Being Woke #1

Scholars of Islam noted that the first stop on the path to a relationship with God is being "Woke." Woke is a term organizers popularized, especially since the presidential election of 2017. What is Islam's idea of woke, what are its components, guidelines, and potentials?

SwissCast #2 al-Ghazzali on Being Woke
قُلْ إِنَّمَا أَعِظُكُمْ بِوَاحِدَةٍ أَنْ تَقُومُوا لِلَّهِ مَثْنَى وَفُرَادَى ثُمَّ تَتَفَكَّرُوا مَا بِصَاحِبِكُمْ مِنْ جِنَّةٍ إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا نَذِيرٌ لَكُمْ بَيْنَ يَدَيْ عَذَابٍ شَدِيدٍ
“Say, I’m only here to awaken you: to arise for Allah two or one of you.” Qur’an 34:46

Sh. Al-Harari
الْيَقَظَة من سنة الْغَفْلَة والنهوض من ورطة الفترة
“Woke from negligence and falling into destructive weakness.”

Being Woke is the First Station of Worship

فَأَوَّلُ مَنَازِلِ الْعُبُودِيَّةِ الْيَقَظَةُ وَهِيَ انْزِعَاجُ الْقَلْبِ لِرَوْعَةِ الِانْتِبَاهِ مِنْ رَقْدَةِ الْغَافِلِينَ، وَلِلَّهِ مَا أَنْفَعَ هَذِهِ الرَّوْعَةَ، وَمَا أَعْظَمَ قَدْرَهَا وَخَطَرَهَا، وَمَا أَشَدَّ إِعَانَتَهَا عَلَى السُّلُوكِ! فَمَنْ أَحَسَّ بِهَا فَقَدْ أَحَسَّ وَاللَّهِ بِالْفَلَاحِ
“The first stop on the path of “You alone we worship” is woke. Woke is a disturbance of the heart that compels it to guard falling into a permanent slumber of negligence. By Allah, it is the most beneficial state, the greatest and most honorable. Nothing helps a person with the same strength on the path (like it), and whoever experiences it, experiences true success.

قُلْ إِنَّمَا أَعِظُكُمْ بِوَاحِدَةٍ أَنْ تَقُومُوا لِلَّهِ مَثْنَى وَفُرَادَى ثُمَّ تَتَفَكَّرُوا مَا بِصَاحِبِكُمْ مِنْ جِنَّةٍ إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا نَذِيرٌ لَكُمْ بَيْنَ يَدَيْ عَذَابٍ شَدِيدٍ
“Say, I’m only here to awaken you: to arise for Allah two or one of you.” Qur’an 34:46

إِشَارَةٌ إِلَى جَمِيعِ الْأَحْوَالِ فَإِنَّ الْإِنْسَانَ إِمَّا أَنْ يَكُونَ مَعَ غَيْرِهِ أَوْ يَكُونَ وَحْدَهُ، فَإِذَا كَانَ مَعَ غَيْرِهِ دَخَلَ فِي قَوْلِهِ: مَثْنى وَإِذَا كَانَ وَحْدَهُ دَخَلَ فِي قَوْلِهِ: فُرادى فَكَأَنَّهُ يَقُولُ تَقُومُوا لِلَّهِ مُجْتَمِعِينَ وَمُنْفَرِدِينَ
“Alludes to all situations because either you are with others, or you are alone. If you are with others, then “by twos” applies to you, and if you are alone, “alone” applies. Thus, it is as though God is saying, Awaken together or alone.”

وكلام العشاق في حال السكر يُطوَى ولا يحكى. فلما خف عنهم سكرهم وردوا إلى سلطان العقل الذى هو ميزان الله في أرضه
“The words of those overcome by love while intoxicated should not be shared. When the sober up, the sovereignty of their reason will return, and reason (coupled with a proper understanding of faith) is God’s scale on earth.” Mishkat al-Anwar pg. 57

The Path to Sobriety

1. Miracles
2. Experiences

Type of Intoxication

1. With Faith
2. With the self
3. With Society

Components of Being Woke

1. Noting blessings - لحظ النعمة
2. Being aware of evil and sins - مطالعة الْجِنَايَة
3. Seizing the hour - الانتباه لمعْرِفَة الزِّيَادَة وَالنُّقْصَان فِي الْأَيَّام