practitioner was asked to answer this question for herself/himself, and the entire catalogue of responses can be found on the Building Bridges website (above). My response can be found below. Please feel encouraged to craft your own and post it here.
What is Prayer for Me?
What is Prayer for Me?
Prayer for me is, of course, always changing shape and tone and texture, all of which arise from my own fluctuating condition and spiritual state. Underlying all this, however, throbs a mystery of connectivity and reciprocal remembrance: my remembrance of God and God’s remembrance of me. In one of the Divine, theopathic utterances attributed to the Prophet Muhammad (may God’s blessings and peace be ever upon him and all of the messengers), God is believed to say, “I am as My servant thinks I am. I am with him when he remembers Me. If he makes mention of Me to himself, I make mention of him to Myself; and if he makes mention of Me in an assembly, I make mention of him in an assembly better than that. If he draws near to Me an arm’s length, I draw near to him a fathom’s length; if he comes to Me walking, I rush to him.” For me, then, prayer is the rope or cord that keeps me consciously connected to my source; remembering that, in Arabic, the word for God’s attribute of “mercy” derives from the word for “womb,” I see prayer is the spiritual umbilical cord that is never cut, always available, always ready to nourish and sustain us.
Timothy J. Gianotti
PUBLIC STATEMENT regarding the bombing of a Coptic Church in Alexandria, Egypt
We categorically condemn this cruel and vicious act, which has murdered innocent Coptic Christian worshipers and desecrated a sacred house in which God's name is remembered and celebrated. Prayerfully recalling the clear Qur'anic teaching that to kill a single soul unjustly is tantamount to killing all of humankind (5:32), we stand against all those who seek to justify such murderous behavior in the name of Islam or any other faith, and we pray for slain, the wounded, the bereaved, and all those who bear the scars of trauma resulting from this ungodly act.
Also, we call upon all believing and God-conscious people -- be they Christian, Muslim, Jewish, or of any other faith -- to exercise restraint in this raw moment of grief and outrage. Only goodness and the Divine Light can dispel the darknesses of evil deeds and intentions, and so we seek refuge in the Divine lights of mercy and forgiveness and loving kindness, even as we work for justice in the world. Remembering that God is one, that humanity was created from a single soul, and that it is to God's Blessed Unity that we are all returning, we call upon everyone to seek the unitive light of all prophetic teaching and to stand together in faith against all those who would divide us and seek to plant seeds of enmity between us.
Also, we call upon all believing and God-conscious people -- be they Christian, Muslim, Jewish, or of any other faith -- to exercise restraint in this raw moment of grief and outrage. Only goodness and the Divine Light can dispel the darknesses of evil deeds and intentions, and so we seek refuge in the Divine lights of mercy and forgiveness and loving kindness, even as we work for justice in the world. Remembering that God is one, that humanity was created from a single soul, and that it is to God's Blessed Unity that we are all returning, we call upon everyone to seek the unitive light of all prophetic teaching and to stand together in faith against all those who would divide us and seek to plant seeds of enmity between us.
New INTRODUCTION TO ISLAM Course for the Toronto Jewish Community (Temple Emanu-El members and friends)
Beginning Sunday, January 9, Dr. Timothy Gianotti will be offering a four-part introduction to Islam at Noor's synagogue "twin" -- Temple Eamanu-El, a vibrant, progressive community committed to Jewish renewal. As an extension of our annual November "twinning" of synagogues and mosques, this January course will be followed by a four-part February Introduction to Judaism (for Muslims) course offered by Temple Emanu-El's Rabbi Debra Landsberg at the Noor Cultural Centre. For details and registration information, please consult the community websites by clicking on the institutional names above.
LIGHT UPON LIGHT Retrospective
On Friday, December 10, we had our final Light Upon Light for 2010.
Devoted to "The Divine language of Signs (ayat)," it blossomed into a beautiful evening of exploring the theoretical, scriptural, and experiential dimensions of God's ongoing disclosure to the creation. I would like to take this opportunity to thank those who braved the cold and dark December night to gather and add their light and their voice to this circle of spiritual discussion, this evening of sacred speaking and listening.
As the faithful LUL participants know, this series was born of a recognition that, as spiritual beings, we need more than a steady diet of "Hell and Hijab" to live religiously complete and spiritually fulfilling lives. "Light Upon Light" thus came into being with the hope and intention of reclaiming some of the forgotten and/or neglected spiritual treasures of the faith, and in the hope of opening up a religious space where every voice, female and male, young and old, would be honored and listened to with reverence and respect. As we enter into a new year, we pray that God will accept what we have done so far and that God will bless and guide our efforts to continue our search for the Divine light of wisdom within sacred texts, within the signs woven into the natural world, and within the signs woven into the fabric of our life experiences.
SELECTED TOPICS (from fall, 2007 until present): Spiritual Knowledge / Love / Tests & Trials / Loving Universally while Living within Particularity (featuring the writings of Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook) / On the Importance of Being a Stranger in the World / Dreams, Death and the Journeys of the Spirit / On the Art of Being Grateful / The Importance of Solitude / Core Paradoxes: freedom in servitude, wealth in poverty, life in death, gaining by spending, spiritual advancement through sin / The World of the Unseen / Spiritual Storytelling / Being a Perpetual Beginner / The Poetry of Kabir / "with a little help from my friends..." The indispensability of community for walking the path to God / Rumi & the Wisdom of the Reed Flute / Spiritual Chivalry / Tests and Trials Revisited / Glimpses of the Religious Ideal: Spiritual Masters, Sages, and Other Friends of God in the Jewish and Islamic Traditions (special Muslim-Jewish "Twinning" session at Temple Emanu-El, Toronto) / The Mysteries of Light and Darkness / Pilgrimage / Alchemy / The Balance / The Divine Language of Signs (al-ayat) /
Devoted to "The Divine language of Signs (ayat)," it blossomed into a beautiful evening of exploring the theoretical, scriptural, and experiential dimensions of God's ongoing disclosure to the creation. I would like to take this opportunity to thank those who braved the cold and dark December night to gather and add their light and their voice to this circle of spiritual discussion, this evening of sacred speaking and listening.
As the faithful LUL participants know, this series was born of a recognition that, as spiritual beings, we need more than a steady diet of "Hell and Hijab" to live religiously complete and spiritually fulfilling lives. "Light Upon Light" thus came into being with the hope and intention of reclaiming some of the forgotten and/or neglected spiritual treasures of the faith, and in the hope of opening up a religious space where every voice, female and male, young and old, would be honored and listened to with reverence and respect. As we enter into a new year, we pray that God will accept what we have done so far and that God will bless and guide our efforts to continue our search for the Divine light of wisdom within sacred texts, within the signs woven into the natural world, and within the signs woven into the fabric of our life experiences.
SELECTED TOPICS (from fall, 2007 until present): Spiritual Knowledge / Love / Tests & Trials / Loving Universally while Living within Particularity (featuring the writings of Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook) / On the Importance of Being a Stranger in the World / Dreams, Death and the Journeys of the Spirit / On the Art of Being Grateful / The Importance of Solitude / Core Paradoxes: freedom in servitude, wealth in poverty, life in death, gaining by spending, spiritual advancement through sin / The World of the Unseen / Spiritual Storytelling / Being a Perpetual Beginner / The Poetry of Kabir / "with a little help from my friends..." The indispensability of community for walking the path to God / Rumi & the Wisdom of the Reed Flute / Spiritual Chivalry / Tests and Trials Revisited / Glimpses of the Religious Ideal: Spiritual Masters, Sages, and Other Friends of God in the Jewish and Islamic Traditions (special Muslim-Jewish "Twinning" session at Temple Emanu-El, Toronto) / The Mysteries of Light and Darkness / Pilgrimage / Alchemy / The Balance / The Divine Language of Signs (al-ayat) /
UPCOMING MOSQUE-SYNAGOGUE "TWINNING" & MUSLIM-JEWISH DIALOGUE EVENTS
Inner Battles and Outer Battles
Struggling with the Language and Imagery of War within our Faith Traditions
November 19-21, 2010
This year, as part of our third annual "twinning" between the communities of the Noor Cultural Centre and Temple Emanu-El, we will -- God willing -- begin exploring some of the difficult elements that make the Muslim-Jewish relationship so complex and uniquely burdened. One of these elements is the language and imagery of war within our scriptures and larger faith traditions. To guide and help facilitate our inter-communal conversations, we have invited two prominent scholars, Rabbi/Dr. Reuven Firestone and Dr. Mahmoud Ayoub to join us for the entire weekend.
Professor of medieval Judaism and Islam at
founder and co-director of the Center for Muslim-Jewish Engagement (www.usc.edu/cmje).
Dr. Mahmoud Ayoub
Faculty Associate in Shi‘ite Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations, Hartford Seminary,
Professor Emeritus and former Director of Islamic Studies in the Department of Religion,
The events we have planned, including a major event for the general public (free), promise to help our communities grapple with the grim realities of conflict on all levels, from the interpersonal to the inter-communal. To this end, they will help us explore the ways in which the language and imagery of war within our scriptures and wider traditions have been invoked and continue to be invoked to justify and promote conflict. How should we understand this? How can we see these war passages as sacred? Do our traditions illumine a path beyond conflict, a path where we can be faithful to these texts and traditions without perpetuating and escalating the violence that runs so rampant in the world? Acknowledging that we cannot simply get rid of this element of our scriptures and indeed our lives, how can we witness to these texts and traditions in a healthy way? For example, are there metaphorical readings and appropriations (such as the Rabbinical sublimation of war within the "Wars of Torah" and the “Inner War” of our mystical traditions) that can open up alternatives to Divinely sanctified bloodshed and all the moral and political complications this brings?
TENTATIVE SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:
DAY ONE (Friday, Nov. 19):
"Inner Battles: Looking at Our
Foundational Stories of Strife,
Resolution, and Self-Definition"
Foundational Stories of Strife,
Resolution, and Self-Definition"
Friday Prayer Service at Noor Cultural Centre, featuring sermon (khutbah) by Dr. Mahmoud Ayoub; coffee, tea and light lunch following prayers
8:00 pm
Shabbat Service featuring sermon by Rabbi Reuven Firestone, Temple Emanu-El, light refreshments following service
Shabbat Service featuring sermon by Rabbi Reuven Firestone, Temple Emanu-El, light refreshments following service
DAY TWO (Saturday, Nov. 20):
"Inner Battles and Outer Battles: Struggling
with the Language and Imagery of War within our Traditions"
with the Language and Imagery of War within our Traditions"
7:30 pm
PUBLIC LECTURE and Discussion with Dr. Ayoub and Rabbi Firestone, Noor Cultural Centre (main hall)
DAY THREE (Sunday, Nov. 21):
"Making Peace where There is Strife? Building
a Relationship Based Upon Our Common Burdens,
Histories, and Concerns"
a Relationship Based Upon Our Common Burdens,
Histories, and Concerns"
11:30 am
Community continental breakfast and discussion with Dr. Mahmoud Ayoub, Rabbi Debra Lansberg, and Dr. Timothy Gianotti, Temple Emanu-El
Community continental breakfast and discussion with Dr. Mahmoud Ayoub, Rabbi Debra Lansberg, and Dr. Timothy Gianotti, Temple Emanu-El
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