The basic purpose of human existence is acquisition of knowledge of God; there is no relationship more true than this spiritual affiliation. All other types of relationships are but derivative and dependent upon that spiritual connection, and in themselves nothing to boast of.
-Lahiji: "Mafatih"
Monday, July 28
SufiSpot - Wordle
This was created with IBM's Wordle technology - which analyzed the content on this blog and generated a visual result based on topic's frequency.
Wednesday, July 23
To Judge or not to Judge!
To Judge or Not to Judge
Salma Remani
Salma Remani
One night there was a woman at the airport who had to wait for several hours before catching her next flight. While she waited she bought a book and a pack of biscuits to spend the time. She looked for a place to sit and waited.
She was deep into her book, when suddenly she realized that there was a young man sitting next to her who was stretching his hand, with no concern whatsoever, and grabbing the pack of cookies lying between them. He started to eat them one by one.
Not wanting to make a fuss about it she decided to ignore him. The woman, slightly bothered, ate the cookies and watched the clock, while the young and shameless thief of biscuits was also finishing them. The woman started to get really angry at this point and thought "If I wasn't such a good and educated person, I would have given this daring man a black eye by now."
Every time she ate a biscuit, he had one too. The dialogue between their eyes continued and when only one biscuit was left, she wondered what was he going to do. Softly and with a nervous smile, the young man grabbed the last biscuit and broke it in two. He offered one half to the woman while he ate the other half.
Briskly she took the biscuit and thought, "What an insolent man! How uneducated! He didn't even thank me!" She had never met anybody so fresh and sighed relieved to hear her flight announced. She grabbed her bags and went towards the boarding gate refusing to look back to where that insolent thief was seated.
After boarding the plane and nicely seated, she looked for her book which was nearly finished by now. While looking into her bag she was totally surprised to find her pack of biscuits nearly intact. "If my biscuits are here", she thought feeling terribly, "those others were his and he tried to share them with me." Too late to apologize to the young man, she realized with pain, that it was her who had been insolent, uneducated and a thief, and not him.
How many times in our lives, had we know with certainty that something happened in a certain way, only to discover later that it wasn't true?
No matter how great a man's evil, in his heart there is a seed of goodness. If only we can reach it and make it grow, it will bear fruit.
How many times has our lack of trust within us made us judge other people unfairly with our conceited ideas, often far away from reality?
Tuesday, July 22
Why Worry in Life?
Assalamu 'Alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu
The Seal of Prophets, Sayyidina Muhammad, peace be upon him, imparted this good advice to mankind: "If you awaken in the morning and find that you are lacking nothing in the way of material sustenance, and that you and your family are in good health, then don't burden yourself with worry".
The Holy Prophet advises us not to make problems for ourselves. If there are immediate and pressing problems, that is another story, but so many "problems" in people's minds are not problems at all except in their minds. They are only "projected problems" which may or may not ever materialize. This is the affliction of twentieth century man: anxiety, or suffering inflicted upon oneself over the possibility of future suffering. As a result of this neurotic anxiety people may suffer intensely over a long period of time, although none of what they fear ever materializes This is the epitome of foolishness.
We are shouldering weekly, monthly and yearly burdens each day. Why carry such baggage when you may walk unburdened and find all that you need awaiting your arrival at each station of your journey? You only exist here and now. Tomorrow's "you" is only a fantasy, as you can't even know if you'll live that long. By inventing so many problems for yourself you are only making yourself ill. Is this advice of the Prophet not enough evidence of his adherence to a way that leads man to felicity?
Allah Almighty doesn't want His servants to suffer needless self-inflicted misery, and He says: "Oh My servants, don't load heavy burdens on yourselves by worrying about the future. Just bring yourselves in line with My will; accord with my purposes this moment, and then rest assured that I will help you keep your future moments similarly aligned with My will".
Perhaps you may understand my point from the following example. When a new railway track is laid, before a locomotive and train are ever sent over it, a two-wheeled cart is first drawn over it to check whether the tracks have been laid straight. In the same way, if you can align your will to that of your Lord even for one moment, without carrying a heavy burden, you may be sure that your way is right, and that, even should times get rough, and so many burdens be coupled to your locomotive, your track is straight and true and you will pass along it smoothly and safely. A solution to this moment's problem is the solution to next year's derailment.
When I am here in western countries I daily encounter people carrying the weight of anticipated problems, It is so difficult in the modern world to escape from having this perspective, and to concentrate on the moment in order to put it right. With tens of thousands of problems in front of you all at once how should a solution seem possible?
I often see people running into the mosque, saying the obligatory prayers quickly and running out. Sometimes I ask them: "What's the rush?" Then they nervously look at their watches and say: "We have tarried in the mosque too long already. We have so many things to do today!" I reply: "It is laudable to be industrious and to look after your affairs well, but who would look after your affairs were you to drop dead here and now?"
I am not encouraging people to spend their whole days in the mosque, but only trying to remind people who are not only running after their sustenance, but leaping, head over heels after ambitious all-encompassing undertakings that it is impossible to "master the world", and destructive to devote so much energy to their attempt, and with so much abandon. First of all, the world already has a Master, and addressing Him humbly and with presence of mind (not hurriedly) in your prayers is even more instrumental in attaining your sustenance than rushing through the city. Secondly, far from attending to your affairs more efficiently by running, you are only likely to have a heart attack and die young!
Don't live in a world of great big-time schemes, for such schemes will not save you from trouble, but entangle you in it even further. Simplify your problems so that the solutions may be simple, also don't regard your problems with a magnifying glass, so that they are out of perspective: that habit will destroy you physically and spiritually.
By Shaykh Muhammad Nazim Adil al-Haqqani
The Seal of Prophets, Sayyidina Muhammad, peace be upon him, imparted this good advice to mankind: "If you awaken in the morning and find that you are lacking nothing in the way of material sustenance, and that you and your family are in good health, then don't burden yourself with worry".
The Holy Prophet advises us not to make problems for ourselves. If there are immediate and pressing problems, that is another story, but so many "problems" in people's minds are not problems at all except in their minds. They are only "projected problems" which may or may not ever materialize. This is the affliction of twentieth century man: anxiety, or suffering inflicted upon oneself over the possibility of future suffering. As a result of this neurotic anxiety people may suffer intensely over a long period of time, although none of what they fear ever materializes This is the epitome of foolishness.
We are shouldering weekly, monthly and yearly burdens each day. Why carry such baggage when you may walk unburdened and find all that you need awaiting your arrival at each station of your journey? You only exist here and now. Tomorrow's "you" is only a fantasy, as you can't even know if you'll live that long. By inventing so many problems for yourself you are only making yourself ill. Is this advice of the Prophet not enough evidence of his adherence to a way that leads man to felicity?
Allah Almighty doesn't want His servants to suffer needless self-inflicted misery, and He says: "Oh My servants, don't load heavy burdens on yourselves by worrying about the future. Just bring yourselves in line with My will; accord with my purposes this moment, and then rest assured that I will help you keep your future moments similarly aligned with My will".
Perhaps you may understand my point from the following example. When a new railway track is laid, before a locomotive and train are ever sent over it, a two-wheeled cart is first drawn over it to check whether the tracks have been laid straight. In the same way, if you can align your will to that of your Lord even for one moment, without carrying a heavy burden, you may be sure that your way is right, and that, even should times get rough, and so many burdens be coupled to your locomotive, your track is straight and true and you will pass along it smoothly and safely. A solution to this moment's problem is the solution to next year's derailment.
When I am here in western countries I daily encounter people carrying the weight of anticipated problems, It is so difficult in the modern world to escape from having this perspective, and to concentrate on the moment in order to put it right. With tens of thousands of problems in front of you all at once how should a solution seem possible?
I often see people running into the mosque, saying the obligatory prayers quickly and running out. Sometimes I ask them: "What's the rush?" Then they nervously look at their watches and say: "We have tarried in the mosque too long already. We have so many things to do today!" I reply: "It is laudable to be industrious and to look after your affairs well, but who would look after your affairs were you to drop dead here and now?"
I am not encouraging people to spend their whole days in the mosque, but only trying to remind people who are not only running after their sustenance, but leaping, head over heels after ambitious all-encompassing undertakings that it is impossible to "master the world", and destructive to devote so much energy to their attempt, and with so much abandon. First of all, the world already has a Master, and addressing Him humbly and with presence of mind (not hurriedly) in your prayers is even more instrumental in attaining your sustenance than rushing through the city. Secondly, far from attending to your affairs more efficiently by running, you are only likely to have a heart attack and die young!
Don't live in a world of great big-time schemes, for such schemes will not save you from trouble, but entangle you in it even further. Simplify your problems so that the solutions may be simple, also don't regard your problems with a magnifying glass, so that they are out of perspective: that habit will destroy you physically and spiritually.
By Shaykh Muhammad Nazim Adil al-Haqqani
Sunday, July 20
Short history of Shaykh Nazim
SHAYKH MUHAMMAD NAZIM ADIL AL-HAQQANI AN-NAQSHBANDI
Shaykh Muhammad Nazim al-Haqqani is the world leader of the most distinguished Naqshbandi order of Sufis (tariqah an-Naqshbandiyya-t-il-'awliya). Shaykh Nazim is both a scholar of the Divine Law (shari'ah), being the mufti of Turkish Cyprus, as well as the Shaykh of the Way (tariqah).
A resident of Turkish Cyprus, he was born in Larnaca, Cyprus on April 23, 1922 (12th Rabi'ul Awwal, 1341 AH). He is a descendant of the family of the Prophet Muhammad (saws) on both his mother and his father's side, being both a Hasani and Husayni Sayyid. On his father's side, he is a descendant of Sayyid 'Abdul Qadir Gilani, the founder of the Qadiri Sufi order and on his mother's side, his ancestry comes from Jalal al-Din Rumi, the founder of the Mawlawi Sufi order.
Shaykh Nazim finished high school in Cyprus 1940 CE/1359 AH. He then traveled to Istanbul for higher education. He studied at the University of Istanbul, completing an MA in Chemical Engineering. During his years in Istanbul, he also completed the requirements of the Divine Law and Arabic language. He received his "permission" ('ijaza) from Shaykh Jamal al-Lassuni (d. 1955 CE / 1375 AH). Shaykh Nazim then directed his attention to the study of the spiritual path of seven Sufi orders: Naqshbandi, Chishti, Qadiri, Mawlawi, Rifa'i, Shadhili and Badawi. He then increased his study of the Naqshbandi order under his shaykh at that time, Sulayman Arzurumi (d. 1938 CE / 1368 AH). After a few years, Shaykh Sulayman told him, "O my son, the one who is carrying your secrets is not me, but my spiritual teacher who migrated from Daghistan to Turkey and who is now residing in Damascus in the Midan district (sa'ahat il-Midan). He is known as the Master of the Golden Chain of the Naqshbandi order in our time."
Shaykh Muhammad Nazim al-Haqqani then moved to Syria. On the way to Damascus, he first visited Aleppo, Hama and Homs. In Homs, under the direction of his Shaykh, he stayed for one year in seclusion in the mosque and tomb of the famous Companion of the Prophet (saws), Khalid ibn Walid. There he received more intensive instruction in the Divine Law, the Traditions (ahadith), and the Science of the Qur'an (ilm al-Qur'an) under the Shaykhs Muhammad 'Ali 'Uyun as-Su'ud, 'Abdul 'Aziz 'Uyun as-Su'ud, mufti of Homs, Abdul Jalil Murad and Sayyid as-Suba'i, who are all Naqshbandi shaykhs as well as famous scholars of the Traditions (muhaddithun) and religious scholars ('ulama) of the Divine Law (shari'ah).
In 1944 CE / 1364 AH, he moved to Tripoli, Lebanon, where he was the guest of Shaykh Munir al-Malik, the mufti of northern Lebanon and Shaykh of the Qadiri, Rifa'i' and Naqshbandi Sufi orders. In 1945 CE / 1365 AH, he went from Tripoli to Damascus to Ha'i al-Midan where he finally met Shaykh 'Abdullah ad-Daghistani an-Naqshbandi. He stayed with his Grand Shaykh until his Grand Shaykh passed away on October 4, 1973 (4th of Ramadan, 1398 AH). During that period of almost forty years, Shaykh Muhammad Nazim al-Haqqani (may God bless him) continued to receive the heavenly fountain of spiritual knowledge which poured forth from the heart of Shaykh 'Abdullah ad-Daghistani (may God sanctify his soul) into his heart.
Shaykh Nazim continuously traveled to the Middle East and Turkey during these 40 years. Upon the death of his Grand Shaykh and by his spiritual order, he enlarged his scope of travel to include Europe, America and the Far East. He established hundreds of centers all over the world, spreading Islam together with Sufi spiritual knowledge which has brought hundreds of thousands of converts to Islam. It would not be an exaggeration to say that he is the mujaddid of this century as was Sayyid 'Abdul Qadir Gilani, in his time; Shah Bahauddin Naqshband, in his time; Sayyid Ahmad al-Fa'ruqi, in his time; and Jalal al-Din Rumi, in his time.
Shaykh Nazim carries the secret of seven Sufi orders: Naqshbandi, Chishti, Qadiri, Mawlawi, Rifa'i, Shadhili and Badawi, through a chain of authorization from his master, Shaykh 'Abdullah ad-Daghistani, through the chain of 39 Grand Shaykhs linking him to the Prophet l (saws).
He has entered many seclusions during his lifetime ranging in duration from 40 days to one year. These took place in many different places including the Prophet's city, Madinah, Baghdad in the presence of Sayyid 'Abdul Qadir Gilani, Konya in the presence of Jalal al-Din Rumi and Damascus at many holy places. He has written numerous books on spirituality and Divine Knowledge (gnosis, ma'rifah) which have been published throughout the world. He has written many poems on Divine Love ('ishq) in both Arabic and Turkish. He is a source (marja') for many modern juristic matters. He follows a moderate line in approaching people and issues of contemporary life.
Shaykh Nazim has a very charismatic personality which moves people and attracts them to the manifestation of Divine Love which continues to pour forth from his heart. His resplendent smile is ever present. when he speaks, it is as if a Divinely-inspired waterfall had been opened connecting his heart to the hearts of the listeners. It is that nectar of love that draws thousands of new converts to Islam every year.
Shaykh Muhammad Nazim al-Haqqani is the world leader of the most distinguished Naqshbandi order of Sufis (tariqah an-Naqshbandiyya-t-il-'awliya). Shaykh Nazim is both a scholar of the Divine Law (shari'ah), being the mufti of Turkish Cyprus, as well as the Shaykh of the Way (tariqah).
A resident of Turkish Cyprus, he was born in Larnaca, Cyprus on April 23, 1922 (12th Rabi'ul Awwal, 1341 AH). He is a descendant of the family of the Prophet Muhammad (saws) on both his mother and his father's side, being both a Hasani and Husayni Sayyid. On his father's side, he is a descendant of Sayyid 'Abdul Qadir Gilani, the founder of the Qadiri Sufi order and on his mother's side, his ancestry comes from Jalal al-Din Rumi, the founder of the Mawlawi Sufi order.
Shaykh Nazim finished high school in Cyprus 1940 CE/1359 AH. He then traveled to Istanbul for higher education. He studied at the University of Istanbul, completing an MA in Chemical Engineering. During his years in Istanbul, he also completed the requirements of the Divine Law and Arabic language. He received his "permission" ('ijaza) from Shaykh Jamal al-Lassuni (d. 1955 CE / 1375 AH). Shaykh Nazim then directed his attention to the study of the spiritual path of seven Sufi orders: Naqshbandi, Chishti, Qadiri, Mawlawi, Rifa'i, Shadhili and Badawi. He then increased his study of the Naqshbandi order under his shaykh at that time, Sulayman Arzurumi (d. 1938 CE / 1368 AH). After a few years, Shaykh Sulayman told him, "O my son, the one who is carrying your secrets is not me, but my spiritual teacher who migrated from Daghistan to Turkey and who is now residing in Damascus in the Midan district (sa'ahat il-Midan). He is known as the Master of the Golden Chain of the Naqshbandi order in our time."
Shaykh Muhammad Nazim al-Haqqani then moved to Syria. On the way to Damascus, he first visited Aleppo, Hama and Homs. In Homs, under the direction of his Shaykh, he stayed for one year in seclusion in the mosque and tomb of the famous Companion of the Prophet (saws), Khalid ibn Walid. There he received more intensive instruction in the Divine Law, the Traditions (ahadith), and the Science of the Qur'an (ilm al-Qur'an) under the Shaykhs Muhammad 'Ali 'Uyun as-Su'ud, 'Abdul 'Aziz 'Uyun as-Su'ud, mufti of Homs, Abdul Jalil Murad and Sayyid as-Suba'i, who are all Naqshbandi shaykhs as well as famous scholars of the Traditions (muhaddithun) and religious scholars ('ulama) of the Divine Law (shari'ah).
In 1944 CE / 1364 AH, he moved to Tripoli, Lebanon, where he was the guest of Shaykh Munir al-Malik, the mufti of northern Lebanon and Shaykh of the Qadiri, Rifa'i' and Naqshbandi Sufi orders. In 1945 CE / 1365 AH, he went from Tripoli to Damascus to Ha'i al-Midan where he finally met Shaykh 'Abdullah ad-Daghistani an-Naqshbandi. He stayed with his Grand Shaykh until his Grand Shaykh passed away on October 4, 1973 (4th of Ramadan, 1398 AH). During that period of almost forty years, Shaykh Muhammad Nazim al-Haqqani (may God bless him) continued to receive the heavenly fountain of spiritual knowledge which poured forth from the heart of Shaykh 'Abdullah ad-Daghistani (may God sanctify his soul) into his heart.
Shaykh Nazim continuously traveled to the Middle East and Turkey during these 40 years. Upon the death of his Grand Shaykh and by his spiritual order, he enlarged his scope of travel to include Europe, America and the Far East. He established hundreds of centers all over the world, spreading Islam together with Sufi spiritual knowledge which has brought hundreds of thousands of converts to Islam. It would not be an exaggeration to say that he is the mujaddid of this century as was Sayyid 'Abdul Qadir Gilani, in his time; Shah Bahauddin Naqshband, in his time; Sayyid Ahmad al-Fa'ruqi, in his time; and Jalal al-Din Rumi, in his time.
Shaykh Nazim carries the secret of seven Sufi orders: Naqshbandi, Chishti, Qadiri, Mawlawi, Rifa'i, Shadhili and Badawi, through a chain of authorization from his master, Shaykh 'Abdullah ad-Daghistani, through the chain of 39 Grand Shaykhs linking him to the Prophet l (saws).
He has entered many seclusions during his lifetime ranging in duration from 40 days to one year. These took place in many different places including the Prophet's city, Madinah, Baghdad in the presence of Sayyid 'Abdul Qadir Gilani, Konya in the presence of Jalal al-Din Rumi and Damascus at many holy places. He has written numerous books on spirituality and Divine Knowledge (gnosis, ma'rifah) which have been published throughout the world. He has written many poems on Divine Love ('ishq) in both Arabic and Turkish. He is a source (marja') for many modern juristic matters. He follows a moderate line in approaching people and issues of contemporary life.
Shaykh Nazim has a very charismatic personality which moves people and attracts them to the manifestation of Divine Love which continues to pour forth from his heart. His resplendent smile is ever present. when he speaks, it is as if a Divinely-inspired waterfall had been opened connecting his heart to the hearts of the listeners. It is that nectar of love that draws thousands of new converts to Islam every year.
Tuesday, July 15
Tasawwuf - Sufism
Tasawwuf or Sufism is the essence of Islam and its Practices and Teachings are based upon the Quran and Hadith. From the word Tasawwuf, we derive the word Sufi. “ A Sufi is a person who treads on this path and its teachings. ”
Some Mashaikh have said that the word Sufi originated from the " ASHABE-SUFFA".
These were approximately 70 Sahabi's ( radi Allahu anhu ) of the Prophet Muhammad (salallahu alaihi wasallam) who stayed in the Musjid-Un-Nabawi. A special platform was built for them from where they where taught the Quran, morals and how to worship Allah directly from the Holy Prophet (salallahu alaihi wasallam). They ate very little and slept very little. Many other Aulia have given their own interpretation. Below listed are a few:
According to Sultan Aulia Ghouse Azam Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani ( radi Allahu anhu ) , the Arabic word Tasawwuf consists of four consonants T,S,W,F
The first letter T stands for TAWBA or Repentance - This is the first step to be taken on the path.
The second Letter S stands for SAFA - This is to purify ones inner self by Rememberance of Allah.
The third letter W stands for WILAYA - This state depends on inner purity. The one in this state is totally conscious : in love with, and connected to Allah as a result he is beautified with the best of characters, morals and manners.
The forth letter F stands for FANA - This is the annihilation of oneself. In this state the " false self " melts and evaporates. When divine attributes enter one's being.
Hazrat Data Ganje Baksh (R.A.) in his famous kitaab KASHFUL MAHJOOB states that Hazrat Junaid Baghdadi (R.A.) says a true Sufi possesses:
The courageof Hazrat Ebrahim A.S.
The obedience of Hazrat Ismail A.S.
The patience of Hazrat Ayub A.S.
The signs of Hazrat Zakariya A.S.
The poverty of Hazrat Yahya A.S.
The travelling nature of Hazrat Isa A.S.
The simplicity in dressing of Hazrat Musa A.S.
The renunciation and contentment of Sayid-ul-Ambiya Hazrat Muhammad Mustafa (salallahu alaihi wasallam)
Some say it comes from the word "SAFAA" which means Cleanliness, mainly of the heart and soul .
According to Hazrat Khwaja-e-Khwajegaan Zohdul Ambia Baba Fariduddeen Ganj-e-Shakr ( radi Allahu Anhu ) , Tasawwuf is a code of mans morals, religious life and conduct. Although a sufi is "cut off" from the world yet he never curses or looks down upon its affairs that is he neither has love for the world nor hatred towards it. He also said , A Sufi is one who has nothing corrosive around his heart which he must keep clean and clear with no interference .
The aim and objective of Sufism is the purification one's inner and outerself by which one can become aware of his creator at all times and to attain his nearness and divine proximity.
Outer Purification - To cleanse oneself from impurities which according to “Shariah” makes one impure.
Inner Purification - firstly to repent for one's sins and to purify one's innerself from things which make the heart rotten such as; Pride, Hatred Jealousy etc.
The knowledge of Shariah is important for those who adopt this path. As Hazrat Imam Malik (radi Allahu anhu ) states :
" ONE WHO HAS INDULGED IN GAINING KNOWLEDGE WITHOUT TASAWWUF IS A HERETIC, THE ONE WHO HAS INDULGED IN TASAWWUF WITHOUT GAINING KNOWLEDGE IS A MAJOR SINNER AND, THE ONE WHO HAS INDULGED IN BOTH TOGETHER HAS ACHIEVED ONE'S GOAL ."
To adopt this path it is compulsory for one to be under the giudance of a Spiritual Guide or a Murshid who is qualified in this field. It is very dangerous and difficult to adopt this path without any guidance.
NB: Tasawwuf as you can now see, is not a type of new “ bidat ”or a cult where intoxicants are used to make people feel that they are in some state of ecstacy .. Allah forbid !
Sufi's were highly spiritualised people who ruled and still rule over the hearts of people therefore one see's that all types of people ranging from the very wealthy to the very poor flocking to their Khanqha's and Mazaar's because in their presence everyone is equal and people find peace and tranquility in their company.
Basically SUFISM consists of: a) Shariat
b) Tariqat
c) Haqiqat
d) Marifat
Success on this road depends on three degrees of faith.
* Ilm-ul-Yaqeen - knowledge of belief eg. knowing about fire.
* Ain-ul-Yaqeen - To witness what one believes eg. To know about fire by seeing its flames and light
* Haqq-ul-Yaqeen - To experience ones belief eg. To feel the fire and feeling its burning capabilities.
Each degree of faith showing itself through the Shariat which is the road, Tariqat which is the journey on this road, Haqeeqat which is the destination, and Marifat which is the secret which is revealed upon arriving at the destination.
All are dependent on one another like a bird which is dependent on its wings for flight. There is no such thing that Shariat is one form and Tariqat is another. Both are linked to one another.
This relationship can be described as follows using a circle as an example: The circumference is the Sharia, the center is the Marifa' and the radius proceeding from the circumference to the center represents the Tariqat. The Sufi Masters especially those of the SHADHILIYAH SUFI ORDER often use this example to explain this concept.
a) Shariat - This is the divine and sacred law of Islam. It makes one distinguish between RIGHT and WRONG, between HALAL and HARAAM
b) Tariqa` - This is the beautification of the Sharia' whereby whatever one has understood in Sharia' is made firm in one's heart under strict spiritual discipline. In this stage one has to have complete trust in Allah and also have lots of patience in whatever condition Allah keeps him in.This is the stage where one's soul is cleansed to receive Allah's divine attributes.
c) Haqiqat - This is the zenith of Spiritual Perfection. In this stage the attributes of Allah begins to manifest itself in one's self.
d) Marifat - This is the goal to recognise our creator (Allah ), or to become God-conscious in every state and action. In this state, there is no "time-space".Here only purity exists and only the pure can come close to Allah. In this state the Salik does not forget that he is still a servant and no matter how high he may progress spiritually he still remains the created and Allah the Creator. This state cannot be expressed through our very limited human faculties.
By Sidi Naeem Khan Sabiree Chisti
Some Mashaikh have said that the word Sufi originated from the " ASHABE-SUFFA".
These were approximately 70 Sahabi's ( radi Allahu anhu ) of the Prophet Muhammad (salallahu alaihi wasallam) who stayed in the Musjid-Un-Nabawi. A special platform was built for them from where they where taught the Quran, morals and how to worship Allah directly from the Holy Prophet (salallahu alaihi wasallam). They ate very little and slept very little. Many other Aulia have given their own interpretation. Below listed are a few:
According to Sultan Aulia Ghouse Azam Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani ( radi Allahu anhu ) , the Arabic word Tasawwuf consists of four consonants T,S,W,F
The first letter T stands for TAWBA or Repentance - This is the first step to be taken on the path.
The second Letter S stands for SAFA - This is to purify ones inner self by Rememberance of Allah.
The third letter W stands for WILAYA - This state depends on inner purity. The one in this state is totally conscious : in love with, and connected to Allah as a result he is beautified with the best of characters, morals and manners.
The forth letter F stands for FANA - This is the annihilation of oneself. In this state the " false self " melts and evaporates. When divine attributes enter one's being.
Hazrat Data Ganje Baksh (R.A.) in his famous kitaab KASHFUL MAHJOOB states that Hazrat Junaid Baghdadi (R.A.) says a true Sufi possesses:
The courageof Hazrat Ebrahim A.S.
The obedience of Hazrat Ismail A.S.
The patience of Hazrat Ayub A.S.
The signs of Hazrat Zakariya A.S.
The poverty of Hazrat Yahya A.S.
The travelling nature of Hazrat Isa A.S.
The simplicity in dressing of Hazrat Musa A.S.
The renunciation and contentment of Sayid-ul-Ambiya Hazrat Muhammad Mustafa (salallahu alaihi wasallam)
Some say it comes from the word "SAFAA" which means Cleanliness, mainly of the heart and soul .
According to Hazrat Khwaja-e-Khwajegaan Zohdul Ambia Baba Fariduddeen Ganj-e-Shakr ( radi Allahu Anhu ) , Tasawwuf is a code of mans morals, religious life and conduct. Although a sufi is "cut off" from the world yet he never curses or looks down upon its affairs that is he neither has love for the world nor hatred towards it. He also said , A Sufi is one who has nothing corrosive around his heart which he must keep clean and clear with no interference .
The aim and objective of Sufism is the purification one's inner and outerself by which one can become aware of his creator at all times and to attain his nearness and divine proximity.
Outer Purification - To cleanse oneself from impurities which according to “Shariah” makes one impure.
Inner Purification - firstly to repent for one's sins and to purify one's innerself from things which make the heart rotten such as; Pride, Hatred Jealousy etc.
The knowledge of Shariah is important for those who adopt this path. As Hazrat Imam Malik (radi Allahu anhu ) states :
" ONE WHO HAS INDULGED IN GAINING KNOWLEDGE WITHOUT TASAWWUF IS A HERETIC, THE ONE WHO HAS INDULGED IN TASAWWUF WITHOUT GAINING KNOWLEDGE IS A MAJOR SINNER AND, THE ONE WHO HAS INDULGED IN BOTH TOGETHER HAS ACHIEVED ONE'S GOAL ."
To adopt this path it is compulsory for one to be under the giudance of a Spiritual Guide or a Murshid who is qualified in this field. It is very dangerous and difficult to adopt this path without any guidance.
NB: Tasawwuf as you can now see, is not a type of new “ bidat ”or a cult where intoxicants are used to make people feel that they are in some state of ecstacy .. Allah forbid !
Sufi's were highly spiritualised people who ruled and still rule over the hearts of people therefore one see's that all types of people ranging from the very wealthy to the very poor flocking to their Khanqha's and Mazaar's because in their presence everyone is equal and people find peace and tranquility in their company.
Basically SUFISM consists of: a) Shariat
b) Tariqat
c) Haqiqat
d) Marifat
Success on this road depends on three degrees of faith.
* Ilm-ul-Yaqeen - knowledge of belief eg. knowing about fire.
* Ain-ul-Yaqeen - To witness what one believes eg. To know about fire by seeing its flames and light
* Haqq-ul-Yaqeen - To experience ones belief eg. To feel the fire and feeling its burning capabilities.
Each degree of faith showing itself through the Shariat which is the road, Tariqat which is the journey on this road, Haqeeqat which is the destination, and Marifat which is the secret which is revealed upon arriving at the destination.
All are dependent on one another like a bird which is dependent on its wings for flight. There is no such thing that Shariat is one form and Tariqat is another. Both are linked to one another.
This relationship can be described as follows using a circle as an example: The circumference is the Sharia, the center is the Marifa' and the radius proceeding from the circumference to the center represents the Tariqat. The Sufi Masters especially those of the SHADHILIYAH SUFI ORDER often use this example to explain this concept.
a) Shariat - This is the divine and sacred law of Islam. It makes one distinguish between RIGHT and WRONG, between HALAL and HARAAM
b) Tariqa` - This is the beautification of the Sharia' whereby whatever one has understood in Sharia' is made firm in one's heart under strict spiritual discipline. In this stage one has to have complete trust in Allah and also have lots of patience in whatever condition Allah keeps him in.This is the stage where one's soul is cleansed to receive Allah's divine attributes.
c) Haqiqat - This is the zenith of Spiritual Perfection. In this stage the attributes of Allah begins to manifest itself in one's self.
d) Marifat - This is the goal to recognise our creator (Allah ), or to become God-conscious in every state and action. In this state, there is no "time-space".Here only purity exists and only the pure can come close to Allah. In this state the Salik does not forget that he is still a servant and no matter how high he may progress spiritually he still remains the created and Allah the Creator. This state cannot be expressed through our very limited human faculties.
By Sidi Naeem Khan Sabiree Chisti
Thursday, July 10
Say InshAllah - If God's willing
Surah Kahf[The Cave]
23. And never say of anything, "I shall do such and such thing tomorrow."
24. Except (with the saying), "If Allah will!" And remember your Lord when you forget and say: "It may be that my Lord guides me unto a nearer way of truth than this."
24. Except (with the saying), "If Allah will!" And remember your Lord when you forget and say: "It may be that my Lord guides me unto a nearer way of truth than this."
Ibn-e-Abbaas(RA) reported that a man said, "O Messenger of Allaah, whatever Allaah and you will". He(PBUH) said,"Are you making me equal to Allaah"? [Say instead:] "What Allah alone wills".
[Ahmad , Al-Musnad : 1/283]
[Ahmad , Al-Musnad : 1/283]
Friday, July 4
Thursday, July 3
How would your respond to the claim that Sufism is bida?
How I would respond by looking to see how traditional ulama or Islamic scholars have viewed it. For the longest period of Islamic history--from Umayyad times to Abbasid, to Mameluke, to the end of the six-hundred-year Ottoman period--Sufism has been taught and understood as an Islamic discipline, like Qur'anic exegesis (tafsir), hadith, Qur'an recital (tajwid), tenets of faith (ilm al-tawhid) or any other, each of which preserved some particular aspect of the din or religion of Islam. While the details and terminology of these shari'a disciplines were unknown to the first generation of Muslims, when they did come into being, they were not considered bid'a or "reprehensible innovation" by the ulema of shari'a because for them, bid'a did not pertain to means, but rather to ends, or more specifically, those ends that nothing in Islam attested to the validity of.
To illustrate this point, we may note that the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) never in his life prayed in a mosque built of reinforced concrete, with a carpeted floor, glass windows, and so on, yet these are not considered bid'a, because we Muslims have been commanded to come together in mosques to perform the prayer, and large new buildings for this are merely a means to carry out the command.
In the realm of knowledge, books of detailed interpretation of the Qur'an, verse by verse and sura by sura, were not known to the first generation of Islam, nor was the term tafsir current among them, yet because of its benefit in preserving a vital aspect of the revelation, the understanding of the Qur'an, when the tafsir literature came into being, it was acknowledged to serve an end endorsed by the shari'a and was not condemned as bid'a. The same is true of most of the Islamic sciences, such as ilm al-jarh wa tadil or "the science of weighing positive and negative factors for evaluating the reliability of hadith narrators", or ilm al-tawhid, "the science of tenets of Islamic faith", and other disciplines essential to the shari'a. In this connection, Imam Shafi'i (d. 204/820) has said, "Anything which has a support (mustanad) from the shari'a is not bid'a, even if the early Muslims did not do it" (Ahmad al-Ghimari, Tashnif al-adhan, Cairo: Maktaba al-Khanji, n.d., 133).
Similarly ilm al-tasawwuf, "the science of Sufism" came into being to preserve and transmit a particular aspect of the shari'a, that of ikhlas or sincerity. It was recognized that the sunna of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) was not only words and actions, but also states of being: that a Muslim must not only say certain things and do certain things, but must also be something. The shari'a commands one, for example, in many Qur'anic verses and prophetic hadiths, to fear Allah, to have sincerity toward Him, to be so certain in ones knowledge of Allah that one worships Him as if one sees Him, to love the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) more than any other human being, to show love and respect to all fellow Muslims, to show mercy, and to have many other states of the heart. It likewise forbids us such inward states as envy, malice, pride, arrogance, love of this world, anger for the sake of one's ego, and so on. Al-Hakim al-Tirmidhi relates, for example, with a chain of transmission judged rigorously authenticated (sahih) by Ibn Main, the hadith "Anger spoils faith (iman) as [the bitterness of] aloes sap spoils honey" (Nawadir al-usul. Istanbul 1294/1877. Reprint. Beirut: Dar Sadir, n.d., 6).
If we reflect upon these states, obligatory to attain or to eliminate, we notice that they proceed from dispositions, dispositions not only lacking in the unregenerate human heart, but acquired only with some effort, resulting in a human change so profound that the Qur'an in many verses terms it purification, as when Allah says in surat al-Ala, for example, "He has succeeded who purifies himself" (Qur'an 87:14). Bringing about this change is the aim of the Islamic science of Sufism, and it cannot be termed bid'a, because the shari'a commands us to accomplish the change.
At the practical level, the nature of this science of purifying the heart (like virtually all other traditional Islamic disciplines) requires that the knowledge be taken from those who possess it. This is why historically we find that groups of students gathered around particular sheikhs to learn the discipline of Sufism from. While such tariqas or groups, past and present, have emphasized different ways to realize the attachment of the heart to Allah commanded by the Islamic revelation, some features are found in all of them, such as learning knowledge from a teacher by precept and example, and then methodically increasing ones iman or faith by applying this knowledge through performing obligatory and supererogatory works of worship, among the greatest of latter being dhikr or the remembrance of Allah. There is much in the Qur'an and sunna that attests to the validity of this approach, such as the hadith related by al-Bukhari that:
--which is a way of expressing that such a person has realized the consummate awareness of tawhid or "unity of Allah" demanded by the shari'a, which entails total sincerity to Allah in all one's actions. Because of this hadith, and others, traditional ulama have long acknowledged that ilm or "Sacred Knowledge" is not sufficient in itself, but also entails amal or "applying what one knows"--as well as the resultant hal or "praiseworthy spiritual state" mentioned in the hadith.
It was perceived in all Islamic times that when a scholar joins between these aspects, his words mirror his humility and sincerity, and for that reason enter the hearts of listeners. This is why we find that so many of the Islamic scholars to whom Allah gave tawfiq or success in their work were Sufis. Indeed, to throw away every traditional work of the Islamic sciences authored by those educated by Sufis would be to discard 75 percent or more of the books of Islam. These men included such scholars as the Hanafi Imam Muhammad Amin Ibn Abidin, Sheikh al-Islam Zakaria al-Ansari, Imam Ibn Daqiq al-Eid, Imam al-Izz Ibn Abd al-Salam, Abd al-Ghani al-Nabulsi, Sheikh Ahmad al-Sirhindi, Sheikh Ibrahim al-Bajuri, Imam al-Ghazali, Shah Wali Allah al-Dahlawi, Imam al-Nawawi, the hadith master (hafiz, someone with 100,000 hadiths by memory) Abd al-Adhim al-Mundhiri, the hadith master Murtada al-Zabidi, the hadith master Abd al-Rauf al-Manawi, the hadith master Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti, the hadith master Taqi al-Din al-Subki, Imam al-Rafii, Imam Ibn Hajar al-Haytami, Zayn al-Din al-Mallibari, Ahmad ibn Naqib al-Misri, and many many others.
Imam al-Nawawi's attitude towards Sufism is plain from his work Bustan al-arifin [The grove of the knowers of Allah] on the subject, as well as his references to al-Qushayri's famous Sufi manual al-Risala al-Qushayriyya throughout his own Kitab al-adhkar [Book of the remembrances of Allah], and the fact that fifteen out of seventeen quotations about sincerity (ikhlas) and being true (sidq) in an introductory section of his largest legal work (al-Majmu: sharh al-Muhadhdhab. 20 vols. Cairo n.d. Reprint. Medina: al-Maktaba al-Salafiyya, n.d., 1.1718) are from Sufis who appear by name in al-Sulami's Tabaqat al-Sufiyya [The successive generations of Sufis]. Even Ibn Taymiyya (whose views on Sufism remain strangely unfamiliar even to those for whom he is their "Sheikh of Islam") devoted volumes ten and eleven of his Majmu al-fatawa to Sufism, while his student Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya wrote his three-volume Madarij al-salikin as a detailedcommentary on Abdullah al-Ansaris Manazil al-sairin, a guide to the maqamat or "spiritual stations" of the Sufi path. These and many other Muslim scholars knew firsthand the value of Sufism as an ancillary shari'a discipline needed to purify the heart, and this was the reason that the Umma as a whole did not judge Sufism to be a bid'a down through the ages of Islamic civilization, but rather recognized it as the science of ikhlas or sincerity, so urgently needed by every Muslim on "a day when wealth will not avail, nor sons, but only him who brings Allah a sound heart" (Qur'an 26:88).
And Allah alone gives success.
Orignally written by Nuh Ha Mim Keller and posted at http://www.masud.co.uk/ISLAM/nuh/sufism.htm
To illustrate this point, we may note that the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) never in his life prayed in a mosque built of reinforced concrete, with a carpeted floor, glass windows, and so on, yet these are not considered bid'a, because we Muslims have been commanded to come together in mosques to perform the prayer, and large new buildings for this are merely a means to carry out the command.
In the realm of knowledge, books of detailed interpretation of the Qur'an, verse by verse and sura by sura, were not known to the first generation of Islam, nor was the term tafsir current among them, yet because of its benefit in preserving a vital aspect of the revelation, the understanding of the Qur'an, when the tafsir literature came into being, it was acknowledged to serve an end endorsed by the shari'a and was not condemned as bid'a. The same is true of most of the Islamic sciences, such as ilm al-jarh wa tadil or "the science of weighing positive and negative factors for evaluating the reliability of hadith narrators", or ilm al-tawhid, "the science of tenets of Islamic faith", and other disciplines essential to the shari'a. In this connection, Imam Shafi'i (d. 204/820) has said, "Anything which has a support (mustanad) from the shari'a is not bid'a, even if the early Muslims did not do it" (Ahmad al-Ghimari, Tashnif al-adhan, Cairo: Maktaba al-Khanji, n.d., 133).
Similarly ilm al-tasawwuf, "the science of Sufism" came into being to preserve and transmit a particular aspect of the shari'a, that of ikhlas or sincerity. It was recognized that the sunna of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) was not only words and actions, but also states of being: that a Muslim must not only say certain things and do certain things, but must also be something. The shari'a commands one, for example, in many Qur'anic verses and prophetic hadiths, to fear Allah, to have sincerity toward Him, to be so certain in ones knowledge of Allah that one worships Him as if one sees Him, to love the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) more than any other human being, to show love and respect to all fellow Muslims, to show mercy, and to have many other states of the heart. It likewise forbids us such inward states as envy, malice, pride, arrogance, love of this world, anger for the sake of one's ego, and so on. Al-Hakim al-Tirmidhi relates, for example, with a chain of transmission judged rigorously authenticated (sahih) by Ibn Main, the hadith "Anger spoils faith (iman) as [the bitterness of] aloes sap spoils honey" (Nawadir al-usul. Istanbul 1294/1877. Reprint. Beirut: Dar Sadir, n.d., 6).
If we reflect upon these states, obligatory to attain or to eliminate, we notice that they proceed from dispositions, dispositions not only lacking in the unregenerate human heart, but acquired only with some effort, resulting in a human change so profound that the Qur'an in many verses terms it purification, as when Allah says in surat al-Ala, for example, "He has succeeded who purifies himself" (Qur'an 87:14). Bringing about this change is the aim of the Islamic science of Sufism, and it cannot be termed bid'a, because the shari'a commands us to accomplish the change.
At the practical level, the nature of this science of purifying the heart (like virtually all other traditional Islamic disciplines) requires that the knowledge be taken from those who possess it. This is why historically we find that groups of students gathered around particular sheikhs to learn the discipline of Sufism from. While such tariqas or groups, past and present, have emphasized different ways to realize the attachment of the heart to Allah commanded by the Islamic revelation, some features are found in all of them, such as learning knowledge from a teacher by precept and example, and then methodically increasing ones iman or faith by applying this knowledge through performing obligatory and supererogatory works of worship, among the greatest of latter being dhikr or the remembrance of Allah. There is much in the Qur'an and sunna that attests to the validity of this approach, such as the hadith related by al-Bukhari that:
Allah Most High says: ". . . . My slave approaches Me with nothing more beloved to Me than what I have made obligatory upon him, and My slave keeps drawing nearer to Me with voluntary works until I love him. And when I love him, I am his hearing with which he hears, his sight with which he sees, his hand with which he seizes, and his foot with which he walks. If he asks me, I will surely give to him, and if he seeks refuge in Me, I will surely protect him (Sahih al-Bukhari. 9 vols. Cairo 1313/1895. Reprint (9 vols. in 3). Beirut: Dar al-Jil, n.d., 5.131: 6502)
--which is a way of expressing that such a person has realized the consummate awareness of tawhid or "unity of Allah" demanded by the shari'a, which entails total sincerity to Allah in all one's actions. Because of this hadith, and others, traditional ulama have long acknowledged that ilm or "Sacred Knowledge" is not sufficient in itself, but also entails amal or "applying what one knows"--as well as the resultant hal or "praiseworthy spiritual state" mentioned in the hadith.
It was perceived in all Islamic times that when a scholar joins between these aspects, his words mirror his humility and sincerity, and for that reason enter the hearts of listeners. This is why we find that so many of the Islamic scholars to whom Allah gave tawfiq or success in their work were Sufis. Indeed, to throw away every traditional work of the Islamic sciences authored by those educated by Sufis would be to discard 75 percent or more of the books of Islam. These men included such scholars as the Hanafi Imam Muhammad Amin Ibn Abidin, Sheikh al-Islam Zakaria al-Ansari, Imam Ibn Daqiq al-Eid, Imam al-Izz Ibn Abd al-Salam, Abd al-Ghani al-Nabulsi, Sheikh Ahmad al-Sirhindi, Sheikh Ibrahim al-Bajuri, Imam al-Ghazali, Shah Wali Allah al-Dahlawi, Imam al-Nawawi, the hadith master (hafiz, someone with 100,000 hadiths by memory) Abd al-Adhim al-Mundhiri, the hadith master Murtada al-Zabidi, the hadith master Abd al-Rauf al-Manawi, the hadith master Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti, the hadith master Taqi al-Din al-Subki, Imam al-Rafii, Imam Ibn Hajar al-Haytami, Zayn al-Din al-Mallibari, Ahmad ibn Naqib al-Misri, and many many others.
Imam al-Nawawi's attitude towards Sufism is plain from his work Bustan al-arifin [The grove of the knowers of Allah] on the subject, as well as his references to al-Qushayri's famous Sufi manual al-Risala al-Qushayriyya throughout his own Kitab al-adhkar [Book of the remembrances of Allah], and the fact that fifteen out of seventeen quotations about sincerity (ikhlas) and being true (sidq) in an introductory section of his largest legal work (al-Majmu: sharh al-Muhadhdhab. 20 vols. Cairo n.d. Reprint. Medina: al-Maktaba al-Salafiyya, n.d., 1.1718) are from Sufis who appear by name in al-Sulami's Tabaqat al-Sufiyya [The successive generations of Sufis]. Even Ibn Taymiyya (whose views on Sufism remain strangely unfamiliar even to those for whom he is their "Sheikh of Islam") devoted volumes ten and eleven of his Majmu al-fatawa to Sufism, while his student Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya wrote his three-volume Madarij al-salikin as a detailedcommentary on Abdullah al-Ansaris Manazil al-sairin, a guide to the maqamat or "spiritual stations" of the Sufi path. These and many other Muslim scholars knew firsthand the value of Sufism as an ancillary shari'a discipline needed to purify the heart, and this was the reason that the Umma as a whole did not judge Sufism to be a bid'a down through the ages of Islamic civilization, but rather recognized it as the science of ikhlas or sincerity, so urgently needed by every Muslim on "a day when wealth will not avail, nor sons, but only him who brings Allah a sound heart" (Qur'an 26:88).
And Allah alone gives success.
Orignally written by Nuh Ha Mim Keller and posted at http://www.masud.co.uk/ISLAM/nuh/sufism.htm
Wednesday, July 2
Fighting your own personal Satan/Devil
FIGHTING YOUR OWN PERSONAL SATAN
Our Grandsheikh was saying about wisdom, that it is the spirit of knowledges; like essence, when you put a few drops into a jug of water; it all becomes colonya.Wisdom is found only with Divinely people; knowledge is found with everyone. Wisdom is given to Allah’s chosen ones. It needs a pure heart, as it is a precious thing and cannot be put in a dirty cup. No doubt our Grandsheikh was among these chosen ones, he was always giving wisdoms. Now these are his words.
~ Shaykh Nazim
Power of Durood Sharif
"It has been narrated in the hadith by Hazrat Abdul Rahman Bin Auf (May Allah Almighty be pleased with him ) that 'One day when Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) left his house, i followed close behind. He went to an orchard where he offered prayers and prostrated so long that i started weeping thinking that he had expired.
The Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) raised his head from sijda and called me and asked what had happened to me. I told him that as he had been in sijda for a very long time, i had thought that he had expired and i won't see him again. The Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) said that he had prostrated himself before Allah Almighty so long as a token of thanks giving because He had granted him a reward, which was that if anyone, from his Ummah will recite Durood Sharif once,Allah Almighty will record 10 Virtues in his favour and erase 10 of his/her Sins'".
The Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) raised his head from sijda and called me and asked what had happened to me. I told him that as he had been in sijda for a very long time, i had thought that he had expired and i won't see him again. The Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) said that he had prostrated himself before Allah Almighty so long as a token of thanks giving because He had granted him a reward, which was that if anyone, from his Ummah will recite Durood Sharif once,Allah Almighty will record 10 Virtues in his favour and erase 10 of his/her Sins'".
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