Response to ilah vs. Allah

I really enjoyed lecture yesterday and I also consider “ilah” as comparable to a vice and/or vices. In the past, I have relied on a lot of vices for “comfort, peace, and tranquility.” In fact, I would consider myself a spiritually sick person for most of my college career. It wasn’t until I took some time off and transferred to Loyola that I changed a lot of my beliefs and priorities to the ones I hold dear today. After much personal struggles and pain, I experienced a “spiritual awakening”  much like described in al Ghazali’s Alchemy of Happiness‘ first chapter, The Knowledge of Self. Since self-knowledge is the key to knowledge of God, (as described by al Ghazal) I felt that by getting in touch with my inner-self, I gained insight on how to live a more spiritual life by abandoning all other “ilahs.” I’ve found that when one relies on ilahs as I did, (material things, social status, money, physical beauty/appearance, alcohol, and drugs) one becomes spiritually sick and hopelessly self-absorbed; ignoring all that truly matters in life. But by believing in The God, or Allah, one can fulfill his/her full potential as a human being and contribute positively to society as a whole by being of service to others; ultimately enjoying a journey that will hopefully bring one closer to God when that journey finally reaches its destination.

Dutch to introduce burqa ban at schools

I just read an article that came out about a week ago, about Dutch Education Minister Plasterk who writes that the government intends to introduce burqa ban in education. Not only teachers and schoolchildren, but also parents and school caretakers will be banned from wearing face covering garments, both inside the school building and outside in the playground. The minister writes that it is important for children to learn that proper communication requires being able to look the other person in the eye. The ban only applies to compulsory education, and so does not include higher vocational education facilities and universities. I think that this decision will cause a lot of problem for Netherlands. I don’t know how big is the Muslim community there, but as we have seen in France, I am sure it won’t go without protests.

ilah vs Allah

I had always heard the phrase “LA ILAHA ILALLA MUHAMMAD UR RASOOL ALLAH” but I guess I never really knew what the definition of “ilah” was. The last class we had was very informative in terms of describing an ilah, or god, versus Allah, THE God. I guess an ilah is something which could become a vice. For example, I often find myself smoking in times of stress or joy. This is something I find comfort in, and is easily available. However, as the addiction became stronger, I found myself jonesing over a smoke, this is what could be considered as an immoral habit. Anything which should be taking up this much time should be my personal connection with God, not so much a stick of tobacco. The same goes for money. Sure, one may feel comfort with a little extra cash, but over indulging in consumer products is a never ending cycle. I was able to understand the differences between praise and adoration, too. These lectures are really helping me read the Muhammad book in class, any thoughts?