By Damir Rafi

http://amsa.org.uk/: Rabi’a Al-‘Adawiyya, born around 717 CE, was a prominent figure of early Islam. She was orphaned at an early age and then sold as a slave in Baghdad, where she was utilised as an entertainer due to her beautiful singing voice. When she was thirty-six years old she was awakened by a feeling of complete adoration for her Lord which enveloped her heart. From then on Rabi’a gave up worldly pursuits and dedicated herself completely to worship. She was attracted to a life of material poverty and lived simply for a yearning of God motivated by love, and not by any desire of reward. One could catch a glimpse of her spiritual immersion by hearing her heartfelt prayers:

“Everyone prays to You from fear of the Fire; And if You do not put them in the Fire, This is their reward. Or they pray to You for the Garden, Full of fruits and flowers. And that is their prize. But I do not pray to You like this, For I am not afraid of the Fire, And I do not ask You for the Garden. But all I want is the Essence of Your Love, And to return to be One with You, And to become Your Face.”

Through her piety, love and humility, Rabi’a Al-‘Adawiyya became a model and spiritual guide for others.

In 2009, an atheist bus campaign was inititated, carrying the message: ‘There’s probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life.’ This campaign drew support from groups such as the British Humanist association and individuals such as Richard Dawkins. Its message epitomised the attitude and belief that God is solely a source of fear, and thus detrimental to people’s emotional wellbeing, and a distraction from attaining worldly pleasures. Whilst the campaign attempted to convey the message that liberating oneself from God relieves ones fears, in reality numerous individuals throughout history have demonstrated attitudes of indifference towards faith, and yet in moments of impending doom, they become crippled with fear and cry out, praying aloud to be saved from the spiritual fire that is upon them. As the saying goes, ‘there are no atheists in foxholes.’

Throughout mankind, it is evident that the spiritual dispensation of people has been so diverse, with some like Rab’ia, possessing a deeper love for God than for any worldly desire, whilst for others spirituality is dwarfed by a yearning for material pursuits. With this in mind, I often used to wonder how the Holy Qur’an, described as a book for all mankind, could cater for such a vast range of individuals, for people young and old, for people brought up in different circumstances and with different natural traits and tendencies. I wondered whether it was possible for people like those responsible for the bus campaign, who evidently had little natural spiritual inclination towards God, to nevertheless find salvation through the Holy Qur’an.

I found my answer in the first chapter of the Qur’an, Surah Al-Fatiha, with just seven verses, which acts as a blueprint for the entire book. Just as within the sperm and egg lie latent the entire design of every cell and organ of the emerging human body, similarly the first chapter of the Holy Qur’an contains profound secrets, which encompass the overall message of the rest of the book. Possibly the most central message of the Qur’an is the necessity for establishing a relationship with God. In order to attain this, one must consider in human affairs the ways in which any kind of bond is forged. Sometimes one may form an attraction towards another through genuine love, such as with marriage. Sometimes one may be inclined to another due to rewards that they will attain as a result of that bond – such as the intellectual rewards that a student will gain from sticking close to his professor. Sometimes, like the relationship between a servant and his domineering master, the bond formed will be one based on fear. These three root sentiments – love, reward, and fear – create and guide our human relationships and attractions.

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