Syaikh Yahya Rhodus' Advice to Students: Contextualizing Tradition

This is just my note on SYR's lecture at UofT. So it is only my note, any flaws is on my behalf.

Advice to a student contextualizing tradition
Allah SWT is beautiful and loves beauty. The Prophet SAW was beautiful in conduct and manners as Prophet Yousuf AS was. We ask that Allah makes our lives beautiful and that we enter a life of eternal beauty despite the hardships of the current life. The extent that we beauty our current selves will help extend our abode in the Next Life.

In looking at the current modern environment,
Nasiha: The religion is sincere advice-this term combines sincerity and advice and this is in relationship to Allah, the Prophet SAW, Muslims, Imams, etc. This combines sincerity and this falls strongly in worship and how one practices religion.

All of ones effort should be placed in worship and this is one of the deepest drives within humans-‘whoever works hard will find’. It’s part of our make-up that we find/yearn for answers-this tranquility is exposed through experience and there are thus different levels/platforms of knowledge and the seeking of knowledge is something that is sacred and desirable.

The greatest desire is knowledge getting one to Allah SWT; thus, religious knowledge is different from secular knowledge as it can lead you to an ultimate station. It requires intention and the destination is purity and Light-such that a heart becomes fertile and knowing of Allah SWT’s presence. People can attain this through their lives such as Khidr AS during the time of Prophet Musa AS.

Contextualizing tradition: Tradition may be thought in different ways but what is meant here is how Islam has been preserved and passed on. It is also how traditional knowledge goes against modern ways.

The meaning of the word Tradition comes from ‘handing down’ and in an all-inclusive meaning, it would involve how our Religion has been handed down through scholars. If it wasn’t through their works, it would have been futile. The preservation of the Isnad, Ansaab, Ihraab allows us to access to the meanings and it has been of great benefit as we can understand the Religion in the same instance as the past.

Muslims shouldn’t be scared by challenges but rather, we should seek to respond wisely to the different challenges. Codified responses would form as a result of the challenges and this has left us with the opportunity to rise up and contextualize the religion for the people at the time.

The issue of living in a Western country, one could be optimistic or pessimistic but we have to deal with the bad things but we should be optimistic as well as it is the Truth and Allah SWT promised the success of Islam. Some will take part in the contextualizing of the Tradition.

These different responses to the onset of modernity should get us to think of where we stand, especially for the youth as it is incumbent on their backs. Looking at reports such as the RAND, we see their codifying of the Muslim environment (into secularists, modernists, traditionalists, extremists).

These different groups make conclusions and we should realize the importance of sticking to tradition. The handing down of the religion is something that can be likened to a tree; the passing down goes right to the roots and so, one should be firmly rooted in the tradition or else it would lead to confusion and removal from our religion.

Renewing the wisdom of the religion is thus very important even at different times that would address different people-clarifying matters in current times in the way one thinks and views the world. There is thus a deep understanding we can get in this Tajdeed.

Any Endeavour embarked upon should have inward and outward elements. Our religion has inward and outward dimensions and both must be fulfilled or else the deeds won’t be fruitful. This goes hand in hand for instance with fasting; one should be sincere and do it for the Sake of Allah and keep it in bounds of the religion.

The element of cleansing the heart is probably the most important base for us. Sincerity is second most important. Next, a sense of connection and turning to Allah SWT constantly (Tawajjuh) no matter what we do, we make righteous intentions and constantly returning to him. These inner realities should be in conformance with the Shariah and we should do it with Ihsan. We should strive for excellence always. Patience and perseverance is the last most important aspect and one should keep from being hasty with results or being sorrowful.

High spiritual aspirations and desire to ultimate posts should be another aspect where we strive for (Hima) always. Combining the meanings and prophetic inheritance to the inward and outward parts of our lives will help InshaAllah ensuring success in this life and the Next.

Note 1: Ramadhan hasn't really been going well, I feel bad about myself. We don't live in a perfect world, and sometimes, can we choose the lesser of the two evils? Or will I be condemned? But sometimes self-righteousness seems selfish to me.

Note 2: Sorry that I am not writing reports on the events. I didn't manage to attend the 'Dear Beloved Son' lecture at IMO, but I managed to attend some of SYR lectures at other venues. Maybe (If He permits), someday, but I'm not promising. Actually I got to catch up with Him.