The strongest practical training in the art of building relationships and protecting them from collapse
Surah Al-Imran "Practical Course" transforms you from a closed person to an open one
How to be open and able to open relationships with others without melting? (Quranic Prescription)
The most important condition for being open to others following the prophet's steps
Surah Al-Imran teaches us 4 types of openness and dialogue
Khaberni - Dr. Amr Khaled, the Islamic preacher, revealed a series of lessons and meanings derived from Surah Al-Imran, which constitutes practical training for forming a balanced open personality, without abandoning religion, values, and principles.
In the seventh episode of his Ramadan program "Guide - Journey with the Quran," Khaled extracted a set of prominent messages and values contained in Surah Al-Imran, most notably: openness to others while retaining your identity.
He explained that the reason for its revelation was the arrival of a delegation from Nazarene Christians (including 80 people) to the Prophet Muhammad in Medina to discuss with him after they refused his invitation to embrace Islam, which was the first interfaith dialogue conference in human history at the Prophet's Mosque, which was their residence during their stay in Medina.
Openness Guidelines
Khaled clarified that openness to others begins by creating a shared space, hence the name Surah Al-Imran, so that you know that the most important thing for openness is: building a shared zone, pointing out that the pivotal verse in building the shared zone is: "Say, O People of the Scripture, come to common terms between us and you: that we shall worship none but Allah; and we shall not associate any partners with Him..."
He said that the phrase "come to common terms" represents the shared zone, which is: "we shall worship none but Allah," and this is not a condition for dialogue, but it is the basis for entering into a dialogue, so it is not right to enter into a dialogue while imposing conditions, but you should enter with a consistent intellectual approach you adhere to during the dialogue.
Yet, Khaled confirmed that Surah Al-Imran, while it urges openness, wants you to be firm in your values so that you do not dissolve in the other; because dialogue does not mean giving up your fundamental values and principles, or melting into the other.
He cited from Surah Al-Imran what confirms this meaning: "And whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will never be accepted of him, and in the Hereafter, he will be one of the losers" (Verse 85), "Is there any other religion than Allah's, while to Him submit all those who are in the heavens and the earth, willingly or unwillingly, and to Him they will be returned" (Verse 83), "O People of the Scripture, why do you confound the truth with falsehood and conceal the truth while you know?" (Verse 71).
Diversity of emotion in dialogue
Khaled emphasized the need for emotional diversity in dialogue with the other (building the shared zone), through combining emotion and logical evidence, which is what Surah Al-Imran calls for; as the Christians say: Jesus is the son of God, because he was created without a father, so the verse was revealed: "Verily, the likeness of Jesus before Allah is as the likeness of Adam; He created him from dust, then said to him: Be! and he was."
When the Christians of Najran said: Abraham was Christian, and the Jews argued that he was Jewish, the response came logically to them: "O People of the Scripture, why do you argue about Abraham, while the Torah and the Gospel were not revealed until after him. Do you not then understand? (65) Here you are - those who have argued about that which you have knowledge - why then do you argue about that of which you have no knowledge? And Allah knows and you know not (66) Abraham was neither a Jew nor a Christian, but he was one inclining toward truth, a Muslim (submitting to Allah). And he was not of the polytheists (67)"; meaning he was one of the pioneers of the concept of Islam.
Khaled explained that the second half of Surah Al-Imran does not talk about interfaith dialogue, but shifted to the discussion on the Battle of Uhud, and what happened afterwards with the Muslims' setback and their pain after 70 companions were martyred, considering it a call for the art of internal dialogue with our people and inside our home: Do not conceal pain and suffering, learn how to vent the negative personality.
Releasing painful emotions
He explained that Surah Al-Imran teaches you the art of internal dialogue, and how we talk to each other, in a very practical way, involving specific steps, as follows:
The first step: Releasing painful emotions: "When you ascend and do not look at anyone while the Messenger calls you in your rear; then He gave you one distress after another..." and this initiates the outpouring, describing the problem and how the archers' failure to hear the words of the Prophet Muhammad during the battle led to what they ended up with.
The second step: Asking useful questions that stimulate the mind to find solutions, not negative questions, from emotion to mind: "Did you not suffer a calamity when you had inflicted twice [the like of it] upon [your enemy]? Say, 'It is from yourselves...'; this is the result of the mistake you fell into, which led to what happened to you.
The third step: Healing up the wound (consoling and compassion) "And do not weaken and do not grieve, and you will be superior if you are true believers* If a wound should touch you - there has already touched the [opposing] people a wound similar to it. And these days [of varying conditions] We alternate among the people so that Allah may make evident those who believe and [may] take to Himself from among you martyrs - and Allah does not like the wrongdoers.";
The fourth step: Opening the door for reconciliation and forgiveness "Indeed, those who turned back among you on the day the two hosts met - it was Satan who caused them to slip because of some [blame] they had earned. But Allah has already forgiven them. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Forbearing.".
Dialogue with Allah
Then Khaled moved to another type of dialogue included in Surah Al-Imran: dialogue with Allah (supplication), "When the wife of Imran said: 'My Lord, indeed I have pledged to You what is in my womb, consecrated [for Your service], so accept this from me. Indeed, You are the Hearing, the Knowing'.
He concluded with four types of openness and dialogue in Surah Al-Imran: dialogue with those who are different from you, internal dialogue, dialogue with Allah, dialogue with the universe through remembrance and reflection.
He mentioned that the last verse of the surah calls you not to let openness cause you to lose your steadiness on your values and not to dissolve: "O you who have believed, persevere and endure and remain stationed and fear Allah that you may be successful.".
Watch the episode:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=syV0OOS7uBU
