Awaken to Presence
Transform your life
workshop series
Contemplating the Quran in Ramadan-2
Bismillah
Dr. M. Omar
July 2012, Orlando
www.nurspirituality.org
Inspired by the First Word, authored by B. Said Nursi.
See: Nursi, Words.
Let’s start with bismillah to understand
bismillah…
Internalizing bismillah opens the door to
infinite blessings
1433/2012
www.nurspirituality.org
DAY 9: Those who fast begin to “read” the
creation as a “book”
The first verse “Recite” (Alaq, 1) is revealed
to the one who fast…
The scattered is united; forgotten tastes
awaken on the tongue of the one who fast…
She begins to “read” in excitement.
Her “bismillah” (in the name of God) is no
longer merely words, but penetrates her
heart.
In this world where she owns nothing, she
sees that she is living with the permission of
the One.
She notices that she has been welcomed to
existence only and only by the grace of God.
What her lips utter, her heart joins wholly:
“Bismillahirrahmanirrahim."
Aiming for the Prophetic
Path of Transformation
Muhammad (p):
“The utmost beauty (Ihsan) is to
worship God as though you see Him,
and if you cannot see Him,
to be aware that He sees you”
…to become certain of God’s Unity
through confirming belief (iman = certainty)
by personal witnessing/experience
This is the secret of direct inner transformation
All beings
exist
in the name of God
(bismillah)
Reality of Things?
What is it?
What is the meaning?
Why is it created?
Powerless
Needy
in need for power
in need for broadcasting
Why?
Actions
Supplying of power
Specific broadcasting
Qualities of Source
Power Supply
Broadcasting
The TV show is functioning
in the name of its Source
The TV show is a
mirror to its Source’s
qualities
The TV show is a
servant of its Source,
valuable because of its Source
Reality of Things
Needy
Power-less
in need to be created
in need to be sustained
Why?
Actions
Fashioning
Sustaining
Qualities of Source
Fashioner
Sustainer
The bird is functioning in
the name of
its Source
The bird is a
mirror to its Source’s
qualities
The bird is a
servant of its Source,
valuable because of its Source
How about us?
We need to be
aware of bismillah
Say it to bring it to our awareness
Bismillah is full of infinite blessings
My Reality
Power-less
Human
in need to be created
Needy
in need to be sustained
Why?
Actions
Fashioning
Sustaining
Qualities of Source
Fashioner
Sustainer
 I am functioning in
the name of my
Source
 I am a
mirror to my Source’s qualities
eg. Compassionate
(Raheem) 
 I am a
servant of my Source, valuable
because of my Source
In reality
I am
always connected to the Source…
When I try to live in His Name,
everything in life starts making sense
In my illusion (kufr = covering up
reality)
imagine that I am the source of my life
I fear losing it
I worry all the time
I assume that everything functions by itself
• Everything becomes a potential danger
• I
•
•
•
The messengers of God brought the
message of love and mercy
Our state of hell is the result of our
imagination and living according to it
The message = bushra = glad-tidings is:
Come to reality
Come to felicity
Come to peace & joy
The summary of the message:
“Live in the awareness of bismillah”
In the name of the Loving Grace, witness and
become a mirror to Him…
In the name of the Provider, witness and
become a mirror to Him…
Following the messengers mean to live a life in the
name of God…
By witnessing and becoming a mirror to
God’s Divine Attributes
The simple prophetic solution:
Surrender to the Truth
Moment by moment…
Humility
I
Choose
• Surrendering:
Accepting reality and
living accordingly
(Loving Grace)
Arrogance
• Choosing the illusion:
Who said my life is
contingent to a
Source?
Ongoing process…
Why is this critical?
No paradigm shift, no inner peace…
Not noticing that everything comes to existence
by the Source,
means
I interact with it
as if
it is by itself…
Iman in tongue and identity,
but no iman
in my daily life… 
Disconnect everything from its Source… assume it is acting in its name
Paradigm shift…
see, feel, think, talk, act
in the name of God…iman
Noticing the Divine Attributes of the Source
in everything,
means
I live/worship
“as though I see God”
Iman in tongue,
in heart (love),
in thoughts
and action
Inner peace… salam…
This way, each time we “say”
bismillah
we reaffirm
confirm
reinforce our belief in all of the
above!