Hamza Yusuf - The Power of Powerlessness

Hamza YusufJune 14, 20190 comments

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Ramadan Seerah Aqeedah Spirituality & Purification of the Soul Quran Tafsir Patience & Tawakkul Laylatul Qadr

About this lecture

In this Ramadan lecture, Sheikh Hamza Yusuf explores the concept of powerlessness as a forgotten spiritual sunnah, arguing that true freedom comes from recognizing that all power belongs to Allah alone and embracing the state of 'abd (servant). Drawing on classical tafsir of Surah Al-Qadr, the philosophy of humility (tawadu'), and the tradition of kenosis and takhliya, he offers practical guidance on defeating the ego, building a relationship with the Quran, and navigating the trials of the Muslim world with wisdom and trust in Allah.

Shaykh Hamza Yusuf is one of the most influential Islamic scholars in the Western world. Born Mark Hanson in Washington State in 1958, he embraced Islam in 1977 and spent over a decade studying the traditional Islamic sciences in the UAE, Algeria, Morocco, and Mauritania, most notably under the Mauritanian sage Murabit al-Hajj. He is the co-founder and president of Zaytuna College in Berkeley, California — the first accredited Muslim liberal arts college in the United States — and has translated numerous classical texts, including "The Creed of Imam al-Tahawi" and "Purification of the Heart." His lectures on spirituality, classical scholarship, and the crisis of modernity have shaped a generation of Western Muslims.

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