Visualizing My Amal Experience

“40 rules of love” explains the whirling dervish’s true meaning and it’s a good read. As Sufism has always been close to my heart, I always try to make it a part of everything I do, in any way I can. It makes me believe that the soul is not limited to its literal definition. The soul is the essence of everything. It’s the soul because of which you build connections and I see a soul as a drive which makes you look at something twice. There is always more to what meets the eye but not everyone feels an urge to see it.

Amal has been quite a journey. I never knew I was going to connect with it in such an intense manner. The first two weeks were very challenging because I was occupied with a lot of other things. During these weeks, we were given a task to represent the 5 Amal values, Honesty, Responsibility, Growth, Humility and Acceptance, by creating something of our own choice. At that moment, I felt free and connected. Although being good at art, I never thought of making a wall frame for myself before. Never in my life have I felt that I can mix up something really close to my heart with a work task or assignment. This seemed like an opportunity through which I could express my personality. So I decided to make a whirling dervish. It’s been 3 months now but I can still feel the same looking at it exactly what I felt while creating it.

Another thing which strengthened the connection were the “values”. Amal values aligned with what I believed a person should have. I don’t believe a human is a human without values. We are the superior beings. We are above every creation. So how is it even possible to live a life without a soul? The values are instilled in our souls once we start believing and practicing. I learnt deeply about these values in the first two weeks but I have witnessed them in the whole 3 months. They had a profound effect on me and so I decided to merge the two dear things together.

I made it on 25th July 2020 and it has been with me throughout. It specifically reminds me of the first two weeks of Amal Academy because while making it, I realized that this is the first-ever platform where I am asked to represent something my way. No judgements, no guidelines and no pressure. Just be yourself to explore yourself more. I felt a real connection with Amal Academy because this dervish always reminded me that no matter how challenging a new situation seems, there is always good in it. I enjoyed this task so much that I promised to work hard throughout these 3 months and my whole life. Lastly, my facilitator’s appreciation was the cherry on top. I am and will always be so grateful for the company I had on this journey :’)

There is always something in every phase of life you can never forget. This experience is one of those things I will always keep closest to my heart!