Sufi Islam in a Wahabi world.

Bismi'llah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim...for the sake of Prophet Muhammad saws and Sheikh Nazim may Allah protect his secret.

Once again I am including something from BL which I hope could be useful to others, either as information or clarification or at least as provocation to further investigation and deeper understanding on the Sufi Islam in a Wahabi world, theme.


Resting the case .. hearing the inner voice.

Once again I got a bit carried away in a comment to Anna, this time though I didn't lose it all. It kind of answers some stuff about the whole Wahabi thing and it would be nice to let this subject rest for a while now.There's something so dark and heavy about the whole thing. I just wanted to try to clear something up, not get bogged down in the thing I was trying to clarify!
In the end it is the heart that speaks and guides in spiritual matters and no amount of rational argument will ever do any good work if the heart is not open or inclined.I believe we all have a voice inside us that tries to be heard.A voice that speaks the truth and of other worlds and realities and spiritual love.In a way it either is, or is connected with, the voice of the conscience and that is what I am sad to see being covered up by so much materialism and rational thought and this sadness is what got me going about non-belief after Skippers' probing question.Anyway, here's the comment;

Anna, I'm still deliberating about how to answer your question..but there are some basic points which are generally well known to sunni Muslims.

First of all there is the great difference between showing respect and reference for the Holy Prophet (pbuh) and to saints that came after him and worshipping them. This is a very obvious difference to true believers who could never muddle worship of the One True Uncreated God Allah and a created human being. Only really someone who is very jealous or has a big problem with respect and authority and a huge ego can be so bold as to try to bring those human beings who have achieved (or been given by God's grace) those special levels, down to the same level as their own miserable selves.
So, there is a muddling between showing respect,reverence and love and worshipping, (wether it be of living people such as the Prophet or saints in their life times, or for their living spirit after their death,or particularly where this influence is often felt strongly, at their tombs). I really think only ignorant,hard hearted and jealous proud people can make this mistake.It can so often be seen that the ego and the mind get together to 'prove' the non-existence of true spirituality and of it's life and influence upon people individually and collectively.(It is easy to see this when watching the climate changes and other strange things happening in these times and people only looking to material causes, never thinking that it may have something to do with the general level of immorality and sin in today's modern world and that this may have an effect on more subtle levels of existence or the spiritual world, or be displeasing to God however one concieves of Him.)

Another strange point is that Ibn Al Wahab and his followers believe in the hands, face and other attributes of God ,mentioned in the Koran as actual rather than symbolic..and that the same goes for His Throne and so on. Even though phrases are repeated many times in the Koran indicating the opposite, such as "Far be He above what they describe." and ...also "And He is not like any other thing." In other words the Wahabis believe that God has a form .. which is another sign of their somewhat wooden headed and low level of understanding.
They see themselves as reformers "cleaning up" practices which they can only see as "bidaa" (new things introduced into the religion) because they don't understand what is happening or being done.. nor respect the fact that the Prophet quite clearly condoned and encouraged these very things. (examples of which are well known from the hadith literature).To back up their claims they want to always use their own reasoning and put aside the four main schools of Islamic law which have been rigorously worked out and adhered to as a protection for Islam through centuries, it being part of sunni Islam to belong to one of these so that one avoids the tendency of the nafs (or ego) to go looking for the easiest and most convenient things from each to please oneself, or, which is worse, simply make up one's own ideas and conclusions without real deep or comprehensive knowledge. (For instance masters of hadith might often study for thirty years before their teacher gave them permission to teach to others, without even considering the levels of Koran and hadith knowledge necessary to hand down any legal rulings or judgements, which Ibn Al Wahab did so carelessly and ignorantly in his vain and devil-may-care fashion.)
They claim to use "ijtihad" or their own reasoning to go back to the Koran and hadith (on their own without reference to authority) to deduce what they see as "pure" Islam and in the process have lost all real respect for the Prophet (pbuh) and also to his highly respected companions whom the Prophet referred to as being "like stars" any one of which, if followed, would take one to the goal.The results of this ignorance and dogma and extremism has been incidents of killing other Muslims, making their lives and blood "halal" according to their twisted shameful doctrine as did their forbears the "Khawarij" in a much earlier generation... and the deliberate destruction of Korans because of their beautifully illuminated covers..which they ripped off and used the leather to make sandals with.
I suppose one has to be Muslim to really understand and feel these things .. but perhaps the above examples communicate something? Perhaps an example nearer to your own experience might be the Jehova's Witnesses or some other dogmatically rigid group from the U.S or Canada within the Christian religion. Sometimes they can be so squeaky clean and so full of convincing arguments..but one just "knows" they are off the wall and wrong somewhere, without even knowing the Bible or Christian dogma..just by their very way of being. It's a bit like that ..too.. I actually sat and tried to talk to these people until about four in the morning in Jeddah when I was on Haj .. and I just ended up with a BIII-G headache! The guy sat surrounded by piles of books (all written by his own people) which he had got down from his wall of shelves and constantly referred to, as if that was going to prove anything or "speak to my heart".

Sufi Islam in a Wahabi World.

Bismi'llah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim...for the sake of Prophet Muhammad saws and Sheikh Nazim may Allah protect his secret.

Once again I am including something from BL which I hope could be useful to others, either as information or clarification or at least as provocation to further investigation and deeper understanding on the Sufi Islam in a Wahabi world, theme.


Resting the case .. hearing the inner voice.

Once again I got a bit carried away in a comment to Anna, this time though I didn't lose it all. It kind of answers some stuff about the whole Wahabi thing and it would be nice to let this subject rest for a while now.There's something so dark and heavy about the whole thing. I just wanted to try to clear something up, not get bogged down in the thing I was trying to clarify!
In the end it is the heart that speaks and guides in spiritual matters and no amount of rational argument will ever do any good work if the heart is not open or inclined.I believe we all have a voice inside us that tries to be heard.A voice that speaks the truth and of other worlds and realities and spiritual love.In a way it either is, or is connected with, the voice of the conscience and that is what I am sad to see being covered up by so much materialism and rational thought and this sadness is what got me going about non-belief after Skippers' probing question.Anyway, here's the comment;

Anna, I'm still deliberating about how to answer your question..but there are some basic points which are generally well known to sunni Muslims.

First of all there is the great difference between showing respect and reverence for the Holy Prophet (pbuh) and to saints that came after him and worshipping them. This is a very obvious difference to true believers who could never muddle worship of the One True Uncreated God Allah and a created human being. Only really someone who is very jealous or has a big problem with respect and authority and a huge ego can be so bold as to try to bring those human beings who have achieved (or been given by God's grace) those special levels, down to the same level as their own miserable selves.
So, there is a muddling between showing respect,reverence and love and worshipping, (wether it be of living people such as the Prophet or saints in their life times, or for their living spirit after their death,or particularly where this influence is often felt strongly, at their tombs). I really think only ignorant,hard hearted and jealous proud people can make this mistake.It can so often be seen that the ego and the mind get together to 'prove' the non-existence of true spirituality and of it's life and influence upon people individually and collectively.(It is easy to see this when watching the climate changes and other strange things happening in these times and people only looking to material causes, never thinking that it may have something to do with the general level of immorality and sin in today's modern world and that this may have an effect on more subtle levels of existence or the spiritual world, or be displeasing to God however one concieves of Him.)

Another strange point is that Ibn Al Wahab and his followers believe in the hands, face and other attributes of God ,mentioned in the Koran as actual rather than symbolic..and that the same goes for His Throne and so on. Even though phrases are repeated many times in the Koran indicating the opposite, such as "Far be He above what they describe." and ...also "And He is not like any other thing." In other words the Wahabis believe that God has a form .. which is another sign of their somewhat wooden headed and low level of understanding.
They see themselves as reformers "cleaning up" practices which they can only see as "bidaa" (new things introduced into the religion) because they don't understand what is happening or being done.. nor respect the fact that the Prophet quite clearly condoned and encouraged these very things. (examples of which are well known from the hadith literature).To back up their claims they want to always use their own reasoning and put aside the four main schools of Islamic law which have been rigorously worked out and adhered to as a protection for Islam through centuries, it being part of sunni Islam to belong to one of these so that one avoids the tendency of the nafs (or ego) to go looking for the easiest and most convenient things from each to please oneself, or, which is worse, simply make up one's own ideas and conclusions without real deep or comprehensive knowledge. (For instance masters of hadith might often study for thirty years before their teacher gave them permission to teach to others, without even considering the levels of Koran and hadith knowledge necessary to hand down any legal rulings or judgements, which Ibn Al Wahab did so carelessly and ignorantly in his vain and devil-may-care fashion.)
They claim to use "ijtihad" or their own reasoning to go back to the Koran and hadith (on their own without reference to authority) to deduce what they see as "pure" Islam and in the process have lost all real respect for the Prophet (pbuh) and also to his highly respected companions whom the Prophet referred to as being "like stars" any one of which, if followed, would take one to the goal.The results of this ignorance and dogma and extremism has been incidents of killing other Muslims, making their lives and blood "halal" according to their twisted shameful doctrine as did their forbears the "Khawarij" in a much earlier generation... and the deliberate destruction of Korans because of their beautifully illuminated covers..which they ripped off and used the leather to make sandals with.
I suppose one has to be Muslim to really understand and feel these things .. but perhaps the above examples communicate something? Perhaps an example nearer to your own experience might be the Jehova's Witnesses or some other dogmatically rigid group from the U.S or Canada within the Christian religion. Sometimes they can be so squeaky clean and so full of convincing arguments..but one just "knows" they are off the wall and wrong somewhere, without even knowing the Bible or Christian dogma..just by their very way of being. It's a bit like that ..too.. I actually sat and tried to talk to these people until about four in the morning in Jeddah when I was on Haj .. and I just ended up with a BIII-G headache! The guy sat surrounded by piles of books (all written by his own people) which he had got down from his wall of shelves and constantly referred to, as if that was going to prove anything or "speak to my heart".

Shariat,Haqiqat and Wahabi destruction of both.

Bismi'llah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim...for the sake of Prophet Muhammad saws and Sheikh Nazim may Allah protect his secret.

Again, this piece was inspired by the difficulties I am having communicating with non-muslims over at BL, I wanted to try to simplify the inner and outer aspects of the sufi Islamic teaching and show how what is seen in the world today under the name of Islam, is not really Islam at all.

July 29th. 2005. La herradura. Granada. Spain.


Bismi'llah arRahman arRahim.(Alhamduli'llah Rabi'l'alameen ... )

For the sake of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and Sheikh Nazim (qs).

May we benefit by our connection with them and may they guard us and guide us to speak properly and well on behalf of the Holy Deen of Islam.

Today I am attempting perhaps the most difficult of tasks I could set myself within the writing/blogging context. I want to try to simplify and encapsulate, in a readable article, the main points which I wish to communicate about Sufism, and it's mystical reality and as a means to understanding true (as opposed to Wahabi) Islam.

Perhaps the main point to understand is that there are two facets of true Islam, the inner and the outer.These are known as "Haqiqat" ( Inner Truth/Reality) and "Shariat" (outer rules regulations and dogma for society and everyday life).Just as there are two facets and names of Allah mentioned in the Koran, He is "Al Dahir wa Al Batin" The Outer (or Manifest) and The Inner (or Hidden).

In most traditional Sufi ways (or "tariqats") it has always been the normal process to enter first shariat and then tariqat.Perhaps in these mixed up times when everything is upside down and turned on its head, especially in the west, it is O.K. to enter in reverse order, or somewhat of both at the same time.Many people of the sixties Hippy/Flower Power generation had experiences which either were,or imitated very closely, mystical experiences.
Although drug induced experiences are never 'real' in the same way as those which occur on the spiritual path/paths,yet they give a taste or a window onto possibilities which can exist within naturally achievable states of the human being through concentration/meditation and asceticism.Perhaps because of these kinds of experience many people of my generation were inspired to look for the authentic and original experience of which the drug induced one is a mere reflection or shadow.(This could be seen as coming to Shariat via Haqiqat.)

Running through all mystical experience there is a thread, which Aldous Huxley named "The Perrenial Philosophy." a name which he used as the title of his well known book tracing the similarity of mystical experience in all religions and spiritual paths.
In this book it can clearly be seen that there is an experience of the Divine, or a state of Oneness, or a higher order of consciousness which has great similarities in its description by mystics wether from Zen Buddhism, or Islamic Sufism or Christianity or Hinduism, to name the main religious contexts.

That experience we might say is a universal archetype within all human beings, perhaps known or recognised as "a spark of the Divine within", and it is accessible either by luck and nature or by relentless spiritual practice and sincere dedication... or a combination of both.

There have been a few, very,very few, who have achieved, or been granted, access to this state on their own, by grace or effort, but the vast majority have to take a master in a living tradition who has achieved that state (passed on to him by another living master) to guide him and care for him and guard him from pitfalls on the way, and set up tests and exercises which are appropriate for his development, leading him gradually to that place where he may experience "oneness with the all", "union with the Divine", or enlightenment,as it is variously known.
It is a process of accessing the 'real self' which resides within and necessitates strict self control and domination/abasement of the ego, combined with prayer,meditation, repetition of mantra or dhikr, (names of God,spiritual phrases) fasting and other ascetic practices, helping to loosen the hold of the desirous sensual ego and strengthen the life of the spirit through concentration and remembrance of the goal, wether that be concieved of as Allah, Emptiness (or Nirvana), meeting Lord Krishna or experiencing the overwhelming love of God through Jesus Christ.

That .. more or less is the inner or mystical part of Islam which sufism traditionally concentrates upon.
There really is no Islam without sufism and there really is no sufism without Islam. Sufism has often been called the essence of all religions but it's true vehicle in these times (i.e. since the advent of Muhammad saws) is Islam.

Any attempt to sustain an Islam which lacks this inner mystical core is like trying to sustain a body without a soul. There is a physical outer body, but no life. It is a useless, unfeeling, unloving, dead thing which may look like Islam but actually lacks any real spirituality.

The living teaching which resides in all religions goes back to a master, Buddha or a Prophet , generically known as "avatars", who has had a huge or very close experience of the Divine Reality ... call it what you will .. (Buddha called it "The Eternal Uncreated" after experiencing it in his great enlightenment, which is not a bad description of God as concieved by many people, the Prophet is said to have come "within two bow lengths" of Allah on his famous "Night Journey.")

It has always been generally accepted that this teaching, this inner, wordless teaching, gets handed down from the original connection (or avatar) through an "inner knowing" to near disciples and from them to the next generation so that a line of transmission is created reaching to the present day which is the life blood of any religion. (Many students of Zen Buddhism are familiar with this system of masters and students and "transmission").

In Islam there is not really a separation of religion and state. Islam is a complete system and its political system could be called a Theocracy, with God (Allah) at the very top, all else tending towards and sublimated to Him Almighty.

When the Prophet (pbuh) died, he did not nominate a successor and,as Allah had arranged it that he had no surviving sons there was not so much question of a blood line being the deciding factor in temporal/religious power.
At that time there was not much need to decide or vote for a leader as it was obvious that the most outstandingly faithful follower of the Prophet and his nearest companion,was Abu Bakr, who naturally became the first Khalifa.
After him the next most obvious one was Omar and then Uthman and then came Ali.

There was always some discussion from some quarters about the fact that Ali was family of the Prophet (pbuh) and therefore had more right to the Khalifate than anyone else, but Allah arranged it in the order cited above and those who stuck by their claims of family rights, became the Shia group.

It can be seen that the overriding characteristic necessary for a Khalifa is spiritual state and station and near connection to the original fountain of revelation and spirituality, although of course a certain temporal wisdom and power is also necessary to rule over others.
At the beginning the Khalifate was not a position desired by anybody because there was real faith in and fear of Allah. The Khalifate was the biggest responsibility that anyone could have on this earth after the Prophet because it carries with it the responsibility for maintaining the religious and spiritual life of the whole community or "Ummah" and it's system of law and justice.
It would have rather been a role "thrust upon one" by an unavoidable and obvious reality of one's sincerity and spiritual state, rather than being a position lusted after for the power and (latterly) priveliges which it conceded.

As it was foreseen by the Prophet (pbuh) that there would be a decline, from the time of himself and his companions, in sincerity and strength of faith and self control, and as it was obvious that human weakness will always play a role in any questions of power, he recommended for his followers not to eagerly replace the Khalifa every time some minor indiscretion or unliked thing was manifetsed by him, as this would obviously bring about instability and weakness in the community, but to try to maintain the status quo, despite even intense dislike of certain actions, unless and until they were "haram" ( expressly forbidden by Islamic law to the extent of being punishable by death.)
This advice has been recorded in well known hadith especially from the close companion "Abu Huraira" (or "Father of cats" as he was known for his love of cats and kittens) and many others and are attested to in the major recognised collections of hadith or authenticated sayings, such as "Sahih Bukhari", used alongside the Koran for religious rulings.

This system of Khalifate was what maintained the strength of the Muslim community or "Ummah" (from an arabic word meaning mother) down to the time of the Ottoman Empire, which was ruled by the Khalifa from Istanbul.
There must be only one final authority in Islam, the Khalifa, and only under such circumstances can jihad ever be declared. There is no jihad without one Khalifa for all Muslims.

The British had for a long time been wanting to do away with the strength of Islam which was already beginning to crumble by the time they became involved in its downfall. The Ottoman Empire was by then known as "The Sick Man of Europe."
Although the Khalifate and its power were centred in Istanbul the two main religious sites of perigrination were always Mecca, where Muhammad was born and raised and where stands the Kaaba, (a cube shaped building dating back to the time of Abraham and rebuilt in the Prophet's lifetime) towards which all Muslim ritual prayer is directed as it is known as "Bait Allah", or The House of Allah, and which is the centre of the rites of Haj, and Medina where the Prophet migrated to when the persecution of the Arab tribes became too strong to withstand in Mecca, and where resides his burial tomb flanked by those of Abu Bakr and Omar (with a space reserved for Jesus after his return) and near which, in the cemetery of the companions, is the tomb of Uthman.

Power in the land of Arabia was basically being disputed by two factions at the time of Ibn al Wahab and Ibn Saud and the decline of the Ottoman Empire and the British saw their chance to infiltrate by backing both, until it should become clear which of the two were winning and then support that one.
Abdl Wahab was from a region known as "Najd" which was proclaimed by the Prophet (also in a well known hadith) to be the place from where would arise trouble for the Ummah, and he refused to bless it, despite being importuned by some companions.
Abdl Wahab's own father and many of his village rejected him and his false teaching when he tried to foist it upon them and he was forced to leave, eventually finding an ally in Ibn al Saud who was basically the leader of ruthless desert tribe and who found in Abdl Wahab's teachings the perfect justification for breaking away from the Khalifate and setting up himself and his tribal family as the rulers of Saudi Arabia. This situation was eagerly encouraged by the British who had unsuccessfuly been trying to invade Kuwait, and through agents such as Philby connection was made and aid, in the shape of arms and money and military support, was given.

The main push of Ibn al Whab's teaching was against the inner living spiritual core of Islam and any connection to, or belief in, the unseen world was abhorred and ruthlessly stamped out.
This included the barbaric killing of many sufi people and any belief that the Prophet had access to the "unseen" or is spiritually alive. The Wahabis efectively try to reduce the status of the Prophet to being like any other human being and refuse to allow any prayers to be made for him or belief that he, or indeed any saintly person alive or dead may intercede with Allah on behalf of a petitioner, (a practice known as "tawasul") even though there is plentiful proof from hadith that the Prophet (pbuh) approved of and encouraged this.

The reign of the Saud family has been marked by the desecration of tombs and holy sites from Saudi Arabia to Iraq and has successfully deprived Islam of its living spiritual tradition, turning it instead into a dogmatic and fanatical tool for power and money through oil sales both for themselves and the United States of America.

Through them the British finally finished off the Ottoman Empire and since then there has been no Khalifate, and no central power, either temporal or spiritual, in Islam.
The British did their dastardly work and soon had their come-uppance when they lost the ill-gotten gains to America with the setting up of Aramco oil company.

Most of the problems emanating from the so-called Islamic world today, stem from the rigid, narrow minded, lifeless dogma spread through all the worlds' mosques, aided and abetted by Saudi petro dollars and known as Wahabism.It is originally the source of the fanatical "fundamentalist" Islam which leads directly to totally "haram" (forbidden) un-Islamic and anti-Islamic acts of terrorism and, unfortunately it is taken to be the face of Islam when nothing could be further from the truth!

One could say that, due mainly to the "teachings" of one man, the Islamic world has suffered the huge blow to its outer structure of destroying respect for and following of, one Khalifa (akin in its way to the effects of the French Revolution on the western political and social structure) and a huge blow to its inner life by destroying respect for and following of the inheritors of the Prophet's spiritual knowledge and its living transmission.

Wahab, Saud and the Brits prepare final downfall of true Islam in Saud "kingdom" travesty.

Bismi'llah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim...for the sake of Prophet Muhammad saws and Sheikh Nazim may Allah protect his secret.

One guy over at BL did a little questionnaire on his blog and it came out that most of the replies were to the effect that there is no after life and the people did not believe in God. (Ew) ..

Well ... here's my post ...


After the honey, more (but necessary) vinegar.

Well, after Skipper's revelatory question and the answers provided,I'm still reeling. (Shows how naive I am I suppose.) I've just had a lovely visit from an English "Swami" from the Hari Krishna people which was a really pleasant encounter .. some energies moving there that led to a certain kind of inebriation which occurs around spiritual people at times. A kind of tickling of the heart that leaves one smiling and happy with an inner pleasure not experienced under normal circumstances or under the influence of stimulants.However, I am continuing a bit with what I started the other day and here is part of an article which may be found here which gives the historical run down of how the Wahabi/Saudi liaison came to power aided and abetted by the British.

AL-SAUD: PAST AND PRESENT

In 1740, Sheikh Muhammad Bin Abdul Wahhab (his father was a judge) called on Muslims to return to the original form of Islam (in accordance with his understanding) but the scholars of the Islamic state at that time (i.e. of the Ottomani Khilafah) rejected some of his views because they appeared to contradict the divine texts and the views of the classical scholars of the main (Mazaahib) schools of thought in Islam i.e. those of Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi'ie and Hanbali. Then he started to abuse the Islamic schools of thought and labeled those who disagreed with him as Murtadd (apostate), or Mushrik (polytheist). Initially he was disciplined by the scholars and was to face prosecution. He then sought protection in the town of Diriyah, which was ruled unlawfully by the rebellious Muhammad Bin Saud, head of Al-A'nnza tribe and a member of the prominent Al-Saud family, an enemy of the Ottomani Khilafah. The partnership between these two men eventually led to the foundation of so-called Saudi Arabia today.

1740-1747, Sheikh Muhammad Bin Abdul Wahhab was preaching his views and severely criticising and attacking the Ottomani Khilafah. This continuous attack was beautiful music to the ears of the rebellious Muhammad Bin Saud.
In 1747, The Amir Muhammad Bin Saud declared full support and adoption of Sheikh Muhammad Bin Abdul-Wahhaab's ideas and views. This led to the formulation of a tribal authority (Imaarah Qabaliyyah) under the political leadership of the rebellious Muhammad Bin Saud and the Spiritual leadership of Sheikh Muhammad Bin Abdul-Wahhaab. The Sheikh was calling for and teaching his views i.e. the Wahhabi Mazhab or School of thought, while the rebellious Muhammad Ibn-Saud was ruling and judging with them. (The scholars refer to this alliance as the Wahhabi Movement).
1747-1755, The Wahhabi movement spread its authority under the leadership of the rebellious Muhammad Bin Saud. They raided and controlled many villages while forcing the Wahhabi views.
In 1755, British forces tried to occupy Kuwait but failed.
In 1757, the rebellious Muhammad Bin Saud defeated the Amir of Al-Ihsaa city and controlled the Whole of Diriyah.
In 1765, The rebellious Muhammad Bin Saud died; his son Abdul-Aziz succeeded him.
In 1765, Abdul-Aziz Bin Muhammad, became the pirate leader of Al-Diriyah and head of the A'nnza tribe.
In 1767, The Wahhabi movement started to move towards controlling Arabia.
In 1786, British forces tried to occupy Kuwait again but failed due to the tactical defending of the army of the Ottomani Khilafah.
In 1787, Abdul-Aziz Bin Muhammad In a large public gathering chaired by Sheikh Muhammad bin Abdul-Wahaab, formed a new type of inherited authority (Wilayat ul-A'hed) based on the Wahhabi views and declared himself leader of the Muslims (while the true leader was the Khaleef who was in Istanbul). Then the pirate leader Abdul-Aziz Bin Muhammad appointed his son Saud as the Khalifah after him. Sheikh Muhammad Bin Abdul-Wahaab agreed to this illegitimate pirate authority and passed his illegitimate Fatwa of Jihad against the Ottomani Khilafah.
In 1788, The pirate leader Abdul-Aziz Bin Muhammad with the military help of the British prepared a huge army of Wahhabis with British forces, attacked Kuwait and occupied it (this was offered as a gift to Britain who had failed many times in this task). The Al-Saud family ruled much of the Arabian Peninsula.
1788-1791, The Army of The pirate leader Abdul-Aziz Bin Muhammad i.e. the Wahhabi movement attacked most of the Muslims who differed with their views. They waged a war of so-called Jihad against the governors and soldiers of The Islamic State (Ottomani Khilafah). Thereafter they succeeding occupying Medinah, Kuwait, Iraq and part of Damascus ( and thousands of innocent Muslims were killed because they were Shi'a, Hanafi or followers of other Islamic Mazahib: The irony was that those Muslims were labeled as Mushriks whilst most of the forces with the Wahhabi movement were British crusaders!).
In 1792, Sheikh Muhammad Bin Abdul-Wahhaab died. His son succeeded him as the Spiritual leader of the Wahhabi movement.
1792-1810, The Wahhabi movement with the help of the British forces controlled many countries up to Damascus. This rise to power alarmed the Ottomani Khilafah which was already facing massive attacks from western and eastern forces in different parts of the world. However, because of the huge conspiracy of the Wahhabi movement and Aal-Saud and their scale of attacks against Islam and Muslims it left the Ottomani Khilafah with no choice but to send forth its armies to contain the influence of the Wahhabi movement and their alliance.
In 1811, The army of the Ottomani Khilafah under the command of the governor of Egypt, Muhammad Ali paasha declared war against Abdul-Aziz Bin Muhammad and his Wahhabi movement. The governor of Egypt sent armies with his son Tosoun paasha to liberate Medinah.
In 1812, Tosoun paasha defeated the army of Abdul-Aziz Bin Muhammad and liberated Medinah.
In 1815, The governor of Egypt sent armies under the command of his second son: Ibraheem paasha to liberate Damascus, Iraq and Kuwait.In 1816, The army of Ibraheem paasha defeated the army of Abdul-Aziz Bin Muhammad and the Wahhabi movement in Medinah, Iraq and Kuwait and liberated them.
In 1817, The army of Ibraheem paasha chased the soldiers of the Wahhabi movement up to their pirate capital Al-Diriyah.
In April 1818 the army of Ibraheem paasha surrounded the last stronghold of Abdul-Aziz Bin Muhammad and the Wahhabi movement in Al-Diriyah for the whole summer until the 9th of September 1818 when the Wahhabis surrendered themselves. Ibraheem paasha ordered his soldiers to destroy the whole city of Al-Diriyah and they did it. However the Aal-Saud family and the head of the A'nnza tribe Abdul-Aziz Bin Muhammad were protected by the British soldiers in Jeddah. Most of the Wahhabis including the son of Sheikh Muhammad Bin Abdul-Wahhab ran away to Riyadh. The Soldiers of the Islamic state (Ottomani Khilafah) ultimately captured Al-Diriyah, thus ending the first phase of the rebellion of Al-Saud in 1818.
1824-1864, The remaining followers of the Wahhabi movement built themselves up and rose again under the leadership of Abdul-Rahman Bin Abdul-Aziz.
1865-1891, The Wahhabi movement under the leadership of Abdul-Rahman bin Abdul-Aziz tried to get power over all tribes in Riyadh in order to fight the governor (Aal-Rasheed) of The Islamic State (Ottomani Khilafah). They tried to get political power in Riyadh, which was located close to their old stronghold Al-Diriyah. But this uprising caused unrest which led to tribal warfare which lasted for over 25 years and resulted in the governor of the Islamic State (Ottomani Khilafah) Aal-Rasheed resisting this internal uprising while the British and western forces were still hammering against the Ottomani Khilafah..
In 1891, The governor of The Ottomani Khilafah forced Abdul-Rahman and Al-Saud into exile. Al-Saud and the rest of the Wahhabi movement lived on the borders of the desert of the Empty Quarter (Al-Rebi' Al-Khaali) before settling in Kuwait.
1892-1900, Abdul-Rahman died, and his son Abdul-Aziz Bin Abdul-Rahman and the rest of the Wahhabi movement lived in Kuwait.
In 1901, Twenty-one-year-old Abdul Aziz Bin Abdul Rahman Al-Saud left Kuwait, determined to fight along-side the British forces against the Islamic state in order to get power over all of the territory once occupied by his pirate forefathers and to extend his occupation over the holy cities of Makkah and Medinah.
In 1902, The Exiled Abdul-Aziz Bin Abdul-Rahman Al-Saud and his gangsters (the Wahhabi movement) stormed Riyadh and shot and killed the Wali (the governor of the Khilafah:Aal-Rasheed) as another gift for Britain. This event marked the beginning of the formation of the pirate kingdom of Saudi Arabia. 1902-1913, After establishing Riyadh as his headquarters, Abdul Aziz proceeded, over the following decades side to side with the British soldiers to loot and kill the soldiers and supporters of The Ottomani Khilafah and he succeeded in many cities.
In 1914, Britain started to send a stream of agents (including William H. Shakespeare, Harry St. John Philby and Percy Cox) to woo and encourage Abdul-Aziz Bin Abdul-Rahman in her task on the Arabian front. Abdul-Aziz Bin Abdul-Rahman's campaign was one of sabotage and stabbing in the back, it was never face-to-face confrontation.
In 1915, Britain dispatched an agent by the name of William H. Shakespeare as a close advisor to Abdul-Aziz Bin Abdul-Rahman. The soldiers of the Khaleefah killed William alongside some Wahhabi conspirators.
In 1915, Britain dispatched another agent by the name of Harry St. John Philby, who soon appeared in full Arab dress on top of a camel with Abdul-Aziz Bin Abdul-Rahman as a saudi warrior. Philby was called by Abdul-Aziz Bin Abdul-Rahman the "new star of Arab firmament". Philby in return described Abdul-Aziz Bin Abdul-Rahman as the Arabs "man of destiny" however Abdul-Aziz Bin Abdul-Rahman was the arch political sell-out, many times offering to sell himself to the British. He once said to Philby, "If anyone offered me a million pounds I would give him all the concessions he wants".
In December 1915 the Anglo-Saud friendship treaty was concluded. This treaty made the house of Saud an outpost of the British Empire. Britain was given trading privileges and was superintendent of Saudi foreign policy. A guarantee of British military protection and arms supplies ended the Khaleefah's authority in central Arabia.
In 1916, Abdul-Aziz Bin Abdul-Rahman received from the British 1300 guns, 10,000 rupees and 20,000 pieces of gold in cash.
1917-1926, Abdul-Aziz Bin Abdul-Rahman and his organised Wahhabi gangsters in military style and with the help of the British soldiers succeeded in controlling the Whole of Arabia i.e. Najd and Hijaz.
On 8 January 1926 Abdul-Aziz Bin Abdul-Rahman ( Known as Ibn-Saud) was self-proclaimed king of Arabia. King Abdul-Aziz was embroiled in discussions with the British representative, Percy Cox, for the determination of the borders of the new entity. The British Public Records described king Abdul-Aziz's demeaning stature at these meetings "like a naughty schoolboy" in front of Cox. When Cox insisted it was his decision as to the frontiers between Kuwait, "Ibn-Saud almost broke down and pathetically remarked that Sir Percy was like his father and mother who made him and raised him from nothing... and he would surrender half his Kingdom, nay the whole, if Sir Percy ordered. Cox took out a map and pencil and drew a line of the frontier of Arabia". Surely no Muslim can ever read such a statement except with abject shame at the way the sacred sites of Makkah and Medinah and the land of Hijaaz were put in the hands of a family with such debased and dishonorable pedigree.
1926-1932, King Abdul Aziz Bin Abdul-Rahman (Ibn-Saud) courted the British unashamedly, showing sublime affection towards Britain's envoys. He offered to put Arabia under their control. For his loyalty to the British crown, like so many other British agents, Ibn Saud was awarded a knighthood (presented to him by his self-proclaimed "father and mother" Percy Cox) and British documents referred to him as "Sir" Abdul Aziz Bin Saud for many years afterwards.
On September 23, 1932 the self appointed king, Sir Abdul-Aziz Bin Abdul-Rahman replaced the names of Najd and Hijaaz by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and he laid the foundations of the current Pirate state.
In 1953, The pirate king Abdul-Aziz Bin Abdul-Rahman died.
In 1953, Saud the eldest son of Abdul Aziz Succeeded the throne upon his father's death and became king.
In 1957, King Saud made the first trip by a Saudi monarch to the United States.
In 1962, Saudi Arabia by special request of the British government sponsored an international Islamic conference, which fostered the Muslim World League, which has its headquarters in Makkah.
In 1964, King Saud Bin Abdul-Aziz died.
In 1964, Faisal Bin Abdul Aziz became king.
In 1971, King Faisal by special request of the British government was a central force behind the establishment of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (the OIC) in Jeddah.
In 1975, King Faisal Bin Abdul Aziz was killed by his brother Fahd (The current king).
In 1975, Khalid Bin Abdul Aziz became king.
In 1982, King Khalid was poisoned by his brother Fahd (The current king)In 1982, Fahd became king.
1982-1997, Until today King Fahd Bin Abdul-Aziz is the pirate ruler of the pirate state of so-called Saudi-Arabia.

Some readers may also be interested to read this article (which maybe puts things in a context more immediately recognisable or relevant to non Muslims.)

Discussions with non-Muslims throw up elements of Sheikh's teachings.

Bismi'llah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim...for the sake of Prophet Muhammad saws and Sheikh Nazim may Allah protect his secret.

Once again, in my discussions with non-Muslims and even non-believers, over at www.blogladder.com ("Sex Power and Money." by Grego, look for the heart avatar) elements of the Sheikh's teachings get thrown up in a way which I might never have invented without the stimulus of said discussions. (That's why I wish my readership on Sufistuff were a bit more lively in the comments area..but then I suppose that here I am "preaching to the converted" more than there(?) ) Oh well .. whatever ... This is the complete entry copied and pasted for what it's worth.


Useful answer to a comment (?)

As so often happens, today an answer to a comment turned into something that may be useful to others.Jmc was asking about the curse mentioned in my Sheikh's talk "The Black Cloud over Iran and Iraq." included in the piece "Separating Church and State." from 24th July.This was my reply copied and pasted in full.

Now that I am a bit freer to attend the comments box I don't really think it is very complicated. However, it is as hard for me to put myself in the shoes of a real non-believer as the other way round.I don't know about the Red Sox (who I presume are a football team?) nor the curse of the Bambino. But just imagine for one moment that you really believed that this world and all that is in it was created by God with a wisdom and a reason. Imagine also that this God sent many prophets to try to tell man about the wisdom and purpose of His Creation.Imagine that you believe that the last one of those terminates and includes the line of all the others.Imagine that you believe that this Prophet is the most beloved of Almighty God .. "Habibu'llah" (The Loved One of God) .. his name Muhammad coming from the root word "Hamd" or praise, thus he is known as "The Praised One" (by Allah and all Creation).
Now he and everything nearest and dearest to him are the most beloved human beings in existence for the Muslims .. indeed he said (pbuh) "Until you love me more than yourself you will not be truly Muslim." (or words to that effect). His wives and family are known as "Ahlil Bait" .. people of the house.
Now the main difference between the Shias and the sunni majority is that they have always held to the idea that Ali was the rightful heir to the khalifate immediately after the death of the Prophet because he did not name a successor.This they base on the fact that that he is of the family, or Ahlil Bait, thus going against the majority consensus and raising the family issue to an even higher status.So why then did these same people (going against the advice of the prophet in many well known hadith which they reject in order to maintain their political point of view) kill all the memebers of the House .. Ahlil Bait .. family of the Prophet .. in one night? Do they think that Almighty God Allah Himself does not care about such an act? They killed all the members of the family of The Praised One of Allah, of The Loved One of Allah (while claiming Ali and his family connections as their "raison d'etre".. the hypocrites!) in one night for their own political ends. So is it surprising that our Sheikh should tell us that Allah cursed them for such an act?
I don't know about any Bambino .. but I think you know perfectly well what a curse is .. I'm sure you have heard or read about them in the Bible.The curse of Allah is not a joke!
This is why I am saying that people who are raised in a Republic, where oh-so-clever man has tried to divorce politics from religion, as if Almighty God Himself has no share or intervention in man's social organisation, are lost in a maze of intellectual activity trying to sort out the pros and cons of political actions without ever paying attention to spiritual actions.
The Sheikh is saying that the situation will never be sorted out until Mehdi comes.. who is an eagerly awaited figure who looms especially large in the dogma of the Shias.
This man comes at the end of the world and together with Jesus defeats the anti- Christ (known as the Dajaal in Islam) and ushers in a new and beautiful spiritual age.However that does not happen before a terrible (nuclear) Third World War which will be a cleaning of the earth by fire, just a The Flood was a cleaning by water.
It is not hard to see the preparations for this big "fire festival" being worked out now .. I don't think Bush will be satisfied until the "communist block" as it used to be called .. i.e. Russia and probably China together, react to his incursionary foreign policy and the world splits into two big warring camps which will basically be "believers against non-believers."
Our teaching is that only spirituality and belief will save people in that time.... as destruction will be so complete that no underground bunker will save anyone... and that really spiritual power will open up and take over at that time.
BTW .. one safe place physically will be the area surrounding Damascus, so .. run to there if you get the chance when it all kicks off!

Comments welcome, (even if I sound like a "Mad Mullah" or someone blindly following a cult.)

Fixed and Mutable Destiny/Levels of Quran.

Bismi'llah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim...for the sake of Prophet Muhammad saws and Sheikh Nazim may Allah protect his secret.

Thanks to "az" for this;

"It is known that there are two types of destiny: The first kind of destiny is termed qada'an mucallaq which means Suspended or Mutable Destiny. It is written on the lawh al-mahfudh/the Preserved Tablet. This will vary according to will and behavior, cause and effect. All saints can change this kind of destiny for their mureeds/followers, in order to train them and to influence their destiny by changing their actions and behavior. The authority to change the Mutable Destiny is given to the Shaykhs for their mureeds because they are connected to each other by Divine Will.
The second type of destiny is contained in Umm al-Kitab, the Mother of the Book, as mentioned in the ayat/verse: Yamhullahu ma yasha'u wa yuthbit, wa cindahu Umm ul-kitab [13:39] Allah blots out or confirms what He pleases: with Him is the Mother of the Book, and is called qada'an mubram which means Fixed Destiny. Saints never interfere in that Fixed Destiny which is in the Hand of the Creator. Allah gave the authority to change the Fixed Destiny only to the Nine Saints who are at the highest level in the Divine Presence, by permission from the Prophet sallallahu alaihi wa sallam peace be upon him who is first to take that power from Allah. They control the Nine Points of human consciousness related to the different stages of the Ascent of an individual on his path to the Divine Presence. Allah gave these Nine Saints, whose number has not changed from the time of the Prophet sallallahu alaihi wa sallam peace be upon him until today, the power to use Sultan adh-dhikr, the Greatest Remembrance.
Everyone knows that dhikr is primarily the repetition of la ilaha illallah/there's no god but Him, and that is what is practiced by all tariqats/Orders including the Naqshbandiyya. But the Sultan adh-dhikr is a completely different type of dhikr.
Allah said, 'Inna nahnu nazzalna-dh-dhikra wa inna lahu la-hafidhun [15:9] We have revealed the dhikr, and we are the One to protect that dhikr in you.' The dhikr mentioned here is the Holy Qur'an. The dhikr of these nine saints, besides la ilaha illallah, is the 'Secret of the Holy Qur'an'. They recite the Qur'an, not as we recite it reading from beginning to end, but they recite it with all its secrets and inner realities. Because Allah said 'wa la ratbin wa la yabisin illa fa kitabin mubeen [6:59] Nor is there anything fresh or dry but is inscribed in a clear Record.' None of God's creations in all the created universes has not been mentioned already, with all its secrets, in the Clear Book, the Qur'an.
The saint reciting the Qur'an in Sultan adh-Dhikr is therefore reciting it with all the secrets of every creation, from beginning to end. Allah gave every letter of the Qur'an, according to the Nine Highest Masters of the Naqshbandi Order [this was the first time the Shaykh ever mentioned this secret], twelve thousand knowledges. The Qur'an contains around 600,000 letters, so for every letter, these saints are able to take 12,000 knowledges!
Each of these nine saints differs from the other in his level as well. We may see that one of them, for example, was able to recite the Holy Qur'an by the power of Sultan adh-Dhikr, which is to grasp 12,000 meanings on every letter, only once in his life. Another was able to recite it three times in his life. The third was able to do it nine times in his life. Another was able to recite it 99 times in his life.
This secret differed from one saint to another. Shah Naqshband may Allah sanctify his soul & bless his secret was able to do it 999 times in his life. Our Master Ahmad al-Faraqi was able to recite it 9,999 times in his life. Shaykh Sharafuddin was able to recite it 19,999 times."
Here Shaykh Abdullah stopped. Shaykh Nazim said, 'In every breath Grandshaykh Abdullah Daghestani was exhaling with Sultan adh-Dhikr and inhaling with Sultan adh-Dhikr. He used to complete the secret of Qur'an twice in every breath.'
from 'Classical Islam and the Naqshbandi Sufi Tradition', Shaykh Muhammad Hisham Kabbani

Ignorant and narrow Wahabi doctrine destroying true Islamic spirituality.

Bismi'llah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim...for the sake of Prophet Muhammad saws and Sheikh Nazim may Allah protect his secret.


Hadith: (authenticated saying of the Prophet pbuh):

Ibn Umar (Allah be pleased with him) reported the Prophet (Peace be upon him) as saying: "Oh Allah, bless us in our Syria; O Allah, bless us in our Yemen." Those present said: "And in our Najd, O Messenger of Allah!" But he said, "O Allah, bless us in our Syria; O Allah, bless us in our Yemen." Those present said, "And in our Najd, O Messenger of Allah!" Ibn Umar said that he thought that he said on the third occasion: "Earthquakes and fitnah are there, and there shall arise the horn of ash-Shaytaan." [Sahih al-Bukhari].



" When Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab began preaching his revivalist brand of Islam amongst the Bedouins of the Najd during the 18th century, his ideas were dismissed in the centers of Islamic learning such as al-Azhar as simplistic and erroneous to the point of heresy." (Quoted from number three below.)


In any discussion about Islam in the modern world it is very important and necessary to understand something about the apalling influence that the bogus and ignorant doctrinal misinterpretations of Ibn Al Wahab have had on the Islamic world and how they were espoused by the Saudi regime and promulgated to all parts of the globe using oil money.

I have been trying to find some useful and clear accounts of what happened and how. There is an awful lot of opinion, argument and confusion out there on the net, but the following are the best I have found so far.

1): Muslim blog: Interview with Sheikh Hisham Kabbani. (Khalifa for Sheikh Nazim in America.) here

2): Islamic site from Italy: Explanation and negation of Wahhabi views on intercession. here

3): Non Muslim blog: Explanation of Wahhabi / Salafi differences and mingling of ideologies in Saudi. here or here

Atheist political systems blinding citizens to Truth.

Bismi'llah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim...for the sake of Prophet Muhammad saws and Sheikh Nazim may Allah protect his secret.

In my dealings with people over at Blog Ladder I see time and time again the horror and frustration of Americans when confronted by the actions of their own elected government.
It is obvious that, in spite of a great deal of intellect and good intentions, so much cerebral and emotional energy is being wasted because they lack any traditional wisdom with which to analyse events. This is especially so with reference to foreign policy and particularly Iraq and the oft mentioned 'body count' and dismay at the destruction of archealogical and historical treasures.

Here is what I tried to communicate around this subject today;


Separating "Church and State."

I have been trying to read some of the stuff from jmcmaster on his "Outside the Box" blog. There was a funny saying that my ex-wife used to say to me sometimes when I was getting in a bit of a pickle over something."I wouldn't have started from there in the first place."That's what I feel like when I see people trying to make head and tail out of situations which have their roots in a place where no-one is looking. .. i.e. spirituality.It is a great shame that modern political systems have divorced themselves from religion or spirituality, blinding their followers to the influence of God in man's affairs .. as if looking the other way would make Him go away!I am sorry to say I am reminded of children covering their eyes with their hands when confronted by an impending confrontation that they wish to avoid.Though no-one wants to hear it these days I still feel duty bound to put up this talk from Sheikh Nazim which may be found in his book "Secret Desires.

"The Black Cloud over Iraq and Iran. (Talk from 1996).

Turkey, Russia, Iraq, Yemen, Iran, Afghanistan, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, ... all these countries which have kicked out their Sultans, have been cursed. There are some foolish people who live in England, but who are not suitable for this country,who also want this country to be a republic.Republics are the worst systems which have ever been on earth.Every country which has thrown out their sultans have been followed by tyrants.This was the case in Turkey, Iraq, Germany, Yemen, Afghanistan, Iran, Libya, Russia, France, China ... These tyrants have no mercy in their .hearts.They kill and destroy without any mercy,In Iraq they killed the "Ahlil Bayt" ("people of the house", meaning family of the Prophet pbuh) in one night, the whole family was killed, the old ones and the young. (In another talk the Sheikh mentions how a grandmother coming out of her house holding a Koran was machine gunned down.) May all those satans who did that be below the seven hells.Why didn't the people in Iraq try to prevent it? Why didn't they stand up and shoot them? Why did they surrender to one person? Why didn't they protect the family of Ahlil Bayt ? That is why all saints in Iraq are unhappy with their people.All the calamities happening in that country now, are a result of this. Until they repent and bring back a sultan, Allah will not remove the curse from them. But they are not even thinking about it!Iran is another completely heedless country.They did not defend their sultan so Allah sent them such tyrants who have now killed millions of people.Then they started fighting Iraq and again millions of people were killed. Now Baghdad is destroyed and Iran too. Thousands of years of civilisation have been destroyed in both countries without a reason.It is because they treated their sultans in such a way that they are now cursed.There is a very big thick black cloud over Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan.It will not go until Mehdi comes.

Tarred with the same brush.

Bismi'llah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim...for the sake of Prophet Muhammad saws and Sheikh Nazim may Allah protect his secret.

Again my contact and discussion with non-muslims has motivated me to write something to try to communicate from inside a Muslim point of viewand explain something of our religion.


All Islamic affairs being viewed in the light of terrorist activity.

I had a visit the other day from one of my Sheikh's followers and he told me that the Sheikh is talking about bringing people to "Haq" (Truth/ Reality) not Islam.He has often told us .. say sufism not Islam ... and don't put "Mosque" outside your centres. Of course,most of us follow our own opinions and not his advice, and so, we suffer the consequences.A couple of times in recent posts I have noted that, despite the fact that I am talking about sufism, and the very high level of personal self - discipline needed to follow this path (especially the distinguished Naqshbandi Tariqat), people still muddle (if not equate) anything to do with Islam with the cruel, mindless, anti-Islamic actions of the terrorists and their bombings and suicide bombings.This is frustrating to say the least .. and even .. (to more sensitive souls), hurtful.There is a kind of pain around the heart, which feels almost as if someone has stabbed one there, when this kind of thoughtless anti-Islamic reaction/equation occurs, especially from other sensitive and thinking people.Looking through some of the pieces from the London bombings on the BBC site I saw this, where a main-stream (non-sufi) Imam expresses his thoughts and feelings around this subject.

Mosque reacts to London bombings. By Ayesha Tanzeem BBC News in London

Many different nationalities attend services at the mosque The Central North London Mosque, also known as the Finsbury Park mosque, used to be associated with extremists - in particular, with controversial cleric Abu Hamza al-Masri. But in recent months it has been given a new start and reclaimed for the mainstream Muslim community. The BBC's Ayesha Tanzeem visited the mosque just over a week after the London bombings. One week after the bomb attacks in London, around 10 policemen were standing outside the doors of the Finsbury Park mosque, during the Friday prayers. Policemen said they came every Friday, but regular mosque goers thought police presence was unusually high today. Faisal Dimri described himself as the imam leader. He said the Muslim community felt safer in the presence of the police, and the higher numbers were the police's own initiative. The mosque gets people from different nationalities every Friday. Now the extremists have been cleared out of the offices and the rooms where they slept The BBC's Daniel SandfordNew start for 'extremist' mosque People from Somalia, Algeria, Bangladesh and Pakistan are amongst those who attend the Friday prayers. The Friday sermon is usually in Arabic with the imam translating his words in English. This week it started with the imam blasting the media, especially the Western media. "If a non-Muslim commits a crime, they call him by his name," he said. "Whereas if a Muslim commits a crime they call him a Muslim." He said that by so doing, the media indirectly held the whole Muslim community responsible for the actions of one man. He also blamed the government for making Muslims feel like they have to prove their allegiances. They were not "passengers," they were part of this country, he said. "They should not demand that we prove we are good citizens, we already are." Teachings of the Koran The imam also said that if someone had done something wrong, he should be mentioned by name but the rest of his family, his community or his religion should not have to bear the burden for the act. He then went on to explain how the Koran teaches that all humans are the descendents of Adam, thus one family. The imam said the community felt safer with more police According to the Koran everyone has the right to choose Islam or Kufr (lack of faith), he said. There is no compulsion in religion. He then mentioned that killing is not allowed in Islam, and even in war one has to follow certain rules. Killing cannot be indiscriminate. The imam mentioned the teachings of Mohammad, the prophet of the Muslims, and said that everyone had to be independent in his thinking. One should not follow someone in evil even if committed by someone you revere. And evil should not be committed in reaction to someone else's evil. "God demands you to be fair in your dealings. If someone else is unfair, you cannot use that as an excuse." Harassment Outside the mosque a dozen members of the media were standing across the street, trying to catch someone for a soundbite. Two Pakistanis coming out of the mosque expressed the changes in their lives in the last week. I was on a station when a guy came and pushed me and used abusive language as he passed Syed Imad Hasan on life since the bombings Syed Imad Hasan came to London from Karachi. He said he and his friends had experienced brief incidents of harassment. "I was on a station when a guy came and pushed me and used abusive language as he passed. "Then one of my friends was standing on a station when a local came, spat on him and left." Mr Hasan's friend Asif Ali said he understood the resentment. "Obviously if someone does something like that in your country, there will be resistance. If this had happened in Pakistan they would not tolerate it either."

Muslim Parents Mourn.

Bismi'llah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim...for the sake of Prophet Muhammad saws and Sheikh Nazim may Allah protect his secret.

Press Statement: From the family of Shahara Islam(Murder victim July '05)

Ladies and gentleman,"We are all from God and to Him we must all return." (Qur'an, 2:157)Today our dear daughter, cause of our joy and light of our eyes – ourShahara is returning to her Lord – an innocent and blood-stainedmartyr. She was an Eastender, a Londoner and British, but above all –a true Muslim and proud to be so.She was a simple girl, from a simple family who led a simple life.Unfortunately she was at the wrong place at the wrong time on thatunfortunate day.The flame of her life has been cruelly extinguished from thisbeautiful young woman in her prime, who had the whole world ahead ofher. We are not finding it easy to come to terms to our immeasurableloss, our sorrow, our grief. It has been a painful week, not only forus, but for all those fellow Londoners who, like us, suffered similarloss of their dear ones, today our thoughts is with them all.Yet, true to the teaching of Islam we face this calamity with dignityand patience, consoled by the Prophetic assurance that `Allahcompensates innocent victims with greater and nobler rewards'.We take this opportunity to declare in no uncertain terms that Islamstands for the triumph of the humanity, peace and goodwill and utterlyrejects mindless violence. If our supreme sacrifice results in unityand understanding in our society, it indeed will be a great reward.May we also express our thanks and gratitude to all those fellowcitizens, family and friends who have overwhelmed us with sincerecondolences – we are deeply touched and comforted by them at this mostdifficult time. We are grateful also to our community, the police andour Mosque here in East London for providing us with timely andvaluable support.Finally, we will request, very humbly, that our friends in the mediarespect Sahara's dignity as a Muslim women and refrain from endlessinquiry and analysis, some of which has already been found hopelesslyinaccurate.We would now wish to be allowed the space and the opportunity to mournour loss without any further intrusion into the family's privacy.According to Islamic tradition, Shahara Islam will be laid to restreciting the following Qur'anic prayer:"From the [earth] did We create you, and to it shall you be returned.And from it [earth] you will be raised once again." (Qur'an, 20:55)Thank you14:15 – 15 July, 2005http://www.islamicforumeurope.com/live/ife.php?doc=articleitem&itemId=252

Red Taweez.

Bismi'llah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim...for the sake of Prophet Muhammad saws and Sheikh Nazim may Allah protect his secret.

It has been suggested that this is the view of the Throne from above.

The Signed,behind the signs.

Bismi'llah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim...for the sake of Prophet Muhammad saws and Sheikh Nazim may Allah protect his secret.

Here's how Rumi (with a little bit of support from Kabir Helminski and an ayat of Koran) says what I was struggling to say in two recent posts.

"All desires, affections, loves, and fondnesses people have for all sorts of things, such as fathers, mothers, friends, the heavens and the earth, gardens, pavilions, works, knowledge, food, and drink--one should realize that every desire is a desire for food, and such things are all "veils."
When one passes beyond this world and sees that King without these "veils," then one will realize that all those things were "veils" and "coverings" and that what they were seeking was in reality one thing. All problems will then be solved. All the heart's questions and difficulties will be answered, and everything will become clear.
God's reply is not such that He must answer each and every problem individually. With one answer all problems are solved."

(From "Fihi ma Fihi" or "In it What is in It." Jalalu'din Rumi.)

There are countless attractions in the world of multiplicity. Whatever we give our attention to, whatever we hold in this space of our presence, its qualities will become our qualities. If we give the heart to multiplicity, the heart will be fragmented and dispersed. If we give the heart to spiritual unity, the heart will be unified.Ultimately what the heart desires is unity in which it finds peace.

(Kabir's commentary.)

Truly, in the remembrance of God hearts find peace. (Koran.)

See the full article here .

"Tawakkul." (Reliance on Allah.)

Bismi'llah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim...for the sake of Prophet Muhammad saws and Sheikh Nazim may Allah protect his secret.

"Al Wasil."

"To be the Lord's servants gives pleasure,and that feeling pushes us towards servanthood.As much as a servant is aware of his neediness and weakness Allah comes closer and grants to him,promising never to refuse a request.To ask is most lovely and best attribute for servants in Divine Presence.
Nowadays the life of people is mostly connected with pills and medecine which they use daily, and they are fearing to die, even if for one day they can't be able to take that medecine.
We as believers must believe that our lives are connected with the Lord Almighty Allah.Awliyas have high certainty and they feel their life with their Lord. He may give life to everything direct, without using causes and reasons.
Therefore we depend on the Creator of causes and not on the causes. It is a big mistake for believers not to be aware of that.We need Allah to be in existence, more than food or drinks or medecine. People think if they don't eat and drink they must die. No, you must cut yourself out from every cause surrounding you and making you to be with them rather than with your Lord, the Creator who created you. If you can do that you should be directly connected.
When you reach direct connection to the Lord, causes will get away and you should be with Him. He will grant to you directly so that you should be free from hunger, thirst, illness and miseries. No more need for anything.
The Prophet (pbuh) said to his companions: "My Lord makes me to eat and drink in His Presence." That signs perfect connection between servant and Lord, creature and Creator. Therefore one of the Prophet's names (pbuh) is "Al Wasil." , the one who has reached to his Lord. He is with his Lord, no more causes around him, he became free. He is perfectly connectted without a mediator, he has the real relationship.
Nothing there from the existence of the world or heavens. He jumped into Divine Unity Oceans, reaching to Oneness. No one there except Allh Almighty. He sacrificed his imitated existence, cut it and left the temporary existence to enter the real existence in Divine Unity Oceans.
Therefore He likes His servants to say "Oh my Lord I need You." Endless needs for you until you reach to Divine Presence and causes finish. Identity there belongs to Allah only. Abd, servant, finishes, Allah remains.
This is an important association now which makes clear to you what your target should be. Ubudiyet, servanthood, takes us to tjhe Lord's endless unity oceans, taking servants and leaving only Allah. Appearing from servants, Allah only.
That is what is coming for distinguished people, not for common people. Keep yourself needy to Allah until He takes away from you every need. When you finish, your existence will be through Him.
Now month after month new wisdoms open until Mehdi comes. Through his days the secrets will become clear. This is the lowest description for you now. May Allah grant us a good understanding and fix our feet on His Way."

Copied out from; "From Dunya to Maula." Cyprus - talks by Sheikh Muhammad Nazim Adil al-Qubrusi al-Haqqani an-Naqshbandi. 1990.

(Thanks to Khairia.)

Two Qurans,silent and speaking.(Stay connected to the speaking one.)

Bismi'llah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim...for the sake of Prophet Muhammad saws and Sheikh Nazim may Allah protect his secret.



Allah Almighty says: Fala tamutunna illa wa antum muslimun. Allah Almighty orders: 'Oh people, Oh Believers, you believe, but through your heart you may lose your faith and your wrong actions will make iman/faith to leave you and make belief to leave you and make you not to die in Islam.' You must be very careful not to lose your iman by your speech, by your actions or by your intentions or by your opinions. Bad opinions lead you to bad intentions. Bad intentions lead you to bad actions and bad actions lead you to loose your faith and your iman. 'Fala tamutunna illa wa antum muslimun.'
You must take care and not be guided by our own opinion. There is no own opinion' for muslims -muslims who surrender to Allah Almighty and to Rasulullah sallallahu alaihi wa sallam peace be upon him should not say, 'this is my opinion or that is my opinion because this is the twentieth century', and even if it is the one hundred and twentieth century you must try only to follow and not to have opinions. Don’t think that (?) the four Imams, gave their own opinions, 'No', 'Never'! They always gave their decisions after looking at Quran and hadith. Therefore wrong opinions lead people to wrong intentions, wrong intentions lead them to wrong actions, wrong actions harm Islam and destroys Islam. When they destroy Islam, they lose their faith and iman as well. Therefore Allah Almighty orders 'Wa’thasimu bi hablullahi jamiah'. Don’t say this is my opinion, or that is my opinion, come altogether in unity. 'Wa’thasiu bi hablullahi jami’ah'. Allah Almighty says 'Hablullah'.
Hablullah means Rope -rope of Allah Almighty. What is that rope? Have you seen that rope? What is that rope 'hablullah'?. Quran 'Hablullahi ummati'. Rasulullah sallallahu alaihi wa sallam peace be upon him said, 'Quran hablullahi ummati.’ Quran-al-Kareem is that Rope or the unbreakable Rope of Allah Almighty. Then there are also two Qurans. Perhaps you have never heard about the two Qurans? There are two Qurans; one is the silent Quran and the other the speaking Quran. The Prophet sallallahu alaihi wa sallam peace be upon him is the speaking Quran. The sahaba/Prophet's companions, were with the speaking Quran. They were not only reciting the silent Quran but they were understanding from the speaking Quran 'wa’thasimu bi hablullahi jami’ah'.
What is that Quran? It is the Rasul sallallahu alaihi wa sallam peace be upon him who is 'Hablullahi Ummati' and you must understand this point well. Please don’t aspire to reach the level of Rasulullah because no Prophet ever inherited any money or property. Their only inheritance was (?) revelations and nothing else. The Prophet inherited the Holy Quran and the Holy knowledge that was revealed. He left that inheritance to his sahaba and to the hearts of his sahaba. Therefore Prophet sallallahu alaihi wa sallam peace be upon him was given that inheritance by Allah Almighty, who in turn gave it to the hearts of the sahaba. Particularly Prophet said that 'Allah Almighty poured through my heart and then I poured it to the heart of Abu Bakr radiyallahu anh may Allah be well pleased with him. As Prophet sallallahu alaihi wa sallam peace be upon him was the speaking Quran to the sahaba, the sahaba were connected to him with this unbreakable rope.
After the Prophet the umma/nation was with the sahaba, and after the sahaba, who carried it? Who carries that Divine trust which is revealed from heart to heart? Who are they? What is the speaking Quran and who is making mankind connected with that Rope? After the lifetime of Prophet sallallahu alaihi wa sallam peace be upon him who connected the speaking Quran to the true umma? Not the umma, we see today of people who think that anyone who reads a translation of the Holy Quran is an authority on Islam. That is the way they think. It is their opinion. They don’t ask the speaking Quran or care to search for them and to be with them. That is our power. Islam’s power is to be connected with holy people because Allah Almighty has promised that 'If you get connected with Hablullahi ummathi, that is with such people who belong to the Heavens, with such Holy people who are the Friends of Allah and who are close to Him and His Rasul sallallahu alaihi wa sallam peace be upon him.. And they are the Saints. If you are not with them 'Wala Tafarraqu', you would be separated. It is such a sad separation that it is a punishment in itself. This is a punishment for the ummah and what is happening to the ummah nowadays is only a punishment because you are not getting connected with the inheritors of the Prophet sallallahu alaihi wa sallam peace be upon him and because everyone is claiming that they know in accordance with their opinions.

Signs.

Bismi'llah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim...for the sake of Prophet Muhammad saws and Sheikh Nazim may Allah protect his secret.




21st July 2005. La Herradura.Granada Spain.13.48.Hrs.

Bismi'llah arRahman arRahim.

For the sake of Prophet Muhammad pbuh and Sheikh Nazim qs. (may Allah protect his secret).

SIGNS.

Yesterday I tried to write something that made a link between something that Annabanana has said in a comment on my blog and a hadith of the Prophet pbuh.
Some people may have thought it was a bit complicated, as I also went into a bit of a discussion about authenticity of hadith, even though, to a Muslim at least, that was just a pertinent aside.

As I thought about that piece and the remark/s on it there kept coming to my mind the analogy of someone who loves something or someone trying to find complicity with others in that love.
If one loves something, or someone, there is joy in just the mention of that thing. It may be motorcycles or pop idols or nature in all its glory. Lovers enjoy sharing thoughts and feelings about the beloved.
When the Beloved is God Himself very few people are going to be able to share their personal sightings and experiences of Him. What most of us have are signs, traces, footprints and indications.
If believers discuss these signs then it is easy to share praise for the Creator of those signs, but if a believer shares the joy of those signs with a non-believer, then it is a rather different thing.There will be a tendency for the non-believer to take joy in the sign for its own sake rather than see it as a sign of something greater hidden behind appearances.
If, however,through a poetic sensitivity, there is any hint from a self confessed non-believer that the signs may be signing anything other than just what they are, that is a source of happiness to the believer. Hence my happiness when Annabanana said;

" this is what seems like The Illusion to me (now that i think about it). not that cherry trees and grass and concrete don't really "exist" and are maya, but that they sing to us of their nature and experience and we won't hear it. and this perception of separateness from all things turns us into selfish meanies."(emphasis mine)

We weren't talking about exactly the same thing, but we got pretty damn close I think.

Again, as she said;

" i'm utterly interested in the deeply subjective. hearing other people's experiences has been a life raft at times for me. not in a vampirical sort of way, but because they make me feel less alone. when i rediscovered poetry as an adult, hoo boy, i felt like i found a friend in humanity. experience tends to defy description, but poetry can come pretty close to evoking it."

There was something along these lines in the "Pillow Talk" selections put up by Kitlulu, where the writer communicates her perplexity at the joy she had when seeing dew sprinkled spider's webs on a bamboo fence and the failure of others to be moved by that experience when she tried to describe it.

This morning I "discovered" surat (chapter) number 40 in the Koran, called " Ghafir " (Forgiver) or " Al Mumin " ( The Believer.) It is generously sprinkled with references to signs, or "Ayats " in Arabic, which is also the name for the verses of the Koran, it being said that there are two Korans .. the book full of ayats which one may read, and the Creation, likewise full of ayats (signs) which one may (or may not) be able to read.

A selection of ayats from Surat No: 40;

040.004 YUSUFALI: None can dispute about the Signs of Allah but the Unbelievers. Let not, then, their strutting about through the land deceive thee!

040.013 YUSUFALI: He it is Who showeth you his Signs, and sendeth down sustenance for you from the sky: but only those receive admonition who turn (to Allah).

040.023 YUSUFALI: Of old We sent Moses, with Our Signs and an authority manifest,

040.035 YUSUFALI: "(Such) as dispute about the Signs of Allah, without any authority that hath reached them, grievous and odious (is such conduct) in the sight of Allah and of the Believers. Thus doth Allah, seal up every heart - of arrogant and obstinate Transgressors."

040.056 YUSUFALI: Those who dispute about the signs of Allah without any authority bestowed on them,- there is nothing in their breasts but (the quest of) greatness, which they shall never attain to: seek refuge, then, in Allah: It is He Who hears and sees (all things).040.069 YUSUFALI: Seest thou not those that dispute concerning the Signs of Allah? How are they turned away (from Reality)?

040.081 YUSUFALI: And He shows you (always) His Signs: then which of the Signs of Allah will ye deny ?

I have purposely only included those verses (ayats) which actually use the word "sign" or "ayat" in the original and not those numerous others where Yusf Ali has translated "bainat" as "signs" but others ( Pickthall and Shakir, for instance have chosen "clear proofs" or "clear arguments").
You'll se what I mean if you look here .

I wonder if anyone who reads this may now see a little differently when contemplating a sunset, or a baby's smile, or a frollicking kitten, or indeed an ornamental apple bobbing in the wind against the darkening sky ?

British Muslim Forum Fatwa on terrorists.

Bismi'llah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim...for the sake of Prophet Muhammad saws and Sheikh Nazim may Allah protect his secret.

Thanks once again to Mahmoud for sending me this;

The Heart Networkwww.the-heart.netTo view the list go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/the-heart/(You may need to sign in)

My Groups the-heart Main Page

(Sorry not to edit in all the paragraphs and so on.There must be some hitch of HTML or something when copying and pasting into Blogger, however you can use the link at the bottom of the page to read the original.)

The following is the full text of a fatwa issued by the British MuslimForum, with the approval of more than 500 UK Muslim clerics, scholarsand imams, on Monday 18 July:We wish to express our sincere condolences to the families of all thevictims of the London attacks. We pray for the swift recovery of allthose who are recovering from injuries.There are many questions emerging from the London bombings. One of themost important questions is what does Islam say about it?To answer this question Muslim scholars, clerics and Imams from allover the UK have been consulted to issue this formal legal opinion(fatwa) so that Muslims and non-Muslims can be clear about Islam'sstance on such acts.Severe condemnationOn behalf of over 500 clerics, scholars and Imams the British MuslimForum issues the following religious decree:Islam strictly, strongly and severely condemns the use of violence andthe destruction of innocent lives.There is neither place nor justification in Islam for extremism,fanaticism or terrorism. Suicide bombings, which killed and injuredinnocent people in London, are haram - vehemently prohibited in Islam,and those who committed these barbaric acts in London are criminalsnot martyrs.Such acts, as perpetrated in London, are crimes against all ofhumanity and contrary to the teachings of Islam.The Holy Koran declares:"Whoever kills a human being, then it is as though he has killed allmankind; and whoever saves a human life, it is as though he had savedall mankind." (Koran, Surah al-Maidah (5), verse 32).Islam teaches us to be caring towards all of Allah's (God's) creation,not just mankind. The Prophet of Islam who was described as "a mercyto the worlds" said: "All creation is the family of Allah and thatperson is most beloved to Allah who is kind and caring towards Hisfamily."Islam's position is clear and unequivocal: murder of one soul is themurder of the whole of humanity; he who shows no respect for humanlife is an enemy of humanity.We pray for the defeat of extremism and terrorism in the world.We pray for peace, security and harmony to triumph in multiculturalGreat Britain.http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4697365.stm

(It's also interesting to read what Ken Livingstone the London Mayor, had to say about possible/probable causes of the terrorist attacks, under "LONDON ATTACKS - Latest News - Mayor Blames Middle Eastern Policy." on the same page, or go here.)

Seeing a garden is evidence of a Gardener.

Bismi'llah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim...for the sake of Prophet Muhammad saws and Sheikh Nazim may Allah protect his secret.

Just putting this on from my scribblings over at Blog Ladder. (Maybe be it is more appropriate here, but there, it is a kind of dawa ... I hope !)


20th July 2005. La Herradura Granada Spain.08.53.

Hrs.Bismi'llah arRahman arRahim.

For the sake of the Holy Prophet (pbuh) and Sheikh Nazim (qs).

(May we increase in our knowledge and love of Allah through them and learn true sincerity in our worship.)

"We will show you Our signs on the horizons and in yourselves." (Koran)

Two snippets from internet gleanings were connected in my mind this morning.The first is from Annabanana from a comment on my blog, the second from the Holy Prophet (saws).
I had said something about the contemplation of nature as an antidote for the effects of too much internet and computer world which was reflected in a poem I found, and, in a comment, I mentioned how, on her blog, Anna managed to make the personal universally applicable. Annabanana said this;
" i'm utterly interested in the deeply subjective. hearing other people's experiences has been a life raft at times for me. not in a vampirical sort of way, but because they make me feel less alone. when i rediscovered poetry as an adult, hoo boy, i felt like i found a friend in humanity. experience tends to defy description, but poetry can come pretty close to evoking it.
the other thing i didn't say in my comment above, but that i thought of later, is that this sickening and saddening of my soul is so quiet and gentle itself, for me, that it can be easy to ignore as well. this is what seems like The Illusion to me (now that i think about it). not that cherry trees and grass and concrete don't really "exist" and are maya, but that they sing to us of their nature and experience and we won't hear it. and this perception of separateness from all things turns us into selfish meanies.
at least, looking at the little ornamental apple outside my bedroom window bobbing in the breeze in front of the darkening sky is making me think this. in sofar as i *can* think with a pounding head full of goo."

I think the first paragraph is important in a discussion of the benefits of poetry (and also, blogs by the way) but, here I am concerned with the second paragraph and how it reminded me of the following;

"True worship does not lie in engaging oneself constantly in supererogatory prayers or in fasting copiously, but in contemplation of the creation (and seeking to know the Creator through His works)."

This is purportedly a hadith (authenticated saying of the Prophet (pbuh) .

Recently I have put "Opera" as an alternative search engine on my lappie.It is surprising what a lot of different stuff it will throw up, when compared to say Google, for the same search word, e.g. "Sufism" (!) That hadith came from an article I would never have normally accessed.
There is always a lot of discussion amongst Muslims about hadith and their authenticity.This gets used a lot in attacks on sufism as a way to undermine its wisdom by saying that a certain hadith that has been used has a weak chain of transmitters.Sheikh Nazim on the other hand goes to apparently the other extreme and says that if someone tells you an hadith to simply believe it.
At first sight Muslims will tend to be surprised by that point of view, finding it less than rigorous in shariat (outer law) terms. However it is very rigorous in sufi training terms because what the Sheikh is saying is.. recognise that everything that is coming to you is coming from Allah and if something comes to you as wisdom in the name of the Prophet (pbuh) .. know that this has been sent to you by Allah and accept it.
As an example he quotes the instance of a trainee sufi who was told by a little boy in the street that his Sheikh had sent him a message to go to Mecca.The person concerned had no doubts from whence the message had really come, though borne by a little boy, and immediately turned on his heel and went off to Mecca in compliance with the "Divine Command" without even waiting to inform his wife.(!)
So .. all of that is to say that, though I'm not sure of the collection from which that hadith comes (as it was not cited in the article) and have not heard it before, we will assume that it is authentic on the basis of the Sheikh's wisdom, and juxtaposition it once more with Anna's comment.

"True worship does not lie in engaging oneself constantly in supererogatory prayers or in fasting copiously, but in contemplation of the creation (and seeking to know the Creator through His works)."

" this sickening and saddening of my soul is so quiet and gentle itself, for me, that it can be easy to ignore as well. this is what seems like The Illusion to me (now that i think about it). not that cherry trees and grass and concrete don't really "exist" and are maya, but that they sing to us of their nature and experience and we won't hear it. and this perception of separateness from all things turns us into selfish meanies.at least, looking at the little ornamental apple outside my bedroom window bobbing in the breeze in front of the darkening sky is making me think this."

I think (and hope) that there is no explanation needed, that the two pieces together, one from a Prophet "annihilated in Allah" and one from sincere personal experience touching the universal, speak for themselves.

Wasting time in vain amusement and dervishhood as antidote.

Bismi'llah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim...for the sake of Prophet Muhammad saws and Sheikh Nazim may Allah protect his secret.

This morning on my cyber rambles I came across this on "The Haq."

THE HAQQ

Sunday, July 17, 2005

Shadows

People are running away from a shadow – a shadow which is themselves, that is why they are ill – and the harder they run, the more their miseries catch up with them. They flee from themselves all their lives in pursuit of a desert mirage that turns out to be nothing but sand. After all that struggle to reach that “Oasis” and to quench their thirst, they find that their struggles and false hopes have only made them more parched and that much closer to death for their efforts.When they arrive they drink the draught of death and must face a meeting with their Lord for which they are unprepared.
This is the fate of those who waste away their lives in vain amusement.The main goal of Islam and of Sufi Paths, especially the Naqshbandi Path, is to bring people back to themselves, to teach them to stop fleeing from their own shadows and to stop chasing a mirage.Mercy Oceans- Devine Sources (Shaykh Nazim al- Qubrusi)
posted by The HAQQ at 9:51 PM 2 comments

After that, came this, which I just couldn't resist posting here.

Saturday, July 16, 2005

Whirling Dervishes

Dervishhood By Kabir Helminski.

A dervish is an apprentice, one who is learning the profession that will provide eternal livelihood. This profession is still taught in certain "schools of higher learning." While there are many skills that can be self-taught or learned alone, the skills of dervishood are learned by being in relationship to a shaikh, or guide, and within a spiritual family, a Sufi circle.
There will always be much to learn on one's own, through one's own efforts, and within one's own understanding. The final responsibility, of course, lies with ourselves, and in reality there is no intermediary between us and our God. And yet one can no more become a dervish alone than one can become a lover alone.
People will dedicate the whole of their lives to becoming a accomplished musician or a professional athlete. In doing so they will have to organize the whole of their lives around this one master desire. A dervish is one who has made Truth his or her master desire and is willing to submit all other desires and aims before this aim.
It is possible to make Sufism a pastime, one interest among others, but that does not make one a dervish. It is fine to read widely and become acquainted with various traditions, but to be a Sufi is much more than to have a preference for reading Sufi books or listening to Sufi music.The price of dervishood is one's whole life, a total commitment of one's life energies. Fortunately, in our tradition it does not mean the abandonment of a productive and socially useful livelihood, nor the renunciation of marriage and family, but it does mean that everything we are involved with will be understood and arranged from the perspective of our essential spiritual intention. Certain lifestyles may not be consistent with our intention; certain forms of livelihood may not be appropriate in light of the more stringent requirements of remembering God with each breath. We may find that we are not asked to sacrifice everything, that the Way does not contradict our essential humanity.
We may find that our Friend is a patient, generous and compassionate Friend, but we gradually learn that we ourselves must withhold nothing.In dervishood we pledge ourselves to a shaikh and a lineage. This reaches hand over hand all the way to Allah. Our pledge, our obedience, our commitment is to Allah, and the shaikh is a link. Why should there be any intermediary at all? This is a very good question. Actually there is no intermediary if the shaikh is a real shaikh and if one's pledge is sincere.
The shaikh actually is the evidence of God's mercy and generosity, making grace more tangible, more immediate. The shaikh does not gather power or privilege for himself or herself, but is the servant of the yearning of the dervish's heart. The shaikh may also be the challenger of the dervish's egoism, calling us to surpass our timidity, our fears, our comfortable complacency. The shaikh may be the one to say, "Come into this fire, it will not burn you."No shaikh is perfect, and it is particularly in his function as shaikh that he may sometimes disappear and become a pure medium for divine grace or wisdom.
It is the dervish who helps to create the shaikh, and both are in the process of learning from the relationship. It must be remembered that before becoming a shaikh one had to be a dervish, and one never stops being a dervish. One day Mevlâna and Shams were sitting together in spiritual intimacy and conversation. A messenger entered with the news that a certain shaikh in a distant village had died. The community was asking that a shaikh be sent to succeed their late teacher. Mevlâna said, "Send so-and-so--let him be your new shaikh." After the messenger had left, however, Shams turned to Mevlâna and said, "We're lucky they only asked for a shaikh. If they had asked for a dervish, one of us would have to go!"Spiritual seekers are typically people who have learned to question conventional reality.
Most spiritual seekers have experienced a loss of "blind faith" and have searched for answers to legitimate questions. Our post-modern culture has also suffered a loss of faith, the result of which can be characterized as a pervasive cynicism. The conventional conditioning and orthodoxy of the post-modern world consists of a profound cynicism, doubt, and inability to approach truth innocently. While one should look quite critically at any spiritual path or teacher before committing oneself, one shouldn't allow the pervasive cynicism and rebelliousness of our times to prevent one from seeing what humility and trust can offer.
Once one has decided to play the master game of self-transformation one must do it wholeheartedly.In my own case it took quite a while for me to understand the value of cultivating a relationship with a teacher. Although I didn't realize it at the time, I was a typical product of my own culture, a culture which has a fundamental mistrust and disrespect for leadership and authority. Perhaps I was simply too rebellious and critical. Now I can look back on my own relationships with my teachers with some remorse for the disappointments and pain I caused them through my insensitivity and lack of awareness.
It is easy to forget that the shaikh is a servant more than a master. The shaikh holds the keys to a treasure the seeker cannot really understand. He may be able to unlock the treasure within the dervish's heart, but how likely is he to do this for a someone who is half-hearted, ungrateful, or full of resistance, who lacks humility or respect? The dervish's intention should always be to allow a sincere love for the shaikh to grow and deepen. Sometimes the outer respect is the best that can be offered, but we must realize that we can fool ourselves more easily than we can deceive others and especially our shaikh. What is required in this relationship is a connection of love, rabita, which allows all that one has to pass to the other.
When there is real love between a shaikh and a dervish, the dervish comes into resonance with the wisdom and light of the shaikh, and the shaikh carries some of the burden of the dervish. A shaikh needs to be strong enough to do this and this is possible only with the help of God and the lineage, especially the Pir, the Complete Human Being from whom the particular order derives its baraka, or grace. There is more than one kind of real shaikh, in addition to the self-appointed teachers who can do some good and much harm. There are shaikhs who serve a kind of managerial function in dervish circles.
They need to have a certain natural authority, experience, and knowledge; they must be trusted not to use the position to gain any kind of advantage for themselves. In their managerial capacity they are useful in the preparatory work of dervish training, provided they are backed up by a real source of baraka. Then there are those shaikhs who have the permission of the unseen world, who have true spiritual authority.
Such a shaikh not only has experience, wisdom, and knowledge, but also serves as a channel for the transformative energies of the tradition, both in group activities like the zhikr, and in relationship to individual dervishes. In order for this individual connection to work at its highest potential, the student needs to cultivate a spiritual connection with the shaikh. The shaikh is a "wireless transformer" connected to the powerhouse of the Pir.In the story-book version of shaikh and dervish, the dervish is involved in a period of closely supervised experiences under the watchful eyes of the shaikh. While it would be wonderful to have such a shaikh in one's life to listen to one's problems and answer one's questions, such a situation is rare.
A Sufi shaikh is likely to have a family and a profession and rarely has the time to give such personal attention to many people. Unless one somehow shares in his mission, works by his side, or has reached a high degree of surrender and can give all one's time to the service of the shaikh, one's relationship will more likely be through attending regular meetings and keeping the heart connection active at other times.Given the rarity of real shaikhs, especially in the Western world, one should be thankful if one has found a connection even at a distance to an effective Sufi lineage. In reality, the dervish's connection is beyond the tangible matrix of space and time, beyond even the conscious mind.
What needs to flow to the student will flow if the student knows how to cultivate that connection and has surrendered to it. In the physical world we are under many limitations of time and space. In some cases you may see your shaikh in the tangible world only rarely. In the world of the conscious mind, you may cultivate a positive bond and even converse inwardly with your teacher. At the subconscious level of the heart, however, the shaikh's benevolent energy will be working on you continuously.
As Yunus Emre says, "Ever since the glance of the mature one fell upon me, nothing has been a problem."There are many legitimate issues regarding authority and its abuse that have occurred as Westerners have uncritically accepted other traditions, especially traditions untied from their traditional ethical moorings. In some cases we have been led to believe that outrageous and abusive behavior from the teacher is part of the training. One cannot have an absolute rule, but generally the stronger tactics are reserved for the strong and devoted dervishes, and only after the greatest bond of love has been made certain.
Rumi's own teacher, Shams of Tabriz, was a stringent master, and once said, "My wrath causes a seventy-year-long unbeliever to become a believer, and a believer to become a saint!" We should bear in mind, however, that abusive conduct was never the method of Muhammad. On the contrary, he showed profound respect to people, always being the first to say hello, jumping up to greet the humblest people. If Muhammad set this example he was teaching a lesson for generations to come.Shaikhs may also challenge a person's conditioning or belief structure, may even appear to be doing something unethical or harmful, as in the case of Khidr and Moses in the Qur'an. No real shaikh, however, would keep a student in a state of prolonged moral ambivalence.
If the shaikh appears to do or require something that contradicts one's idea of the good, or moral norms, or the religious law, the reason for this should be made clear before too long, as it was in the case of Moses and Khidr.The relationship between a shaikh and a dervish is one of the most sacred bonds any human being could experience. To find a real shaikh, and to be accepted by one, is a great gift. Shaikhs are taught that if one of their dervishes were to be excluded from the gates of paradise, the shaikh, too, must remain outside. If a shaikh accepts you into his heart and you can accept the shaikh into yours, it is in order that hand and hand you both will go to God. Value that relationship as you would an infant put into your hands: in the beginning it may require great care and sacrifice, and even perhaps sleepless nights, but eventually, after tests, difficulties, and joys, that infant relationship may mature into a being of strength and great beauty, and the generations of the Way will continue.

The combination of those two got me running for the prayer mat! (How about you?)