Sufism Flashcards
Explain Ihsan (Islamic spirituality)
Ihsan is an Arabic for ‘perfection’,
It’s to worship Allah as if you see Him, and even if you cannot see Him, to know that He sees you. So, you are moving in this path, this journey, towards the Divine. And in doing so, it’s getting more and more intense.
Ihsan is the goal of Sufi practices and is achieved when a seeker surrender and submits himself completely to the will of Allah. Evidence of Ihsan is from the well-known Hadith- Gabriel Hadith.
Explain the remembrance of God (Dhikr) (Islamic spirituality)
Dhikr is the name of devotional acts in Islam in which short phrases or prayers are repeatedly recited silently within the mind or aloud.
Sufi’s have dhikr groups in which they perform music, dancing, meditating, ecstasy and trance.
Many Muslims (including some Sufi’s) are against such methods for Dhikr, with many condemning the usage of instruments (considered unlawful by most scholars), because it leads one to forget about Allah and lose control.
For Sufi’s, Dhikr is most frequent form of prayer, while others join together in an outwards, group expression of their love for God.
Explain self-purification (Tazkiyat al-nafs)
Tazkiah is Arabic for ‘purification of the self’. This refers to the process of transforming the nafs (our human desires) from its deplorable state of ego-centrality through various spiritual stages towards the level of purity and submission to the will of Allah.
One fulfils this by learning the Shari’ah and deeds from the known authentic Sunnah and applying it in your deeds through life resulting in spiritual awareness of Allah (being constantly aware that He’s with us by His knowledge and knows all that we do).
In order to self-purify one’s self, Sufis practice fasting (sawm), waking at the night for reciting Qur’an passages, periods of seclusion, roaming uninhabited places in states of poverty deprivation, and lengthy meditations.
Explain drunken Sufism
o In Sufism, the term is referred to as Wajid, this is a form of religious ecstasy, which causes one to have a reduced external awareness, expanded interior mental and spiritual awareness, being frequently accompanied by visions and feeling emotional (and sometimes physical) happiness.
o Although the experience is usually brief, there are records of such experiences; lasting several days or even more, and of recurring experiences of ecstasy during one’s lifetime.
Explain sober Sufism
o One’s baqa (persistence of self) describes a particular state of life with God and is an abode that comes after the station of fana. Fana means to the self and realize God, while remaining physically alive.
o Those who enter this state are said to have no existence outside of, and be in compete unity with Allah. Fana is basically refraining our self from evil deeds and the expulsion from the heart of all love other than the Divine Love; expulsion of greed, lust, desire, etc.
o In the state of Fana, one realizes that the only real relationship is with Allah.
Explain wilaya (friendship of God)
o A Wali is a pious Muslim, who due to his knowledge and closeness to Allah has been given a specific position. This name is given to someone due to their strict following of the Shari’ah and also his devotion and his worship.
Explain the sufi master-disciple relationship
- Silsila is an Arabic work meaning chain, often used in various senses of lineage.
- Centuries ago, Arabia didn’t have schools. Instead, students went to masters who taught them. Upon completion of their study, they received Ijazah (permission) which acted as the certification of education. A graduate then acted as a master having his own students. This chain of masters was known as silsila.
- One can only receive instructions in these practices (Talqin) from an authorised teacher of the tariqa, and only after pledging a vow of obedience (bay’ah) to this Shaikh. The Shaikh gives his disciples permission (Ijaza) to practice the tariqa.
- Each Shaikh can show a chain of authorities for the Tariqah he teaches, his Silsila which reaches back from one’s own teacher up to the Prophet (PBUH).
- The Chain of Transmission within a Sufi order is of central importance in the Sufi work. It’s a major conduit of the Baraka of any Sufi school, and links the mureeds of that order with the combined spiritual power of their spiritual backgrounds and with the unseen transformative forces that transpire behind the outward manifestation of the chain, which is called the Silsila.
- The representation of the chain of transmission is called the Shajara (tree). It’s worth noting that at any juncture, there may be several shaykhs authorised to carry on a lineage. A Shajara is a tracking of intiatic ancestry rather than a representation of the full flow of Baraka from the source.
- The silsila is recited at pivotal occasions such as the group Dhikr of the order, or at initiations.
(Relationship between the Mursheed (pir or Sufi master or Shaikh) and the Mureed (student). There are two categories of conduct of the murid with his Shaikh: internal; conduct and external conduct
Explain the significance of spiritual perfection in the Islamic tradition
Through dhikr, Sufi masters train students to purify their hearts and souls. The shaykh’s role is to guide seekers to the original remembrance; to enable them to become continuously and spontaneously aware of the Divine Presence in the physical, mental, and emotional aspects of life, in the outer and inner realms.
To remember God throughout day-to-day life is far more valuable than periodically making a show of remembrance. The person who remembers God finds happiness; the person who forgets finds only desolation. In contrast, through dhikr, the aspirant achieves the mercy of God and the angels, purity of spirit, and adornment of the soul. Progress becomes easy, and the seeker draws near to the Almighty, for God has said, “Remember Me and I shall remember you”. (Qur’an 2:152).
Remembering Allah (SWT) drive out the Shaytaan by removing his whispering from the heart of Muslim. If someone wants Allah’s satisfaction then do Dhikr of Allah (SWT). In remembrance of Allah His satisfaction lies. In remembrance of Allah (SWT) one can find easiness in achieving daily sustenance.
Remembrance of Allah (SWT) causes the love of Allah which is the spirit of Islam and the prominent ethics of the religion, the basic of happiness and salvation. Dhikr of Allah Almighty removes the worries and sadness from one’s heart. Those who remember Allah (SWT) the feelings of calmness, tranquility and happiness will penetrate on their heart.
Explain the relationship between Sufism and the wider Islamic tradition
For many Muslims, Sufism is a deviation from Islam and doesn’t match the orthodox nature of Islam which it believes it is.
The fundamental difference between Islam and Sufism pivots around the path of attaining union with Allah. According orthodox mainstream Islam, it is the Quranic teachings of Muhammad (PBUH), Sharia Law, and Hadith that set the guidelines to be strictly followed by Muslims in order to attain eternal closeness with Allah, the divine. Sufism, on the other hand gives less emphasis on Hadith and Sharia, and focuses on mystical and ritualistic practices of praising Allah.
Those who believe in Sufism voluntarily accept poverty and celibacy (not having sex), and refrain from any kind of worldly pleasure. Mainstream Islam does not forbid materialistic pleasure and luxury, although there are instructions in Quran to give grants and donations to the poorer members of the community. Mainstream Muslims are against celibacy as Allah allows one to have sex with their partner (as long as it isn’t pre or extramarital sex).
In mainstream Islam, music of any kind other than chanting of Quranic verses are disallowed. Orthodox Muslims believe that dance and music are leisure activities and would distract the performer from truly serving God. Sufism on the other hand not only takes recourse to music in praising God, but also introduced dance in the realm of worshipping Allah.
Explain the centrality of the idea of spiritual training in the Sufi tradition and the importance of the Sufi master
The soul itself needs to be educated and trained. The soul needs knowledge and practice in the areas such as self-awareness, attention, will, relationship, service, and worship. In the modern world we don’t reflect much on the soul, let alone on its development.
Disciple follows the master without asking questions or raising objections in their journey towards the truth. It is a heart-felt relationship where the disciple’s love of the master will be the force enabling him or her to follow the master towards the truth.
The more trust the disciple has in the master, the easier it is for the disciple to follow them on the path of love and kindness
The master-disciple relationship, like any other relationship based on trust, can take a wrong turn and be harmful for both the master and the disciple. The danger for the disciple is this: rather than trusting the master to guide him or her towards the truth, the disciple turns the master into an idol –– an idol having the quality of acting in accordance with the disciple’s expectations and wishes. Unsurprisingly, when the master fails to act in such a way, the disciple becomes disillusioned and hence unable to continue on the spiritual journey. The danger for the master is the abuse of the disciple’s trust, such that instead of guiding the disciple towards the truth, the master leads them towards the wasteland of the master’s own ego.
