The Word Sufi Is Derived From The Arabic Word 303r6p

Sufism -- Sufis -- Sufi Orders Sufism: an Introduction 'Ibaaraatuhum shattaa wa-husnuka waahid Wa-kullun ilaa dhaaka al-jamaali yushiir Their expressions are manifold and Your loveliness is one And everyone points to that beauty Quoted by Shaykh 'Abd al-Halim Mahmud, former Shaykh al-Azhar

Jumla ma'shuq ast-o 'aashiq pardah'i Zenda ma'shuq ast-o 'aashiq mordah'i All is the Beloved and the lover is a veil The Beloved is alive and the lover is dead Rumi, Mathnawi Man qaala laa ilaaha ill Allah, dakhala al-janna Whoever says, 'There is no god, but God,' enters Paradise. Hadith of the Prophet Muhammad

Ever since Sufis first began to speak about Sufism, they have defined it in many different ways. Read a number of these at the link Classical Sufi Definitions of Sufism, (fixed 16 Nov. 1998) and see as well the online version (minus the footnotes of the original) of the poem, translated from Persian, titled What is Tasawwuf (Sufism)? and commented on by Dr. Godlas. For some time now, scholars in the West have discussed Sufism's definition and origin. Sufis--which is what practioners of Sufism are called--see themselves to be on a spiritual journey toward God. In order to guide spiritual travellers and to express the states of consciousness experienced on this journey, Sufis produced an enormously rich body of literature, often using a specialized technical vocabulary, some of the of which can be found in this Glossary of Sufi . (linked fixed from archive, 20 February 2008) This journey is referred to as the path (tariqah). While all Muslims believe that they are on the pathway to God and will become close to God in Paradise--after death and the "Final Judgment"-- Sufis believe as well that it is possible to become close to God and to experience this closeness--while one is alive. Furthermore, the attainment of the knowledge that comes with such intimacy with God, Sufis assert, is the very purpose of the creation. Here they mention the hadith qudsi in which God states, "I was a hidden treasure and I loved that I be known, so I created the creation in order to be known." Hence for the Sufis there is already a

momentum, a continuous attraction on their hearts exerted by God, pulling them, in love, towards God. They experience the joyful ecstasy of being gently drawn to their Eternal Beloved, yet this primordially blissful return seems to have been interrupted. The Persian poet Hafiz remarked, O Wine giver, pour me a cup and it around for love seemed easy at first, but later the difficulties arose.

Sufism: Obstacles on the Path The difficulties in following the path or obstacles to getting closer to God derive primarily from one's self or ego (nafs). In other words, it can be said that if one is not recognizing or experiencing God's "closeness" or presence, the responsibility for this condition lies with one's own self. Some of the gross effects of the dominance of the nafs are that one may become overwhelmed by the need to gratify desires such as anger, lust, and the many addictions that afflict us. Other gross effects are that one may become dominated by states of consciousness such as anxiety, boredom, regret, depression, and self-pity-- so that one feels like a powerless victim or prisoner tortured within one's own mind. Given that the Sufi regards every thought, feeling, and perception that he or she has (including his or her sense of self) as a manifestation of God or as a particular view of God's face ("Wherever you turn there is God's face"--Qur'an), a more subtle effect of the dominance of the nafs than those expressed earlier (but still a devasting effect) is to imagine that God is absent from one's experience or to imagine that one does not have the choice to embrace the way in which God appears at this moment. Such mistaken imaginings often cause one to cease to surrender gratefully and lovingly into God's embrace. In fact, being overcome by these subtle effects opens the door for the gross effects mentioned earlier. Hence, one of the emphases of Sufism is upon the struggle to overcome the dominance that one's nafs (link fixed from archive 20 Feb. 2008) has over one, a struggle that first and foremost involves choosing at each moment to and surrender actively to God--irrespective of whether the form in which God becomes manifest is one of absence or presence, benevolence or severity. As Rumi said: I am a lover of both his benevolence and severity! Amazing it is that I'm in love with these opposites!

Sufism: Struggle With One's Nafs

The behavioral absolutes of the shari'ah (Islamic law) set the outer limits that the Sufi must keep within. But the Sufi struggle with one's nafs puts further curbs on the Sufi's behaviour and consciousness. Usually this struggle is spoken of as having two dimensions: negation (nafy) and affirmation (ithbat), corresponding to the two components of the first shahadah (testification of faith), La ilaha (There is no deity) and illa Allah (except for God). In reference to the two kinds of effects of the dominance of the nafs mentioned above, the "negation" can be said to take the form of attempting  to control oneself from acting out one's anger or gratifying addictions,  to negate the thought that one will find fulfillment through these means,  to negate the sense that one cannot escape one's depression, and  to give up imagining that God is absent. The "affirmation" can be said to take the form of embracing and engaging the presence of God in whatever form it may appear within one's consciousness--even in the form of the thoughts that "God is absent," "I am depressed, or "I am distant from God." This unconditional embrace of the presence of God is simply called taslim in Muslim languages. This word is cognate with and is at the root of the word "Islam," and in light of the meaning expressed here, I have translated it as "engaged surrender." In this regard, the struggle with one's own nafs has been called the greater struggle or greater "holy war" (al-jihad al-akbar) in contrast to the lesser struggle (al-jihad alasghar), which is against injustice and oppressors in this world. The concept derives from the popular hadith of the Prophet, in which he said to Muslims returning from a battle, "You have returned from the lesser struggle to the greater struggle." And he was asked, "What is the greater struggle?" He answered, "The struggle against one's self (nafs), which is between the two sides of your body." Needless to say, in Sufism these two struggles are mutually reinforcing and occur simultaneously. In particular, the practice of "engaged surrender" in the "greater" struggle with one's own nafs diminishes certain obstacles in the consciousness of the Sufi, obstacles that-if not stuggled against--will hinder the Sufi's capacity to engage in the "lesser" struggle in their life in the world. An early text on the struggle with one's self is the treatise Jihad al-nafs, written by the al-Hakim al-Tirmidhi (d. 932). (Fixed, 1 October 2000.) Another treatise on the struggle with the nafs is al-Ghazali's jihad al-nafs. This is taken from his masterpiece Ihya' 'ulum al-din (The Revival of the Religious Sciences). Al-Ghazali (d. 1111) is one of the most well-known Islamic scholars and is often credited with establishing the orthodoxy of Sufism. A substantial biography of alGhazali (link fixed 20 August, 2005) emphasizing his contribution to Islamic philosophy is by the scholar, Kojiro Nakamura. A short biography of Al-Ghazali is

present in the online Encyclopedia Britannica (but only a few paragraphs are online unless the reader has a paid subscription to the Britannica, which libraries often have, or which individuals can obtain for free though a 14-day subscription). (Link fixed, Jan. 1, 2002.) See also Jihad al-akbar, an except from the book Islamic Beliefs and Doctrine According to Ahl al-Sunna: A Repudiation of "Salafi" Innovations written by the contemporary Naqshbandi, Shaykh Hisham Kabbani. In this online article, the author discusses the idea of the struggle against one's self, the "greater jihad" (al-jihad alakbar), paying particular attention to the various evidence from hadith literature. Note that at the beginning of the excerpt a reference is made to the "above Hadith." It is possible that the hadith in question is the hadith on the "greater jihad" that I have mentioned above. In spite of strong arguments for the idea that the greater jihad is the jihad against the self, Muslim militants and Wahhabis resist such a concept and attempt to invalidate it on the basis of hadith criticism and the conviction that relegating warfare to the status of "lesser jihad" gives it far less significance than it should have in Islam. See the article Greater and Lesser Jihad (fixed 20 February 2008) by a certain Abu Fadl and on line originally at Nida ul-Islam (The Call of Islam), a website ive of alQaeda. A contemporary discussion of jihad from a Sufi perspective is expressed in the essay The Spiritual Significance of Jihad by Professor Seyyed Hossein Nasr of George Washington University.

Sufism: Awakening to the Awareness of the Unmanifest World At any moment in the course of following the Sufi path, Sufis may have an experience in which they become drawn into the presence of God. This experience has often been called jadhbah(attraction) or wajd (ecstasy) (lit. finding). Another way of speaking of this experience is to describe it as "awakening to the 'unmanifest or unseen world'(alghayb)." The following link, written by the Muslim scholars of the as-Sunnah Foundation, explains both the Prophet Muhammad's knowledge of the Unseen as well as the unveiling (kashf ) or knowledge of the Unseen that the "friends of God" or "saints" (awliya' ) attain. The above link was down on Oct. 20, 2005. A copy is archived at Questions on the Prophet's and Awliya's Knowledge of the Ghayb (Unseen) (This contains documented sources.)

In one of the more important works of early Persian literature, Kashf almahjub (Uncovering the veiled), Hujwiri, or Data Ganj Bakhsh as he is also known, in the 11th cent. CE discussed various views of Ma'rifah: Gnosis or Direct Knowledge of God, which is an important epistemological principle in Sufism. (Fixed Oct. 20, 2005) Al-Ghazali's Treatise on Direct Knowledge from God: Introduction indicates the opinion of one of Islam's greatest scholars concerning the possibility that humans-aside from prophets--can attain "direct knowledge" from God. For more on the unveiling of the unmanifest realm (kashf al-ghayb) see the article On Kashf and Mukashafat, also written by scholars of the as-Sunnah Foundation. The link was down on Oct. 20, 2005, but the page is archived at On Kashf and Mukaashafaat (Spiritual Unveilings)

Sufism: ing God The Qur'an instructs Muslims to God, whose reality encomes and pervades both the unmanifest and manifest worlds (al-ghayb wa-al-shahadah). Sufis have developed this into the quintessential Sufi practice of silent and vocal dhikr (remembrance). An inherent problem in dhikr, however, is the difficulty in ing God when one has little or no awareness of God. To start with, Muslims begin with a name of God, such as "Allah," which is often called the "comprehensive" name (al-ism al-jami'). It is comprehensive in the sense that it comprises all of the infinite names of God, which refer to the source of the awareness of all of reality. In down to earth , the ultimate source of one's awareness of the words on this page, for example, is the reality of one of the names of God, all of which are encomed by the name Allah. In short, the source of one's present awareness--whatever that awareness may be--is encomed by the name Allah. Thus, ing God can begin quite simply and ordinarily with the awareness of two things: one's present awareness and the name Allah--even when one has no awareness of the reality to which the name Allah refers. (to be continued...) The hadith scholar al-Mundhiri (d. 656/1258) compiled a collection of hadith that could inspire desire for God and those that could inspire fear of God. This collection, called the al-Targhib wal-al-tarhib, was abridged by the scholar Ibn Hajar alAsqalani. The hadiths that are related to dhikr in Ibn Hajar's work can be accessed in English translation on the web page of the Muslim scholar Ayesha Bewley called Chapter on Dhikr..

Ibn 'Ata' Allah al-Iskandari (d. 709/1309), a Shadhili shaykh, wrote the treatise Miftah al-falah, (The Key to Success). See the following section On Dhikr, translated by Ayesha Bewley. The on-line book Dhikr, Remembrance of Allah, (link down as of Nov. 24, 2001; the new link may be Questions on Dhikr (Remembrance of Allah)), chapter 9 in the Encyclopedia of Islamic Doctrine) is an on-line book written by the as-Sunnah Foundation-- which is d with the Naqshbandi Shaykh Hisham as well as with his shaykh, Shaykh Nazim-- discusses in detail many aspects of Dhikr. Dhikr: Remembrance of God, written by scholars d with the Naqshbandi order, is a concise article in which the following topics are discussed: dhikr in the Qur'an and Sunnah, opinions of great Muslim scholars on dhikr, and the two major forms of dhikr: vocal and silent. Dhikr in Islam (offline 20 February 2008) excerpted from the book The Naqshbandi Sufi Way, written by the contemporary Naqshbandi, Shaykh Hisham Kabbani, this is a concise article focusing on the Islamic basis for the practice of dhikr. (See an archived copy of the previous article at Dhikr in Islam) Dhikr from Nuzhat al-majalis (Offline 20 February 2008) Translated by scholars d with the Naqshbandi order, this age on dhikr from a medieval Arabic text is accompanied by the translator's notes in brackets. (See an archived copy of the previous article at Dhikr from Nuzhat al-majalis. (Fixed, 1 October 2000.) Sufism or taṣ awwuf (Arabic: ‫ف‬ ‫ )تصّوف‬is defined by its adherents as the inner, mystical dimension of Islam.[1][2][3] A practitioner of this tradition is generally known as aṣū fī (‫ي‬ ّ ‫صوِف‬ ُ ). Another name for a Sufi is Dervish. 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 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] Classical Sufis were characterised by their attachment to dhikr (a practice of repeating the names of God) and asceticism. Sufism gained adherents among a number of Muslims as a reaction against the worldliness of the early Umayyad Caliphate (661-750 CE[6]). Sufis has spanned several continents and cultures over a millennium, at first expressed through Arabic, then through Persian, Turkish and a dozen other languages.[7] "Orders" (ṭuruq), which are either Sunnī or Shī‘ī or mixed [8] in doctrine, trace many of their original precepts from the Islamic Prophet Muhammad through his cousin ‘Alī, with the notable

exception of the Naqshbandi who trace their origins through the first Caliph, Abu Bakr.[9] Other exclusive schools of Sufism describe themselves as distinctly Sufi.[10] According to Idries Shah, the Sufi philosophy is universal in nature, its roots predating the rise of Islam and the other modern-day religions, save for perhaps Hinduismand its offshoots, Buddhism and Jainism; likewise, some Muslims consider Sufism outside the sphere of Islam.[1][11] Mainstream scholars of Islam, however, contend that it is simply the name for the inner or esoteric dimension of Islam.[1]

Etymology According to some sufis the lexical root of Sufi is variously traced to ‫صوف‬ ُ sūf "wool", referring either to the simple cloaks the early Muslim ascetics wore, or possibly to ‫صفا‬ َ safā "purity". The two were combined by al-Rudhabari who said, "The Sufi is the one who wears wool on top of purity."[12] The wool cloaks were sometimes a designation of their initiation into the Sufi order. Sufism is known as "Islamic Mysticism," in which Muslims seek to find divine love and knowledge through direct personal experience of God. [13]

Mysticism is defined as the experience of mystical union or direct communion with ultimate reality, and

the belief that direct knowledge of God, spiritual truth, or ultimate reality can be attained through subjective experience (as intuition or insight).[14] Others[who?] suggest the origin of the word sufi is from Ashab as-suffa "Companions of the Porch", who were a group of impoverished Muslims during the time of Muhammad who spent much of their time on the veranda of Al-Masjid al-Nabawi, devoted to prayer and eager to memorize each new increment of the Qur'an as it was revealed.

Monazza The gift of human consciousness has held countless mysteries since the dawn of time. One of the key theological puzzles arising from the concept of consciousness is the question of free will. Another issue deals with the moral debate concerning whether or not every human being is given the capacity to judge right from wrong, good from bad, moral from immoral and so on. Yet another matter is how destiny is linked to free will. The philosophy of consciousness has begged many questions over the centuries in almost all world cultures and civilizations. Thankfully, all of these queries are addressed directly, clearly and eloquently in Islam. Do you often wonder why people commit heinous crimes? Do you have difficulty imagining how certain individuals are able to repeatedly carry out questionable acts throughout their lives without a moment’s thought or a modicum of consideration? Most of you probably even wonder why such people exist in the first place. To begin this brief discussion, it is imperative to note that Islam attaches a succinct definition to the idea of consciousness. Understanding the definition in its entirety is the key to unlocking any and all questions associated with this topic. Moreover, it is worth noting that consciousness and free will share the same roots and are practically synonymous concepts. By the grace and kindness of Allah, who possesses knowledge of all choices that human beings make in life, every human being is born with consciousness (which is the same as inspiration and common sense, as all require use of one’s mental faculties). Some theologians further define it as light transmitted through knowledge and intellectual awakening. This last can be misleading however since not all human consciousness is necessarily good. Islam differentiates good consciousness (“nafs-e-mutminah” in Arabic) which is pure, virtuous and moral, from bad consciousness (“nafs-e-eummarah” in Arabic)

which is ill-intentioned, cruel and oppressive. The common denominator is that human beings—in all matters over which they have control—have free will to decide between the two, at any given point in time. The intention of selecting one over the other completely rests with the person. If the person is ethical, values-oriented, and has integrity, he/she will almost always tend to use his/her good conscience in daily life in order to be favored by destiny. Similarly, if the person lacks scruples, values and/or a general regard for his/her surroundings, it is not that the person does not possess a conscience at all (since everyone has a conscience, by definition, in Islam); this individual has a bad—even unevolved/undeveloped— conscience. Example: I am about to take a math test. I can take the test based on studying for it or I can cheat from someone sitting next to me in class. The choice is mine. Regardless of how I choose to take the test (whether based on studying for it or cheating from a classmate) the score I receive on the test is pre-determined by Allah. To summarize, the end result of each of our choices and decisions in life is pre-destined. How we arrive at the end result is a direct consequence of free will. If one can thoroughly understand this rational concept, then the jump from having free will to being tested for our actions in this life, on the Day of Judgment, is the logical next step. Human beings consciously and subconsciously exercise free will all the time, often times without even applying critical thought. There is a constant “Y” in almost everything we do—we can go in one direction (travel along one branch of the “Y”) or the other (travel along the other branch of the “Y”)—or the “Y” can stem many more branches that we can travel along! Save for matters over which we have no control or extremely limited control, we are almost always given choices to select from in order to arrive at a particular result. This result is, without a doubt, pre-destined by Allah. Since divine destiny (“qadar” in Arabic) is one of the articles of faith for Muslims, it is advised to constantly ask Allah for His guidance in everything we do. Since no human being is perfect, it is also advised to constantly ask Allah to give us the capacity to make good decisions in life and be good human beings overall. Barring very small children or people with mental and/or physical disabilities, every human being has the capacity to either be a conscientious member of society or disionate and remain in a constant state of spiritual darkness. The choice is up to the individual. If a person chooses to make moral decisions, he/she can further grow his conscience to become even more empathetic in general while simultaneously achieving great closeness to Allah. The rewards for good thoughts and deeds in this life are numerous in the Hereafter, as promised by our Creator.

Suffism and Islam Al-Hajj Mulla Bashir Rahim, Resident Alim of Wessex Jamaat, Hampshire, UK. OH LORD ! MAKE ME LAUD THEE, EXTOL THEE, AND PRAISE THEE IN ALL MY STATES SO THAT I REJOICE NOT OVER WHAT THOU GIVEST ME OF THIS WORLD NOR SORROW OVER THAT OF IT WHICH THOU WITHHOLDEST FROM ME! EMPTY MY HEART FOR THY LOVE, OCCUPY IT WITH ING THEE, ANIMATE IT WITH FEAR OF THEE AND QUAKING BEFORE THEE, STRENGTHEN IT WITH BESEECHING THEE, INCLINE IT TO THY OBEDIENCE, SET IT RUNNING IN THE PATH MOST BELOVED TO THEE, AND SUBDUE IT THROUGH DESIRE FOR WHAT IS WITH THEE, ALL THE DAYS OF MY LIFE !

LET MY PROVISION IN THIS WORLD BE REVERENTIAL FEAR OF THEE, MY JOURNEY BE TOWARD THY MERCY AND MY ENTRANCE BE INTO THY GOOD PLEASURE ! (1) NOTE: In this first set of lectures we shall deal with the meaning of sufism and its substance. In the next set of lectures we shall deal with the history and the form. INTRODUCTION "Sufism and Islam cannot be separated in the same way that higher consciousness or awakening cannot be separated from Islam. Islam is not an historical phenomenon that began 1,400 years ago. It is the timeless art of awakening by means of submission. Sufism is the heart of Islam. It is as ancient as the rise of human consciousness." (2) Many scholars and jurists may issue with the above statement. They perceive sufism as an unacceptable distortion of Islamic beliefs and way of life. They find the rituals and practices as well as the beliefs of many sufis repugnant to the teachings of Islam. They argue that sufism has brought about a confusion in the minds of its believers leading them away from the simplicity and purity of the glorious faith. Many orientalists, on the other hand, do not accept that sufism has a direct link with Islam and reject the idea that it has evolved from the consciousness inspired by the Quraan or the teachings of Muhammad. They affirm that its origin is firmly embedded in the mysticism of the Jew and Christian hermits and monks of the time and that their traditions not only inspired but also dictated the evolution of sufism. The historical links between the three major monotheistic faiths makes it inevitable for a measure of similarity in the spiritual experience in each of them and this commonality of experience is seen by many enlightened scholars as an important factor which might be constructively employed for engendering a better understanding between the three communities. "If Judaism, Christianity and Islam have no little in Common in spite of their deep dogmatic differences," remarks the Editor of 'the Mysticism of Islam ' by R. A. Nicholson 1966 edition, "the spiritual content of that common element can best be appreciated in Jewish, Christian and Islamic mysticism, which bears equal testimony to that ever-deepening experience of the soul when the spiritual worshipper, whether he be follower of Moses or Jesus or Muhammad, turn whole- heartedly to God." The hostility from within Islam is always countered by the argument that mysticism is founded not only on Quraan but also the sayings of the Prophet and the Imaams from his progeny. While it is conceded that the rituals and the practices of certain Sufi sects

may seem to be offensive to the purity of the spirit of Islam, sufism par excellence is the science of gnosis which like many other sciences has its roots in Islamic culture. "This science can be studied from two angles, one of them being sociological and the other scientific...............From scientific point of view the adepts in gnosis (IRFAAN) are called gnostics ('ARIFS). From social point of view they are known as sufis. Anyhow, the gnostics and sufis are not an organized separate sect, nor do they claim to have formed any such cult. They are scattered over all Muslim sects. But from social point of view they form a separate group and a separate body, having its characteristic ideas and special manners of life. They wear aparticular type of dress and grow their hair in a particular style. They live in hospices etc. Thus the sufis have to a certain extent become a separate sect from religious as well as social point of view. Anyhow there have always been and there are still, especially among the Shiahs, gnostics who are not apparently distinct from others, yet they are closely associated with gnosis and spiritual journey." (3) The author clearly has in mind many Shiah mujtahids and scholars both of the past and the present who have, as Shiah leaders, made major contribution to irfaan. The most notable amongst the recent ones are Ayatullah Khumaini, Ayatullah Khooi, Allamah Muhammad Hussain Tabaatabaai and the author himself, Allamah Murtaza Mutahharri. None of these or any other mujtahid has ever established or encouraged the establishment of a separate organization or promoted any of the recognized sufi rituals. They have always welcomed, and also contributed to, the development of gnosis as a science. Ayatullah Khumaini, in his lectures on the opening chapter of Quraan deals at length with the misunderstanding regarding sufism and concludes: "We find certain scholars denying the validity of mysticism. This is regrettable." (4) In these lectures we shall confine ourselves to the "scientific" aspects of sufism and make only such cursory references to the "social" aspects as may be relevant. BASIS OF SUFISM "The function of religion is to bestow order upon human life and to establish an "outward" harmony upon whose basis man can return inwardly to his Origin by means of the journey towards the "interior" direction.

This universal function is especially true of Islam, this last religion of humanity,which is a Direct injunction to establish order in human society and within the human soul and at the same time to make possible the interior life, to prepare the soul to return unto its Lord and enter the Paradise which is none other than the Divine Beatitude. God is at once the First (al-awwal) and the Last (al-akhir), the Outward (al-zahir) and the Inward (al-batin). By the function of His outwardness He creates a world of separation and otherness and through His inwardness He brings men back to their Origin. Religion is the means whereby this journey is made possible, and it recapitulates in its structure the creation itself which issues from God and returns unto Him." (5) The Quraan states in II:156 "Lo ! We are Allah's and lo ! to Him is our return." The practical aspect of gnosis describes man's relation with the world and with Allah and explains the duties of the seeker if he wishes to attain unity with Allah. This part of gnosis is called the spiritual journey (sayr wa sulook). It explains that man must attain total comprehension of monotheism and that to attain this he has to travel through various stages. This journey can be undertaken only under the supervision of a spiritual guide who has ed through all the stages of the journey. The monotheism which a gnostic seeks is not the monotheism which a philosopher would understand it to be. To a philosopher, unity or oneness of Allah means that there is only one Essential Being to the exclusion of any other. A gnostic maintains that oneness of Allah means that Allah is the only really existing being. The existence of everything else is illusory. The spiritual journey is a journey of the human being as the illusory being to the stage where he may not see anything but Allah. This journey can only be undertaken if one has purified one's heart and one's soul through constant spiritual effort. It is easy to confuse Sufism with Asceticism (Zuhd). Asceticism is the renunciation of the world for the sake of spiritual upliftment and the attainment of the hereafter. Gnosis may involve a measure of asceticism but the objective is to undertake the spiritual journey. To prove validity of spiritual journey and gaining proximity to Allah, various verses from Quraan are cited. a. From the Holy Quraan XXIV:35-38 Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The similitude of His light is as a niche wherein is a lamp. The lamp is in a glass. The glass is as it were a shining star. (This lamp is ) kindled from a blessed tree, an olive neither of the East nor of the West, whose oil would almost glow forth (of itself) through no fire touched it. Light

upon light, Allah guideth unto His light whom he will. And Allah speaketh to mankind in allegories, for Allah is Knower of all things: (This lamp is found) in houses which Allah hath allowed to be exalted and that His name shall be ed therein. Therein do offer praise to Him at morn and evening-men whom neither merchandise nor sale beguileth from remembrance of Allah and constancy in prayer and paying to the poor their due; who fear a day when hearts and eyeballs will be overturned; that Allah may reward them with the best of what they did, and increase reward for them of His bounty. Allah giveth blessings without stint to whom he will. b. The Holy Quraan refers to the appetitive soul (nafsul-ammarah), the onishing soul (nafsul-lawamah) and the contented soul (nafsul-mutmainnah) and says in Sura Fajr (The Dawn): But ah! thou soul at peace! Return unto thy Lord, content in His good pleasure! Enter thou among my bondmen! Enter thou My Garden! The Holy Quraan LXXXIX:27-30 And again in Surah Shams (The Sun): And a soul and Him Who perfected it and inspired it (with conscience of) what is wrong for it and (what is) right for it, he is indeed successful who causes it to grow. And he indeed is a failure who stunteth it. The Holy Quraan XCI:7-8 c. The Quraan repeatedly exhorts mankind to strive for Allah's pleasure and in Surah Ankabut (The Spider): As for those who strive in us, We surely guide them to Our paths, and lo! Allah is with the good. The Holy Quraan XXIX:69 d. Also from the Quraan: "He is the First and the Last, and the Outward and the Inward; and He is the Knower of all things." The Holy Quraan LVII:3 e. From the Quraan: "We verily created man and We know what his soul whispereth to him and We are nearer to him than his jugular vein." The Holy Quraan L:16 In addition to the Quraanic references the gnostics also rely upon several sayings and sermons of the Prophet Muhammad and the Holy Imaams. a. The Holy Prophet has said: "He who has known his self has known Allah."

b. The following two quotations from the compilation of sermons and sayings of Imam Ali (published as Nahjul Balagah) are also relevant. "There is no doubt that Allah the Almighty has made His remembrance the polish of the hearts. By means of it the deaf begin to hear, the blind begin to see and the arrogant become submissive. In every age and period Allah the Almighty has created men in whose minds He puts His secrets and through whose intellect he talks to them." Sermon 220 "A godly person enlivens his heart and annihilates his ego till what is coarse becomes soft. A bright light like lightening shines in front of him, shows him the way and helps him in advancing towards Allah. Many doors push him forward till he reaches the gate of peace and safety and arrives at the destination where he has to stay. His feet are firm and his body contented, for he uses his heart and pleases his Lord." Sermon 218 REFERENCES (1) The Psalms of Islam, translation by William C. Chittick of the supplications of Imaam Zain-ul-Aabideen published by Muhammadi Trust of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ISBN 0-946079-51-X, supplication 21, page 78. (2) The Elements of Sufism by Shaikh Fadhlalla Haeri, published by Element Books Ltd. ISBN 1-85230-159-7 (3) Science of Gnosis by Allama Murtaza Mutahharri originally published as an article, now as a book-let with other articles on Gnosis under the title "Light Within Me". An Islamic Seminary publication from Pakistan. KISP\3-1-91. (4) Islam & Revolution, Writings and Declarations of Imam Khomeini, Mizan Press, ISBN 0-933782-04-7, pages 419 to 423. (5) Islamic Life and Thought by Seyyed Hossein Nasr, page 192. Published by George Allen & Unwin 1981. ISBN 0-04-297041-5. EVOLUTION OF SUFISM "In addition to its law and the esoteric aspect contained in sufism and gnosis, Shi'ism contained from the beginning a type of Divine Wisdom, inherited from the Prophet and the Imams, which became the basis for the hikmah or sophia that later developed extensively in the Muslim world and incorporated into its structure suitable elements of the Greco-Alexandrian, the Indian, and the Persian intellectual heritages."

Seyyid Hosein Nasr in the preface to Tabatabai's work entitled "SHI'A" p.15 published by Ansariyan Publications of Qum, Iran. The early leaders of Islam, especially the Shia Imaams and their close followers, led a highly spiritual life and expressed spiritual ideas in the context of Islam through supplications, lectures and other writings. They were not, however, mystics or sufis as those later came to be understood. During the first century of the Islamic era there did not exist any group known as gnostics or sufis. Those who led spiritual life did so out of unbounded piety. Having traversed through comprehension of the formal and philosophical aspects of the faith they sought to unveil the Truth through intellectual reasoning. They neither renounced the world nor assumed any formal identity. Their teachings often attracted adherents from the Sunni schools of thought with the result that it is not uncommon to-day to find sufi groups aligned with the Sunni school and yet acknowledging Shiah leaders as their spiritual masters. Notable among such groups is the Naqshbandi order. Historians are in general agreement that the growth and spread of piety and spirituality amongst the early Muslims was the result of the tyranny of the rulers who had seized the helm of the empire after the death of Imaam Ali in 40 Hijrah. This they were able to do with such gross impunity because following the death of the Prophet, Ali had been denied succession. This is perhaps an over simplification to some extent as it implies that had the people accepted Ali as the rightful successor there would not have been such extensive rise of spirituality. The fact is that, as discussed earlier, gnosis is central to Islam. The Quraan as well as the Prophet encouraged intellectual reasoning. Say (unto them, O Muhammad): I exhort you unto one thing only: That ye awake, for Allah's sake, and then reflect. The Holy Quraan Ch.XXXIV Vr.46 Lo! In the creation of the heavens and the earth and (in) the difference of night day and day are tokens (of His sovereignty) for men of understanding. Such as Allah, standing, sitting, and reclining, and consider the creation of the heavens and the earth, (and instinctively cry out): Our Lord ! Thou created not this in vain ! Glory be to Thee ! Preserve us from the doom of Fire. The Holy Quraan Ch.III Vrs 190 & 191 The Prophet said:

True worship does not lie in engaging oneself constantly in supererogatory prayers or in fasting copiously, but in contemplation of the creation (and seeking to know the Creator through His works). Amongst the close companions of the Prophet there were those, like Abu Dharr Ghaffari, Miqdad, Salman the Persian and a few others, who became staunch followers of Imaam Ali and spread his teachings of gnosis. If Ali had been allowed to succeed the Prophet it is very likely that gnosis would have grown as an integral part of Islamic faith without any mantle of additional rituals. Because this did not happen and because the regime was often inimical and at time violently hostile to those who practised or preached spirituality, gnosis assumed a distinct and separate form. Al-Kindi (died 10th century A.D.) reports the appearance of a small community of Muslims in Alexandria in the ninth century (=2nd century of Islamic calendar) who ened good and preached against evil. They were called sufis. It is also said that Abu Hashim of Kufa in Iraq (died 767 A.D.) was the first man to be called by this name. He lived in the second century of Islamic calendar. He is reputed to have founded the first sufi monastery (khaanqah) at Ramlah in Palestine for the exclusive use of a group of ascetics and worshippers. In Northern Africa the sufi monasteries are known as tekkes. Historians differ on the origin of the word "sufi" though many believe that it is derived from suf, the coarse woollen garment worn by the sufis. With the formalisation of sufi orders, the sufis tended to assign highly esoteric meanings to certain Islamic of common usage. For example the term shariah which ordinarily means the jurisprudence, to a sufi it means the inner side of the Islamic law which leads to the spiritual path (the tariqah) leading to Truth. >From the point of view of the Islamic jurists, the Islamic teachings are divided into three parts. (i) The articles of faith, (ii) the ethics and (iii) the rules of law. As far as the articles of faith are concerned, the sufis do not consider the mere intellectual belief to be enough. They hold that it is necessary to ponder over the truths of these articles to remove the veil between the believer and the truths. Similarly the sufis do not consider the limited range of good morals to be enough. They believe in undertaking spiritual journey which has its own special characteristic. With regard to the rules of law, on the whole the sufis accept them although in certain sufi orders they have been altered or ignored. As time ed many sufi orders came into existence, each with its own tariqah, its own "guide" or "master" and its own form of expression of spirituality. In this development they were influenced not only by the Christian mystics but also by the

Hindus, the Jews, the Persians with their heritage of spirituality as well as the Greek thinkers such as Plato, Aristotle and the Neo-platonists introduced to the Arabs through Mamun Rashid's famous academy Bait al Hikmah, the House of Wisdom. Many orders, influenced no doubt by the Christian mystics, renounced the world believing such renunciation to be a great act of piety and began to live life of poverty. They were subjected to criticisms by the jurists, both from the Sunni and the Shia schools. In some cases, the Sunni regimes persecuted, imprisoned and even executed some leading Sufis. The chasm between the theologians and the Sufi masters began to widen and with certain theologians the Sufis today are on the other side of the spiritual divide beyond the pale of Islam. The Shia scholars and jurists, on the other hand, while not condoning the beliefs, practices and the rituals of the Sufis which they perceived to be anti-Islamic, have as we have seen, found a common ground in the Sufi spirituality. It is not proposed in these lectures to deal with how a seeker undertakes the spiritual journey or the various stages or "worlds" through which he must . Suffice it to say that a seeker would first find a master or guide who would take him through the spiritual journey. Shaykh Fadhlalla Haeri, himself a renowned Sufi master of the Shiah faith notes in his recent book "The Elements of Sufism" (page 44): The outer practices of the sufis include varying amounts of prayers, invocations, recitations and supplications...............We often find that not only the local ecology and physical environment had a lot to do with the type of sufi practices which predominated in a certain area, but also the culture, class and socio-economic conditions of the group which played the most prominent role in these practices. We find that some sufi orders became almost exclusively for the well-off and the influential in the society. For example the Tijani Order in North Africa seems to have attracted those who were politically powerful while the Darqawi order has been predominantly followed by the poor. A FEW GNOSTIC QUOTATIONS My God, were it not incumbent to accept Thy command, I would declare Thee far too exalted for me to Thee, for I Thee in my measure, not in Thy measure, and my scope can hardly reach the point where I may be a locus for calling Thee Holy! Among Thy greatest favours to us is the running of Thy remembrance across our tongues and Thy permission to us to supplicate Thee, declare Thee exalted, and call Thee holy!

My God, love-made hearts are enraptured by thee, disparate intellects are brought together by knowing Thee, hearts find no serenity except in ing Thee, souls find no rest except in seeing Thee. Thou art glorified in every place, the worshipped at every time, the found at every moment, the called by every tongue, the magnified in every heart! I pray forgiveness from Thee for every pleasure but ing Thee, every ease but intimacy with Thee, every happiness but nearness to Thee, every occupation but obeying Thee! My God, Thou hast said-and Thy word is true-O you who have faith ! God with much remembrance and glorify Him at dawn and in the evening! Thou hast saidand Thy word is true- me, and I will you. Thou hast commanded us to Thee, and promised us that Thou wilt us thereby, in order to ennoble, respect, and honour us. Here we are, ing Thee as Thou hast commanded us! So accomplish what Thou hast promised, O er of the ers! O most Merciful of the merciful! Psalms of Islam , Supplication 81 Imam Ali has said: "Allah ! I do not worship You because I am afraid of Your Hell or because I hope for Your Paradise. I worship You because I have found You worthy of being worshipped." Ibn Sina, the renowned scientist, mathematician, astronomer and mystic, known in the West as Avicenna (Died 1037 AD) says: "The gnostic seeks Allah alone. He is not concerned with anything else. In his eyes there is nothing more important and more valuable than gnosis. He worships Allah because worship is due to Him and because it is an appropriate and decent way of expressing man's relation to Him. The worship of the gnostic is free from any element of fear or hope of reward." Rabia Al-Adawiya (died 801 AD) a woman saint of Basra, was the greatest Godintoxicated mystic of the speculative period of sufism. She was an ascetic in the real sense. She detached herself from the phenomenal world and desired nothing but God. Once she was asked by a rich person what she would like of the earthly gifts. She replied:

"I am ashamed to ask of the thing of this world from Allah to whom this world belongs. How can I ask for it from those to whom it does not belong." Rabia taught to love God for God's sake. In one of her supplications, she says: "O my God! If I worship Thee on of the fear of Hell, burn me in Hell, and if I worship Thee with the hope of Paradise, exclude me from it, but if I worship Thee for Thine own sake, then withhold not from me Thine Eternal Beauty." When asked regarding her desire for the Paradise, Rabia replied: "Is it not enough for me that I am given leave to worship Him? He is worthy of worship without motive." In one of her poems she says: O beloved of hearts, I have none like You, So have pity this day on the sinner who comes to You. O my Hope and my Rest and my Delight, The heart can love none other than You. Another great Sufi lady was Sayyida Nafisah, the great grand-daughter of the second Imam of the Shias. She was renowned for her piety, asceticism, night vigils and prayers. Many a learned sought her company to discuss spiritual matters. When she died in 824 AD, her husband, the son of the sixth Imam, wanted to take her body back to Medina to bury her there. However, the villagers begged that she be buried in the village where she had died. The village has today become a popular place of pilgrimage for supplicants both Sunni and Shias. Mansur Al-Hallaj was a famous Sufi of the 10th Century. He was executed in 922 AD for having stated: "Anal Haq" which means "I am the Truth". Mawlana Jalal'ud-din Rumi was born in Balkh in the present day Afghanistan in 1207. He is a famous Sufi poet whose works have been translated in several languages. The following extract from his poem is most interesting. Cross and Christians, from end to end, I surveyed; He was not on the Cross. I went to the idol-temple, to the ancient pagoda; No trace was visible there. I went to the mountains of Herat and Candahor. I looked, He was not in that hill and dale. With set purpose I fared to the summit of Mount Qaf In that place was only Anqa's inhabitation.

I bent the reins of search to the Ka'ba; He was not in that resort of Old and Young. I questioned Ibn Sina of His State; He was not within Ibn Sina's range. I fared towards the scene of two bow-lengths distance, He was not in that exalted court I gazed into my heart; There I saw Him; He was nowhere else. [ Herat and Candahor are places in Afghanistan. Mt. Qaf is the mythical residence of Simrugh, who is identical with God in certain mystical literature. Ibn Sina is recognized as a great intellectual and the poet uses his name synonymously with human intellect. Distance of two bows length is referred to in the Quraan as the distance at which the Prophet stood from the Throne of Command on the Night of Ascension. ] THE ORIGIN OF ISLAM AND ITS UNIVERSAL TRUTH By:

Shaykh Fadhlalla Haeri

Everything in existence has both a secular and a spiritual aspect to it. Secular, meaning worldly, discernable, or physical. The spiritual side is metaphysical, intangible, and is to do with meaning or subtle realities. Life is experienced as interplay between two complementary opposites, dualities or polarities. There is time and timelessness, inner and outer, meaning and form, vice and virtue, person and society, and very importantly, self and soul (or spirit). Sentiency and life are discerned through a spectrum of consciousnesses. The basic foundation of life is a universal consciousness, which brings about all creation and their need for survival as well as all other basic evolutionary drives. All creation relates to this consciousness, which is conditioned and becomes specifically definable with individual beings or species. Natural selection, the drive for procreation and all other human, sexual or egotistical drives, is energized by that level of consciousness. The other level of consciousness is to do with pure, primal, or divine absolute consciousness. It is this that human beings are endowed with as distinct from other animals. It is the call of this higher eternal consciousness that drives human beings towards ethics, morality, and all the other higher transformative and transcendental tendencies; to go beyond mind, to be beside one’s self, to be inspired from beyond thought towards subtle intuition and other inspirations. Most world religions began through enlightened insights regarding a supreme, all encoming pure consciousness, or god-awareness. A few individuals (prophets and sages) have seen the unity and one power behind the diversity of manifestation in this world. Prophets have seen the eternal light beyond countless shadows with beginnings and endings, all of which relate to light

whose nature is most sublime and complex. The universal truth is that there is one unique essence and source behind the web of life, which engages everything that has emanated from it and returns to it. This is the meaning behind the Islamic declaration that ‘there is no god but God’.This truth means that whatever is durable and sustainable is close to this Godhead, and everything else is shadows or flashes of the ever-present light. Islam was a revival of the ancient Abrahamic revealed knowledge which had not reached the Arabs and had been distorted and eroded by many of its adherents, as happens to most religions over time. In their early beginnings, prophetic teachings connect the eternal truth with worldly, changing realities in an attempt to bring about a balance and a purpose in this worldly transitional life. But in most cases the natural human tendency towards egotistic control, greed and other worldly desires brings about the emphasis of religion towards structure, rituals and laws that are neither sufficiently flexible in a worldly sense, nor eternal as far as truth is concerned. The transformative light of religion and its spiritual dimension is often hijacked by a priestly class and rulers for the purpose of serving their desire for cohesion, continuity and control through cultural familiarities of their people. Every aspect of life’s experience, all cognition, awareness and behavior are relative and changeable issues because these are subject to time and space. Truth embodies time and space but is not subject to it. Indeed, humanity’s eternal quest is both relative and absolute, material and metaphysical. The growth and evolvement of wisdom implies both unison and balanced lives in this world, individually and collectively. Islam came to the Arabs based on the original prophetically revealed truth that was broadcast by thousands of previous messengers. Its revolutionary message was against human ignorance, arrogance, pride, and tribal injustices and discord. It brought God and absolute truth to the centre of every aspect of life at all times. Through the uplifting and recharging of human consciousness, the backward Arabs were galvanized by a unifying higher cause beyond their immediate clan or tribe. The result was the emergence of a major global empire and civilization within a few decades. The emphasis upon the ever present, all knowing, all seeing, perfect God brought about a very high level of personal ethics and morality amongst these desert people who lived a most basic and harsh life. Indeed, it is this personal ability to the light within the heart, to one’s God-consciousness, or higher pure consciousness, that brings the individual back to appropriate reference and stability. The notion of the hereafter radically changes the natural human egotistical tendency towards immediate gratification and pleasures. When this notion is internalized, it becomes transformative; otherwise it remains a ritual or a barren belief without much benefit or meaning. There are so many issues deep within the human psyche that are not easy to answer purely by philosophy or science, but can be resolved if we understand the paradox of dual consciousness within human beings. Are we free, or are we predestined and fated? We experience and, deep down, know that both are true. So far as normal day-to-day worldly relationships and events are concerned, everything is subject to cause and effect and follows rules and directions. The rational mind saves us from much superstition, speculation, fear, and emotional entanglement. Freedom, however, lies in our desire and disciplined attempt to evolve beyond the mind and access the zone of creativity and pure consciousness within us. That zone is the soul or spirit within the heart. By acknowledging our dual nature, we can deal appropriately with our natural biological human tendencies as well as referring to the soul or spirit within. We human beings can be most sublime and most ridiculous, most selfish and beyond selflessness, lower than the most brutal animals and higher than the angels. In a lifetime we reflect the entire cosmic story, from the Big Bang and life’s occurrence on earth, to all the evolutionary steps leading to the distinction of the Homo sapiens. The rise of the Adamic consciousness occurred when the energy of the supreme consciousness (a personal god) touched us with its call to go beyond the limitations of space and time, body and mind. This is referred to by religious-minded people, as God’s will, desire, or command.

Unless we combine both the secular and the spiritual in every aspect of life, we suffer imbalance and insecurity and fall for insatiable worldly desires. The human soul or spirit carries the blueprint of boundless power and eternal riches. The individual person (a self), which is energized by the soul, picks up this beam and internalizes it as a personal drive and desire for wealth and power. Unless self and soul are brought together in unison, no durable stability or contentment is possible. Our ‘globalised’ present world, prevalence of instant communication, and interaction through the Internet is radically different from the culture of family units and communities of two generations ago. Human morality and ethics then were enforced by family, the neighborhood, the clan, society, religion, nation and other factors. The legal systems and enforcement of law cannot successfully curb human egotistical and monopolistic tendencies, which continue until spiritual awakening overrides them. Personal conditioned consciousness and the illusion of individuality of separation in this world is the foundation of all conflict and wars. Reference to pure consciousness (God or Truth) can energize the fields of accord and harmony. Until very recently in Africa, tribal allegiance and ability brought about relative stability and contentment amongst the indigenous people. With the advent of so-called political independence, many Africans formed the new super tribes in the form of political parties. Most of the developing world had not gone through the long process of political, social, economical, and industrial evolvement that the West had experienced over a few centuries. Therefore much lip service is given to democracy, equality, and social justice whilst most of the population remains under the influence of old collective values and mindsets. Many Africans live and think collectively and rely upon sharing rather than individualistic success or achievement. In many villages in remote areas of Africa, one finds people that are generally cheerful, content, and live on a day-to-day basis without much anxiety or stress. An average Westerner’s fear of even the possibility of unemployment or reduction in standard of living can be a cause of depression and much anxiety. The present responsible African leaders need to be creative in order to safeguard the unique human tendencies in Africa without marginalizing rural people with limited educational possibilities. Most people need to earn their keep and basic human needs and dignity. It is no longer possible to turn every human being in this world into an economically viable worker according to Western standards. What is needed is the emergence of a new alternative to the global onslaught of capitalism with all its rational justifications. The purpose and journey of humanity is not only secular but also to connect and align self and soul, head and heart. God is one, and so is each human being. The purpose of life is to witness the perfection of every instant in spite of one’s own desires or expectations. Sufism is the heart of Islam, and the awakened Sufi regards death as the day of emancipation from this ever changing world and the door to everlasting union. When personal consciousness and awareness are made subservient to the truth of everlasting consciousness, then one is in constant harmony and well being, irrespective of outer events. This is where all shadows of reality fade away in the light of truth. This is where the secular and the spiritual are eternally connected.