Sheikhing it Up with Sheikh Faiyaz

Part II People of faith have long reflected in terms of how to approach their understanding of God--how can we reconcile love of God and fear of God? How do we understand Him to be the Most-Compassionate but also the All-Just?

People of faith have long reflected in terms of how to approach their understanding of God--how can we reconcile love of God and fear of God? How do we understand Him to be the Most-Compassionate but also the All-Just?

True love can only be understood when someone recognizes their Creator. In a hadith from Imam Hassan al-Askari, he tell us, "God cannot be reached unless by riding the night." During the remainder of this blessed month, its important to spend some moments of our night in dedication and love of God.

Amongst the dominant themes within Islamic tradition is God's all- encompassing mercy and compassion. We begin every act by invoking that same mercy and compassion and during the Holy Month of Ramadan we spend more time in reflection of these qualities. Specifically in the last of these most beautiful nights, its vital to recognize just how vast God's mercy is so we put more of an effort in seeking it.

The night of Qadr as mentioned in chapter 97 of the Holy Qur'an is the most important night of worship and seeking closeness to God. Not only is it the night that the Book of God was revealed to the Prophet (s) but it is also an opportunity to be diligent in our devotion and love to God for He has given us this night as a chance to walk into His paradise.

Worship is often only seen through the lens of prayers, fasting, Hajj and the performance of other rituals. But ritualistic prayer and obedience had been fulfilled by the angels pre-Adam. In this episode, Sheikh Faiyaz speaks about the stations acquired by Imam Ali (a) and how we can allow ourselves to utilize his example in transcending the worship of the angels.

In a dua, Imam Ali (a) asks God to make him the best of His servants with incredibly profound words when he states, "You are exactly what I love, so make me that which You love." . In this episode, Sheikh Faiyaz reflects on the meaning of this prayer and how we can fulfill our responsibility to be the best of God's servants.

The 19th of the blessed month marks the beginning of the epic tragedy of beloved of God and His Prophet, the Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali (a). Its important for us to be in a state where we link our heart with his, and walk in his footsteps.

Amongst the best qualities a human being can have is humility. And during this month its vital to work to remove any trace of pride and arrogance from our hearts.

During the month of Ramadan, as we are away from consumption, we have an opportunity to put our time to good use. In this episode, Sheikh Faiyaz reflects on some practical ways to make use of our time during the remainder of these blessed days, and moving forward, insh'Allah.

A prophetic tradition advises, "One hour of contemplation is better than 60 years of worship." But what does it mean to contemplate and reflect? What are some practical means of reflection and meditation?

(Part II) Paradise requires a great deal of effort on behalf of the believer, and its important to be in a perpetual state of obedience to God. Thus, in continuing on the theme of attaining paradise from episode 14, Sheikh Faiyaz takes a look at verses in the Holy Qur'an from Sura Fatir which define His bounty. Furthermore, the 15th of the month of Ramadan is the birth of Imam Hassan bin Ali, whom the Prophet states is "the leader of the youth of paradise."

Islamic tradition emphasized the notions of mercy and compassion, yet in many circles, conversations about God and His prophet speak to punishment and justice. In this episode, Sheikh Faiyaz examines verses in Sura Yasin that preview the benefits of paradise and what we hope to attain during this blessed month.

Anger is amongst the greatest hurdles that man needs to overcome in spiritual progression to God. In this episode, Sheikh Faiyaz takes a look at some advices from the Prophet and his family in practicing patience and forbearance.

The month of Ramadan is a month of introspection and reflection--but perhaps nothing more important to reflect upon than our own character. In this episode, Sheikh Faiyaz summarized three pieces of advices from the Prophet to Imam Ali in terms of how we can work toward improving our character.