Sufism/ Tasawuf (Islamic mysticism)

[Indos]

Wonderful thread @Indos ! I just found this now.

Thank You, I hope it is beneficial to every body ........

 

[NP-complete]

@Indos Sufism is pantheism, right ?

 

[B+ Dracula]

@Indos Sufism is pantheism, right ?

thats why i fear sufism, bcoz they're available in myriads of colors that can certain astray you

 

[Aepsilons]

The Call of Love
Written by: Rumi


At every instant and from every side, resounds the call of Love:
We are going to sky, who wants to come with us?
We have gone to heaven, we have been the friends of the angels,
And now we will go back there, for there is our country.
We are higher than heaven, more noble than the angels:
Why not go beyond them? Our goal is the Supreme Majesty.
What has the fine pearl to do with the world of dust?
Why have you come down here? Take your baggage back. What is this place?
Luck is with us, to us is the sacrifice!...
Like the birds of the sea, men come from the ocean--the ocean of the soul.
Like the birds of the sea, men come from the ocean--the ocean of the soul.
How could this bird, born from that sea, make his dwelling here?
No, we are the pearls from the bosom of the sea, it is there that we dwell:
Otherwise how could the wave succeed to the wave that comes from the soul?
The wave named 'Am I not your Lord' has come, it has broken the vessel of the body;
And when the vessel is broken, the vision comes back, and the union with Him.

 

[Indos]

@Indos Sufism is pantheism, right ?

Of course not, Sufism is even harder than conventional Islam in term of the heart. In Sufism interpretation, any one and any thing that we love more than Him is another god.

 

[Indos]

 

[ghoul]

Sufis were the people who spread Islam from Chechnya to Brunei in South East Asia. The Sufis as "astrayed muslims" thinking was propagated by the followers of Ibn-Wahaab, who was a British agent. British were facing stiff resistance from Sufis around the world, particularly in Somalia and Ethiopia, and the fact that Ottoman Caliphate followed the Mevlevi sect of Sufism(inspired by none other than Maulana Rumi of Tajikistan/Afghanistan, known as "mevlana" in popular turkish culture). To crush Ottomans, the British crown sent its agents into the modern day gulf, and world's first salafo-terrorist movement was started there. Yes I'm talking about the Ikhwan of Saudi Arabia. Their tactics were the same as ISIS and they attacked multiple shrines of early muslim saints, and their tactic executions were also beheadings. Ironically, the last Islamic caliphate was destroyed by the people who are the loudest about making a new caliphate now. Yes, the salafo-wahaab-British crown nexus actually destroyed the last Islamic Caliphate. British are also said to have faked some ahadees.

As for Sufism. It's all about Jihaad-e-Nafs. In Pakistan, some illiterates and kanjars have defamed the whole ideology, but the real sufis were true muslims. For example, Mian Muhammad Baksh, a local Sufi poet/cultural figure of Potohar, Azad Kashmir and Hazara said "laanat(curse) on those malangs, who breach the limits of shariah", yet look at what the shameless people are doing at his shrine in Mirpur:

Some famous words from Mian Muhammad Baksh; "never rejoice the death of your enemy as one day those you hold dear will pass away too". Here's a spiritual song by Mian Muhammad Baksh with english subtitles:

 

[Aepsilons]

thats why i fear sufism, bcoz they're available in myriads of colors that can certain astray you

ALLAH Subhanahu wa ta'ala knows best. The Almighty searches and reads through the Heart, the Soul and judges accordingly. He alone knows devotion and He gives mercy to whom He deems and wishes.

 

[Indos]

Once we feel superior enough based on our religious faith, so we can go into the world scene once more. The reason of why we need tariqah is to put religious belief faster. The next step after acquiring a good maqam (spiritual state) is to have more contribution to Islam and mankind with that superior mentality but humble in character (due to ALLAH blessing and our training) .

Quran, Ali Imran 139:

"So do not weaken and do not grieve, and you will be superior if you are [true] believers."

 

[Kashmiri Nationalist]

The allegations of pantheism - wahtatal wajood - against Sufism are false; Sufism is the spiritual path of Islam (tasawuf), as is, for example, fiqh's path being the legal path. There are clear boundaries that have been set by the Ulema, such as Al-Ghazali (RA), Imam Suyuti (RA) and Imam Ahmed Rida Khan (RA).

Once we feel superior enough based on our religious faith, so we can go into the world scene once more. The reason of why we need tariqah is to put religious belief faster. The next step after acquiring a good maqam (spiritual state) is to have more contribution to Islam and mankind with that superior mentality but humble in character (due to ALLAH blessing and our training) .

Quran, Ali Imran 139:

"So do not weaken and do not grieve, and you will be superior if you are [true] believers."

I'm quite wary of most modern Tariqas, they seem to just be a good money making scheme and do haraam acts. This doesn't go for all Tariqas - but there is a cancer that has crept in and led to bid'ah. One should not be turned away from the way of tasawuf from not being able to find a trustworthy Shaykh in whom they can put their trust in.

 

[SipahSalar]

It's easy to see which sufi groups are right. Just match them with quran and sunnah. Although i have to say that those who are right sufis after filtering through quran and sunnah, i envy them. What an amazing way to live life...

According to a hadith in Sahih Bukhari, a muslim should try to achieve perfection in ibadah. The word used for perfection is "ihsan". And prophet said ihsan is that you worship Allah as if you can see Him, if you cannot do that then worship Him as if He sees you.

Sufism is best at worshipping Allah as if you can see Him. I think most people worship Allah as if He sees us. It isn't wrong, but it isn't the perfection all muslims should seek.

 

[faisal6309]

You guys should read poetry of Buleh Shah. A sikh singer has made this song with his words of poetry too.

Bulleh Shah | Sufi Poetry

 

[Indos]

The allegations of pantheism - wahtatal wajood - against Sufism are false; Sufism is the spiritual path of Islam (tasawuf), as is, for example, fiqh's path being the legal path. There are clear boundaries that have been set by the Ulema, such as Al-Ghazali (RA), Imam Suyuti (RA) and Imam Ahmed Rida Khan (RA).



I'm quite wary of most modern Tariqas, they seem to just be a good money making scheme and do haraam acts. This doesn't go for all Tariqas - but there is a cancer that has crept in and led to bid'ah. One should not be turned away from the way of tasawuf from not being able to find a trustworthy Shaykh in whom they can put their trust in.

Yes, right. It seems that you have a good understanding about Islam and open minded as well.

Tasawuf is more like a spiritual experience of many reformed souls, and then those reformed souls like Ibnu Qayim etc teach us their path in order for us to be real Muslim. But in my opinion, the tariqah path in this modern days should be more like what our prophet taught us. Keep socializing, studying, working, making any business etc while doing it.

The essence of Tariqah is to hold worldly interest for a while until our faith is firm so we can perceive worldly interest (human acceptance etc) as a lower thing compared to getting acceptance (ridho) of our God. Not having a girl friend or a wife, not being famous etc is also a must in this path. ALLAH should be the closest one in our heart before we try to have any close relationship with any woman. By the end, the result is to be a slave of ALLAH only, something that only happen after long period of doing this practice. At this level, abundance of great things will be taken in term of soul experience.

After having a good maqam, a sufi practitioner will have majestic soul and clear face. A physical evidence to distinguish the right one with others.

 

[Indos]

Abu Madyan


Abu Madyan (1126–1198), also known as Abū Madyan S̲h̲uʿayb, or Abū Madyan, or Sidi Bou-Mediene, or Sidi Abu Madyan Shuayb ibn al-Hussein al-Ansari, was an influential Arab Andalusian mystic and a great Sufi master.

Some even refer to him as the national figure of Maghreb mysticism as he was such a forerunner of Sufism in this geographical area. Devoted to the fervent service of God, he helped introduce looking into oneself and harmonizing internal occurrences with the external observances through asceticism.[1]

Life
Abu Madyan was born in Cantillana (Arabic: قطنيانة‎), a small town about 35 km away from Seville, in 1126. He came from an obscure family and his parents were poor as the name suggests it decend a tribe of Ansar . As he grew up, he learned the trade of a weaver as it was a popular practice at the time. As a young adult, Madyan moved to Marrakech where he joined a group of Andalusian soldiers and worked as a guard for the city. His insatiable hunger for knowledge, however, piqued his interest in theQur'an and the study of religion and mysticism.

Soon after, Abu Madyan traveled to Fes to complete his education. He left for Fes at about the end of the Almoravid empire or at the beginning of the founding of the Almohad power.[2] There, he studied under Abu Ya’azza al-Hazmiri, ‘Ali Hirzihim, and al-Dakkak. It was al-Dakkak that provided him with the khirka, the cloak passed from Master to student in the study of Sufism. During his time studying in Fes, Madyan became entrenched within the readings of Al-Ghazali, who was one of the most prominent, if not the most prominent theologian, philosopher, and mystic of Sunni Islam and was even regarded as one of the renewers of the religion.

Abu Madyan was particularly fascinated with mysticism by Sidi Ali Ibn Harazem. They fasted and prayer together in a continuous fashion as the ideal Sufi, practicing very strict asceticism. Abu Madyan, who'd come from a poor background, didn't have a hard time distancing himself from such pleasures. Because of his strict practices, he reaches the rank of Kutb and Ghuth. After several years in Fez, Abu Madyan went to Mecca where he met the great Muslim saint, Jilani, and completed his mystic studies under him. Later he went to the town of Béjaïa where he practiced very strict asceticism and acquired an honorable reputation for his knowledge. People would come far to both listen to his public lectures and consult him on certain manners. People believed he could even perform miracles.

His beliefs were in opposition to the Almohade doctors of that town. The Almohades were disturbed at his increasing reputation and wanted to get rid of him.

Eventually, Madyan settled in the town of Béjaïa where he established a mosque-school (zawiya). The sheer amount of fame and influence that Abu Madyan evoked raised serious concern from the political powers of the time. The Almohad Caliph Ya’qub al-Mansur summoned Madyan to Marrakech for this reason so he could talk to Madyan himself. Upon his summoning to Marrakech, Abu Madyan was taken ill and died before he reached his destination in 594/1198, near the river of Ysser (يسر).[3] His last sigh was supposedly "Allah al-Hakk." He was buried in al-‘Ubbad near Tlemcen, Algeria. His funeral was widely commemorated by the people of Tlemcen and he has been considered the patron saint and protector of Tlemcen ever since. A mausoleum was built by the order of the Almohade sovereign, Muhammad al-Nasir, too shortly after his death. Many princes and kings of Tlemcen have contributed to this mausoleum since his demise. Many monuments, a good number of them still well preserved, were built in his honor next to his tomb by the Marinid kings, who controlled Tlemcen in the 14th century. One such monument is the Mosque of Madrasa. His tomb became the center of fine architecture and is still a place of pilgrimage for many Sufis today.[2]

Teachings
The basic principles and virtues taught at Madyan’s school in Bejaia were repentance (tawba), asceticism (zuhd), paying visits to other masters, and service to experienced masters. He emphasized futuwa (youth/chivalry) but only when accompanied by the obedience of devotees to their master, the avoidance of disagreements between devotees, justice, constancy, nobility of mind, the denunciation of the unjust, and a feeling of satisfaction with the gifts of God. Because of his focus on the acceptance of one’s emotions, Madyan and his followers refused to confine themselves to only asceticism and meditation alone, but instead lived day to day by maintaining close relationships with the people around them. Along with sharing his knowledge and ideas with his disciples, Abu Madyan wrote many poems and spoke in proverbs in order to connect with the masses and not just the intellectuals.[1]

According to Yahya B. Khaldun, Abu Madyan's teachings may all be summed up in this verse which he often repeated, "Say Allah! and abandon all that is matter, or is connected with it, if though desirest to attain the truth goal."[2]

Legacy
Aside from attaining Ghawth status and teaching hundreds and hundreds of disciples, Abu Madyan left his mark in more ways than one. He gained immense popularity because he was relatable, despite his high scholarly status. He had a personality and way of speaking that united people from all walks of life, from the common people to the academics. Even to this day, scholars say that no one of the time surpassed him in religious and intellectual influence. His school produced hundreds of saints and out of the 46 Sufi saints in the Rif region, 15 were his disciples. People still visit his tomb today for pilgrimage from all around the world.

Sayings
There are very few surviving writings from Abu Madyan, and of those that do still exist, there are mystical poems, a testament (wasiyya) and a creed (akida). He encouraged the free expression of emotions rather than rigidity, but also made known his support of asceticism complete devotion to God and a minimalist lifestyle.

Works

• Bidayat al Mouridin, Ms 938, Bibliot. Nat. Alger.
• Ouns al Wahid, Ms 2-105 (8) fol. 337–343, Bibliot. Nat. Paris, ed. in Cairo 1301–1884, with a commentary by Ahmed Bâ'chan.
• Tahfat al Arib, pub. et trad. in Latin par F. de Dombay, Vindobonae, Ebn Médirai Mauri Fessani Sentenciae quaedam arabicae, 1805
• Diwan, (collection of his poems) édit. Chaouar of Tlemcen, Damascus, 1938.

Abu Madyan - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Indos]

Something that is not right at "some and traditional" Sufi teaching is bowing to much on Sufi Master and visiting famous Sufi Tomb