Sufism Part 2

Question 1

Why are Sufis accused of being ascetic?

Answer 1

Believe pillars and Qur’an are inadequate for a true knowledge of God. Aim for simplicity.

Question 2

What makes Sufis different to ascetics?

Answer 2

Don’t cut themselves off from society. Are not celebate.

Question 3

What does Aslan say about how Islamic is sufism?

Answer 3

Start of the journey toward self annihilation and unity with God is Islam

Question 4

What aspects of sufism are seen as sin of shirk?

Answer 4

Shatahats - al-Hallaj was executed for this. Worship of the saints - Taymiyyah - rejected the idea that the Sufi saint could be an intermediary between the people and God, as this was shirk. He was imprisoned by Sufis even though he was one. Al-wahhab - destroyed Sufi tombs and rejected intercession (meditating for personal gain). Attachment to the Sufi master - Shaykhs should not be elevated above human status - oaths to Muhammad represents a particular time and is not an instruction for oaths to be given.

Question 5

What else is unislamic about Sufism?

Answer 5

Disregard reason and place experience as essential. Disregard Shariah - but Sober Sufi’s do study it. Unattached to the ummah - formed Sufi tariqah’s instead. Massod forbade Sufi dhikr in the Mosque in Iraq.

Question 6

What did Arabi say about Meditation?

Answer 6

He didn’t reject the Qur’an but said meditation and self realisation help gain a greater awareness of God. Muhammad said that to know oneself is to know God.

Question 7

What is Dhikr?

Answer 7

Remembrance of God - repetition of the names of Allah.

Question 8

Describe Dhikr.

Answer 8

Done whilst counting the beads of a Tasbih (string of prayer beads). Varies according to orders.

Question 9

How do the Qadiri order perform Dhikr?

Answer 9

Vocal dhikr, repeating shahadah whilst doing rapid head movements - organised in a circle.

Question 10

How do the Naqshbandi order perform Dhikr?

Answer 10

Silent dhikr, repeating 99 names of Allah

Question 11

How do the Mevlevi order perform Dhikr?

Answer 11

Whirl around and repeat names of God. (first practiced by Rumi)

Question 12

Describe a dhikr service.

Answer 12

After maghrib prayer on a Thursday evening. The ormate would usually be: 1. short recitation of Qur’an. 2. Chants of the names of Allah. 3. Talk by the Shaykh. 4. Singing qasidas and some will start to dance into a state of hal. 5. Closes with Qur’an meditation. 6. Food is shared.

Question 13

Why is dhikr important?

Answer 13

Reciting God’s names, they should take on the quality e.g. the sincered - will become sincere. Divine names divide into two majesty (evokes awe) and beauty.

Question 14

What did Muhammad in the Gabriel Hadith say about Ihsan?

Answer 14

“[Ihsan is] to worship God as though you see Him, and if you cannot see Him, then indeed He sees you.”

Question 15

For Siddiqi, what is true Ihsan?

Answer 15

To feel God in prayer, to honor parents and do your duty by them, same with relatives, to be charitable to the needy in society, in human relationships, it means to be good to others and show no aggression to those you disagree with, be mindful of the environment and animals - don’t waste, finally, do good, because Allah loves those who do good.

Question 16

What did Junayd say about sufism?

Answer 16

“Sufism is being with God, without any attachments”

Question 17

What did Aslan say about sufism?

Answer 17

Sufism is to Islam as the heart is to the human being.

Question 18

What did Samnum say about sufism?

Answer 18

“Sufim is about not possessing anything, nor letting anything possess you.”

Question 19

What did Sufi Hadith Haeri say about sufism?

Answer 19

“As for Muhammad, he bound a stone to his belly when he was hungry” “When you start by purifying your inner self, you end up being concerned with the outer and with society”

Question 20

What does Nursi say about Fana?

Answer 20

He says to turn oneself into “a mirror through which God’s attributes can be reflected for others to see”

Question 21

What does Qushayri say about the Saints?

Answer 21

The saint is the perfume of God on earth.

Question 22

What does Sari al-Saqati say?

Answer 22

“Ask nothing of anyone, take nothing from anyone and you will have nothing to give anyone”

Question 23

What does Hadith of Bukhari Muhammad say?

Answer 23

It says Allah says when his servant draws near to him He becomes his hearing and sight. So experiencing mysticism is good because one experiences what God does.

Question 24

Describe the differences between drunken and sober sufism.

Answer 24

Drunken sufism focus on the reaching unity with God, and being overcome by His presence, which is to do with intimacy and God’s love - leads to Shatahats. Sober sufism emphasises God’s majesty and his distance - associated with awe. Drunken tend to see the shariah as less importance, where as sober put emphasis on the Shariah and the Sunnah.

Question 25

What do drunken Sufi’s focus on?

Answer 25

Expressing themselves through poetry and their expressions can be shocking to the pious.

Question 26

What do Sober Sufi’s focus on?

Answer 26

They study hard and are often learned. They spend a long time studying texts and concern themselves over the law and theology in Islam.

Question 27

How is Ihsan achieved?

Answer 27

When both drunkeness and sobriety are put together. If drunkness takes a hold then reason can be lost, but if it is lost, then love, compassion and ihsan will be lost.

Question 28

What is Baqa?

Answer 28

It comes after Fana in sober Sufism. When consciousness returns and the Sufi Muslim lives with constant awareness of God. For some Muslims, true Baqa is to do with not cutting yourself off from the world but living amongst people and being constantly aware of God.

Question 29

In order, what were Al Tusi’s 7 stations?

Answer 29

Repentance, Abstinence, Renunciation/Asceticism, Poverty, Patience, Trust in God, Complete submission to God’s will.

Question 30

What did Al Tusi mean by Poverty?

Answer 30

This is to deny the nafs for pleasure and power. To devote themselves to the service of others and not to be self promoting. Lack of attachment to possessions and a heart that is empty of all except the desire of Allah.

Question 31

What did Al Tusi mean by Trust in God?

Answer 31

To realise everything we have comes from Allah. To acknowledge Tawhid - the oneness and unity of God.

Question 32

What did Al Tusi mean by Repentance?

Answer 32

This is when the heart realises sin and becomes regretful. There is a determination to avoid wrong doings in the future. To achieve this stage, Sufis believe that the Muslim requirese self examination and meditation

Question 33

What did Al Tusi mean by Abstinence?

Answer 33

This is when the Sufi ensures that he/she abstains from anything which might distract them from being aware of Allah.

Question 34

What did Al Tusi mean by Complete submission to God’s will?

Answer 34

To accept destiny without complaint. Whatever God wills and does is good. At this stage, pain is not felt.

Question 35

What did Al Tusi mean by Renunciation/Asceticism?

Answer 35

The Sufi Muslim must do without what he/she does not need and make do with very little. To be totally committed to God.

Question 36

What did Al Tusi mean by Patience?

Answer 36

To resit, bear and endure pain and difficulty