Seek knowledge and be the judge

Falling into a set routine of university life, we can find ourselves sinking into a certain state of mind where nothing really matters much beyond the next deadline or what we are planning for the weekend. When we switch off like this we can sleepwalk through the days and find that life simply passes us by. As we watch time slip past, we seldom take the chance to ask the important questions: Why are we here? What is the meaning of life? We leave these questions unanswered in the back of our minds.

Doesn’t university offer us a place where you discover more about the world and search for truth? Imperial seems to equip us so well at answering questions of how the world works, in all its angles and complexity and yet, despite this diligence, we don’t ever seem to consider why the world works the way it does. Questions of what it means to be human and what purpose life serves (if any) should not be limited to lectures in the humanities department or late night ramblings after watching The Matrix.

...people always think about where we are and where we are going.

Maybe we can blame Imperial for not putting enough emphasis on humanities or that they give us too much work as excuses for why we never have a chance to stimulate such debates about the soul and purpose of life. Whatever the reason, maybe you could take a moment and think about it for a second. Whether you are agnostic, atheist or religious, people always think about where we are and where we are going. The idea of a soul is one that everyone has considered and yet not discussed.

The Islamic Society will be looking to ask some of these questions during its ‘Discover Islam Week’ (DIW) that kicks off on Monday 27 February where we will begin by examining the nature of the soul and exploring ideas of spirituality and asking what it fundamentally means to be human. On Tuesday 6 March, Dr Timothy Winters will be asking what it means to be free and whether ideas of faith and liberty are fundamentally in opposition. What does it mean to be free? Do you have free will? Does being faithful mean you aren’t free? Come discuss these questions in the Q&A.

The week will also feature exhibitions on Tuesday 28 and Thursday 1 March in the SAF building on all aspects of Islam. The exhibitions will consist of both informational posters and decorative Islamic cultural decorations. On the Tuesday there will be live calligraphy and on both days there will be food from parts of the Muslim world, such as food that has been mentioned in the Qur’an. There will people around to talk to and answer any questions you may have about Islam.

DIW is an opportunity for everyone on campus to take a step back from the work and explore these questions as a collective. It is a chance to ask questions and get answers. So join us for one of our talks or just pop by the exhibitions for a little bite to eat and a wander round, we look forward to seeing you there.