Abandoning Self- Centeredness Awaken to Presence Transform your life workshop series Dr. M. Omar December 2012, Orlando Based on the 26 th Word, The Words, Said Nursi.

The aim of these workshops is From blind-faith or Muslim as an ID tag to confirmation From saying “I witness the unity of God” to actually witnessing the unity of God From memorizing religion to reality based inner transformation From imagining “God up there” to knowing and communicating with my Creator through reflections of His Divine Attributes in the creation paradigm shift

وَمَا خَلَقْتُ الْجِنَّ وَالْإِنسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِ And I have not created the invisible beings and men but to [know and] worship Me. (Qur’an 51:56) Experiential Knowledge of God Witness Divine Attributes Reflect Divine Attributes Everything owns its qualities I am here for my own sake. I own and show my qualities Life is for worldly pleasure

My life is an instrument to witness and reflect the flow of Divine attributes. I own my beautiful attributes (although ice is still water). VS. God- Centered Self- centered

My perception changes everything… Self- Centered God- centered Glorify myself Praise myself Glorify God Praise God

When I claim that the beautiful attributes that are reflected on me are mine, I can’t help but glorify and praise my self… Because this is what I perceive: “I own the qualities I possess.” Since these qualities identify me, of course I need to be praised…

I am successful I am rich I am intelligent I deserve to be praised and glorified…

Several Outcomes: Remember the root problem is not in the outcomes, but in my perception of myself… I need to make sure everyone and everything help me feel glorified and praised. I use them for this purpose. I look for the looks, comments, applauses, gadgets, and lifestyle that will fulfill my glorification…

Several Outcomes: My first priority in my life becomes this. I am annoyed if someone criticizes me in any way… It can destroy me… I get too defensive and protective… I try to make sure I am always praised and glorified. I fight many wars for it…

State of Hell! Because, I can’t really sustain the qualities I perceived to be mine.. I may shun life and become depressive, because I feel to be a loser! I feel anger and frustration.. I envy those who have what I always wanted! I feel lonely…

What is the solution? Melt the ice with the utter need and love for God… 1 st Step to cultivate awareness فَلَا تُزَكُّوا أَنفُسَكُمْ Do not attribute purity unto yourselves. (Quran 53:32)

I did it to myself… I pretended that the water that flows through me is mine.. I lost God in my life, because I attributed everything that was God’s to my own abilities and success. I became lonely as a small little ice cube… I started to compare myself with the other ice cubes that I imagined to own the qualities they reflect, too.

The cure is to not pretend that purity is mine. The cure is to melt the “I” in the flow of divine attributes.. The cure is to recognize that I have only one identity: “I am the servant of God. Whatever I seem to have is His.” God is pure… I reflect that purity as long as I don’t attribute it to myself.

I am not alone anymore… Everyone and everything becomes my friend… I don’t use them for my own sake anymore. I enthusiastically try to become part of the symphony of the praise of God. I don’t despair… Everything is God’s and every moment is a precious gift from Him. I glorify God in any circumstance.. I feel peace, I become an envoy of peace, and I reflect peace…