"The Prophet, peace [be] upon him, was asked for guidance that was so concise yet clear and effective that it would need no subsequent clarification. He responded, peace [be] upon him, "Declare, 'I believe in God!' and thereafter be consistently upright." (Muslim, no. 38)
Those who are familiar with the nuances of the Arabic language know that the particle conveying the meaning thereafter, "thumma," indicates the lapsing of a considerable period of time. In other words, consistent uprightness in religion does not occur in an instant, but only after the lapsing of a considerable period of time. It is here that consistency comes into play. One has to slowly but steadily build a reality of righteousness. If our spiritual transformation comes too suddenly, then in all likelihood it is neither real nor deep."
-Imam Zaid Shakir in pg. 142 of Treatise for the Seekers of Guidance: Al-Muhasibi's Risala al-Mustarshidin
E-baad-e News
whoaaaaa... i think we covered thumma in arabic class w/ sidi usama... but i never made the connection w/ that hadith. great blog post sidi
ReplyDelete... and i didn't know that there was a translation for risalah al mustarshidin... "purification of the soul" by imam zaid is one of my all time fav lec series. I think i'll buy it after i finish my current book iA.
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