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The word
Sufi is derived from the Arabic word 'suf'
which means ' wool
' and which refers to the coarse woolen robes that were worn
by the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and by his close companions.
The goal of a Sufi is none other than God Himself. There are
signs of God everywhere in the universe and in man
himself.
The Sufis
have pointed out useful things about Iblis. Let's continue
with some of their teachings. Let us quote shaykh Fariduddin
'Attar who has written these lines in his "Mosibat Nama"(Book
of Adversity), p. 63, for people looking for a Sufi teacher:
Gar to
gu'i nist piri aashkaarTo talab kon dar hazaar andar hazaarZe
aanke gar piri namaand dar jahaanNa zamin bar jaai maand na
zamaanPir ham hast in zamaan penhaan shodaTang-e khalqaan dida
dar kholqaan shoda
If you
say: There is no pir openly to be seen,Then you should seek
another thousand times.For if no pir would remain in the
world,Then neither the earth nor time would remain in
place.The pir exists even now, but he is hidden.Having seen
the narrow-mindedness of the people,He is wearing worn-out
clothes.
Sufism is a mystic tradition of Islam
encompassing a diverse range of beliefs and practices
dedicated to Allah/God, divine love and sometimes to helping
fellow man. Tariqas (Sufi orders) may be associated with Shi'a
Islam, Sunni Islam, other currents of Islam, or a combination
of multiple traditions. It has been suggested that Sufi
thought emerged from the Middle East in the eighth century,
but adherents are now found around the world. Some Sufis have
also claimed that Sufism pre-dates Islam and some groups
operate with only very tenuous links to Islam.
The Qur'anic roots of Sufism
Sufism really
has its roots in the Qur'an itself and in the religious
experience of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). The preliminary
signs of revelation were given to the Prophet (pbuh) in the
form of visions and the Prophet (pbuh) deliberately sought
solitude until the book of his heart, which was pure and
unspoiled by schoolmen, was opened and the Divine Pen engraved
upon it the revelation, the Qur'an.
The Sufi's knowledge of God comes from the Qur'an
directly. And in spite of the Sufi's proximity to God, the
undisputed basis of their direct experience of God has always
been the Qur'an. The Qur'an contains instructions suitable to
man with varying levels of spirituality. It satisfies those
who are content with merely exoteric practices, but also
contains the deepest and most profound esoteric meaning for
those who desire a closer, more mystical relationship with
God.
The Qur'anic verses which are the favourites of the
Sufis include:
"We [God] are closer to him [man] than his
jugular vein." "Say, surely we belong to God and to Him do we
return." "He is the First and the Last and the Manifest and
the Hidden." "God is the light of the heavens and the earth."
Such verses are limitless in their depth, scope and
meaning, and man may draw from them as much mystical meaning
as he has the capacity to understand.
God says in the Qur'an that God sent His Prophet
Muhammad (pbuh) first and foremost as a Mercy unto all
peoples. And men of different levels of spiritual
understanding may avail themselves of this Mercy according to
their various capacities.
The Prophet (pbuh) and his close associates never
stopped at merely observing the minimum requirement in regard
to prayer and devotional practices. All through his life, the
Prophet (pbuh) kept long night vigils and practised voluntary
fasts during most days. He never ate barley bread (the staple
food of his day) on three consecutive days, and he never even
touched a loaf of wheat bread -- which was a luxury. One of
his favourite sayings was "Poverty is my pride," and this
saying came to be quoted in every manual of Sufi doctrine,
making the rule of poverty a basic characteristic of Sufi
life.
Basic
beliefs
The exact form of the basic beliefs depends on the Sufi
School or current in question. While there are significant
variations in approach among them, the underlying concepts
remain similar.
Sufis believe that love is a projection of the essence
of God to the universe.
The central doctrine of Sufism, sometimes called
Wahdat or Unity, is the understanding of Tawhid: all
phenomena are manifestations of a single reality, or
Wujud (being), or al-Haq (Truth, God). The
essence of being/Truth/God is devoid of every form and
quality, and hence unmanifested, yet it is inseparable from
every form and phenomenon either material or spiritual. It is
often understood to imply that every phenomenon is an aspect
of Truth and at the same time attribution of existence to it
is false. The chief aim of all Sufis then is to let go of all
notions of duality, therefore the individual self also, and
realize the divine unity.
Sufis teach in personal groups, as the interaction of
the master is considered necessary for the growth of the
pupil. They make extensive use of parable, allegory, and
metaphor, and
it is held by Sufis that meaning can only be reached through a
process of seeking the truth, and knowledge of oneself.
Although philosophies vary between different Sufi
orders.
The following metaphor, credited to an unknown Sufi
scholar, helps describe this line of thought.
-
There are three ways of knowing a thing. Take for
instance a flame. One can be told of the flame, one can see
the flame with his own eyes, and finally one can reach out
and be burned by it. In this way, we Sufis seek to be burned
by God.
A
significant part of Persian literature comes from the Sufis,
who created great books of poetry (which include for example
the Walled Garden of Truth, Rubaiyat
of Omar Khayyam, the Conference
of the Birds and the Masnavi),
all of which contain teachings of the Sufis.
Sufi
Poetry
Sufism has produced a large body of poetry in Arabic,
Turkish,
Persian,
Kurdish,
Urdu, Punjabi,
Sindhi,
which notably includes the works of Jalal
al-Din Muhammad Rumi, Farid
Ud-Din Attar, Abdul
Qader Bedil, Bulleh
Shah, Amir
Khusro, Shah
Abdul Latif Bhittai, Sachal
Sarmast, Sultan
Bahu, as well as numerous traditions of devotional dance,
such as Sufi
whirling, and music, such as Qawwali.
History of
Sufism
The history of Sufism can be divided into the following
principal periods:
Origins
The history and methodology of Sufism
Sufism
is an esoteric doctrine transmitted by word of mouth, and
sometimes without even a spoken or written word, by an
authorized teacher to a disciple, and from disciple to another
disciple, in confidence. These secret instructions are acted
upon by a disciple with perfect faith in the teacher. The
disciple gives a report of his condition and experience in
confidence to his teacher and receives another set of
instructions most suitable to his state.
It is only the writings of the Sufi teachers, who speak
from within the tradition, that allow an outsider a glimpse of
the inner beauty of Sufism. One of the greatest scholars of
all times was al-Ghazzali. He lived in the later eleventh and
early twelfth centuries. He wrote his famous work The Revival
of the Sciences of Religion in Arabic, with an abridged form,
The Alchemy of Happiness, in Persian. These works were
followed by the other writings and poetry by such Sufi
teachers as Abdul-Karim al-Jili, Ibn Arabi, Suhrawardi, the
famous Chishti saints, Hafiz, Sadi, Rumi and so many other
Sufi poets.
At the same time there was an immense upsurge of open
Sufi activity under the auspices of different Sufi orders in
all parts of the Islamic world. Each Sufi order constituted a
focal point of activity, from which Sufi teachings were
carried to the mass of the population by the representatives
of the head of the order. The Sufi organizations constituted
the social cement of the society in which they lived. Because
of the strength of this social cement, Islamic civilization
was able not only to withstand the many political upheavals of
this period, but it also acted as a civilizing influence on
the powers that were responsible for these
upheavals.
Etymology
The conventional view is that the word originates from
Suf (صوف), the Arabic word for wool, referring to the simple
cloaks the early Muslim ascetics wore. However, not all sufis
wear cloaks or clothes of wool. Another etymological theory
states that the root word of Sufi is the Arabic word safa
(صفا), meaning purity. This places the emphasis of Sufism on
purity of heart and soul.
Others suggest the origin is from "Ashab al-Suffa"
("Companions of the Veranda") or "Ahl al-Suffa" ("People of
the Veranda"), who were a group of Muslims during the time of
the Prophet Muhammad who spent much of their time on the
veranda of the Prophet's Masjid devoted to prayer.
Yet another etymology, advanced by the 10th century
author Al-Biruni is that the word, as 'Sufiya', is linked with
the Greek term for 'Wisdom' - 'Sophia', although for various
reasons this derivation is not accepted by many at the
present.
The Great masters of Sufism
The Sufis dispersed throughout the Middle East,
particularly in the areas previously under Byzantine influence
and control. This period was characterised by the practice of
an apprentice (murid) placing himself under the spiritual
direction of a Master (shaykh or pir).
Schools were developed, concerning themselves with the
topics of mystical experience, education of the heart to rid
itself of baser instincts, the love of God, and approaching
God through progressive stages (maqaam) and states (haal). The
schools were formed by reformers who felt their core values
and manners had disappeared in a society marked by material
prosperity that they saw as eroding the spiritual
life.
Uwais
al-Qarni, Harrm Bin Hian, Hasan
Ul-Basri and Sayid Ibn Ul Mussib are regarded as the first
mystics among the "Taabi'een" in Islam. Rabia
was a female Sufi and known for her love and passion for God.
Junayd was
among the first theorist of Sufism; he concerned himself with
‘fanaa’ and ‘baqaa’, the
state of annihilating
the self in the presence of the divine, accompanied by clarity
concerning wordly phenomena.
Formalization of philosophies of
Sufism
Al
Ghazali's treatises, the "Reconstruction of Religious
Sciences" and the "Alchemy of Happiness," argued that Sufism
originated from the Qur'an making it compatible with
mainstream Islamic thought and theology. It was around 1000 CE that the
early Sufi literature, in the form of manuals, treatises,
discourses and poetry, became the source of Sufi thinking and
meditations.
Propagation of Sufism
Sufism, during 1200-1500 CE, experienced an era of
increased activity in various parts of the Islamic world. This
period is considered as the "Classical Period" or the "Golden
Age" of Sufism. Lodges and hospices soon
became not only places to house Sufi students, but also places
for practising Sufis and other mystics to stay and
retreat.
The propagation of Sufism started from its origin in
Baghdad, Iraq, and spread to Persia,
Pakistan, North
Africa, and Muslim
Spain. There were tests of conciliation between Sufism and
the other Islamic sciences (sharia, fiqh, etc.), as well as
the beginning of the Sufi brotherhoods (turuq).
One of the first orders to originate was the Yasawi
order, named after Khwajah Ahmed
Yesevi in modern Kazakhstan.
The Kubrawiya
order, originating in Central Asia, was named after Najmeddin
Kubra, known as the "saint-producing shaykh" , since a
number of his disciples became shaykhs. The most prominent
Sufi master of this era is Abdul
Qadir Jilani, the founder of the Qadiriyyah
order in Iraq. Others included Rumi,
founder of the Mevlevi order
in Turkey, Sahabuddin
Suharwardi in Asia minor, and Moinuddin Chishti in
India.
Influences
A
number of scholars perceive influences on Sufism from
pre-Islamic and non-Islamic schools of mysticism
and philosophy. Some of these new perspectives originate from
the synthesis of Persian civilization with Islam, an emphasis
on spiritual aspects of Islam, and the incorporation of ideas
and practices from other mysticisms such as Gnosticism,
Judaism, and
Hinduism into
Islam .
There are also claims regarding ancient
Egyptian roots of Sufism which are not widely
accepted.
Sufi concepts
The Six Subtleties
Drawing from Qur'anic verses, virtually all Sufis
distinguish Lataif-e-Sitta
(The Six Subtleties), Nafs, Qalb, Ruh, Sirr, Khafi &
Akhfa. These lataif (singular : latifa) designate
various psychospiritual "organs" or, faculties of sensory
perception.
Sufic development involves the awakening of these
spiritual centers of perception that lie dormant in an
individual. Each center is associated with a particular colour
and general area of the body, ofttimes with a particular
prophet, and varies from Order to Order. The help of a guide
is considered necessary to help activate these centers. After
undergoing this process, the dervish is said to reach a
certain type of "completion."
Man gets acquainted with the lataif one by one by Muraqaba
(Sufi Meditation), Dhikr
(Remembrance of God) and purification of one's psyche from
negative thoughts, emotions, and actions. Loving God and one's
fellow, irrespective of his race, religion or nationality, and
without consideration for any possible reward, is the key to
ascension according to Sufis.
These six "organs" or faculties: Nafs, Qalb, Ruh, Sirr,
Khafi & Akhfa, and the purificative activities applied to
them, contain the basic orthodox Sufi philosophy. The
purification of the elementary passionate nature
(Tazkiya-I-Nafs), followed by cleansing of the spiritual heart
so that it may acquire a mirror-like purity of reflection
(Tazkiya-I-Qalb) and become the receptacle of God's love
(Ishq), illumination of the spirit (Tajjali-I-Ruh) fortified
by emptying of egoic drives (Taqliyya-I-Sirr) and remembrance
of God's attributes (Dhikr), and completion of journey with
purification of the last two faculties, Khafi & Akhfa.
Through these "organs" or faculties and the transformative
results from their activation, the basic Sufi psychology is
outlined and bears some resemblance to the schemata of kabbalah and
the tantric chakra
system.
Sufi cosmology
Although there is no consensus with regard to Sufi
cosmology, one can disentangle at least three different
cosmographies: Ishraqi visionary universe as expounded by Suhrawardi
Maqtul, Neoplatonic
view of cosmos cherished by Islamic philosophers like Ibn
Sina/Avicenna and Sufis like Ibn
al-Arabi, and Hermetic-Ptolemaic spherical geocentric
world. All these doctrines (each one of them claiming to be
impeccably orthodox) were freely mixed and juxtaposed,
frequently with confusing results – a situation one also
encounters in other esoteric doctrines.
Sufi practices
Meditation
-
Tamarkoz or Muraqaba is the word used by many Sufis
when referring to the practice of meditation.
The Arabic
word literally means observe, guard or control one's thoughts
and desires. In some Sufi orders, muraqaba may involve
concentrating one's mind on the names of
God, on a verse of the Qur'an, or on
certain Arabic
letters that have special significance. Muraqaba in other
orders may involve the Sufi aspirant focusing on his or her murshid, while
others (such as the Azeemia order)
imagine certain colors to achieve different spiritual
states.
Dhikr
Dhikr (Zekr) is
the remembrance of God commanded in the Qur'an for all
Muslims. To
engage in dhikr is to have awareness of God according to
Islam. Dhikr as a devotional act includes the repetition of
divine names, supplications and aphorisms from hadith
literature, and sections of the Qur'an. More generally, any
activity in which the Muslim maintains awareness of God is
considered dhikr.
It is interesting to note that the practice of Muraqaba
and Dhikr have very close resemblence with the practices of
the Jewish mystics.
Muraqaba is very similar to the Merkavah
practice, which is one of the meditations used by Kabbalists
to attain higher states of consciousness. Kabbalists also use
a practice called Zakhor which in Hebrew
literally means remembrance. Zakhor serves the same purpose in
Kabbalah as Dhikr serves in Sufism. Another thing to notice
here is that there is not only similarity in practice but also
a strong similarity in the spelling and sounding of the words
in Sufism and Kabbalah. This may imply that the Sufi mystical
system has its origins in Judaism and
its mystical tradition the Kabbalah.
Some Sufi orders
engage in ritualized dhikr ceremonies, the liturgy of
which may include recitation,
singing, instrumental
music, dance, costumes, incense, meditation,
ecstasy,
and trance.
(Touma 1996, p.162).
Hadhra
-
Hadhra is a
dance associated with dhikr practiced
primarily in the Arab world.
The word Hadhra means Presence in Arabic. Sometimes the sufi
songs, or dances are performed as an appeal for the Presence
of God, his prophets, and angels.
Qawwali
Qawwali is a
form of devotional Sufi music common in Pakistan, North India,
Afganistan, Iran and Turkey. It is known for its secular
strains. Some of its modern-day masters have included Nusrat
Fateh Ali Khan and the Sabri
Brothers.
Sama
Sama
or Sema' (Arabic "listening") refers to Sufi worship
practices involving music and dance (see Sufi
whirling). In Uyghur culture,
this includes a dance form also originally associated with
Sufi ritual. See Qawwali
origins and Origin and
History of the Qawwali, Adam Nayyar, Lok Virsa
Research Centre, Islamabad,
1988.
Khalwa
Khalwa refers to a form of retreat, once widespread but
now less common. A khalwa may be prescribed by the
shaykh (spiritual advisor) of the murid or
talib (student). Muslims believe that most of the
prophets, and also Maryam (Mary) the mother of Issa (Jesus),
lived in some form of seclusion at some point in their life.
Muhammad, for example, used to retreat to the cave where he
received his first inspiration – but had been going there for
many years prior to his meeting with the angel Gabriel.
Similar examples include Moses' going into seclusion for 40
days in a cave in Mt. Sinai. Mary was in seclusion in the
Jewish temple for a year, where only Zakariya was
permitted to see her.
Orders of Sufism
Traditional orders
The traditional Sufi orders emphasize the role of
Sufism within Islam. Therefore the Sharia
(traditional Islamic law) and the Sunnah (customs
of the Prophet) are seen as crucial for any Sufi aspirant.
Among the oldest and most well known of the Sufi orders are
the Qadiri, Chisti, Oveyssi, Shadhili, Jerrahi, Naqshbandi,
Nimatullahi,
Mevlevi and
the Ashrafi. One
proof traditional orders assert is that almost all the famous
Sufi masters of the Islamic Caliphate times were also experts
in Sharia and were renowned as people with great Iman (faith)
and excellent practice. Many were also Qadis (Sharia law
judges) in courts. They held that Sufism was never distinct
from Islam and to fully comprehend and live correct with
Sufism one must be a practicing Muslim obeying the
Sharia.
Non-traditional Sufi groups
In recent decades there has been a growth of
non-traditional Sufi movements in the West. Some examples are
Universal
Sufism movement, the Mevlevi Order of America, the Golden
Sufi Center, the Sufi Foundation of America, and Sufism
Reoriented.
Universal Sufism
-
Mainstream Sufism is seen by its scholars and
supporters as a part of traditional Islam. However, there is a
major line of non-Islamic or offshoot-Islamic Sufi thought
that sees Sufism as predating Islam and being a universal
philosophy, that is independent of the Qur'an and the
teachings of Prophet Muhammad.
This view of Sufism has been popular in the Western
world, and the terms yogi and sufi are used
interchangeably. Universal Sufism tends to be opposed by
traditional Sufis, who argue that Sufism has always been
practiced from within an Islamic framework and can never be
separated from it. Inayat
Khan founded Universal
Sufism whilst also maintaining his lineage in Chisti sufism,
and Idries
Shah advocated similar concepts. Irina
Tweedie and Abdullah
Dougan also taught outside the Islamic context while
maintaining the connection to their Naqshbandi
heritage.
There is also an attempt to reconsider Sufism in
contemporary Muslim thought from within. According to this
view, Sufism represents the core sense of Islam that gives
insight to God and His creation.
Traditional Islamic schools of
thought and Sufism
Islam traditionally consists of a number of groups. The
two main divisions are the Sunnis and the
Shia. Sunni Islam
consists of a number of schools of legal jurisprudence (called
Madhabs). Sufis do not define Sufism as a madhhab — what
distinguishes a person as a Sufi is practicing Sufism, usually
through association with a Sufi order. Belief in Sufism is not
sufficient for being recognized as a Sufi. Classic Sufi
tariqas insist on adherence to one of the four Madhabs of Fiqh
and one of the two orthodox schools of Aqida. In this sense,
traditional practicers of Sufism don't see it as an exclusive
group but just as a form of training necessary to cultivate
spirituality and Ihsan in their lives.
The relationship between traditional Islamic scholars
and Sufism is complicated due to the variety of Sufi orders
and their history.
According to the followers of Sufism, the founders and
early scholars of the schools (madhhabs) had positive
attitudes towards Sufism, for example Imam Ibn
Hambal used to visit the Sufi master Bishr al
Hafi frequently. Later, there were some scholars who
considered some aspects of Sufism rank heresy as well
as those like Al-Ghazali
who defended Sufis as true Muslims. In time, even the
controversial words of Al-Hallaj
came to be accepted by some scholars.
Today, many Islamic scholars (though not all) hold
Tasawwuf, in the sense of Sufi doctrines and philosophies, to
be the science of the heart or gnosis (as distinct from other
branches of Islamic knowledge which are exoteric in
nature) and appreciate Sufis for their extensive contributions
to Islamic arts and philosophy. Many Muslims who are not
themselves Sufis are influenced by Sufi teachings.
Here are the views of some famous scholars about
Sufism.
Imam Abu Hanifa (85 H. - 150 H) "If it were not
for two years, I would have perished." He said, "for two years
I accompanied Sayyidina Ja'far as-Sadiq and I acquired the
spiritual knowledge that made me a gnostic in the Way."
[Ad-Durr al-Mukhtar, vol 1. p. 43]
Imam Malik (95 H. - 179 H.) "whoever studies
Jurisprudence (tafaqaha) and didn't study Sufism [tasawwafa]
will be corrupted; and whoever studied Sufism and didn't study
Jurisprudence will become a heretic; and whoever combined both
will be reach the Truth." [the scholar'Ali al-Adawi , vol. 2,
p 195.)
Imam Shafi'i (150 - 205 AH.) "I accompanied the
Sufi people and I received from them three knowledges: ... how
to speak; .. how to treat people withleniency and a soft
heart... and they... guided me in the ways of Sufism." [Kashf
al-Khafa, 'Ajluni, vol. 1, p 341.]
Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal (164 - 241 AH.) "O my son,
you have to sit with the People of Sufism, because they are
like a fountain of knowledge and they keep the Remembrance of
Allah in their hearts. they are the ascetics and they have the
most spiritual power." [Tanwir al-Qulub p. 405]
Imam Nawawi (620 - 676 AH.) "The specifications
of the Way of the Sufis are ... to keep the Presence of Allah
in your heart in public and in private; to follow the Sunnah
of the Prophet (s) ... to be happy with what Allah gave
you..."[in his Letters, (Maqasid at-tawhid), p.
201]
Ibn Khaldun (733 - 808 AH.) "The way of the
Sufis is the way of the Salaf, the preceding Scholars between
the Sahaba and Tabi'een of those who followed good
guidance..." [Muqaddimat ibn al-Khaldun, p. 328]
Tajuddin as-Subki (727 - 771 AH.) "May Allah
praise them [the Sufis] and greet them and may Allah cause us
to be with them in Paradise. Too many things havebeen said
about them and too many ignorant people have said things which
are not related to them. And the truth is that those people
left the world and were busy with worship. ... They are the
People of Allah, whose supplications and player Allah accepts
and by means of whom Allah supports human beings" [Mu'eed
an-Na'am p. 190, the chapter entitled Tasawwufl
Jalaluddin as-Suyuti (849 - 911 AH.)
"At-Tasawwuf in itself is the best and most honorable
knowledge. It explains how to follow the Sunnah of the Prophet
(s) and to put aside innovation." [Ta'yid al-Haqiqat
al-'Aiiyya,p 57]
lbn Qayyim (691 - 751 AH.) "We can witness the
greatness of the People of Sufism, in the eyes of the earliest
generations of Muslims by what has been mentioned by Sufyan
ath-Thawri (d. 161 AH), one of the greatest imams of the
second century and one of the foremost legal scholars. He
said, "If it had not been for Abu Hisham as-Sufi (d. 115) 1
would never have perceived the action of the subtlest forms of
hypocrisy in the self... Among the best of people is the Sufi
learned in jurisprudence." [Manazil as-Sa'ireen.]
Abdullah ibn Muhammad ibn Abdul Wahhab (1115 - 1201
AH.) "My father Muhammad ibn Abdul Wahhab and I do not
deny or criticize the science of Sufism, but on the contrary
we support it, because it purifies the external and the
internal of the hidden sins, which are related to the heart
and to the outward form. Even though the individual might
externally be on the right way, internally he might be on the
wrong way. Sufism is necessary to correct it." [ad-Dia'at
mukathaffa did ash-Shaykh Ibn Abdul Wahhab,p.85 ]
Ibn 'Abidin (1198 - 1252 AH.) "the Seekers in
this Sufi Way don't hear except from the Divine Presence and
they don't love any but Him. If they remember Him they cry,
and if they thank Him they are happy; ... May Allah bless
them." [Risa'il Ibn'Abidin p. 172 & 173]
Muhammad 'Abduh (1265 - 1323 AH.) "Tasawwuf
appeared in the first century of Islam and it received a
tremendous honor. It purified the self and straightened the
conduct and gave knowledge to people from the Wisdom and
Secrets of the Divine Presence." (Majallat al-Muslim, 6th ed.
1378 H, p. 24].
Abul Hasan 'Ali an-Nadawi (1331 AH b.) "These
Sufis were initiating people on Oneness and sincerity in
following the Sunnah of the Prophet (s) and to repent from
their sins and to be away from every disobedience of Allah
'Azza wa Jal. Their guides were encouraging them to move in
the way of perfect Love to Allah 'Azza wa Jail. "...In
Calcutta India, everyday more than 1000 people were taking
initiation into Sufism. "...by the influence of these Sufi
people, thousands and thousands and hundreds of thousands in
India found their Lord and reached a state of Perfection
through the Islamic religion."[Muslit-ns in India, p.
140-146]
Controversy and criticism of
Sufism
Sufism is a somewhat controversial subject today. For
didactic convenience, the perspectives on Sufism as a part of
Islam will be mentioned first and after that, the non Muslim
groups who claim to be Sufi adherents.
Classic position on Sufism
Sufism was traditionally considered the systematisation
of the spiritual component of Islam. It dealt with matters of
the heart (just as Fiqh dealt with the body and Aqida dealt with
the intellect). Many of the greatest Islamic scholars wrote
treatises on the subject (eg. Al-Ghazali's
ihya ulum-aldeen (احياء علوم الدين), Imam Nawawi's Bustan
al-Arifeen etc.). Many of the traditional scholars who were
part of famous Islamic institutions (eg. Al-Azhar)
like Ibn
Ata'illah were Sufi
masters. Even today, many of the traditional Islamic
universities like Al-Azhar endorse Sufism as a part of the
religion of Islam.
Many of the famous Islamic scholars have praised Sufis and
their practices. For a list, please refer to scholars on
Sufism.
However, Sufism emphasises non quantifiable matters
(like states of the heart). The authors of various Sufi
treatises often used allegorical language which couldn't be
read by an unknowledgeable person to describe these states
(eg. likened some states to intoxication which is forbidden in
Islam). This usage of indirect language and the existence of
interpretations by people who had no training in Islam or
Sufism led to doubts being cast over the validity of Sufism as
a part of Islam. Also, some groups emerged that considered
themselves above the Sharia and
discussed Sufism as a method of bypassing the rules of Islam
in order to attain salvation directly. This was disapproved of
by traditional scholars. An example of such a deviant sufi was
Abu
Hilman. One of the most vocal critics of such deviations
from the Islamic creed was Ibn
Taymiya.
For a detailed essay on the role that Sufism plays in
traditional Islam, please refer Place of
Tasawwuf in traditional Islam.
Criticism of Sufism
The adherents of the Salafi school
form the majority of Muslims opposed to Tasawwuf. They hold
that Sufism was always held to be an innovation even by the
earliest scholars. Some of their main criticisms are listed
below.
-
Sufi masters have introduced many special prayers and
devotional acts into their schools. These are criticised as
being reprehensible
innovations which are at best unnecessary. The
supporters of Sufism defend their position by saying that
innovations can be classified into good and bad ones. They
hold that the textually transmitted prayers and invocations
are superior in all respects to the ones they institute and
that the latter only plays a reinforcing role rather than a
main one.
-
Some point to certain practices like singing being
inconsistent with the Sharia. Sufis defend their position by
quoting prophetic traditions that condone certain forms of
non instrumental music (refer links above).
-
The allegorical and often abstruse language used by
Sufis in their texts when interpreted by unqualified people
opens avenues for many misunderstandings. eg. The concept of
divine unity Wahdat-ul-wujood which critics consider
equivalent to pantheism
and therefore incompatible with Islam. Sufi masters in many
of their introductory texts caution aspirants from reading
and interpreting texts by themselves. They hold that the
subject can only be taught by a master to a student under
strict guidance and supervision owing to its delicate
nature.
Islamic positions on non
Islamic Sufi groups
The use of the title Sufi by many groups to refer to
themselves and their use of traditional Sufi masters (notably
Jalaluddin
Rumi) as sources of inspiration as well as the existence
of interpretations of classical Sufis texts by people who have
no grounding in traditional Islamic sciences has created a
group of non-Islamic Sufis. These are considered by certain
conventional Islamic scholars as "beyond the pale" of the
religion. However, Sufis are often encouraged to observe a
higher degree of forebearance. Some Sufi Sheikhs, although
having been initiated in an Islamic setting themselves, have
gone on to teach more widely and to make it clear that
students of Sufism need not formally embrace Islam.
*** Source :wikipedia ***
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Bihar has
a sizable Muslim population and Masjids or prayer halls can be
found in almost every village and city of the state. There are several
Khanqahs and Dargahs (tombs) of revered
Muslim saints that have become famous pilgrimages.
Most
notable among the Dargahs in Bihar are the tombs of the Muslim
saint Hazrat Makhdoom Sharfuddin Ahmad at Bihar Sharif of
Suharwardia Firdausia Silsila,Hazrat Makhdoom
Siyed Shah Durwesh Ashraf at Bitho Sharif (Gaya),M.Shahab-ud-din
or 'Pir Jagjot' of Jethuli, H. Badr-i-Alam of Choti Dargah,
Mir Fazlullah Gosain of Daira, Farid-ud-din Tawaila Bux of
Chandpura, Ahmad Isa Taj of Bhaisaur, Ataullah Baqhdali of Mir
Dad and Syed Sadr-ud-din Zahidi of
Chistia Silsila-
all belonging to the town of Biharsharif (Nalanda).
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