Spiritual Proximity with Allah through Remembrance and Acceptance is Sufism
By
Arman Neyazi, New Age Islam
25 June
2021
Sharia
and Sufism Are In Perfect Coordination As Far As Following A Life Full of
Islamic Essence Is Concerned
Main
Points:
1. The
fundamental attraction of Sufism has been its teaching of non-attachment with
worldly luxuries.
2. Sufis' piety
of heart and their love and care for the common man transformed it into a
phenomenon that still exists in all its glories, all over the world.
3. Sufis' trust
in God is so powerful that they do not think of the next moment.
4. While
practising Sufism one has to follow the rituals of ‘little sleep, little talk
and little food’.
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The Sufi is absent from himself and present
with God. ~ Hujwiri
The root of
the Arabic word ‘Tasawwuf’ is the word ‘Suf’. It means ‘wool’. Prophets and
saints ‘Suf’ for their garments. The term ‘Suf’ also denotes ‘purity’ or ‘the
chosen ones. Therefore, the term ‘Suf’ which also is the root of the word
‘Sufi’ signifies the purity of heart and closeness to the divine personalities
of Prophets and saints. There is one other word that is derived from the term
‘Suf’ is ‘Suffa. The word ‘Suffa’ means a bench. The word bench refers to
groups of poor Muslims of the age of Prophet Muhammad Pbuh. This group of
people was known as ‘the people of the Bench’. ‘The people of the Bench’
signifies a community of shared poverty. Thus, Sufism is connected with the
purity of heart, closeness to divinity and poverty.
A Sufi’s
life is full of piety and divinely essence of life hereafter. A Sufi dervish
does not believe in a rich style of life hence live a life of penury,
religiously. This immaterialist life provides them space to be away from the
luxuries of life and the obligations of the rich and powerful. This aloofness
of worldly life introduces them to the principles of peace, unity, secularism
and pluralism that is most revered by Allah, the Most Gracious.
As we know
this world is not an ‘eternal abode’ as the Holy Quran says, ‘...to Us they
will ˹all˺ be returned. (Surah
Ghafir: 77) — Dr Mustafa Khattab’, the spiritual teachings, surpassing all the
ill feelings of jealousy and hatred in human beings, always attracts people and
provides them with a consoling and comforting experience that points towards
the heavenly life hereafter.
The
fundamental attraction of Sufism has been its teaching of non-attachment with
worldly luxuries. Sufis not being attached to the materialistic world shows
them as, a being of a different class that a human being had never seen. Their
subject of preaching and their ways of preaching became a source of soothing
emotions for their followers and this made the people closer to a world full of
humane ethos that they were unaware of. Sufis style of Zikr (remembrance of
God) has also been an attraction for common people. Sufis piety of heart and
their love and care for the common man transformed it into a phenomenon that
still exists in all its glories, all over the world.
Preparing
for the Mystical Powers (the Sufism)
Sincerity
(Ikhlas اخلاص)
is an essential ingredient to achieve anything. It is the Ikhlas, sincerity
that the Sufis achieve through a thorough introspection. It washes even the
remotest of the marks of selfishness and love towards worldly comforts and belongings.
Another
feature of a Sufi mystic is his ‘trust in God’, (Tawakkul توکل). Sufis trust in God is so
powerful that they do not think of the next moment. Sufis have an impeccable
belief that their necessities will be fulfilled by Allah. Knowing that Allah
the All-Knower says in the Holy Quran: ...Indeed, Allah loves those who rely
(upon Him) (Surah Ali 'Imran: 159), the Sufis improve their power of trust
in God to such an extent that ‘thought of the next moment’ looks like being
irreligious.
While practising
Sufism one has to follow the rituals of ‘little sleep, little talks and little
food’. All these three fundamentals of Sufism creates a sense of awareness in
their spirit. Sufis consider keeping oneself awakened for most of the day and
night, observing silence and keeping oneself satisfied with little food helps
open the door to spirituality. The realm of spirituality is the realm of Allah,
the Most Gracious. Sufis live a normal life but they are much closer to Allah
than a common man.
Sufis day
in and day out remembrance (Zikr) of Allah is based on the essence of the
following Ayat of the Holy Quran, in which Allah the Most Merciful says:
...hearts become tranquil through the
remembrance of Allah
(Qur'an 13:28)
...Allah will raise up a people whom He loves,
and who love Him;
Surah Al-Maida: 54
The spread
of Sufism is based on the relationship of (مرشد - Murshid), a spiritual guide
and (Disciple شاگرد)
a spiritual follower. This spiritual teacher and student system have mainly
been responsible for the spread of Sufism because in this system the physical
attendance or a classroom plays no role. In modern day's parlance, it can be
called to be a virtual class where a teacher and his students meet spiritually
any time of the day. This made the Sufi teaching a world phenomenon that helped
the spread of peace over the world. Following Ayat of the Holy Quran testify
that for the spread of knowledge there has to be a teacher and a student system
of education. Consider the following:
Ask those who know if you know not (Qur'an 16:43)
And follow the path of him who turns unto Me (Qur'an 31:15)
Sharia
and Sufism
Sharia and
Sufism are in perfect coordination as far as following a life full of Islamic
essence are concerned. Sharia is the law of life that is the body of Islam and
Sufism is its soul, the spirit. Sufis do not interfere in the Sharia rather
they consider it the order of life. Laws are sometimes difficult to abide by
and are harsh to live by and Sufism provides joy, peace and humility. Both
together produce a life that is governed by law and enjoyed through spiritual
leanings. Islamic way of life makes Sharia and Sufism inseparable. Both Sharia
and Sufism are advocates of truth in human beings life granting it the
uttermost importance for living a peaceful life.
Sufism is a
teacher of striving in the way of Allah for achieving His guidance here and
forgiveness hereafter. Consider the following Ayat of the Holy Quran in which
Allah, the Most Gracious says that He guides those who strive for His cause:
But We shall be sure to guide to Our ways those
who strive hard for Our cause: God is with those who do good. (Surah Al-'Ankabut - 69) — Abdul
Haleem
Quranic
Ayat and Prophetic Tradition the Sufism is Based On
Sufism is
spirituality, mysticism and remembrance (Zikr). It preaches to be at peace with
others and trust in God. Sufism preaches the essence of life and life hereafter
in a definite manner of love and pluralism. Following are the Quranic Ayat and
Hadees on which Sufi ideology is based.
...So, (remember that) the enjoyment of the
worldly life is but trivial in (comparison with) the Hereafter. (Al-Tawbah: 38) — Mufti Taqi Usmani
“But you prefer the worldly life, While the
Hereafter is better and more enduring." (Surah Al-Alaa 87:16-17)
“You desire the good of this world (i.e. the
money of ransom for freeing the captives), but Allah desires (for you) the
Hereafter."
(Surah Al-Anfaal 8:67)
Sahl bin
Saad As-Saidi (R.A.) said: ‘A man came to the Prophet (S.A.W.) and said: “O
Messenger of Allah, show me a deed which, if I do it, Allah will love me and
people will love me.” The Messenger of Allah (S.A.W.) said: “Be indifferent
towards this world, and Allah will love you. Be indifferent to what is in
people’s hands, and they will love you.” (Ibn Majah: 4102)
Sheikh
Ibn ul-Arabi, Ibn Khaldun, Sheikh Muzaffer and Abu l-Hasan Fushanji on the
concept of Sufism
“yours and
mine” through “mine is yours and yours is mine” and then there is “no mine and
no yours,” and finally there is “no me and no you” - Sheikh Ibn El-Arabi (Fadiman & Frager, 1997; see also Shah,
1971).
Keep your
hands busy with your duties in this world, and your heart busy with God. -
Sheikh Muzaffer (pg. 35; in Fadiman & Frager, 1997)
Today
Sufism is a name without a reality. It was once a reality without a name. - Abu
l-Hasan Fushanji. (Quoted in Lings, Martin, What is Sufism? The Islamic Texts
Society, 1999, pg 45)
...
dedication to worship, total dedication to Allah, the Most High, disregard for
the finery and ornament of the world, abstinence from the pleasure, wealth, and
prestige sought by most men, and retiring from others to worship alone. - Ibn
Khaldun (Quoted in Keller, Nuh Ha Mim, The Place of Tasawwuf in Traditional
Islam, www.masud.co.uk, 1995)
India as
a Natural Abode of Sufism
Even before
the advent of Islam in India, the country had been an abode of mystics
belonging to different religions and faiths of various local communities. The
form and the ideological essence between Sufism and other religious mystic
priests have been different but all of them practised mystic rituals to achieve
closeness to the Almighty Creator. It is in this background that Islamic
mysticism got its foothold in India in a big way.
Sufis in
India also offered the concept of a Khanqah, a place where shrine visitors and
travellers could stay. These Khanqah were run by the Sufi disciples on the
grant of the public. In the beginning, these used to be either an open space
with a big hut and later when the rulers and the kings became the followers of
the Sufis, they built big Khanqah with all requisite arrangements for a
comfortable stay of the Sufi disciples, the visitors or the travellers.
For the
travellers and traders, in quest of their bread and butter, Khanqahs and the
teachings of the Sufis became a source of learning that introduced them with
honesty, humility, brotherhood and peace. They also used to get answers to the
questions concerning divinity and divine life.
Sufism
attracted a large number of people, in search of spirituality, from nook and
corners of the country to the Khanqahs. One of the greatest reasons for Sufism
getting widespread acceptability was the uniformity in accepting their
followers without any kind of religious or community discrimination. The
teachings of pluralistic life and uniform rules of brotherhood and peace is now
in the essence of Indian social life.
Spiritual
awakening is necessary for the upliftment of morality in society. The
unavailability of spiritual dictum, all over the world, is one of the greatest
reasons that modern-day humanity is forced to face the nefarious designs of the
unholy people. Consider the following quotes and consider spreading
spirituality in the air to refresh it from the unholy feelings of ‘I’ and
‘you’.
Mughal Emperor Akbar shows deference to Sufi saint Sheikh Salim Chishti,
Bikaner, cc late 18th - early 19th century (Photo courtesy: Sutra Journal)
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“What you seek is seeking you.” ― Maulana
Jalaluddin Rumi
“I know
you're tired but come, this is the way.” ― Maulana Jalaluddin Rumi
“Happiness
comes from helping others, by being with others, and by sharing, even if it's
only a smile.” ― Zain Hashmi
“It is the
message, not the man, which is important to the Sufis.” ― Idries Shah
“They will
become Godly when they will have God in their hearts.” ― Riaz Ahmed Gohar Shahi
“Forget
your voice, sing!
Forget your
feet, dance!
Forget your
life, live!
Forget
yourself and be!” ― Kamand Kojouri
And Allah
Knows the Best.
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Arman
Neyazi is a columnist with NewAgeIslam.com.
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islam-spiritualism/spiritual-zikr-dhikr-sufism/d/125017
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