Mending our Past - Yasmin Mogahed ( Notes )

Mending Our Past - Yasmin Mogahed

 Mending Our Past

Yasmin Mogahed

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This document is a write-up of notes I made whilst attending a lecture entitled "Mending Our Past" by Yasmin Mogahed at the Institute of Education, London.

I have added to the notes to further understand the take away messages of the lecture. They may be subject to mistakes and do not represent the views of the speaker.

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In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful 

The title of the talk is intriguing as it clearly indicates that there will always be something in our past that needs mending. It highlights that we have all made mistakes, those which are apparent and those which we ourselves know not of. But this is the very nature of the human being and the very nature of Dunya.

Dunya was meant to be a preparation – it was created and designed that way. Dunya is a purification process by which we try to purify ourselves of evil and wrongdoings that our own hands have earned. Similarly Allah puts us through tests and fitna, hardships and struggle; out of His love for us, to purify us of our sins and save us from the punishment that shall come to us because of our mistakes and evil deeds.

The key to being able to get though hardships in life is to know that Allah loves you and if Allah loves you, He would never hurt you.... never! And thus when you are afflicted with pain and suffering and hardship know that this is Allah's love for you. Allah is wishing to purify you, to test you - to raise your ranks in Jannah or to give you suffering in this Dunya because of your sins such to save you from a greater punishment in the Hereafter.

"When Allah wills good for His slave, He hastens the punishment for him in this world, and when Allah wills ill for His slave, he withholds the punishment for his sins from him until he comes with all his sins on the Day of Resurrection." Narrated by al-Tirmidhi (2396)

The purification process itself is a struggle – Life is a struggle. It requires that you have focus; that you train yourself, build yourself and purify yourself to obtain excellence in character and standing before Your Creator. It is about striving for excellence – Ihsan ; which by its very nature implies having to overcome hardship and loss.

Allah, in the Quran, describes the purpose of hardship as Tamhees - the same word is used to purify gold. Thus without extreme heat the impurities of gold are not removed and such is the similitude with the believer.

The focus that we mention is that of Jannah. That is our home, the home of our father Adam and the true success of this life.

The two main types of disorders psychologist have to deal with are: Anxiety Disorders and Depression Disorders. Yet Allah makes mention that those who follow Allah guidance should have no fear and no shall they grieve for they have trust in Allah and know that Allah loves them and would never hurt them – nothing afflicts you except it is good for you and a means of Allah wanting you to return to Him in dua and in a state of humbleness and submission.

Every human has a void in their heart – some people try to fill it by going to the nightclub, watching movies and things on the Internet, listening to music or even just by daydreaming. Yet Allah makes mention that only in His remembrance will hearts find contentment – true sakina. And those who have tasted that sakina when making dua with tears flowing or in sujood will testify to the truth of Allah's statement.