THE MUSLIM FAITH WITH DR. SEYYED HOSSEIN NASR

Carole Hallundbaek speaks with Dr. Seyyed Hossein Nasr – one of the foremost scholars of Islamic, Religious and Comparative Studies in the world. A philosopher and prolific writer, Nasr is professor of Islamic studies at George Washington University, in Washington DC and in this program shares about the history and heart of the Muslim faith, its relationship to other religions, and its mystical tradition. Topics in this hour include: a basic overview of the history and development of Islam, a religion with 1.5 billion members around the world; what is at the core the Muslim faith; the image of the Divine in Islam, and what Muslims hold sacred; the Oneness of God that is the same as the Jewish people; Moses and Jesus in the Qur’an; the mystical tradition of Islam, Sufism; what Sufism is, and how it developed; the misconceptions about Sufism, especially in the West; the purpose of a mystical tradition; the popular mystic poet Rumi; a verse in Rumi’s poem The Seed Market: ‘You've been fearful of being absorbed in the ground, or drawn up by the air’ – how it refers to resisting human love, and the love of God, as the poem suggests, but also how it applies to fearfulness today; the spiritual crisis and the quest for meaning; Nasr’s advice on how people can address their spiritual needs; more.