Sufism and Peace

This article talks about how scholars and educationists in India are urging the government to hold an international conference on Sufism to promote the message of peace and love as well as an invitation to people from all over the world to attend the conference in which it would be asked the creation of a Sufi University for research.

Call to hold international moot on Sufism

 

tasawwuf

sufism

love

A Quote by Ibn Arabi

All those among the Sufis who had no visible murshid (guide), that is, an earthly man like themselves and a contemporary, called themselves Uwaysis. One of the most famous was abu'l-Hasan Kharraqani (d. 425/1034), an Iranian Sufi, who left us the following saying: I am amazed at those disciples who declare that they require this or that master. You are perfectly well aware that I have never been taught by any man. God was my guide, though I have the greatest respect for all the masters.

Ibn al-'Arabi (1165 - 1240)

 

Say I Am With You

Sufi Soul: The Mystic Music of Islam

For hundreds of millions of Sufi followers worldwide, music is at the heart of their tradition and a way of getting closer to God. From the Whirling Dervishes of Turkey to the qawwali music of Pakistan, Sufism has produced some of the world�s most spectacular music celebrated by Muslims and non-Muslims alike. Dalrymple�s film traces the shared roots of Christianity and Islam in the Middle East and discovers Sufism to be a peaceful, tolerant and pluralistic…

 

READ MORE

 

17-24 April: 4th Festival of Sufi Culture in Morocco

The 4th Fez Festival of Sufi Culture will be held from 17 to 24 April in the palaces, riads and Andalusian gardens of the city of Fez around the theme "Mysticism and poetry”.
The festival will , according to the Association of Fes Festival of Sufi Culture, continue to show Morocco as the land of the ancient home of Sufism and promoter of dialogue among cultures, but also as a bridge between the East and the West, symbolized by the mediating role that Morocco has always played, especially in its modern history.
As in previous years, the festival offers a musical program blending various artistic creations of the Sufi world. It will celebrate the Shahi Qawwals of Ajmer Dargah Sharif, who come from India, and the troupe of Chinese music and Sufi songs "Maqamat", Mustafa Zaman Abbasi from Bangladesh, Hussain Al Aadhamy from Iraq, Syria Shaykh Habboush and Jalal Eddine Weiss of France. *
The festival will bring together the Moroccan artist Karima Skalli and the Haj Younis, who will pay tribute to Abu al-Hasan Ash Shusturi.
Other troops famous for Sufi music are also invited to animate the festival evenings. The sumptuous Batha Museum will house the night of Samaa Tariqa Boutchichiyya, Charqawiyya, Darqawiyya, Wazzania and Siqilliyya Khalwatiyya.
Other evenings will also be expected by enthusiasts of Sufi music, including a vigil Samaa Haj Mohammed Bennis and concert Briouel Mohamed, who is accompanied by "great voice" of Samaa Morocco.
At the intellectual level, debate will be animated by personalities from different cultures and religions, academicians, intellectuals, spiritual leaders, politicians, business leaders and actors of civil society, which will meet in the Forum 'Giving Soul to Globalization".
Several other conferences and forums are also in the program.

 

Source: moroccoboard.com

AMIR VAHAB - NAVAEE

A very beautiful old Persian Sufi Song.

Perhaps someone could translate it for us?

 

 

Kudsi Erguner on Ney and Sufism

Kudsi Erguner on Ney and Sufism

 

Shah Shahidullah Faridi

 

 

 

 

Hazrat Shah Shahidullah Faridi (1915-1978) embraced Islam after reading "Kahful Mahjub" (The Unveiling of the Veiled), the classical treatise on Sufism written by the famous saint Hazrat Ali bin Uthman al Hujweri. Though having been born and raised in a wealthy English family he left his home in search of a Sufi shaikh. In India, he eventually met the Chishti Sabri shaikh, Syed Zauqi Shah and pledged allegiance to him. At forty years of age, the responsibilities of spiritual succession were entrusted to him. He lived in Karachi for about thirty years until he died on Ramdhan 17th in 1978. He was well-known among the local population as a dedicated servant to the common people, and he died in relative obscurity except in the Sufi community in Pakistan. His followers built a moseluem (mazar) to honor his burial site which is located at Sakhi Hassan in Karachi. The mazar area also has a mosque and a graveyard in the complex. His work has attracted the attention recently of another English Muslim convert, Timothy Winter, a.k.a. Abdal Hakim Murad. Hazrat Shahidullah was fluent in many languages and his discourses appealed to various ethnic groups across Pakistan. Though the number of his followers are in the few hundreds they come from all four provinces of Pakistan. His successor is Hazrat Siraj Ali who continues the Sabri Chisti lineage in Karachi.

His brother, who had also read Kashf'ul Mahjub and had accompanied him in his worldwide spiritual quest, also became a Muslim and followed Sufism. Shaykh Faridi's brother is buried within the famed Mausoleum of the Sufi Saint of Lahore, Pakistan - Ali Hajweri - known locally as Data Sahib or Data Ganj Baksh.

Shah Shahidullah Faridi was a renowned writer on spiritual matters, and was regarded as having great clarity and insight. One of his most famous books is Inner Aspects of Faith.

He also compiled Part Two of "Tarbiatul Ushaq" ("The Training of Divine Lovers"), Syed Mohammad Zauqi Shah, 1425/2004, pub. A.S.Nordeen, Kuala Lumpur, ISBN 983065185-1

Main source: A brief biography of his, published recently in Urdu called "Talash e Haqq rudad." by Ahmed Ghazali Shaheedi,printed by M. Naeem Hashmi, Saudabad Malir Colony Karachi

 

BOOKS

 

More information Here

PAL plans conference on Sufism

ISLAMABAD (APP) - Pakistan Academy of Letters (PAL) has planned to arrange three-day International Conference on Sufism from March 14. The official sources of the academy told this agency that 80 delegates from around 40 countries are expected to participate in the conference.
The notable personalities having diverse knowledge about sufism and mysticism will share their views on the occasion.
The international conference would provide a platform to more than 200 delegates within the country to participate in the conference.
Sources said that PAL would translate books of Sufi poets belonging all the four provinces in eight different languages.
The translated books would be given to all the participants as it will help to project true image of the country on international level.
The sources informed that a international conference was also arranged in 1995. The writings of Pakistani writers from all Pakistani languages were translated in UNESCO languages and sent to different countries.
These books are still the identity of Pakistani literature in libraries there. However, PAL has also decided to set up a National Translation Bureau in the academy through translating Pakistani literature in foreign languages and the foreign literature into Pakistani languages, the sources added.

 

The Nation

Hazrat Sultan Bahu

A very good article about Hazrat Sultan Bahu, founder of The Sarwari Qadri Sufi Order

The aim of Sufis

 

 

Today, about 2.3% of the world's population describes itself as atheist.

 

The only way to create a better life is to constantly improving your relationship with God. In Islam the term Sufism means harmonizing relationship between human being and God.

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."[4] Alternatively, in the words of the renowned Darqawi Sufi teacher Ahmad ibn Ajiba, "a science through which one can know how to travel into the presence of the Divine, purify one's inner self from filth, and beautify it with a variety of praiseworthy traits."[5]

Although gaining spiritual power are not the main goal for Sufism scholar most of them will get the ability to perform many types of mysticism when others striving in years of meditation. Some people are destined by God to see miracles in front of their eyes while others going in circle and at the end choose not to believe in any concept of mysticism.

From

Are Superhuman Capabilities Only Exist in Movies ?

The War That Wasn’t: The Sufi and the Sultan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Academy of Letters (PAL) on Thursday launched Indian historian and scholar Dr Fatima Hussain’s book titled ‘‘The War That Wasn’t: The Sufi and the Sultan’.
Advisor to the Prime Minister on Education Assef Ahmed Ali was the chief guest during the book launching ceremony. Assef praised Dr Fatima for doing a wonderful job by writing a book on Sufism with a new approach.
He said the book would be of great significance during present times when fanaticism and extremism had become a challenge for Muslim society in the subcontinent. He said the book should be easily available across the country.
PAL Chairman Fakhar Zaman, who presided over the sitting, said Dr Fatima through her book had given people a new approach to look at the movement of Sufism in the subcontinent. He said the book would help promote spread the Sufis’ message of peace and brotherhood across borders.
Fakhar said the academy had planned to hold an international conference in the country on Sufism and peace in coming March. He said publication of Pakistani Sufi poets’ work and its translation in international languages was also on the cards.
Historian Dr Tariq Rehman said Dr Fatima’s main argument was that Sufis gave people the idea of moral government. He said sultan was one centre of power, while Sufi was another.
Prominent among those present on the occasion were noted scholar Khawaja Masud and Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) Vice Chancellor Mahmudul Hassan, who also appreciated Dr Fatima’s work.

Source: Daily Times

 

Glossary of Sufism 13 and 14:muhasaba wa' (and) l-musharata

 

 

 

 

 

Muhasaba wa'l-musharata المحاسبة والمشارطة

 

 

“Soul searching” (Muhasaba) consists in blaming oneself for the breathings (anfas) and wasted moments other than to obey God through different ways. It happens at the end of the day, like the coordination (musharata) takes time in the beginning of day, when one says to oneself: “Here is a new starting day which will be a witness against you; try then, Oh my soul, to fill every instant with what takes you closer to God; because, if you had died the day before, you would have been in need of the goodness that you would enjoy today.” It is this way that one addresses to the soul when the nights is gong to start and that is examined the moment when the night ends, this with tenacity until  the Divine presence settles steadily in it. Then, time will gather in the unique moment (yattahid al-waqt), which corresponds to the dip in the vision (shuhud), and there will not be examiner nor punisher. So, as long as the spiritual progression (al sayr) lasts, coordination comes first, soul searching comes last and the watchfulness -prudence (muraqaba) is done in permanence. Once the intention is attained, there is no more soul searching nor coordination.

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

 

 

 

I remember...

I remember well that Christmas. We both were sitting on the open air at that restaurant for people who stopped on their way to visit the monasteries in the middle of the road from Cairo to Alexandria. It was a very cold morning, so chilly we both laughed at the fact that we did not bother sitting outside the restaurant, while the cloudy sky menacing a storm greeted us so far away from our home. I was full of thoughts, some of them I could express, others were still difficult, still so tender, like a newborn child. You listened and sip your coffee with me. There were papers on the table, my writings that I was reading aloud, my hands under wool gloves that you had given me as a gift during our trip to Greece. I was also wearing a cap in wool, it was brown, and I was wearing earrings in silver, the so called creoles. All the external clothes and things adorning my body were so strange to me at that time. But you listened, while our coffee started to become cold. So many things were going to change in our lives. So much struggle I was already starting to put on paper; stories, tales, poems, single lines, everything was written, these were a big part of  the beautiful things that I keep with me always, those memories that were in fact a transition of my soul. We were not too far from the desert, we had many things to do, many places to visit, and people to greet. You had come from a country not too far and wanted to spend some days with me. You found me different but would say nothing with your words, but I could see your questions in your eyes. Then, I started crying about what would happen with our future, a present that made us apart physically and yet... close with question marks, so many question marks regarding our own persona. Then, I remember, as I was sweeping, someone from inside the restaurant came to our table with gifts. They were for me and you were amazed and said "they love you". But I could not understand. I opened the gifts and I saw a card saying Merry Christmas. A card with jingle bell music inside. A box in crystal with flowers, roses, and more music. A calendar that was a magnet. I looked up. There was a Muslim girl smiling and saying "Merry Christmas!" . She kissed me and I felt that in that place something had just started to happen. And now, so far away, I smile with bitterness when I see the differences, the political intrusions at something that merely comes from the true heart. The sublime acceptance and the sublime true tolerance that comes from people who have never wanted anything but conviviality, love and friendship. How could I forget that cold Christmas morning so far away from the 25th of December in the cozy and warm house with a tree filled with stars and lights, so far from the long streets filled with shops, filled with books, games, movies to be sold and put under the tree... Yes, I have lived different Christmas days in different places and all of them were beautiful and special, above all where one could think Christmas has no meaning, or is not celebrated. Yes, I have seen it be celebrated with smiles and acceptance of someone who changed many ways of behaving. Jesus is everywhere in many forms and inside many hearts, not only Christians. And to them I dedicated my poems, my stories and thoughts without knowing. Everything that represents union, shelter and love is celebrated as it is even outside religions, because it touches our mystical vein, and this.... is far from what man created.

Ya Haqq, Maryam

Beshara and Ibn 'Arabi : A Movement of Sufi Spirituality in the Modern World

 

Investigating Sufi-inspired spirituality in the modern world, this interdisciplinary text combines cultural study with solid data to provide a comprehensive study on how the teachings of Ibn 'Arabi have been adopted and adapted by Muslims and non-Muslims. This book explores Beshara's emergence and evolution, its approach to spiritual education, the origins of its spiritual teacher, its major teachings and practices, and its projection of Ibn 'Arabi. Both rigorous and very timely, this study looks to the areas of cultural exchange between East and West and highlights commonalities in the various historical changes both societies have undergone.

SOURCE

Sufism Books among other subjects - 18th century library reopens

18th century library reopens in Aurangabad after 70 years By Abdul Hadi Aurangabad, Dec.23 (ANI): An 18th century library, housing manuscripts and a number of precious books including a version of the Quran penned by Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, has been reopened after 70 years here at the historical monument Panchakki in Maharashtra. According to library officials, Hazrat Babashah Musafir, who migrated to Aurangabad in 18th century from Bukhara in Russia, founded the library as well as the Panchakki. The library treasured about 100,000 books and writing pieces till Indian independence (1947). However, it was closed down in 1970s due to administrative reasons due to which many of the library books were shifted to Hyderabad.The library presently houses 2,500 books on various subjects related to history, law, medicine, Sufism, religion and philosophy in Arabic, penned by philosophers, saints and scholars in Urdu and Persian languages. The cover of holy Quran here has a coating of gold on both sides, which has been preserved till date. Moreover, a holy book written in 1, 283 in four languages is also available at this library. According to Librarian Hafiz Abdul Jaleel, Baba Shah Musafir founded the library to spread knowledge. “The library was considered to be the largest one in Asia during that time. Now, it has around 2,500 rare books. After reopening the library, many students especially those who are engaged in research are thronging it. There is no entry fee,” Hafiz Abdul Jaleel informed. People have appreciated the efforts of library’s restoration but say that it has a long way to go. M.A. Haq, a historian in Auranagbad, expressed disappointment that such a library fell victim to colossal neglect for so long. “This is a great failure, a disaster, that such a grand and important library has been decimated like this. It was one of the best libraries, once. But it is a matter of pride that with the efforts of the (Waqf) Board, the library would come to life,” said M.A. Haq, Aurangabad based historian. Locals feel that if maintained properly, the library would benefit people of all walks of life. (ANI) Read more: http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/feature/18th-century-library-reopens-in-aurangabad-after-70-years_100293869.html#ixzz0aeZkc6Dx

Don’t give me back…

 

 

 

 

 

“Don’t give me back to my old companions.

No friend but you. Inside you

I rest from wanting. Don’t let me

be that selfishness again."

 

Unseen Rain. Quatrains of Rumi. By John Moyne and Coleman Barks

Threshold Books

 

Image credit: Iskandar

Sufis and Jesus

Christianity is rooted in the belief that Jesus is the Son of God, so is Islam’s version of Christ a source of tension, or a way of building bridges between the world’s two largest faiths?

The Sufi philosopher al-Ghazali described Jesus as "the prophet of the soul" and the Sufi master Ibn Arabi called him "the seal of saints".

An article by Mehdi Hasan about a new book by the former Cambridge professor of Arabic and Islamic studies Tarif Khalidi on Newstatesman.com

Sufi Music Festival called Sama'a: The Mystic Ecstasy

NCPA creates a 2 day Sufi Music Festival this December ... Presents Sama'a: The Mystic Ecstasy

With an aim to offer its patrons a taste of the varied forms of music tradition, NCPA, India's premier art and culture institution, presents a two-day long, soul-stirring Sufi Music Festival called Sama'a: The Mystic Ecstasy.     INDIA PRWIRE

‘Sufism’ effective offset to socio-cultural degradation

Wednesday, December 09, 2009
Islamabad
At a time when ‘Sufism’ is being promoted as an antidote to religious fundamentalism, Dr. Fatima Hussain’s new book titled ‘The War that Wasn’t; The Sufi and the Sultan’ comes as an answer to all queries regarding ‘Sufi’ school of thought and its power over the masses.
‘Sufism’ played a considerable role in bringing humane teachings of the religion to the forefront during the Middle Ages and it is now considered to be an effective offset to the socio-cultural degradation threatening the very roots of our social values and system.
Dr. Fatima Hussain’s latest book analyses the subtle nuances of the dynamics of ‘Sufi’ power in the social politics of the Delhi Sultanate, and how this power affected the relations between the ‘Sufi’ and the ‘Sultanate’, the two most powerful institutions in medieval sub-continent. Dr Fatima’s book on ‘Sufism’ brings forth a vibrant picture of ‘Sufi’ school of thought in the contemporary world amidst growing concerns regarding the massive threat of religious extremism to global peace.
Dr Fatima Hussain is a profound scholar and teacher of history in Delhi University. Sufism is a topic on which she already has published a number of articles and books. The book contains numerous anecdotes from medieval Persian sources, while dealing with incidents related to these ‘Sufis’. Author’s object in this book has been to examine the broad bases of ‘Sufi’ history in the ‘Sultanate’ period to adduce sufficient evidence to suggest the need for a new approach.
This highly research based work contains vital aspects of the ‘Sufi’ movement, i.e., philosophy and practices of ‘Sufism’, development of ‘Sufism’ in the region, dynamics of ‘Sufi’ power and the multi-dimensional role of the ‘Sufi’ hospices, especially, as an impetus to urban expansion, such as ‘Khanqahs’ during the ‘Sultanate’ period.
Dr. Fatima Hussain is known in South Asian academic circles for her book ‘The Palestine Question: A Historical Perspective.’ ‘Classic,’ of Lahore, and recent publication ‘Sufism & Bhakti Movement; Contemporary Relevance,’ that has been compiled by Dr. Fatima Hussain. Dedicated to Benazir Bhutto, the volume carries papers presented at a seminar held at New Delhi’s Nehru Memorial Museum and Library. Some articles of Pakistani authors, too, have been included in this 351-page book.

                                                                                                                                

 

 

From : The News International