By: Naveed Tajammal
THIS IS A PAKPOTPOURRI EXCLUSIVE
If wisdom is the practical application of knowledge acquired through research,in pursuit of truth,through the right of free inquiry,to promote and help the happiness or well being of humans;’than the life proposed by this order,negates it,as it is a ritual based way of life,leading to the whirling dervish,and it seems out of place,because the life to lead as given in our code,negates this type of life,all humans must face the life,inclusive of,all’ its good times or the Bad,one cannot lead the eventual life of a hermit,as envisaged in this code,confined to,isolation/seclusion,the harsh realities cannot be avoided,in life,you must earn a living,and,living off,the alms,is hardly a worthy life,even though one may claim he is doing some,thing,holy ? In the true sense this is a classic case of escapism,or the, rah’ e’ farar.
Had,Pherecydes’ the true teacher of ‘Pythagoras [The first Grand Master of ‘Illuminati ],been fair to his knowledge,which he had acquired,from the sacred books of Phoenicians and the Egyptians,which was based on the evolution of thought, through the ages,upon,the observations’ seen from a keen hawk eye,to promote and help the happiness or well being of the mankind.These, were various ‘Phenomena’ which commonly are seen,before a, Storm or an earth quake,or such like other Calamities,which the humans face from time to time,and which the ‘Ignorant termed’ super natural’,and so men basked in the glory on the work of the others[ by predictions] .And so ‘Pherecydes’,likewise capitalized,when armed recently with this knowledge,he predicted,about a ship in full sail,at a distance approaching its harbor,so Pherecydes,predicted,that it would never come into the Haven [a sheltered anchorage] and it happened accordingly,for a sudden storm,arose and sunk the vessel,on yet another ococcasion, after drinking water from a well,he predicted an Earth Quake,which happened three days aftewards’ hence’ the Lament’,that this happens,when the knowledge is used,as seen above for ‘Imposture’.
The aim of this short article is Not to hurt the inner feelings of those who follow the rites,and rationale of Sufism,but to enlighten them in many ways,Besides that, of late’ the western powers are hell bent upon,to ensure that this order is implemented upon us,all in the name of our well being,if that be a rationale.
But what baffles one the most is that,this too,exists,in their own religion under the term of ‘Mysticism’,and also amongst the Jews under ‘En Suf’,The doctrine under which come the ‘Kabballistic rituals,and its hidden numbers.And the Question,why do they”,Want’ to impose,what is good,for us,and our Salvation,and Not’,the same on their own’ as well ?
As the readers are Classified in three main classes;
Firstly,Those who believe everything they read or are influenced by the Demagogues.
Secondly,Those who No’ longer believe in anything and Nor pay any heed to the Rantings of a Demagogue.
Thirdly,Those who critically, examine,What they Read’ or Hear’ and form their own Judgments.
This Article is for the Perusal of the Third Class.
Sufism tells of a God,perfectly distinct,from that,in the Book,who can only be Pleased,with the outward,”Rites’,as given or Tabulated in Various Sufic Orders.The meaning of a ‘Rite’, may point either to the acquisition,of knowledge [power], or to the realization of the Self,The old ”Philosophers” spoke, of two aims of existence,’Enjoyment or Renunciation [or giving up the worldly life].Leading to the ultimate,”Salvation’.And so,the ‘rite’ would depend upon,the ‘Will’,of the performer’,in other words the ‘rite’ is the mean for evoking the ‘will’,which in its turn,starts the awakening,Here perception of potency, of a real-idea,an objective element is
needed to ‘Effectuate’,the idea-force and herein lies the Origin,of Rituals & Mystic,practice.
However the ‘Rationalists,new or old’,,have always looked askance,’in the ritualistic exccess,found in the various Sufic-Orders.
The very word mystic’ is based upon,the word Mystery’,or Mysteries,a name given to certain Ceremonies,in the old Greek religion taken from remote times,which were esteemed,peculiarly ”Sacred’,and might Not’ be freely spoken about,[Delphic Oracles / Amphictyonic Council].In reality this was and remains a Closed subject,on account of the absolute silence maintained and guarded terms in which the few references to it are ‘Couched /Oblique references as given’.
Without entering, further into related subjects like,Occultism,Magic,Alchemy,Astrology,Theo-sophy or the Esoteric Philosophy.We see,that,Sufism,is regarded by most as an reaction to the Arab Islam by those to its North,But,infact it is nothing but a revival of the ancient habits,rituals of the people of North,as well the middle Iranians,of,their,old’ thoughts and ways,The later Persian Poetry as it evolved from the previous Pahalvi of the Sassanids,is like of that in North,full of an ardent natural, ‘Pantheism’,in which comes the ‘Mystic’ apprehensions,of Unity and Divinity, of all things,and so the Verses of Hafiz’ and Saadi’,devoted to Wine and Women’,and even the most ‘Licentious’ of the Verses,have been given a mystical interpretations,The delights of Love’,are made to stand for the raptures of Union,with the Divine,and the Tavern,for them’ Symbolizes,the house of Worship.And the intoxication’,is the bewilderment’ of sense’,before the surpassing Vision.
As to the Etymology of the term,If it has No relationship to the ‘En Suf’,earlier mentioned,of the Jews,the other being,the ‘Suffa’ or the terrace people,over which early muslims slept,in the Mosque built by the Prophet,or the ‘Ikhwanu’s Safa’,the brethren of purity’,or the ‘Ahlu’s-suffa [the people of the bench] or the Arabic word ‘Sufa,’ denoting ‘purity’ or the ‘woollen raiment [suf].
The names of the early sufi’s were ,Ibrahim Adham, of Balkh,which remained a center of Zorastrian,and later Buddhist religion,Fuzail,’was a native,of Merv,another old center of Buddhist,Manichaeism,and Nestorians.Ahmad son of,Khazruvaih,who hailed from Balkh,Abu Sadiq [d.812 AD],was a contempary of Ibrahim Adham,and Hatam Asam too was from Balkh,[d.871 AD].The famous Bayyazid [d.874 AD, of Bistam, [part of old Zorastatrain heart land]’,He,was amongst the earliest of the Sufi writers,his,best work was, Doctrine of Fana’,[Passing away of Consciousness in Mystical Union],A few’, of his well quoted ,quotes being,”Beneath my Cloak there is Nothing but,God”.I am the Cup bearer,the Wine and the Wine-drinker’.I went from God to God’,till i heard from within, ‘O Thou I’.
Now we come,to, another famed Sufi,”Junyad’,according to Jami [poet],he was the ‘Sayyidu’t-Ta’ifa’,,”The Chief of the Community”.Junayd ,too,spoke in the same gusto,as ‘Bayyazid Bistami’,”For Thirty years”, said ,Junayd,”God spoke with mankind by the Tongue of Junayd,though ,Junayd,was No longer there,and the Men’ knew it, Not”.
In the Crux,according to the,Masters,of Sufic orders,”The Supreme’,degree of the Doctrine of Divine Unity,is the Denial of the Divine Unity”.The most celebrated of this class remains,but,the name of ”Hussain Mansur ”al-Hallaj’,about whom Fariduddin Attar”,would say,His [hallaj] Only fault being,’That he divulged the,”seceret”,as eventually, hallaj’ boasted the words,”An ul Haq”,[ I am the Truth ],meaning he claimed Divinity,or being a divine being’.And about,this famed man,of’ the old Sufi’,the less said, the better,as of the few’ of’ his many accomplishments of knowledge,He” was a ”Sunni amongst the Sunni’,a Shi’i to the Shi’a,and a Mutazili’ to the Mutazilites [Free Thinkers ],Medicine,Alchemy,and Conjuring were a few of his many other Occomplishments,as well, being a Traveller and ofcourse,a Seeker of Knowledge,So in 922 AD,the Man,met his Fate’,keeping in view his past track record,the state,”Condemned him a death,,”Scourging,Amputation,Decapitation,and eventual burning ”Cremation’.Even than,keeping in view his most prized accomplishment the Gift of a Tongue which had cost him his Life,The Captain of the Guard ‘[Sahibu’s-Shutra ],one Mohammad Abdus Samad’,was specially cautioned’,Not to give Heed’,to anything Hallaj’ said”.
The followers of Hallaj’,claim’,the period of his Captivity’ from his first Arrest till his day of Execution’,to be ”Eight years Seven months and Eight days,and so interpret the same in their own Mystic Numbers,and the related Oracles”.
The writer has 30 years of historical research experience.
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Meditation in seclusion was practised by Prophet Muhammad sallallaho alaihe wassallam cave of Hira where first revelation was Quran was received too. later Ashaab e Suffa and few more sahaba were taught azkaars directly focusing TAZKIA or purification of Heart and furthur students of ashab e suffa carried on this practise and Islam reached every nook and corner of the world via these sufeez. e.g Hazrat Khawaja Moeen ud Din Chishti enlightened 90 million hunduz towards Islam with power of his character without any help of media OR press.Salahud Din Ayubi , at the age of 8 was taken to Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jillani by his real uncle and got dua to become conquerer and no one can deny how he defeated the crusaders,changez khan,germans and conquered Jeruslem. Since then invaders had wide plans to distort Image of Sufism. All sufeez taught Quran o Hadith in madrassaz after Zikr sessions for purifying hearts. Invaders stole their books , and ppl of knowledge were replaced by paid criminals to indulge ppl in personality worship .
Since refrences from Quran and Hadith cannot be posted here i,ll inbox you soon.Insha Allah!
Mehmood Ghaznavi,Shahabud Din Sohrwerdi were Kings and Sufeez at the same time. Allama Iqbal himself wrote in Baange Dera the faiz he got from Sheikh Mehboob Ilahi of Delhi, Mujadid Alf Saani Sheikh Ahmed Sirhindi who did jihad with his knowledge against deen e ilahi a mixed religion tooty fruity religion invented by akber e azam.
“Isee kashmakash mei guzrein meree zindegee kee raatein,,,kabhi soz o saaz e Rumi kabhi pech o taab e Raaz “(Iqbal)
A very reasonable response. Till the time we were followers of owllyiah Azaam we were at top of affairs and when enemies of Islam in very cunning ways made divisions amongst us specially after Syed Ahmed of Rai Braily in 1831 and Qasim Nanoutvi in May 1868 seeded the seeds of Deobundi and In Hijaz by Ibne Wahaab The Muslim Ummah had become more wiser to be good fighter with each other and leaving the World affair field open for the planners,,,, All the grat Generals of Islam were in love with Olyyia Azams and were blessed with victories all over the world ,
“The Supreme degree of the Doctrine of Divine Unity, is the Denial of the Divine Unity”…. Truly a commendable research and a very very worthy read… Thank you Yasmeen Ali for sharing this…
Thanks,Naveed,your article has increased my knowledge of sufism which was limited to say the least.Regards.Zilur Rehman
I read the article by the knowledgeable Mr.Naveed Tajammal with keen interest. I see contradictions which points to his ‘low-knowledge’ about Sufism. I am sorry to use such a harsh word for a knowledgeable historian like him. I respect him for his ‘high-knowledge’ about history.
I have just three simple questions for him;
Did prophet (PBUH) have spiritual knowledge?
What is his take on ‘dreams’?
Why some people see ‘contradictions’ in the Quran while others don’t?
Kind regards
Dr Ghayur Ayub
My dear doctor sahib,
I am sorry i could not come up to your expectations in this article,But this article,hovers,over a point,”why do the powers want to impose upon us,a code ‘not part of our original beliefs,or ways,as,had been practiced or in vogue,among the majority,ritual wise,when they, likewise have the same in their own religion,called ‘mysticism’ or en suf” ,amongst the Jew,and Why they do Not impose the same on their own people,As under the present circumstances they are on the,”offensive’ mode,with their ‘drones’ etc [Crusader factor],and as it is, Muslims are on the defensive the world over.As to your three questions[They being, controversial issues,we leave them aside],well,as i have stated it is a short article,dealing with the narration of events as they unfolded, and so,The stances, of the Sufi order’s, main stalwarts like Bayyazid,Junayd and Mansur Hallaj,have been given,and so i have covered,in this article the inception of this order,with past connections,and who the players had been,given logic of the poetry of saadi and hafiz,if the theme is, ‘an al haq’, well it does,Not’ leave much to comment upon.
Very nice and researched
Naveed Aziz
Wow! an eye opener and an indepth piece of work.
RAF
A synoptic ,but very focused and understandable piece of writing, which traces the birth of Sufism from infancy ,to its present form, starting from antiquity to date .Very well researched , compiled and written .My compliments Naveed Tajammal!
Thank you sir,for the kind words,i am glad the third class referred in the article,is alive and the comprehension likewise.salaam.
What is Sufism or Tasawwuf?
“Verily, he who has purified the heart is successful and he who has despoiled it has lost.” Quran
”That Day (of Qiyamat) neither wealth nor sons will benefit (anyone), but that person who comes to Allah with a reformed heart.” Quran
The first Aayat asserts victory as being the consequence of the purification of the Baatin while the second aayat negates the utility of wealth and sons in the absence of a reformed heart. Imaan and Aqaa’id (Articles of Faith) on which pivots the acceptance of all A’maal (actions), are conditions of the heart (i.e. the Baatin).
A lot of people have misunderstandings about tasawwuf. Many think that it is something beyond Qur’an and Sunnah. Errant Sufis as well as the superficial ulema, although on the opposite ends of the spectrum, are together in holding this mistaken notion. Consequently the first group has shunned the Qur’an and Hadith while the second group has shunned tasawwuf.
Actually, although the term tasawwuf, like many other religious terms in use today, evolved later, the discipline is very much part of the Shariah. The department of the Shariah relating to external deeds like salat and zakat is called fiqh while the one dealing with the internal feelings and states of the heart is called tasawwuf.
Both are commanded in the Holy Qur’an.
Thus while commanding Salat and Zakat, the Qur’an also commands gratefulness and love of Allah and condemns the evil of pride and vanity. Similarly, in the books of hadith, along with the chapters on Ibadat, trade and commerce, marriage and divorce, are to be found the chapters on riya (showoff), takabbur, akhlaq, etc. These commands are as much a mandatory requirement as the ones dealing with external deeds.
Sufism is the name given to Islamic mysticism, a word based on the Arabic word Suf, meaning undyed wool, because these mystics were accustomed to wearing rough woolen clothes as a mark of their piety and unworldliness.
Well said Yasmeen Ali,For being, the direct in line,from a old house of the sufi order.you have every right and justification to support the order,and explain the relevance of the term ‘sufi’,and thankyou for posting my article on your wordpress,one can appreciate your kindness,all in good faith of ”enlightenment”,if Nothing else.regards & wishes.
Most Sufis would claim that they have transcended intellectual knowledge itself (‘ilm) and to have attained a very special type of knowledge which they call gnosis (ma‘rifa), or spiritual and even experiential knowledge. What is the site, the locus, the place of this special, immediate, and experiential knowledge? (Lings – p. 48/132 – “the heart is the synonym of the intellect.” What is the term that distinguishes “heart-knowledge from mind-knowledge?” Dhawq p. 52/134- Lings) When we read the excerpt from al-Ghazali’s autobiography, we sense this rejection on his part of the intellectual and academic dogmatism current in his day.Sufism as a category or mode of religious practice has been shaped by a variety of influences. As a result, Sufism does not follow one predictable trajectory or appear the same in all places or times. In its earliest stage, Christianity had a clear impact on the practice and explication of Sufism.It has been noted that although Sufism was in part a reaction against the wealth and material success of the Muslim world, Sufis always identified as Muslims. According to contemporary scholar Fazlur Rahman, it was not just Christianity that influenced Sufism, but Judaism , Gnosticism, Buddhism , and Zoroastrianism as well. This is not to say that Sufism contributed nothing original to Muslim interpretations of the inner or esoteric religious perspective, or that it is reducible to these elements, but only that it was open to absorbing and reforming elements of all these traditions for its own purposes. This openness has historically been a double-edged sword for Sufism vis-à-vis mainstream Islam. Absorbing the philosophical and artistic (especially poetic and musical) aspects of a tradition like Neoplatonism or Buddhism left Sufis open to critiques of being unislamic. At the same time, the flexibility of Sufism made it popular and contributed to its spread through a variety of cultures. In the later medieval period—the 12th and 13th centuries C.E.—great Sufi thinkers like Abu Hamid al-Ghazali (d. 1111) were still explicating the boundaries of Sufism against these charges.Resemblances between Hinduism and Sufism have likewise sparked debates among contemporary scholars about the question of influence. Some modern scholars postulate that there are also parallels between the Sufi model of a master and disciple and a guru and disciples. Sufis are led by shaykhs, or teachers, similar in some ways to Hindu gurus. Yet, absent any textual attestation to this type of cultural influence, these types of comparison are fairly superficial when one considers the widespread archetype of teacher-student or master-disciple relationships found in the Quran between Moses and Aaron, or between Khidr and Moses, and within other traditions, including Judaism and Christianity.
Sufism is the realization that God is cognizable and His presence realizable through introspection, which is what the Quran says. The path is only that set by the prophets and confirmed in the books, the last and unadulterated of which is the Quran al-Majeed. (The rest whether the Vedas, Torah, Zaboor, Injeel, or others called sahoof have only the sporadic gleams of truth because these have suffered insertions, desertions, desiccation and manipulations through the ages at the hands of its votaries.) To know Allah, one only needs to be sincere, dedicated and pure in heart, mind, body, and spirit. Each gets access to his Creator only so much as the Creator wishes according to His grace and the recipient’s need or capacity. The decision rests with Allah. The be all and end all of all fountain of love, wisdom, freedom and justice is Allah and the best path is as illuminated by His prophets and his books. Quran is the Perfect Optimal Guide.
Dear Yasmeen,
Thankyou for sharing Naveed’s essay “Sufism Genesis”.
Before I express my views on the article I must comment on an aspect that falls
more in the category of the language than the substance of the article. I am hoping
that my comments do not betray the respect I have for Naveed.
I had great difficulty in reading the article because my thoughts kept on stumbling,
on the bramble bush of the terrible usage of punctuation. It seems that the commas,
the semi-colons, the apostrophes have been thrown in for good measure without
the writer possessing the basic knowledge of their role and purpose in the english
language. I attempted to configure the punctuation a little as you would see in
the first and part of the second para, but gave up as the task became a tad bit
overwhelming. Also the sentences are far far too long for an easy comprehension.
I could not absorb the theme of the essay. It is a hop, step and jump through an
intellectual landscape made difficult by the writer’s incoherent thought process. From
the ambiguous and antiquated rendition of the philosophy of life given in the first
para, we are introduced to Pherecydes and his prowess of premonitions. Even before
one is desperately attempting to assimilate the disjointed thoughts, one is confronted
with the following recriminative sentences:
“Besides that, of late’ the western powers are hell bent upon,to ensure that this order is
implemented upon us,all in the name of our well being,if that be a rationale.And the Question,
why do they”,Want’ to impose,what is good,for us,and our Salvation,and Not’,the same on their
own’ as well ?”
Where and why did these sentences, with obvious political overture worm their way up in
an esoteric theme? They are so out of place as the moot thought behind these two sentences
is a matter entirely separate from what the “Sufism Genesis” has purported to unfurl.
The writer’s knowledge about Sufism is weak and his expose’ skeletal at best. Writers and
thinkers gifted with great mind, dedicate a great number of years in their quest of understanding
spiritual mysteries like Sufism. They share their knowledge of this particular way
of spirituality with the public. And so books and articles on Sufism continue to be churned out.
There is no new revelation about Sufism in those books. But they are an interesting
reading because they provide us with keys to truth, fashioned afresh – keys no better than the
old ones but merely more elaborated. If Naveed is trying to share his knowledge about Sufism,
he has left a hell of a lot to be desired.
The heading “Sufism Genesis” gives a clear indication that the article would be about the origin
of Sufism, which it is not. If it is about Sufis then just a handful of them are being mentioned in
the article, which defeats the purpose of the tag line – Sufism Genesis. If it is about the philosophy
of the Sufis, the article is carrying only the philosophy of al-Hallaj. The article also does not reveal
the individual philosophy of the sufis it has mentioned. The way of the Sufis is the same – to have
oneness with THE ONE. The only difference is the road they take to reach The One. Reading their
specific philosophy greatly excites ones fascination. If the teachings of the Sufis mentioned in the
article had been included, it would have been an interesting read. There is nothing new in the
article that echoes a researched work.
The article is about Sufism.Yet there is no mention of Rabya Basri, Hasan al Basri, Jala uddin Rumi,
Mohyid-din ibn Arabi. The oversight is nothing short of sacrilege.
Kind regards
Omar Khan
My dear Omar sahib,
your obsession with English punctuations is as bad,as that of my English teacher,Mr.Catchpole, in the, school days,,But,sadly you missed the theme of the article,in your exuberance to settle a score on my bad,punctuations,Nevertheless,to enlighten you, the theme,of the Article,is,on the way the powers of west wish to impose upon us,the mystic orders of the Sufi brotherhood,The eventual life of a recluse,the order being Not, one, but, numerous and divergent in their rites,the controversial aspect aside.
Which would lead us to a inward chaos,that being the apparent intentions,as it is,we face two schismatic proxy wars,being waged by the parties on our soil,and at the cost of our Blood.
And now they wish to impose upon us, these orders,so we may end up, as rotating ,Dervishes’.However,living seven seas across,and wishing and caring about our welfare,is a thing very ludicrous,on the face of it.
regards and good wishes
The Religion is Religion,when it is believed in as,”Free from any Defect’.A Religion ceases to be a religion when its ultimate principles,are doubted and thought,’Not to be absolute and so changeable’.The Fundamentals of faith cannot be subject to the ‘Law of Evolution,’Like any social institution,’Having said this,in Islam,the Life in our religion,has to be lived in a strenuous endeavour and toil by the man amidst Men,A life as envisaged,by Sufism,spent in meditation or contemplation remains ”Insufficient’.
Kindly also read another related article.potpourri.wordpress.com/2012/12/23/bayazid-ansari-his-raushiniya-movement-in-the-af-pak-regions-16th-17th-centurypak/
sufism is the most best divinity