THE 3 TYPES OF BEING

It's human nature to wonder about our own inner selves.

What kind of inner presence do we have?
How are we different from the rest of creation?
How can this knowledge help us to understand what we must do and the potential pitfalls we may have to face?
These are important questions that lay the groundwork for our own conception of what our life journey will entail.

Three basic states of existence in the ralm of living creatures.

• The transcendence of the angels.
• The animal or instinctual state.
• The dichotomy of humanity.

*Starting with the angels, they are completly ratıonal.They have no material concerns and know of other reality than to be in complete awe and worshıp of the divine beauty of God.They are in perfect state of unity.

*The animal state, howewer,covers those creatures that are goverend by instinct more than anything else.Such beings are slaves to the ultimate end of theie lives.They act without forethought, are driven by primitive emotions and prompts, and have no sense of their own transcendence or potential.

*The human being, on the other hand, has a little of the angel within him, and alittle of the animal, aswell.These two forces do battle on a daily basis.Those who lean more toward their angelic side become progressivly more noble,self aware and moral, while those who incline toward theanimal within themselves became more deluded by materialism, more a slave to their desires,and more likely to commit injustice and immorality with declining leves of remorse.

"The body,like a mother, is pregnant wiyh the spiritual child; death is the pain and stress of birth.All the souls that have passed over to the next life already are anxiously waiting to see in what state that proud spirit will be born."

J.RUMI (k.s.)

The Elephant Story

Here’s something hypothetical. Read it first and then close your eyes and see the hilarity of the whole thing.

Imagine there is this big hall which is pitch dark. Imagine the darkness to be so dark that you can’t see a thing. And inside this hall imagine an elephant. Imagine many doors to this room and all doors are closed. Imagine a group of people trying to analyse the elephant. Imagine all these people knowing the elephant for itself but understanding only a certain part of the body to be the true representative of the elephant.

So when one enters the room and knows only the tail, he would go feeling all the parts until he finds the tail. Once he has found the tail, he is happy and keeps feeling the tail and only the tail and tells himself that `this is the elephant’. Familiarity and solace he has found in the tail! He would know the tail so intimately but he can only acknowledge the tail and tail only as a representation of the elephant. Then there are the other guys who would do the same with the head, the legs, the whole body, the trunk, the tusk. Imagine all these people feeling the elephant; each one feeling with great love and reverence, the part known only to him as the `the elephant’.

That the elephant might be made up of all the parts together is not witnessed or observed. Because they might have to accept the other parts of the elephant if they witness or observe it, their preference to stick to the known part is a proper way for each of them. So only the part that is familiar to them would do. None of these people saw or want to see the elephant as a whole for fear they might lose their belief in the part they believe in! None of them want to acknowledge the elephant as one unit but rather they compartmentalise their beliefs. They find comfort in these little compartments.

So when the time came to acknowledge the elephant as a whole, all the representatives of the respective parts began to fight with each other wanting to prove that their part of the elephant is the true representative and all the while the elephant as a whole stood straight, for all to see oblivious to the commotion that was being created for it knew it was ‘the’ elephant, period. Imagine all the representatives pitching against each other to prove their respective part is superior to the other and therefore is the elephant.

Just like the elephant story, Islam is being compartmentalised these days. I think we have 72 sects or so in existence! Sure, each of these sects acknowledge Allah and the Prophet (SAW) but in their own style and rhythm. Muslims are losing focus of the true preaching of Allah and the Prophet. And we Sufis are losing that lovely Sufi spirit. And that’s a shame.

Aren’t we supposed to be wise, learned, perceptive, intelligent, clever, prudent, sensible judicious? Aren’t we meant to be cheerful, happy, jolly, joyful, lively and always in good spirits and aren’t we meant to be charming, enchanting, captivating, attractive? Aren’t we supposed to be loveable dreamers of Islam? Haven’t Sufis been influential in spreading Islam around the world for the past many centuries? I am sure the Sufi saints did not shrug off non-believers and banish them to hell in the process. Our dear Prophet (pbh) is a prime and solid example of this and so were his Sahabas. Sheik Nazim is living proof of this can-do, can-be attitude. They have given us the way and all we need to do is to follow the path.


What are we waiting for?


Salams

Soraya Usuf

When to remain silent and when to speak!

"Refrain except from good speech."
- Prophet Muhammad PBUH -

"Silence is the best state, except under three conditions: you must not keep silent in the face of bad gossip attacking your heart; you must not keep silent in directing your heart to the remembrance of Allah; and you must not keep silent when the vision inside your heart orders you to speak."
- Ala'uddin al-Bukhari al-Attar qaddasALLAHU sirrah -

"Speech is like a medicine, a small dose of which cures but an excess of which kills. As a man's wisdom increases, so his desire to speak decreases."
- Sayyidina 'Ali bin Abi Talib karamALLAHU wajahu -

Being Tried and Tested!

By the Great Master Shaikh Muhyi'd-Diin Abdul Qadir Jilani al-Hasanii al-Husainii(ra)

When the servant [of the Lord] is tested with a trial, his first impulse is to cope with it in and by himself. If his own efforts get him nowhere he looks for help from other human beings, such as people in power, important officials, men of influence and means, or medical experts where diseases and physical ailments are involved. If he still obtains no relief, he then resorts to his Lord through prayers of supplication, humble entreaty and offering of praise.

As long he finds it possible to manage on his own, he will not turn to other people, and while human help is available he will not turn to the Creator.

[Having finally applied to Him], only to find no help forthcoming from the Creator, he throws himself down in his presence, incessantly begging, pleading, entreating, offering praise and submitting his needs in fear and hope. But the creator (Almighty and Glorious is He) now renders him incapable of supplication, and ignores him until he has reached the end of his tether. Only then does he experience the effect of the Lord's decree and the action of His work, and so this servant passes beyond material needs and behavior, to survive as spirit alone.

Since he now sees nothing but the Truth [al-Haqq] in action, he becomes, of necessity, a totally convinced believer in the divine Unity [muwahhid], affirming that in reality there is no agent but Allah, no dynamics or static force apart from Allah,and no good or evil, no loss or gain, no giving or withholding, no opening or closing, no death or life, no honor or disgrace except in the hand of Allah. His status comes to resemble that of a suckling babe in its nurse's arms, of a corpse in the hand of a washer of the dead, or of a ball on the receiving end of a polo-player's mallet-rolled and spun and knocked around, though inert in itself and imparting no motion to other bodies.

Gone forth from his own self, out into his Master's work,he now sees nothing but that Master and His work, and neither hears nor comprehends from any other source. If he perceives at all, if he does hear and learn, His speech is what he listens to, and his knowledge is what he comes to know. His favor he enjoys, through His nearness he prospers, through His proximity he is graced and honored, by His promise he is pleased and reassured. With Him he feels at peace, and His discourse he takes delight, while from all others he recoils and shrinks away.

In remembrance of Him he finds refuge and support. In Him, the Almighty and Glorious, he puts his faith and in Him he place his trust. By the light of His awareness he is guided, as he wraps and clothes himself therein. Strange marvels of His science he discovers, and the secret of His power he is apprised. To Him he listens and from him he learns, then for all this he offers praise, gives thanks, and turns to prayer.

Bulleh Ki Jaana With English Translation

Loose your Ego and you will be closer to God

Sayyidina Bayazid al-Bistami (Q) used to worship Allah continually, asking in all his prayers that Allah open for him that beautiful Divine Presence.

And after progressing for many years, he heard a voice in his heart that said, "Ya Aba Yazid, what do you want?" He said, "Ya Rabbi, I want to come to You." Allah (swt) said, "Ya Bayazid, there is a correct way to come to Me.""Ya Rabbi, what is that way?" Allah (swt) said, "You have to be a garbage dump for My servants." What does that really mean?Being a garbage dump means that you have to carry the burdens of Allah's servants in order to come to Him.

You cannot come with your ego to Him. In order to step on your ego and come to Allah, be a garbage dump. So what did Aba Yazid do to become a rubbish dump? How do you do that? You have to leave anger, be patient, you have to be of service to humanity, regardless of what they do to you . Biyazid was thinking and thinking and thinking, "How am I going to be of service to people?" To become a rubbish dump means everyone has to speak badly of you, but you still carry their burdens. Everyone has to say, "This one is bad." And you instead have to be saying, "Ya Rabbi, forgive them, Ya Rabbi, forgive them."

How many times did the neighbor of Prophet (s) dump his rubbish at the door of Prophet (s)? For 7 years. The Prophet (s) did not tell anyone - he took the garbage and quietly threw it away. So to become a dump means you have to forgive everyone. To make people love you is easy. Be a sincere person, and everyone loves you. You are happy when they say, "Masha`Allah, you are a lion." But, if they say to you, "You are a donkey," you will get angry! Both of them are animals - a donkey and a lion. But being a lion makes the ego happy. Being a donkey makes the ego angry. Just as you are made happy by something being said of you that really does not have value, the love of people is something good that makes you happy - but compared to the love of Allah, that love of people has no value. Sayyidina Bayazid had created some problem in the city - we will not go into that story now, but as a result they ordered him killed by stoning. He was given the power to destroy but instead he forgave everyone.

They stoned him continuously, children and adults, until he fainted. And as he was being stoned, he was saying, "Ya Rabbi forgive them. Ya Rabbi forgive them. Ya Rabbi forgive them." Who can do that now? They thought he was dead, so they threw him into the rubbish dump. Seven days he stayed there unconscious. When he woke up he said, "Ya Rabbi, I wish that they had thrown stones until I died, and You brought me back to life, and I could be stoned to death again, my Lord, for Your love. "Make my body as big as hell so that no one can go to hell except me. And let everyone else go to Paradise." That is the saints' approach to the Divine Presence, among them Sayyidina Bayazid al-Bistami.

The Importance of Sufism in an Era of Globalisation

By Sidi Mounir Qadiri Boutchichi (Morocco)

It is hardly necessary to remind ourselves that industrialisation and technological development have enabled us to explore new dimensions and to reach a high level of scientific and social knowledge. Globalisation, communication and innovation have had an impact on our day-to-day lives in more than one way. Nevertheless, one question, which imposes itself, is, ‘Are we happy?’

Whatever the answer, we need to remind ourselves that material and technological achievements have unfortunately been detrimental to our spiritual consciousness. Consequently, we have lost our identities, since we have become truly machines of consumption, feeding the desires of our bodies, but always to the detriment of the true desires of our souls and hearts. This has led us to a ‘spiritual void’, resulting in a state of human disequilibrium. The manifestation of such disequilibrium can be witnessed through the social crisis that characterizes our societies today, which includes family breakdown, drugs, social distrust, hate, hypocrisy, stress and other diseases, all of which are driven by a dangerous spiritual thirst in our hearts and souls.

Into all these insoluble social dilemmas that have kept arising in our societies and amongst our people, comes ‘Sufism’, which specializes in the healing and purification of an essential part of our human creation – ‘the heart’. Sufism focuses on the heart because it is the ‘commander’ of all our behavioural senses and it is the source of all the intentions and reactions of the mind and body. It is also the mirror of our personalities and it is the only place where our Creator, Allah, looks. The Prophet Muhammad, GOD’s peace and blessings upon him, said, “Know that Allah does not look at your face, nor does He look at your body, but He looks at your hearts.�?

Such is the importance of the heart, that Sufism has concentrated all its educational efforts on opening this heart, enlightening its darkness and making it soft after being hard, closed and blind. Sufi spiritual masters, may GOD be pleased with them, as specialists in the ‘medicine of hearts’ (tib al-koloub), orient the hearts of their companions to Allah and reconnect them to their original state of purity and light. “Hearts become softer with the remembrance of Allah.�? Qur’an.

To emphasize the importance of remembrance and invocation of Allah, the Prophet, GOD’s peace and blessings upon him, said, “The example of those who remember Allah and those who do not is like the living and the dead.�?

Remembering Allah in the Sufi path is supported by some necessary educational methods, varying from the companionship of a spiritual master to individual and collective invocation and meditation. Companionship (sohbet/company) of a spiritual master (Shaykh Nazim) is very important in purifying the heart, putting it into communication with Allah after it has been blind without any connection.

Sufism, in purifying the heart, ensures your ‘spiritual safety’, thus protecting you from the various desires of the ego (annafs/al hawa) and of evil. When you feel this state of spiritual safety, you become more productive in your social life, more balanced in your actions and behaviour, looking at yourself and the outside world with the eyes of your open heart. Experience has taught us how Sufism has changed people throughout history by purifying their hearts, connecting them with their GOD and changing them radically from bad to excellent elements of society.

Another question we may ask is how Sufism fits into this new age of Internet and globalization. Before giving an answer, let us correct some misconceptions that have for one reason or another been attributed to Sufism. Some people think that Sufism is simply a philosophy or a culture identified with the early centuries of Islam. Others think that Sufism finished with Imam al-Junayd, Jala-Din Rumi and Ibn Arabi. One may also imagine Sufism as a path encouraging people to isolate themselves or to push themselves towards extremism. Others imagine it is all about poetry and secular dancing. Contrary to all these misconceptions, Sufism is still alive in these times and giving its people their spiritual dimension. Today, only Sufism is capable of holding the torch of the way of peace, the way of good character, and the way of balance and communication with everybody from all over the world.

Because Sufism is interacting with each generation, adapting itself to all its needs and expectations, it is said that the Sufi is “the son of his time�? (assoufiy ibn waqtih). Looking back in history to early Sufi paths, spiritual education (tarbia rouhiya) was known to be based upon long retreats (khalawat) and detachment from the day-to-day material life. Examples of this picture are Imam Ghazali and Rabia al-Adawiya. Early spiritual masters imposed on their disciples (muridin) a number of conditions that had to be met, in order to test their motivation and commitment to following the Sufi path.

Today, however, Sufism accepts without condition people with different levels of knowledge. Everybody, Muslim and non-Muslim, is welcome to the Sufi path, as long as they want to purify and enlighten their hearts and souls. This is exactly what is meant by the ‘University of Sufism’. There is a Sufi saying: “Do not hate a Jew or a Christian, but your own ego (annafs) that is between your sides.�?

It is the new era of Sufism now which is based on flexibility, love and beauty. It is easier to follow now than before but this does not mean that it has lost its value. The addition of flexibility to spiritual education has attracted the hearts of disciples from all over the world. Today, Sufis are more integrated into their social lives. They can enjoy the Sufi experience without it affecting their social rhythm or losing their social identities. One aspect of the Tariqa Qadiriyya Boutchichiyya, as explained by its spiritual master Sidi Hamza, is that the retreat of the Sufi is inside the heart (alkhalwat fi al-qalb). Sufis do not need to isolate themselves in order to find their way to GOD. On the contrary, they can participate in their social activities as much as they can without affecting their beautiful spiritual experience, providing they are ‘happy in their hearts.’

Another aspect of Sufism today is manifested in the companionship of the spiritual master. In the past, disciples seeking spiritual knowledge and purification spent a long period of their lives searching for the right master to follow. Today, the spiritual master himself is looking without condition for new disciples.

While explaining aspects of the Tariqa, Sidi Hamza said that the path is based on ‘beautification then detachment’ (at-takhliya ba’da at-tahliya). The meaning of this important aspect is that the Sufi first tastes the sweetness (tahliya) of the remembrance of GOD (dhikr) then moves to another stage of purifying the heart and detaching it from its darkness and diseases (takhliya). Sidi Hamza may Allah be pleased with him, gave a beautiful explanation of this aspect: “Stability of Allah’s love inside the heart, then moving to the practice.�? In the past, however, the Sufi needed to purify his heart before entering the path and following the master.

Sufism is a universal spiritual school where thousands are purifying their hearts each day, learning the love of Allah and connecting with their origins. The Tariqa, with its disciples all over the world, is a living example of good character, love, social bonding and spiritual blessings.

We need to look after our hearts in order to attain happiness and spiritual equilibrium. Sufism is all about good character and good manners.

To discover Sufism, it is up to you to take the first step to drink from the sources of divine love. It is like honey - you cannot enjoy its sweetness if you do not taste it. In order to taste it, you have to go through the experience and companionship of the spiritual master. This latter is the guide of hearts - he makes you remember GOD and he teaches you how to love infinitely and passionately.