Al-Qushayri's The Grammar of the Hearts - Mariam Sheibani: Tea Over Books

Abu al-Qasim al-Qushayri (d. 1072) wrote the first Sufi commentary on Arabic Grammar, entitled "The Grammar of the Hearts" (Nahw al-Qulub).
Dr Mariam Sheibani explores the genre through al-Qushayri’s work - including his social context and the book's teachings and methods - to answer the question: ‘Why use grammar to teach spiritual cultivation?’
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Join us outdoors for a series of stimulating book-based talks, with tea & treats on offer in our various reading rooms!
www.cambridgemuslimcollege.ac...
Every Saturday from 13 August to 3 September, we are holding a series of in-person events focusing on a selection of unique books at our campus in Cambridge. Stay afterwards for tea & biscuits in our special reading rooms dotted around our campus!
These are strictly ticketed events and you must hold a ticket to attend.
#TeaOverBooks

[@postmarked]

Love this lecture and discussion as well. Learnt so much. There’s so many gems within this video, I’m so glad I could rewind and pause. Thank you for organising all these enlightening lectures and curating top notch content CMC!

[@ahmad000almahdi]

« إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَمَلَائِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ ۚ يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا صَلُّوا عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُوا تَسْلِيمًا » 🥰...

[@agaproductions6442]

This is the first information I’ve seen on the subject of grammar and spirituality. I’ve thought of this subject for years! Thank you so much for this information, it has even reawakened my love of languages.

[@ghulamsarwar3534]

MashaAllah, I don't speak Arabic, but I love the content of this lecture by sister Mariam Sheibani, and watched it more than few time. I love it. 🙏

[@janieaziz6197]

Thank you for posting these valuable sessions. It would be helpful in future talks, where there is a screen showing information, to zoom in on the screen so TV viewers can read it.

[@user-di3fc3jx9l]

Love the cat in the video!! Meow !!

[@siamahsyed2115]

Subhan Allah, amazing lecture, Allah bless the speaker and CMC

[@Mohamed_Hazem]

Great lecture and discussions, Jazakumu Allahu Khairan.

[@abubakrabdullah6626]

جزاك اللهُ خيراً.

[@saara5590]

JazaakumAllahu khayran for this eye-opening lecture! Really enjoyed it

[@Youbettersaysubhanallah]

اللهم صل على محمد وعلى آل محمد كما صليت على إبراهيم وعلى آل إبراهيم إنك حميد مجيد اللهم بارك على محمد وعلى آل محمد كما باركت على إبراهيم وعلى آل إبراهيم إنك حميد مجيد

[@bouchtaab8281]

Important video... Thanks...

[@zafarali4295]

Great 💯

[@askersupermarket6929]

Masha allah thay are wins Brother and sisters insha allah ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️❤️♥️🌹👋🇸🇴

[@khadijaz9525]

Really beautiful and impactful lecture. Really love the interactive nature - gives greater perspective I believe. Hopefully I can come to one if the events soon.

[@germeshkrimi7384]

MashaAllah🤲🏻🤲🏻🤲🏻

[@vladykasvyatoslav403]

so dense-packed with knowledge, thank you so much for this!

[@ibnbattoutaamouddouchanel6535]

Mashallah...

[@JaefarSABNW]

It is often that the centers of power are representative of something something else and our main problem these days is a power play that has separated itself from spiritual principles. It can be said that there is an inherent dialectic and a projected dialectic of spiritual literature, but there is an actual contextual dialectic to look at too.

[@sacredartworkshops1160]

Loved this lecture & discussion

[@user-sb4hj9kh2e]

I joined to this idea :)

[@dadaalintaaadcaafimaadqabt2205]

اللهم صل وسلم وبارك على سيدنا محمد

[@Youbettersaysubhanallah]

Allahuma ssali 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala ali Muhammad kama salayta 'ala Ibrahim wa 'ala ali Ibrahim inaka hamidun majid, Allahuma barik 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala ali Muhammad kama barakta 'ala Ibrahim wa 'ala ali Ibrahim inaka hamidun majid

[@mamirech53]

As it has been mentioned that there is a difference between عارف and عالم or عليم and Allah is عالم and عليم. Could you please advise how we differentiate between the two concepts when translating them to English? May Allah rewards you.

[@Munzer1977]

I think the sister speaker should've made it clear from the beginning that Nahu نحو doesn't specifically mean grammar. For example Nahu in language means destination or intention and so on

[@bouchtaab8281]

"Nahw" does mean grammar. Al Qushayrî uses it in this sense. It this context, it has nothing to do with "destination".

[@adibbachtiar2980]

Assalamu'alaikum

[@nadera1830]

So he uses Arabic grammar as a basis for building his tasawf. Interesting.

[@MW-qt1ml]

I am just a bit confused about the concept of Adam (as) speaking Arabic? Many Prophets are spoken to in the Arabic Quran, but does that mean they would speak Arabic? When God speaks to Moses (as), and what he says is written in Arabic, that doesn't mean Moses as actually spoke Arabic. I am a bit confused about the nature of the evidence here. Anyways, Jazak Allahu Khayran for a great lecture ^^

[@HH-pv9ex]

Interesting lecture although I would note that the Arabic word "جمع" means gathering or collective to indicate plurality of number or plurality of majesty (جمع التعظيم). On the other hand "unification" is توحد or توحيد. It can be dangerous from a theological perspective to use this translation ie "unification", so one should be careful. I would even say that if the expression جمع is used to describe a "state of being" it also carries dangerous meanings and can lead to grave misunderstandings. For instance, the case which comes to mind is that of the following verse John (10:30) " I and my Father are one" Where it should mean that the purpose of guiding humanity to monotheism is one, it has been extrapolated to imply deification of Jesus PBUH. Also John (14:6)“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” Where it should mean that the way to success الفلاح is through the following of the life example of Jesus (which included works أعمال) it has been misinterpreted to imply the worshipping of Jesus. I honestly became curious after this lecture as to what the origin of using the expressions الجمع و الفرق was to describe the "state" of mind and potentially being if that is what is intended/implied, and shall look into it. I don't find these expressions in the Quran or the prophetic narrations, except in the following one. حديث أبي هريرة عن النبي ﷺ قال: سبعة يظلهم الله في ظله يوم لا ظل إلا ظله: إمام عادل، وشاب نشأ في عبادة الله ورجل قلبه معلق بالمساجد، ورجلان تحابا في الله اجتمعا عليه وتفرقا عليه، ورجل دعته امرأة ذات حسن وجمال، فقال: إني أخاف الله، ورجل تصدق بصدقة، فأخفاها حتى لا تعلم شماله ما تنفق يمينه. أخرجه البخاري، كتاب الأذان، باب من جلس في المسجد ينتظر الصلاة وفضل المساجد، (1/ 133)، رقم: (660)، ومسلم، كتاب الزكاة، باب فضل إخفاء الصدقة، (2/ 715)، رقم: (1031) Where the expressions appear is in the part that says: ورجلان تحابا في الله اجتمعا عليه وتفرقا عليه؛ لأن أكثر علائق الناس إنما هي بسبب المصالح، والمنافع التي يتبادلونها، وقلّ أن توجد العلاقة التي تكون خالصة لله ليس للإنسان فيها مصلحة، إلى آخر ما ذكر. Which can be translated to mean that the shade of Allah (on the Day of judgement) is provided to seven categories, one of which is "two men who love one another for the sake of Allah, they gathered اجتمعا for His sake and separated تفرقا for His sake...in other words nothing caused them to care for one another or separate except obedience to Allah and the seeking of His pleasure. Not a worldly matter or gain. But this is different from the concept of الجمع و الفرق in Sufi literature based on what I hear in this lecture. Certainly Allah has explained that His love is solely attained through the following of his final prophet PBUH قُلْ إِن كُنتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ اللَّهَ فَاتَّبِعُونِي يُحْبِبْكُمُ اللَّهُ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ ۗ وَاللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ (31) ال عمران Say: "If ye do love Allah, Follow me: Allah will love you and forgive you your sins: For Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful." Therefore and based on this Aayah the key word is really الاتباع which in my humble opinion means meticulous following of the example of the prophet to one's best ability not withstanding our shortcomings.

[@khalilahmedesat5098]

Bismihi ta’Ala As’salaam alaykum

[@ayeshatracy7428]

Gramma puts everything in its right place? Is that a reason?

[@paltrypenguin7011]

Why is this video always auto loading after I consume some other Islamic content?

[@beak3432]

43.00 can we also apply here the Ibara meaning and Ishara meaning? Ibra: that Adam a person was taught the meaning and Ishara that Adam as mankind was taught the meaning or words then again as ibara would be all at once and ishara that maybe they got to know them gradually through experience from heart , or sharing of experience .... and language evolves? And can also mean that it looks like it evolved but it was from God like that? Edit: And maybe its about all the languages? That God taught man THE language - as all languages ( inclusive)? Because, how come one language is created by God , and others not? BUT Arabic is the chosen one and a special one as He chooses to talk to humans in and through this language ? And still another dimension. If we talk of ishara for example ... it might occur to someone as their experience and understanding of their own first language when they are reading Quran. As Arabic might not be a person / Sufi's first language .....

[@adnanashaari9881]

Who is the speaker?

[@CambridgeMuslimCollege]

Dr Mariam Sheibani - Associate Academic Director of Cambridge Muslim College! www.cambridgemuslimcollege.ac.uk/about/people/faculty/

[@red-pillphil3060]

All these mentions of names!!!Allah Knows!Is that not enough?

[@user-di3fc3jx9l]

Very interesting lecture but you should show more of the cat. Didn't one of the Companions of the Prophet, Sahaba have a cat? Yes, Abu Hurairah "father of the kitten" who was the most prolific narrator of hadith. Someone stole ( or should I say borrowed! ) my book on Sufism.... nevermind I will listen to your lectures instead.

[@rafiqhussain6588]

Religion is based on clear revelation. Don't twist it with the grammer faculties.

[@lalehbgbg2655]

You have to see neishapoir please pronounce it correctly my dear

[@ahmad-pz1cc]

Angelina Jolie?

[@amanali1992]

Truly amazing sister but I don’t know what stops this learned sister from properly covering her body , May Allah bless all our sisters but specially Umm Jamaluddin , the way she dresses Allahu akbar , all these so called learned sisters should learn from her.

[@shahram6869]

It really is a disappointment to still see comments like this.