World of Sufism (Tasawwuf Ki Dunya)...Some Worth Reading Articles

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ahmadalikhan

MPA (400+ posts)
Recently Some Excellent Articles published On sufism, Have look at them

also read Javed Chaudhry's two columns on Qudratullah Shahab, Mumtaz Mufti etc at
http://spiritual-pakistan-future.blogspot.com/2011/01/javed-chaudhry-column-book-gaye-dino-ke.html

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Pakistani1947

Chief Minister (5k+ posts)
Dr. Philipss lecture: Sufism Dangers in blind following sheiks and Kalifas

Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips is a teacher, speaker, and author, resident in Qatar. He appears on Peace TV, which is a 24-hour Islamic satellite TV channel broadcasted to many countries around the world.

Education

Dr. Philips was born January 7, 1952 in Jamaica, but grew up in Canada, where he converted to Islam in 1972. He received his B.A. degree from the Islamic University of Madina and his M.A. in Aqeedah (Islamic Philosophy) from the King Saud University in Riyadh. Philips comes from a family of educators, as both his parents were teachers and his grandfather was a Church Minister and Bible scholar.

Islamic Information Center

In 1994 he founded (and continues to direct) an Islamic Information Center, now known as Discover Islam, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Following is one of his video explaining dangers in blind following Sheiks and Kalifas.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xts6j4xj6A&feature=player_embedded
 
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قرآن کو پڑھو اور اس پر عمل کرنے کی کوشش کرو۔ نبی پاک کی سنت پر چلو۔ اسی کو اپنا لو تو سب مشکلیں آسان ھو جائیں گی۔ یہ بزرگوں والی کہانیاں ایک دفعہ کا ذکر تھا بعد کی باتیں ھیں۔
اور ھم نے قرآن کو آسان کردیا۔ کوئی ھے کہ سوچے سمجھے۔ القرآن
 

Pakistani1947

Chief Minister (5k+ posts)
SUFISM:

Introduction

Whether it’s from a documentary on TV or a beautifully designed website, the majority have heard something about ‘Sufis’ and ‘Sufism’; programs on TV have aired, talk show hosts have made mention of them and politicians are taking a keen interest in this group… one has only to type the word ‘Sufi’ on any search engine to be overwhelmed with the videos and pictures that are available. In cyberspace one can view images and videos of Sufi mystics and elders dancing in rhythmic forms to the background of vibrant melodies. Disturbing images of mystic Sufi elders jabbing their heads with knives or submitting themselves to various means of torture are all too common as well. One interested in Islam may get a wrong idea about Islam and Muslims, for to the occident ‘Sufis’ and ‘Sufism’ is just a synonym of Islam and Muslim.
The question that arises, are they really Muslims, and are they practicing Islam? Before jumping the gun, I have to make mention that there are many sites, articles and books that have been written and put together, but most talk about Sufism in an emotional manner, which will lead one to think that they are impartial. In this humble endeavor, I attempt to write about ‘Sufism’ in an informative manner, far from any biases.
Though only a tiny minority, Sufis can be found in many countries, Muslim and non-Muslim. But contrary to the belief that Sufism is one ‘group’, Sufism is divided into ‘orders’; each differs from the other in terms of belief and practice. Some groups are larger than others, and others have gone to rest with the passage of time. Among the surviving groups today, there is the Tijaani order, the Naqshabandi order, the Qadiri order and the Shadthili order.

Origin of Sufism

In its earliest form, Sufi teachings stressed that an individual should give more emphasis to the spiritual aspects of Islam, a result of many losing sight of this lofty goal of Islam. After a period of time, however, infamous Sufi elders introduced practices foreign to Islam which were welcomed by its followers. Practices introduced included dancing, playing music, and even consuming hashish.
The Scholar Ibn al-Jawzi, wrote in his book ‘Talbis Iblis’ about the origin of the name used by this group, saying: ‘They are called by this name in relation to the first person who dedicated his life to worship around the Ka’bah, whose name was Sufah.’
According to this, those who wanted to emulate him called themselves ‘Sufis’.
Ibn al-Jawzi also mentions another reason, he said: ‘they would wear woolen clothes.’ Wool in Arabic is called ‘soof’ and woolen clothes were the sign of an ascetic during those times, since wool was the cheapest form of clothing and was very rough on the skin; in short it was a symbol of a asceticism. In any case, the word Sufi was not present at the time of Prophet Muhammad and his companions instead first appeared at about 200 Hijrah (200 years after the migration of the Prophet from Makkah to Madinah).
The well known scholar, Ibn Taymiyyah, mentions that the first appearance of Sufism was in Basrah, Iraq, where some people went to extremes in worship and in avoiding the worldly life, such as not seen in other lands.[1]

So what is Sufism?

Sufism is a series of concepts and practices that range from poverty, seclusion, deception, depriving the soul, singing and dancing; and is based on a mix of many different religions and philosophiessuch as Greek philosophies, Zoroastrianism, Buddhism, Hinduism, as well as Islam. It is often referred to by Sufis themselves or by Orientalists as “Islamic mysticism”, in order to give the impression that Islam is either wholly or partly an dogmatic religion with a set of meaningless rituals. The very nature of Sufism (or Tasawwuf) opposes what a Muslim is to believe in, this will be explained further when I make mention of Sufi beliefs in general.

Traits of a Muslim

A Muslim always refers back to the Quran and narrations of Prophet Muhammad, may the blessing and mercy of God be upon him, called the Sunnah, in matters of religion. God tells us in the Quran:
It is not for a believing man or a believing woman, when God and His Messenger have decided a matter, they should [thereafter] have any choice about their affair. And whoever disobeys God and His Messenger has certainly strayed into clear error.” (Quran 33:36)
Prophet Muhammad stressed the importance of following the Quran and Sunnah and the danger of introducing any innovations into Islam. It is known that the Prophet said: “Whoever does a deed which is not in accordance to my commands (i.e. the Islamic Law), it shall be rejected.” (Saheeh Muslim)
Ibn Mas’ood (a companion of the prophet), may God be pleased with him, said:
“The Messenger of God, may the blessing and mercy of God be upon him, made a straight line on the ground with his hand, then he said, “This is the straight path of God.” Then he made a (short) line on each side of the straight line; then he said, ‘These (short) lines, each one has a devil inviting people to it.” Then he recited the verse (of the Quran):
“And this is My path straight. So follow it, and do not follow (other) ways, lest they lead you away from My path.” (Quran 6:153)
Saheeh: Reported by Ahmad and an-Nasaae’e.
A Muslim therefore is required to obey God and His Messenger. This is the highest authority in Islam. One is not to blindly follow religious leaders; rather, we as humans are required to use the faculties given to us by God, to think and reason. Sufism, on the other hand, is a binding order that strips one of free thought and personal discretion and puts him at the mercy of the Sheikh of the order… as it has been said by some Sufi elders, ‘one must be with their Sheikh as a dead person is while being washed’, i.e. one should not argue, or oppose the opinion of the Sheikh and must display total obedience and submission to him.
True Muslims are content with the name “Muslim” given to them by Almighty God, as He says:
“He has chosen you (to conform to His religion) and has imposed no difficulty upon you in religion, the religion of your father Abraham. He named you ‘Muslims’ both before (in the preceding Divine Scriptures) and in this Book.” (Quran 22.78)
Sufis may insist that they are Muslims, but at the same time some insist on identifying themselves as Sufis rather than Muslims.

Islamic Beliefs at a Glance: Belief in God

In short a Muslim believes in the Uniqueness of God. He has no partner; no one is like unto Him. God, Almighty, says:
“There is nothing like unto Him[2] and He is the all-Hearing and the all-Seeing.” (Quran 42:11)
God is separate from His creation and not a part of it. He is the Creator, and all else is His creation.
Sufis hold a number of beliefs in relation to God, Almighty; of these beliefs are the following:
a) Al-Hulool: This belief denotes that God, Almighty, dwells in His creation.
b) Al-It’tihaad: This belief denotes that God, Almighty, and the creation are one, united presence.
c) Wahdatul-Wujood: This belief denotes that one should not differentiate between the Creator and the creation, for both the creation and the Creator are one entity.
Mansoor al-Hallaaj, a figure much revered by Sufis, said: “I am He Whom I love,” he exclaimed, “He Whom I love is I; we are two souls co-inhabiting one body. If you see me you see Him and if you see Him you see me.[3]
Muhiyddin Ibn Arabi, another revered figure in Sufism, was infamous for his statements: “What is under my dress is none but God,” “The slave is the Lord and the Lord is a slave.”[4]
These above beliefs strongly contradict the Muslim belief in the Oneness of God, for Islam is a strict monotheism. These cardinal Sufi doctrines are not far from some of the Christian beliefs or the Hindu belief of reincarnation. S. R. Sharda in his book, ‘Sufi Thought’ said: “Sufi literature of the post-Timur period shows a significant change in thought content. It is pantheistic. After the fall of Muslim orthodoxy from power at the centre of India for about a century, due to the invasion of Timur, Sufism became free from the control of the Muslim orthodoxy and consorted with Hindu saints, who influenced them to an amazing extent. The Sufi adopted Monism and wifely devotion from the Vaishnava Vedantic school and Bhakti and Yogic practices from the Vaishnava Vedantic school. By that time, the popularity of the Vedantic pantheism among the Sufis had reached its zenith.”

Belief in the Prophet of God

A Muslim believes that Prophet Muhammad was the Final Prophet and Messenger of God. He was not divine, nor is he to be worshipped; but he is to be obeyed and one cannot worship God except in a manner that has been sanctioned by Prophet Muhammad.
Sufi orders hold a wide variety of beliefs in relation to Prophet Muhammad. Of them are those who believe that he was ignorant of the knowledge the Sufi Elders possess. Al-Bustami, a Sufi Sheikh said: “We have entered a sea of knowledge at the shore of which the Prophets and Messengers stood.”
Other Sufis ascribe some type of divinity to the Prophet saying that all of creation was created from the ‘light’ of Prophet Muhammad. Some even believe that he was the first of creation and that he is resting upon the throne of God, which is the belief of Ibn Arabi and other Sufis who came after him.

Belief in Heaven and Hell

In short, Muslims believe that both Hell and Heaven are existent now, and are two actual abodes. Hell is where a sinful person will be punished and Heaven is where a pious person will be rewarded.
Sufis in general believe that one should not ask God to grant them Paradise; they even claim that the Wali (guardian) should not seek it, for it is a sign of one’s lack of intellect. To them ‘Paradise’ holds an immaterial meaning, which is to receive the knowledge of the unseen from God and to fall in love with Him.
As for Hell, a Sufi believes that one should not try to escape from it. According to them, a true Sufi is not to be fearful of the Fire. Some even believe that if a Sufi elder were to spit on the Fire, it would be put out, as Abu Yazid al-Bustami claimed.

Footnotes: [1] Al-Fataawaa (11/6)

[2] There is no similarity whatsoever between the Creator and His creation in essence, in attributes or in deed.

[3] At-Tawaaseen by Al-Hallaj

[4] Al-Fatoohaatul-Makkiyyah & Al-Fatoohaat

Principles of Sufism
‘Willful and total submission to the Sheikh’, is probably the motto of Sufism. From a glance, it is clear that a special and complete bond is formed between the head of the Sufi order (the ‘Sheikh’) and the Mureed (follower); understanding the principles of Sufism lies in understanding its basic structure. So what is it all about?
Basically, the follower gives a pledge of allegiance, whereby he pledges to obey the Sheikh, and in turn the Sheikh promises to deliver the follower from every problem or calamity that may befall him. The Sheikh also offers the sincere follower lucrative fringe benefits. Once a follower agrees, he is blessed and assigned a set of Dhikr (chants). The follower is also to carry on with his life in a manner that is laid out by the Sufi order. If a conflict arises between his duties within the order and outside duties, the follower is to act upon the instructions of the Sheikh. In this manner the Sheikh’s hold over the follower becomes absolute.
All in all, the follower is separated from the outside world and is exploited in many ways. As Muslims we believe that no human has a special power or ability to deliver us from the calamities of the grave or the Hereafter. Each of us will stand before God and will be judged individually.
God tells us:
“And every soul earns not [blame] except against itself, and no bearer of burdens will bear the burden of another.” (Quran 7:164)
We also believe that as Muslims we are not to submit and surrender ourselves to anyone but God, Almighty. Besides the Creator, all else is apt to make error. The Prophet, may the blessing and mercy of God be upon him, said:
“Every son of Adam makes mistakes and the best of them are those who repent.” (Tirmidthi)

The Sheikh

He is the ‘supreme authority’, the head of ‘job’ distribution within the Order and gives each of the followers their necessary Dhikr. It is to this individual whom the follower pledges full and total obedience; thereafter, the two universal laws of the Sheikh-follower bondage will come into effect:
a. The follower must never argue with the Sheikh, nor ask him for a proof in relation to the actions he does.
b. Whoever opposes the Sheikh, will have broken the ‘covenant’ and is thus debarred from all fringe benefits offered by the Sheikh, even if he stays a close friend to him.
As Muslims we believe that all acts of worship are ‘Tawqeefiyah’, i.e. not subject to opinion; thus must be substantiated with textual evidences that are both authentic and decisive. God, Almighty, tells us:
“Say (to them), ‘produce your proof if you are truthful.’” (Quran 2:111)
We believe that there is no middle-man between God and His slaves. We are to call unto Him directly. God tells us:
“And your Lord says, ‘Call upon Me; I will respond to you.’ Indeed, those who disdain My worship will enter Hell [rendered] contemptible.” (Quran 40:60)
In Sufism, the Sheikh is thought to be ‘the inspired man to whose eyes the mysteries of the hidden are unveiled, for the Sheikhs see with the light of God and know what thoughts and confusions are in man’s hearts. Nothing can be concealed from them.’[1] Ibn Arabi, claimed that he used to receive direct revelation from God, similar to the way that Prophet Muhammad did, and was quoted as saying: “Some works I wrote at the command of God sent to me in sleep, or through mystical revelations.” M. Ibn Arabi, “The Bezels of Wisdom,” pp.3
We believe that the knowledge of the unseen is restricted to God alone. Anyone who claims the knowledge of the unseen has indeed told a lie. God tells us:
“And who is more disbelieving than he who forges a lie against God, or says, ‘It has been revealed to me,’ when nothing has been revealed to him?”(Quran 6.93)
The Prophet said:
“Do not forge lies against me, because he who does so enters the Fire.” (Saheeh Muslim)

The Covenant

This is an interesting ceremony, which by far, is the most important principle of Sufism as it is common among all Sufi Orders. Here the Sheikh and the follower hold hands and close their eyes in solemn meditation. The follower willfully and wholeheartedly pledges to respect the Sheikh as his leader and guide to the path of God. He also pledges to adhere to the rites of the Order throughout his life and promises never to walk away, along with this the follower pledges complete and unconditional allegiance, obedience and loyalty to the Sheikh. After this the Sheikh recites:
“Verily, those who take the allegiance to you take it to Allah.” (Quran 48:10)
The follower is then given his specific Dhikr. The Sheikh asks the follower: “Have you accepted me as your Sheikh and spiritual guide before God, Almighty?” In reply, the follower is to say: “I have accepted,” and the Sheikh responds saying: “And we have accepted.” Both of them recite the Testimony of Faith and the ceremony is ended by the follower kissing the Sheik’s hand.
This entire ceremony was unknown during the Prophet’s life and the best three generations that preceded him. The Prophet said:
“Whoever lives after me shall see many differences (i.e. religious innovations); so adhere to my Sunnah and the Sunnah of my Rightly Guided Caliphs.” (Abu Dawood)
The Prophet also said:
“Verily, the best of speech is the Book of God, and the best of guidance is the guidance of (Prophet) Muhammad and the evil of all religious matters are the innovations. Every innovation (in religion) is a bid’ah and every bid’ah is misguidance, and every misguidance will lead to the Fire.” (Saheeh Muslim)
Imam Malik, may Allah grant him His Mercy, said: “He who introduces an innovation in the religion of Islam and deems it a good thing in effect claims by that Muhammad betrayed (the trust of conveying) the Divine Message.”

The Dhikr

It is also known as the ‘Wird’ and in Sufism it is the practice of repeating the name of God, and the repetition of a set number of invocations. These invocations may include beseeching the dead or seeking help from other than God for needs that only God Almighty can grant.
Ahmad at-Tijani, a Sufi Elder, claimed that the wird was withheld by Prophet Muhammad; he did not teach it to any of his Companions. At-Tijani claimed that the Prophet knew that a time would come when the wird would be made public but the person who would do that was not yet in existence. As a result, Sufis believe that there is an ongoing chain of transmission between Prophet Muhammad and their current Sheikh.
Dhikr is categorized by the Sufi elders into three categories:
A. Dhikr of the commoners, in which they are to repeat ‘La ilaaha ill-Allah Muhammad-ur-Rasoolullah’ (i.e. there is no God worthy of being worshipped but Allah and Muhammad is the slave of God.)
B. Dhikr of the high class, which is to repeat the name of God, ‘Allah’.
C. Dhikr of the elite, which is to repeat the Divine pronoun ‘Hu’, (i.e. He).
At times, the Dhikr is chanted in melodic hymns with eyes closed, rich music may be played (to some this is essential); moreover, some will dance before the Sheikh while saying the Dhikr. Many a time the Dhikr includes open polytheism (the greatest sin in Islam). God tells us:
“And it has been revealed to you and to those before you: If you attribute partners to God, your deed shall surely be in vain and you shall certainly be among the losers.” (Quran 39:65)

Interpretation of the Quran

In Sufism, studying the exegesis of the Quran or pondering the meanings of its verses is discouraged, and at times, even forbidden. Sufis claim that every verse of the Quran has an outward meaning and an inward meaning. The inward meaning is understood solely by the Sufi elders. On account of this, Sufis have introduced concepts and words that are totally foreign to the teachings of Islam.
In the Quran God, Almighty encourages us to properly understand His words. God tells us:
“(This is) a Scripture that We have revealed unto you, full of blessing, that they may ponder its revelations, and that men of understanding may reflect.” (Quran 38:29)
The exegesis of the Quran is accomplished by studying the Quran along with the Sunnah; these two sources of Islamic law must be taken hand in hand as one integral unit. We are to understand and interpret the Quran and the Sunnah the way they were understood by the first generations.

Conclusion

As can be seen from the above, Sufism varies quite drastically from the true spirit of Islam. Sufism inculcates in the follower the will to stop using the basic faculties given to him by God, the Creator of the world and to submit himself to a form of slavery.
Islam, on the other hand, is very simple; there is no need for intermediaries or any saints between man and God, and one is only to submit and surrender themselves to God, Almighty.

Footnotes: [1] Saif an-Nasr, Seera of Hamidiyyeh, 1956

Source: http://www.islamreligion.com/articles/1388/viewall/
 

Salik

Senator (1k+ posts)
قرآن کو پڑھو اور اس پر عمل کرنے کی کوشش کرو۔ نبی پاک کی سنت پر چلو۔ اسی کو اپنا لو تو سب مشکلیں آسان ھو جائیں گی۔ یہ بزرگوں والی کہانیاں ایک دفعہ کا ذکر تھا بعد کی باتیں ھیں۔
اور ھم نے قرآن کو آسان کردیا۔ کوئی ھے کہ سوچے سمجھے۔ القرآن

میرے بھائی یہ كہانیاں آپ كو بتاتی ہیں كہ اس پیكر خاكی میں پنہاں روح كی پرواز كہاں تك ممكن ہے۔۔۔
 

Salik

Senator (1k+ posts)
Salik, please do not be personal. Please provide any counter argument if you have any???

Where is your argument???

There is a video from Dr. Bilal Philips... and a loooooooooooooong story from another person...

آپ اپنے ذہن سے كچھ فرمائیں تو ہم بھی كچھ كہیں؟؟؟

I can post about 50 videos and whole books in favor of purification of soul (a.k.a achieving state of Ehsan now known as tasawwuf or sufisim or whatever you like to call it..)... and you can keep reading your whole life...
 
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Pakistani1947

Chief Minister (5k+ posts)
Yar poora hi post ker dia kero bhai..

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Can anybody provide any authentic Hadeeth where it is mentioned the our beloved Prophet Muhammad صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم or any Sahabi (رَّضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ) were capable of being at different places at the same time?

May Allah give hidayat to my Muslim fellows to recognize these fabricated stories and give them knowledge of Quraan and Hadeeth (Aameen)
 
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Mughal1

Chief Minister (5k+ posts)
What is logical explanation of origin of so called spiritualism?

1)To understand the whole thing we need to read the quran and see that the quran talks about two kinds of rules of law ie divine v satanic or manmade or imperialism etc.

2)Each time Allah sends a messenger with his divine constitution and he manages to establish his rule amongst his ummah eg like Adam, Noah, Abraham etc etc. After a while some people from amongst his people decide to over throw that rule and replace it with whatever they like.

3)Once they gain power and consolidate their rule they ban any movement against it. Since some people hold on to whatever Allah gave them they have no choice but to go underground and carry on the passing of knowledge through person to person so that the divine rule once more could be brought back.

4)The movement does not remain secret from rulers so they penetrate the movement to sabotage it. They then divert it from its goal or take it over and use it for their own ends or destroy it.

Thus the divine revelation is attacked both from inside by people who claim to follow it and by external enemies who already fight against it.

So islam today is a jumble of things confused together. To find out its original shape and form therefore study of actual quranic text is vital independent of all other sources. It is because all other sources are diluted but the text of the quran is pure and in its original form. Once we can work out islam from the quran then we can use it as a criterion to sift through all the other information to see what is according to the quran and what is not eg ahadith collections, history, tafaseer etc etc etc.
 

ahmadalikhan

MPA (400+ posts)
ہمارا المیہ یہی ہے ہمیں اپس میں لڑتا دیکھ کر بیرونی طاقتیں اپنا کام دکھا جاتی ہیں جیسے ابھی موڈی بھائی یہ تھریڈ کلوز کر دیں گے
 

Pakistani1947

Chief Minister (5k+ posts)
ہمارا المیہ یہی ہے ہمیں اپس میں لڑتا دیکھ کر بیرونی طاقتیں اپنا کام دکھا جاتی ہیں جیسے ابھی موڈی بھائی یہ تھریڈ کلوز کر دیں گے

Stop believing in fabricated stories and follow Quraan and authentic Hadeets only then we have no dispute among us.
 

behzadji

Minister (2k+ posts)
a good response to your argument is present in safdar mehmood column....Quran is not a body of words only. It also constitutes the kafiyyaat which can only be felt when you learn it from some sahib-e-nazar pious person. aik tasawwuf ke munkir ko tasawwuf samjhana aise hi hay jaisay aik doodh peetay bachay ko biryani ka zaiqa batana jo ke uss ko hazam ho hi nahi sakti na hi woh uss ko taste karnay ki himmat rakhta hay.
khuda tujhay kisi toofan sey humkinaar keray
ke teray behar ki mojon main iztarab nahi
 

Pakistani1947

Chief Minister (5k+ posts)
The Quran is easy to understand and remember

a good response to your argument is present in safdar mehmood column....Quran is not a body of words only. It also constitutes the kafiyyaat which can only be felt when you learn it from some sahib-e-nazar pious person. aik tasawwuf ke munkir ko tasawwuf samjhana aise hi hay jaisay aik doodh peetay bachay ko biryani ka zaiqa batana jo ke uss ko hazam ho hi nahi sakti na hi woh uss ko taste karnay ki himmat rakhta hay.
khuda tujhay kisi toofan sey humkinaar keray
ke teray behar ki mojon main iztarab nahi

Behzadji, Please try to understand this is a lethal weapon against Islam that Quraan can not be understand by a common Muslim; this believe is against Quraan:

The Quran was created by Allah ,our Creator and Sustainer. It was then revealed to our beloved Prophet Mohammad (صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم) for the entire human race. The target readers of this book are human beings of different mental levels. This fact itself is the greatest miracle of Quran. Any other book of human creation has a specific target reader. For example a science textbook for a primary class student will be written in such a way that primary students easily understand it. In the same way a book on anatomy for a student of medicine will be meaningful for a medical student. Each book is written at a different level. On the contrary Allah has created Quran: as “ A Book for All”. It would be wrong to say that , “It contains something for everybody ,” rather “It contains everything for everybody.”

The basic requirement of the reader of Quran is that its contents be understood. It is our basic duty to study it and understand it. Ignorance of Arabic language should not be a barrier for us. Quran is a book that has been studied and researched the most. There are many beautiful translations available in English and other languages. We should earnestly try to read these translations. Everybody and anybody can “read” the Quran. By “read” is implied that we read it in a language we are comfortable in. It is because the main aim should be to understand the meaning.


وَلَقَدْ يَسَّرْنَا الْقُرْآنَ لِلذِّكْرِ فَهَلْ مِن مُّدَّكِرٍ

And We have indeed made the Qur'an easy to understand and remember: then is there any that will receive admonition?
Qur’aan; 54:17
اور البتہ ہم نے تو سمجھنے کے لیے قرآن کو آسان کر دیا پھر کوئی ہے کہ سمجھے



الَّذِينَ آتَيْنَاهُمُ الْكِتَابَ يَتْلُونَهُ حَقَّ تِلَاوَتِهِ أُولَـٰئِكَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِهِ ۗ وَمَن يَكْفُرْ بِهِ فَأُولَـٰئِكَ هُمُ الْخَاسِرُونَ

Those to whom We have sent the Book study it as it should be studied: They are the ones that believe therein: Those who reject faith therein,- the loss is their own.
Qur’aan; 2:121

وہ لوگ جنہیں ہم نے کتاب دی ہے وہ اسے پڑھتے ہیں جیسا اس کے پڑھنے کا حق ہے وہی لوگ اس پر ایمان لاتے ہیں جور اس سے انکار کرتے ہیں وہی نقصان اٹھانے والے ہیں



أَفَلَا يَتَدَبَّرُونَ الْقُرْآنَ أَمْ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبٍ أَقْفَالُهَا

Do they not then earnestly seek to understand the Qur'an, or are their hearts locked up by them?
Qur’aan; 47:24
پھر کیوں قرآن پر غور نہیں کرتے کیا ان کے دلوں پر قفل پڑے ہوئے ہیں



فَإِنَّمَا يَسَّرْنَاهُ بِلِسَانِكَ لِتُبَشِّرَ بِهِ الْمُتَّقِينَ وَتُنذِرَ بِهِ قَوْمًا لُّدًّا

So have We made the (Qur'an) easy in thine own tongue, that with it thou mayest give Glad Tidings to the righteous, and warnings to people given to contention.
Qur’aan; 19:97
:
سو ہم نے فرمان کو تیری زبان میں اس لیےآسان کیا ہے کہ تو اس سے پرہیز گاروں کو خوشخبری سنا دے اور جھگڑنے والوں کو ڈرا دے
 
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lotaa

Minister (2k+ posts)
waisay mujhay aaj tak samjh nahi aai aap logoon ki ,aap in buzurgoon se itna jelus Q ho,jaisya shetan in se jelus hota hai,har nimaz mein aap khud kehtya ho,surah Fatia ki akhri ayet ka tarjama, hum ko un logoon k rastay par chalaa jin par tera inaam howa,na k un k rastay par jin par tera ghazab howa,ab aap batao wo loog kon hain jin par inaam howa,itni mukhalfat shetan b nahi karta in naik logoon ki jitni apa kartay ho,ALLAH k wali mean dost ka zikar suntay hi aap k mathay par bal par jatay hain y,?
قرآن کو پڑھو اور اس پر عمل کرنے کی کوشش کرو۔ نبی پاک کی سنت پر چلو۔ اسی کو اپنا لو تو سب مشکلیں آسان ھو جائیں گی۔ یہ بزرگوں والی کہانیاں ایک دفعہ کا ذکر تھا بعد کی باتیں ھیں۔
اور ھم نے قرآن کو آسان کردیا۔ کوئی ھے کہ سوچے سمجھے۔ القرآن
 

lotaa

Minister (2k+ posts)
عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رضي الله عنه قَالَ : قَالَ رَسُوْلُ اﷲِ صلي الله عليه وآله وسلم : إِنَّ اﷲَ قَالَ : مَنْ عَادَي لِي وَلِيّاً، فَقَدْ آذَنْتُهُ بِالْحَرْبِ، وَمَا تَقَرَّبَ إِلَيَّ عَبْدِيِ بِشَيئٍ أَحَبَّ إِلَيَّ مِمَّا افْتَرَضْتُ عَلَيْهِ، وَمَا يَزَالُ عَبْدِي، يَتَقَرَّبُ إِلَيَّ بِالنَّوَافِلِ حَتَّي أُحِبَّهُ، فَإِذَا أَحَْبَبْتُهُ : کُنْتُ سَمْعَهُ الَّذِي يَسْمَعُ بِهِ، وَبَصَرَهُ الَّذِي يُبْصِرُ بِهِ، وَيَدَهُ الَّتِي يَبْطِشُ بِها، وَرِجْلَهُ الَّتِي يَمْشِي بِهَا، وإنْ سَأَلَنِي، لَأُعْطِيَنَّهُ، وَلَئِنِ اسْتَعَاذَنِي، لَأُعِيْذَنَّهُ، وَمَا تَرَدَّدْتُ عَنْ شَيئٍ أَنَا فَاعِلُهُ تَرَدُّدِي عَنْ نَفْسِ الْمُؤْمِنِ، يَکْرَهُ الْمَوْتَ وَأَنَا أَکْرَهُ مَسَاءَتَهُ.

رَوَاهُ الْبُخَارِيُّ.

الحديث رقم 81 : أخرجه البخاري في الصحيح، کتاب : الرقاق، باب : التواضع، 5 / 2384، الرقم : 6137، وابن حبان في الصحيح، 2 / 58، الرقم : 347، والبيهقي في السنن الکبري، 10 / 219، باب (60)، وفي کتاب الزهد الکبير، 2 / 269، الرقم : 696.

’’حضرت ابوہریرہ رضی اللہ عنہ سے روایت ہے کہ حضور نبی اکرم صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم نے فرمایا : اللہ تعالیٰ فرماتا ہے : جو میرے کسی ولی سے دشمنی رکھے میں اُس سے اعلانِ جنگ کرتا ہوں اور میرا بندہ ایسی کسی چیز کے ذریعے میرا قرب نہیں پاتا جو مجھے فرائض سے زیادہ محبوب ہو اور میرا بندہ نفلی عبادات کے ذریعے برابر میرا قرب حاصل کرتا رہتا ہے یہاں تک کہ میں اس سے محبت کرنے لگتا ہوں اور جب میں اس سے محبت کرتا ہوں تو میں اس کا کان بن جاتا ہوں جس سے وہ سنتا ہے اور اس کی آنکھ بن جاتا ہوں جس سے وہ دیکھتا ہے اور اس کا ہاتھ بن جاتا ہوں جس سے وہ پکڑتا ہے اور اس کا پاؤں بن جاتا ہوں جس سے وہ چلتا ہے۔ اگر وہ مجھ سے سوال کرتا ہے تو میں اسے ضرور عطا کرتا ہوں اور اگر وہ میری پناہ مانگتا ہے تو میں ضرور اسے پناہ دیتا ہوں۔ میں نے جو کام کرنا ہوتا ہے اس میں کبھی اس طرح متردد نہیں ہوتا جیسے بندۂ مومن کی جان لینے میں ہوتا ہوں۔ اسے موت پسند نہیں اور مجھے اس کی تکلیف پسند نہیں۔‘‘

[QUOTE][/QUOTE]
What is logical explanation of origin of so called spiritualism?

1)To understand the whole thing we need to read the quran and see that the quran talks about two kinds of rules of law ie divine v satanic or manmade or imperialism etc.

2)Each time Allah sends a messenger with his divine constitution and he manages to establish his rule amongst his ummah eg like Adam, Noah, Abraham etc etc. After a while some people from amongst his people decide to over throw that rule and replace it with whatever they like.

3)Once they gain power and consolidate their rule they ban any movement against it. Since some people hold on to whatever Allah gave them they have no choice but to go underground and carry on the passing of knowledge through person to person so that the divine rule once more could be brought back.

4)The movement does not remain secret from rulers so they penetrate the movement to sabotage it. They then divert it from its goal or take it over and use it for their own ends or destroy it.

Thus the divine revelation is attacked both from inside by people who claim to follow it and by external enemies who already fight against it.

So islam today is a jumble of things confused together. To find out its original shape and form therefore study of actual quranic text is vital independent of all other sources. It is because all other sources are diluted but the text of the quran is pure and in its original form. Once we can work out islam from the quran then we can use it as a criterion to sift through all the other information to see what is according to the quran and what is not eg ahadith collections, history, tafaseer etc etc etc.
 

Mughal1

Chief Minister (5k+ posts)
a good response to your argument is present in safdar mehmood column....Quran is not a body of words only. It also constitutes the kafiyyaat which can only be felt when you learn it from some sahib-e-nazar pious person. aik tasawwuf ke munkir ko tasawwuf samjhana aise hi hay jaisay aik doodh peetay bachay ko biryani ka zaiqa batana jo ke uss ko hazam ho hi nahi sakti na hi woh uss ko taste karnay ki himmat rakhta hay.
khuda tujhay kisi toofan sey humkinaar keray
ke teray behar ki mojon main iztarab nahi

Dear behzadji, aap ke naam mujhe behzad lakhnavi sb ka khayaal aata. Un ka aik beta anwar behzad radio pakistan par news caster tha aik zamane main.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NyV6hQuUHNw

I am having problem with this dislike buttons on the forum because people do not explain their disagreement due to which it is difficult to see what the disagreement is all about.

As I see things disagreements can only be resolved through purposeful dialogue by way of finding some common ground.

When the prophet came to madinah and people of the book disagreed with him he was told by Allah to invite them to find common ground 3/64.

Disagreements are not possible regarding key issues when we stand upon reason and be rational because that is the beauty of logic and linked facts.

Anything which cannot be agreed upon logically and factually is not worth the dispute and division.

People who tale islam in any meaningless direction that confuses instead of clarifying is not the right direction. We humans are physical beings and all our needs are physical. This is why the quran talks about physical world and wants us to put it in right order so that our problems could be solved, particularly problems of divisions between human beings. Because division give us headaches if they are in our family life or friendship or with other human beings around us.

It is due to these divisions we fight and cause more problems and get yet bigger headaches and then look for their solutions in wrong places in wrong ways and end up with yet more problems.

The very wrong idea in our heads that we cannot solve our problems head on is the big problem. One day one should sit on his own and think about it why one really needs so called spiritualism. One will end up realizing that spiritualism is nothing. The reality is materialism and getting it right as Allah explains to us. It is materialism that we are getting wrong that is why we have all sorts of problems.

Once we organise our world as Allah guides us in the quran we will have heaven on earth for ourselves. If we do nothing to make this world into a true divine kingdom then we can do anything we like but we will not get the true satisfaction that we long for.

The difference between people and animals is that of size of brain and what it is used for. If we use it to better our own lives and lives of others than we are doing what we are told by Allah but if we are just wasting our energies on useless things that do us not much good and change nothing for the better for anyone else then we are surely wasting our time.

Ignorant needs help to become a knowledgeable person, poor needs help to become a prosperous person, sick needs help to become healthy, oppressed needs help to become free, hungry needs help to have food, thirsty needs help to have drink.

So we better concentrate on things Allah tells us about and at the same time they do us a lot of good. This is real spirituality to organise real world according to the map Allah has given us. Anything other than that is just pure waste of time.

regards and all the best.
 
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lotaa

Minister (2k+ posts)
عَنْ عُمَرَ بْنِ الْخَطَّابِ رضي الله عنه قَالَ : قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلي الله عليه وآله وسلم : إِنَّ مِنْ عِبَادِ اﷲِ لَأُنَاسًا مَا هُمْ بِأَنْبِيَاءَ وَلَا شُهَدَاءَ يَغْبِطُهُمُ الْأَنْبِيَاءُ وَالشُّهَدَاءُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ بِمَکَانِهِمْ مِنَ اﷲِ. قَالُوْا : يَا رَسُوْلَ اﷲِ! تُخْبِرُنَا مَنْ هُمْ؟ قَالَ : هُمْ قَوْمٌ تَحَابُّوْا بِرُوْحِ اﷲِ عَلَي غَيْرِ أَرْحَامٍ بَيْنَهُمْ، وَلَا أَمْوَالٍ يَتَعَاطُوْنَهَا، فَوَاﷲِ إِنَّ وُجُوْهَهُمْ لَنُوْرٌ وَإِنَّهُمْ لَعَلَي نُوْرٍ، لَا يَخَافُوْنَ إِذَا خَافَ النَّاسُ، وَلَا يَحْزَنُوْنَ إِذَا حَزِنَ النَّاسُ، وَقَرَأَ هَذِهِ الْآيَةَ : (أَلاَ إِنَّ أَوْلِيَآءَ اﷲِ لَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُوْنَo). (يونس، 10 : 62).

رَوَاهُ أَبُوْدَاوُدَ وَالنَّسَائِيُّ.

الحديث رقم 82 : أخرجه أبو داود في السنن، کتاب : البيوع، باب : في الرهن، 3 : 288، الرقم : 3527، والنسائي في السنن الکبري، سورة يونس، 6 / 362، الرقم : 11236، والبيهقي في شعب الايمان، 6 / 486، الرقم : 8998.

’’حضرت عمر بن خطاب رضی اللہ عنہ سے روایت ہے کہ حضور نبی اکرم صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم نے فرمایا : بے شک اﷲ تعالیٰ کے کچھ ایسے برگزیدہ بندے ہیں جو نہ انبیاء کرام ہیں نہ شہداء، قیامت کے دن انبیاء کرام علیھم السلام اور شہداء انہیں اﷲ تعالیٰ کی طرف سے عطا کردہ مقام دیکھ کر اُن پر رشک کریں گے۔ صحابہ کرام رضی اللہ عنھم نے عرض کیا : یا رسول اﷲ! آپ ہمیں ان کے بارے میں بتائیں کہ وہ کون ہیں؟ آپ صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم نے فرمایا : وہ ایسے لوگ ہیں جن کی ایک دوسرے سے محبت صرف اﷲ تعالیٰ کی خاطر ہوتی ہے نہ کہ رشتہ داری اور مالی لین دین کی وجہ سے۔ اﷲتعالیٰ کی قسم! ان کے چہرے نور ہوں گے اور وہ نور (کے منبروں) پر ہوں گے، انہیں کوئی خوف نہیں ہوگا جب لوگ خوفزدہ ہوں گے، انہیں کوئی غم نہیں ہوگا جب لوگ غم زدہ ہوں گے پھر آپ صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم نے یہ آیت تلاوت فرمائی : ’’خبردار! بیشک اولیاء اللہ پر نہ کوئی خوف ہے اور نہ وہ رنجیدہ و غمگین ہوں گے۔
SUFISM:

Introduction

Whether it’s from a documentary on TV or a beautifully designed website, the majority have heard something about ‘Sufis’ and ‘Sufism’; programs on TV have aired, talk show hosts have made mention of them and politicians are taking a keen interest in this group… one has only to type the word ‘Sufi’ on any search engine to be overwhelmed with the videos and pictures that are available. In cyberspace one can view images and videos of Sufi mystics and elders dancing in rhythmic forms to the background of vibrant melodies. Disturbing images of mystic Sufi elders jabbing their heads with knives or submitting themselves to various means of torture are all too common as well. One interested in Islam may get a wrong idea about Islam and Muslims, for to the occident ‘Sufis’ and ‘Sufism’ is just a synonym of Islam and Muslim.
The question that arises, are they really Muslims, and are they practicing Islam? Before jumping the gun, I have to make mention that there are many sites, articles and books that have been written and put together, but most talk about Sufism in an emotional manner, which will lead one to think that they are impartial. In this humble endeavor, I attempt to write about ‘Sufism’ in an informative manner, far from any biases.
Though only a tiny minority, Sufis can be found in many countries, Muslim and non-Muslim. But contrary to the belief that Sufism is one ‘group’, Sufism is divided into ‘orders’; each differs from the other in terms of belief and practice. Some groups are larger than others, and others have gone to rest with the passage of time. Among the surviving groups today, there is the Tijaani order, the Naqshabandi order, the Qadiri order and the Shadthili order.

Origin of Sufism

In its earliest form, Sufi teachings stressed that an individual should give more emphasis to the spiritual aspects of Islam, a result of many losing sight of this lofty goal of Islam. After a period of time, however, infamous Sufi elders introduced practices foreign to Islam which were welcomed by its followers. Practices introduced included dancing, playing music, and even consuming hashish.
The Scholar Ibn al-Jawzi, wrote in his book ‘Talbis Iblis’ about the origin of the name used by this group, saying: ‘They are called by this name in relation to the first person who dedicated his life to worship around the Ka’bah, whose name was Sufah.’
According to this, those who wanted to emulate him called themselves ‘Sufis’.
Ibn al-Jawzi also mentions another reason, he said: ‘they would wear woolen clothes.’ Wool in Arabic is called ‘soof’ and woolen clothes were the sign of an ascetic during those times, since wool was the cheapest form of clothing and was very rough on the skin; in short it was a symbol of a asceticism. In any case, the word Sufi was not present at the time of Prophet Muhammad and his companions instead first appeared at about 200 Hijrah (200 years after the migration of the Prophet from Makkah to Madinah).
The well known scholar, Ibn Taymiyyah, mentions that the first appearance of Sufism was in Basrah, Iraq, where some people went to extremes in worship and in avoiding the worldly life, such as not seen in other lands.#_ftn9899&quot][1][/URL]

So what is Sufism?

Sufism is a series of concepts and practices that range from poverty, seclusion, deception, depriving the soul, singing and dancing; and is based on a mix of many different religions and philosophiessuch as Greek philosophies, Zoroastrianism, Buddhism, Hinduism, as well as Islam. It is often referred to by Sufis themselves or by Orientalists as “Islamic mysticism”, in order to give the impression that Islam is either wholly or partly an dogmatic religion with a set of meaningless rituals. The very nature of Sufism (or Tasawwuf) opposes what a Muslim is to believe in, this will be explained further when I make mention of Sufi beliefs in general.

Traits of a Muslim

A Muslim always refers back to the Quran and narrations of Prophet Muhammad, may the blessing and mercy of God be upon him, called the Sunnah, in matters of religion. God tells us in the Quran:
It is not for a believing man or a believing woman, when God and His Messenger have decided a matter, they should [thereafter] have any choice about their affair. And whoever disobeys God and His Messenger has certainly strayed into clear error.” (Quran 33:36)
Prophet Muhammad stressed the importance of following the Quran and Sunnah and the danger of introducing any innovations into Islam. It is known that the Prophet said: “Whoever does a deed which is not in accordance to my commands (i.e. the Islamic Law), it shall be rejected.” (Saheeh Muslim)
Ibn Mas’ood (a companion of the prophet), may God be pleased with him, said:
“The Messenger of God, may the blessing and mercy of God be upon him, made a straight line on the ground with his hand, then he said, “This is the straight path of God.” Then he made a (short) line on each side of the straight line; then he said, ‘These (short) lines, each one has a devil inviting people to it.” Then he recited the verse (of the Quran):
“And this is My path straight. So follow it, and do not follow (other) ways, lest they lead you away from My path.” (Quran 6:153)
Saheeh: Reported by Ahmad and an-Nasaae’e.
A Muslim therefore is required to obey God and His Messenger. This is the highest authority in Islam. One is not to blindly follow religious leaders; rather, we as humans are required to use the faculties given to us by God, to think and reason. Sufism, on the other hand, is a binding order that strips one of free thought and personal discretion and puts him at the mercy of the Sheikh of the order… as it has been said by some Sufi elders, ‘one must be with their Sheikh as a dead person is while being washed’, i.e. one should not argue, or oppose the opinion of the Sheikh and must display total obedience and submission to him.
True Muslims are content with the name “Muslim” given to them by Almighty God, as He says:
“He has chosen you (to conform to His religion) and has imposed no difficulty upon you in religion, the religion of your father Abraham. He named you ‘Muslims’ both before (in the preceding Divine Scriptures) and in this Book.” (Quran 22.78)
Sufis may insist that they are Muslims, but at the same time some insist on identifying themselves as Sufis rather than Muslims.

Islamic Beliefs at a Glance: Belief in God

In short a Muslim believes in the Uniqueness of God. He has no partner; no one is like unto Him. God, Almighty, says:
“There is nothing like unto Him#_ftn9900&quot][2][/URL] and He is the all-Hearing and the all-Seeing.” (Quran 42:11)
God is separate from His creation and not a part of it. He is the Creator, and all else is His creation.
Sufis hold a number of beliefs in relation to God, Almighty; of these beliefs are the following:
a) Al-Hulool: This belief denotes that God, Almighty, dwells in His creation.
b) Al-It’tihaad: This belief denotes that God, Almighty, and the creation are one, united presence.
c) Wahdatul-Wujood: This belief denotes that one should not differentiate between the Creator and the creation, for both the creation and the Creator are one entity.
Mansoor al-Hallaaj, a figure much revered by Sufis, said: “I am He Whom I love,” he exclaimed, “He Whom I love is I; we are two souls co-inhabiting one body. If you see me you see Him and if you see Him you see me.#_ftn9901&quot][3][/URL]
Muhiyddin Ibn Arabi, another revered figure in Sufism, was infamous for his statements: “What is under my dress is none but God,” “The slave is the Lord and the Lord is a slave.”#_ftn9902&quot][4][/URL]
These above beliefs strongly contradict the Muslim belief in the Oneness of God, for Islam is a strict monotheism. These cardinal Sufi doctrines are not far from some of the Christian beliefs or the Hindu belief of reincarnation. S. R. Sharda in his book, ‘Sufi Thought’ said: “Sufi literature of the post-Timur period shows a significant change in thought content. It is pantheistic. After the fall of Muslim orthodoxy from power at the centre of India for about a century, due to the invasion of Timur, Sufism became free from the control of the Muslim orthodoxy and consorted with Hindu saints, who influenced them to an amazing extent. The Sufi adopted Monism and wifely devotion from the Vaishnava Vedantic school and Bhakti and Yogic practices from the Vaishnava Vedantic school. By that time, the popularity of the Vedantic pantheism among the Sufis had reached its zenith.”

Belief in the Prophet of God

A Muslim believes that Prophet Muhammad was the Final Prophet and Messenger of God. He was not divine, nor is he to be worshipped; but he is to be obeyed and one cannot worship God except in a manner that has been sanctioned by Prophet Muhammad.
Sufi orders hold a wide variety of beliefs in relation to Prophet Muhammad. Of them are those who believe that he was ignorant of the knowledge the Sufi Elders possess. Al-Bustami, a Sufi Sheikh said: “We have entered a sea of knowledge at the shore of which the Prophets and Messengers stood.”
Other Sufis ascribe some type of divinity to the Prophet saying that all of creation was created from the ‘light’ of Prophet Muhammad. Some even believe that he was the first of creation and that he is resting upon the throne of God, which is the belief of Ibn Arabi and other Sufis who came after him.

Belief in Heaven and Hell

In short, Muslims believe that both Hell and Heaven are existent now, and are two actual abodes. Hell is where a sinful person will be punished and Heaven is where a pious person will be rewarded.
Sufis in general believe that one should not ask God to grant them Paradise; they even claim that the Wali (guardian) should not seek it, for it is a sign of one’s lack of intellect. To them ‘Paradise’ holds an immaterial meaning, which is to receive the knowledge of the unseen from God and to fall in love with Him.
As for Hell, a Sufi believes that one should not try to escape from it. According to them, a true Sufi is not to be fearful of the Fire. Some even believe that if a Sufi elder were to spit on the Fire, it would be put out, as Abu Yazid al-Bustami claimed.

Footnotes: #_ftnref9899&quot][1][/URL] Al-Fataawaa (11/6)

#_ftnref9900&quot][2][/URL] There is no similarity whatsoever between the Creator and His creation in essence, in attributes or in deed.

#_ftnref9901&quot][3][/URL] At-Tawaaseen by Al-Hallaj

#_ftnref9902&quot][4][/URL] Al-Fatoohaatul-Makkiyyah & Al-Fatoohaat

Principles of Sufism
‘Willful and total submission to the Sheikh’, is probably the motto of Sufism. From a glance, it is clear that a special and complete bond is formed between the head of the Sufi order (the ‘Sheikh’) and the Mureed (follower); understanding the principles of Sufism lies in understanding its basic structure. So what is it all about?
Basically, the follower gives a pledge of allegiance, whereby he pledges to obey the Sheikh, and in turn the Sheikh promises to deliver the follower from every problem or calamity that may befall him. The Sheikh also offers the sincere follower lucrative fringe benefits. Once a follower agrees, he is blessed and assigned a set of Dhikr (chants). The follower is also to carry on with his life in a manner that is laid out by the Sufi order. If a conflict arises between his duties within the order and outside duties, the follower is to act upon the instructions of the Sheikh. In this manner the Sheikh’s hold over the follower becomes absolute.
All in all, the follower is separated from the outside world and is exploited in many ways. As Muslims we believe that no human has a special power or ability to deliver us from the calamities of the grave or the Hereafter. Each of us will stand before God and will be judged individually.
God tells us:
“And every soul earns not [blame] except against itself, and no bearer of burdens will bear the burden of another.” (Quran 7:164)
We also believe that as Muslims we are not to submit and surrender ourselves to anyone but God, Almighty. Besides the Creator, all else is apt to make error. The Prophet, may the blessing and mercy of God be upon him, said:
“Every son of Adam makes mistakes and the best of them are those who repent.” (Tirmidthi)

The Sheikh

He is the ‘supreme authority’, the head of ‘job’ distribution within the Order and gives each of the followers their necessary Dhikr. It is to this individual whom the follower pledges full and total obedience; thereafter, the two universal laws of the Sheikh-follower bondage will come into effect:
a. The follower must never argue with the Sheikh, nor ask him for a proof in relation to the actions he does.
b. Whoever opposes the Sheikh, will have broken the ‘covenant’ and is thus debarred from all fringe benefits offered by the Sheikh, even if he stays a close friend to him.
As Muslims we believe that all acts of worship are ‘Tawqeefiyah’, i.e. not subject to opinion; thus must be substantiated with textual evidences that are both authentic and decisive. God, Almighty, tells us:
“Say (to them), ‘produce your proof if you are truthful.’” (Quran 2:111)
We believe that there is no middle-man between God and His slaves. We are to call unto Him directly. God tells us:
“And your Lord says, ‘Call upon Me; I will respond to you.’ Indeed, those who disdain My worship will enter Hell [rendered] contemptible.” (Quran 40:60)
In Sufism, the Sheikh is thought to be ‘the inspired man to whose eyes the mysteries of the hidden are unveiled, for the Sheikhs see with the light of God and know what thoughts and confusions are in man’s hearts. Nothing can be concealed from them.’#_ftn9903&quot][1][/URL] Ibn Arabi, claimed that he used to receive direct revelation from God, similar to the way that Prophet Muhammad did, and was quoted as saying: “Some works I wrote at the command of God sent to me in sleep, or through mystical revelations.” M. Ibn Arabi, “The Bezels of Wisdom,” pp.3
We believe that the knowledge of the unseen is restricted to God alone. Anyone who claims the knowledge of the unseen has indeed told a lie. God tells us:
“And who is more disbelieving than he who forges a lie against God, or says, ‘It has been revealed to me,’ when nothing has been revealed to him?”(Quran 6.93)
The Prophet said:
“Do not forge lies against me, because he who does so enters the Fire.” (Saheeh Muslim)

The Covenant

This is an interesting ceremony, which by far, is the most important principle of Sufism as it is common among all Sufi Orders. Here the Sheikh and the follower hold hands and close their eyes in solemn meditation. The follower willfully and wholeheartedly pledges to respect the Sheikh as his leader and guide to the path of God. He also pledges to adhere to the rites of the Order throughout his life and promises never to walk away, along with this the follower pledges complete and unconditional allegiance, obedience and loyalty to the Sheikh. After this the Sheikh recites:
“Verily, those who take the allegiance to you take it to Allah.” (Quran 48:10)
The follower is then given his specific Dhikr. The Sheikh asks the follower: “Have you accepted me as your Sheikh and spiritual guide before God, Almighty?” In reply, the follower is to say: “I have accepted,” and the Sheikh responds saying: “And we have accepted.” Both of them recite the Testimony of Faith and the ceremony is ended by the follower kissing the Sheik’s hand.
This entire ceremony was unknown during the Prophet’s life and the best three generations that preceded him. The Prophet said:
“Whoever lives after me shall see many differences (i.e. religious innovations); so adhere to my Sunnah and the Sunnah of my Rightly Guided Caliphs.” (Abu Dawood)
The Prophet also said:
“Verily, the best of speech is the Book of God, and the best of guidance is the guidance of (Prophet) Muhammad and the evil of all religious matters are the innovations. Every innovation (in religion) is a bid’ah and every bid’ah is misguidance, and every misguidance will lead to the Fire.” (Saheeh Muslim)
Imam Malik, may Allah grant him His Mercy, said: “He who introduces an innovation in the religion of Islam and deems it a good thing in effect claims by that Muhammad betrayed (the trust of conveying) the Divine Message.”

The Dhikr

It is also known as the ‘Wird’ and in Sufism it is the practice of repeating the name of God, and the repetition of a set number of invocations. These invocations may include beseeching the dead or seeking help from other than God for needs that only God Almighty can grant.
Ahmad at-Tijani, a Sufi Elder, claimed that the wird was withheld by Prophet Muhammad; he did not teach it to any of his Companions. At-Tijani claimed that the Prophet knew that a time would come when the wird would be made public but the person who would do that was not yet in existence. As a result, Sufis believe that there is an ongoing chain of transmission between Prophet Muhammad and their current Sheikh.
Dhikr is categorized by the Sufi elders into three categories:
A. Dhikr of the commoners, in which they are to repeat ‘La ilaaha ill-Allah Muhammad-ur-Rasoolullah’ (i.e. there is no God worthy of being worshipped but Allah and Muhammad is the slave of God.)
B. Dhikr of the high class, which is to repeat the name of God, ‘Allah’.
C. Dhikr of the elite, which is to repeat the Divine pronoun ‘Hu’, (i.e. He).
At times, the Dhikr is chanted in melodic hymns with eyes closed, rich music may be played (to some this is essential); moreover, some will dance before the Sheikh while saying the Dhikr. Many a time the Dhikr includes open polytheism (the greatest sin in Islam). God tells us:
“And it has been revealed to you and to those before you: If you attribute partners to God, your deed shall surely be in vain and you shall certainly be among the losers.” (Quran 39:65)

Interpretation of the Quran

In Sufism, studying the exegesis of the Quran or pondering the meanings of its verses is discouraged, and at times, even forbidden. Sufis claim that every verse of the Quran has an outward meaning and an inward meaning. The inward meaning is understood solely by the Sufi elders. On account of this, Sufis have introduced concepts and words that are totally foreign to the teachings of Islam.
In the Quran God, Almighty encourages us to properly understand His words. God tells us:
“(This is) a Scripture that We have revealed unto you, full of blessing, that they may ponder its revelations, and that men of understanding may reflect.” (Quran 38:29)
The exegesis of the Quran is accomplished by studying the Quran along with the Sunnah; these two sources of Islamic law must be taken hand in hand as one integral unit. We are to understand and interpret the Quran and the Sunnah the way they were understood by the first generations.

Conclusion

As can be seen from the above, Sufism varies quite drastically from the true spirit of Islam. Sufism inculcates in the follower the will to stop using the basic faculties given to him by God, the Creator of the world and to submit himself to a form of slavery.
Islam, on the other hand, is very simple; there is no need for intermediaries or any saints between man and God, and one is only to submit and surrender themselves to God, Almighty.

Footnotes: #_ftnref9903&quot][1][/URL] Saif an-Nasr, Seera of Hamidiyyeh, 1956

Source: http://www.islamreligion.com/articles/1388/viewall/
 
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