The relationship between Stoicism & Islam ✨

“Of all people only those are at leisure who make time for philosophy, only they truly live. Not satisfied to merely keep good watch over their own days, they annex every age to their own. All the harvest of the past is added to their store. ” — Seneca

Stoicism is a philosophy of personal ethics informed by its system of logic and its views on the natural world. According to its teachings, as social beings, the path to eudaimonia (happiness, or blessedness) is found in accepting the moment as it presents itself, by not allowing oneself to be controlled by the desire for pleasure or fear of pain, by using one's mind to understand the world and to do one's part in nature's plan, and by working together and treating others fairly and justly.

It might be surprising to learn that the virtues of Islam were in many cases discussed centuries earlier in the words of Socrates, Aristotle, Epictetus, Marcus Aurelius, and Seneca. 

Needless to say, anyone familiar with even a fraction of the Stoic philosophy would realize that many of the philosophy’s principles permeate in Islamic teachings and etiquette. Reading Aurelius feels like reading a Muslim scholar’s publication; his thoughts on this material world resonates strikingly with that of Islam. 

As Muslims, our fundamental goal is the purification of our own souls. The Quran speaks many times that a soul is only the result of its own actions. This idea has been propagated since antiquity. Aristotle himself has said “…we are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then is not an act but a habit.” 

Let’s take a look at some of the principles of stoicism & how we can relate them to Islam.

Prohairesis

Prohairesis is a fundamental concept in the Stoic philosophy of Epictetus. It represents the choice involved in giving or withholding assent to impressions. In other words, the facult of choice.

When considering Stocisim, at least as contained in The Enchiridion by Epictetus, a large chunk of the foundation is set on the following principle: some things are in our control and others are not. Not too contentious, right? Those things which are under our control include everything subjected to our power or choice, or in ancient Greek, prohairesis. Everything else, things external to us, are not under our control. Reminds me of the conscious & unconscious mind.

Epictetus makes the argument for virtue. He argues virtue consists of the right use of choice in accordance with nature. 

Let’s think about it this way. Say you are confronted with an irritating situation, like someone cutting you off in traffic. Most of us don’t realize it, but we have a choice about what to think and feel in this situation. The non-philosopher will probably take the conventional route of feeling angry. The Stoic philosopher, who knows that this is merely a dispreferred indifference and not a cause for anger, has a choice. He can choose the conventional option and become angry, or he can choose the Stoic option and not feel irritated at all. Same with a Muslim.

Though Islam teaches that one should act righteously for God and Epictetus teaches that one should act virtuously to avoid discontent, the point is the same: success is determined by how you behave when faced with circumstances outside of your control.

In Islam, virtue (in action, not in spirit) also consists of choice and the power we wield on what is subject to our control. However, must it also be “in accordance with nature”? Islam is more explicit, after all, the Prophet (pbuh) came to perfect our moral traits and bring clarity to our God-given purpose.

Malik reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “I have been sent to perfect good character.”

Instead, Islam advocates for virtue consisting of the right use of choice in accordance to the Divine. Our actions pave our path for eternity and will not leave us. The Quran states, “O you who have faith! Be wary of Allah, and let every soul consider what it sends ahead for tomorrow, and be wary of Allah. Allah is indeed well aware of what you do.” [59:18]. 

What I found extremely fascinating was, when talking about nature, Aurelius said “Nothing happens to any man that he is not formed by nature to bear”. What is striking is that the Quran has a verse that directly echoes this which I believe, most of us know; “Allah does not burden a soul beyond that it can bear (2:286)”. Islam teaches us that we are put through tests and hardships throughout our lives to strengthen our resolve so we may achieve proximity to Our Lord.

The Qur’an further emphasizes that all of our actions and tests given to us are within our own control. Muslims believe that every test given to us by Allah is something that can we can overcome. As such we are not to be worried about anything that comes into our paths. 

From the Islamic perspective, those things which your choice governs are best governed by piety or God-consciousness, rather than nature conscious as mentioned by Epictetus.

ATTACHMENT TO THE WORLD

In the Enchiridion, Epictetus says on attaching ourselves to temporal items in the following excerpt,

“…when you are attached to a thing, not a thing which cannot be taken away but anything like a ewer, or a crystal cup, you should bear in mind what it is, that you may not be disturbed when it is broken. So should it be with persons; if you kiss your child, or brother, or friend, never allow your imagination to range at large, nor allow your exultation to go as far as it will, but pluck it back, keep it in check like those who stand behind generals driving triumph and remind them that they are men. In like manner you must remind yourself that you love a mortal, and that nothing that you love is your very own: it is given to you for a moment, not for ever nor inseparably, but like a fig or a bunch of grapes at the appointed season of the year, and if you long for it in the winter you are a fool. […] And therefore in the very moments that you take pleasure in a thing, set before your mind the opposite impressions. What harm is there in whispering to yourself as you kiss your child, “To-morrow you will die’, and to your friend in like manner, “To-morrow you or I shall go away, and we shall see one another no more?”

That’s a long paragraph, I know. But it is repeated throughout Islamic traditions from the Prophet pbuh, his family, and companions, that attachment to the world is the root of many evils. 

A fundamental idea in Islam is Zuhd. Zuhd is detachment from everything in this physical world. Detachment is necessary to understand that this world is merely a bridge into the next one. All that matters is our purpose. This world is merely a means to an end.

It is customary of Islamic belief to understand and remember the transitory and fleeting characteristics of everything in this world. Reflecting on its temporality allows us to bear the discomfort it may cause and relinquish any unhealthy attachment. 

Being indifferent to the betrayals of this world only helps us to realize our goal and the option of virtue we are able to express in every situation.

Parents are encouraged to remind themselves their child is not “theirs”, but for Allah. Parents are the caretakers and protectors of a human soul by the grace of God. Our siblings are not “ours”, neither are our spouses nor friends.

{But when there comes the Deafening Blast. On the Day a man will flee from his brother. And his mother and his father. And his wife and his children. For every man, that Day, will be a matter adequate for him.} [Quran 80: 33-37]

Terrifying I know, May Allah make it easy.

Reflecting on Death and Mortality

Seneca is widely celebrated for his writings on death in his letters and his oft-repeated phrasing of “study death” or “practice death”.

He praises death in the Consolation to Marcia which addresses a mother grieving over the loss of her teenage son, when he says, “Death is the undoing of all our sorrows, an end beyond which our ills cannot go; it returns us to that peace in which we reposed before we were born. If someone pities the dead, let him also pity those not yet born.” 

The Prophet S.A.W said, ‘Remember the destroyer of pleasures’. When asked what that was, he replied, ‘Death. Whenever one of God’s servants remembers this when he is wealthy, this world is constricted for him. Whenever he remembers it in hardship, it is expanded for him.” 

Also discussed in Lantern of the Path, Imam as-Sadiq states, “Death is the closest thing to accompany the son of Adam, although he deems it to be furthest away. How much man inflicts on himself! What weaker creature is there? In death lies the rescue of the sincere and the destruction of the wrongdoers. That is why some yearn for death while others hate it.”

Reflecting on our deaths brings a fear of the Day of Resurrection and the eternal abode that awaits us. Is there anything else more effective at cultivating good action? To push us to take proper control of our choice and in turn, our virtue? I don’t think so.

In the Quran, Allah says, “Every soul shall taste death, and you will indeed be paid your full rewards on the Day of Resurrection. Whoever is delivered from the Fire and admitted to paradise has certainly succeeded. The life of this world is nothing but the wares of delusion.” [3:185] 

While Seneca mentions a life after death in his letters, he seemed more invested in a reincarnation of the spirit and didn’t have any firm belief beyond this.

CONCLUSION;

In all, there’s plenty Islam and Stoicism don’t see eye-to-eye on, and even more that is debatable, but the fundamental principles found in at least the Roman Stoics are to be celebrated as shared truths.

O Allah, Al Al-Kareem, we know that You are the Most Generous and Most Esteemed in Your being and dealings. Guide us to be generous to others, aid us to develop honouroble and noble manners, adorn us with understanding and practicing of Your book.  Make the end of our lives the best part of our lives, our best deeds our last ones and make the best of days the day in which we meet you. Ameen