Getting to Know the Sufis

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/005/199lssqw.asp?pg=2

The jist of this article is that not all Muslims are fundamentalists and intolerant,and that Sufis should be encouraged. What I think is striking are these paragraphs, which deal more with the spiritual aspect of Sufism than the political:

Indeed, the further the distance from Wahhabism, the greater the element of pluralism present in Islam. Where the Wahhabis insist that there is only one, monolithic, authentic Islam (theirs), the Sufis express their faith through hundreds of different orders and communities around the globe, none pretending to an exclusive hold on truth. Sufis may be either Sunni or Shia; some would claim to have transcended the difference. Throughout its 1,200-year history, Sufism has rested on a spiritual foundation of love for the creator and creation, which implies the cultivation of mercy and compassion toward all human beings. These principles are expressed in esoteric teachings imparted through formal instruction.

Sufis follow teachers--known as sheikhs, babas, pirs, and mullahs (the latter, meaning "protector," had no pejorative meaning before the Iranian revolution)--but they resist the notion that religious authority should be based on titles and offices. Rather, Sufi teachers gain acceptance and support by their insights and capacity for transmission of enlightenment to their students.

The history of Sufism is filled with examples of interfaith fusion, in contrast with the rigid separatism of the Islamic fundamentalists. Balkan and Turkish Sufis share holy sites with Christians. Central Asian Sufis preserve traditions inherited from shamans and Buddhists. Sufis in French-speaking West Africa adapt local customs, and those in Eastern Turkestan borrow from Chinese traditions such as Confucianism and Taoism, as well as martial arts. In the Balkans, Turkey, and Central Asia, Sufis have accepted secularism as a bulwark against religious intolerance and the monopolization of religious opinion by clerics.

The
mode of life followed by Sufis, who are also known as dervishes, is as varied as their geographical distribution. Some retire into seclusion, living on the grounds of tekkes or lodges where Sufis typically meet weekly for meditation, chanting, and other rituals, known as zikr or "remembrance of God." Others give up their worldly possessions and wander as pilgrims. Yet most Sufis in the Muslim world maintain ordinary working lives, and some have become rich; it was said that when Sheikh al-Maliki's funeral was held in Mecca, private jets choked Saudi airports for days. Sufism has also exercised an influence, if a limited one, on intellectuals and spiritual seekers in the West.


I hope that more Westerners listen to the words of the Sufi teachers, especially those orders that are established in the West. I believe that they can help make the world a better place.

[supernova]

1. Thank you for all the info on sufism, ayeshahaqqiqa

I always enjoy your posts on sufism and find it fascinating. If I had been born muslim, I would definitely be sufi. W

hen you have certain events, are they open to visitors? Maybe if I can find the courage, I would love to see a ceremony or meeting.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

2. come, come, whoever you are...

as far as I know, all Sufi events are open, at least here in the US (in some countries where Sufism is persecuted, ceremonies are, by necessity, done in secret). Sufis, btw, don't proselytize, so you don't have to worry about that. And you only do that which feels comfortable to you. I would encourage you to try it out, just for the experience. If you wish, PM me with your general location and I'll see if there are any Sufis around there who are doing things.

[sam sarrha]

3. if you are defining Sufism it might be useful to emphasize the Mysticism

involved. they believe that we are "evolving" into a being that seems to be not necessarily human, for lack of a better term. I dont even see them as Muslim.. i believe that they were probably shamanic peoples to begin with and accommodated 'invaders' to survive... some have trance practices.

I almost joined a Sufi community, they had open public meetings "scheduled" for the public. after i started to study Islam, I decided anything to do with Islam was not in my future.
it was just to totalitarian structured, and intolerant. i had grown up in an abusive family wasnt willing to give up ANY personal freedom.

it was later that i realized that Sufism was a practice based on mysticism, and personal experience.

I always liked the sufi stories. great sources of wisdom.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

5. the first Sufi was Adam

according to Pir Zahumian of the Chisti Order. You are right, it is basic mysticism, with a slant towards Islam in the zkr.

[indigobusiness]

4. My hope is that the black cloud of American religious fundamentalism

will soon lift, and everyone will open their eyes to beauty of Sufiism, Buddhism, Hinduism, and whatever other wisdom tradition exists within our toolbox.

Good post!