This Week's Quotation:
Verily, Allah will not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves.
~ Quran 13-11
Life is a Khutbah
Rev. Berry Behr, Global Interfaith Ambassador
The Arabic word for sermon is khutbah, and the Friday khutbah delivered in mosques is the spiritual focal point for Muslim communities, much as the weekly Pulse of Spirit provides guidance and contemplative exploration for the Emissaries of Divine Light.
Imam Dr Rashied Omar, a renowned scholar, activist, educator, and community leader, published a booklet containing three particularly important khutbahs delivered at the historic Claremont Main Road Mosque in Cape Town in the late 1990s. His topics were tolerance, civil society, and renaissance. Imam Omar chose to publish these khutahs because he realised they called for more robust exploration and discussion than the time allowed at Friday lunchtime prayers. They offered clear guidance on major issues of the day. The Imam based his teachings on wisdom from the Quran, the Muslim Holy Book.
A quarter century later, Imam Omar's khutbahs remain deeply relevant for the Muslim community and for people everywhere. Tolerance—the understanding that everyone has a place. Civil Society—our responsibility to be our nation's moral conscience and uphold the family as the cornerstone of society. Renaissance—the willingness to embrace our true identity so that we can envision and commit to a shared future together. Imam Omar built his khutbahs on the origin story of Islam in South Africa and on the theological foundation of the Quran.
The Quranic teachings call for humanity to look inward, to make changes on the inner planes of our being, and to activate the expression of those changes in the world. It means rooting out our prejudices, facing our fears, and knowing ourselves. Only then can we, through our new understanding and consequently changed behaviour, manifest Beloved Community and all its blessings.
When we make those internal changes as individuals, we nurture, build, and radiate our own inner sun. We are then empowered to connect fearlessly with others. The agreement and responsibility to work together in a unified creative field becomes a foundational element of the renaissance of the human spirit. Our souls can never grow in an atmosphere of hate or ill-will, but only in a spirit of unconditional, radiant love that excludes no one and that celebrates diversity as the vibrant, essential ingredient of Heaven on earth.
When times are darkest, we are called to shine brightest. Let us never stop polishing our own inner lights because the day when we all shine together is the day we change the world.
About Open Windows
We, the authors of this blog, dedicate it to the transparent exploration of the world’s sacred scripture and enlightened spiritual thought. We believe that the original inspiration of all faiths comes from a common source, named and revered in a myriad of ways. With that understanding, the innumerable symbols, beliefs, and practices of faith cease to divide. They become open windows to a common reality that inspires and unifies us. We find deeper insight and nourishment in our own faith and from the expression of faith from others.
We hope these weekly quotations and meditations speak to your heart and soul.
Like many Open Windows, here and in other contexts, this reveloratory piece raises me up. My eyes open wider to the rainbow differentiations of creation. Trillions of ways to open, to give and to receive the ineffable essences of Life. Thank you. Laurence M
Thank you very much, Rev. Behr. I always find your writing inspirational – and in this case it was educational too. I love the spirit behind Islam but did not know this vocabulary and practice. Thank you. And may we and all who read here rise and be blessed by your spirit. Love, Tom C.
Thank you, Berry.
I believe that “…rooting out our prejudices, facing our fears and knowing ourselves” are vital cornerstones to bring the full light of our Spirits into the world. Inner work is the only work that works!