On loving the Prophet ( صلى الله عليه و سلم)

بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمـَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

According to a narration in Bukhari, the Prophet Muhammadﷺhas reportedly said:

 لا يُؤْمِنُ أحدُكم حتى أكونَ أحبَّ إليه من ولدِهِ ، ووالدِهِ ، والناسِ أجمعينَ

Ya’qoob Ibn Ibrahim said, from Ibn ‘Ulayya from Abd Ul-Azeez Ibn Suhayb from Anas from the Prophet ﷺ and also Adam from Shu’ba from Qatadah from Anas that the Prophet ﷺsaid,

“None of you will believe until I am more beloved to him than his father, his children and all people.”


According to Ibn Hajar, the above was also narrated by Abu Hurairah also Abd Ul-‘Azeez Ibn Suhayb’s narration, which was also recorded by Ibn Khuzaimah in his sahih from Ya’qoob (the shaykh of Imam Bukhari) has the wording “…more beloved to him than his family and his wealth”, rather than “his father, his children, and all people”, as was also recorded by Muslim from Ibn ‘Ulayya.

For those who want to achieve this love, there are words of advice from Amir Khusro (RA) :

ख़ुसरो दरिया प्रेम का, उलटी वा की धार,
जो उभरा सो डूब गया, जो डूबा सो पार.

Khusro dariya prem ka, ulṭī vā kī dhār,
Jo ubhrā so ḍūb gayā, jo ḍūbā so pār.

Khusro! the river of love has an opposite (unusual) flow
He who floats up will drown (will be lost), and he who drowns will get across (be successful).

In other words, it is necessary to fully immerse oneself in this love, in order to succeed....

(There is an alternate rendering of this couplet)

ख़ुसरो दरिया प्रेम का, उलटी वा की धार,
जो उतरा  सो डूब गया, जो डूबा सो पार.

Khusro dariya prem ka, ulṭī vā kī dhār,
Jo utrā so ḍūb gayā, jo ḍūbā so pār.

Khusro! the river of love has a reverse flow
He who descends in it will drown (will be lost), and he who drowns will get across.

Hope for those of us who want to descend in this river, apparently, if we do, we will drown.... 

Seeking God...

بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمـَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

Sometimes Sufism is associated with going into the wilderness in search of God, something which defies logic, since God Himself mentions the following:

Al-Baqara (2:186)

    وَإِذَا سَأَلَكَ عِبَادِي عَنِّي فَإِنِّي قَرِيبٌ أُجِيبُ دَعْوَةَ الدَّاعِ إِذَا دَعَانِ فَلْيَسْتَجِيبُواْ لِي وَلْيُؤْمِنُواْ بِي لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْشُدُونَ

AND IF My servants ask you about Me - behold, I am near; I respond to the call of him who calls, whenever he calls unto Me: let them, then, respond unto Me, and believe in Me, so that they might follow the right way.

Qaf (50:16)

    وَلَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا الْإِنسَانَ وَنَعْلَمُ مَا تُوَسْوِسُ بِهِ نَفْسُهُ وَنَحْنُ أَقْرَبُ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ حَبْلِ الْوَرِيدِ  

NOW, VERILY, it is We who have created man, and We know what his innermost self whispers within him: for We are closer to him than his jugular vein.

In words of a famous Indian Mystic, Kabir:
Where do you seek me? I am nigh.
Not in pilgrimage, nor in statues, Neither in solitude
Not in temples, nor in mosques Neither in Kaaba nor in Kailash
I am nigh, o man, I am nigh.
Not in incantations, nor in meditations, Neither in fasting
Not in yoga, Neither in renunciation to the wilderness
Neither in the soul nor in the body, Not even in the ethereal space
Neither in the depths of Natures caves, Not in the breath of the breath
Those who earnestly seek me, find me without a moments lapse
Says Kabir, Listen with care, "I am in your faith"

मोको  कहां  ढूँढे रे बन्दे  मैं तो  तेरे  पास  में
न  तीरथ  में , न  मूरत  में  न  एकान्त  निवास  में
न  मंदिर  में , न  मस्जिद  में  न  काबे  कैलास  में
मैं  तो  तेरे  पास  में  बन्दे  मैं   तो  तेरे  पास  में
न  मैं  जप  में , न  में  ताप  में  न  मैं  बरत  उपास  में
न  मैं  किरिया  करम  में  रहता  नहीं  जोग  सन्यास  में
नहीं  प्राण  में  नहीं  पिंड  में  न  ब्रह्माण्ड  आकाश में
न  मैं  प्रकुति  परवार  गुफा  में  नहीं स्वांसों  की  स्वांस  में
खोजि  होए  तुरत  मिल  जाऊं  इक  पल  की  तलास  में
कहेत  कबीर  सुनो  भई  साधो  मैं  तो  हूँ विश्वास में

Moko Kahan Dhoonde re Bandey Main To Tere Paas Mein
Na Teerath Mein, Na Moorat Mein Na Ekant Niwas Mein
Na Mandir Mein, Na Masjid Mein Na Kaabe Kailas Mein
Main To Tere Paas Mein Bande Main To Tere Paas Mein
Na Main Jap Mein, Na Main Tap Mein Na Main Barat Upaas Mein
Na Main Kiriya Karm Mein Rehta Nahin Jog Sanyas Mein
Nahin Pran Mein Nahin Pind Mein Na Brahmand Akas Mein
Na Main Prakuti Prawar Gufa Mein Nahin Swansan Ki Swans Mein
Khoji Hoye Turat Mil Jaoon Ik Pal Ki Talas Mein
Kahet Kabir Suno Bhai Sadho Main To Hun Viswas Mein

Junaid's Take on Tasawwuf

بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمـَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

Hazrat Junaid ibn Muhammad Abu al-Qasim al-Khazzaz al-Baghdadi (May Allah Be Pleased with Him) (830-910 AD) was one of the great early Persian Muslim Sufis and is a central figure in the golden chain of many Sufi orders. He laid the groundwork for sober mysticism in contrast to that of God-intoxicated Sufis like al-Hallaj, Bayazid Bastami and Abusaeid Abolkheir. The following statement of his is recorded in the "Kashf Al Mahjub", by Abul Hassan Ali Ibn Usman al-Jullabi al-Hajvery al-Ghaznawi (May Allah Be Pleased with Him):

 

ٱلتَّصَوُّفُ مَبْنِيٌّ عَلَى ثَمَانِيِ خِصَالٍ:
ٱلسَّخَاءِ، وَٱلرِّضَاءِ، وَٱلصَّبْرِ، وَالإِشَارَةِ، وَٱلْغُرْبَةِ، وَلُبْسِ ٱلصُّوفِ، وَٱلسِّيَاحَةِ، وَٱلْفَقْرِ.
أَمَّا ٱلسَّخَاءُ فَلِإِبْرَاهِيمَ،
وَأَمَّا ٱلرِّضَاءُ فَلِإِسْحَاقَ،
وَأَمَّا ٱلصَّبْرُ فَلِأَيُّوبَ،
وَأَمَّا الإِشَارَةُ فَلِزَكَرِيَّا،
وَأَمَّا ٱلْغُرْبَةُ فَلِيَحْيَى،
وَأَمَّا لُبْسُ ٱلصُّوفِ فَلِمُوسَى،
وَأَمَّا ٱلسِّيَاحَةُ فَلِعِيسَى،
وَأَمَّا ٱلْفَقْرُ فَلِمُحَمَّدٍ.
صَلَوَاتُ ٱللَّهِ عَلَيْهِمْ أَجْمَعِينَ.

 

 

Tasawwuf is founded on eight qualities, generosity, acquiescence, patience, symbolism, traveling(strange hood), woolen dress, pilgrimage hood and faqr (poverty).

• the generosity of Abraham (may blessings of Allah be on him), who offered his son for sacrifice;
• the acquiescence of Ishaq (may blessings of Allah be on him), who submitted to the command of Allah to give up his life
• the patience of Ayub (may blessings of Allah be on him),who patiently endured the affliction of worms and the jealousy of the Merciful;
• the symbolism of Zakarriya (may blessings of Allah beon him), to whom Allah said,“thou shalt speak to no man for three days but with signal.” (Q3:41) and again to the same effect, “Behold! He cried to his Lord in secret.” (Q 19:3):
• the traveling (strange hood) of Yahya (may blessings of Allah be on him), who was a stranger in his own country and an alien to his own kin;
• the wearing of wool by Moses (may blessings of Allah be on him), who wore woolen garment throughout;
• the pilgrimage hood of Jesus (may blessings of Allah be on him), who was so detached therein from worldly things that he kept only a cup and a comb. He threw away his cup when he saw a man drinking water through use of palms of his hands, and the comb likewise when he saw another man using his fingers to dress his hair;
• the poverty of Muhammad (peace be upon him), to whom Allah Almighty had given the keys of all the worldly treasures saying: “Lay no trouble on you, but procure every luxury by means of these treasures;” and he answered: “Lord, I desire them not, keep me one day full-fed and one day hungry.”
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Acronym : Tasawwuf

بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمـَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

 

لَفْظُ كَلِمَةِ التَّصَوُّفِ أَرْبَعَةُ أَحْرُفٍ:

فَالتَّاءُ: مِنَ التَّوْبَةِ

وَالصَّادُ: مِنَ الصَّفَاءِ

وَالْوَاوُ: مِنَ الْوَلَايَةِ

وَالْفَاءُ: مِنَ الْفَنَاءِ.

The very utterance of the word taṣawwuf (Sufism) is made up of four letters:
The tāʾ: from tawbah, repentance
The ṣād: from safa, purity of heart
The wāw: from wilayah, spiritual guardianship—nearness to God and His care. The sanctity of the lovers and friends of Allah
The fāʾ: from fana, self-effacement, the annihilation of ego into the nothingness.

from 'The Secret of Secrets' by Hadhrat Abdul Qadir Jilani (May Allah be pleased with him).

A word of caution about Tasawwuf (Sufism).

بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمـَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

 

 

أبي الحسن البوشنجي علي بن أحمد

 

ٱلتَّصَوُّفُ ٱلْيَوْمَ
ٱسْمٌ بِلَا حَقِيقَةٍ
وَقَدْ كَانَ مِنْ قَبْلُ
حَقِيقَةً بِلَا ٱسْمٍ

More than a thousand years ago, a teacher called Abu 'l-Hasan 'Ali b. Ahmad b. Sahl al-Bushanji (died in 348 H), who hailed from the town of Bushanj in eastern Persia, complained that few people had any idea of what "Sufism" was all about. "Today," he said, "Sufism is a name without a reality, but it used to be a reality without a name." A profound quote,reflecting the unfortunate situation even to this day.

Sufism was never a separate sect of Islam. It was mainstream Islam, without any labels associated with it. However due to the prevalent political (and hence religious) situation of the time, Sufism started to become a distinct approach towards Islam in "spirit", as opposed to "form".

In most original and authentic Islamic sources, the concept of Tasawwuf is connected with an extensive range of methodologies aiming to achieve human perfection by closely following the model of the prophet Muhammad (salallahu alayhi wasallam).

Keeping this in mind, it is imperative to understand that Sufism cannot contravene principles of the Qur'an, and way of the Beloved Prophet (salallahu alayhi wasallam). Any Sufi practices that deviate from the essence of Islam, no matter how well intentioned, can and do lead to misguidance.

This is a screen capture from one of my presentations:

Sarmaya e Iman

بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمـَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

The name "Sarmaya e Iman" (سرمایه ایمان ) is a Persian phrase which roughly translates as "Capital/Investment of Iman (Faith)".


In a poem by Maulana (Mevlana) Rumi, the expression goes like this:

يادِ‌ اُو سرمايۀ ايمان‌ بود 

 

هر گدا از يادِ‌ اُو سلطان بود

His Remembrance is the foundation/capital of faith.
Beggars are transformed into kings due to His remembrance.

Profile Picture

بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمـَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

The profile picture is a calligraphic rendering of a the quote:

 أَلاَ بِذِكْرِ اللّهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ الْقُلُوبُ

 which means,

"Verily, (only) in the remembrance of God do hearts find peace"

which is part of the following verse of Al-Qur'an (Ar-R'ad, 13:28):

 

  الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ وَتَطْمَئِنُّ قُلُوبُهُم بِذِكْرِ اللّهِ أَلاَ بِذِكْرِ اللّهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ الْقُلُوبُ
 

 "those who believe, and whose hearts find their peace in the remembrance of God - for, verily, in the remembrance of God do hearts find peace"