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The Phenomenon of Everyday Life in Islam
By Abdul-Lateef Abdullah
06/09/2001
The richest, most meaningful way of life ever to exist on Earth is without a doubt, Islam. You would not know it by reading the headlines in the newspaper, but any Muslim who makes a habit of taking a moment every now and again to sincerely reflect on Allah, His creation and Islam, will undoubtedly agree. The richness of Truth, of which Allah says in the Qur'an, "Say: If the ocean were ink [wherewith to write out] the words of my Lord, sooner would the ocean be exhausted than would the words of my Lord, even if we added another ocean like it, for its aid (18:109)," can never be fully understood or digested. Even the Prophets (peace be upon them all), the fountains of divine knowledge that they were, had limits as to their understanding of Allah's wisdom. Often, however, we do not take the time to stop and reflect on just how rich the Islamic way of life - with all its dimensions - truly is.
The phenomenon of everyday life in Islam is unfortunately missed by many of us. Too often, in our mad rush to get to a meeting on time, get the kids off to school, put dinner on the table, or buy that latest VCD, we miss the subtle magnificence of Islamic daily life. Whether it is because we have forgotten how to reflect, we just neglect to do it, or we simply cannot see the beauty in Allah's
deen (religion) - in the end, it is our hearts that will miss out- "But only he [will prosper] that brings to Allah a sound heart" (26:89).
Even if it is just for a moment, if we think about some of the phenomena of our daily life as Muslims, we will find a treasure chest full of inspiration. For example, if we recall the
seerah (biography) of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW), we know that he made a habit of being kind to his neighbors, and even visiting his non-Muslims neighbors when they were sick. If we look at our own lives, how often do we visit our neighbors just to inquire as to their well-being? And, what do we do if those neighbors are not Muslim? This same example also presents the phenomenon of
da'wah (invitation). When Prophet Muhammad (SAW) went to visit his ill neighbor, who made it a habit of cursing him and even throwing garbage at him when he would pass by her house, what do you think her reaction was when he came to visit her on her deathbed? Absolutely dumbfounded by the Prophet's munificence, she embraced Islam. Naturally, for this was the character of our beloved Prophet (SAW) that we have all been ordered to follow. Now, could you imagine, in this day and age, witnessing that brand of humility and forgiveness that the Prophet (SAW) showed to his non-Muslim neighbor? Yes, our Prophet's
Sunnah (example and teachings) is truly a phenomenon.
The scientific discipline of discovering the meaning and essence of peoples' experience is called "phenomenology," which "seeks to describe basic lived experience" (van Manen, 1990). It is the discipline of giving meaning to people's experiences, and understanding how people construct their own realities (Berger and Luckmann, 1967; van Manen, 1990). If, as Muslims, we all become qualitative social scientists for a moment and start to apply some phenomenological techniques to our daily lives and proactively search for the sacred meanings within our religion,
Insha-Allah (God-willing) we will begin to see things in it that we never before saw, even within the most basic of our daily acts.
For example, if we look phenomenologically at the daily activity of salat (prayer), we can begin to see it as the pillar of religion that it truly is. According to Abdul Hamid Siddiqui, translator of Imam Muslim's
Kitab al-Salat, "Prayer is…the first, the highest, and the most solemn
phenomenon and manifestation of religion." This simple act of turning to our Lord five times a day has so many dimensions - physical, spiritual, emotional, mental, psychological, communal - it is no surprise that Prophet Muhammad (SAW) called it the "key to paradise" (from Abu Da'ud). With its multitude of blessings and functions, and the way that it brings Muslims together,
salat is one of the greatest phenomena within Islam. Anyone who frequents a mosque and spends time worshipping, communing and sharing love for Allah, His Messenger and His
deen, knows the deep meaning of salat. Anyone who spends their nights in solitude pouring their heart out to their Creator also knows the phenomenon - and blessing - of the supererogatory prayers. Those, who, after taking time out of their busy days to remember Allah, know the wonderful feeling of renewal and connection that can only come from
salat, and can certainly testify to it being an important phenomenon, one that keeps us healthy, connected, and strong.
Perhaps the greatest phenomenon within Islam is Ramadan, and specifically,
Laylatul-Qadr (the Night of Power). As we know, the Night of Power is the night that Prophet Muhammad (SAW) first received the Qur'an from Allah (SWT) through Archangel Gabriel (peace be upon him). As a singular event, no other night has probably had a greater impact on the history of mankind. The initiation of the 23-year period of the final revelation of Allah to mankind first occurred on that glorious night. It represented the beginning of the mission of the Seal of the Prophets (SAW), the birth of the greatest community and most noble way of life ever, and an abundance of knowledge and spiritual wisdom that has brought salvation, contentment and success to millions of people all over the earth. As a phenomenon, the Night of Power has been given special status within Islam and the Qur'an to such an extent, that we have been told that, "Whoever stands in prayer on the night of Al-Qadr, in faith and hoping for a reward from Allah, he will have all of his previous sins forgiven" (Narrated by Bukhari and Muslim). If we cannot reflect on this night and all that it means to our fellow believers, than we have lost something very special as a community, one of Allah's greatest blessings to us. If there was ever a phenomenon for reflection within Islam, it would be the Night of Power, the inauguration of Islam.
The process of phenomenology requires us to ask "what is the essence of the Islamic experience for people?" This question has dramatically important ramifications in our communities today, as - rhetoric aside - many of our Muslim brothers and sisters do not experience what they should experience as a result of living Islam. There are so many Muslims who can confidently and thankfully respond to the question that Islam is their complete way of life. Others, however, unfortunately cannot reply in the same manner. Islam is not their way of life. To them, the essence of their Islamic experience may not be very meaningful or important. For those who care about Islam, this should be a source of sadness and angst, because the way many of us are experiencing Islam is not the way that brings to the eyes tears of gratitude, fear and love for Allah. This is a source of malady within our community and one that we must all strive to address.
To get at the answer to this question, we must communicate with our fellow Muslims and share our own experiences within Islam - our difficulties, our struggles, the things we love, and the things we do not understand - and really seek to understand Islam better through the eyes and lives of our brothers and sisters. We must communicate, support, challenge when necessary, and humble ourselves to ask those who know what we do not. This will help us look at ourselves and our religious practices in a critical and much needed way. For to hear others describe how they experience Islam can inspire, encourage change, create new bonds, teach, provide resources that we never knew existed, and touch the heart in powerful ways. Most of all, it can increase our appreciation for the
deen and ultimately increase our love and fear of Allah.
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