As Muslims enter into the month long holy holiday of Ramadan and focus on self-discipline--physical, mental, emotional and spiritual--we can reflect upon words from Spiritual Directors International member Sheikh Jamal Rahman. In 2009, Rahman, together with Kathleen Schmitt Elias, and Ann Holmes Redding authored A Spiritual Directors International Book:  Out of Darkness, Into Light: Spiritual Guidance in the Quran with Reflections from Jewish and Christian Sources.

We learn:

"In Islam, whose name means surrender to God, the central goal is to live our lives in the spirit of surrender to our Creator. Seekers of any religious tradition have a similar desire to achieve union with Divine Reality. Whether we call it surrender, redemption, union, or quest for inner freedom, the journey is the same. It is a lifelong adventure, and along the way there are many twists and turns, many opportunities to get lost or go astray. There are no maps to guide the human heart, but in every religion there are teachers and basic guidebooks—scriptures and sacred texts that point the way toward Mystery. In Islam, we have the Quran. We also have fourteen centuries of wisdom distilled from the Holy Book by Islamic sages, mystics, and teachers."

To read more about Out of Darkness, Into Light, click here.

Revealing Ramadan: 30 Days, 30 Stories

Would reading "personal stories and reflections about the meaning of Ramadan and how Muslims incorporate those experiences into their personal faith journeys during Islam’s holiest month and afterward" inspire and intrigue you? Then make certain to take a look at the Speaking of Faith “Revealing Ramadan” blog where 30 stories—one story per day—will be "featuring the voices of Muslims from Madrid to Dallas and Seattle."