Society & Solitude: Part 2

Talk by Sheikh Abdal Hakim Murad - Cambridge - 10 November 2009 - 56 mins 07 secs

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In this talk, Sheikh Abdal Hakim elaborates on some of the themes of a previous talk, discussing here the importance of companionship (suhba). He reads from a letter on the subject by Sheikh Sharafuddin b. Yahya Maneri, known as Makhdoom Sahib, a noted saint of the 13th century CE who lived in the Bihar region in India and was among the great spiritual leaders who brought Islam to what is today north-east India and Bangladesh. Sheikh Sharafuddin's letters were compiled by his students and studied ever since as an inspirational source of spiritual guidance. With reference to this letter on suhba, from the collection known as the Hundred Letters, Sheikh Abdal Hakim talks about the nature of suhba, and its importance for the individual and society, in particular for the relationship between the generations.

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Society & Solitude

Talk by Sheikh Abdal Hakim Murad - 12 June 2009 - Cambridge -1 hr 12 mins 44 secs

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We often feel the need to 'get away from it all', an impulse which seems to reflect a strange paradox of modern society. On the one hand, we can be overwhelmed by the hustle and bustle of daily life, always part of a busy crowd. Yet at the same time, are we truly connected to what is around us? Or are we somehow cut off from a genuine relationship with our environment and fellow human beings, always 'alone in the crowd'? In this talk, the sheikh reflects on the spiritual importance of solitude, and discusses how to cultivate the inner sense of stillness and realisation it can bring. But he also reminds us that this cannot be achieved at the cost of actually cutting ourselves off from society. Rather it should be enhanced by channelling it to transform our relationships with those around us, following the incomparable example of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) whose mission began in the solitude of the Cave of Hira but which continued in the upliftment of his people and all of mankind.

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