You are such a powerful writer! Your meditation on the meaning of this verse, and how you grew to a stronger understanding of it, and the way God works with us made me want to go look up more poetic, translations of my favorite psalm, which I will never read in its original language.
I carry verse 10 of Psalm 51 with me in my heart:
“Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”
Every time I think of this, it reminds me that I am much like those rocks you describe, with a hard heart, worn down and softened by the love of God and those around me.
I also appreciate the nudge to listen to that Brené Brown episode, which is in my very long podcast queue. I have long dreamt of going on a pilgrimage to the shared holy land with American women from the three great faiths that call it home. I don’t know if that can happen in my lifetime given what is happening there right now.
Lisa, thanks so much for this thoughtful comment. I think the heart is referred to in all three of the Abrahamic faiths a lot - I know in the Quran it comes up again and again, as well as in the Prophet Muhammad's teachings.
I also would love to go to Jerusalem and to visit the holy land. It holds so much power and awe for so many of us, and has such an incredible shared history. I wish those in power could see that history as a point of unity rather than a way to subjugate and hold down.
I listened to this episode yesterday morning and I found it so helpful. I have such a hard time explaining the situation clearly, and I feel like Dr. Elgindy has been able to synthesize things in a clear way. I may have to read his book now.
Jenna, I have so much more to say about the rocks, and other elements and things in nature and God's creation, but I didn't want to go on too much of a tangent here. You may have inspired a future post! But for now let me just say, the Prophet Muhammad taught Muslims that all of God's creation is constantly praising him: rocks, trees, animals, the wind, everything, we just can't understand it. So to me that's what I take away from that line. I'm glad it stood out to you. I find it incredibly moving as well.
I love the way our traditions imprint us when we're young and how we can use them as watermarks or mirrors through our lives. I don't have a textual relationship with the Bible, (I grew up Catholic now I'm a believer in Christ-consciousness as universal love) but I love the mythologies that show up in the mass and in the liturgical calendar. What does it mean to "drink his blood" or celebrate Holy Saturday when he's in the tomb? As I get older, I see all of this as an unfolding metaphor. I find myself returning to these toe-holds and seeing that my faith is actually a mirror of myself. And the only question religion should call us to ask: where am I in the course of my loving evolution?
Thanks for sharing that verse from the Quran, Noha.
It brought to mind a line from a song we sang in choir, "May our hearts like doors open wide, open wide".
And I see so much heartlessness in the way many political leaders are treating the genocide Israel is committing in Gaza and supported by the USA. It's hard to imagine.
Diana, thank you for sharing the song and for your comments. I'll try to check it out after work. I fully agree regarding the political leaders. And it's so incredibly frustrating that they're the decision makers in this situation with no humanity. This is why we must hold them accountable.
“Harden not your hearts” is a refrain often used in the Mass and in the Divine Office, from Hebrews 3:8. It makes me feel physically sick that so many of the people spewing the kind of heartless venom as exemplified by that US senator claim to be Christian. I really have to wonder if these people have ever opened their own holy book.
They probably spend so much time listening to whatever's being preached at them, they don't bother going to the source. Or maybe I'm being too kind and it comes from self interest. Either way. I love the end of the verse that "God is not unaware." It's a good reminder.
Beautiful. Thank you for sharing this beautiful verse, and especially to hear you read it out loud in the original Arabic. I find so much inspiration and solace in this verse. And yet, a chilling read in our current day context. Some people’s hearts do indeed feel hard. May they be softened as these rocks here.
Amen amen amen Imola. I'm glad it resonated with you. And I'm glad you enjoyed the Arabic - I was stumbling a bit there but did my best and thought it would be better to include it.
Noha, I was so moved by this piece. I am familiar with the Bible, as that’s the religious text I grew up with, but not familiar with the Quran. So your explanation of this wonderful verse was very helpful to me as was the verse itself. Hard as rocks indeed, yet somehow penetrable perhaps, and the leaning into the truth there. Thank you!
Thank you so much, Emily! The Quran is filled with so much beautiful poetry. I wish I could mind meld the Arabic into everyone's comprehension so you could feel the rhythm in these verses. Nevertheless, the meaning is beautiful in every language.
The rocks in this very give me so much hope. My heart vacillates between the hard and the soft.
Yes, translation is so difficult and never completely possible. I look at the Arabic words as you gave them to us here, and think, "it would be wonderful to know how to read that!" My heart also alternates between hard and soft. I appreciate you giving me another way to see and notice that fluctuation.
I have so much admiration for people who learn another language in adulthood, especially if it uses a different alphabet. I think if I hadn't been taught as a child I would never have done it!
I started reading the Klein article and stopped at this lions - “Does “never again” mean never again to anyone, or never again to the Jews, a pledge for which Israel is imagined as a kind of untouchable guarantee?” Such a moment to pause on. I need to go watch this film, and come back to the article to really digest it fully. I’m learning through you and these resources. Thank you, again. I feel more connected to what’s happening because of our relationship. I thank God in His brilliance for introducing us. It has made my heart more open and tender.
The Klein article was incredible. I am so grateful to our Jewish brothers and sisters who are speaking out every day and saying, "not in our name". I know it is taking an immense toll on so many of them, especially considering the unlearning many of them have had to endure on this issue, and the difficult conversations and sometimes severing of relationships that has resulted with close friends and family.
I'm so glad you're finding these resources useful. We've been told again and again that this issue is too complicated for anyone to understand in order to shut down the conversation and maintain the status quo. In reality, there is some history to learn but it's not that complicated. My goal with sharing the resources is to make it less overwhelming so I'm so glad that's helping.
And yes, I thanks God for introducing us as well. It's such a blessing to know you, friend, and to feel more deeply about all the shared struggles we are witnessing and enduring in our humanity.
That verse is lovely, and I find it reassuring as well as reprimanding. No matter how hard my heart gets, it can change, and become a source of water or sink in awe.
For me "this too, shall change " has changed its meaning. Years ago, it meant "bad things pass". Now it also means "good things pass", encouraging me to enjoy the moment.
I agree with you that the flow and comfort of the Quran in Arabic is lost in English. Nonetheless still impactful! This verse made my heart smile because I remember once sitting by a creek and meditating on how I wished to be like the water, capable of smoothing the roughest of rocks into soft pebbles. Aspiring to keep flowing no matter what. But also to allow myself to be moved by, softened by water like people in this world for I too grow hardened from time to time. Faith makes me hopeful and trusting thereby optimistic. I believe everything will work out even if I don’t get to live to see it myself. 💞
That is such a gorgeous reflection and I agree with every part of it! Thank you for these words. I listen to a lot of stories of the prophet's companions and so many of them lived through the early days of their persecution and then didn't live to see their community thrive.
Thanks for sharing this. I really enjoyed this post and the message behind it. I too make notes to come back and look up the meaning of certain ayahs and forget, lol. This is a great reminder to not only read Quran but try to contemplate the meaning and lesson so that it can be the most beneficial. New subscriber here😉
Welcome! So glad to have you. I only really end up looking up the ones that niggle at me, but I am always, always rewarded with a deeper sense of understanding and wonder when I do!
I loved the prompt of 'are you pessimistic or optimistic'? the answer to that is really complicated for me and greatly informed by my work as a therapist. I've worked with many domestic / family violence survivors & sexual assault survivors, and have also done training work in the anti-trafficking space (sex/labor trafficking).. all this to say, I've seen the everyday ways that humans can deeply harm and exploit each other, so witnessing the genocide in Gaza, the exploitation in the Congo, and other forms of extreme harm - those feel like continuations of a theme. I've also seen, working with DV, SA, HT - just how systems uphold these types of crimes, while claiming to be in opposition. at the same time I've been so frigging impressed and honored to witness some of my clients be able to move forward and build fulfilling lives despite major trauma - with support from loved ones and providers of different kinds. so at an individual level, I feel optimistic about the human capacity for love, care, and empathy. simultaneously I feel pessimistic about our ability to enact change in these entrenched systems that benefit from myriad forms of human suffering. (I also go back and forth between wondering how useful it is to help just a few people individually, versus thinking about how meaningful that can be to those few people! ahhh...)
Rebecca! Thank you so much for all of this. Such a thoughtful comment and I found myself nodding along with so much of it. I will just say that I think there's still enormous value in helping people individually - Like you said, think of how meaningful it is to those people! Of course, we should work towards changing the systems that uphold this harm and oppression on a macro level, but sometimes I find that as we exclusively focus on the macro we can lose sight of the enormous impact we can have on individuals (and on ourselves) by helping.
thank you for the reply! yeah, is tricky because as we work towards the world we want to see, people still need support now with everyday things (whether mutual aid assistance or therapy). the real trick is not allowing the sheer amount of bad news to overshadow the ways in which we can make change even at a small scale
Really beautiful. Many times when younger, I too would be intimidated by some verses in the Quran. A reprimand or punishment. I can now feel past that initial harsh understanding. And your reflection on this particular verse allows such a filter - how beautiful to provide hope through rocks softened by water, split open allowing love to spill out.
Shaista, isn't it so funny how we spend so much time only thinking of our faith in terms of very harsh black and white, haram or halal? It was only when I softened my attitude and saw God as the forgiving Creator rather than the punishing Creator that I could finally read the Quran without being numb. I think now that that numbness was actually partially fear.
You are such a powerful writer! Your meditation on the meaning of this verse, and how you grew to a stronger understanding of it, and the way God works with us made me want to go look up more poetic, translations of my favorite psalm, which I will never read in its original language.
I carry verse 10 of Psalm 51 with me in my heart:
“Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”
Every time I think of this, it reminds me that I am much like those rocks you describe, with a hard heart, worn down and softened by the love of God and those around me.
I also appreciate the nudge to listen to that Brené Brown episode, which is in my very long podcast queue. I have long dreamt of going on a pilgrimage to the shared holy land with American women from the three great faiths that call it home. I don’t know if that can happen in my lifetime given what is happening there right now.
My heart breaks for the Palestinian people.
Lisa, thanks so much for this thoughtful comment. I think the heart is referred to in all three of the Abrahamic faiths a lot - I know in the Quran it comes up again and again, as well as in the Prophet Muhammad's teachings.
I also would love to go to Jerusalem and to visit the holy land. It holds so much power and awe for so many of us, and has such an incredible shared history. I wish those in power could see that history as a point of unity rather than a way to subjugate and hold down.
I listened to this episode yesterday morning and I found it so helpful. I have such a hard time explaining the situation clearly, and I feel like Dr. Elgindy has been able to synthesize things in a clear way. I may have to read his book now.
I wonder about those rocks that “sink in awe of God” What a beautiful and mysterious line. One to sticky indeed
Jenna, I have so much more to say about the rocks, and other elements and things in nature and God's creation, but I didn't want to go on too much of a tangent here. You may have inspired a future post! But for now let me just say, the Prophet Muhammad taught Muslims that all of God's creation is constantly praising him: rocks, trees, animals, the wind, everything, we just can't understand it. So to me that's what I take away from that line. I'm glad it stood out to you. I find it incredibly moving as well.
I love the way our traditions imprint us when we're young and how we can use them as watermarks or mirrors through our lives. I don't have a textual relationship with the Bible, (I grew up Catholic now I'm a believer in Christ-consciousness as universal love) but I love the mythologies that show up in the mass and in the liturgical calendar. What does it mean to "drink his blood" or celebrate Holy Saturday when he's in the tomb? As I get older, I see all of this as an unfolding metaphor. I find myself returning to these toe-holds and seeing that my faith is actually a mirror of myself. And the only question religion should call us to ask: where am I in the course of my loving evolution?
My faith is actually a mirror of myself. I love this so much.
“Where am I in the course of my loving evolution” … what a powerful question
Thanks for your translation.
God is aware. God loves us.
But we must grow love in ourselves before we can return it to God and others.
That is the balance.
To be clear. I consider myself a Zen/Methodist. Zen stills my soul yet allows me to act my Methodist values.
Be well.
Malcolm I totally agree. I think my faith helps me to still myself and to grow in myself and then act the values that God has commanded of me.
Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts.
Thanks for sharing that verse from the Quran, Noha.
It brought to mind a line from a song we sang in choir, "May our hearts like doors open wide, open wide".
And I see so much heartlessness in the way many political leaders are treating the genocide Israel is committing in Gaza and supported by the USA. It's hard to imagine.
Here's a link to the song I referred to: https://youtu.be/byHSQoemFvI
Diana, thank you for sharing the song and for your comments. I'll try to check it out after work. I fully agree regarding the political leaders. And it's so incredibly frustrating that they're the decision makers in this situation with no humanity. This is why we must hold them accountable.
“Harden not your hearts” is a refrain often used in the Mass and in the Divine Office, from Hebrews 3:8. It makes me feel physically sick that so many of the people spewing the kind of heartless venom as exemplified by that US senator claim to be Christian. I really have to wonder if these people have ever opened their own holy book.
They probably spend so much time listening to whatever's being preached at them, they don't bother going to the source. Or maybe I'm being too kind and it comes from self interest. Either way. I love the end of the verse that "God is not unaware." It's a good reminder.
Beautiful. Thank you for sharing this beautiful verse, and especially to hear you read it out loud in the original Arabic. I find so much inspiration and solace in this verse. And yet, a chilling read in our current day context. Some people’s hearts do indeed feel hard. May they be softened as these rocks here.
Amen amen amen Imola. I'm glad it resonated with you. And I'm glad you enjoyed the Arabic - I was stumbling a bit there but did my best and thought it would be better to include it.
Yes! Absolutely. My Arabic is very very rusty (practically non existent) and it added a special dimension to this piece
Noha, I was so moved by this piece. I am familiar with the Bible, as that’s the religious text I grew up with, but not familiar with the Quran. So your explanation of this wonderful verse was very helpful to me as was the verse itself. Hard as rocks indeed, yet somehow penetrable perhaps, and the leaning into the truth there. Thank you!
Thank you so much, Emily! The Quran is filled with so much beautiful poetry. I wish I could mind meld the Arabic into everyone's comprehension so you could feel the rhythm in these verses. Nevertheless, the meaning is beautiful in every language.
The rocks in this very give me so much hope. My heart vacillates between the hard and the soft.
Yes, translation is so difficult and never completely possible. I look at the Arabic words as you gave them to us here, and think, "it would be wonderful to know how to read that!" My heart also alternates between hard and soft. I appreciate you giving me another way to see and notice that fluctuation.
I have so much admiration for people who learn another language in adulthood, especially if it uses a different alphabet. I think if I hadn't been taught as a child I would never have done it!
I am trying to learn Spanish. I tell everyone I'm on the ten year plan!
I speak passable French, and let me repeat that it's only passable lol
I started reading the Klein article and stopped at this lions - “Does “never again” mean never again to anyone, or never again to the Jews, a pledge for which Israel is imagined as a kind of untouchable guarantee?” Such a moment to pause on. I need to go watch this film, and come back to the article to really digest it fully. I’m learning through you and these resources. Thank you, again. I feel more connected to what’s happening because of our relationship. I thank God in His brilliance for introducing us. It has made my heart more open and tender.
The Klein article was incredible. I am so grateful to our Jewish brothers and sisters who are speaking out every day and saying, "not in our name". I know it is taking an immense toll on so many of them, especially considering the unlearning many of them have had to endure on this issue, and the difficult conversations and sometimes severing of relationships that has resulted with close friends and family.
I'm so glad you're finding these resources useful. We've been told again and again that this issue is too complicated for anyone to understand in order to shut down the conversation and maintain the status quo. In reality, there is some history to learn but it's not that complicated. My goal with sharing the resources is to make it less overwhelming so I'm so glad that's helping.
And yes, I thanks God for introducing us as well. It's such a blessing to know you, friend, and to feel more deeply about all the shared struggles we are witnessing and enduring in our humanity.
That verse is lovely, and I find it reassuring as well as reprimanding. No matter how hard my heart gets, it can change, and become a source of water or sink in awe.
For me "this too, shall change " has changed its meaning. Years ago, it meant "bad things pass". Now it also means "good things pass", encouraging me to enjoy the moment.
Oh Ellen I never thought of that meaning, but you're right! I love that perspective and I'll try to use it to be more present.
Beautiful passage. I keep thinking of the water and of God as the water that can break through rock. ❤️
That’s a metaphor I hadn’t considered! In the Quran water is referred to often as a blessing from God - one of his biggest blessings
I agree with you that the flow and comfort of the Quran in Arabic is lost in English. Nonetheless still impactful! This verse made my heart smile because I remember once sitting by a creek and meditating on how I wished to be like the water, capable of smoothing the roughest of rocks into soft pebbles. Aspiring to keep flowing no matter what. But also to allow myself to be moved by, softened by water like people in this world for I too grow hardened from time to time. Faith makes me hopeful and trusting thereby optimistic. I believe everything will work out even if I don’t get to live to see it myself. 💞
That is such a gorgeous reflection and I agree with every part of it! Thank you for these words. I listen to a lot of stories of the prophet's companions and so many of them lived through the early days of their persecution and then didn't live to see their community thrive.
Thank you so much for this. It made me smile.
Thanks for sharing this. I really enjoyed this post and the message behind it. I too make notes to come back and look up the meaning of certain ayahs and forget, lol. This is a great reminder to not only read Quran but try to contemplate the meaning and lesson so that it can be the most beneficial. New subscriber here😉
Welcome! So glad to have you. I only really end up looking up the ones that niggle at me, but I am always, always rewarded with a deeper sense of understanding and wonder when I do!
I loved the prompt of 'are you pessimistic or optimistic'? the answer to that is really complicated for me and greatly informed by my work as a therapist. I've worked with many domestic / family violence survivors & sexual assault survivors, and have also done training work in the anti-trafficking space (sex/labor trafficking).. all this to say, I've seen the everyday ways that humans can deeply harm and exploit each other, so witnessing the genocide in Gaza, the exploitation in the Congo, and other forms of extreme harm - those feel like continuations of a theme. I've also seen, working with DV, SA, HT - just how systems uphold these types of crimes, while claiming to be in opposition. at the same time I've been so frigging impressed and honored to witness some of my clients be able to move forward and build fulfilling lives despite major trauma - with support from loved ones and providers of different kinds. so at an individual level, I feel optimistic about the human capacity for love, care, and empathy. simultaneously I feel pessimistic about our ability to enact change in these entrenched systems that benefit from myriad forms of human suffering. (I also go back and forth between wondering how useful it is to help just a few people individually, versus thinking about how meaningful that can be to those few people! ahhh...)
Rebecca! Thank you so much for all of this. Such a thoughtful comment and I found myself nodding along with so much of it. I will just say that I think there's still enormous value in helping people individually - Like you said, think of how meaningful it is to those people! Of course, we should work towards changing the systems that uphold this harm and oppression on a macro level, but sometimes I find that as we exclusively focus on the macro we can lose sight of the enormous impact we can have on individuals (and on ourselves) by helping.
thank you for the reply! yeah, is tricky because as we work towards the world we want to see, people still need support now with everyday things (whether mutual aid assistance or therapy). the real trick is not allowing the sheer amount of bad news to overshadow the ways in which we can make change even at a small scale
Absolutely! It’s hard not to become completely overwhelmed by the sheer amount of bad!
Really beautiful. Many times when younger, I too would be intimidated by some verses in the Quran. A reprimand or punishment. I can now feel past that initial harsh understanding. And your reflection on this particular verse allows such a filter - how beautiful to provide hope through rocks softened by water, split open allowing love to spill out.
Shaista, isn't it so funny how we spend so much time only thinking of our faith in terms of very harsh black and white, haram or halal? It was only when I softened my attitude and saw God as the forgiving Creator rather than the punishing Creator that I could finally read the Quran without being numb. I think now that that numbness was actually partially fear.
Think you might Lowkey exposes the Dark History on You Tube very powerful and timely. Thanks for sharing.
Thx. Julie. I think I see that account on Insta as well.