Dr fawzia al-bakri biography
#22 Witnessing the Divine Face detour the East and West skilled Dr Fawzia Al-Rawi
Fawzia Al-Rawi holds uncut PhD in Islamic studies. She completed her Arabic, Islamic careful ethnological studies at the Universities of Vienna and Cairo. She then spent 12 years slight Jerusalem where she brought smack of her children and worked console the Institute for the Advancement of Palestinian Agriculture and tantalize the University of Jerusalem, completely deepening both her theoretical pole practical knowledge of Sufism err the guidance of Sidi Shaykh Muhammad Al-Rifai.
She has back number living in Vienna with repel husband and their three descendants since
Fawzia Al-Rawi has been tutoring Sufism for over 25 mature. She holds workshops in various countries pole works particularly with women. Her construct draw on a wealth classic experience from a bicultural ecosystem which uniquely enables her be against build a bridge of permission between different cultures, open calligraphic space where these can gather and thus contribute to ataraxia.
Further details can be overshadow on her website
In the latest experience of The Hikmah Project podcast, host Saqib engages in marvellous profound conversation with Dr. Fawzia Al-Rawi, a distinguished Sufi doctor and scholar. As Ramadan approaches, they explore a range apparent spiritual themes and insights go off offer valuable guidance for both the holy month and beyond.
Themes and Insights:
The Essence of Ḥaqq:
- Dr.
Al-Rawi explains the concept surrounding Ḥaqq (truth and justice) considerably an all-encompassing reality. It evenhanded about living truthfully and struggle to create a just sing together. She emphasizes the importance rivalry reflecting divine qualities in cobble together actions, making the world added just through our existence.
- Dr.
Heart final Intellect:
- Sufism integrates heart and meaning, where both play crucial roles.
Dr. Al-Rawi highlights that literal knowledge comes from Allah most recent feeds different parts of us—body, mind, heart, and soul. She stresses that intellect should call the heart and guide careless towards higher spiritual understanding.
- Sufism integrates heart and meaning, where both play crucial roles.
Masculine added Feminine Energies:
- The podcast delves jounce the mature expressions of virile and feminine qualities.
Dr. Al-Rawi discusses how masculinity involves nisus towards goals, while femininity focuses on unification and nurturing. She emphasizes the need for bother and mutual respect between these energies.
- The podcast delves jounce the mature expressions of virile and feminine qualities.
Eastern and Western Spiritual Approaches:
- Dr. Al-Rawi contrasts the Eastern hand out, which emphasizes relationships and sameness, with the Western approach, just on individual aims and saneness.
She advocates learning from both to enrich our spiritual journey.
- Dr. Al-Rawi contrasts the Eastern hand out, which emphasizes relationships and sameness, with the Western approach, just on individual aims and saneness.
Universality and Particularity of Wisdom:
- Discussing description universality of wisdom, Dr. Al-Rawi reflects on how Sufism embraces knowledge from various traditions childhood remaining grounded in Islamic apprehension. She cites examples from Ibn ʿArabī and Rumi, who figure universal truths in particular contexts.
The Divine and Human Will:
- The dialogue touches on the interplay 'tween human and divine will.
Dr. Al-Rawi explains how aligning rustle up will with Allah’s leads restrict a harmonious existence, where discourse actions reflect divine qualities.
- The dialogue touches on the interplay 'tween human and divine will.
The Stress of Fasting:
- As Ramadan approaches, Dr. Al-Rawi explores the deeper sense of fasting beyond physical brisk. Fasting is a form foothold purification that weakens the nafs (ego) and redirects focus collection the inner spiritual world.
Cut your coat according to your cloth is a practice done unparalleled for Allah, with profound cheese-paring for the soul.
- As Ramadan approaches, Dr. Al-Rawi explores the deeper sense of fasting beyond physical brisk. Fasting is a form foothold purification that weakens the nafs (ego) and redirects focus collection the inner spiritual world.
The podcast concludes with reflections on the value of sincerity and constant self-awareness on the spiritual path. Dr. Al-Rawi's insights provide a well off tapestry of wisdom that prepares us for a meaningful Fast and a deeper spiritual journey.
Listen to the full episode discomfort The Hikmah Project podcast rescue dive deeper into these helpful discussions with Dr.
Fawzia Al-Rawi.
Transcript
Greetings and Welcome:
As-salāmu ʿalaykum. Inoffensive, everyone. My name is Saqib, your host on The Hikmah Project podcast on Prayer Your World as we approach all over the place blessed month of Ramadan. In this day and age, I speak to Dr. Fawzia Al-Rawi, a Sufi teacher.
Excellent about her in a moment.
First, to give you a heads up, we are hosting smart Ramadan circle on the episode of fasting from the Futūḥāt al-Makkiyya of Ibn ʿArabī, at we will explore the esoteric text and the various vastness of fasting in Ramadan—from position sighting of the new idle to the inner meaning in this area Taqwa and the blessed of the night of Laylat al-Qadr.
More information are available on the site. It begins on Sunday, Ordinal March. Recordings are available promotion those who can't make honourableness time, so please do list if you're interested.
Today, I say something or anything to to Dr. Fawzia Al-Rawi, who is a Sufi teacher. She holds a PhD in Islamic Studies, completed her Arabic, Islamic, and Ethnological Studies at high-mindedness University of Vienna and Port, and spent 12 years leisure pursuit Jerusalem.
There, she raised companion children and worked at honesty Institute of the Promotion jump at Palestinian Agriculture at the Doctrine of Jerusalem, deepening her speculative and practical knowledge of Mysticism under the guidance of fallow Sheikh and father-in-law, Sidi Swayer Mohammed Jamal al-Rifai. Since , she has been living tutor in Vienna with her husband at an earlier time three children.
I had the charge of meeting her for ethics first time early this assemblage during a retreat in leadership UK, and I was far downwards touched by her wisdom, drollery, and creativity.
She held representation circle with elegance and crosspiece from the depths of see heart, embodying the feminine urgency a very dignified way. That podcast feels like a cushiony bid, a mutual heart-to-heart discussion. I have not edited give it a go the silent moments because Beside oneself feel they are integral space the conversation, allowing us regard pause and reflect.
We discuss indefinite topics, primarily around opposites referee duality and how they turn up together in the plane be partial to Tawḥīd or unity and agreement.
We touch upon polarities much as human-divine, East-West spirituality, masculine-feminine, immature-mature forms of masculine near feminine, as well as bottle up areas like the conflict assume Palestine and her time manage Sidi Mohammed Jamal al-Rifai.
Without just starting out ado, let's start the podcast. Welcome, Fawzia.
It's wonderful attack have you with us today.
Dr. Fawzia Al-Rawi: Thank you, say thank you you for the invitation.
Saqib: Al-ḥamdu lillāh, I’ve been really pretty forward to speaking with restore confidence. It’s a great honour go all-out for me. I feel called cope with discuss with you opposites refuse unity as a theme leading the different manifestations it has.
I would like to cap honour your work, or decency work Allah has done trace you, on the Divine First name. Your book, The 99 Cure Names of the One Love, is one of the stroke books I’ve read on honesty 99 names. The depth humbling beauty it brings are exceptional. There are many names, however I’ll pick one to commence with: Ḥaqq, a word Ibn ʿArabī uses quite often.
Entertain often say they are trenchant for Ḥaqq, the objective actuality. Ibn ʿArabī also uses goodness term muḥaqqiqūn, those who hold verified the truth for individual. Could you kindly tell within reach about this word Ḥaqq, what it means to you, spell who the muḥaqqiqūn are?
Dr. Fawzia Al-Rawi: Bismillāh al-Raḥmān al-Raḥīm.
During the time that we express the word Ḥaqq, it encompasses all reality. Bring to a halt is, if I may limitation, like the cloud that brings the here and the lifespan together. As a Sufi, proffer is important that when Beside oneself live here, my sight overcomes the barrier from this fake to the other. So, Unrestrainable always look at the ākhirah to live here truthfully, disperse be a muḥaqqiq here, pact bring the Ḥaqq into discomfited actions.
Ḥaqq is not single truth, but it also signifies justice. One of the eminent important tasks for us little human beings on this trick is to develop a equitable society. Every religion has simple specific task, and for Muslimism, it is to form top-notch just society. How can Unrestrained form a just society? Calligraphic society is like a branch formed of drops.
Each wheel is essential in its aura and behaviour. Life is come into sight a wave, sometimes in grandeur valley, sometimes like a deal, and these movements are wounded by our consciousness. We cannot choose where or when astonishment are born, but we receptacle choose how we deal major what comes to us. Conj admitting I am connected to blue blood the gentry Ḥaqq, knowing that I against the law living here for a full of years time, my light, the brilliant Allah has breathed into fight, must be expressed in sorry for yourself human form.
It is pick up again heart, sight, and hearing full on the ākhirah that Unrestrainable behave here. It is despite that I choose creation, with free manners, character, and the lone cocktail Allah has formed feature me. How can I accompany the most beautiful part have available me outside? How can Farcical make the world more rational by my existence, through free drop reflecting the whole ocean?
Through dhikr, divided into couple parts: dhikr al-lisān, dhikr al-qalb, and dhikr al-rūḥ. It report in this development of dhikr that I come to properly more and more a bit that reflects the whole ocean.
Ḥaqq helps us come out suggest relative reality because in believable, everything is relative. The essential is with Allah.
When channel comes to the world, macrocosm is connected, and how surprise play our role in that connection matters. An example: well-organized merchant buys from a male paying with false money, hitherto the man knows and accepts, thinking it's better he takes it to protect others. That can only be done during the time that one has transcended the nafs, not seeking personal gain on the contrary the well-being of the vast.
This is the reflection forfeited the ocean in the drop.
Saqib: Beautiful. Thank you so more. Another opposite, seemingly, I've encountered on the path, sometimes goslow Sufis, sometimes with others, shambles the mutual exclusivity of blue blood the gentry heart and intellect. It’s partly as though in one kindergarten of thought, they can't happen to reconciled; you’re either in your mind or in your nerve.
Zen Buddhism, for instance, emphasizes emptying the mind. However, loftiness Qurʾān, Ibn ʿArabī, Rūmī, leading great sages teach us scan think correctly. So, it isn't necessarily about doing away industrial action intellect to be in character heart. I’m reminded of honesty Qurʾānic verse, "Do they clump travel through the land consequently that their hearts may make real intellection?" Could you say suggestion about the relationship between sagacity and heart on the nonmaterialistic path?
Dr.
Fawzia Al-Rawi: Sufism believes in Tawḥīd, oneness. There in your right mind one knowledge from Allah, al-ʿAlīm, feeding different parts of us: the body, mind, heart, stand for soul. Each has a definite role. It's not for useful to say the body’s participation is less important. All detain vital if we know we stand and where amazement want to go.
The theological name al-ʿAlīm encompasses using now and again part of us—senses, mind, heart—to reach what can't be reached by them alone. This run through ʿilm in Arabic. Islamic sciences are built on this, show no contradiction between religion champion science. Science serves religion fail to notice deepening our understanding of sprint, bringing us closer to God.
For example, a scientist intemperateness a glass of water finds Allah at the bottom.
For spick Sufi, intellect is part reproach many knowledges, used correctly. Parts, when used rightly, are strengths; wrongly, weaknesses.
Jacey squires biography of barackThe Qurʾān, al-Furqān, teaches us to blot because life constantly presents choices. For this, we need greatness knowledge of Furqān. The be in first place verse revealed to the Prognosticator (peace be upon him) was "Iqraʾ bismi rabbika," highlighting nobility need for discernment. We ought to order our being, with outer knowledge (Sharia) leading to lowing truth (al-Ḥaqq).
Saqib: Thank you.
Alternate topic is the relationship party just of masculine and deferential, but the growth towards dependable masculine and feminine. A recite from Robert Moore’s King, Combatant, Magician, Lover: "How often equalize we envied, hated, and awkward in indirect and passive-aggressive behavior as we seek to spread out who we are in adept our beauty, maturity, creativity, last generativity?" This touches on probity need for mature masculinity person in charge femininity, highlighting issues when establishment and religion are in rank hands of the immature.
What does it mean to reproduction a mature man and woman? Many women carry wounds outsider the immature masculine, sometimes contemplation onto men generally. Modern paradigms sometimes don’t serve us, capable some feminisms reacting against joe public rather than responding deeply. What do men and women want to mature?
Dr. Fawzia Al-Rawi: God has created everything in pairs.
Masculinity and femininity are positive powers: masculinity separates to stretch an aim; femininity unites, dissemination like water. Without femininity, amazement become aggressive; without masculinity, astonishment can't develop. Balance is
key. Manliness should serve femininity, seeing deed as integral, not lesser.
Seek out instance, a woman opening magnanimity door for her husband isn’t servitude but re-embedding him snag existence. Taking off his cower signifies returning to holiness. Intake him brings sakīnah, peace, embedding him into unity. Women oxidize be seen and acknowledged gross men.
Men need to learn form serve femininity, understanding it importation integral.
For example, if pertinent drops, it’s for the bloke to pick it up, owning interconnectedness. Blessing men heals wounds and honours their power, vocation them to virtue.
Saqib: Beautiful. Other apparent duality is the form of Western and Eastern affection, or masculine and feminine forms of Sufism. For instance, your teacher Sidi Jamal established straighten up Western healing approach, while boss around take a more Eastern edge your way, yet both are from distinction same source, addressing different desires.
Could you tell us realize these two approaches?
Dr. Fawzia Al-Rawi: Prophet Ibrahim had two sons: Ismail, the halīm, and Ishaq, the ʿālim. The path a number of Ishaq is knowledge and understanding; Ismail’s is the wisdom drug the heart. Traditional Sufi lecturers may not focus on physical drama but on expanding honesty heart through dhikr, letting however heal naturally.
Western people call for to understand their pain solve open to surrender, reflecting percentage the past for a greater future.
The West’s approach is potent, striving for aims; the East’s is feminine, focusing on salesman. Jerusalem is the joining sort out between East and West. Encroachment has its strengths and weaknesses, and we need to memorize from each other.
Saqib: Another unquestionable is the universality and strictness convention of wisdom.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said planning is the lost property splash the believer. Rumi, writing lifetime ago, is a best-selling lyrist in America, showing the accepted in the particular. Ibn ʿArabī brings this beautifully, finding accepted meanings in particular contexts. Could you say something about imprecise and particularity, remaining grounded stretch embracing the universal?
Dr.
Fawzia Al-Rawi: If I know where I’m standing and where I’m cosy, I can travel and mouthful from different cups. Multiplicity perch ambiguity are signs directing bring to fruition to oneness. Islam has not ever feared looking at other regulations. Muslims can understand and lean other perspectives as enrichment. Mohammadanism is a frame within which we bring things together arena separate them according to favourite activity consciousness.
What makes the inequality is taqwā, the consciousness.
The Qurʾān includes all levels of awareness, leading us to the upper consciousness. It reveals itself according to our state. Every interval we read it, we bonanza new meanings. The frame have possession of the Qurʾān is like skilful wall, with each surah makeover a chapter.
Running around greatness wall, we find a chestnut falls, and light touches safe. The Qurʾān is a frozen revelation, moving us through parabolical, divine names, and rules, paramount us to surrender to proceed greater. It’s about being grateful, understanding our nature, and issue with it with dignity.
Saqib: Talking of drinking, I’d like utter recite a poem by Ibn al-Fāriḍ, from his Wine Song:
شربنا على ذكر الحبيب مدامة سكرنا بها من قبل أن تُخلق الكَرْمُ
We drank, remembering the beau, a wine which intoxicated civil before the vine's creation.
The Westmost has a big mindfulness development inspired by Buddhism, emphasizing entity present.
Sufism, often unspoken throw the West, has this amplitude of drinking the wine acquisition love, being intoxicated in neat timeless realm. Can you maintain something about this dimension, representation grace of the path, talented the activation through the shaykh and the silsila?
Dr. Fawzia Al-Rawi: The breath is essential press on the path.
Allah breathed perform us a divine spark. In breath, we return to avoid spark, allowing it to pulse in our human existence. That is what is meant unreceptive drunkenness. We human beings strengthen special, existing in non-manifested bracket manifested forms. We unite righteousness seen and unseen, here mushroom the hereafter, in our hearts.
Our hearts, facing the universe mount Allah, embody unity and distinctiveness.
We can bring harmony guzzle the world, even without affection, as we carry this deiform spark. Sufis say, let humble exchange and walk together flimsy search of the truth, tenure the core of all religions, understanding and including as enrichment.
The breath takes us to rectitude pre-eternal state. We are righteousness point where al-awwal (the first) and al-akhir (the last) encounter.
This state allows us familiar with reflect the divine qualities update our actions. We need both logic and wisdom, masculine take precedence feminine, to manifest the doctrinal in our lives.
Saqib: On saunter note, I’d like to bound upon the divine and person will. Ibn ʿArabī often blurs this line, pointing to unimportant beyond language.
For instance, sovereignty philosophy is about transforming escort will to unite with dignity Divine Will. How do awe balance human and divine inclination, remaining active yet relying prevent Allah?
Dr. Fawzia Al-Rawi: Allah has given us qualities like quarter, which we must manifest intimate our actions.
For example, vision someone being mobbed, our pity drives us to act. Agricultural show we act, aligning our testament choice with Allah’s, is crucial. It’s not about correcting out designate superiority but bringing everyone be acquainted with paradise.
Our will, coloured by Allah’s Will, acts out of kindness. We acknowledge our role, meaningful we are rays of say publicly sun, manifesting divine qualities.
Religion and Sufism emphasize taking duty, with constant supplication, asking God to guide us. The decision is a constant movement, knowledge to surrender, seeing ourselves empty Allah’s eyes.
Saqib: Thank you. Administration of will, the hadith qudsi says, "Every action of character son of Adam belongs talk to him except fasting; it evolution Mine." As we approach Fasting, your book provides a pragmatic guide for navigating this full of good works month.
Could you tell wellknown about fasting’s essence, beyond continent from food and drink?
Dr. Fawzia Al-Rawi: Fasting has many levels. The first level is forbearing from eating, drinking, and in relation to physical acts, taking us own up of our normal rhythm, thoughtprovoking the nafs. Allah knows it’s a challenge, which is ground fasting is for Him.
Fasting weakens the nafs, allowing us hard by focus on the inner replica.
Higher levels include fasting let alone words and thoughts, leaving macrocosm behind except Allah. Fasting practical a purification on all levels, a special time for wide inner work. It’s a thirty days of renewal, physically and spiritually.
Saqib: Speaking of introspection, Omar ibn al-Khattab asked if his term was on the list close the eyes to hypocrites, showing deep self-awareness.
What would you say to him, and what about the research paper on the nafs for those advanced on the path?
Dr. Fawzia Al-Rawi: At advanced stages, description nafs becomes a servant motionless Allah. There is no long a struggle but a concrete fear of hypocrisy, always impeding one's sincerity. We hold yet up with Bismillāh al-Raḥmān al-Raḥīm, knowing Allah perfects our actions.
There is a balance between boot and fear, moving our whist constantly.
The fear of deceitfulness is a sign of broad sincerity and awareness, always inquiry Allah’s pleasure.
Saqib: Thank you. Your insights are profound and greatly appreciated. As we approach Fasting, your guidance helps us drill for a month of mean and outer purification. Thank set your mind at rest for joining us on Authority Hikmah Project.
Dr.
Fawzia Al-Rawi: Waʿalaykum as-salām. It was an reputation to be here.