Renew the Self Course - Week 3
Asad Jafri
Online Course
Dec. 6, 2021
The Extent of Evil (2 other verses before this, I missed them)
“He gives them promises & excites vain desires in them; and the Shaitan does not promise them but to deceive.” (4:120)
Verse 16:63
By God, We sent (Messengers) to nations who lived before you. Satan made their deeds seem attractive to them and, on the Day of Judgment, satan will be their guardian. For them there will be a painful punishment.
Understanding the Impact of Evil
Evil resides in human cognition (thoughts, emotions, etc.)
Source of evil can be in the form of the human or ourselves
Evil has no physical authority over us.
Surah Ibrahim: 22 (Shaitan gaslighting us ._.)
When the decree of God is issued, satan will say, "God's promise to you was true, but I, too, made a promise to you and disregarded it. I had no authority over you. I just called you and you answered. Do not blame me but blame yourselves. I cannot help you and you cannot help me. I did not agree with your belief that I was equal to God." The unjust will face a painful punishment.
Says that Shaitan has no control over your actions. “So don’t blame me, but blame yourselves…”
The conversion from the thought to action is us.
We sometimes resist changing ourselves because we expect others to change.
If we have the power to deviate, we have the power to better ourselves.
There’s no trial-and-error encouraged in Islam - don’t go out in the world and test all the good, bad, and ugly to see how they go with you; we’re told what’s haraam and halal from the start.
Growth is never easy, because it requires us to reject a past version of ourselves.
Could it be…??
Who determines what is evil?
Is there something we consider to be evil that’s not evil in the eyes of Allah (swt)?
Something that’s necessary for our growth but we hate?
Wearing hijab on a hot day.
Evil is relative: rain can be good for a farmer but bad for the homeless.
Verse 2:216
Fighting is made mandatory for you, but you dislike it. You may not like something which, in fact, is for your good and something that you may love, in fact, may be evil. God knows, but you do not know.
The words like “may be” and “perhaps”, when used in divine speech, mean “it is hoped.” This hope is not related to the speaker (Allah) but to the hearers (us) - Al Mizan (balance)
You don’t need to carry the burden of someone else.
Take the tragedy and lead it to trumph.
Through my faults/struggles: What is Allah (swt) trying to tell me? What do I need to learn?
Going to a professional psychologist does NOT mean you have no faith in Allah (swt). He says to ask those who know.
Identifying the Causes of Our Bewilderment
(Chart shows consequences of choosing one path over the other)
What I want: The affairs seem confusing to them
What God wants: The angels protect them (help them navigate through struggles)
I: Their life becomes baffling and their heart is preoccupied by this world.
God: The Heavens & the Earth guarantee them their sustenance.
I: They receive the bare minimum amount of sustenance.
God: God looks after their business and brings the world to their feet however reluctant the world may be.
There’s beauty in saying no to our desires.
This whole chart is an explanation of the hadith by Imam Baqir (as), from Al-Kafi Al-Shaykh al Kulayni j.2 page 330 (?)