Sufi Perspective on World Peace and Harmony
By
Kaniz Fatma, New Age Islam
4 May 2024
Restoring
Sufi Teachings On Peace, Harmony, And Moral Values Is Essential
Main
Points
1. Islam
promotes peace and security for all creatures of Allah, not just believers and
Muslims.
2. The Sufi
teachings are broad and embrace all parts of humanity, regardless of religion
and nation, regarding peace and brotherhood.
3. Sufis
emphasize inner spirituality through meditation and reflection, aiming for
spiritual enlightenment and a closer relationship with God.
4. The Quran
and hadiths frequently mention the virtues and lofty qualities of saints and
Sufis, as well as good morals and character.
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Islam
promotes peace and security, extending it to all creatures of Allah, not just
believers and Muslims, as stated in the Quran: “And if any one of the
polytheists seeks your protection, then grant him protection so that he may
hear the words of Allah. Then deliver him to his place of safety. That is
because they are people who do not know.” (9:6)
Islam is
derived from the word "Salam," which means peace, while
"Iman" is derived from the word "Aman," which
indicates tranquilly and peace. Allah sent the last Prophet and said that his
blessed soul was full of mercy for all the worlds. All facets of our dear
Prophet's existence are embraced by the colours of kindness, compassion, and
peace. If we wish to prosper both here on Earth and in the afterlife, we also
need to possess the attributes of safety, tranquilly, charity, and empathy in
order to flourish throughout this trying period. Those who follow the peace
teachings of Islam succeed in establishing a close relationship with Allah
Almighty, who then considers them to be one of His friends (Awliya Allah).
To put it
another way, people who become friends with Allah become a source of peace and
comfort in addition to finding peace for themselves. As a result, the rain of
peace and comfort continues to fall on people who are near and related to them.
This demonstrates how the values of peace and security that the saints and
Sufis uphold can also change the situations of people.
The Sufis
have made important and appreciated contributions to the propagation of Islam
and moral values and the maintenance of peace and security. In times of
despair, they have also provided the Muslim Ummah with a ray of hope. No
thinker or reformer of any century can ignore the teachings these Sufis and
other noble individuals have to teach us about humanism and humanization.
Instead of being biased, their teachings are broad and embrace all parts of
humanity, regardless of religion and nation.
Sufis Are
The True Ambassadors Of Peace
In these
turbulent times, it is necessary to light the lamp of the Sufi teachings. The
identity and approach of Sufis are self-denial, equality, simplicity, peace,
and love. The wisdom of all the Sufis who instilled morals and values of
humanity in society's members and maintained the framework of equality,
tolerance, peace, brotherhood, and respect for one another is vast and highly
appreciated. These are Allah's servants, His friends, who maintain closeness to
Him.
Hazrat Khwaja
Burhanuddin Naqshband, the founder of the Naqshbandi tradition, offers the
image of an oyster in the sea that waits its whole life for a drop of mercy.
Even if the ocean is full of water and its boundaries are not determined by it,
it lives a hopeful existence for the sake of that drop of mercy and never looks
about; it waits only for that drop of mercy, which it obtains to produce the
pearl. Similarly, the Sufis pass into the world of wisdom with patience and
find ease and satisfaction.
Sufis
emphasize the importance of inner spirituality through meditation and
reflection, aiming for spiritual enlightenment and a closer relationship with
God. Sufis use methods like silent meditation and repeating holy words and
divine names to achieve this. They emphasize self-control and discipline to
overcome worldly cravings and purify the soul. They believe that spiritual
purity and a closer relationship with God can be achieved by letting go of
worldly possessions and egotistical wants. These practices foster a deep love
and devotion for God and the universe.
Sufism is a
distinct way of life that accepts individuals of various racial, religious, and
cultural backgrounds. Sufism encourages acceptance of all people without
questioning the faith, origins, relationships, or race of another.
According
to Sufis, a person lacking justice, conscience, honesty, truth, patience,
understanding of their state, and faith in God cannot find or teach these
qualities to others. To establish peace, one must change their thoughts and
qualities within themselves, focusing on the hunger, pain, and difficulties
felt by others. To achieve peace, one must strive for inner patience,
contentment, and trust in God. By imbibing God's qualities and acquiring God's
state, one can know peace, leading to peace in every life and making life on earth
heaven on earth.
Bawa
Muhaiyaddeen, a renowned Sufi sheikh, says,
“One who has not found peace within himself
will forever be giving speeches about peace. This world is a pulpit upon which
man preaches, and there is no end to this talk! For millions of years, man has
been speaking this way, but he has not come forward to first find peace within
himself. There is no use in making speeches. Man must acquire the qualities of
God and live in that state. Only then can he speak of peace; only then can he speak
the speech of God and dispense the justice of God's kingdom. The people who
have come to rule the world should think about this. Every man should think
about it. Peace can only be found in the heart. Good qualities, wisdom, and
clarity must provide that explanation within each heart. Man will only know
peace when he brings God's justice and His qualities into himself. Therefore,
before we speak of peace, let us try to acquire God's words within ourselves.
Let us find tranquilly within ourselves. If we can do that, our speech will be
fruitful. Then the whole world will be at peace. Man must find peace,
tranquillity, happiness, unity, love, and every good quality within his own
life, within his own innermost heart. Only a person who does that can understand
the difficulties, the pain, and the misery of others. A man of wisdom will know
this, understand it, and rectify his own mistakes. Then he can help others.”
[Islam and World Peace: Explanations of a Sufi, Chapter on Peace]
By
promoting a mindset of love, peace, and security, the Sufis altered the course
of millions of lives. Extremism, terrorism, and intolerance have nothing to do
with Islam. Islam, the religion of Sufis, promotes safety and tranquillity. By
their duty, the Sufis bestowed upon the populace inner purity and love, as well
as the treasure of self-sacrifice.
Sufis have
traditionally preached tolerance and love. Primarily, the Khanqahi system
served as a means of instruction and direction, encouraging calm, harmony, and
acceptance throughout the community. This technique allowed many Sufis to
spread love among people; as a result, people were appreciative and attracted
to Islam from other religions. In the same vein, they also founded training and
education facilities for women. Though the ideals of today's culture are
increasingly materialistic, the Sufis' message of peace has the power to
reorient us towards spirituality.
Virtue
of Saints and Sufis in the light of the Quran and Hadith
The Holy
Quran and hadiths make frequent mention of the virtues and lofty qualities of
saints and Sufis, as well as good morals and character. Here are a few virtues
to consider:
Allah says
in the Quran:
“There will certainly be no fear for the close
servants of Allah, nor will they grieve. They are those who are faithful and
are mindful of Him." (10:62-63)
Put
differently, the Sufis and saints of Allah possess the virtue of being fearless
and unwavering in their advocacy for peace and harmony, as well as their
abstention from persecution. This explains why they guide God's creatures away
from the world's storms of persecution and oppression and onto a path that is
moderate and balanced. The Sufis split up with those who deviated from this
path and caused issues for other living things.
In another
verse, Allah says,
The [true] servants of the Most Compassionate
are those who walk on the earth humbly, and when the foolish address them
improperly, they only respond with peace.” (25:63)
Sufis are
those who advocate for peace, love, and tolerance and who deem torture and violence
banned in Islam. They receive instruction from this Quranic verse:
“Those who persecute the believing men and
women and then do not repent will certainly suffer the punishment of Hell and
the torment of burning.” (85:10)
Saints and
Sufis are referred to as the wealth of virtue by the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).
The Prophet (peace be upon him) is reported to have said,
“Verily,
among men, there are persons who become the keys to goodness and the locks of
evil. And among men, there are people who become the locks of goodness and the
keys to evil. Lucky to those whom Allah put in their hands the key to goodness,
and woe to those whom Allah put in their hands the key to evil.” [Sunan Ibn
Maja, Chapter “The Key to Goodness,"
Hadith 237, classified as a good hadith]
The human
spirit of kindness is also a lovely idea for world peace. Great Sufis and
saints are those who care about humanity. They appear to be attempting to
establish a link between humanity and the presence of God Almighty in light of
this compassionate attitude. Because when one adopts this mindset, corruption
and sedition are eliminated, and peace is born.
Hazrat Adam
and Hazrat Hawwa are the parents of all humans. Despite their differences in
religions, cultures, races, origins, and nations, all humans are nonetheless
related to one another. The Sufi discourses are largely focused on the idea
that all humans, as one family, must grow in brotherhood, harmony, and peace.
Their teachings have the potential to transform modern society into a paradise
and restore moral qualities that have been eroding. Restoring Sufi teachings on
peace, harmony, and moral values is therefore essential.
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Kaniz Fatma is a classic Islamic scholar and a
regular columnist for New Age Islam.
URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-spiritualism/sufi-perspective-peace-harmony/d/132255
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