The Sacred Tradition: Islam, Iman, Ihsan

However, how many of us have actually realized this in our lives? Anxiety. Depression. Stress. Inability to find balance in life. Worry. Doubts in religion. Lack of presence in prayer. Lack of peace in my heart. The Sunna of the Prophet is a remedy for all our troubles. Yet, have we been learning and applying the remedies as they were brought?

Our deviation from the traditional teachings of our Prophet ﷺ, preserved and passed down by the scholars and sages through the ages, is why we have not realized these teachings in our lives. Our historical context plays a big role in the state we find ourselves individually and as an ummah. After the fall of the Islamic Empire, colonial powers spread secular ideas and traditions across Muslim lands. As Muslims began taking on ideas and practices of others, reformist movements emerged in response. Such movements were not based on our Islamic tradition, but brought new practices of religion. Many of our grandparents and parents were born into this context, and passed on such practices to current generations of believers. These new versions of Islam did not enlighten the hearts of believers as they deviated from the comprehensive teachings of the Prophet ﷺ, which were preserved through the ages in the schools of Fiqh, the schools of Aqeeda, and the paths of Ihsan and Spirituality.

As from the beginning of the revelation, there has always been and still is an attack on the religion of Islam. Forces from without and within seek to corrupt the teachings of the Prophet ﷺ, to steer the believer away from realizing true Tawhīd and falling in love with the Divine. Whether it be through incorrect practices, corrupting ideas and philosophies, or the loss of our spiritual tradition, the traditional teachings of the Prophet ﷺ have become lost on many.