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Bringing Reverence for God into Every Action

Bringing Reverence for God into Every Action

Last updated on: July 4, 2017 at 11:54 am by Mastura Debra Graugnard

Bringing Reverence for God into Every Action 2017-07-04T11:54:16-05:00 Mastura Debra Graugnard

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The following article is written by Kamila Shenmen, Ph.D., our University of Spiritual Healing & Sufism Co-President and faculty in the Department of Spiritual Ministry & Sufi Studies. Kamila will be teaching a free webinar tonight, Wednesday, October 26. Click here to join us for the webinar or listen to the replay.

Small Family Praying Outdoors

What would life be like if we experienced every moment as an expression of God’s love and an opportunity to taste the reality of the Divine?

For many of us it is easier to experience God’s presence in creation as we watch a glorious sunset, listen to beautiful music, dip our toes into the ocean, or watch our newborn baby sleep. In those moments, our hearts open in joy and ecstasy as we recognize the love and beauty that surround us.

But what about those times when we are cutting carrots for our family’s dinner, paying the electricity bill, mowing the lawn, washing our baby’s clothes? Much of our daily lives seem to be taken up with these mundane tasks, and we forget that everything we are, and everything we do, is an expression of the Divine.

As the writings of our Sufi guide, Sidi Shaykh Muhammad al-Jamal, often remind us, it is narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) spoke about that which he heard directly from his Lord, saying,

“Know, My beloved, that I am a hidden treasure that loved to be known. So I have drawn forth all of the creation out of Myself in order to know Myself. But how can My creatures know Me? I planted all My qualities in the ground of creation. When any creature comes to know on what ground he stands, he discovers all My attributes in the ground of his existence.” 1

Forgetting is what we humans do in so much of our daily lives – this is why, in Sufism, our central practices are called “remembrance.”

In the passage above, Allah (praise be to Him) is reminding us that all of creation is from Him, and that we can find aspects of the Divine in every moment and every action, if we only remember to look. We are holy beings living in a sacred world, and our smallest act can be an offering to our Lord.

As Sufis, we are taught many practices to help us to remember God and to beautify our hearts. One very simple tradition which can help enrich our lives is the repetition of two short Arabic phrases as we go about our daily activities.

“Bismi’llah ir-Rahman ir-Rahim” can be translated as “In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate.” It is traditional to speak this phrase before beginning any act which changes something – cutting a carrot into pieces, pouring water from a kettle into a cup, cooking food, starting the lawnmower, moving from one room to another, for example.

Each time we speak these words, we are acknowledging that we are a part of Allah’s creation, and we are opening our hearts for the Divine to manifest through our actions.

At the completion of each action, we speak the second phrase “al-hamdulli’lla,” translated as “All praise to God,” offering the action we have just completed back to the Divine world.

This is a practice which really resonates with my heart, and it is amazing to me how many times a day I do something and then realize that I have forgotten it!

I haven’t given up though – it is my intention for this to become something I do before and after every action, because when I do remember to speak these phrases, I am consciously offering my action to my Lord, and my daily life becomes more sacred and richer for that.

KamilaHeadshot.Oct12 Kamila Shenmen, Co-President of The University of Spiritual Healing & Sufism, is a graduate and faculty member of the University.

She holds a Doctorate in Computer Science and Molecular Biology and worked for 18 years at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. She is also a licensed practitioner of Oriental Medicine, and a former faculty member and Clinic Director of the Maryland Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Kamila’s search for true healing at the deepest levels eventually led her to Shaykh Sidi Muhammad al-Jamal and the ancient spiritual healing practices of Sufism. Having found on the Sufi way the peace and healing that comes from opening the heart to God’s love, Kamila is blessed to be able to share this path and its teachings with her students, community and clients.

References:
1. from Music of the Soul, Shaykh Muhammad al-Jamal ar-Rafai ash-Shaduli

Photo credits: Adobe Stock Photo © robyelo357 #61119362

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