{"id":5403,"date":"2026-07-18T06:48:38","date_gmt":"2026-07-18T06:48:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.euroislam.eu\/?p=5403"},"modified":"2026-08-20T18:17:53","modified_gmt":"2026-08-20T16:17:53","slug":"2026-world-cup-spiritual-reading","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.euroislam.eu\/en\/spiritualita\/mondiali-2026-lettura-spirituale\/","title":{"rendered":"The Cosmic Match: A Spiritual Reading of the 2026 World Cup"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Mondiali
The 2026 World Cup as a metaphor for the spiritual journey.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\n

In brief<\/strong><\/p>\n

The 2026 World Cup can be read not only as a major sporting event, but also as a spiritual reflection on the human journey. Through the language of football, this article considers \u1e24aq\u012bqah and Ma\u02bfrifah: outward reality, inner knowledge, and the limits that accompany both victory and defeat.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Introduction to the 2026 World Cup and Its Spiritual Reading<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The 2026 FIFA World Cup<\/strong><\/a>, with its unexpected eliminations, last-minute victories and emotionally charged images, can be interpreted not merely as a sporting event, but also as a symbolic representation of the human condition.<\/p>\n

For the S\u0101lik<\/strong>, the traveller on the spiritual path, the football pitch becomes a mirror of both the world and the inner self. What occurs outwardly belongs to the realm of the Shar\u012b\u02bfah<\/strong>, the visible dimension of existence. Yet behind events lies the manifestation of \u1e24aq\u012bqah<\/strong>, the Divine Reality that governs all things, while Ma\u02bfrifah<\/strong> leads towards an inner knowledge of that Reality.<\/p>\n

La dimensione visibile della fede non \u00e8 estranea a questo percorso: anche gli atti essenziali della preghiera<\/a><\/strong> educano il credente a un rapporto consapevole con il limite, il tempo e l\u2019affidamento.<\/p>\n

The pitch is not simply a rectangle of grass. It is a place in which human aspirations, illusions and limitations confront one another. The ball becomes a metaphor for the Qalb<\/strong>, the spiritual heart, constantly suspended between states of expansion (Bast<\/em>) and contraction (Qabd<\/em>), between success and failure, hope and disillusionment.<\/p>\n

When observed through the \u02bfAyn al-Qalb<\/strong>, the \u201ceye of the heart\u201d, the tournament reveals something deeper than a mere sporting narrative. Each episode evokes the unfolding of al-Mash\u012b\u02beah<\/strong>, the Divine Will, before which every human claim to self-sufficiency is inevitably reduced to its true proportions.<\/p>\n

1. Mondiali 2026: l\u2019illusione del privilegio, dalla Shar\u012b\u02bfah alla \u1e24aq\u012bqah<\/strong><\/h3>\n

At the level of the Shar\u012b\u02bfah<\/strong>, that is, outward reality, the host countries of the 2026 World Cup appeared to enjoy favourable conditions.<\/p>\n

Playing at home meant familiar stadiums, the support of local crowds, known environmental conditions and, above all, automatic qualification for the tournament. According to ordinary human reasoning, or \u02bfAql al-Ma\u02bf\u0101sh<\/strong>, all these factors seemed to offer strong guarantees of success.<\/p>\n

The competition, however, revealed just how fragile such assurances could be.<\/p>\n

The early elimination of the United States, together with the difficulties encountered by the other host nations, served as a reminder that no outward advantage possesses absolute value unless it is accompanied by Tawf\u012bq<\/strong>, the assistance granted by Allah.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Outward form \/ Shar\u012b\u02bfah<\/strong><\/td>\nInner reality \/ \u1e24aq\u012bqah<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Automatic qualification<\/td>\nRadical dependence upon God (faqr)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Home support<\/td>\nThe fragility of worldly guarantees<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Logistical and environmental advantages\nPrivileged status<\/td>\nThe necessity of tawf\u012bq<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Privileged status<\/td>\nThe collapse of the illusion of self-sufficiency<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n

From the perspective of Ma\u02bfrifah<\/strong>, this dynamic acquires an even deeper meaning.
\nHuman beings tend to rely on the Asb\u0101b<\/strong>,, the secondary causes: wealth, prestige, power, social position or material advantage. They convince themselves that, by arranging favourable conditions, they can direct the course of events according to their own will.
\nYet the tournament reminded us that every human construction remains subordinate to the Divine Decree.\nWhen the United States\u2019 journey came to an end, it was not merely a sporting defeat. Symbolically, it revealed one of the Divine Names: al-Qahh\u0101r<\/strong>, the One who dominates and reduces every human claim to autonomy.
\nThe gaze of the \u02bf\u0100rif<\/strong>, the one who has attained spiritual knowledge, does not stop at the results on the scoreboard. Beyond the now-silent stadiums, the \u02bf\u0100rif contemplates the confirmation of the Qur\u2019anic words:<\/p>\n

QUR\u02be\u0100N \u00b7 Gh\u0101fir 40:16<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u0644\u0651\u0650\u0645\u064e\u0646\u0650 \u0627\u0644\u0652\u0645\u064f\u0644\u0652\u0643\u064f \u0627\u0644\u0652\u064a\u064e\u0648\u0652\u0645\u064e \u06d6 \u0644\u0650\u0644\u0651\u064e\u0647\u0650 \u0627\u0644\u0652\u0648\u064e\u0627\u062d\u0650\u062f\u0650 \u0627\u0644\u0652\u0642\u064e\u0647\u0651\u064e\u0627\u0631\u0650<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cTo whom belongs sovereignty today? To Allah, the One, the All-Dominating.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\n

Reflection<\/strong><\/h3>\n

True refuge does not lie in favourable circumstances or in the privileges we may enjoy.
\nHuman structures can offer security only in appearance. Their stability always depends upon the Divine Will.
\nFor this reason, the Islamic spiritual tradition teaches that true richness is born of Faqr<\/strong>: the awareness of one\u2019s radical poverty before al-\u1e24aqq<\/strong>, the Ultimate Reality<\/strong><\/a>.
.\nOnly those who recognise this dependence can pass through both victory and defeat without losing the balance of the heart.<\/p>\n

\n

2. Cristiano Ronaldo\u2019s Tears: When Human Will Encounters Its Limit<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Among the images likely to remain in the collective memory of the 2026 World Cup, one in particular acquired symbolic significance: Cristiano Ronaldo, aged forty-one, in tears following Portugal\u2019s elimination.\nFor more than twenty years, the Portuguese champion embodied, in the collective imagination, the power of discipline, determination and the human ability to surpass personal limitations through relentless effort. His career became the paradigm of an extraordinary will, capable of transforming talent into excellence through sacrifice, rigour and perseverance.\nFrom the perspective of Islamic spirituality, however, it is precisely this moment of vulnerability that assumes a deeper meaning.\nHis tears represent more than the pain of a sporting defeat. Symbolically, they evoke the human encounter with the insurmountable limits of personal will.
\nEvery spiritual journey eventually reaches a point at which individual desire must confront al-Qadar<\/strong>, the Divine Decree.
\nIt is in this encounter that personal will discovers that it is not absolute.<\/p>\n

\n

Further reflection<\/strong><\/h3>\n

In the Sufi tradition, Fan\u0101\u02be<\/strong> refers to the extinction of the ego, not to the disappearance of the person. It is the gradual dissolution of the ego\u2019s claim to be the centre and master of reality, so that a complete openness to the Divine Will may emerge.<\/p>\n

\n

From Personal Will to Acceptance<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Ronaldo\u2019s entire sporting journey may be read as an existential parable.
\nFor years, his commitment demonstrated the extent to which human beings are called to cultivate their abilities with responsibility and dedication. Yet life teaches that there is a threshold beyond which no one can go.
\nIt is not enough to train harder.
\nIt is not enough to desire something intensely.
\nIt is not enough to deserve a particular result.
\nThe final moments of a match, or an unexpected goal that changes the course of a competition, remind us that reality is never entirely in human hands.<\/p>\n

\n

The Path of Transformation<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\n
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Sporting experience<\/th>\nSpiritual meaning<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Training, discipline and sacrifice<\/td>\nEducation of the Nafs<\/strong> and inner struggle (Muj\u0101hadah<\/em>)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
The limit imposed by events<\/td>\nRecognition of Qadar<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Tears<\/td>\nThe collapse of the illusion of control<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Acceptance of the result<\/td>\nRi\u1e0d\u0101<\/strong>,, contentment with the Divine Decree<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Inner peace<\/td>\nNafs al-Mu\u1e6dma\u02beinnah<\/strong>, the soul at peace<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

In the language of Ma\u02bfrifah<\/strong>, the value of this episode does not lie in the defeat itself, but in the inner transformation that defeat may generate.
\nHuman beings tend to identify themselves with their successes.
\nWhen those successes disappear, an opportunity arises to recognise that personal worth does not coincide with accumulated victories or acquired prestige.
\nFrom this awareness, a new freedom is born.<\/p>\n

\n

The Meaning of Ri\u1e0d\u0101<\/em><\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

After the match, Ronaldo stated that he had given everything and was leaving the pitch with a clear conscience.
\nThese words evoke one of the deepest concepts in Islamic spirituality: Ri\u1e0d\u0101<\/strong>, the trusting acceptance of the Divine Decree.
\nRi\u1e0d\u0101<\/strong> is not passive resignation.
\nIt does not mean abandoning effort or ceasing to pursue excellence.
\nRather, it means understanding that human beings are responsible for their effort, but not for the final outcome.
\nIslamic tradition distinguishes between what belongs to human action and what remains the exclusive prerogative of Allah.\nOnce this distinction has been internalised, defeat loses its power to destroy a person\u2019s identity.<\/p>\n

\n
\n

Reflection<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Serenity does not arise from always obtaining what we desire, but from knowing that we have acted with sincerity (Ikhl\u0101\u1e63<\/em>) and steadfastness (Istiq\u0101mah<\/em>), entrusting the final outcome to Divine wisdom<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n

\n

Beyond the Trophy<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Authentic success does not necessarily coincide with winning a title.
\nA trophy belongs to time.
\nInner maturity, by contrast, accompanies a person beyond every season of life.
\nFor this reason, the end of a career may become a new beginning: one no longer founded upon the affirmation of the ego, but upon the ability to experience every event as an opportunity for self-knowledge and greater closeness to Allah.<\/p>\n

From this perspective, the champion\u2019s tears do not represent the end of a glorious story. Rather, they symbolise the fragility shared by every human being, each of whom is eventually called to confront limitation, time and the need to entrust oneself to that which transcends the self.<\/p>\n

3. The Language of the Game: From Shar\u012b\u02bfah to Ma\u02bfrifah<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Football, like every human activity, possesses a visible structure made up of rules, discipline, technique and strategy. Yet when observed through a spiritual lens, it can also become a metaphor for the inner journey described by the Islamic tradition.<\/p>\n

The four great stages of the spiritual path \u2014 Shar\u012b\u02bfah<\/strong>, \u1e6car\u012bqah<\/strong>, \u1e24aq\u012bqah<\/strong> and Ma\u02bfrifah<\/strong> \u2014 find an illuminating correspondence in the very dynamics of a football match.<\/p>\n

\n

The Four Dimensions of the Game<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\n
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Spiritual path<\/th>\nFootball experience<\/th>\nInner meaning<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Shar\u012b\u02bfah<\/strong><\/td>\nRules, referee and the lines of the pitch<\/td>\nThe order that makes human action possible<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u1e6car\u012bqah<\/strong><\/td>\nTraining, discipline and tactics<\/td>\nWork upon the self and struggle against the Nafs<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u1e24aq\u012bqah<\/strong><\/td>\nThe unpredictable events of the match<\/td>\nThe manifestation of the Divine Will beyond every prediction<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Ma\u02bfrifah<\/strong><\/td>\nUnderstanding that transcends the result<\/td>\nContemplation of Divine unity beyond victory and defeat<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

Shar\u012b\u02bfah: The Value of Limits<\/strong><\/h3>\n

No match could take place without rules.
\nThe lines marking the boundaries of the pitch, the allotted time, the role of the referee and the shared regulations establish the indispensable order through which the game becomes possible.
\nIn the same way, within spiritual life, the Shar\u012b\u02bfah<\/strong> does not represent a collection of prescriptions that exist for their own sake. Rather, it is the framework within which human beings can freely orient their lives.
\nRules do not restrict freedom. They make it possible.\nWithout order, everything would descend into chaos.
\nYet following the rules does not automatically guarantee success.
\nA team may play an impeccable match from a disciplinary perspective and still be defeated.
\nThe same is true of the spiritual path.
\nOutward observance provides the foundation, but it does not exhaust the depth of one\u2019s relationship with Allah.<\/p>\n

\n
\n

Further reflection<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The Shar\u012b\u02bfah<\/strong> is often translated as \u201cIslamic law\u201d, but its original meaning is broader. It refers to \u201cthe path leading to the source\u201d: the way that guides human beings towards a life lived in accordance with the will of Allah.<\/p>\n

\n

\u1e6car\u012bqah: The Education of the Heart<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Behind every great sporting achievement lie years of unseen training.
\nHours of practice.
\nRenunciation.
\nDiscipline.
\nFalls.
\nNew beginnings.
\nIt is this hidden dimension that evokes the \u1e6car\u012bqah<\/strong>, the path of inner purification.
\nSpiritual progress does not arise from a passing enthusiasm, but from a slow and constant transformation.
\nIslamic tradition calls this effort Muj\u0101hadah<\/strong>, the struggle against one\u2019s own ego.
\nThe true opponent is not the other person.
\nIt is that which, within us, nourishes pride, vanity, impatience and the desire to dominate.
\nJust as a team learns to move in harmony by relinquishing individualism, so the believer is called to educate the heart, allowing the ego to give way to an increasingly complete openness towards Allah.<\/p>\n

\n

\u1e24aq\u012bqah: When Control Comes to an End<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Every match contains an element that completely escapes planning.
\nAn unexpected rebound.
\nA deflection.
\nA mistake.
\nA sudden gust of wind.
\nA moment of hesitation.
\nThese events may appear accidental, yet they can be enough to alter the destiny of an entire competition.\nAt such a moment, the limits of every human prediction become manifest.
\nHuman beings may prepare with the greatest possible care, but they do not possess absolute control over reality.
\nThis marks the passage from \u1e6car\u012bqah<\/strong> to \u1e24aq\u012bqah<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The Qur\u2019anic tradition reminds us that human action is never independent of Divine action:<\/p>\n

QUR\u02be\u0100N \u00b7 al-Anf\u0101l 8:17<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u0648\u064e\u0645\u064e\u0627 \u0631\u064e\u0645\u064e\u064a\u0652\u062a\u064e \u0625\u0650\u0630\u0652 \u0631\u064e\u0645\u064e\u064a\u0652\u062a\u064e \u0648\u064e\u0644\u064e\u0670\u0643\u0650\u0646\u0651\u064e \u0627\u0644\u0644\u0651\u064e\u0647\u064e \u0631\u064e\u0645\u064e\u0649<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cIt was not you who threw when you threw, but Allah who threw.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\n

(Qur\u02be\u0101n, S\u016brat al-Anf\u0101l, 8:17)<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The verse does not deny human responsibility.
\nRather, it reminds us that every action takes place within a wider reality that escapes full human comprehension.
\nIt is here that the illusion of self-sufficiency collapses.<\/p>\n

\n

Ma\u02bfrifah: Beyond the Result<\/strong><\/h3>\n

At the end of the match, the scoreboard preserves the result.
\n Ma\u02bfrifah<\/strong>, however, invites us to go beyond it.\nThose who have acquired inner knowledge do not measure their existence solely through success and failure.
\nBoth are transitory events.
\nVictory may nourish pride.
\nDefeat may generate despair.
\nYet neither truly defines the person.
\nWhat matters is what the experience has transformed within the heart.
\nEvery joy may become an opportunity for gratitude.\nEvery loss may become a school of humility.
\nIn both cases, life continues to reveal the Names and Attributes of Allah.\nFor this reason, the true spiritual path does not consist in always winning, but in learning to recognise the Divine Presence in every circumstance.<\/p>\n

\n
\n

Reflection<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The match ends when the referee blows the final whistle.
\nThe journey of the soul, however, continues far beyond the result.
\nThose who live from the perspective of Ma\u02bfrifah<\/strong> understand that every experience, whether joyful or painful, offers an opportunity for self-knowledge and greater closeness to Allah.<\/p>\n

\n

 <\/p>\n

4. The Final Whistle: Time, Death and the Fragility of Glory<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Every match is bounded by a precise period of time.
\nNinety minutes, together with any added time, may seem long while the contest remains open, yet suddenly become brief when the referee brings the match to an end.
\nIn that instant, everything stops.
\nThe protests cease.
\nMissed opportunities can no longer be recovered.
\nStrategies devised during the match lose all effectiveness.
\nWhat appeared decisive only moments earlier has already become part of the past.
\nThis simple sporting dynamic evokes one of the deepest realities of the human condition: the time of life is limited.<\/p>\n

\n

Time as Responsibility<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Modernity often encourages the illusion that time is an inexhaustible resource.
\nImportant decisions are postponed.
\nReconciliations are deferred.
\nInner changes are delayed.
\nPeople live as though the future were guaranteed.\nThe Qur\u2019anic revelation, however, repeatedly calls human beings to an awareness of their own finitude.
\nEvery moment we receive is both a gift and a responsibility.
\nJust as a match cannot be replayed once it has ended, so life does not grant us the opportunity to return and correct everything that has been neglected.<\/p>\n

\n
\n

Reflection<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Time is not simply that which passes.
\nIt is the space in which we are called to give form to our choices.<\/p>\n

\n

The Final Whistle as a Metaphor for the Meeting with Allah<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Within the language of Islamic spirituality, the end of a match may be symbolically compared to the moment of meeting Allah.
\nThis is not to identify the game with eschatological reality, but to recognise a pedagogical correspondence.
\nAs long as the match continues, the players are immersed in the urgency of the moment.
\nEvery challenge appears decisive.
\nEvery error seems irreparable.
\nEvery goal becomes a cause for celebration or despair.
\nWhen the final whistle arrives, however, the entire perspective changes.
\nWhat seemed absolute is suddenly placed within its proper limits.
\nSomething similar occurs in life.
\nMany of the concerns that occupy our days are destined to lose their substance before the horizon of eternity.
\nFor this reason, the Islamic tradition invites us not to confuse the Duny\u0101<\/strong> with ultimate reality.
\nThe world is not without value.
\nRather, it is a place of passage, in which preparation is made for what is to come.<\/p>\n

\n
\n

Further reflection<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The word Duny\u0101<\/strong> does not simply refer to the material world. It denotes the dimension of existence when it is treated as absolute and lived as though it were the only reality.<\/p>\n

\n

Glory Belongs to Time<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The 2026 World Cup once again demonstrated how quickly the face of glory can change.
\nTeams regarded as favourites were eliminated.\nCelebrated champions reached the end of their journey.
\nNew protagonists took their place.
\nThe world of sport makes visible what we often forget in everyday life.
\nEvery success is provisional.
\nEvery position is destined to change.
\nEvery season has its sunset.
\nThe Qur\u2019an evokes this truth with great sobriety, reminding us that every created reality is destined to pass away, while Allah alone remains:<\/p>\n

QUR\u02be\u0100N \u00b7 ar-Ra\u1e25m\u0101n 55:26\u201327<\/strong><\/p>\n

\ufd3f \u0643\u064f\u0644\u064f\u0651 \u0645\u064e\u0646\u0652 \u0639\u064e\u0644\u064e\u064a\u0652\u0647\u064e\u0627 \u0641\u064e\u0627\u0646\u064d \u06dd \u0648\u064e\u064a\u064e\u0628\u0652\u0642\u064e\u0649\u0670 \u0648\u064e\u062c\u0652\u0647\u064f \u0631\u064e\u0628\u0650\u0651\u0643\u064e \u0630\u064f\u0648 \u0627\u0644\u0652\u062c\u064e\u0644\u064e\u0627\u0644\u0650 \u0648\u064e\u0627\u0644\u0652\u0625\u0650\u0643\u0652\u0631\u064e\u0627\u0645\u0650 \ufd3e<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone upon the earth will perish, and there will remain the Face of your Lord, full of Majesty and Honour.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

This awareness does not invite pessimism.\nOn the contrary, it frees us from the anxiety of constructing an image of ourselves that is inevitably destined to dissolve.<\/p>\n

\n

Zuhd<\/em> Is Not Renunciation, but Freedom<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

The spiritual tradition uses the term Zuhd<\/strong>, often translated as \u201cdetachment\u201d.
\nA more accurate translation might be inner freedom in relation to possession.<\/strong>
\nZuhd<\/strong> does not consist in rejecting the world.
\nIt consists in refusing to be possessed by what we possess.
\nVictory may be received with gratitude.\nDefeat may be endured with dignity.\nIn both cases, the heart remains oriented towards that which does not pass away.\nThis is the difference between making use of the world and allowing the world to define us.<\/p>\n

\n

Zuhd in Everyday Life<\/h3>\n

Zuhd<\/em> does not mean abandoning work, family or responsibility.
\nIt means living every earthly reality without turning it into an idol.
\nProfessional success, social recognition and even fame may be legitimate goods, provided that they do not become the foundation of one\u2019s identity.<\/p>\n

\n

The True Question<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The final whistle of a match does not ask how much applause we received.
\nIt simply declares that time has ended.
\nSooner or later, life poses a similar question.
\nIt does not ask how greatly we were admired.
\nIt does not measure the number of successes we achieved.
\nRather, it examines what time has built within our hearts.
\nFor this reason, Islamic spirituality invites us to live every day as an opportunity for growth, remembering that the value of an existence does not depend upon the duration of its glory, but upon the sincerity with which it has been lived before Allah.<\/p>\n

\n
\n

Reflection<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/blockquote>\n

A match ends with a whistle.
\nLife ends with a meeting.
\nPreparing for that meeting means learning to live time not as a possession, but as a gift to be administered with responsibility, gratitude and trust.<\/p>\n

\n

 <\/p>\n

5. 2026 World Cup: the balance of the heart beyond victory and defeat<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Every competition reveals a dynamic that belongs not only to sport, but to the whole of human experience: the alternation of success and failure, enthusiasm and disappointment, expectation and disillusionment.
\nIf the heart identifies completely with these changes, it inevitably begins to oscillate between two extremes.
\nOn the one hand, there is the elation that accompanies success.
On the other, the discouragement that follows failure.
\nBoth states risk distancing the human being from an awareness of their true condition.<\/p>\n

\n

The Two Illusions of the Ego<\/strong><\/h3>\n

When everything unfolds according to our desires, it is easy to become convinced that we alone are responsible for the results we have achieved.
\nThe Qur\u2019an warns against this subtle form of self-sufficiency, which the spiritual tradition identifies as \u02bfUjb<\/strong>, self-admiration, and Kibr<\/strong>, arrogance.
\nConversely, when expectations are disappointed, there is a risk of falling into despair and seeing one\u2019s life as a succession of meaningless failures.\nIn both cases, the heart remains imprisoned by events.
\nVictory nourishes the illusion of control.\nDefeat nourishes the illusion of abandonment.\nBoth are partial perspectives.<\/p>\n

\n

The Polarities of the Ego<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\n
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
When the ego prevails<\/th>\nEffect upon the heart<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Victory<\/strong><\/td>\nPride, self-sufficiency and the search for approval<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Defeat<\/strong><\/td>\nBitterness, distrust and loss of hope<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Spiritual balance<\/strong><\/td>\nGratitude in prosperity and patience in trial<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

The Steadfast Heart: (Tamk\u012bn<\/em>)<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

The Sufi tradition uses the term Tamk\u012bn<\/strong> to describe an inner stability that does not depend upon external circumstances.
\nThis is not indifference.
\nIt does not mean ceasing to feel joy or sorrow.
\nRather, it means that no experience is capable of breaking one\u2019s relationship of trust with Allah.
\nThe believer continues to strive earnestly.
\nContinues to desire what is good.
\nContinues to suffer when something important is lost.
\nYet the believer also knows that no event has the final word over their existence.
\nIt is this awareness that makes it possible to move through change without being overwhelmed by it.<\/p>\n

\n

Learning to Read Events<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Every experience may become an opportunity for growth.
\nVictory calls us to gratitude.
\nTrial teaches patience.
\nSuccess teaches responsibility.
\nFailure may reveal aspects of ourselves that would otherwise have remained hidden.
\nIslamic wisdom invites us not only to ask:<\/p>\n

\u00abWhy has this happened to me?\u00bb<\/strong><\/p>\n

but also:<\/p>\n

\u00abWhat can I learn through this experience?\u00bb<\/strong><\/p>\n

This question transforms events into an educational path.\nThe believer does not seek pain, but when pain arrives, it is not regarded as meaningless.<\/p>\n

\n
\n

Reflection<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Faith does not eliminate trials.
\nIt changes the way we pass through them.<\/p>\n

\n

\n<\/blockquote>\n

\n

The Freedom of Those Who Trust<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Reliance upon Allah, or Tawakkul<\/em>, does not free a person from personal responsibility.
\nOn the contrary, it makes it possible to act with greater serenity.
\nThose who live according to Tawakkul<\/em> commit themselves fully without turning the result into an absolute.
\nThey work.
\nThey study.
\nThey plan.
\nThey compete.
\nThey love.
\nThey build.
\nYet they know that the value of their effort does not depend exclusively upon the visible outcome.
\nIt is this freedom that makes it possible to live every experience with greater balance.
\nNot because everything always unfolds as we desire, but because we learn to recognise that every situation may become a place of encounter with Allah.<\/p>\n

\n

Conclusion<\/strong><\/h3>\n

A Spiritual Reading of the World Cup<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Every major sporting event arouses powerful emotions, nourishes hope and disappointment, and creates memories destined to enter the collective consciousness.
\nThe 2026 World Cup is no exception.
\nYet once the floodlights are switched off and the stadiums have emptied, what remains is not the result of a single match, but the question it leaves within each of us.
\nSport, like every human experience, can become a school of life.
\nIt can remind us that talent requires discipline, that success is never guaranteed, that failure does not amount to ultimate defeat, and that time transforms every glory into memory.
\nAbove all, it can teach us that the human heart is called to seek a foundation more stable than success or failure.
\nIslamic spirituality invites us to recognise that every experience, when lived with awareness, may become an opportunity for self-knowledge and greater closeness to Allah.
\nTrue victory does not consist in receiving applause, but in preserving a Qalb Sal\u012bm<\/strong>,, a sound and uncorrupted heart, capable of remaining steadfast both in moments of joy and in times of trial.\nThis is the goal that no added time can alter and no final whistle can erase.<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

QUR\u02be\u0100N \u00b7 H\u016bd 11:88<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u0648\u064e\u0645\u064e\u0627 \u062a\u064e\u0648\u0652\u0641\u0650\u064a\u0642\u0650\u064a \u0625\u0650\u0644\u064e\u0651\u0627 \u0628\u0650\u0627\u0644\u0644\u064e\u0651\u0647\u0650 \u06da \u0639\u064e\u0644\u064e\u064a\u0652\u0647\u0650 \u062a\u064e\u0648\u064e\u0643\u064e\u0651\u0644\u0652\u062a\u064f \u0648\u064e\u0625\u0650\u0644\u064e\u064a\u0652\u0647\u0650 \u0623\u064f\u0646\u0650\u064a\u0628\u064f<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cMy success comes only through Allah. In Him I place my trust, and to Him I turn.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Yusuf Daud<\/strong> <\/em>
Founder SophiaCitra Institute
PhiloSufi centre for Interfaith and Intercultural dialogue<\/em>
Surabaya-Indonesia<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I Mondiali 2026 come metafora del cammino spirituale. In sintesi I Mondiali 2026 possono essere letti non solo come un grande evento sportivo, ma come una [\u2026]<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":5709,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[925,926,924,927,923],"class_list":["post-5403","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-spiritualita","tag-calcio","tag-aqiqah","tag-islam-e-sport","tag-marifah","tag-mondiali-di-calcio"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t