The ÎçÒ¹¾ç³¡ launched one of its new publications, Spiritual Quest: Reflections on ²Ï³Ü°ù’a²Ôic Prayer According to the Teachings of Imam ‘Ali, at the Ismaili Centre in Dubai. The author Dr Reza Shah-Kazemi, introduced the book, which provides a unique contemporary insight into the spiritual, intellectual and moral dynamics of the ²Ï³Ü°ù’a²Ôic chapters recited by Muslims of all traditions in their prayers, highlighting those that hold particular significance amongst Shi‘i communities.
Over the course of the event, Dr Shah-Kazemi discussed one of Imam Ali’s sayings: ‘The whole of the ²Ï³Ü°ù’a²Ô is contained in the Fatiha, the Fatiha is contained in the basmala [the phrase of consecration: bismi’llah al-Rahman al-Rahim], the basmala is contained in the letter ²ú²¹â€™, the ²ú²¹â€™ is contained in the dot beneath the letter, and I am that dot’. Dr Reza Shah-Kazemi stated that the challenge of the first part of this saying is how to see the compassion expressed in the basmala as the principle pervading the entire ²Ï³Ü°ù’a²ÔMuslims believe that the Holy ²Ï³Ü°ù’a²Ô contains divine revelations to the Prophet Muhammed received in Mecca and Medina over a period of 23 years in the early 7th century CE. More.
Talking of the ²Ï³Ü°ù’a²Ô’s theurgic nature, Dr Shah-Kazemi referred to it as a mode of tajalli (the self-disclosure of God), as described by Imam Ali. With this in mind, he discussed engagement with the ²Ï³Ü°ù’a²Ô as engaging with a sacred presence flowing from divine self-revelation, rather than abstract meanings conveyed by divine speech.
Dr Shah-Kazemi submitted that due to Imam Ali’s emphasis on the practice of the invocation of the Name of God (»å³ó¾±°ì°ù³Ü’l±ô²¹³ó), it is possible that the deeper meanings of the ²Ï³Ü°ù’a²Ôic discourse, and the compassion that lies at the heart of the ²Ï³Ü°ù’a²Ôic message, are revealed in proportion to the clarity of the vision enjoyed by the heart.
In addition to the launch event, Dr Shah-Kazemi participated in a seminar entitled Prayer: Christian and Muslim Perspectives, at the 10th annual Building Bridges seminar chaired by the Most Revd Dr Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, held in Doha, Qatar. Dr Shah-Kazemi presented a Muslim perspective on the Theology of Prayer.