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Friday Meditations

"Indeed, the number of months with God is twelve [lunar] months in the register of God [from] the day He created the heavens and the earth; of these, four are sacred. That is the correct religion, so do not wrong yourselves during them."

Before we dive into the analysis of the vices of despair (al-yaʾs) and despondence (al-qunūṭ) we need to make a note. Today, we often talk about despair, despondence, depression as a clinical reality—a mental-health issue. We should not conflate the physiological/mental analysis of depression with the spiritual vice of despondence or depression. These do not match one-to-one; there may be a complex set of relations and interactions between the two but that is beyond the scope of these reflections.

Encouraging taqwā is the central purpose of the Friday Prayer. Taqwā is typically rendered as “piety” or “God consciousness” in English. It is helpful to think of piety as a spiritual power that helps us navigate the world on our own terms – that is, in line with our decision to harmonize with the Divine.