ʿIbra
Definition
ʿIbra — taking a lesson, drawing a moral from what one sees — is the specific fruit that beneficial tafakkur is meant to produce. The word shares a root with ʿabara, meaning 'to cross over' — the idea being that the contemplating heart crosses over from the surface of what it observes to the deeper meaning beneath. Al-Ghazali teaches that every phenomenon in the world contains ʿibra for those who will look: the ruins of past civilizations speak of the fragility of worldly power; the death of every living thing speaks of the certainty of one's own death; the dependence of every plant on sun and water speaks of one's own dependence on God. ʿIbra is contemplation that changes how one lives.
As understood in the classical tradition of Imam al-Ghazali and the scholars of his school.
How the scholars use ʿIbra.
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""Either you cross over to us, or we cross over to you." The Muslims said to their commander Abu Ubayd, "Tell them to cross over to us." He said: "They are no bolder in the face of death than we are." Then he plunged across to them, and they came together in a narrow place there and fought a fierce battle, the like of which had never been known, the Muslims being about ten thousand."
— Ibn Kathir, Umar ibn al-Khattab
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"Among them is the safety of meeting Him by meeting Him... and the separation from every unjust companion. If there were no other good in death except that it is the gateway to this life and a bridge to cross over to it, it would suffice as a gift for the believer. May اللّٰه reward death well on our behalf, for it is kinder to us than any kindness and more gentle."
— Ibn al-Qayyim, Volume Three
Appears in
2 books in the library
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