Reflections

Sufism enlightens the mind, sharpens the wit, broadens the outlook and purifies the heart.


Sufism teaches humanism, love, brotherhood, oneness and believes in creating a world citizenship through “Tauheed.”


Sufism is a way of life to achieve perfection in manners, cultivate and culture the mind and heart with purity of thought and good behaviour, through possession of all virtues and negation of all vices by a process of self-realisation, self-sacrifice and surrender of the will before the supreme will of Almighty Allah.


Sufism is an absolutely peaceful and totally non-violent movement to awaken the soul to greater grandeur through simple living, and practising lofty ideals through meditation, zikr, by accepting the Risalat of Prophet Muhammad (Pbuh) by strengthening of faith (yaqeen) by protecting his precepts and performance of daily namaz, through acts and deeds of righteousness by seeking and observing taqwa (the awe of Allah), taubah(repentance), tawakkal (trust in Allah), ikhlas (sincerity), sidq(truthfulness), haya(shame), sabr(patience), shukr (gratitude, thankfulness), zikr (remembrance), zohad (renunciation), khauf (fear), rida (hope), khushu (fearfulness, humility), istiqama (uprightness), firasa (insight as the Prophet (Pbuh) said: beware of the believer’s insight for he sees with the sight of Allah), wara (abstaining from unnecessary occupations) and simt (silence). The Prophet is quoted to have said: “whoever believes in Allah and the last day, let him speak good or else, let him be silent.”


Adab (decent manners) lies in righteous conduct. Dua (constant supplication to Allah), tafakur (meditation), muraqaba (contemplation) and muhasabah (self-examination), tauheed (belief in one Allah), mahabba (love), shauq (yearning) and uns (intimacy).


Truth is realised by daily submission to the rule of Allah for achieving the perfection of human self, by mujahida, a collateral form of jihad to mean ‘earnest striving after the mystical life.” The Prophet says that the greater warfare (Al-Jihad-al-Akbar) is against the earnest striving with the carnal soul (mujahat-al-nafs). One should seek refuge in Allah and seek His protection from the satanic forces working in man by observing roza (fasting) for the purpose of purification of the inner and outer actions of man through qurbani (sacrifice). This will enable human beings to break from the shackles of selfishness and self-centredness. It will help them to keep away from materialism, ritualism, taboos and superstitions so that they can achieve perpetual peace and As-sakina (eternal peace) through deeds of everlasting goodness (baqiyat-us-salihat).


Sufism enlightens the mind, sharpens the wit, broadens the outlook and purifies the heart. Sufism is a branch of Islamic spiritualism and its study and practice is known as “Tasawwuf” (Gnosis). The study is divided into four branches-Shariat (common law), Tariqat (spiritual path) Ubudiat (unity with Allah and Marifat (Allah realisation). Sufism encourages all refined human values and culture through art , literature and poetry.


The Sufi Orders are: Qadriya (originated by Sheikh Abdul Qadar Jilani Baghdadi), Chistiya (originated by Khwaja Abu Ishaq), Suharwardiya (Shah Shahabuddin Suharwardi), Naqsh Bandiya (Sheikh Bahauddin Naqesh Bandi), Qalandriya, Owaisiya (Hazrath Owaisi Kharni), Shaziliya (Hazrath Shazali), Kabiriya (Hazrath Syed Ahmed Kabir) and Warisiya (Hazrath Waris Ali Shah). Other sub-orders include Nizamia, Chiraqdehlvia, Ghousia, Faridia, Junaidiya, Sabria, Gesudarazia, etc.


(The writer is Editor of “Sufi World,” a journal on Sufi culture, philosophy and literature)

There is a story about an 80-year old man who was sitting on the sofa in his house along with his 45-year old highly educated son.

Suddenly a crow perched on their window sill.


The father asked his son, “What is this?”
The son replied, “It is a crow”.


After a few minutes, the father asked his son the 2nd time, “What is this?”
The son said, “Father, I just told you, It’s a crow”.


After a little while, the old father again asked his son the 3rd time, What is this?”
The son said with some irritation, “It’s a crow, a crow”.


A little later, the father again asked his son for the 4th time, “What is this?”
This time the son shouted at his father, “Why do you keep asking me the same question again and again, although I have told you so many times ‘IT IS A CROW’. Can’t you understand this?”


A little later again, the father went to his room and came back with an old tattered diary, which he had maintained since his son was born. On opening a page, he asked his son to read that page.


When the son read it, the following words were written in the diary:

“Today my little son aged three was sitting with me on the sofa, when a crow was sitting on the window. My son asked me 23 times what it was, and I replied to him all 23 times that it was a crow. I hugged him lovingly each time he asked me the same question again and again all 23 times”.


So, when your parents attain old age, do not repulse them or look at them as a burden, but speak to them a gracious word, be obedient, humble and kind to them. Be considerate to your parents.