Islam

Hope in the Muslim tradition is grounded in the first pillar of Islam, the creed: "There is one God, Allah, and Muhammad is his prophet." The worst sin is that of shirk or forgetfulness, forgetting that one is a creature of God. Humans' place in the world is illustrated in the following Surah from the Koran: "That then is God our Lord; there is no god but He, the Creator of everything. So serve Him, for he is Guardian over everything. The eyes attain Him not, but He attains the eyes; He is the All-subtle, the All-aware" (cited in Hopfe, 2005, p. 363).

Hope is found in the knowledge that one is a creature of God and therefore cared for by God. The five pillars remind Muslims of their place in the world, their place in relation to God. Two of these, fasting during Ramadan and pilgrimage or hajj, illustrate Muslim hopefulness. Muslims fast as a spiritual discipline, to remind themselves of their relationship with God. One translation of "Islam" is "submission," and of "Muslims" as "those who submit to God." The fast is kept in remembrance of the month when Muhammad first received his revelation. The hajj, or pilgrimage, made at least once during one's lifetime, unites all believers in a common quest to deepen their spiritual lives. Elements of the hajj, such as donning simple clothing, walking for long periods, and kissing the Ka'ba, or black sacred stone, highlight the creatureliness of pilgrims and their dependence upon God.

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In the mystical tradition of Sufi Islam, the teacher works with story, poetry, spiritual practice, or music to get beyond blocks created by the conscious mind that cause failure to recognize one's greater place in the universe. The psychology of Sufism centers on the subconscious self and its potentially more conscious relationship with divine unity. The goal is to reach a stage where feeling, thought and movement are united. Aperson's movement becomes more spiritual as it shows less domination by ego (i.e., what others may think) and more integration with all levels of self- including body and emotions. Douglas-Klotz (2003) states:

it is impossible to properly regard Sufi practices involving movement, walking meditation, and dance. To simply imitate certain whirling and circular movements in sacred dance performances without pursuing corresponding training in awareness and heart awakening does nothing but introduce novelty and nervous energy into the psyche. Ritual dance and movement in Sufism do not begin with large expressions but with the smallest nuances of body awareness, (p. 160)

Initially, awareness of breathing can serve as a link between a feeling of limitation and a feeling of freedom. Hope is offered in this context through the possibility of attaining a closer relationship with God.