Pastor's Class: Spiritual Gems of Islam

Join Pastor Don for a six-session exploration of the spiritual gems found in Islamic teaching. Drawing from the Qur’an, Rumi, Hafiz, and hadith (a collection of sayings of the prophet Muhammad that constitute the major source of guidance for Muslims apart from the Qur’an).

Classes are held on Sunday mornings at 10:30 a.m. via Zoom. Attendance at all classes is not necessary; each session is a stand-alone topic. No registration fee is required, but donations to All Souls are always appreciated.

This class is drawn from a course that Pastor Don took at Yale Divinity School in June 2022 with Professor Omer Bajwa, Director of Muslim Life at Yale University, and from the book by Imam Jamal Rahman.

January 8 – Die Before You Die: (Hadith)

The spiritual path transforms the ego to merge the lower and higher self. The best jihad is the spiritual work of opening the heart.

January 22 – Ah! What a Beautiful Fellowship. (Qur’an 4:69)

One of the greatest joys in life is to be blessed with an authentic community. We need friends who share our values and who are there to support us.

February 5 – Work in the Invisible World at Least as Hard as You Work in the Visible. (Rumi)

Teachers in many traditions hold that visible and invisible realms are sacred and essential. The very things that make us human are invisible.

February 19 – Whoever Believes in God Has Grasped the Most Trustworthy Handhold. (Qur’an 2:256)

The ability to trust in something bigger than the human ego and institutions is fundamental to finding inner peace.

March 5 – Women are the Twin-Halves of Men. (Hadith)

The Prophet Mohammed taught that “Women are the twin-halves of men…the rights of women are sacred.” Similar instructions are found in authentic hadith and in the Qur’an.

March 19 – What is this Love and Laughter? (Hafiz)

The prophet Hafiz asked, “What is this love and laughter bubbling up from within me? The sound of my soul waking up!”