Love and Life’s Meaning in Islam: Common Values, Shared Visions

In this presentation, Dr. Safi Kaskas treats us to mystical visions of Divine Love and the meaning of our existence arising from the Islamic faith. At the origin of that faith is the Qur’an, revealed over a period of 23 years to Prophet Muhammad. The question is not whether Allah is love or whether He loves us.  As with all major religions, Islam teaches that Allah is love and considers loving Him and loving others to be the corner stone of all his messages to humanity, including the Qur’an. Given that Allah does not need His creation, the universal questions arise: Why are we here in the first place? Is our existence on this planet accidental, a curious quirk of evolution having no special value compared to the rest of creation? Or are we the beneficiaries of a cosmic order that is structured in love to help us flourish? If so, how should we treat our neighbors and what can we say about how humanity should grow? Intriguing visions flow from these intriguing questions.

Dr. Safi Kaskas is a dynamic serial entrepreneur who is a cofounder of East West University, Chicago, IL; Strategic Edge Management Consultants; and American Strategic Healthcare Management Company (ASHM). Mr. Kaskas has studied Abrahamic religions and lectured throughout the US and the Middle East on subjects related to Islam, and issues surrounding reconciliation between Evangelicals and American Muslims. He is a Senior Researcher in Islam and Multifaith Reconciliation at George Mason University’s Center for World Religions, Diplomacy, and Conflict Resolution. His seminal works include a translation of the Qur’an into simple, easy-to-understand English in January 2015, The Qur’an with references to the Bible in January 2016, and Prophet Muhammad’s sayings on “The Kindest of Manners” to be published this year. For more information, see www.kaskas.com.