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A contemporary mystical Islamic philosopher offers clarification about common misconceptions of the Islamic concept of God.

Hulusi is an Islamic scholar whose writings mirror the mystical dimension of Islam known as Sufism, made well known in the U.S. through translations of the Sufi poet-theologian Rumi. But many who read the English translations of Rumi fail to realize the complexity of the system of spiritual thinking that Sufism represents. Hulusi explicates one of the most difficult concepts in mystical Islam--the notion that "Allah," commonly misunderstood in the West and even in parts of the Muslim world as "God," encompasses more than the word "God" can illuminate. Drawing upon his interpretations of the Quran, Islam's most sacred scripture, Hulusi claims that nowhere in Muhammad's transmission of the Quran is there the assertion that Allah is a god. Instead, Hulusi writes that Allah is "an infinite, unlimited, whole One, in which case...there is nothing in existence other than Him." The consequences of this assertion are that individual lives are fated by Allah, predestined to heaven or hell after physical death. The point of religion, writes the author, is to gain nondualistic awareness of Allah, which is realized through essential self-knowledge and the rejection of illusionary dualities in daily life. The author relies on short paragraphs to frame his beliefs and uses abstract language to describe consciousness, but the gist of these abstruse ideas is helpfully noted in bold throughout the book. One can only imagine the difficulty translator Atalay faced in converting the author's esoteric Turkish style into readable English. Yet it does read clearly as a kind of Sufi manifesto of faith. Get the Book NOW

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Thursday, July 12, 2012

Why Use Islamic Prayer Mats For Your Worship?

The religion Islam is centered on Allah, the Supreme Being, and followers of the faith show their submission and obedience towards Allah Almighty by offering prayers five times a day. The prayer consists of certain sacred rituals performed in a specific order by Muslims all over the world regardless of their ethnicity or social standing. The most important part of the prayer or Salat is "Sajdah" which is to bow or prostrate to Allah SWT. Another important element required before beginning to offer Salat include wearing clean clothes and praying in a clean place.
The requirement of a clean place can be easily fulfilled with the use of prayer mats and this is the primary reason for the wide usage of prayer mats in Islam. These praying rugs are convenient and easy to carry as they comprise of a small carpet or rug, and can be rolled or folded to fit even in a compact space. They can be carried everywhere you go with you saving you the hassle of looking for a clean place to offer your prayers.
There are a few different types of prayer mats which are available and some of them include:
Hand woven: These are hand weaved from pure threads such as wool and silk and most commonly used by the richer people as they are costlier and unique.
Tree Bark: Prayer mats most commonly used in mosques and other joint praying places are made from certain tree barks. They are not as soft as the hand woven ones, but provide a thick layer of clean area to pray. These prayer mats are commonly referred to as a "Saf" and consists of a long rectangular mat which can accommodate numerous people at the same time.
The padded types of prayer mats; those that either use an extra layer of foam or polyester filling, are very useful for older people in particular as they provide a soft cushioning under the legs for those suffering from health issue related to the lower part of the body. These include back problems, arthritis and knee problems that become common with aging.
Prayer mats have been in use since the advent of Islam and are a fundamental part of any Muslims home. They are used five times a day by placing them on the floor in the direction of the house of Allah; the Kaa'ba, and standing on them and offering Salat. They are always kept clean and are often times removed from the floor immediately after use in order to prevent them from getting dirty.
Sohail Khan works for Islamic Impressions which specialises in retail and wholesale products for the Islamic market and stocks a wide range of stylish Islamic goods made to supreme quality standards including beautiful prayer mats.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sohail_Khan

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