TRAVELLING LIGHT

SERIES I
with Abdal Hakim Murad // Sarajevo

BOOKS 31-34
:: Repentance
:: Patience & Gratitude
:: Fear & Hope
:: Poverty & Abstinence

Music by Nesidu-l-Huda

Released December 2008 - Running Time approx. 70 mins x 4 - English
DVD Region 0 - PAL Widescreen - E = Exempt from classification

:: Repentance (al-Tawba)
What is wrong action? How can we understand our damaged inner state, and repair it? The Imam explains that repentance consists of knowledge of the act, an emotion of sorrow, and a decisive inner and outward action that will erase the wrong action and help the spiritual wayfarer never to return to it.

:: Patience & Gratitude (al-Sabr wa’l-Shukr)
We are made human by our ability to restrain our egos and cravings. We also experience states of overwhelming gratitude to our Creator. Here the Imam explains how to cultivate these two gifts, and to keep them in a positive relationship which promotes spiritual growth.

:: Fear & Hope (al-Khawf wa’l-Raja’)
Almighty God is to be feared; for His justice is absolute. But we also hope for His mercy, for He is ‘the most merciful of all’. We fear our weakness, and hope for God’s forgiveness; the Imam explains how the balanced soul is one in which both these gifts are alive and active.

:: Poverty & Abstinence (al-Faqr wa’l-Zuhd)
Here the Imam celebrates the poverty of the Holy Prophet, and shows how a detached attitude to the things of this world is a precondition for inner calm and a stress-free life.

Full details here

SERIES II
with Yahya Rhodus // Granada

BOOKS 35-38
:: Divine Unity & Reliance On God
:: Love, Longing, Intimacy & Contentment
:: Intention, Truthfulness & Sincerity
:: Vigil & Self-Examination

Music by Alatar

Released September 2009 - Running Time approx. 70 mins x 4 - English
DVD Region 0 - PAL Widescreen - E = Exempt from classification

:: Divine Unity & Reliance On God (al-Tawhid wa’l-Tawakkul)
Human beings find it hard not to be stressed by the unpredictable events of their lives. The wise person, however, who believes in God’s unity and power, seeks to place his trust in the Divine wisdom, a process which the Imam discusses in detail in this lesson. 

:: Love, Longing, Intimacy & Contentment (al-Mahabba wa’l-Shawq wa’l-Uns wa’l-Rida)
God loves His creation, and human beings most especially; and we are called to love Him in return. This religious virtue turns life into a delight, as we recognise the signs of God’s love in creation and in other people, and learn to be satisfied with God’s decree at all times.

:: Intention, Truthfulness & Sincerity (al-Niyya wa’l-Ikhlas wa’l-Sidq) 
No matter how outwardly correct we may seem, without inward purity and sincerity our spiritual practice and our moral life are meaningless. Here we learn the importance of sincerity and right intention, and how to rectify our inward consciousness to ensure that everything we do is uplifted by a clear and good purpose.

:: Vigil & Self-Examination (al-Muraqaba wa’l-Muhasaba) 
A healthy inner life depends on giving God His due, which means constant awareness of His actions and His watchfulness. We need to hold ourselves to account for our actions and our intentions, knowing that He sees the states of our heart.

Full details here

SERIES III
with Sheikh Seraj Hendricks // Cape Town

BOOKS 13-16
:: The Courtesies of Earning A Living
:: The Halal & Haram
:: Friendship, Brotherhood & Companionship
:: The Courtesies of Seclusion

Music by Zain Bhikha, Yusuf Ganief & the Al-Zawiya Cape Town Singers

Released February 2010 - Running Time approx. 75 mins x 4 - English
DVD Region 0 - PAL Widescreen - E = Exempt from classification

:: The Courtesies of Earning A Living (Adab al-Kasb wa’l-Ma‘ash)
Part of obedience to God is earning a living to provide for oneself and for one’s dependents. This book deals with issues of business ethics, contracts, usury (riba), and how to remember God while engaged in one’s duties at work.

:: The Halal & The Haram (The Lawful and Unlawful)
Allah has placed us in a world of moral and spiritual choices. Some things are clearly lawful, and others are self-evidently destructive. But care needs to be taken with many of the more ambiguous issues which confront us in our daily lives.

:: Friendship, Brotherhood & Companionship (al-Ulfa wa’l-Ukhuwwa wa’l-Suhba)
There are spiritual advantages in keeping the right company. Alone we may fall prey to depression, loneliness, or temptation. Human beings benefit from the company of others; and we should deal with them on the basis of sincerity and love.

:: The Courtesies Of Seclusion (Adab al-‘Uzla)
Sometimes life obliges us to be alone; at other times, it is spiritually necessary to be so. The Prophets and Saints would retire periodically from the world to be alone with God. This book reveals the Islamically-valid form of such practices.

Full details here

SERIES IV
with Sidi Muhammad Adeyinka Mendes // Dakar

BOOKS 23-26
:: Breaking the Two Desires
:: The Vices of the Tongue
:: Anger, Hatred & Envy
:: On Worldliness

Released June 2011 - Running Time approx. 75 mins x 4 - English
DVD Region 0 - PAL Widescreen - E = Exempt from classification

:: Breaking the Two Desires (Kasr al-Shahwatayn)
Humans love God by their nature, but they are also weak when confronted by two powerful passions: gluttony and sexual desire. The Imam shows how to control these, and how to deal with one's natural appetites in a wholesome and balanced way.

:: The Vices of the Tongue (Afat al-Lisan)
The tongues is small, but can lead to immense calamities. Here spiritual guidance is offered on how to confront our habits of lying, slander, self-praise, mockery, obscenity, backbiting and bearing false witness.

:: Anger, Hatred & Envy (Dhamm al-Ghadab wa'l-Hiqd wa'l-Hasad)
Discusses rightful and egotistical anger, and the forms of ugly dislike and envy of others and their good fortune, stressing the value of mildness and the forgiveness of others.

:: On Worldliness (Dhamm al-Dunya)
The world is Allah's creation, and as such is a sign of His goodness. But human beings all too easily love it for its own sake, and gorge themselves on pleasures which are of no benefit to their spiritual and moral lives. The result is a heart filled with stress and jealousy, rather than serene gratitude.

Full details here.

SERIES V Pt. 1
with Shaykh Hamza Yusuf // Bursa

BOOK 1
:: On Knowledge

Released December 2011 - Running Time approx. 80 mins - English
DVD Region 0 - PAL Widescreen - E = Exempt from classification

:: On Knowledge (Kitab al-‘Ilm)
How do we know the world, ourselves, and our Creator? Who is a true scholar? What is direct ‘tasting’ of reality? Imam al-Ghazali answers these and other questions, presenting a comprehensive vision of the human being and the nobility of knowledge, study, and teaching.

SERIES V Pt. 2
with Shaykh Hamza Yusuf // Bursa

BOOK 21
:: The Wonders of the Heart

Released December 2011 - Running Time approx. 80 mins - English
DVD Region 0 - PAL Widescreen - E = Exempt from classification

:: The Wonders of the Heart (Sharh ‘Aja’ib al-Qalb)
The essence of human beings, the ‘heart’, is veiled with improper desires and vices, so that its true function, which is to mirror the light of Heaven, is damaged. The Imam explains clearly the nature of our inward dimension, and the methods to be followed in restoring peace of mind and true wisdom to the heart.

THE MAWLID OF IMAM AL-BARZANJI
with the Al-Zawiya Singers // Cape Town

Released January 2011 - Running Time approx. 70 mins - Arabic with English subtitles - DVD Region 0 - PAL Widescreen - E = Exempt from classification