Meditations

The Messenger of God: The First Pillar of Islam, Part Two

June 21, 2021

By Kathy Keary
Part 10. Islam recognizes many prophets, people God raised up to inspire others by their words and actions. Among these are Moses, Job, Jesus and Mary. The last and greatest prophet is Muhmmad, whom the Qur’ān calls “the Messenger of God.”

Embracing the Mystery of God: The First Pillar of Islam

June 14, 2021

By Kathy Keary
Part 9. Just as the Nicene Creed defines and guides Christians’ lives of faith, the Five Pillars Islam define and give shape to the everyday lives of the Muslim faithful.

Evolving inner life inspires engaged moral life

June 7, 2021

By Kathy Keary
Part 8. Islam, like Christianity, teaches that an authentic spirituality dictates a person’s way of being in the world. A sincere relationship with the Divine manifests itself in the way an individual relates to others.

The Blossoming of Faith

June 1, 2021

By Kathy Keary
Part 7. We have been exploring from a contemplative perspective, Islam’s three principles: surrender, faith and moral virtue. These shine like radiant beacons for those on a journey. Today our focus is on the second principle: faith.

Surrendering to God: “Two Can Not Live in One Heart”

May 24, 2021

By Kathy Keary
Part 6. The theme of surrendering your very being to God is prevalent in the three Abrahamic faiths including Islam. In fact, the word “Islam” means to “surrender in peace.” A Muslim is instructed to leave behind the “little self” in exchange for union with the “higher self.”

Ushering in the Fullness of Our Being and Dismantling the False Self

May 17, 2021

By Kathy Keary
Part 5. Christian spiritual masters often speak of the need to dismantle our false self to reveal our true self, or what Meister Eckhart described “the living presence of God’s image implanted in the soul.” Islamic texts discuss this same idea.