16: Travel: Purpose, Reflection, Gratitude – Renewal by the Book: Quran Tafsir Based on Imam Ghazali’s Ihya – Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

In this lesson, Shaykh Faraz Rabbani, gives an overview of select verses from the Quran that correspond with the chapter on travel from Imam Al-Ghazali’s Ihya. This chapter focuses on the purpose of travel, reflection in travel, and gratitude from it. The lesson will overview the verses 12-14 from Chapter 43 of the Quran on the duaas one should recite when travelling.

وَالَّذِي خَلَقَ الْأَزْوَاجَ كُلَّهَا وَجَعَلَ لَكُم مِّنَ الْفُلْكِ وَالْأَنْعَامِ مَا تَرْكَبُونَ
لِتَسْتَوُوا عَلَىٰ ظُهُورِهِ ثُمَّ تَذْكُرُوا نِعْمَةَ رَبِّكُمْ إِذَا اسْتَوَيْتُمْ عَلَيْهِ وَتَقُولُوا سُبْحَانَ الَّذِي سَخَّرَ لَنَا هَٰذَا وَمَا كُنَّا لَهُ مُقْرِنِينَ
وَإِنَّا إِلَىٰ رَبِّنَا لَمُنقَلِبُونَ
And who created the species, all of them, and has made for you of ships and animals those which you mount.
That you may settle yourselves upon their backs and then remember the favor of your Lord when you have settled upon them and say. “Exalted is He who has subjected this to us, and we could not have [otherwise] subdued it.
And indeed we, to our Lord, will [surely] return.” [Quran, 43:12-14]
Saying this prayer, even if one may not understand the arabic phrasing, is of benefit to you. Because, everything in the sunnah we are encouraged to do is of benefit to us both worldly and spiritual. The first verse, reminds us of the vehicles that Allah has facilitated for us to put to use. The purpose of the blessing is not to enjoy it but to be grateful for the Bestower.

Scholars remind us that there are spiritual benefits to travelling. Planning for travel should not simply be the logistics of travel but the intentions behind travelling. We are reminded of this in the hadith of the Prophet on intentions “migration to Allah and His Prophet”. However, some of the companions had migrated for various reasons and intentions other than that. And the Prophet, peace be upon him, said that their migration was “for whatever they migrated for”.

What intentions should one have when travelling?
[1] Neediness upon Allah
[2] Reliance upon Allah
[3] Worship
[4] Upholding good character
[5] Have good company when travelling
[6] Doing good while travelling
[7] Calling to Allah
[8] Remembrance and devotion

Shaykh Faraz concludes by reminding us that we should seek to appreciate the blessings of the modes of transportation that we have been provided. We also should appreciate the opportunities for the acts of remembrance that we’ve been provided with at various instances during the day, including during travel. Lastly, Shaykh Faraz ends with council from Imam ibn al-Banna on purposeful travel.

In this series Shaykh Faraz, and the other scholars and teachers will be looking at points of reflection from key verses in the Quran. The series will follow the thematic order of Imam Ghazali’s Ihya Ulum al-Din (Renewing the Religious Sciences). The aim is to connect the key verses of guidance from the Book of Allah with the blueprint of renewal, the Ihya, so that we experience a renewal by The Book.

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