This Sunday afternoon, our Introduction to Islam Course will be exploring the Medinan period (622-632 CE) of the prophet's life. Migration (hijrah), community (ummah), religiously regulated armed steruggle, and the importance of forgiveness and reconciliation are just some of the points that we will touch upon, in sha' allah. Feb 17, 4-6 pm, at the Inner Garden. Drop-ins welcome! For more info, please visit the IISF website.
"The Advent of Qur'anic Revelations in Mecca" this Sunday
Continuing with our IISF INTRODUCTION TO ISLAM class at the Inner Garden this Sunday, we will be discussing the advent of Qur'anic revelations, the early themes of the Qur'an, the challenges and opposition faced by the early believers in Mecca, the lesser migration to the Christian kingdom in Ethiopia circa 615, and the greater migration to Yathrib / al-Madina in 622.
Class time is 4-6 p.m. DROP-INS WELCOME! Go to the IISF WEBSITE for more information.
Class time is 4-6 p.m. DROP-INS WELCOME! Go to the IISF WEBSITE for more information.
Light Upon Light texts from our Feb 1 Session on "The Mysteries of Light and Darkness"
Al-hamdulillah, we had a powerful and wide-ranging discussion last night. Thanks to all those who came and participated! Please find below a few of the Qur'anic texts we read, pondered, and discussed.
The Qur’ān frequently refers to itself and to the other scriptures as books containing light and guidance, by which God extracts believers from the darknesses and brings them into the light.
And through [the light and clear book that has come to
you] God guides whosoever follows His good pleasure along paths of peace; By
His grace, He brings them out of the darknesses [and] into the light and guides
them to an upright path.[2]
God is the light of the heavens and the earth. A parable for His light is a niche in which there is a lamp; the lamp is in glass, and the glass is like to a glittering star – lit from a blessed olive tree, of neither the east nor the west, a tree whose oil is just about to burst into light though no fire has touched it. Light upon light! God guides whomsoever He wills to His light. God crafts [such] parables for the benefit of the people, and God is, of all things, knowing.
from sūra(t)
al-falaq / the light that cleaves the
darkness of night (113)
and from the evil / destructive energy of the black, impenetrable darkness as it spreads over;
and from the evil / destructive power of those who practice occult arts and witchcraft;
and from the evil / destructive power of the envious one when envy arises [within him].
LIGHT UPON LIGHT:
THE MYSTERIES OF LIGHT AND DARKNESS
February 1, 2013, at the Inner Garden, Toronto
SELECTED REFERENCES TO DARKNESS AND LIGHT in the Qur’ān:
From sūra(t)
al-baqara / “the cow” (2): 257
God is the Guardian / Patron of those who believe; God
takes them out of the darknesses and into the light - whereas those who
maliciously misrepresent and deny the truth, their guardians / patrons are the
evil ones who take them out of the light and into the darknesses; such are the
people of the fire, therein to abide forever.[1]
From sūra(t)
al-an‘ām / the livestock” (6):1
Praise God, who created the heavens and the earth and made
the darknesses and the light; thereafter, those who rebelliously reject / deny
[God’s generosity] place [themselves] on a par with their [true] Lord.
from sūra(t)
al-mā’idah / “the table” (5):16
Throughout the Qur’ān,
revelation is celebrated as a means by which God brings humanity out of the
various darknesses of this world and into the one light, which of course we
understand to be Truth, God,[3]
who is explicitly called “The Light of the Heavens and the Earth.”
From sūra(t)
an-nūr / “the light” (24): 35
God is the light of the heavens and the earth. A parable for His light is a niche in which there is a lamp; the lamp is in glass, and the glass is like to a glittering star – lit from a blessed olive tree, of neither the east nor the west, a tree whose oil is just about to burst into light though no fire has touched it. Light upon light! God guides whomsoever He wills to His light. God crafts [such] parables for the benefit of the people, and God is, of all things, knowing.
Say: I seek refuge in the Lord of the light that
cleaves the darkness of night
from the evil / destructive force of that which He has
created; and from the evil / destructive energy of the black, impenetrable darkness as it spreads over;
and from the evil / destructive power of those who practice occult arts and witchcraft;
and from the evil / destructive power of the envious one when envy arises [within him].
INTRODUCTION TO ISLAM session this Sunday
This Sunday (Feb 3), God willing, our IISF Introduction to Islam class will be discussing "Pre-Islamic Arabia (al-Jahiliyya) and the Dawn of Islam" at the Inner Garden (6-8 pm). DROP-INS WELCOME! Go to the IISF WEBSITE for more information.
NEW IISF YouTube Channel
A growing selection of Dr. Timothy's talks, sermons, and lectures are being made available on YouTube. Links to these videos can be found on the IISF Website. Please stay tuned, for we will be uploading new material in the coming weeks. As always, your comments are most welcome.
INTRODUCTION TO ISLAM session this Sunday
This Sunday (Jan 27), God willing, our IISF Introduction to Islam class will be discussing "The Eastern Branch of the Abrahamic Covenant: Ishmael, the Ka‘ba, and the Mythic History of Arabia Prior to the Rise of Islam" at the Inner Garden (4-6 pm). DROP-INS WELCOME! Go to the IISF WEBSITE for more information.
Spiritual Reflection for the New Year
“Surely God does not change a people’s situation
until they change what is in themselves…”
from the Qur’ān, sūrat al-ra‘d / “The Thunder” (13): 11
We open our eyes and find ourselves, by God’s grace
and mercy, in a new year, with a fresh opportunity to change ourselves, our
families, our communities, and our world.
But where do we start? How do we
even begin?
Last summer, recognizing that the status quo at all levels -- within
myself, my family, my community, and my world -- was completely unacceptable, I
began wrestling with this question in my khuṭbah
or sermon crafted for the occasion of the ‘īd
or feast concluding the month of Ramaḍān (August 19, 2012), and I humbly offer an
excerpt of that sermon here:
“I hunger for a revolution of consciousness, but I
recognize that this revolution will not come quickly or easily… rather, it will
come from the ground up, from a radical rediscovery of our faith and the
essence of all Divinely-revealed religion. We need to rediscover and so
reconceptualise who we are, what we are, what we are about, and what the
ultimate purpose or goal of our existence really is. In more sophisticated
terms, we need to rediscover the teleological consciousness that is at the
heart of all prophetic teaching: namely, that we all – each one of us – came
into existence by a deliberate and purposeful act of God, that God breathed
God’s own spirit into us and appointed us to be the caretakers of the creation,
that God gave us the capacity for knowledge and the capacity to reflect the Divine
qualities in the world, and, ultimately, that we are all passing through this
world on our way back to God, who is both the origin and the ultimate goal of
our existence.
The Qur’ān instructs us to “seek God’s help with
patience and prayer” and it also tells us that the task before us is “a
momentous thing except for those who are lowly in spirit, those who reckon they
will meet their Lord and who know they are to God returning” (2: 45-46)…”
Are we humble enough to recognize that the
transformation for which we so hunger and thirst must begin within our own
hearts?
UPCOMING EVENTS (December) AT THE IISF
 |
| for the
promotion of holistic religious education, creational stewardship, and spiritually-infused living |
EVENT: Light Upon Light – An evening of spiritual reading, discussion, and fellowship with Dr. Timothy J. Gianotti
TOPIC: "Otherness and the Spiritual Challenge of the Other" -- a joint program with the Toronto Unity Mosque in honour of the approaching anniversary of the Prophet Muhammad's birth
DATE & TIME: January 11, 2013, 7:30 - 9:30 p.m.
LOCATION: The 519 Church Street Community Center, 519 Church Street, Toronto, ON
__________________
TOPIC: Patience
DATE & TIME: January 4, 2013, 8-10 p.m.
LOCATION: The Inner Garden, 401 Richmond St. W (just east of Spadina), suite 384 (third floor), Toronto. For help with directions and parking, please check the building’s website: www.401richmond.net
___________________
TOPIC: Dreams, Death, and the journeys of the Soul (revisited)
DATE & TIME: Friday December 14, 2012, 8-10 p.m.
DATE & TIME: January 11, 2013, 7:30 - 9:30 p.m.
LOCATION: The 519 Church Street Community Center, 519 Church Street, Toronto, ON
__________________
TOPIC: Patience
DATE & TIME: January 4, 2013, 8-10 p.m.
LOCATION: The Inner Garden, 401 Richmond St. W (just east of Spadina), suite 384 (third floor), Toronto. For help with directions and parking, please check the building’s website: www.401richmond.net
___________________
TOPIC: Dreams, Death, and the journeys of the Soul (revisited)
DATE & TIME: Friday December 14, 2012, 8-10 p.m.
LOCATION: The Inner Garden, 401 Richmond St. W (just east of Spadina),
suite 384 (third floor), Toronto. For
help with directions and parking, please check the building’s website: www.401richmond.net
_______________________________________________________________________________
Our Light Upon Light discussion series features a variety of spiritually nourishing subjects in an inclusive space where participants of all faiths actively contribute in a manner that is respectful to all.
FEE: $15.00 (incl.) at the door, cash or cheque. Cheques should be made out to the Islamic Institute for Spiritual Formation.
Our Light Upon Light discussion series features a variety of spiritually nourishing subjects in an inclusive space where participants of all faiths actively contribute in a manner that is respectful to all.
LIGHT UPON LIGHT - new season, new location!
The Islamic Institute for Spiritual Formation (IISF)
presents
LIGHT UPON LIGHT
An evening of spiritual reading, discussion, and fellowship with Dr. Timothy J. Gianotti
presents
LIGHT UPON LIGHT
An evening of spiritual reading, discussion, and fellowship with Dr. Timothy J. Gianotti
TOPIC: SPIRITUAL MOULTING: the unmaking and remaking of the self on the path to God
DATE:
Friday November 9, 2012
LOCATION:
The Inner Garden 401 Richmond St. W (just east of Spadina), suite 384 (third floor)
TIME:
8-10 p.m.
FEE:
$15.00 (incl.) at the door, cash or cheque. Cheques should be made out to the Islamic Institute for Spiritual Formation.
Our Light Upon Light discussion series features a variety of spiritually nourishing subjects in an inclusive space where participants of all faiths actively contribute in a manner that is respectful to all.
DATE:
Friday November 9, 2012
LOCATION:
The Inner Garden 401 Richmond St. W (just east of Spadina), suite 384 (third floor)
TIME:
8-10 p.m.
FEE:
$15.00 (incl.) at the door, cash or cheque. Cheques should be made out to the Islamic Institute for Spiritual Formation.
Our Light Upon Light discussion series features a variety of spiritually nourishing subjects in an inclusive space where participants of all faiths actively contribute in a manner that is respectful to all.
THOUGHT FOR REFLECTION & DISCUSSION: the activist implications of monotheism
The classic and generic Arabic term for a monotheist is "muwahhid" -- the active participle of the verb, wahhada/yuwahhidu, which carries a causative or emphatic quality that builds upon the root that denotes singularity or unity. A muwahhid might then be better translated as a "unity maker" or "promoter of unity" for the form suggests an active role in promoting or affirming unity. First and foremost, of course, this must be taken in reference to God, whose singularity and unicity are central to Muslim belief. All conceptualizations of divinity must collapse into the mystery of "the God" (Allah), who simultaneously qualifies Godself with diverse qualities or attributes and yet exists in a unity that transcends all distinction. Secondarily, this can also be taken in reference to the unity of humankind, who began as a "single soul" before becoming the diverse and divided multitude we witness today. In spite of our vast diversity and fragmentation, however, we are told that we are all headed back toward unity, back toward an ultimate point of convergence, back to the One who set the many into motion in the first place. The call to be a "muwahhid" -- a unity maker -- may thus be understood as something more than a call to bear witness that God is One; it may be seen also as a call to rise up and assist in the Divine work of re-uniting humankind by promoting understanding and working for justice and peace and all that might help to heal the pathologies of division, prejudice, and war.
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