~::Maryam:: Tasawwuf Blog~

Sufism is essentially an open worldview that provides a universal key to unlock the secrets of the Divine, irrespective of the particular religion or cultural background.

 

This is the form of Sufism that I explore.

 

Sufi Masters never, never refer to themselves as Masters.

 

They are travelers, messengers, and servants of the divine.  They freely share their knowledge and wisdom in words the listeners can relate to and understand.  They will use the scriptures of the people and nation where they are at the time.

 

Their view is Universal and not restricted by space or time.  They will answer questions of the heart with candor, truth, and sincerity.  They will not shout, debate, or argue a point; just point and show the way.

 

You may heed their words or follow the path you choose.  But, when you are ready they will guide and instruct you.

 

RevDorris

Belief.net

 

 

Pakistan Academy of Letters Chairman Fakhar Zaman said arrangements are underway for international conference on “Sufism and Peace”. He said more than 100 delegates from 70 countries would participate in the conference.

 

Pakistan Academy of Letters website (I have tried to find out when exactly the conference will take place but until now there is no information)

 

Pakistan Academy of Letters

 

 

May 29 – June 6 2009

Festival of World Sacred Music Festival (Link)

Fes Medina

Morocco

 

Muslim Voices Festival: Sufi Music Ensemble (France, Morocco, Syria)

(Link)

June 6 2009

Brooklyn, N.Y.

USA

 

 

Marcel Khalife – Taqasim

 

 

“The science of Sufism and Saint may confuse small mind like mine. But I would like to explain my feeling or my point of view regarding the mysteriousness of this.
In my opinion a saint is not a religious leader sort of person who has a particular way of dressing and a lonely life-style. Instead, in my opinion a saint is a person who leads a simple disciplined life with a motto of "Service Above Self". He is a person who has crossed the barrier that bars from being spiritual.
A Sufi is least concerned about his own problems but is always active to solve the problems and sufferings of his fellow beings. This means you can become a saint if you don't blame others for the ill-circumstances but always try to change the surroundings and create a positive environment for all. So, help the poor, care the sick and the old and never do injustice….”

 

Continue Reading

 

 

 

 

Day: May 31

Time: 08:00 AM PDT

Day of the Week: Sunday

 

Nine seats left.

 

Place: EduFire Live Video Learning

 

Teacher:

(abdul) halim hafez

 

Cost: $15 USD

 

For more information, visit:

 

EduFire Live Video Learning

 

 

 

Volunteering for Peace CC in Palestine organized a conference entitled "Sufism, Principles and Dialogue" Wednesday May 6th at the Gallery Hall in Hebron.

 

The meeting hosted Shikha Khadija Radin who began turning in 1971 after she first saw whirling performed by the followers of Sufi Murshid Samuel Lewis in San Francisco, California. They had recently lost their beloved teacher. She was enraptured by the meditative movement which was to change her way of life. She was, at the time, a teacher and choreographer of modern dance. Formerly a member of the Lucas Hoving Dance Company in New York. Shortly thereafter she resigned from an administrative and teaching position with the San Francisco Art Commission to travel from Holland overland to India and back, searching out the mystics, especially the Dervish. Shikha Khadija was originally Jewish and she converted 30 years ago and become on of the leading teachers in her group.

 

Read More

 

 

 

youtube

 

la ilaha illa Allah

 

 

 

Nomad is the centerpiece of the new released Ute Lemper’s album “Between Yesterday and Tomorrow”. With this song Ute takes us to the Middle East with reminiscences of the XII Century Sufi poet Ibn Arabi. To listen to this song preview, visit The Press Page and scroll down the music player’s song titles. “Nomad” appears after “Wings of Desire”

 

“Wonder
Wonder,
A garden among the flames!
My heart can take on any form:
A meadow for gazelles,
A cloister for monks,
For the idols, sacred ground,
Ka'ba for the circling pilgrim,
The tables of the Torah,
The scrolls of the Quran.
My creed is Love;
Wherever its caravan turns along the way,
That is my belief,
My faith. “
- Ibn Arabi

 

 

TASAWWUF- SPIRIT OF SUFISM

 

by TAOSHOBUDDHA

INTRODUCTION BY DR. VISIER SANYÜ
RENOWNED SCHOLAR, MELBORNE, AUSTRALIA

FOREWORD MAULAWI JALALUDDIN AHMAD AR ROWI, MALASIYA

If you desire to read this ebook, it is at the “Pearls of Wisdom” section, on right pane of this blog.

 

Ya Haqq!

 

Maryam

 

 

“The Theophany of Perfection”

(Translated by Abraham Abadi and Aaron Cass)

Kindly sent by Vastearthorchestra

 

“Hear, O my beloved!
you are the reason for the being of the world
You are the centre-point of the sphere and its encompassing
You are its complexity and simplicity
You are the order brought [sent] down between heaven and earth
I did not create for you realizations
Except that you realize Me in them
And when you realize Me you realize your self
Do not strive to realize Me in the realization of your self
By my eye you will see Me and your self
You will not see Me, however, by[with] the eye of your self
Beloved
How often have I called you and you do not hear
How often have I [stood before you]presented myself to you and you do not witness [recognize]
How often have I embodied myself in scents and you do not inhale
And in the flavours and you do not savour the taste for My sake
What is the matter with you, that you do not feel me when you touch?
Why do you not recognize Me in the fragrances of musk?
Why do you not see Me? Why do you not hear Me?
What is the matter with you?
I am your most heady rapture beyond any delight
My craving for you is more intense than any born for an object of desire
I am better for you than any good thing
I am the Beautiful
I am the Elegant [witty, comely]
Love Me. Love Me. Love Me alone.
Desire Me, Ardently.
Be consumed in me[distressed, troubled, obsessed]not engrossed in other than Me.
Take Me in , receive Me, you will not find an intimate like me
Everything wants you for itself, but I want you for your sake,
But you, you avoid me.
Beloved!
You cannot meet me half-way in your drawing close to me
My drawing close to you outweighs a hundredfold the means by which you approach me.
I am closer to you than your self.
And your self, which performs these acts, is other than Me , created.
Beloved!
I am jealous of you from you.
I cannot bare to see you with otherness or with yourself.
Be with Me in Me,
with yourself just as you are with Me.
Then, my Beloved, you will not even feel the Union,
The Union.
Had we found a path toward separation,
we would let the separation savour separation.
Beloved!
Come, hand in hand, enter Reality that It may decide between us with the judgment of eternity
Beloved antagonist
Pleasure cannot be found in dispute between lovers,. Pleasure is in the converse.
As the poet said;
I wished her dead because of loving her
So that shed be my adversary on the Last Day
(Say; Do you have an understanding of the High Assembly when they are disputing?
Had the outcome of this severance been only appearance before the Judge, then what about the joy of and gazing upon the face of a beloved?)
O heart! O heart!

 

Ibn Arabi . XII Century

 

Thanks to Vastearthorchestra for the transcription of the text.

 

 

Visit his video on youtube

 

 

 

 

I have uploaded seven pdf books about Sufism. They are at the “Pearls of Wisdom” section, on this blog’s right pane. You might check there for these and other previously uploaded files.

 

Enjoy

 

. The Persian Sufis. by Cyprian Rice, O.P.,
George Allen, London, 1964

 

. Sufism: The Formative Period. By AHMET T. KARAMUSTAFA

 

. Schimmel. “What is Sufism? – Historical Outlines of Classic Sufism

 

. William C. Shittick. “Sufism: A Beginner’s Guide”

 

. “The Reality of Sufism in Light of the Qur’aan and Sunnah”. Shaikh Muhammad ibn Rabee’  ibn Hadee al-Madkhalee

 

. The Sufi Message of Inayat Khan. Vol. VIIIa

 

. In Arabic: Sufism. By Khwaja Shamsuddin Azeemi. Patriarch Azeemia Sufi Order.

 

 

 

 

“Here is a presence

holding me tight

It is at my pursuit,

yet blocking my path…

 

 

 

 

 

“Have you found what you were looking for?”

 

UNLIKE the violent and extremist image of the Pakistan in the media, KASHF - THE UNVEILING takes us on a journey exploring the mystical side of Islam.

 

ARMAGHAN is born out of an oath his mother makes to a Pir (Holy man) she meets at a Sufi Shrine when she is childless. She promises the Pir who blesses her to let her child "walk the path" when he grows up. Armaghan "the gift" is born in Pakistan but sent off to the US to live with relatives after his father's death. He returns to Pakistan after 25 years, unaware of the family secret about to change his life...."

ALI MacGRAW on "KASHF: The Lifting of the Veil"
"Lifting the Veil" is a huge and impressive accomplishment...A Riveting Film. I was fascinated to see the many aspects of Pakistan which are not normally accessible to us on our television reportage, and to follow a story which is rich in details of this ancient culture."

Ali MacGraw

KASHF is releasing in the US JAN 9th 2009.

 

I can't wait to see this movie in Spain.

 

 

 

KASFH THE MOVIE

KASHF ON TWITTER

 

To diagnose and treat the diseases of the heart normally requires the help of an expert mentor or Shaikh. Here are the qualities of a good Shaikh.

 

1. He possesses necessary religious knowledge.

2. His beliefs, habits, and practices are in accordance with the Shariah.

3. He does not harbor greed for the worldly wealth.

4. He has himself spent time learning from a good Shaikh.

5. The scholars and good mashaikh of his time hold good opinion about him.

6. His admirers are mostly from among the people who have good understanding of religion.

7. Most of his followers follow the Shariah and are not the seekers after this world.

8. He sincerely tries to educate and morally train his followers. If he sees anything wrong in them, he corrects it.

9. In his company one can feel a decrease in the love of this world and an increase in the love for Allah.

10. He himself regularly performs dhikr and shughal (spiritual exercises).

In searching for a Shaikh, do not look for his ability to perform karamat (miracles) or to foretell the future. A very good Shaikh may not be able to show any karamat. On the other hand, a person showing karamat does not have to be a pious person --- or even a Muslim. Prominent Sufi Bayazid Bistami says: "Do not be deceived if you see a performer of supernatural feats flying in the air. Measure him on the standard of the Shariah."

When you find the right Shaikh, and you are satisfied with his ability to provide spiritual guidance, you perform baya or pledge. This is a two-way commitment; the Shaikh pledges to guide you in light of Shariah and you pledge to follow him. Then the Shaikh will give his mureed (disciple) initial instructions. They include the following:

1. Perform repentance for all the past sins and take steps to make amends, e.g. if any salat has been missed so far in the life, you start making up for it.

2. If you have any unmet financial obligations toward another person make plans to discharge them.

3. Guard your eyes, ears, and tongue.

4. Perform dhikr regularly.

5. Start a daily session of self-accounting before going to bed. Review all the good and bad deeds performed during the day. Repent for the bad ones and thank Allah for the good ones.

6. Perform muraqaba-maut (meditation over death) every night before going to bed. Just visualize that you have died. Reflect upon the pangs of death, the questioning in the grave, the plain of Resurrection, the Reckoning , the presence in the Court of Allah, etc This helps bring softness to the heart and break the tendency to commit sins.

7. Develop humility. Even if you observe another individual committing the worst of vices you should not despise him/her, nor should you consider yourself nobler. It is very much possible that the perpetrator of the vice may resort to sincere repentance while the one who despised the sinner become ensnared in the traps of nafs and Shaitan. One has no certainty regarding one's end. One, therefore has no basis for regarding another with contempt.

The essential idea of tahzeebe akhlaq is to bring our natural faculties in a state of balance. The three basic faculties are anger, desires, and intelligence.

Anger:

When in equilibrium it results in valor, forbearance, steadfastness, the ability to restrain anger, and dignity. Excess will result in rashness, boastfulness, pride, inability to restrain anger, and vanity. A deficiency will result in cowardice, disgrace, and feeling of inferiority.

Desires:

Equilibrium here results in chastity, generosity, haya (decency), patience, and contentment. Its excess leads to greed and lust. The other extreme results in narrow-mindedness, and impotence, etc.

Intelligence:

Equilibrium here makes man wise, sharp-witted and one with great insights. Excess here makes one deceptive, fraudulent and imposture. Its lack results in ignorance and stupidity with the consequence that such a person is quickly misled.

A person will be considered as having a beautiful seerah (character) only when these faculties are in the state of balance and equilibrium. Internal beauty varies with people just as external beauty does. The possessor of the most beautiful seerah was Prophet Muhammad, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam. The beauty of our seerah is based on its closeness to his seerah.

[Condensed from writings of Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi]

 

From: What is Tasawwuf?

 

 

The Times of India

 

“What has Sufism got to do with Islam? I realise that Islam is perceived as a faith with harsh laws, whereas Sufism represents wonderful poetry, dance, art and an appealing form of universal love.
It is difficult for some Muslims and most non-Muslims to accept that Sufism is the spiritual current that flows through Islam. Sufi Masters are called ahl-e-dil, 'people of the heart'. They teach that religion has no meaning unless warmed by emotions of love, and interpret Sufism as being the heart of Islam.
However, i do understand that Sufism has come to mean something quite different in the language of the New Age. Disillusioned with religion and the problems associated with it in secular democratic societies, people tend to mix and match elements from various religious traditions that personally appeal to them... I have attempted to explain how Islam and Sufism are inseparable. The Qur'an informs us that Islam is not something that began with prophet Muhammad some 1400 years ago, but with the creation of the universe in which Adam was the first Prophet. Sufism is the timeless art of awakening the higher consciouness through submission to the Divine Will. The Sufi doctrine goes far beyond history and is rooted in the primordial covenant all unborn souls made with their Creator...
Sufism essentially consists of a path that teaches how to free oneself from the ego and rise to higher spiritual levels. The road is endless and how far one wishes to travel is largely a matter of personal choice. The Sufi way contains a method of guidance and transformation that is not an easy route...
I learnt that Islam was clearly about moderation and reflection, and how Prophet Muhammad had warned us of extremism... The Qur'an reminds us that mercy and compassion are the foremost of Allah's attributes. The answers to many issues facing Muslim communities can be found in revisiting the scholarship of the Sufis. These Masters have established traditions of knowledge transmission that go back all the way to Prophet Muhammad who said, 'Pass on knowledge from me even if it is only one verse'...
My Sufi Master Shah Muhammad Farooq Rahmani... emphasised that Sufis are torch-bearers to the path of righteousness. He believed that for those unable to seek the sohbat, company of Sufis, reading and being aware about their life and teachings are blessings. The mystic began each discourse with the words, 'Those who are true in their intent, those who have complete faith and those who seek the Truth are the ones who successfully achieve their goal'. He lamented that the biographers of the Sufis focussed more on their miracles than on their inner struggle, character and teachings...
To describe the essence and depth of the Sufi experience in words is almost an impossible task. We have seen throughout history that Muslims do not react to attacks on God but will never allow any disregard for Prophet Muhammad. They deeply love, trust and venerate their Prophet who forms the exemplary model for each believing Muslim. The central figure in Islam, therefore, forms the axis of the Sufi doctrine. A knowledge of Sufism requires not just an understanding of Islamic essentials, but a look into the life and role of Muhammad.
For mystics, Prophet Muhammad mirrors Allah's attributes. During my Sufiinitiation, I was taught that loving and following the Prophet was to love God. He remains the perfect vehicle to inner enlightment, for even in slumber, he remained connected to Allah...
(Excerpted from the writer's recently released book - Sufism: The Heart of Islam.)

 

 

An interesting forum about Sufism

 

 

 

Islam in Spain among others have greatly influenced Christian Mystic Thoughts. Strange as it may seem, some of the most important mystical symbols used by St. John of the Cross and St. Theresa of Avila are of Islamic origin, specially that of Spanish Sufis. Miguel Asín Palacios, Spain’s foremost Arabist, was able to trace St. John’s dark night of the soul to the Shadilite school of mysticism, as well as St. Theresa’s seven concentric castles to an anonymous 16th-century treatise called the Nawadir. What the critics have deemed extremely mysterious and “original” in Spanish mysticism is, in many ways, just the adaptation of Islamic mystical symbols. And Alhambra and other great places of Spain are witness of such influence.

 

CONTINUE READING

 

By Dawud

 

Sufism and Wahhabism might seem like diametrically opposed opposites within the world of Islam. Both of them are terms used (sometimes incorrectly) to refer to a wide range of practices and beliefs.

Originally, Sufism, tasawwuf started as an Islamic branch of knowledge that focused on spirituality and dedication to Allah (swt). Its origins can be traced to the earliest days of Islam. Among the Companions of the Prophet were those who were very poor, yet also very pious. These men, who were called became known as “Ashab As-Suffah,” or the Companions of the Porch. Another interpretation of the word tasawwuf is that it is a combination of the words suf and safa, which mean “wool” and “purity,” respectively. The Sufi scholar Abu ‘Ali al-Rudhabari took this to mean, “The Sufi is the one who wears wool on top of purity.”

A famous narrator of Hadith, Abu Hurrayah, was among those dedicated to Sufism. Thus, we can see that Sufism in itself is not a new development with in Islam. Some other scholars such as Abdul-Qadir Al-Jilani and Bishr Al-Hafi would wear rough wool, and while lacking a deep or precise knowledge of jurisprudence, always reminded their followers of Allah and the hereafter, and left a memory of a simple and spiritual life.

Sufism, afterwards, evolved into an educational method (tarbiyah)…

 

CONTINUE READING

 

 

Dave does an interview, talks about Sufism or tries at least.

 

click Here to read the interview

 

By Karen Armstrong, "The Hope of Sufism" - The Washington Post On Faith - Washington, DC, USA
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Pakistan's chief problems are political and need a political solution. But political malaise and conflict affects people emotionally, imaginatively, in their relationships, desires and aspirations, and often religion gets sucked into a bad situation and becomes part of the problem.
It is not surprising therefore that some Pakistanis have turned to a somewhat rigid form of Islam. Yet on my visits to the country I have found that people are so open, friendly, eager to hear a friendly voice from the West, and to explore new ways of living an Islamic life.
Sufism is a marvelous form of Islam and would do anybody good anywhere. I came across it very early in my career as a religious historian and was especially drawn to its pluralism.

CONTINUE READING

 

 

“Do not praise your own faith exclusively,

so that you disbelieve all the rest.

If you do this, you will miss much good

~ nay, you will miss the whole truth of the matter.

God the omniscient and omnipresent

cannot be confined to any one creed for he says

“Wheresoever ye turn, there is the face of Allah.”

Everybody praises what he knows.

His god is his own creature

and in praising it,

he praises himself,

which he would not do

if he were just.

His dislike is based on ignorance.”

 

 

 

XIII AD Sufi philosopher Ibn Arabi

 

From: l.kadvani

 

 

 

Classical Sufi scholars have defined Sufism as “a science whose objective is the reparation of the heart and turning it away from all else but God.” Sufism refers to a group of mystical Muslim movements. It uses music, dancing and other means to reach a state of communion with God.

It is analogous in some senses to the Bhakti movement in Hinduism and to the various Christian monastic movements such as that of St Francis of Assisi. The Sufi path consists in cleansing the heart from whatever is other than Allah.

A Persian poem tells us what The Sufi Path (Tasawwuf ) is:

What is Tasawwuf? Good character and awareness of God.
That’s all Tasawwuf is. And nothing more.

What is Tasawwuf? Love and affection.
It is the cure for hatred and vengeance. And nothing more.

What is Tasawwuf? The heart attaining tranquility–
which is the root of religion. And nothing more.

What is Tasawwuf? Concentrating your mind,
which is the religion of Ahmad (pbuh). And nothing more.

What is Tasawwuf? Contemplation that travels to the Divine throne.
It is a far-seeing gaze. And nothing more.

Tasawwuf is keeping one’s distance from imagination and supposition.
Tasawwuf is found in certainty. And nothing more.

Surrendering one’s soul to the care of the inviolability of religion;
this is Tasawwuf. And nothing more.

Tasawwuf is the path of faith and affirmation of unity;
this is the incorruptible religion. And nothing more.

Tasawwuf is the smooth and illuminated path.
It is the way to the most exalted paradise. And nothing more.

I have heard that the ecstasy of the wearers of wool
comes from finding the taste of religion. And nothing more.

 

TO READ MORE, FOLLOW THIS LINK

 

On the evening of April 23rd, 2009, author Sadia Dehlvi was beaming like a happy child in her Nizamuddin East drawing room. Finally, she had her first book, Sufism, The Heart of Islam, clasped tightly in her hands. Earlier in the day, Harper Collins India, Ms Dehlvi's publisher, had sent her a copy of the book hot off the press. Notwithstanding her excitement, The Delhi Walla pestered her for an interview over a cup of green tea.

 

READ MORE

 

 

 

 

 

 

From Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia

 

Read by Maryam

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To listen the Spanish version, click here

 

Download Mp3

 

Maryam Tasawwuf Podcast xml

 

 

 

“Tell me of the existence
Of worlds and planets far away
Of past civilizations
Of continents gone adrift.
Talk to me about love
Tell me more about human love,
Of anomalous travelers
In magical, mystic territories.
Ahead we followed by instinct
Only the comets trail
As vanguards of another system
In search of the end.
No Time No Space
Another race of vibrations,
The sea of the simulation.
Keep your feelings in memory
I love you especially tonight.
The air-traffic controllers
Just ready for take-off
Astrological telescopes
To discover new stars.
Walking Sundays
As a spacer
Ahead.
Ahead we followed by instinct
Only the comets trail
As vanguards of another system
In search of the end.
No Time No Space
Another race of vibrations,
The sea of the simulation.
Keep your feelings in memory
I love you especially tonight.”

 

Franco Battiato. No Time, no Space. 1985

Music by G.Pio & F.Battiato - Testo di F.Battiato – From the album "Echoes of Sufi Dances"(EMI) – Arrangements : Battiato-Pio.

 

TO LISTEN

 

 

April 26, 2009

10:00 AM
to
5:30 PM

Stephen Hirtenstein, MA

 

We all know that Judaism, Christianity and Islam are all in the same family of Abrahamic faiths and share many sacred figures. Many Christians do not realize that in Islamic mysticism the figures of Mary and Jesus are venerated as archetypes of purity and sainthood. In these two half-day workshops, which will include meditation, the contemplation of particular themes, PowerPoint presentations and group discussions of specially translated texts, we will look at how this link between the two faiths offers common ground for fruitful ecumenical dialogue, and explore the meaning and relevance of saintliness in the present day. These two programs will show us how exploring each others’ mystical traditions can help us see our own faith with new eyes.

The Mystical Islamic View of Mary
Stories about Mary in the Quran and in the Sufi tradition mention her as “chosen above all other women,” and seem to point to her as the embodiment ofa cosmic principle of wisdom and compassion that also exists inside us (the “Mary within”). We will look at the tradition of female saints in Sufism and at the larger archetype of the feminine aspect of Divine Wisdom (Sophia).

The Christ Within in Ibn ’Arabi and Rumi
In this session, we will focus on a few specially translated texts from the writings of the great 13th century Sufi masters Ibn ’Arabi and Rumi that elucidate these extraordinary mystics’ understanding of such esoteric concepts as the virgin birth and the presence of an “inner Christ” who can come alive in all of us.

 

 

VISIT THIS WEBSITE TO REGISTER

 

In honor of his grandson Jack’s one month birthday (Praise God!), Irving Karshmar is giving a FREE Master of the Jinn EBOOK (in pdf format) as a gift to anyone that wants one until April 30th. To receive the Free Ebook, this Sufi novel of God’s infinite love and mercy, email him at:

Irvingk1945 at gmail dot com

Just write Gift Ebook in the subject line.

 

April 25th, 2009

Saturday @ 7:00PM

 

Invitation to a Special Sufism Lecture (in English) and Congregational Dhikr (Zikr), remembrance and contemplation

by

Shaykh Hisham Muhammad Kabbani,

the Deputy of Mewlana Shaikh Muhammad Nazim Adil Al-Haqqani, the worldwide leader of the Naqshbandi/Sufi spiritual Order of Tasawwuf.

 

Manhattan Center
379 Park Ave South
3rd Floor
(Between 26th and 27th Streets)
New York, NY 10016

 

For more information, visit THIS site

 

 

 

From Amazon.com:

 

It's difficult to find a more meticulous introduction to Sufism than the Shambhala Guide. Professor of Islamic studies Carl W. Ernst shows us the many facets of Sufism, from the time of Mohammad to contemporary Sufic leaders. He introduces both the political sphere of Sufism--how the orders have played significant social roles and because of this are persecuted by modern fundamentalists--and the personal sphere--the relationship between master and disciple, the sacred texts, the mystical experience. Ernst also provides critical background information for poetry, music, and dance that is difficult to find in the many Sufi literary anthologies. Shambhala Publications may have gotten more scholarship than they expected from Ernst, but the occasional hairsplitting is welcome for its absence elsewhere in English Sufic literature.

Product Description
The soaring voice of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, the ecstatic dance of the Whirling Dervishes, the rapturous verse of Jalaluddin Rumi—all are expressions of Sufism, often regarded as the mystical tradition of Islam. Who are the Sufis? They are more than mystics; they are empowered by the Qur'an and the Prophet Muhammad. They are guided by saints and masters. They belong to orders ranging from North Africa and Turkey to India and Central Asia. In addition to prayer and fasting, they practice techniques of meditation. They recite poetry, delight in music, and perform dance, all towards one goal—union with God, the Divine Beloved. This comprehensive introduction clarifies the concept of Sufism and discusses its origin and development. In addition, the author discusses the important issues of Sufism's relationship with the larger Islamic world and its encounters with fundamentalism and modern secularism, along with the appropriation of Sufism by non-Muslims and the development of Sufi traditions in the West.

 

 

 

Quotes of Aga Khan IV, Aga Khan III and Nasir Khusraw:

"And the more we discover, the more we know, the more we penetrate just below the surface of our normal lives - the more our imagination staggers.........What we feel, even as we learn, is an ever-renewed sense of wonder, indeed, a powerful sense of awe – and of Divine inspiration.....the Power and the Mystery of Allah as the Lord of Creation"(Aga Khan IV, Ottawa, Canada, December 6th 2008)

 

TO READ MORE

 

 

 

The World Digital Libray started yesterday its activities, offering digital works from all times to the public with sources from various libraries around the world, including the Bibliotheca Alexandrina.

 

The first item I have found today is the Explanation of the Work of al-Ghazali and Nuh ibn al-Tahir al-Fulani. The Digital Library shows 21 pages from this Explanation dating from around 1800.

 

Here is the information of this precious “Explanation”:

 

Description

    * Timbuktu, founded around 1100 as a commercial center for trade across the Sahara Desert, was also an important seat of Islamic learning from the 14th century onward. The libraries of Timbuktu contain many important manuscripts, in different styles of Arabic scripts, which were written and copied by Timbuktu’s scribes and scholars. These works constitute the city’s most famous and long-lasting contribution to Islamic and world civilization. This work by Sulayman ibn Ahmad comments on the work of the famous scholar al-Ghazali and discusses a commentary on Ghazali's work by Nuh ibn al-Tahir al-Fulani, a well-known scholar from Timbuktu.

Author

    * Sulaymān ibn Aḥmad

Date Created

    * Around 1800

Language

    * Arabic

Title in Original Language

    * Sharh 'ala nazm al-muthallath lil-Ghazali wa nazm Nuh b. al-Tahir al-Fulani

Place

    * Africa > Mali > Tombouctou

Time

    * 500 AD - 1499 AD

Topic

    * Science > Astronomy > Astronomy & allied sciences

Additional Subjects

    * Arabic manuscripts ; Astrology ; Astronomy ; Ghazzālī, 1058-1111 ; Islamic manuscripts ; Nūḥ ibn al-Ṭāhir al-Fūlānī ; Sufism

Type of Item

    * Manuscripts

Collection

    * Islamic Manuscripts from Mali

Institution

    * Mamma Haidara Commemorative Library

External Resource

    * http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.wdl/mhcl.467

 

To view all the pages in this collection, visit this site

 

 

 

"Your reason and your passion
are the rudder and the sails of your seafaring soul.

Among the hills, when you sit in the cool shade of white poplars,
sharing the peace and serenity of distant meadows... -then let your heart
say in silence,"God rests in reason!"-

And when the storm comes,and the mighty winds shakes the forest,
and thunder and lightning proclaim the majesty of the sky -then let your heart
say in awe,"God moves in passion!"

And since you are a breath
in God's sphere,
and a leaf in God's forest
you too should
rest in reason
and move in passion.

Khalil Gibran was a Lebanese-American artist, poet and writer. (1883-1931)

 

YouTube

 

From the book “"Women of Sufism, A Hidden Treasure”, by Camille Adams Helminski.

 

Read by Maryam

 

 

Download Mp3

 

Maryam Tasawwuf Podcast xml

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To read the transcripts, visit: http://www.deikman.com/sufism.html

 

 

 

 

Please, non Spanish spoken can kindly disregard this notice. Thank you.

 

A medida que este blog ha ido creciendo, me he visto en la diatriba de crear un blog únicamente para aquellas entradas en español, y así permitir que los suscriptores de lengua inglesa (y en español) tengan una página más acorde con su idioma. Por ello, a partir de hoy, todas aquellas entradas en Español no serán incluídas aquí en este blog, sinó que serán posteadas en el nuevo blog que he creado en wordpress, únicamente para entradas en Español.

 

La dirección es www.corazonsufi.wordpress.com

 

Por ello, si alguien desea desuscribirse de aquí, puede suscribirse en corazón sufí, ya que allí también he añadido el botón de suscripción.

 

Y por supuesto, para aquellos que disfruten la lectura en ambos idiomas (ya que además las entradas no son las mismas en ambos idiomas y en general), agradezco su lectura y el tiempo que pasan en estas páginas que voy escribiendo con Amor.

 

Gracias de nuevo.

 

Ya Haqq,

 

Maryam 

 

 

It is written.

 

 

 

 

 

“Observe the wonders as
they occur around you.
Don't claim them. Feel
the artistry moving
through and be silent... “

*****

“In your light I learn how to
love.
In your beauty,how to make
poems.
You dance inside my chest,
where no one sees you. “

~Rumi~

 

 

 

 

 

Palabras a un Peregrino

Camina por el sendero,

no huyas del torbellino,

no te alejes hacia el silencio

demasiado tiempo;

mas busca tu silencio

en la vorágine de tu alrededor.

Y si no lo encuentras,

créalo.

Camina, caminante del Amor,

por calles y avenidas

donde la indiferencia te persiga,

donde los corazones no palpiten

como lo hace el tuyo.

Sonríe cuando todo sea gris,

cuando las manos que estrechen las tuyas

estén vacías.

Sonríe al caminar,

pues no necesitas nada más,

no necesitas que otros corazones

te faciliten la tarea;

la tarea de descubrir

lo que existe dentro de tí.

No te alejes demasiado hacia montañas calladas

no huyas hacia el silencio externo.

Siente cómo palpita TU propio silencio,

el dulce sabor del vaso lleno en el vacío

del Universo.

Permite sentir que otros

podrían estar más lejos que tú

en el sendero del Amor;

permite pensar que no has llegado

como llegan ellos,

siente que el camino es arduo,

no es fácil,

nada fácil,

y por ello es maravilloso;

durante el camino, que tu corazón transite

por campos y obstáculos;

aprenderás que aquellos que parecen no sentir

lo que tu sientes,

se sorprenden a sí mismos

en su silencio

(es su secreto)

como tú tienes el tuyo.

Querido Peregrino del Amor,

no necesitas más que a Dios.

Maryam.

 

I have added a few more articles at the “Pearls of Wisdom” section.

 

Thanks to: The Sufi

and

Naqshbandi Muhibeen

 

via “Foods for thought”

 

He añadido algunos artículos sobre sufismo en la sección “Pearls of Wisdom”.

 

Ya Haqq,

 

Maryam

 

 

 

¡Nunca oísteis hablar de un amor tan íntegro y noble,
que aunque enfermo se siente gozoso en su pena
y apenado en el goce!
(Fûtuhât, II, 614)

 

Pir (Persian: (پیر) literally "old [person]") is a title for a Sufi master. They are also referred to as a Shaikh, which is Arabic for Old Man. The title is often translated into English as "saint". In Sufism Pir's role is to guide and instruct his disciples on the Sufi path. This is often done by general lessons (called Suhbas) and individual guidance. Other words that refer to a Pir include, Murshid (Arabic: مرشد‎, meaning "guide" or "teacher"), Sheikh and Sarkar (Persian/Hindi/Urdu word meaning Master, Lord).

The path of Sufism starts when a student takes an oath of allegiance with a teacher called Bai'ath or Bay'ah (Arabic word meaning Transaction). After that, the student is called a Murid (Arabic word meaning committed one).

A Pir usually has authorizations to be a teacher for one (or more) Tariqahs (paths). A Tariqah may have more than one Pir at a time. A Pir is accorded that status by his Shaikh by way of Khilafat or Khilafah (Arabic word meaning succession). Khilafat is the process in which a Shaikh identifies one of his disciples as his successor (khalifah). A Pir can have more than one khalifah.

 

From WIKIPEDIA

On the image: Pir Zia Inayat-Khan.

Pir Zia is the son and successor to his father Pir Vilayat Inayat Khan. He is the present head of The Sufi Order of the West and the founder of Suluk Academy. He has studied comparative religion and oriental languages (Arabic Urdu and Persian) at London University and received his PhD from Duke University. Like his father he is a master of meditation and profound Sufi mysticism.

 

 

الرضى و التسليم

Contentment in submission

(ridaa wa’ l-tasliim)

 

 

“Contentment” (al-ridaa) is to face the vicissitudes with a smiling face; or a joy that fills the heart when the divine rules happen; or to let the decision (tark al-ikhtiyaar) to God in all that God organizes and does; or to feel at ease (sarh al-sadr) and free from criticism (inkaar) in relation with what comes from The One Almighty.

 

“Submission” (al-tasliim), is to let with serenity that God organizes and decides the course of destiny. It is a synonym of “contentment” if we consider the last definition of “al-tasliim”. But the contentment  is higher in the other senses. It is said that contentment appears the moment when the divine rule is realized, while submission comes before: it is then called tafwiid, -total acceptation- in a proper sense.

 

Both of them start by the constancy – steadfastness - (sabr) and the internal fight (mujahaada); their middle stage is the suspension of agitated and bitter thoughts; their completion is in the joy, the tranquility, the absence of agitation.

 

The first degree is the vulgar one; the second, the one belonging to the elite; the third degree belongs to the chosen elite.

 

The first thought which happens [when the test takes place] is forgiven, according to the general opinion, because of the weakness of human nature, as no human being is exempt of having it.

Translated from Glossaire du Soufisme, by Iban Agibah, edited by A. Saleh Hamdan.

  “Motherhood in Sufism has a distinct set-up that varies greatly from what I like to call “TV-branded popular Islam.” In the Naqshbandi path, thriving in Damascus and the path I personally follow, motherhood overrides fatherhood; it has greater jurisdiction over siblings, futures and marriage. A mother’s role in Arab societies is usually boiled down to being the secretary of the general manager (i.e. the husband), but in Sufi tradition, she is “the” captain of the ship.”

 

This article was written in “Forward Magazine”, March 2009.

 

To continue reading this article, please follow this link

 

 

 

 

 

 

  Mirror Case

‘Ali Ashraf

 

Brooklyn Museum celebrates Sufism with an Islamic Art Installation featuring objects ranging from the Medieval period to the Present Day.

On view at the Brooklyn Museum from June 5 through September 6, 2009.

From Brooklyn Museum:

 

Light of the Sufis: The Mystical Arts of Islam features twenty-four objects from the Brooklyn Museum, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and private collections that are related to a mystical form of Islam known as Sufism. This special installation will be on view in the Brooklyn Museum’s Islamic galleries from June 5 through September 6, 2009.

While diverse Muslim sects and Islamic cultures do not necessarily share a singular view or practice of Islam, the mystical and romantic nature of Sufism tends to have a more universal appeal to Muslims and non-Muslims alike. This exhibition focuses on some of the most important Sufi ideas and practices that found expression through the arts of the Islamic world, beginning with light, which symbolizes both God and enlightenment. The works displayed represent both literal and figural reflections of important mystical themes, including furnishings used for lighting; representations and attributes of Sufi mystics; illustrated, illuminated, and laser-etched manuscripts of Sufi poetry; and traditional and contemporary works inspired by Sufi principles. The range of chronology, cultures, and media of the works exhibited reflects the wide appeal and impact of Sufism on the arts from the early period to the present day.

Highlights include a gilded and enameled glass lamp inscribed with the famous “Light Verse” (Ayat al-Nur) from the Qur’an, a gilded and jewel-encrusted silver beggar’s bowl meant for collecting alms, and two inlaid brass candlestick bases from the eastern Islamic world made in the thirteenth and sixteenth centuries, respectively. Two contemporary artworks will be featured in this installation: one is a modern interpretation of the mystical verses of the renowned poet Jalal al-Din Rumi (d. 1273), translated by Zahra Partovi and inscribed in a glass book by Brooklyn artist Kelly Driscoll, and the other is a composition of charcoal prayer-stone rubbings by Iranian-American artist Pouran Jinchi. The exhibition will also present several portraits of Sufi dervishes, some identified through inscriptions and others through costumes representing a particular Sufi order. A vintage photograph depicts a dervish family from the early twentieth century in modest attire, while an album page shows a mystic resembling a Chinese luohan in meditation accompanied by his flute and alms bowl. Some works, such as large Qajar painting and illustrated manuscript pages, illustrate narratives recounted in well-known Sufi literature. Poetry also appears on a beautiful medieval Iranian ceramic dish
painted in light-reflecting luster, including verses by Rumi’s master, Shams al-Tabrizi (d. 1248), whom Rumi compared to a sun shining the light of God upon him.
The exhibition has been organized by Ladan Akbarnia, Hagop Kevorkian Associate Curator of Islamic Art, Brooklyn Museum.
Light of the Sufis: The Mystical Arts of Islam will be presented in conjunction with Muslim Voices: Arts and Ideas, an unprecedented ten-day festival and conference in New York City celebrating Islamic culture of which the Brooklyn Museum is a supporting partner.

 

Cuento tradicional sufí.

Leído por Maryam

Descargar Mp3

Maryam Tasawwuf Podcast xml

Cuentos de Sufismo

 

التوكل

Abandonment to God 

(tawakkul)

The “abandonment to God” happens when the heart confides in God to a point that the heart only leans on God;  or to be tied to God and address only to God in everything, knowing that God knows everything, and to count on what is in His hands than what is in ours. The lowest degree of “abandonment to God” is to be in the same position as when the asker is in front of the giver, alert and anxious about his interests. De medium degree is like when it happens with a child and his mother: in all circumstance, it is only towards him that she focuses her attention. And the highest degree of “abandonment to God” is to be like a corpse – dead body -  in the hands of the washer of the dead.

These three degrees are, respectively, the ones of the vulgar, the ones of the elite and the ones of the chosen elite.  As for the first ones, a suspicion (tuhma) comes at times to the mind. Regarding the second ones, there is no wariness (ittihaam) but they get attached to their mothers because they are in need for it. And as for the ones belonging to the third degree, there is no suspicion at all, nor “interested” attachment, because they fade to their own soul (faani ‘annafsihi) and expect at all times what God will make from them.

Translated from Glossaire du Soufisme, by Iban Agibah, edited by A. Saleh Hamdan.
For further reading:

Tawakkul. From Mission Islam

Tawakkul. From Hizmetbooks

 

There is a place where words are born of silence,
A place where the whispers of the heart arise.
There is a place where voices sing your beauty,
A place where every breeath
carves your image
in my soul.

Beauty of the Heart

 

“No doubt about it. During my journey and my encounter with Sufism, the books I had read by Paulo’s came to my mind a few times, not the stories themselves but the way he writes them. When I came back and started to use the internet to find articles about Sufism, the more I read the more I felt he has a Sufi heart and soul. And… I love that…”

Here is an article where he tells Forward Magazine how this mysticism has influenced his works.

FORWARD MAGAZINE

 

'Enlightened by sight'

Ahmed Darwish reviews the life of one of Egypt's most distinguished calligraphers

From Al-Ahram Weekly

Khan Al-Maghrabi in Zamalek has put together an exhibition of the work of calligrapher Hamed El-Uweidi to mark the anniversary of his death last year at the age of 53. The exhibition, entitled "Love and Salute", drew crowds of art enthusiasts and calligraphy buffs.

Calligraphy may seem to be a luxury, as it requires a skill and takes too much time, especially at a time when most of us spend our days hunched over a keyboard, the nostalgia for beautiful writing is hard to resist.

To read more click here

 

 

لزهد

Detachment

(zuhd)

The detachment –ascetism-  is the emptiness of the heart which doesn’t know any other commitment  than what is in relation to God, or the coldness of the heart and the dislike of the soul in relation to the world.

For the vulgar it is renunciation, in everything, to what surpasses the strict necessity. For the elite, it is the reinforcement to what diverts the connection towards God at any circumstance. For the elite chosen ones, detachment means renunciation to see other than God, in all times. In short words, it is the coldness of the heart regarding what is not Him, in relation to any other desire than the Beloved’s. It is the cause of love (mahabba), as it has been said by the prophet: “Pull away from the world. God will love you.”, etc; it is the cause of slow progression [towards God] and the arrival to the highest purpose (wusuul), as the heart would not be able to walk when it is attached to everything but the Beloved.

Translated from Glossaire du Soufisme, by Iban Agibah, edited by A. Saleh Hamdan.
For further reading:
zuhd. Encyclopedia Britannica

Practizing Az- zuhd

 

 

“Don’t worry about saving these songs!

And if one of our instruments breaks,

it does not matter.

We have fallen into the place

where everything is music.

And even if the whole world’s harp

should burn up,

there will still be hidden instruments

playing.

The strumming and the flute notes

rise into the atmosphere.

So the candle flickers

and goes out.

We have a piece of flint,

and a spark.

This singing art is sea foam.

The graceful movements

come from a pearl

somewhere on the ocean floor.

Poems reach out like kindred spindrift

and the edge of driftwood

along the beach, wanting!

They derive  from a slow

and powerful root

that we can’t see.

Stop the words now!

Open the window

in the center of your chest

and let the spirits fly in and out.”

From Publishers Weekly
Schwartz, a journalist and convert to Islam, offers Sufism, the mystical branch of Islam, as an aid to the United States' efforts to fight extremism. He provides an incomparable history of Sufism, covering in one short book all the major Sufi saints, schools, and the persecution of Sufis by Wahhabis. Deeply anti-Wahhabi, Schwartz encourages U.S. policymakers to ally with Sufis to undermine the Wahhabi influence. Schwartz believes the Wahhabi philosophy, which is literal and extreme in its interpretation of the Islamic faith, to be the motivation behind Muslim terrorism, with Wahhabi Saudis providing the financing. Wahhabis abhor Sufis for centuries-old traditions they label as idolatrous. Schwartz critiques the Western media for inaccurately dismissing Wahhabi attacks on Sufis, including the insurgency in Iraq, as Sunni-Shia disputes. In reality, Schwartz argues, they are part of the centuries-long Wahhabi campaign to destroy Sufism and moderate Islam. Schwartz's opinion—that Sufis are the natural allies of the U.S. in the ongoing war on terror—is well presented and worth considering. (Sept. 16) ""
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved."
Review

Advance Praise for The Other Islam
Stephen Schwartz is internationally known as a serious student of Islam and its mysticism and as a special friend of the Bektashi Sufi order. The Other Islam is an important work that will, I sincerely hope, open the minds of non-Muslims as well as Muslims to the heritage and present reality of spiritual Islam. Let this book help spread the message and enlightenment of Hajji Bektash Veli throughout the world. —H.E. Hajji Dedebaba Reshat Bardhi, World Supreme Head of the Bektashi community
The Other Islam is more than an engaging introduction to Sufism in full. Stephen Schwartz has also sketched a suggestive roadmap for the kind of inter-religious dialogue that can move the world beyond the clash of civilizations to a mutually enriching encounter of noble religious traditions. Schwartz’s Sufi-inspired conviction that it is, finally, God’s world, not one in which nihilism married to distorted monotheism will have the final word, can and should be embraced by serious Jews, Christians, and Muslims alike. —George S. Weigel, Distinguished Senior Fellow, Ethics and Public Policy Center, and biographer of Pope John Paul II
The Other Islam presents a different side of the Muslim world and Islam, at a time when Islam is identified in the West with militancy, violence, radicalism, and terrorism. Stephen Schwartz gives readers a good picture of how we should look at Islam’s full spectrum of doctrines and interpretations, and understand that Jihad can be interpreted and implemented by peaceful and spiritual ways. His contribution to the understanding of the other dimensions of this worldwide religion and culture, especially now, is very significant. We should all wish for a greater role for the various Sufi orders in the socio-political culture of the Muslim world. —Reuven Paz, Director, Project for the Research of Islamist Movements (PRISM) of The Interdisciplinary Center, Herzliya, Israel

This book can be found at www.amazon.com