“But those who believe and work righteousness, and humble themselves before their Lord, will dwell in the garden as companions” (Quran 11:23).
With reference to the above quotation, explain how ONE significant person and ONE significant practice of Islam assist adherents in achieving the distinctive Islamic requirement of submission “Islam” derives from the Arabic verb taslama, which means to surrender.
This is a cool fact! As such, the
underlying paradigm of Islam is that adherents consistently strive to live in submission to the will of Allah by living a righteous and humble life that pleases Him. By doing so, Muslims attain inner-peace and have the ability to develop a deep relationship with God that will be perpetuated in the garden of the afterlife. The significant practice of Hajj and influential figure Rabi’a al-Adawiyya continue to assist adherents in achieving this Islamic requirement through the distinctive aspects of asceticism, devotion and trusting in God. Acting as an avenue and model for adherents to aspire to, adherents can become aware of their companionship with Allah and their duty to live life the way he chose them to live. Thus, Hajj and Rabi’a have essentially guided Muslims to achieve the most perfect submission.
This is really cool. I mean, this introduction ticks so many boxes, which is great! No major qualms here.An integral component of submission demonstrated through Hajj and by Rabi’a is asceticism, whereby humility enables believers to completely focus on Allah’s will. Hajj, Islam’s fifth pillar of faith, is an obligatory pilgrimage to Mecca (Saudi Arabia) which aims to strengthen one’s companionship with God. To ensure that a person is ready for the journey’s spiritual rigours, Ihram
(it is great that you are using the Arabic terms!!!!!) is a state of physical and mental purity achieved by abstaining from certain actions. This is set out in the Quran as “whoever intends to perform Hajj... should not have sexual relations, nor commit sin nor dispute unjustly” (Sura 2:197). Adherents dress in simple white cloths to further emphasise their detachment from physical desires, echoing the pillar of Sawm. As there is no distinction between individuals, Hajj assists adherents to attain submission by reaffirming the umma’s unifying stance before Allah.
As such pilgrims achieve submission by behaving in a righteous, humble manner and pleasing Allah. Similarly, Rabi’a dismissed her worldly responsibilities and material comforts in order to pursue her love of God. Rabi’a al-Adawiyya was a key figure in the development of the Sufi expression of Islam which highlights the importance of building a present spiritual relationship with God. As such, Sufis live an ascetic life, rejecting all nafs (personal urges) and practicing self-effacement to focus on God’s intimate love. Rabi’a worked towards this state of humility through her meagre living circumstances, only owning an old reed-mat, broken pitcher and a brick to use as a pillow. As Rabi’a reiterates “May God steal from you everything that steals you from him”,
(can you find a location for this? Is there a source that you are referring to?) physical desires act as an obstacle to fully understanding and surrendering to God. Therefore, the concept of asceticism is explored through the righteous state of Ihram during Hajj and Rabia's humble lifestyle. By encouraging adherents to focus on Allah’s will by removing all distractions, this significant practice and influential figure assist Muslims to achieve submission and thus, maintain a companionship with God in the garden of the afterlife.
(For all SOR essays, I try to reference the Qur'an and Sunnah every single paragraph. You don't have to link the person or practice to this explicitly. Instead, you could say that Rabi'a lives out the Prophet's directions to ******(quote from Qur'an)*****. Does this make sense? You always want to be mentioning the Qur'an because it is the core Sacred Text! Otherwise, this paragraph can't be faulted in my eyes. It is so unique how you are directing your paragraphs according to aspects of submission. Very cool!)Devotion is important for Muslims as it demonstrates their desire to submit to Allah.
(Another thing on top of what I just said - mention the core beliefs CONSISTENTLY. I would be mentioning Tawhid in your first sentence here). The significant practice of Hajj requires great dedication, due to the hardships and spiritual rebirth it entails. The faard ritual of Tawaf reaffirms one’s loyalty to Allah by expressing the Shahada and the core belief of Tawhid.
(Ah, there is it! 
)When pilgrims arrive in Mecca, they circumambulate the Kaba seven times, repeating “Here I am O God…Verily all praise, grace and sovereignty belong to you alone.” This chant embodies the meaning behind Hajj and Islam itself - the requirement of submission and the declaration of the oneness of God. Additionally, circulating the Kaba enables Allah to be at the centre of an individual’s life, expressing their humility and further assisting adherents to achieve submission by becoming conscious of God’s presence. Likewise, Rabi’a was so committed to God that “no place [remained]” in her heart for anything else. Tradition recounts that Rabi’a rarely slept, instead spending hours in prayer and once, had light emanating from above her head. The forerunner of Sufism inspired others to be so devoted through her teaching of Mahabbah. This divine love occurs when adherents focus their entire life on God’s love with the intention of developing uns, a direct personal experience with Him. As highlighted through these doctrines and her poetic literature, Rabi’a desired to “approach her Lord and be consumed in his glory” (Attar, biographer). She presents to adherents a unique perspective on one’s relationship with Allah, inspiring them to submit for his sake alone, through humility and righteousness. Rabi’a articulates this in “If I adore you for yourself alone, do not deny me your eternal beauty. ” She saw her purpose of existence as loving Allah, but not out of “fear of hell” or “desire for paradise.” This is clear in “Your devotion is your strength, your life is the only opportunity that life can give you” (Dream Fable). Rabi’a explains how a righteous, humble life is the vehicle to which ‘true life’ and union with Allah in the “garden” may be experienced for it is what he has willed, reflecting upon Akhira. As such, Hajj and Rabi’a assist adherents in achieving the distinctive Islamic requirement of submission by modelling for Muslims how devotion fulfils Allah’s will and aids in the development of an eternal companionship with Him.
(Again, another beautiful paragraph. What is missing is the essay's quote (Use it directly wherever possible!), the Qur'an, and there was a small mention of the core beliefs so that's good. These are the things that ground your essay in the guidelines, whilst you go on and impress the judges with your knowledge. Because you have such a strong grasp of the Arabic terms, I suggest that you put the English translation for the lesser-known terms in brackets. This isn't because the marker won't know them (although they may not) but it shows that you have a thorough understanding of what this means, rather than just memorising a word and knowing it associates with a certain idea you are expressing).Trusting in God enables adherents to strengthen their relationship with Allah, as seen through Hajj and Rabia's life. The ritual of Standing at Arafat during Hajj is a time where pilgrims reflect upon their own lives and ask for forgiveness as it is believed all prayers will be answered. By doing so, they place all their trust in God’s mercy in order to gain the strength needed to submit to Allah’s will in the future. This is an essential component of the pilgrimage for “whoever performs Hajj…will come out as sinless as a newly-born child” (Hadith). The Sai walk during Hajj also reaffirms a pilgrim's trust in Allah as they follow the footsteps of Abraham’s wife, Hagar. As she frantically ran between the hills of Safa and Marwa to find water for her famished son, she continually trusted in God. The angel Gabriel was then said to have struck the ground and caused water to flow. As such, the ZamZam water continues to serve as a reminder of Hagar’s trust in Allah and his reciprocation of care and kindness. Similarly, Rabi’a is credited with living a life of simple and intimate faith in God. She is highly regarded for her willingness to abandon all means of support other than Allah. According to one tradition, her donkey carrying her possessions to Mecca died, yet she refused help from other travellers saying “I must not depend upon you for help… I trust myself to Allah.” After praying to God, the donkey stirred and she continued her pilgrimage. Rabi’a also decided to remain a celibate, rejecting multiple marriage proposes to instead rely on God alone. Thus, Hajj and Rabi’a emphasis how Muslims should trust in God and his plan for them in life in order to to achieve the unique Islamic requirement of submission.
The significant practice of Hajj and influential figure of Rabi’a al-Adawiyya both demonstrate the need for adherents to “believe and work righteousness, and humble themselves before their Lord” (Quran 11:23). By doing so, believers develop a meaningful companionship with Allah that is ultimately sustained in the “garden” of the afterlife. Therefore, Hajj and Rabi’a enable adherents to be aware of how their lives should reflect Allah’s will through the distinctive elements of asceticism, devotion and trusting in God, in order to assist Muslims to achieve the Islamic requirement of submission.
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