The concept of sabr in Islamic spiritual care – definitions and contextual adaptions PDF

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The concept of sabr in Islamic spiritual care – definitions and contextual adaptions By Safia Aoude The American author and journalist Ambrose Bierce [b. 1842], known both for his lifelong tribulations and his lifelong sarcasm, once defined patience as “A minor form of despair, disguised as a virtue...

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The concept of sabr in Islamic spiritual care – definitions and contextual adaptions Safia Aoude

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The concept of sabr in Islamic spiritual care – definitions and contextual adaptions By Safia Aoude

The American author and journalist Ambrose Bierce [b. 1842], known both for his lifelong tribulations and his lifelong sarcasm, once defined patience as A minor form of despair, disguised as a virtue 1. This sentiment of a two-faced concept was also shared by the Muslim caliph Umar ibn alKhattab2 [d. 23/644], when he is to have said: "If patience and gratitude had been she camels, it would have mattered little on which I rode."3, 4 In spiritual care, patience plays a vital role, because it adds mental meaningfulness to suffering and helps building up mental strength. Patience is also regarded as a psychological mechanism in coping with life´s meaninglessness in both Western spiritual and Islamic spiritual narratives. For anyone working with spiritual care, patience is a concept that will pop up in communications with both the tribulated person, as well as with his relatives or friends.

My experience in Islamic spiritual care has given rise to a search for better, and perhaps also more stipulative, definitions of how patience can be applied as a useful tool in relation to spiritual care. Through my own experience with Muslim patients and inmates I have found the Islamic concept of patience (henceforth called sabr) to be different from the Western concept of patience, although both concepts are addressed often in situations of spiritual care.

Therefore the aim of my paper is to describe the Islamic concept of sabr in relation to Islamic spiritual care and to analyze three contextual adaptions of sabr in Islamic spiritual care; namely patience as purification, patience as dogmatic therapy, and patience as a cognitive narrative.

1 2 3 4

Ambrose Bierce, "Devil's Dictionary," Neale Publishing, USA, 1911 May God be content with him. ْ ‫ُقَ لَُع َمرُبْن‬:َ‫ُ َعنْ ُ َع ْبدَُُِِب ِْنُع َم َرُقَ ل‬،‫ص َمعِي‬ ْ َ‫ُ َحدثَن‬،‫» َحدثَنِيُأَبِي‬ ُ‫ُر ِكبْت‬ ْ َ ْ‫ُا‬ َ ‫ُ َم ُبَ لَيْتُُأَي َم‬،‫ِيري ِْن‬ َ ‫ُ«لَ ُُْ َك نَُُالصبْرُُ َ الش ْكرُُبَع‬:ُِ ‫ُالخَط‬ Al-Dunya, Ibn Abi: Al-Sabr al-Thawab 'Alayh, Dar ibn Hazm, Beirut, 1997,

1

Etymology and clarification of concept The Islamic concept of sabr cannot be understood fully in a Western context without a translation and some etymological research. According to the Online Etymological Dictionary5 Patie e has

ea t

"quality of being willing to bear adversities, calm endurance of misfortune, suffering, etc." since the 13th century , and it is directly derived from the Latin noun patientia "patience, endurance, submission. Health professionals recognize the noun patie t as a sick person being treated by a medic, and he/she is enduring some ki d of ad e sit . I Lati the o d patient present participle of the deponent verb, patior, lite all

I am suffering . But patience is not just related to suffering in Western semantics. The

Latin poet Prudentius describes in his famous treatise on the battle of the spirits, Psychomachia, how patience (in personification) is being attacked several times by personified anger, but the attacks all slide of patience. Thus Prudentius views patience as a virtue, being locked in battle with different personified vices such as anger, and even more important: patience at Prudentius is presented as a virtue of passivity!

That is because Prudentius´ story is built upon the Christian/Pauline idea of fighting the forces of evil through spiritual arming and passive defense, copying the classical Christian view on patience as the spiritual, but passive, virtue of a believer. Prudentius´ views patience as paradigmatic with anger; thus in Psychomachia Anger attacks Patience, and Patience stands still, until Anger gives up (and kills himself). Yet, in a contextual manner, the two-sided paradigmatic embodiment of the virtue of patience is as deepl

u ā i as it is i li al.6 The main correlation is, of course, the story of Job (Âyûb), but

throughout much of the Islamic revelations and the Islamic classical works (the hadith literature and Muslim scholarly works) sabr (patience) is analyzed, explained, discussed, deconstructed and applied throughout completely un-Pauline contexts, but still in specific, Islamic paradigmatic manners

5

http://www.etymonline.com

6

Alexander, Scott C. "Trust and Patience." Encyclopaedia of the Quran. General Editor: Jane Dammen McAuliffe, Georgetown University, Washington DC. Brill Online, 2016

2

The Islamic concept of patience (sabr) In Arabic patience is usually translated from the term sabr. According to Hans Wehr7, the root ṣ-b-r, of which ṣabr is the nomen actionis, means to bind or restrain, especially in relation of an animal for sacrifice or slaughter. According to classical Arabic etymology, the word sabr also means self-restraint (habs al-nafs o persistence to endure great adversity 8. The word sabr in the Holy Quran is mentioned 10 times, almost as frequent as the word shedda (hardship) which appears 102 times. Patience in the Quran is addressed in various other grammatical forms: 58 times as the form I verb ṣa a a (َ‫ص َ َر‬ َ ), once as the form III verb ṣā i u (َ‫)صَابِر‬, three times as َ ‫ص‬ the form VIII verb iṣ'ṭa i (َ‫ط ِ ْر‬ ْ ‫)ٱ‬, four times as the adjective ṣa

ā (‫ص َار‬ َ ), 15 times as the

(‫ص ْر‬ َ ), 20 times as the active participle ṣā i (‫ – )صَابِر‬including in its dual form in both nominative and accusative cases, once as the active participle ṣā i āt (‫ص ِ ٰ َرت‬ َ ٰ ) and once as the active

noun ṣa

participle ṣā i at ( ‫)صَابِ َر‬.9 Almost every grammatical version of the word sabr in the Quran is expressed in one or other active mode of classical Arabic. This distinctly grammatical diathesis of sabr in the Quran can be seen as the importance of patience in the narrative relationship with the particular action the verb expresses and the participants involved. Thus, patience is connected to action throughout the Quran. This is interesting, compared to Western grammar, as described above, where patience in its verbal forms is mostly related to a grammatical predisposition of being used in passive-voice constructions.

The cognitive linguistics of active-voice construction and passive-voice construction has been researched well, but more interestingly, the mental processes that prelude the use of active and passive voice in semantics have been well described and analyzed in therapeutic situations.10 Spiritual care, just as spiritual therapy, is foremost based upon dialogue and language; the tools of communication used can make a cognitive difference in every situation of spiritual care. A cognitive-linguistic analysis of the quranic semantics has not been done, to my knowledge, but the semantic active voice in relation to the concept of patience (sabr) in the Quran hints towards

7

Wehr, Hans: Arabic-English Dictionary, Spoken Language Services, 4.th edition, 1993 8 Ibn Manzur: Lisā al-ʿA a , Da “adi , Bei ut, , Volu e , page ; a d Bustā ī: Kitā Mụ̄ṭ, Beirut, 1869, page 496 9 http://corpus.quran.com/qurandictionary.jsp?q=Sbr

10

uṭ al- ụ̄ṭ

Evans, Vyvyan & Melanie Green (2006). Cognitive Linguistics: An Introduction. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.

3

responsibility and action, rather than the (Western) concept of passive resilience, such as presented by Prudentius, who depicts patience as a passive defender. Alas, much is lost in translation. The Quran puts contextual emphasis on patience in several places, some of it shared through intertextual references to Christian revelations, such as the story of Âyûb (Job) or Mûsa (Moses).11 Both researchers Toshihiko Izutsu12 and Alexander C. Scott13 note that the quranic concept of patience is paradigmatic, especially in connection with the quranic concept of trust (tawâkkul). Schimmel also notes this multi-faced paradigmatic concept, when she describes how the quranic pai i g of the o epts of the patie t a d the tha kful pe so e e tuall

e o es the asis fo “ufi

teaching that while patience in adversity is undoubtedly a virtue, an even greater virtue lies in the capacity to go beyond patience and actually express genuine thankfulness to God for the purgative opportunities inherent in every trial .14 Alexander C. Scott furthermore mentions how patience in quranic relation is paired with the concept of courage, when he analyses Abd al-Razzâq al-Kashânis [d. 730/1329] famous tafsir work Tafsir alQurân al-Karîm.15 Scott finds that al-Kashâni understands patience and trust not only to be disti guishi g

a ks of the pe so of faith but as stations (maqâmât) and states (ahwâl) of the interior

mystical journey to the goal of unqualified profession of divine oneness (i.e. tawhîd). For this author, as for many Sufis before and after him, trust and patience become two of the key ingredients in the alchemy of spiritual purification and the achievement of human perfection.

16

The paradigmatic nature of sabr in Islamic terminology makes the concept of patience in Islamic spiritual care quite interesting, because patience can be used as a spiritual tool for conjuring spiritual answers to spiritual problems through its very paradigmatic nature.

11 12

May God grant them peace. Izutsu, Toshihiko: Ethico-religious Concepts in the Quran, Volume 1, McGill Islamic studies, McGill-Queen's Press, 2002

13

Alexander, Scott C. "Trust and Patience." Encyclopaedia of the Quran. General Editor: Jane Dammen McAuliffe, Georgetown University, Washington DC. Brill Online, 2016 14 Schimmel, Annemarie: Mystical dimensions of Islam, Chapel Hill, NC 1979, page 124 and 125 15 16

This work has earlier been published under the name of the great Sufi master and mystical theologian Ibn al-Arabi [d. 638/1240] (Scott, Brill 2016)

4

What is spiritual care? According to research from the Pastoral Care Services Department at Medical Center of Maryland University17, spiritual care is based upon spiritual needs. No uniform definition of spiritual needs is given, but researchers observe that spiritual needs usually relate to spiritual questions. Some of these spiritual questions are given as: • • • • • • • • • •

Why is this happening? Why is it happening to me? What does it all mean? How do I make sense of everything? How do I feel about changes in my life? What gives me comfort and hope? What do I call "good" in my life? What do I call "bad"? What am I grateful for? What do I trust? Who do I trust? Who is my "beloved community" -- who loves me and is loved by me, no matter what? What or who -- beyond myself -- do I believe is important in my life?18

Pastoral Care Services Department at Medical Center of Maryland University is considering these questions as universal, regardless of religion or faith.19 Psychologically these spiritual questions are important to man, because they are connected to his need of self-actualization. Maslo

otes, that the i sight to these uestio s a e felt as a self-

validating, self-justifying moment which carries its own intrinsic value with it.

20

Thus the search for

meaningfulness, according to Maslow, is a vital part of spiritual fulfillment of the soul. Maslow categorized the need for self-actualization and spiritual meaningfulness to the highest level of human needs (in his famous hierarchy of needs-hypothesis). During spiritual care, the person is performing his role as the seeker, and the spiritual caretaker works with him towards fulfillment as his guide.

When addressing these spiritual questions (or spiritual needs) from a religious or faith-based angle, spiritual care becomes pastoral care. Originally a Christian coined concept, pastoral care has expanded to embrace many different faiths, regardless of being carried out by a pastor, an imam or a rabbi etc. Pastoral care is neither counselling nor therapy, but is traditionally carried out by personal relators

17 18 19 20

http://umm.edu/patients/pastoral/what-is-spiritual-care Ibid. Ibid. Maslow, Abraham: Religions, Values, and Peak Experiences, 1964

5

operating under a positive motivation that has no strings attached.21 In this way the Muslim pastoral care worker operates interlaced between theology and psychology, and perhaps also culture and tradition. Some universal guidelines for Islamic pastoral care have been attempted constructed, such as Danish Imam Naveed Baig, who has appointed four major subjective principles of action (maxims) as universal guidelines for Islamic pastoral care: 1) 2) 3) 4)

Seeing people as the creation of God Meeting people according to their own situational understanding Merciful presence Reminding people of their original home22

According to Baig, Isla i spi itual a e should e the t pe of a e that app e iates the person in its entirety and can open a window to God.

23

hole

The purpose of Baig´s cognitive systematization

of Muslim spiritual care was a strong need to reformulate and compress the vast theological material that is available in the Islamic tradition in relation to spiritual care. Baig notes that it can be done by chiseling out these four particular maxims as important corner stores of Islamic spiritual care.24 Although Baig does not touch upon the concept of patience as possible therapeutic tool for Islamic spiritual care in his master thesis, he never the less recognizes sabr as a practical coping mechanism in Islamic spiritual care.25

Suffering and disease as mystical purification (tazkîya) Spiritual purification is a concept well fitted into Islamic spiritual care, because disease is regarded in Islam as not just a physical adversity, but also as a catalyst for purifying the body and mind. Suffering is thus the primal part of this purification process. Prophet Muhammed´s26 contemporaries Abu Saîd Khudri and Abu Hurayrah narrated that the P ophet said: No fatigue, disease, sorrow, sadness, hurt, or distress befalls a Muslim, even if it were the prick he receives from a thorn, but that Allah expiates some

21 22 23 24 25 26

http://www.canberra.edu.au/current-students/canberra-students/student-support/multi-faith-centre/pastoral-care/pastoral-worker Baig, Naveed: Islamic Spiritual Care, Master Thesis, University of Copenhagen, 2015 Ibid. Ibid. Ibid. May God´s peace and blessing be upon him.

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of his sins for that.

27

The contemporary Abdallah narrates how he once visited Allah's Apostle while he

was suffering from a high fever. I said, "O Allah's Apostle! You have a high fever." He said, "Yes, I have as much fever as two men of you." I said, "Is it because you will have a double reward?" He said, "Yes, it is so. No Muslim is afflicted with any harm, even if it were the prick of a thorn, but that Allah expiates his sins because of that, as a tree sheds its leaves."28 These hadiths are generally understood as the believer must suffer in order to begin the purification process. By suffering he/she will expiate some of his/her sins, i.e reach atonement for his sins, wither by action or by intention. The hadith does not give an explanation as to why suffering expiates sins, but the references to some of the paradigmatic findings of patience in the Quran hints that by recognizing suffering as coming from God, the believer displays both acceptance of Gods will and puts trust in God (tawâkkul), acknowledges gratitude for the plight (shukr) and displays bravery in the face of hardship (shujû´). By recognizing his sufferings as a station (maqâm) towards reward (tawwâb) performed patience (sabr) thus becomes a declaration of tawhîd; the central Islamic principle of oneness and monotheism. The Medieval Muslim theologian and philosopher al-Ghazâli [d. 1111] sums up the importance of patience in relation to faith in his famous work on spiritual purification, Ihyâ ed-Dîn: The majority of the virtues of faith enter through patience .29 Further correlation to this view comes from Jilani [d. 561/1166], he he

ites: Abu Ali al-

‘udh a i… said, With espect to absolute trust in God (tawâkkul), there are three levels. The first is [the servant of God's] thankfulness (shukr) when [something he or she wants] is bestowed upon him or her, and patience (sabr) when he or she is denied. The second is when it is one and the same whether the servant is denied [what he or she wants] or it is bestowed upon him or her. The third is when the servant meets denial with thankfulness — denial being more dear to him or her [than bestowal] because of his or her knowledge that this is God's choice for him or her.

30

Above mentioned views are expressed not just in relation to physical health, but must be regarded as encompassing all kinds of tribulations, including mischief, accidents, hea tsi k ess , spiritual 27

28 29 30

Bukhari: Book 7, number 545 Bukhari, Book 70, number 551 al-Ghazâli, Abu Hamid Muhammad, Ihya al-Ulum al-Din, Cairo 1938, section 43, page 2187 al-Jīlâ ī, A d al-Qâdir, Kitâb al-Ghunya li-ṭâli ̄ ṭa ̄ al-̣aqq, Beirut 1996, page 217

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bereavement etc.

The Islamic approach to patience as stations on a mystical path towards God thus differs from the Christian view that views patience as cardinal virtues of the faithful person.31 By turning sabr into a station on the line towards purification of the soul, the mechanisms of patience become a brick in the holistic Islamic approach to life. Whereas Maslow´s hypothesis of peakexperience regards organized religion as a hindrance to spiritual evolution, Islamic mystics regard organized religion as a step towards spiritual evolution. Islamic mysticism is very much alive in the area of healing and self-actualization, but scientific research in this field has been limited to Muslim scholars.

Rarely does Western psychology and science acknowledge religious spirituality as tools for pshychotherapy, and Western science has downsized its research into mysticism as a general topic in modern times, but one outstanding example is Susan DeHoff, who concluded that psychotherapy and spiritual direction make unique contributions to human growth and need not be perceived as synonymous or competitive. According to her, there is a point at which psyche and spirit, psychotherapy and spiritual direction, meet: the place of healing.

32

Sabr as applied concept in Islamic spiritual care Victor Frankl [d. 1997], a psychiatrist and survivor of the Nazi concentration camps, ot dest o ed

suffe i g; he is dest o ed

suffe i g ithout

ote: Man is

ea i g .33 Medical ethicists like Foglio

and Brody are of the opinion that religion and spirituality form the basis of meaning and purpose for many people.34 The quest to find meaningfulness in one´s tribulations such as imprisonment or illness is a cornerstone of spiritual care. Doctors and lawyers cannot always answer the spiritual questions that convicts or patients are asking them, such as the questions mentioned by the Pastoral Care Services Department at Medical Center of Maryland University above.

31

(Scott, Brill,...