The legacy of the Islamic scholarly tradition, it could be said, is one of division. We often think of the storied classes of premodern scholars as markedly more spiritually adept than us, indeed as having set the tone and penned the parameters for what it means to be a true Muslim scholar or student of knowledge. Yet some of their finest were principally concerned with criticizing a hum of complacency that had overtaken their contemporaries.

While knowing the language of the ants seems to serve him no worldly purpose in this chapter, Sulayman is nevertheless profoundly moved by the gift of perception. He basks in gratitude–his predominant trait in Surah Al-Naml. He utters a gorgeous and sweeping praise and supplication.

The most important product we produce in this life is not a thing or a project, but rather ourselves. When we, like alchemists, draw out the gold from the base metals within us, we are at our most productive. That means that even when you find yourself without a goal, you do in fact have a goal; even when you feel aimless, you have an aim; even when you can’t figure out what direction to go in, you do have a direction to go in.

A poem: “The Rebuking Soul”

A judge measures you against an objective standard. That standard in and of itself may not be cruel, but it is rigid. Humans and rigidity don’t make good bedfellows. We learn our lessons the hard way. In Surah Al-Kahf, after detailing the many ways in which we argue over things about which we lack knowledge, Allah says: “We have surely set forth in this Qur’an every lesson for people, but humankind is the most argumentative of all.” (18:54) We always have something to say, right or wrong; our reasoning and emotional capacities lead us, straight or crooked; our pasts define us, limiting or expanding our views. Humans are complex creatures; therefore, we deem standards that can’t accommodate our complexity, unfair.

Hope is hidden within patience and gratitude. It’s the thing that keeps you going when life feels unfair and keeps you striving when you could otherwise stagnate. Lining the robes of patience and gratitude is hope—hope in a Creator who means well, who can heal, fix, provide, and comfort. Hope is to attach yourself to as full of an understanding of God as your heart and mind can muster; and even, to hope that there is more to God than what our limitations can grasp.

We have thrown our weight around so much, in truth, that we can turn our backs on nature and rely solely on the data and tools we've used to understand and anticipate it. But clearly, as evidenced from the Qur'an, Allah is not keen on our disassociation with the rest of creation.

In Surah Al-Kahf, we encounter the parable of two men and the gardens. One, we learn, has a highly abundant yield from his garden, but the character of the other fellow’s possessions goes undescribed.

There was once an old shaykh who said, “I don’t pray until I see the ka’ba right before my eyes.”

It's ironic that when we engage in things that bring us immediate gratification, they often leave us feeling uncomfortable, guilty, and irritated. The hyper-palatable food we indulge in, for instance, makes us feel physically unwell or it damages our sense of self by leaving us feeling guilty and without will-power or self-control.

My daughter’s limited experience of this life is that she almost always has what she needs to get what she wants. She sees mommy and daddy as the people who make things happen for her. Either we can provide her with exactly what she wants or we can get her somewhere close. My daughter sees abundance, provision and possibility. And as her parents, we’re a major part of the reason why.

When we are hopeful, our thoughts are more expansive, creative, and visionary. We are more willing to try new ways, adopt new habits, and delay gratification for a hoped-for goal.

We’ve traveled to Morocco so many times and lived there at one point, but this time felt different. For the first time, I was intimidated by the trip because so much rested on it. We humbly called this trip a fact-finding mission to soften the blow if nothing was to come of it.

Disobedience poisons and spreads chaotically like a malignant tumor. It does not suffice to harm you in one area, but disperses itself and causes a disturbance in the soul.