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How do we take God as our Witness during Trials and Tribulations?
By Fedwa Wazwaz, Engage Minnesota
God! There is no deity but He! To Him belong the most Beautiful Names. (Qur’an 20:8)
There are two names of God, often spoken together, that show the balance of our world. They are An Nafi and Ad Darr.
The name An Nafi means God is the one who helps and confers all advantages, who creates all that produces benefit for us, from our wealth to our charms to our intelligence. It is God who gives us moments of genuine and healthy laughter, and who comforts our souls.
The name Ad Darr means God is also the one who, in His wisdom, also allows adversity or distress. God does not set out to punish us. But He has given us free will, and He allows that things that hurt us to exist.
“He is the One who makes you laugh or cry.” Qur’an 53:44
These two names fit together, and together they show how benefit and harm are part of a cycle, like circling around the Ka’aba. These apparent opposites make us aware that every action is part of a larger balance, even when the whole pattern is not visible to us.
When we receive benefits, we should turn to God. And when harm falls to us, we should also turn to God. We may turn to other people in both cases as well—to be grateful or to seek help. But the prophets show us that the turning to God can give us a sense of empowerment. This way, we will never be humiliated by seeking help that doesn’t come.
We will always have God.
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Lessons on power and oppression from Moses 6
By Fedwa Wazwaz, Engage Minnesota
God! There is no deity but He! To Him belong the most Beautiful Names. Has the story of Moses reached thee? (Qur’an 20:8-9)
Sometimes, it takes time before God’s justice will manifest. Oppressors are sometimes given many chances for repentance and transformation. Some receive, while others reject and grow in delusion.
I was trying to decide which article by scholars on trauma to share, but the reading is quite long and difficult to follow. However, I found this article on psychotherapy which is a very easy reading that can help you follow my analysis in this piece. Try to read it before continuing with the rest of this reflection piece.
God opened a door of repentance, and, in the case of the magicians, they saw the truth and told Pharaoh:
So the magicians were thrown down to prostration: they said, “We believe in the Lord of Aaron and Moses”.
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Transforming Anger: Martin Luther King, Jr.
By Fedwa Wazwaz, Engage Minnesota
“Today, remember that MLK was an organizer who confronted unjust government policy of racism. Arrested 30 times, stabbed in the chest, sued for perjury, home bombed, and more; so America live up to its promises of Liberty & Justice for All.”–Rep. Keith Ellison
Below is a presentation that I made regarding the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. I prefer to remember him as someone who acknowledged the suffering and oppression taking place and turning to God to receive wisdom and understanding on how to transform that anger which is justified into a transformative force for himself and his community and beyond.
This is an excerpt from a forthcoming book, currently titled Reflections of Faith: Lessons from the Prophets.
Fedwa Wazwaz is a Palestinian-American born in Jerusalem, Palestine and raised in the US. She was the chair of the Interfaith Relations at Islamic Center of Minnesota. She has completed training in restorative justice at the University’s Center for Restorative Justice and Peacemaking. She was a 2008-2009 policy fellow at the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs. She is a public speaker and writer and lives in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota.
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Conversations must have boundaries to lift the chaos
By Fedwa Wazwaz, Engage Minnesota
Not to know is bad, not to wish to know is much worse. –Nigerian Proverb
A companion of Prophet Muhammad, upon him peace and blessings, named at-Tufayl was once told, before he had become a companion, that he shouldn’t listen to Muhammad. Don’t listen to him, al-Tufayl was told. He’s a wizard. He’s a magician!
The Prophet’s enemies told at-Tufayl that the Prophet had fragmented the community, that his words were like magic, and that he severed the ties between father and child, between husband and wife. You must avoid him, the community told at-Tufayl.
At-Tufayl said that they insisted and insisted until he decided that he would not hear anything from him, and inserted earplugs so he would not hear a word from him.
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Allahu Akbar: We Love Life
By Fedwa Wazwaz, Engage Minnesota
Genuine faith sleeps under all that rubble. It helps us to focus and recognize that God is greater than what we see and hear and understand.
Before anything else, I want to condemn the tragic loss of life in Manhattan. To the victims’ families, I would add:
It is with great sorrow and sympathy that we send our condolences to the families and loved ones connected to the tragic event in Manhattan. The shock of unexpected violence and death can bring about bewilderment and trauma, and it is difficult to make sense of let alone bear. We pray that God comforts their souls in this difficult time.
I also want to take time to discuss the phrase Allahu Akbar, which has been misused by those plotting murder, but also used by billions of Muslims throughout their daily lives. We begin each prayer with the phrase “Allahu Akbar.” But what does it mean, and how do we interpret these words in our lives?
I shared something about the phrase “Allahu Akbar” earlier this year. In light of recent events, I would like to share an updated version along with a video. You can see, in the video, the happiness that comes with the nonstop usage of “Allahu Akbar” at the discovery of a child found alive after a building collapse.
That’s because, Allahu Akbar, or “God is greater,” shows a great love of life.
