How to become a Seeker of the Divine? Lessons from the Spiritual Master Ibn Qayyim with Ovamir Anjum

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The great Damascene scholar Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya (d. 751/1350) authored the masterpiece of Islamic psychology Madarij al-Salikin, (Ranks of the Divine Seekers). It sets out the great Hanbalite's advice on how to journey to Allah and reach the ranks of a loving believer of our Lord. Professor Ovamir Anjum, the translator into English of this great work, talks to The Thinking Muslim about Ibn Qayyim’s spiritual perspectives, including the wisdom of sin, what attributes a believer should shun and acquire, the multiple stations on the route to this journey and the role of obedience to Allah for spiritual felicity.

Dr. Ovamir Anjum is the Imam Khattab Endowed Chair of Islamic Studies at the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies at the University of Toledo. He obtained his Ph.D. in Islamic Intellectual history in the Department of History, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Masters in Social Sciences from the University of Chicago, and Masters in Computer Science and Bachelors in Nuclear Engineering and Physics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Before higher education, his Islamic training began at home while growing up in Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and the United States with a broad range of scholars, including his remarkable grandmother, and continued as he studied fiqh with South Asian Ḥanafī and Ahl-e-hadīs scholars and usūl al-fiqh and qirā’āt of the Quran with scholars from Egypt’s Al-Azhar and Syria. He currently leads the Ummatics Institute and is the Editor in-Chief of Yaqeen Institute.

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The Thinking Muslim Podcast Episode 89

0:00-2:14 Introduction
2:14-5:34 The meaning and significance of hāl and maqām
5:34-13:02 The ranks a believer can attain
13:02-16:36 Why Allah allows us to commit sins?
16:36-21:29 How to improve our spiritual status?
21:29-26:48 How do we love Allah?
26:48-31:12 How to be constantly reflective of our personality
31:12-36:14 Personality traits we should get rid of
36:14-40:23 How do you reconcile politics with spirituality?
40:23-46:27 Was Ibn Al Qayyim a Sufi?
46:27-50:53 The relationship between Ibn Al Qayyim and Ibn Taymiyya
50:53-55:06 Where does Ibn Al Qayyim differ from other Sufis?
55:06-1:00:40 Should sectarian diversity among Muslims be praised?
1:00:40-1:02:46 Reflections on the Muslim community in UK
1:02:46-1:02:56 Additional information