Reading Islamic Texts - Reading Islamic Texts

Reading Islamic Texts

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Reading Islamic Texts

Hadith: Self-control is true strength

Hadith: Self-control is true strength

It is reported that the Prophet ﷺ said: The strong man is not the one who overpowers an opponent. The strong man is the one who controls his own self in a moment of anger. In Arabic: لَيْسَ الشَّدِيدُ بِالصُّرَعَةِ إِنَ

A physician attends to a sick man at his bedside, taking his pulse and looking over him with concern.

Ibn Sina: The science of medicine

In The Canon of Medicine, Ibn Sina writes: Medicine is the science that teaches us the conditions of the human body, in terms of what is healthy and what is not. The goal is to protect health when it exists and recover it when it is lost. In Arabic: إن

Hadith: humans rank by piety, not lineage

Hadith: humans rank by piety, not lineage

It is reported that the Prophet ﷺ said: O people! God wiped away the arrogance of your foolish past, when you glorified your lineage. There are only two kinds of humans: upright, pious people… and immoral, grim souls with no status in God’s eyes. All are children of Adam,

Hadith: No racial superiority, only piety makes someone superior

Hadith: No racial superiority, only piety makes someone superior

It is reported that the Prophet ﷺ said: O people! You all share one God and one father. An Arab is no better than a non-Arab, and a non-Arab is no better than an Arab. Whites are not superior to blacks, nor are blacks superior to whites. Only piety makes

Painting of a man on horseback raising a sword against another man who holds his bare hands in front him to brace for a blow.

Hadith: Hatred destroys religion

It is reported that the Prophet ﷺ said: Hatred is a blade that shaves away religion like a razor cuts hair. I swear by the One who holds my very soul: you will never be believers until you love one another. In Arabic: وَالْبَغْضَاءُ هِ

Hadith: Seek a ruling from your heart

Hadith: Seek a ruling from your heart

It is reported that the Prophet ﷺ said: Have you come to ask about righteousness? Ask your own heart! Righteousness is what calms the soul and reassures the heart. Sin is what troubles the soul and makes your heart restless - even if people give you ruling after ruling (to

Painting: a man keeled over in grief while another man consoles him, as others stand nearby. (Walters Ms. W.650)

Sa‘di: To be human is to respond to others’ pain

What makes us human? Many scholars would say that reason and intelligence (‘aql) set humans apart. The great Persian poet Sa‘di of Shiraz (d. 1292) gives us an ethical way to think about humanity: Human beings are connected as one body - in creation they are all the same.

Painting of a scholar in a yellow robe sitting on a carpeted floor poring over a large Quran on a stand, looking very focused

Razi: Using reason is essential

Many Muslim scholars felt human reasoning was a basic part of religion. In the Qur’an there is praise for: (those) who listen to what is said and follow what is best. These are the ones God has guided; these are the people of understanding. (Qur’an 39:28, Abdel

Ibn Hazm: Love may be tasted, but never described

Ibn Hazm: Love may be tasted, but never described

People in 11th-century Andalus found love to be just as mysterious as it is for us today. Ibn Hazm of Cordoba (d. 1064) writes: Love! It begins as lighthearted banter and ends in heartfelt confession. Its nuances are too subtle for words… Love may be experienced but never described. Religion

A king listens to the complaint of a bereaved woman.

Hadith: The person who shows no mercy

What goes around, comes around. Or, as the Prophet ﷺ reportedly said: The person who shows no mercy will receive no mercy. In Arabic: مَنْ لاَ يَرْحَمُ لاَ يُرْحَمُ Arabic vocabulary * man (مَنْ) – "whoever" or "anyone" * la (لاَ

A 15th-century Muslim woman's journey to Mecca

A 15th-century Muslim woman's journey to Mecca

In 1433, a Muslim woman named Maymuna made her pilgrimage to Mecca and visited the tomb of the Prophet ﷺ. This precious manuscript is her hajj certificate. Richly illustrated, it shows key points on the pilgrimage — with the Masjid al-Haram and holy Ka’ba as its centerpiece. Verses from the

Three dervishes in robes stand in a beautiful hillside garden, all looking downward, absorbed in contemplation.

Ali: Who has time to dwell on others’ faults?

How do people find the time to criticize others over every small mistake? ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib seems to have a theory: The person who sees their own shortcomings has no time to dwell on other people’s faults. In Arabic: من أبصر عيب نفسه شغل عن عيب غيره Arabic

Image of a Persian painting of women mourning in a window, from a 16th-century manuscript of the Shahnama. (Met 1970.301.35)

Rumi: When sorrow visits your heart

Rumi offers a beautiful way to think about sadness