Part 2: The Meaning of Life in Practice 2018 RAMADAN CURRICULUM

Part 2: The Meaning of Life in Practice 2018 RAMADAN CURRICULUM

1 The Meaning of Life in Practice Assalamu Alaykum and Ramadan Mubarak! We hope this finds you well. In your possession is the second of a three-part series that comprises our 2018 Ramadan Curriculum. The purpose of these packets is to walk you through some of Yaqeen Institute s spiritual publications to help you make the most of your Ramadan. In order to take full advantage of the following documents, we encourage you to begin by reading the assigned publication in its entirety. In order to follow along with the page numbers cited in the questions, be sure to download the PDF. Each packet begins with a list of questions to guide your reading. These can be used as writing and/or discussion prompts. The packet then concludes with two activities: an action plan and a journaling exercise. The Action Plan consists of 1-2 recommended goals, based on the publication, to implement in your life. For example, after reading Islamic Spirituality and Mental Well-being, you will be tasked with the responsibility of memorizing a dua mentioned in the paper. In order to make the experience more exciting, we have developed a point system so you can challenge your friends and family members. Track your points using the sheet attached at the end of this document and see who can score the most points this Ramadan! The Journal Activity is an opportunity to spend time alone in sincere reflection while recording your thoughts and responses in a personal notebook. You are also encouraged to share and discuss your answers with a friend! This activity will provide you with engaging topics so you can contemplate deeper on the themes discussed. So find yourself a friend or two to challenge and grab a journal to write in because it s time to take full advantage of this blessed month! Good luck and may Allah (swt) accept from us all!

2 The Meaning of Life in Practice #1 Islamic Spirituality & Mental Well-being Reading Time: 30 min Read the full publication here: Islamic Spirituality & Mental Well-Being Discussion & Reflection : 1. What is the difference between living a happy life and a meaningful life? Is it possible to live a happy and meaningful life? Explain. 2. What is spiritual intelligence? How does the Quranic story of the man with two gardens (pp. 6-7) illustrate low spiritual intelligence? High spiritual intelligence? How does making correct and accurate meaning out of our experiences lead to high spiritual intelligence? 3. The author asserts that it is possible for cognitive and spiritual therapy to profoundly change thoughts, attitudes, and emotions causing neurochemical changes in the brain (p. 10). What are the implications of this in regards to the Islamic notion of the heart as something that hardens and softens? What are some practices that can harden one s heart? Soften one s heart? 4. What does Ayyub (as) s dua on page 12 show about the power of dua - not in asking for something, but in changing how one makes meaning out of their experiences? Think about a challenge that you are facing. Write a dua that doesn t ask for something, but frames that experience as a reminder of Allah s Names and Attributes. 5. On page 12, the author asserts that one cause of anxiety is not knowing how to act in a way that fulfills their needs in a given situation. What framing does he offer as a remedy to this anxiety? Think of a situation that causes you anxiety. How might you reframe that situation (the context, your relationship to the people, your purpose in that situation) to better prepare yourself to act in a way that fulfills your needs in that situation? 6. Describe something you are currently grieving over (pp. 12-13). Reframe the loss (write a new story about the loss) by reminding yourself of your servitude to Allah and the impermanence of this world.

3 The Meaning of Life in Practice 7. Pages 14-16 talk about the neuropsychological effects of salah being done with khushuʿ (sincerity) on symptoms of depression, anxiety, OCD and PTSD. List some ways prescribed in Islam to promote khushuʿ in salah. 8. How does reciting the dua I am your male [or female] servant son [or daughter] of your male servant and your female servant lead to tawakkul, relying on Allah (p. 16)? 9. What evidence does the author use to show that salah can represent a strong form of therapy (p. 17)? 10. In what way does salah provide a Muslim independence from the world (p. 17)? 11. The duas of Yunus (as), Ibrahim (as) and Adam (as) contain no requests. What purpose do they serve in the learning and growth of each of these beloved Prophets (as) (p. 19)? Consider the hardship you are facing. Which one, if any, of these lessons might apply to you? Explain. 12. How does the author define hope through agency and pathways (p. 20)? What Names and Attributes of God might represent a solution to your problem? 13. How does the article define awe? What role does awe play in cultivating hope during hardships (p. 21)? 14. How does engaging with the Quran adjust maladaptive thought patterns (p. 22)? How do you plan to engage with the Quran this month beyond reading the words on the page? Action Plan: 1. Memorize the dua on page 9. Make it a part of your regular duas. Recite it with khushuʿ (15 points). 2. Identify one thing that you can do to soften your heart (see question 4 above) and do it regularly. Identify one thing that hardens your heart. Avoid it this Ramadan (10 points each). 3. In your salah this Ramadan, use the strategies you identified in response to Question 7 above to focus on increasing khushuʿ in your salah and dhikr. Journal Activity: 1. According to Ibn Hazm (p. 8) what attributes are contrasted with sadness ( huzn ) and can lead to positive change? Describe a situation you are facing in which you are experiencing sadness ( huzn ). How can adopting each of the positive attributes help you address the problem? 2. In alignment with the concept of divine decree ( qadar ), the author suggests instead of asking Why me? when facing hardships, one should

4 The Meaning of Life in Practice ask What can I learn from this? and How can I use this to grow? Describe a difficult situation you are facing. (It could be the same as your response to #6 above.) What can you learn from the situation? How can you use the situation to grow (p. 18)? How does this difficult situation allow you to find meaning?

5 The Meaning of Life in Practice #2 Overcoming Pessimism with Faith Reading Time: 30 min Read the full publication here: Overcoming Pessimism with Faith Discussion & Reflection : 1. According to a recent study (p. 3), pessimism is particularly apparent in highly-developed nations. Why might more-advanced and wealthy nations feel more pessimistic than third-world countries? What does this statistic reflect about how we, as a highly-developed nation, make meaning of our privileges? 2. Dr. Newlands states that optimism is correlated with so many other good measures [...] Optimists tend to have longevity, be very healthy, have great life satisfaction, and be successful (p. 3). Recall a time when you adopted a positive mindset. What good measures did you find in your life from this change in mindset? How did being positive improve your life? 3. Dr. Phillips notes that research shows that happy and unhappy people generally have the same number of adverse events in their lives. The difference is in their interpretation of adverse events in their lives (p. 4). What role does meaning-making from the previous publication ( Islamic Spirituality and Mental Well-being ) play in the interpretation of adverse events towards adopting a positive mindset? 4. One of the purposes of salah is to fulfill an obligation to Allah. The article describes salah as a comfort and a gift to mankind (p. 5). What does this reveal as another purpose of salah? Do you find comfort in your salah? What meaning-making of salah might make it less likely to be a source of comfort? What meaning-making might make it more likely to be a source of comfort? 5. How does knowing that not even the smallest amount of effort will ever go unnoticed or unrewarded (p. 7) by Allah (swt) increase your optimism and, in turn, your will to worship? Think of two small deeds that you know are pleasing to Allah that you can add into your day. Make them a part of your daily life.

6 The Meaning of Life in Practice 6. The author describes various hardships endured by the Prophets (as) (pp. 10-11), the most beloved of people to Allah (swt). How does the author reconcile the fact that the best of people have been those who were tested the most (pp. 13-15)? How can you understand your own difficulties in light of that explanation? 7. How does knowing that life is like a journey, as the Prophet ﷺ described (p. 19), strengthen your resolve in the face of hardship? Think of one of the biggest challenges you are currently facing. Now, recognizing the fleetingness of this life, how does the size of that challenge diminish? Along the same lines, a journey is almost always replete with obstacles. How might being mentally prepared for those obstacles lessen their negative impact? 8. According to Ibn Qayyim (p. 20), what is the difference between hope and wishful thinking? Describe a situation in your life that demonstrates hope. Describe a situation of wishful thinking. What action(s) do you need to take to turn that wishful thinking into hopeful thinking? 9. What are some ways, as described in the paper, to constantly remind yourself of the fact that life is a journey (p. 21)? What personal experiences or actions have reminded you of the impermanence of this life? Write down a number of actions you can perform in this month to keep that focus. Action Plan: 1. Ibn Jaz narrated, I have not seen anyone who smiled more than the Messenger of Allah. From as early in the day as suhoor time until just moments before iftar, when you re feeling your most exhausted, smile (1 point every time). 2. One of the key attributes of the optimist affirmed by Allah numerous times throughout the Quran is that of thankfulness (p. 6). Every morning or evening, set aside time to reflect on your blessings, thanking and praising Allah for them (5 points daily). 3. The Prophet ﷺ said, Call upon Allah while being certain of being answered, and know that Allah does not respond to a supplication from the heart of one heedless and occupied by play (p. 10). When making dua throughout this month, train yourself to focus by removing any distractions and remind yourself of the certainty that Allah will fulfill your requests.

7 The Meaning of Life in Practice 4. From Question 8 above, design and implement an action plan for making your outlook more hopeful around the situation that you are struggling with (10 points). Journal Activity: 1. We all have fears in life. Whether it s not getting into the school we applied to or the thought of losing a close family member or friend, fears are constantly lingering in the backs of our minds (p. 8). Islam, as the author demonstrates, does not attempt to just abolish these fears; rather, it redirects them in a way that brings us closer to Allah (swt). We are encouraged to turn to Him with Whom lies the ultimate power and capacity to affect the outcomes of our affairs, and to seek His help through sincere worship and reliance on Him. Reflect on some of the fears that have crossed your mind. Right now, at this moment, what is your biggest fear? Using the prophetic methods of making dua that you learned in the last unit ( Islamic Spirituality ), how can you redirect your fears to building a stronger relationship with Allah (swt)? How can you mitigate these fears by disengaging from the love of this world (p. 9)? 2. Ibn al-qayyim describes the difference between a wishful thinker as one who wishes that the earth would plan and sow its own seeds for him versus the optimist who [actually] tills the soil, plants the seed, and then hopes that crops will grow (p. 20). In other words, being optimistic leads to action and results, while wishful thinkers tend to sit back and dream without trying to change anything themselves. Have you ever found yourself in a situation in which you were wishfully thinking? How about when you were optimistic? Describe both experiences and how your mentality (i.e., being positive vs. negative) impacted your situation - and what action(s) you took to become more hopeful.

8 The Meaning of Life in Practice #3 How the Prophet ﷺ Rose Above Enmity & Insult Reading Time: 10-60 min Read the full publication here: How the Prophet Rose Above Enmity & Insult Discussion & Reflection : 1. This paper reveals the Prophet s grace and kindness in dealing with the people most hostile to him. How does this compare with how he dealt with those closest to him among his family and his followers? 2. Dr. Bonner notes that the rise of accusations against Islam s origins and history are part of the larger colonial project (p. 3). In other words, there was an active intention to delegitimize Islam, in part by demonizing the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ through a portrayal of him as barbaric. This was done to justify colonization and the exploitation of a non-european people. What are some of the false claims made about Islam today? In what ways do these claims justify American action towards Muslims around the world today? 3. Muhammad ﷺ was described by his wife Aisha (ra) as a Walking Quran, having become a paragon of its virtues (p. 4). As you read Quran during the weeks ahead, write down all of the different characteristics mentioned (e.g., patience, honesty, bravery) and jot down ways in which you can embody those characteristics in light of your own circumstances. 4. The Prophet ﷺ is noted for responding to every situation differently, choosing the most noble course of action in each context (p. 4). Describe a situation in which you were insulted by another person and you responded in a noble manner. Describe another situation when you didn t. What would you do differently next time? 5. The Prophet ﷺ and his companions endured severe physical and mental abuse simply for embracing belief in one God (pp. 6-7). Had the Prophet been a charlatan, insincere, and fraudulent, how would he have responded to this abuse?

9 The Meaning of Life in Practice 6. In the years of persecution, how did the Prophet ﷺ generally react to the violence and humiliation directed at him (p. 8)? How does his perseverance in this regard reaffirm the truth of his message? 7. Among the core principles of Islamic spirituality mentioned in this paper is safeguarding our emotions and actions from being hijacked by the devil; we ensure that our decision-making is driven by none other than divine instruction (pp. 9-10). How did the Prophet ﷺ advise us to clear our thoughts from the devil (p. 10)? In moments of anger, what methods help you to cool down? Remind yourself of those tactics when you feel angry or irritable during a long day of fasting. Action Plan: 1. At a time when the Prophet ﷺ was being mocked, he lightly joked to his companions about how his insulters were calling him the wrong name (p. 10). The Prophet ﷺ found optimism even during his most difficult times. The next time you or someone you love is insulted, spin the insult into something positive to help buffer the blow (10 points). 2. While his staunchest enemies grew in their aggression, the Prophet kept their guidance at the forefront of his thoughts. Develop a habit of making dua for the guidance of Islam s enemies instead of dismissing them as lost causes (5 points). 3. Memorize three of your favorite incidents from the article (10 points). Journal Activity: Skim through the 70 incidents of how the Prophet ﷺ rose above enmity and insult and choose three that are the most meaningful to you. Think about some of your own experiences in dealing with others whether they were intentionally trying to cause you harm or not and how embodying these qualities might have mitigated the situation. For example: I ask my brother every single day to help me with the household chores, and every day he manages to evade them so I get stuck with all of the work. I am always tempted to call him names, and a lot of times I do. But the Prophet ﷺ never resorted to name-calling, so I need to work on that. My classmates at school always call me towel-head and other really hurtful names. I usually respond with anger, but from now on, I will let the angels respond, as the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ did.

Part 2: The Meaning of Life in Practice Refer back to each publication for a more detailed description of to shape them in a way that is most suitable for you! the action items, but feel free Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 Day 7 Day 8 Day 9 Day 10 Islamic Spirituality & Mental Well-Being Memorize the duaa Soften your heart Write in your own Overcoming Pessimism with Faith Smile Recall and be thankful for blessings Optimistic action plan Write in your own How the Prophet Rose Above Enmity & Insult Find optimism in insult Pray for the misguided Memorize 3 favorite incidents Write in your own TOTAL: