Audiobook: Children Around the Prophet (Dr. Hesham al-Awadi, 2005)

[madali]

Children Around the Prophet (Dr. Hesham al-Awadi, 2005)

This 8 CD lectures is not what I expected. It is called “Children around the Prophet” so I assumed it would be stuff about Prophet’s children and all that. Well, it is SORT of like that, but mainly using the children around the Prophet to use as a way to lecture parents on raising their kids using Prophet Mohammad’s ways as an example.

Useful for young religious parents, but less useful for a single, cynical person like me. The lecturer, Dr Hesham Al-Awadi, in his introduction mentions that he wants to give a new perspective on the life of Prophet Mohammad. Usually, he claims, the emphasis is on the major battles in his life, but he wants to talk about the little things that occurred between those bigger, more famous events. I suppose, for that purpose, Al-Awadi’s lectures are somewhat interesting for giving a different perspective on some of the events.

Problem is that Al-Awadi is an irritating lecturer, and I feel almost bad saying that, because he’s enthusiastic and passionate, and well, those are the reasons I find him annoying. He repeats phrases many, many times, such as asking us, “Have you ever imagined…” or “Have you ever thought about…” as a way to make us think of an established Islamic hadith in a different way, but the way he says it gets on my nerves.

Anyway, aside from the Introduction and Conclusion, the other six CDs are based on developing the blocks of a child, these being, Emotional, Belief, Worship, Morals, Sexual Desires, and Social, and there IS obviously something to learn from it. I just need a child to see if it works. I wonder where I can find one?

3/5

[ak]

Like Judaism and Christianity (particularly Catholicism), Islam is a way of life, and that is my problem with it. I find it illogical that one would want to emulate social behaviors (in a contemporary society) based on traditions of a 1000 years old. It is simply not rational.

[madali]

My aim is to see what main lessons were applied in those days, to battle the deficiencies that existed then, and in turn, see if such a tactic could be applied in today's times.

I'm not interested in having a contemporary morale system, and then try to use religious books as a support for a system I have already established within myself (based on today's values). 

[ak]

The hungry mind is the highest kind of morality. I read religion as much as I can, but also understand that it too is derived from Philosophy which is older and purer.

I made a note in my personal journal about Hebraism (and its derivatives: Islam and Christanity) and Hellenism; the former is 'Law' and the latter 'Reason.' I want to share this note with you:

On the former, Hebraism -- The Hebrew extols the moral virtues as the substance and meaning of life.

On the latter, Hellenism -- The Greek subordinates them to intellectual virtues.

We must have a *detached* intellect, and I see that is what you aspire to do.

[madali]

I don't think that religious is older and purer. I think religion and philosophy overlap so much that it it is not really that different. Early Greek philosophy have very strong religious dogmatic foundations.

[ak]

If you can call paganism a religion...