"Islam from Adam to Muhammad and Beyond" examines the main teachings and practices of Islam with lucidity and depth. It can serve equally well to introduce non-Muslims to Islam, as well as to enhance Muslims' understanding of their own faith. Through their balanced and yet profound perspective, the Rafeas elucidate the idea of Islam as the Primordial Religion (Din al-Fitrah), the Religion that all Prophets conveyed and that was revealed to Abraham.
This book presents Islam as a spiritual training system that supports us in harmonizing ourselves with the Divine Order and thus with each other and our environment. It reveals the intent and inner significance of practices like ablution, ritual prayer, fasting, and pilgrimage.
The Revelation to the Prophet Muhammad was and remains a continuation, confirmation, and clarification of the One Message that the Divine has sent to humanity since Father Adam. The core of that Message is the essence of spirituality freed from superstition, dogmas, authoritarianism, and fanaticism. From its beginnings, Islam has affirmed freedom of belief, respect for other religions, and the unity of humanity.
Ali, Aliaa, and Aisha are the children of Master Rafea M. Rafea (1903-1970); a Muslim spiritual guide whose earthly life was a living expression of love to all humanity. Despite his physical absence, his spiritual presence is deeply felt, continuously inspiring them while they carry on his mission. This mission stems from the conviction that people need to correct their views about themselves, thus realizing their humanity. Fulfilling the meaning of being human is a never-ending process. Yet when Man takes the path towards that ultimate goal, he fulfills God's purpose of his creation. Rafea believed that man has always sought that goal and was supported in realizing it by Revelations and all forms of wisdom. As such, he was open to all spiritual knowledge; old and new, from the East and the West.
Ali Rafea is the spiritual guide of the Egyptian Society for Spiritual and Cultural Research (ESSCR). He does not see himself as a teacher or a shaykh but a seeker of truth and the symbol of the study circle. This attitude in itself is a breakthrough in spiritual teaching. It marks a new approach to the guide-disciple relationship, for it implies a request from the disciples not to be dependent on outside guidance alone. Rather, a disciple has to struggle in order to derive and understand truthful knowledge from within and through his own experiences. Ali Rafea's sincerity and straightforwardness, his devotion and simplicity are striking. His enlightened soul shines within clean hearts in the circle's members. His words echo in their hearts, springing from within their souls. He guides their steps all along the way. Ali Rafea is also a prominent scholar in Computer Science. He obtained his Ph.D. in France and is now a professor at Cairo University.
Aliaa is an anthropologist and a professor at an Egyptian university. She obtained her Ph.D. from Ain Shams University and her M.A. from the American University in Cairo. She has participated in a number of international conferences and is the author of several academic publications in which she used her knowledge of anthropology to address spiritual issues and their impact on man. For the spring semester of 2002, Aliaa was a visiting Professor at Randolph and Macon Women's college in Lynchburg where she lectured mainly on Islam and where she also gave a public lecture and a number of public addresses all touching on various aspects of Islam. Under the spiritual umbrella of Ali Rafea, Aliaa gathers regularly with a group of women who are interested in spiritual knowledge and leads their discussions on spiritual experiences and the path to spiritual growth.
Aisha is a writer and journalist. She has written several books and numerous articles in the field of spiritual culture. Shecurrently contributes articles to the prominent weekly Egyptian magazine October under the title of "Moments of Realization." In all her writings, she focuses on the spirituality of Islamic teaching and its role in freeing humans from the enslavement of matter. Without spirituality, she believes, people turn Holy Scripture into literal, lifeless, and dogmatic commandments. They then become stagnant, arrogant, and inclined to dominate others, which is contradictory to the true spirit of religion.
Aisha and Aliaa translated into English "Memoirs of Khabarides: The Future of Spiritualism" (Rafea Mohamed Rafea, Vantage Press, New York, USA, 1990) a piece of fiction that their father Master Rafea wrote in the 1960s in Arabic. It foretells that the 21st century will witness the revival of spiritual awareness, eliminating religious conflicts based on prejudices and misunderstandings.
