The Solitary Prison of Laziness & Idleness:

Spiritual Reasons and Cures

Dr. M. OmarMarch 2012, Orlando

www.islamfromwithin.net

Awaken to PresenceTransform your lifeworkshop series

Critical Questions

Do we feel lazy in doing our spiritual practices or in daily activities?

Why have we forced ourselves to the solitary confinement of idleness?

How can we get out of it?

الصالحات وعملوا آمنوا ذين ال“those who have attained to faith and do good

works”

“do good works”Mentioned 100s of times in the Quran

What is the secret of pleasure in action?

Intending to do an activity and exerting an effort is asking God to reflect His Divine Attributes on me…

When I am idle (with no intention to be active), my situation is a perceived reflection of non-existence…

It is as if I shut down the curtains to divine light…

Let’s contemplate on the universe…

There is no idleness anywhere in the universe

Everything from bees, flies, and chickens to the sun and the moon carry out their duties with perfect

joy.

Everything joyfully reflects the divine attributes, even during sleep!

When the reflection of the Source comes, the inner joy begins…

Let’s consider our body and emotions.

Each receives different joy in performing its duties.

Not used muscles will start to ache, and will gradually atrophy.

Used muscles enthusiastically grow, and become active.

The duties themselves are a means of enjoyment for them, and to give up a duty is a

sort of torment for any body part.

A droplet of water might be very unimportant of itself.

But, when it turns its pure heart to the sun, it becomes a throne to the sun and smile at you.

There is joy in effort and activity…

A reward is placed within the effort…

This is a universal law!

Being active is actively reflecting the Divine attributes

The reflection of the Divine attributes is the source of pleasure and joy

Idle and lazy people

• Live in ease but suffer more distress

• Always complain about their lives

• Want to pass time quickly by indulging in amusements

The one who works and strives

• Thankful and offers praise and does not want his life to pass.

A famous Islamic proverb: “Ease lies in hardship, and hardship in ease.”

There is a mysterious pleasure in effort and joy in work!

Practical Steps for Becoming Active

To become active, we need motivation…

What is the human’s motivation?

الصالحات وعملوا آمنوا ذين ال“those who have attained to faith and do good

works” (Quran)

We are created to become conscious reflectors of the Divine attributes

Conscious Belief is this recognition!

We are always longing for the divine (shawq)

This longing can only be quenched when we have a close relationship with the divine

How?

By seeking His Presence through recognition of our mirrorship (our weakness and poverty)

The divine Presence we are longing for is hidden in our conscious action (spiritual or physical)…

Any activity done in His name (bismillah)

Service to humanity, Taking care of family, cleaning, praying, sleeping

Any mundane activity can become a sacred one through conscious recognition that we are receiving it from the

Divine

Our life becomes an active mirror to divine attributes…

فانصب فرغت فإذا“Therefore, when you are free (from one task), resume

(another task)” (Quran 94:7)

We can become conscious instruments of His attributes, and feel close to Him…

We run from one active reflection to another… We spiritually connect.We actively connect.We restfully connect.We lovingly connect!

The concept of “break” is alien to Islamic Spirituality..

It does not exist in creation…

Everything constantly reflects the divine attributes to continue its existence

Even rest is a sacred activity when done with belief consciousness

In a NutshellWe recognize our longing for the divine (shawq)

through conscious belief

An eagerness/excitement/aspiration/energy in the heart (a spiritual energy) develops (himma) to do good

deeds…

Once we feel this energy (himma), a friction occurs between our ego/illusions and the simple beautiful truth

Note:

Friction is not bad by itself.

On icy roads (no friction) cars cannot move. We need friction to move.

Friction becomes bad if it prevents the care from moving

8 Reasons to Idleness and Cures

①Despair②It has to be the best/Perfection③Haste④Me, me! What is in it for me?⑤Culture of laziness⑥I am not fit for the job⑦Fixated on the results⑧Love of comfort

(From Nursi’s Noor Letters)

Two Cases

I feel very eager to come closer to God

I want to help poor people

1. Despair

ه الل حمة ر من تقنطوا الDespair not of God’s loving grace (Quran 39:53)

Ego

• I can’t change the world (nor my habits), I have no hope, no power, and no one to help me.

Surrendered

• Surrendering to Loving Grace

• I don’t have power, but I have God

2. It has to be the best/Perfection

واألرض ماوات الس في ما ه لل إن أالOh, Surely, unto God belongs all that is in the

heavens and on earth! (Quran 10:55)

Ego

• I have to do the best things and be the best. I won’t do any work.

• I can’t do all the spiritual practices I feel needed. So, I will leave them all!

Surrendered

• I belong to God, all the work belongs to God.

• I will work in the name of God

• I can do mistakes, but He will always help me

3. Haste

كم لعل ه; الل قوا وات ورابطوا وصابروا اصبروا آمنوا ذين ال ها أي ياتفلحون

O you who believe, be patient and call for patience, and bond together and revere God that you may succeed. (Quran

3:200)

Ego

• I want the results now.

Surrendered

• I need to respect God’s order, and follow it humbly.

• It is the path and the consciousness that matters…

4. Me, me! What is in it for me?

للناس انفعهم اس الن خيرProphet Muhammad (p): “The best of people is

the one that is most beneficial to them.” (Ajluni, 2:463)

Ego

• I need to have material gains from my pursuit.

• I need to be seen and respected as the righteous person!

Surrendered

• God help me be your instrument to help all humanity!

• God, I just need your pleasure!

5. Culture of laziness

م� ت� م� د� د� م� ا دا إ�ا د� د� د��ن ت�� ت�� ت� د� د�ا � م� ت� د� ت� د�ان م� ت� �م د� د ت"وا د� آا دن إ$� %� د ا د'ا ت�� د�ا د�ا O you who believe! It is [but] for your own selves that you are

responsible: those who go astray can do you no harm if you [yourselves] are

on the right path. (Quran 5:105)

Ego

• I cannot resist the negative effects of the dominant culture.

• “See, no one is doing any thing!”

Surrendered

• I am God’s servant and I need to do my duty of reflecting God’s attributes.

6. I am not fit to do the work

وعلىاللهفليتوكلالمتوكلون “And in God those who trust should put their

trust” (Quran 14:12)

Ego

• My abilities are not enough.• Let someone (hypothetical)

better than me do the job.• I am a bad person any way,

who am to ask for God’s nearness?

Surrendered

• I am weak, but I put my trust in God.

• I am not fit for any job, but He can help do it!

7. Fixated on the results

أمرت واستقمكماPursue what is right (in every matter) as you are

commanded (by God). (Quran 42:15)

Ego

• I will do it if I get the results.

• The results seem impossible to get, so I will continue to be idle.

Surrendered

• My duty is to reflect God’s attributes.

• Creating the results is God’s duty, not mine. I can only pray for it.

8. Love of comfort

سعى ما وأنليسلإلنسانإالAnd that the human has only what he makes an

effort for (Quran 53:39)

Ego

• But, comfort seems more joyful, in the short term, isn’t it?

Surrendered

• My duty is to reflect God’s attributes, and there is great spiritual joy in it.

والكسل العجز من بك أعوذ إني اللهمProphet Muhammad (p): “My God, I seek your

protection from weakness and laziness.”