Ramadan Special: Tales of Sufi Wisdom

laddu, there is nothing like wahabism. There is either Islam or there isn't. We can argue logically, if we convinced, that wahabism is not Islam, while sufism is.

If love enters the heart? Love for what?


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dawa-i-dil,

Nobody is questioning the undoubtedly great contributions of sufis in increasing Islamic population. All Muslims, regardless of background and affliation are united on that. It is the rest of the stuff that people are disagreeing over.


Did the greatest saint Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani Baghdadi REALLY make the deboned chicken fly on command, for instance? And if he did, what had the flying chicken to do with Islam, for another? If these are just stories, what Islamic lessons do they teach?


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Asif,

thinkingstorm gave some excellent references on Sufism, but his view seems to be somewhat different from yours. What authentic source or sources would you suggest for understanding sufi concepts, beliefs, and practices? Thanks.

dawa-i-dil, who is often vitriolic when it comes to the Hunud, is in his/her elements here displaying fair knowledge of the Quran.
One wishes dawa-i-dil was a Hindu, at least we would have had some enlightening critique on the Geeta.

Jayp, many sufis may be offended that sufism is an Indian thing, any more than it is argentinian, or moroccan.

Yes, many sufis did their work in India, as dawa-i-dil rightly points out, and took up residence there.

#33 Posted by KaalChakra

...there is nothing like wahabism ...

I had asked this question of the most eminent of ALL chowkies i.e, Saima Shah who had mentioned 'Wahabi' ... as to could anyone kindly explain to me exactly 'what' is wahabism? Since I sincerely honestly do not know ... And not a single response ... :(

If love enters the heart? Love for what?

LoL ... Hahaha :)

zee, a question to ask is whether people will let the greatest saint Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani Baghdadi live in their villages as he sat in his cots eating chicken if deboned chicken did not actually fly? ...

Re: # 33

Read the works of the sufis themselves. Many of the more famous ones are now available in excellent English translations.

Above all:

1. What is Sufism? by Martin Lings. The best general introduction in my opinion for the general public.

2. The works of the greatest saint Shaykh Abdal Qadir Jilani may Allah be well pleased with him and with us for his sake!

http://www.al-baz.com/shaikhabdalqadir/Books_and_Text_of_Wisdom/books_a nd_text_of_wisdom.html

This last link is perfect.

What is the importance of relating such 'fantastical' tales of the saints? It is to encourage us that by obeying God and purifying ourselves we too can fulfil our full potential as human beings and therefore reach the elevated spiritual ranks for which we were created which is to worship God as if you see Him. Once we reach that level a whole another universe opens up and this material universe is shown for the limited 'dung heap' it was.

Wahabism: that sect of Muslims who follow the teachings of Muhammad ibn Abd al Wahab of Najd, Arabia--an 18th century preacher who was condemned by all the Islamic scholars throughout the world starting with his own brother, Shaykh Sulayman ibn Abd al Wahab. He condemnded largely the previous 1200 years of Islamic learning and scholarship and condemned most Muslims as polytheists and kafirs--except those who followed him ofcourse.

Kaal:

The best way for me to explain it is by using the example of the eletromagnetic spectrum. Upto a few centuries ago we only knew of the visible light portion of the EMS and our experience was limited to that. As scientific knowledge increased and we developed better instruments we were able to detect other vast portions of the EMS at either end, infra-red and radio waves and ultra-violet and gamma rays etc.

The normal human existence corresponds to the visible light portion of the spectrum. The awliya (sufi saints) have access to a much wider range of the EMS. And the 'instruments' which permit them to do so are their purified souls. How do you purify your soul. That is an exact science which the practioners of sufism --awliya--have detailed in their books and not something 'hidden' or secret. It is summarised also in the hadith which dawa-e-dil recorded:
Abu Hurairah, radiyallahu 'anhu, reported that the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, said:

"Allah the Almighty has said: 'Whosoever acts with enmity towards a closer servant of Mine (wali), I will indeed declare war against him. Nothing endears My servant to Me than doing of what I have made obligatory upon him to do. And My servant continues to draw nearer to Me with supererogatory (nawafil) prayers so that I shall love him. When I love him, I shall be his hearing with which he shall hear, his sight with which he shall see, his hands with which he shall hold, and his feet with which he shall walk. And if he asks (something) of Me, I shall surely give it to him, and if he takes refuge in Me, I shall certainly grant him it.'"

[Al-Bukhari]

In short.
1. Be Muslim with a sound aqidah.
2. Obey Allah and fulfil the commands of Shariah.
3. Do extra worship in addition to the fard and the sunnah i.e. superogatory worship.
4. Remember Allah a lot --i.e. a lot of zikr.

These steps will help to purify the heart until the person can 'see' the entire EMS. This can be manifested in the wonders of which the article spake.

5. Having a spiritual guide by taking 'bayah' with a Sufi Shaykh greatly helps to traverse 2-4 and lead one to the higher spiritual stations of the soul.

Kaal, the BEST exposition of this scientific method of sufism is by Imam Ghazali.

Why do I say scientific? Because science is based on falsiable experiments. If the experiments can be duplicated and the same results obtained by others as by the claimant then that hypothesis can be verified as being correct or false. Sufis have left full details of their Path. That is the experiment. It is up to others to follow it and see if the claims are true or not.

:-)

Naqsh bhai, is there any way to see the entire EMS without first

1. Being Muslim with a sound aqidah.
2. Obeying Allah and fulfil the commands of Shariah.
3. Doing extra worship in addition to the fard and the sunnah i.e. superogatory worship.
4. Remembering Allah a lot --i.e. a lot of zikr?

What will you and I see then that we don't see now? Do you think we may be able to make deboned chicken fly?

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Ok - this is a serious question, because as you would agree, doing all those four things (1. Being Muslim with a sound aqidah. 2. Obeying Allah and fulfil the commands of Shariah.
3. Doing extra worship in addition to the fard and the sunnah i.e. superogatory worship. 4. Remembering Allah a lot --i.e. a lot of zikr.) is the same type of EXPERIMENT as one would perform say in a lab one evening. :)

#38 Posted by KaalChakra,

Shushhhh ...

#40 Posted by Naqshbandi,

Wahabi is not a sect ... now start again!

Kaal ...

As to what would make a deboned chicken fly .... you're seeing that all around you. No? But Naqshbandi can't. He's too busy in 'Zikr'. :)

by cutting themselves off from the aqaid of majority of the orthodox sunnis wahabis ARE a sect and a heretical one too. they are the one's whom the Prophet described as those will recite the quran constantly on their tongues but it wouldnt go beneath their throats and that they will leave the Deen of Islam like an arrow leaves the bow.

dear beloved living wali naqshbandi. May Allah exalt your status amongst chowkies, may Allah douse you in expensive fragrant but non alcoholic french perfumes. Ameen.

A question if I may.

Some foolish people have claimed that naqshi is in love with the idea of magic and miracles, and is in love with the sufi saints, but not the message of the sufis.

They offer for proof the fact that even this article is really about how great those sufi saints were and what magic they could perform, and yet offer little about the message of oneness and message of love.

They also state that if you indeed loved the message of sufism, you would not happily "Sect" yourself off as sunni or barelvi.

I am but a gumrah musalmaan. I beseech you to help me answer those gustaakh troublemakers.

I remain a humble living corpse,
with much respect,
thinking storm