~::Maryam:: Tasawwuf Blog~

The prose and verse readings in this book were chosen to interest the many people who have become attracted to Sufi teachings through their exposure to popular Sufi poetry, music, and dance. The selections—mostly from the Middle East and India, ranging from the tenth to the twentieth century—provide a sampling of Sufi thought on some of the basic aspects of this spiritual path. Most of the readings are published here in English for the first time. Brief introductory remarks place each selection into its historical and religious context, and an index of Qur'anic passages helps the reader to trace the extensive allusions to the Islamic holy scriptures. The topics covered include: The nature of mystical love Meditation Listening to music as a spiritual practice Ethical teachings of Sufism Pitfalls on the spiritual path Spiritual companionship and the master-disciple relationship The importance of the Qur'an and the Prophet Muhammad Biographical accounts of great mystics, including the poet Rumi as well as several female saints

The Sufi Bookstore

Little did Irina Tweedie know that her trip to India in 1959, at the age of fifty-two, would mysteriously lead her to a Sufi Master and set her upon a journey to the "heart of hearts," the Sufi path of realisation. Her teacher's first request of her was to keep a complete diary of her spiritual training - everything, all the difficult parts, even all the doubts. He predicted that one day it would become a book and would benefit people around the world. This diary spans five years, making up an amazing record of spiritual transformation: the agonies, the resistance, the long and frightening bouts with the purifying forces of Kundalini, the perseverance, the movements towards surrender, the longing and, finally, the all-consuming love. From a psychological viewpoint, the diary maps the process of ego dissolution, gradually unveiling the openness and love that reside beneath the surface of the personality. Mrs. Tweedie is the first Western woman to be trained in this ancient yogic lineage. Her story and experience testify that this teaching system can still be powerfully transformative today in our modern world.

Found at Amazon.co.uk

From: Daily Times

The Quran in its Historical Context; Edited by Gabriel Said Reynolds
Routledge 2008
Pp294; Price £75
Available at bookstores in Pakistan
For Ibn Khaldun in the 14th century, the Nabataeans were the native inhabitants of Mesopotamia before the Islamic conquest of Iraq. Assyrians, Babylonians and Chaldaeans are called Nabataeans. They were renowned for their magical practices
No one has studied the Arabic language better than the Arabs in history. In the field of etymology they have done immeasurably better than the Iranians with regard to Persian and Pakistanis with regard to Urdu. In Pakistan, interest in lexicography excludes any interest in the origin of Urdu words. But the Arabs always showed inquisitiveness about the origin of the words of the Quran.
The first person who focused on the foreign words in the Quran was none other than Islam’s foremost exegete, Imam Al Shafei, who came to the conclusion that no one knew exactly how many words had come in from other languages. He says: “Of all tongues, that of the Arabs is the richest and the most extensive. Knowledge of this tongue to the Arabs is like the knowledge of the sunna to the jurists. We know of no one who possesses knowledge of all the sunna without missing a portion of it. In like manner is the knowledge concerning the tongue of the Arabs by the scholars and the public. No part of it will be missed by them all, nor should it be sought from other people; for no one can learn this tongue save he who has learned it from the Arabs.” (Al-Shafei, Risala, 27-8).
Persian words were soon discovered because of the Arab-Persian contact in Iraq. For instance, ‘istabraq’ meaning ‘silk brocade’; ‘barzakh’, meaning ‘barrier’, used three times; and ‘firdaws’, meaning ‘paradise’. Other Quranic words that were deemed derived from other languages included ‘tannur’ in the sense of ‘oven’; ‘jibt’ meaning ‘idol’; and ‘rahiq’ meaning ‘wine’.
Many languages are isolated by the classical grammarians and lexicographers as sources of Arabic words. Among them is Syriac. Syriac, referred to as suryani or nabati, appears to have been well-known as a spoken language according to anecdotes found in the works of Ibn Qutayba and Ibn Durayd, both living in the tenth century. The association of Syriac with Christianity is also clear in the work of the eleventh century writer Al Biruni.
For Ibn Khaldun in the 14th century, the Nabataeans were the native inhabitants of Mesopotamia before the Islamic conquest of Iraq. Assyrians, Babylonians and Chaldaeans are called Nabataeans. They were renowned for their magical practices. Other writers make it apparent that this designation was not linguistic exclusively but rather an ancient group of people distinguished by their agricultural practice, as opposed to pastoral or military life. (p.255)
Al-Suyuti, who died in 1505, edited in several different versions lists of foreign words in the Quran. One of his works is called al-Mutawakkil fima warada fil-Quran bil-lughat. The treatise, named after the caliph al-Mutawakkill who died in 943/1536 who ordered the author to compile the work, is a list of Quranic words that are ‘to be found in the speech of the Ethiopians, the Persians or any other people other than the Arabs’. (p.256)
Another list has nineteen Hebrew words, including two from the Suryani list. The vocabulary is as follows: ‘Ran’ meaning ‘river’; ‘taha’ meaning ‘O Man’; ‘annat’ meaning vineyard and grapes. ‘Hawn’ meaning ‘wise men’ ‘layta laka’ meaning ‘come here’; ‘wa-lata’ meaning ‘and there is not’; ‘ahwan’ meaning ‘tranquil’; ‘Sujjad’ meaning ‘with uplifted heads’; ‘qayyum’ meaning ‘one who does not slumber’; ‘asfar’ meaning ‘books’; ‘qummal’ meaning ‘fly, bee’; ‘shahr’ meaning ‘month’; ‘yamm’ meaning ‘sea’; ‘salawat’ meaning ‘synagogues’; ‘qintar’ meaning ‘bull’s hide full of gold or silver’, etc.
Early references to Arabic by Christians are traced. For example, fourth-century writer Uranius notes that the place name Motho means death ‘in the speech of the Arabs’ (he arabon phone). His near contemporaries Ipiphanius of Salamis and Jerome also make reference to Arabic, the former in connection with a virgin goddess whom the inhabitants of Petra and Elusa praise in the arabike dialektos and call her in Arabic Kaabou (‘buxom maiden’). And the Jewish Talmud adduces a number of words said to be from the speech of the Arabs, and a few Arabicisms enter the Syriac language of this period. (p.54)
It is noteworthy that the Quran itself is self-conscious with respect to the language in which it is written stressing that it is an ‘arabi recitation’ (12:2), an ‘arabi decree’ (13:37), composed in the ‘arabi tongue’ (20:195), which has been made easy for Muhammad (19:97, 44:58) and is the language of his people (14:4). (p.63)
When Muhammad (PBUH) had his first revelatory experience, his wife Hazrat Khadija took him to her cousin Waraqa bin Nawfal. The passage on this event is given in the Maghazi of the historian Ibn Ishaq (d. 150/767), in the section on Muhammad’s ‘invocation to mission’ or ‘call’ (al-mab’ath), within a longer narrative on his call, translated here according to the version (transmission) of Ibn Hisham (d. 218/834), in the account of the storyteller (qass) ‘Ubayd b. Umayr b. al-Laythi (d. 68/687). (p.91)
In another report Hazrat Khadija gives to Abu Bakr RA the order to go with Muhammad (PBUH) to Waraqa, and when Waraqa hears the account of Muhammad he cries: ‘All-Perfect! All-perfect!’ (sabbuh or subbuh). These events are given as proof of contact with a person who knew languages other than Arabic.
A great part of the technical terms on the Quran as a book are also not of Arabic origin, according to the book. The word ‘quran’ is a loanword, as is ‘mushaf’ (codex). One of the supposed collectors of the Quran, Salim bin Ubayd (or: bin Ma’qil), mawla of abu Hudhayfa, is supposed to have been the first to give the name ‘mushaf’ (codex) to the Quran as a collected book, a word he learned in Ethiopia. Finally, neither ‘sura’, nor ‘aya’ are of Arabic origin (Claude Gilliot on page 94).
The Quran’s evocation of the legend of the ‘Companions of the Cave’ comes close to the beginning of Surat al-Kahf (18:9-26), where Allah addresses Muhammad PBUH with the following question: “Do you reckon that the companions of the cave (ashab al-kahf) and of the inscription are wondrously among Our signs?”
The parable is also known through Jacob of Serugh in Syriac who called the story The Youths of Ephesus (p.122). The word ‘aya’ is a keyword in Islamo-Christian revelation. One finds it 77 times in the New Testament, especially in the Gospel of John, and 287 times in the Quran (however somewhat rarely in the first Meccan suras). (p.145)
It is the gnostic gospels where the echo of the Quran is felt more strikingly. 1) Jesus was not crucified; someone who looked like him was crucified in his place. 2) He is therefore not dead, but was raised up to God. 3) At the end of the world, he will return to earth, fight the Antichrist, proclaim Islam as the true religion. 4) He will proclaim the coming of the Hour of Judgement, and die. 5) He will be raised on the day of the final resurrection. The text most evocative of the Quranic passage is that of the Gnostic Judaeo-Christian Basilides, reported by Irenaeus of Lyon at the end of the second century.
Suleiman Nadwi was the Indian Muslim scholar who had enough knowledge of Arabic to write about the Sanskrit words appearing in the Quran. He thought that since these words occurred where the Quran describes Paradise, the idea of Paradise must be located in India. But the word Paradise was taken from the Persians by the Greeks, and as Muhammad Hussain Azad would confirm if he were alive today, the Aryans of Persia and the Aryans of India would agree on the very mundane Hindi word Pradesh also meaning a far-off country. But for us the word has become Firdaws, the best of the many versions of Eden described in the Quran. *

Check on right pane or here:

Ibn Arabi / Divine Imagination

Ibn Arabi/ Spiritual Ascension

What is a Sufi?
One who does not separate himself from others by opinion or dogma;
and who realizes the heart as the Shrine of God.
What does the Sufi desire?
To remove the false self and discover God within.
What does the Sufi teach?
Happiness.
What does the Sufi seek?
Illumination.
What does the Sufi see?
Harmony.
What does the Sufi give?
Love to all created things.
What does the Sufi get?
A greater power of love.
What does the Sufi find?
GOD.
And lose?
self

ALL ABOUT LOVE

Movie in project by Muzaffar Ali

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0019464/

Bismillah.

O my Master, peace be upon You, You are my support. For You it is the same whether I address You inwardly or outwardly, for You hear my call and answer my prayer. You have banished my darkness with Your Light. You have brought my lifeless body to life with Your Spirit. You are my Lord: my hearing, my seeing, my heart are in Your Hand. You have taken possession of all of me. You have conferred eminence upon my lowliness; You have elevated my rank; You have raised high my remembrance.

O my Sovereign Possessor, I call out to You and entreat You, secretly confiding as a broken servant, who knows that You are listening and who firmly believes that You will respond, one who stands at Your door, constrained in utter need, finding no one to put trust in, other than You.

I ask of You, my God, by that Name with which You pour forth good things, bring down blessings and confer increase upon those who are grateful, and with which You bring forth from the darkness, and with which You dismiss people of association and baseness: may You spread over me the garments of Your Lights, striking enemies blind and rendering them powerless. Grant me my portion from You, as a radiance that discloses to me every hidden matter, unveils to me every high mystery and burns up every enticing satan.

O Light of light! O Unveiler of all that is veiled! Unto You are all matters returned. Through You is all evil repelled. O Lord, O Merciful One, O Forgiving One!

Allahumma salli ala Saidina Muhammad wa ala ali Saidina Muhammad.

- Shaykh Muhyiddin Ibn al-Arabi

From: Lisan al-din.blogspot.com

More than 1,000 young Muslims attend 3-day retreat
Tahirul Qadri says saving the younger generation from radicalisation his duty
Scholar seeks to combat extremism with spirituality
COVENTRY: Like any rousing Islamic preacher, Muhammed Tahirul Qadri's voice rises to a shout and his index finger jabs as he hammers home a point.
But rather than angry calls for jihad (holy war) or a vitriolic denunciation of the West and its aggressions against Islam, Qadri's message, equally forcefully delivered, is about moderation, peace, inclusion and understanding.
Addressing a packed auditorium from a raised platform, his words beamed onto large screen behind him, more than 1,000 young followers hang on his every word, even as his lecture moves into its fourth uninterrupted hour.
"Islam is not a religion of seclusion, it is not a religion of detachment," he thunders from the dais, occasionally pausing to wipe the sweat from his brow or adjust his spectacles. "Any killer of a non-Muslim citizen, he will go to hell. Those who are committing terroristic acts from Pakistan and Afghanistan and claiming it is jihad – they do not know what jihad is. It is forbidden," he hollers, to shouts of approval from his listeners.
Qadri is a renowned scholar of Sufism, a long tradition within Islam that focuses on spirituality, emphasising peace and moderation. The author of more than 400 books on Islamic scholarship and law, Qadri travels the world delivering sermons to Sufis, while his organisation, called Minhajul Quran, has spread to 80 countries, from Greece to Fiji, since its founding in 1981.

CONTINUE READING

Amir Khusro
By Sheikh Saleem Ahmad

Follow this link to know about it

The Iowa Dialog Center presents the Whirling Dervishes of Rumi, a universal peace dance and music event that will take place on August 13, 2009 at 7:00 p.m. in the Sheslow Auditorium at Drake University.

To Read More…

Around 6,000 people flocked to the Algerian city of Mostaganem this July for the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Tariqa Alawiya, whose Sufi followers prize tolerance, unity, peace and ecology.

Continue Reading ….

By John Pitcher
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER

Legend has it that the 13th-century Persian poet Rumi chanced by a goldsmith shop one day and began whirling to the rhythm of the hammers. The order of the Whirling Dervishes was born.

Next week, some of the great Islamic poet’s spiritual descendants — the Whirling Dervishes of Rumi — will appear at the Rose Theater. The group, sponsored by the Niagara Foundation of Nebraska, will perform in several Midwest cities. The tour will culminate with an appearance at the Turkish World Festival in Chicago later in the month.

The dervishes, with their long, twirling, umbrella-shaped skirts, are among the most famous dancers in history.

Yet their famed movements are not theatrical performances. They are part of an elaborate religious ritual. Applause, therefore, is discouraged at the end of a Whirling Dervish performance.

Continue Reading….

I have not always been unfamiliar to the concepts of 'real love' and Spirituality since my my late teen age, as I touched it at different occasions. Ishrat Ali Abdi, a poet and my teacher during interpreting the beautiful verses of Urdu poetry put some light on the ideas and concepts of Sufism, which were abundantly displayed in the poetic culture of Muslim India. That was the first time, when I came to know about 'wahdat al-wujud' and 'wahdat ash-shahud' in literature. I started writings my own poems, and my poems had also got a colour of Sufism as traditional poetry had, and the main concepts of my writings became to be about God, love, the feminine beauty and moral culturedness etc. Still my approach was superficial. Though I touched the surface through literature, but had never pierced the wall which was standing between my world and the spirituality.

Continue Reading

Afterwind´s Blog ·Alchemy of Love”

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.

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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~