Sufism

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

 

An International Conference about “Sufism and Peace”

 

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

 

Sufi Music Festivals May - June

 

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

 

“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

 

Sufism and Spirituality Online Class

 

 

 

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

 

 

Sufism. Principles and Dialogue

 

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

 

The Sufi Meditation Center: Electrons- Love of Nucleus

 

 

youtube

 

Ensemble Ibn Arabi

la ilaha illa Allah

Ute Lemper. Nomad

 

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

 

Another ebook added to “Pearls of Wisdom” section

 

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 Teophany of Perfection. Ibn Arabi

“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

 

 

 

New Ebooks uploaded

 

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.

 

 

Rumi- The Image of the Beloved

 

 

“Here is a presence

holding me tight

It is at my pursuit,

yet blocking my path…

 

 

 

 

 

THE LIFTING OF THE VEIL: KASHF

“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

 

The Qualities of a good Shaikh – Sufism (Tasawwuf)

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?

 

Sufism, The Heart of Islam. Excerpt

 

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.)

 

What is Sufism?

 

An interesting forum about Sufism

 

 

Alhambra and Sacred Geometry

 

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

 

Sufism and Wahabism

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

 

About Sufism

 

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

 

click Here to read the interview

 

A Glimpse of the Divine

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