Open Discussions/ Gulf Cultural Club
The human aspiration for divinity
* Fr Frank Gelli
(former curate of Kensington, interfaith activist)
**Jenan Al-Araibi
(human resource specialist, social activist)
*** Sheikh Ayoub
The religious doctrines aim at enhancing the human life by providing exemplary divine path to achieve perfection. Jesus Christ endured enormous hardship pursuing this goal. So did most prophets of God, including Mohammed. Christ was persecuted to the extent that he was placed on the Cross. But despite suffering physical harm his commands have lived over the ages and are as relevant now as they were then. The divine message aims at raising the human towards divinity to achieve perfection. Aspiration to achieve this is a noble act by people whose hearts open up to God Almighty.
Monday 22nd December 2025
Fr Frank Gelli: In the human aspiration for divinity religion can transform culture. Religion can convert, or transform cultural institutions in a positive way. Theologically, it affirms the key category of divine creation. To put it at its simplest, it assumes that nature, the world, creation must be good because God created it.
The Book of Genesis in the Bible says that ‘God saw every thing that he had made and, behold, it was very good.’ Martin Luther thought of cultural institutions as having largely a negative function in out temporal and corrupt world. The state, as I mentioned, is largely for repressing sin, not for promoting human flourishing.
But the transformer of culture believes that the world is intrinsically good. It has ‘fallen’, it has somewhat gone wrong – and here there is an awful amount of theological thinking, which I bypass, as I have no time to go into it – but that it can be put right. The Gospel of St John contains passages which support this view scripturally. It calls Christ ‘the light of the World’. It says that this light, Christ, came into the world, was sent into the world by God, and yet: ‘The world knew him not.’ St John says: ‘He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know him’. His own people, the Jews, did not accept their Messiah. ‘He came to His own, and His own did not receive him. But as many as received Him, to them he gave the power to become children of God’.
So, you see, the world is good, and Christ is sent from God into it, as Messiah – Issa al Masih – but the world, his people, refused to recognise him. That is why the Prince of this World, St John says, is the Devil. Yet St John insists that the world is worth saving, so to speak. There is a tension here between universalistic passages, which look forward to a complete transformation of human life and work in the light of religious revelation, and passages that stress the world’s opposition to God. Yet, you can argue St John sees Christ as the converter and transformer of human culture.
A famous supporter of the transforming of culture is St Augustine. The great thinker, theologian and philosopher of the Roman world. St Augustine engaged in a vigorous intellectual debate with the main cultural trends of his time, the thought of Cicero, Plato and neo-Platonism, Manichaeism. He learnt from all but also criticised them to show that they were imperfect and truncated understandings of the Truth.
Other cases of engagement with society from the point of view of faith, in order to transform it, could be cited. In Britain especially the Labour movement has often contained a strand which drew inspiration from Christian elements. They were called Christian socialists. I am not personally one of them. I only mention them as an example. They were driven by a desire to further social justice and equality. To help the poor. The Labour politician George Lansbury and the theologian F.D, Maurice were representatives of this view. Lord Donald Soper, whom I knew personally, was one.
A famous Methodist preacher, he was made a Peer by Harold Wilson, the Labour PM in the 70’s. He would speak at Speaker’s Corner and Tower Hill every week. Cambridge University man, his constant refrain was that Christ was a Socialist and that you can’t be a Christian if you are a Conservative. Again, I certainly disagree with that but the intention was commendable. Lord Soper was a man of the old school. People like him will never again come this way, alas.
My schema above should not be interpreted in a rigid way. There may be counter-cultural, pro-cultural, paradoxical and transforming aspects combined in a particular historical situation, even in particular thinkers. I personally consider myself a counter-cultural activist, a cultural critic – a cultural jihadist! – but I also recognise some positive, paradoxical elements in the complex human reality in which we live…
Culture, though objectionable, secular, opposed to transcendence as much as you can imagine, can still incorporate some positive values.
For instance, Western, particularly European societies strike me as deeply godless, embodying laws, values and practices totally opposed to transcendence, to the revealed will of God. They have enthroned materialism, consumerism and hedonism as their chief gods. They have largely turned their back on the worship of, and the obedience to the One True God. The British Parliament has enacted laws which in practice amount to a denial of God’s existence. But even our deeply decadent society may contain positive aspects. We should not reject it wholesale. For example, the way in which the disabled, the handicapped are cared for today. In the past, even the recent past, the disabled were pretty excluded from society. No provisions were made for them. They could not get into public transport or museums or other public places. Today provisions are made for them. The disabled are no longer treated as pariahs. They can participate in public life to an extent unknown in the past. This seems to me a positive achievement, which as a religious man I can only applaud.
The Italian poet, writer and film director Pier Paolo Pasolini was not a Christian. Indeed he was a Marxist and a Freudian and a pretty troubled and troubling person in his moral life. Yet many of his later writings are quite far-seeing. He was assassinated in 1976 yet before dying he had launched a savage attack on the secular, consumerist and materialist culture of Italy.
He went as far as writing an open letter to Pope Paul VI. He urged the Pope to put himself at the head of an anti-cultural movement, for the sake of humanity and indeed for the sake of the Church itself. The Catholic Church, Pasolini argued, should return to its vocation of rebellion, of revolt. Had the Pope listened, he might have become an Italian Ayatollah Khomeini. Well, as we all know the Pope did not. But I myself, speaking as a Christian, though not sharing his ideology, feel a strong sympathy with Pasolini’s ideas.
However, many of us, believers who are getting increasingly beleaguered in a fundamentally godless culture, will feel the God-inspired need perhaps not to fight against but to engage with secular culture, in order to transform it, to convert it. For the sake of the common world we inhabit. For the sake of humanity, as man’s true, enduring good can only come from God.
Jenan Al-Araibi Dear friends QwAs we gather in this holy season of Christmas, celebrating the birth of Jesus—peace be upon him—our hearts naturally turn to reflection, we reflect on our human aspiration for divinity.
At the core of this reflection is a universal question: how can we, as human beings, aspire to something greater, to purify ourselves and draw closer to the Divine?
This season invites such reflection because Jesus—peace be upon him—embodied a life of deep closeness to the Divine. His life was marked by humility, detachment from worldly excess, compassion for the poor, and complete reliance on God. He consistently reminded his followers that true life is not found in material possessions, but in turning one’s heart toward God.
It is narrated that Jesus, , peace be upon him, said to his disciples:
كان عيسى بن مريم عليه السلام يقول لأصحابه:
“يا بني آدم!.. اهربوا من الدنيا إلى الله، وأخرجوا قلوبكم عنها، فإنكم لا تصلحون لها ولا تصلح لكم، ولا تبقون فيها ولا تبقى لكم.”
Which translates as:
“O sons of Adam, shun this world and turn towards God. Detach yourselves from this world, for you are not suited for it, nor is it suited for you. You will not remain in it, and it will not remain for you.”
(Bihar al-Anwar, Vol. 14, p. 288)
These words do not call us to abandon responsibility, but to purify intention. They remind us that divinity is approached by placing God at its center. When the heart is freed from attachment, it becomes capable of reflecting the Divine.
The aspiration toward divinity is not limited to prophets alone. Across history, human beings have reflected divine qualities when their lives were guided by sincerity and higher purpose.
We see this in figures closer to our own time. Mother Teresa devoted her life to serving the poorest of the poor, seeing service to humanity as service to God. Mahatma Gandhi embraced nonviolence as a spiritual commitment to truth and justice. Nelson Mandela chose forgiveness over vengeance and, in doing so, healed a wounded nation.
By reflecting on these lives we recognize that when the human heart aligns itself with higher values, it becomes a mirror for divine attributes—mercy, patience, justice, and compassion.
Yet, when we ask ourselves who embodies this path in its most complete and enduring form, who better to look up to than Imam Ali, peace be upon him?
Imam Ali was not only a leader or a scholar; he was a living expression of spiritual integrity. His life was defined by humility without weakness, justice without cruelty, courage without ego, and devotion without compromise. He lived simply, gave generously, and carried the burdens of the poor as his own. Worldly power never captured his heart, because his heart was anchored firmly in God.
Imam Ali taught that true worship is not a transaction—it is an act of love. He famously said:
“I did not worship You out of fear of Hell or hope for Paradise, but because I found You worthy of worship.”
In this statement lies the essence of divinity itself: worship that flows not from fear or desire, but from recognition and love. It is worship that purifies the heart and elevates the soul.
Here, a deep spiritual link emerges between Imam Ali and Jesus, peace be upon them both. Both lived lives of asceticism and humility. Both called people away from the illusion of permanence in this world and toward God. Both taught that true greatness lies not in wealth or status, but in sincerity, purity of heart, and complete reliance on the Divine. In this sense, Imam Ali carried forward and embodied the same divine ethic that Jesus preached—an ethic rooted in love, detachment, and devotion.
This understanding transforms how we see our own lives. It teaches us that every action can become an act of worship when it is done with a pure intention. Speaking kindly, helping others, earning honestly, caring for family—these are not separate from spirituality. They are its living expression.
The Qur’an captures this truth beautifully in the words of the righteous:
إِنَّمَا نُطْعِمُكُمْ لِوَجْهِ اللَّهِ
لَا نُرِيدُ مِنْكُمْ جَزَاءً وَلَا شُكُورًا
“We feed you only for the sake of Allah; we desire from you neither reward nor thanks.”
(Surah al-Insan, 76:9)
This verse was revealed in relation to the Ahlulbayt, including Imam Ali, peace be upon him, when they gave away their food despite their own hunger. It captures the heart of divinity: giving without expectation, loving without condition, acting purely for God.
So let us seek this balance in our own lives. Let us remember that when our work, our kindness, and our care for others are rooted in the intention of drawing closer to the Divine, they become pathways of purification. In this way, we allow the aspiration for divinity to live—not only in our words, but in every moment of our lives
Sheikh Ayoub: The human aspiration for divinity. The aspiration for divinity is a persistent and cross cultural dimension of human self understanding. This aspiration reflects a complex interplay between ontology, anthropology and spirituality. This discussion today examines the human aspiration for divinity as fitr, Quranic framework, scholars understanding and some stumbling blocks.
When you look at fitr as the aspiration for divinity Muslims believe in fitr. Fitr is known as pre modial disposition. It is the case that the human being is naturally orientated towards God. This orientation explains why humans seek universal justice, infinite mercy, ultimate meaning and immortality beyond biological survival.
Muslim scholars aspiration for divinity urges us to adopt the traits and characteristics of God applying the attributes of Allah in our daily life. In order for us to aspire to divinity you need to look at the 99 names of Allah. You need to apply them in your life to aspire for divinity. If Allah is rahman you need to be rahman. If Allah is rahim you need to be rahim. If Allah is merciful you need to be merciful.
Those people who show mercy to others, Allah will show mercy to them. Show mercy to those who live in this world in order for Allah to show mercy to you. When you look for example at scholars like Ibh Arabi he talks about the perfect human being. When he talks about this he wants us to aspire to be perfect in our deeds by looking at the attributes of Allah and applying them in our daily lives.
Mullah Sadr has his philosophical approach. He talks about human aspirations through substantial motion where he says that the human soul is not static. It moves towards higher degrees of being. And for that reason when we look at our souls for us to achieve the highest goals we should not remain static.
We when talk about the aspiration for divinity we talk about the drive towards transcendence, the longing for perfection, the desire to participate in truth and goodness. The desire to be close to God. And when we look at Quranic frameworks we find that Allah Almighty when he addresses a human being in his creation he says that the human being is created in the best of forms like in chapter 95 verse no four.
Also in the same Quran we find in chapter 15 ayaih 29 where Allah talks about his spirit. I have blown in the human being my spirit. This means a special creation. When we look at Surah Al Baqarat Chapter 32 verse 30 we see that Allah says he has appointed a human being as a khalifa ono this earth.
The spirit has been blown in the human being and he is the khalifa The term khalifa implies the capacity for divine proximity. However we all struggle and try and strive to be closer to God but there are some stumbling blocks to our aspiration for divinity and scholars of ahlak have mentioned a few.
The scholars of Islam will say the biggest calamity and the biggest stumbling block which we have in our daily life is heedlessness when you forget that you are a creation of Allah and that is why the Holy Quran says: don’t be like those people who have forgotten Allah. When your forget him you will forget yourself. It is a stumbling block when we are in heedlessness.
And in most of the cases we become heedless when we have enough. Your account is better than anyone else’s, your health is good and you have connections. And you can just send a message and your problem will be solved.
Another stumbling block is arrogance which we see with this jinn who was closer to the angles. And he was in the same degree with the angels. When Allah said to the angels do sajada to Adam they all did except him. He refused. We believe according to Islam he was a jinn. He was not from the angels. He said you have created me with fire and you have created him with clay. I am better than him.
Another stumbling block is ignorance al jahil and there are many degrees of it. The killer disease of this is when someone thinks he knows but he does not know. When you look at the crisis today it is materialism. This is the biggest stumbling block when it comes to aspirations for divinity.
And of course another one is consumerism where shopping becomes a cultural activity. We buy and we buy and we buy. There was a time when we used to have wardrobes to keep our clothing. The wife’s one would be more than then man’s. We see during Christmas time that spirituality is forgotten. People are attached to material things. They have enough but they still go to buy and buy and buy. Those who are businessmen take advantage when the season comes. It is a season of shopping and not a season of spirituality. People go to church only in small numbers.
A human being can aspire for divinity through knowledge and that is why in Islam Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said seeking knowledge is compulsory. Unfortunately when we look at some Muslims they may pray but they do not go to seek knowledge. Seeking knowledge is compulsory for both Muslim men and women.
A human being can aspire for divinity through self purification. When we go for Friday prayers the immam will recite surah al fataha the chapter of the opening and it is recommended to recite surah al jumma the second verse when Allah says the purification of the soul comes first and knowledge comes after. Why because if you gain knowledge but you are not purified the knowledge will cause a lot of danger as it did in Hiroshima and Nagasaki and we see it in some places today where scientists can create those bombs to kill humanity. This is knowledge they have managed to do through knowledge but there is no purification there.
A human being can aspire for divinity through humility. Humility is everything – to be a human being where you feel for others, where you desire for others what you desire for yourself. Humility to worship in Islamic terms. So when you become a slave of Allah when you worship him then of course you can aspire for divinity.
When we talk about the aspiration for divinity we come to know that this it is something which we need to aspire and ask ourselves questions after question by reflecting at it and looking at it closely. And we thank the organisers for organizing this discussion.
Fr Frank Gelli was born in Rome, Italy. After reading sociology at Rome University, he became a journalist and a drama critic. Later, he obtained degrees in philosophy, theology and education from London and Oxford Universities. Ordained as an Anglican priest in 1986, he has served curacies in London and as chaplain to the Church of St Nicholas, British Embassy, Ankara, Turkey, 89-91. After serving as Curate of Kensington until 1999, where he was spiritual adviser to Diana, Princess of Wales, he has devoted himself mostly to interfaith work and writing. His books are available on Amazon.
Jenan Al-Araibi is a trainer, human resource specialist and social activist whose career bridges professional expertise with community empowerment: holding a BA in English literature and an MA in human resource management she has explored Bahraini women’s expectations of education in her university thesis and addressed gender barriers in her Leeds Business School case study. She has delivered numerous workshops on diverse topics. As one of the founders of the Hawa Forum she channels her commitment to volunteerism into empowering women.
Sheikh Ayoub: Graduate from the seminary in Qom. He is a well known speaker and trainer for the community in London and globally.
