Ramadan 2023 Reflection #4: dare i call myself a true believer?
Over the last few weeks, the question of purpose has been a fervent antagoniser. In truth, it's an underlying query that sits close to the surface of my skin at all times.
In the name of God, the most merciful, the most compassionate. May this letter find you well.
Over the last few weeks, the question of purpose has been a fervent antagoniser. In truth, it's an underlying query that sits close to the surface of my skin at all times. I imagine that nothing would feel better than to zoom out to a bird's eye view of the puzzle pieces of life and see how and why they fit together, but I suspect that only in death (or the final moments preceding), will we be granted the full picture, and as I'm in no rush to meet this end, I content myself with a frame by frame uncovering of it all.
Unfortunately for us, purpose doesn't present itself loudly in a room. It doesn't see you awkwardly making small talk in the periphery of a group and introduce itself. Yet somehow, I - and I suspect many others - feel a call to its presence; palpable, as if somewhere close, watching wide-eyed and vacant, waiting to be seen and embraced. You may have interacted under different circumstances, in a life that seems all too distant from today. You may be estranged; kept apart by means of some strange tragedy. Or perhaps the tragedy is doubt of its existence at all.
true believer
I finished a five-part online course by Iqbal Nasim in which he deep dives into his True Believer Framework. In this endeavour, he categorises the oft-emphasised characteristics and qualities of "true" believers, as underpinned by the Qur'an to develop the 8 Cs:
- Courage / Context
- Contribution
- Collaboration
- Conviction
- Connection
- Clarity
- Commitment
- Character
There is a distinction between those who claim an identity, perhaps verbally and intellectually aligning themselves with an idea, and those who in its truest form embody adherence. I think most of us know in a real sense that we aren't who we say we are but rather what we consistently do. We're often quick to judge others by their worst actions, only to ingratiate ourselves through judgement of our best intentions. The cognitive dissonance that may or may not arise from how we see ourselves and how we engage with the world is perhaps an indication of how honest or ignorant we wish to be to this dynamic.
courage & context
I don't know if its just the online echo chamber I'm exposed to but whether it's religious leaders, culture war proponents, AI technology fearmongers, or environmentalists, there's a strong end times theme in the zeitgeist. The end of what is the question. The West? American global hegemony? Freedom of speech? Human life on this planet? I'm not sure I'm fully sold on any diagnoses out there, and God knows best, but I can atleast attest to the feeling that things are far from ideal. My corner of the world is experiencing crises of loneliness, cost of living, mental health, and more deeply; meaning.
It's in this context of postmodernist rejections of capital 'T' truth (hence, no universally shared values), coupled with an increasingly pernacious individualism fuelled by unbridled capitalism that the call to courage is made.
By time,
Indeed, mankind is in loss,
Except for those who have believed and done righteous deeds and advised each other to truth and advised each other to patience.
Surah Al-Asr (103)
Islamically, the mandate is clear: to order what is right and discourage what is wrong. It is inclusive of the personal but also makes demands of what one must publicly uphold; principally by means of the personal struggle with your self (the greater jihad) and secondarily by drawing out the good in others.
Ramadan has been a time to reinvogorate my sense of responsibility; personally and socially. As I touched on in last week's reflection, I feel like there's been a perspective shift from accepting a compartmentalised life, to desiring a fuller, more authentic being in all spaces. I'm hopeful that in my personal growth, my direct relationships and wider public engagement, I become more intentional in projecting these values.
Yet, with so many contesting ideologies, distractions and false idols, one can only aspire to the profession of tawhid; that "there is no god but God" and that the Divine is sufficient. How many of us with open honesty can say they have even tasted the loftiness of this state? Dare I call myself a true believer?
In light of this, I want to evaluate where I currently stand in reference to the True Believer framework. In my next few pieces I'll upacking the remaining Cs and reflecting on the action steps I can take to develop them and God willing there'll be some shared learnings for those who care to read.
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