Table of Contents

Introduction vii

OUR HUMAN CONDITION
Searching for Our True Identity 3
Stuck in Patterns 6
Overlooking the Obvious 8

SOME SHIFTS IN AWARENESS
The Storms in Our Lives 13
Asking Deeper Questions 16
Spirituality Is an Experience 18
We Foolish Humans 21
Three Stages of Knowing Oneself 23

FOIBLES AND VULNERABILITIES
Seeking Approval from Others 29
Clinging to an Image 32
Slavish Dependence on
Authorities and Experts 34
Swayed by Outer Forms 36
Appetite for Praise and Titles 38
Know and Laugh at Your Eccentricities 41
Excuse after Excuse 44
Truth of Convenience 48
Attached to the Familiar 51
Fear Is All You Need 54
Fear Has No Favorites 57

WARINESS OF RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS
Deferred Spiritual Maintenance 61
How Some Religious Customs Began 64
Belief, Faith, and Borrowed Certainty 67
SPIRITUAL PRACTICES
Honor the Present Moment 73
Strive to Be Grateful 77
Spirit of Prayer 81
Efficacy of Prayers of Supplication 84
Efficacy of Rituals and 86
Spiritual Practices
Signs in Nature 88

WISDOM FOR THE INNER JOURNEY
Seeking in the Right Direction 93
Not All Tears Are Equal 96
Little by Little 99
Blessed Are the Flexible 102
A Sense of Balance 104
Web of Interconnection 107
Thank God for Diversity 109
Cultivate Hope through 112
Patience and Faith
The True Teacher Kindles the Light 115

KNOWING GOD
Connecting to Mystery 121
If God Wills 125

BE ENGAGED IN THE WORLD
Do What Is Beautiful 131
Building Community 134
Justice and Conflict Resolution 137
Revere the Wombs That Bore You 140
Advice on Marriage 143
Honor the Children 145

TIME TO RETURN HOME
It's Later Than You Think 151
The End Is Coming! 154
It's Not Like You Think It Is 156


Notes 160
Suggestions for Further Reading 162

About the Author

Imam Jamal Rahman is a beloved teacher and retreat leader whose passion for helping people deepen their spiritual lives and cultivate interfaith understanding has inspired audiences throughout the world. He has been featured in the New York Times, on CBS News and the BBC.

Reviews

Sufism is Islam's mystical dimension, and Sufi stories are used to teach "larger" lessons. The protagonists for most stories are famous Sufi luminaries; however, Mulla Nasruddin is the main character in several of the stories. In the stories, the main character typically does "stupid" things to expose our fallacies or show us what is truly important. This collection of stories is divided into nine sections. Each section contains about half a dozen chapters, and each section takes the reader into a higher level of consciousness (which Sufis typically work toward). Each chapter contains a couple of stories, but the bulk of the chapter is devoted to explaining the lesson. The stories, although humorous, serve to embellish the lesson rather [than] form an integral part of it, and each chapter ends with sections for further reflection and practice. Although the stories included are generally intended for children, this book is more suitable for older readers and adults. A chapter can be read quickly, but the reflection and practice last a lifetime.
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