Sufism - The Path of Love

by G Kumar

The word Sufi is derived from the Greek "Sophia", meaning Wisdom. It is known as Tasawwuf ( Mysticism ) in Arabic, and is considered by scholars as the mystical, the inner or psycho-spiritual aspect of Philosophia Islamica. The great scholar, Seyyed Hossein Nasr, considered Sufism as the esoteric dimension of Al Islam.

Sufism emphasizes on the Unity of Absolute Being, Wahdat al Wujud. The Influence of Neoplatonism on Sufism Plotinus, the founder of Neoplatonism, conceived God as the Alpha and Omega of Existence, its Source & Goal. The translations of Plotinus provided the philosophical ground for Sufism. One is struck by the similarities which exist in both systems, with regard to the concept of God, the soul, the body, Vice and Virtue, Life and Death and Beauty ! Sufism was influenced by Orpheus and Pythagoreanism. Orpheus was a poet who lived in Anatolia in the 6th and 7th centuries BCE. He had divine qualities and he could influence wild animals with his music. He postulated that the human soul can achieve perfection by refining itself from all passions and worldly possessions. Soul travels from body to body for self purification and reaches the Perfect State. Pythagorus adopted Orpheus' philosophy and integrated it with his own concepts. Plotinus, the founder of Neoplatonism took Plato's Theory of Ideas & reinterpreted them from Protagoras' point of view. Neoplatonism considers God as the Alpha & the Omega. >From Him everything comes into being, in Him everything exists, and to Him all return. Communion or Union with Him is the highest Goal, therefore. Our lives have only a symbolic meaning and it is good and necessary as a Becoming. But all Becoming has Being as its Goal and Fulfillment and God is the only Being ! Sufism is the Path of Love - Al Muhabba. God is understood as Universal Love and the aim of Sufism is to unite with the Source of all Being, Universal Love ! Love without Philosophy is superstition and Sufism therefore encourages the adventures of the Intellect, the scientific and the philosophical pursuit, Al Marifa ! When he was asked about Sufism, Junayd ( the preceptor of Mansur Al Hallaj ) said, "Sufism is that you should be with God-- without any attachment." Sufism emphasises upon the struggle to overcome the domin- ance that one's Negative Ego ( Nafs ) has over one. The war depicted in the great Epics - Iliad & the Odyssey etc - depict the great war between Good and Evil happening inside the human bosom - where the great struggle for supremacy is fought out on the ground floor of our existence, between the black and white opposites of Virtue and Vice, Light and Darkness, prosperity & adversity. The Beloved ( God ) may manifest as Benevolence or Severity and the Sufi aspirant has to love both ! As Rumi said: I am a lover of both His benevolence and severity! Amazing it is that I'm in love with these opposites ! If the aspirant can overcome one's Negative Ego, ( in the inner War, Jihad ul Nafs ) he can achieve Bliss, the Bliss for which the world's derelict sorrows yearn ! If you could get rid of yourself just once, The secret of secrets would open to you. The face of the Unknown, hidden beyond the universe Would appear on the Mirror of your perception. - Rumi The Sheik of Naqshbandi wrote

In my annihilation of annihilation
In my annhilation
I found You !

Rumi wrote

I thought about You so often
That I completely became You !
Little but little You drew near
Slowly but slowly I passed away.

This passing away is Annihilation in the Beloved ( Fana fi Allah ). There is another intermediary state - Fana al Fana and the last state is Baqi bi Allah or Permanence in the Beloved. About Universal Truth, Ibn Arabi, the Great Master , ( al Shaikh al Akbar ) wrote:

She has eluded the learned of Islam
And those who have studied the Psalms
The Jewish Rabbi
The Christian priest !

The greatest Sufi was Mohammed himself ( Peace be upon him ), he who said that
" Shariah ( Ethical Law ) is my speech,
Tariqat ( the Way ) my actions &
Haqiqat ( Truth ) my states " ! Inner & Outer Jihad ( Struggle ) in Sufism "And those who perform jihad for Us, We shall certainly guide them in Our ways, and God is surely with the doers of good". (Quran XXXIX; 69)

"You have returned from the lesser jihad to the greater jihad" . (Hadith)

Jihad means struggle and there are two types of struggle. The lesser Jihad is struggle against the oppressors; the greater Jihad is the inner struggle against the inner enemies, the Seven Deadly Sins ( lust, greed, anger, jealousy, sloth, covetousness & gluttony). The outer struggle is defined as Al Jihad Al Asghar and the inner struggle is Al Jihad Al Akbar ! In his journey, the aspirant ultimately overcomes his Negative Ego & he becomes the Perfect Man, Al Insan Al Kamil !

More info...

New:

Threads of Love Sufi Conference
http://www.suficonference.org

 

Caravansarai: an informal discussion list for friends and for visitors of www.sarmoun.org.uk
http://sarmoun.listbot.com/
Discussion list for A CHERAG'S LIBRARY
Visit http://www.onelist.com/subscribe.cgi/cheraglibrary to join The Cherag's Library Discussion List. This list is intended for Cherags (ordained ministers) and members of the Church of All and the sufi orders and organizations developed from the teachings of Hazrat Inayat Khan such as the Sufi Order International, The Sufi Movement and The Sufi Islamia Ruhaniat Society, members of The Dances of Universal Peace, This list is open to anyone attuned to the divine message that transends ethno-centric differences and who wish to explore the Message behind the scriptures.
Chishtiyya discussion group
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Chishtiyya/
Hafiz mailing list
A Hafiz mailing list has been started to celebrate the poetry of Hafiz ('memorizer'), a poet-saint who lived in Shiraz, Iran in the fourteenth century. Enjoy a daily selection of Hafiz's poetry from a variety of translators. Subscribe to the Hafiz list at: http://www.onelist.com/subscribe.cgi/Hafiz For more information about this list or subscription without using the Web, contact the list manager, David Williamson, at: david.williamson@dial.pipex.com or Ferieke at min.fer.jon@wxs.nl
 
 
Osmanli Naksibendi discussion group
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/OsmanliNaksibendi/
This group is from our dergah association in upstate New York. Our Sheykh is Seyh Abdul Kerim el-Kibrisi. His Sheykh is Mevlana Seyh Nazim al-Hakkani el-Kibrisi an-Naksibendi. Membership is open, and we post on almost any subject related to Islam and tarikat. However, we allow no arguments. Thank you. Selam aleykum.
 
 

 

Newsgroups:

 

soc.religion.gnosis
From the soc.religion.gnosis FAQ: The purpose of 'soc.religion.gnosis' is to provide a place for the serious discussion and exchange of questions, ideas, experience, views, and information about of the historical and contemporary trends, techniques. practice and development of gnosis and gnosticism, its related literature, and corresponding concepts such as satvika-jnana (Sanskrit), Ma'rifat (Arabic), and certain associated aspects of mystical ecstasy. Gnosis is the direct experience or 'knowledge' of the fullness of the Divine Being. It focuses on the illumination of the spirit by the realms beyond the physical and psychic levels. Everyone is invited to take part in this discussion.
alt.sufi newsgroup: "Come, come, whoever you are..."
alt.sufi newsgroup is an open forum for discussion of any topics related to sufi perspectives, sufi stories, teachers, poetry and traditions. It is an unmoderated newsgroup, and true to the sufi way, is intended to be a place for creating harmony among people and cultivating dialogue among seekers of the light of truth.
alt.islam.sufism newsgroup
Extracted from a post to the newsgroup: as-salaam aleikum wa rahmatullah ta'ala wa barakat. Welcome to alt.islam.sufism!!! The wajib al-wujud (Necessary Being "ness") of this newsgroup is to facilitate discussions of tassawuuf (Sufism), the mystical dimension of Islam. So if you are on any stage of the path to the One (al-Ahad), interested in this perspective, or just plain curious about Sufism you have come to the right place. Needless to say, muslim and non-muslim alike are welcome to this newsgroup.

 

Websites

Now in (approximately) alphabetical order

 

Abjadiyyah Malay Martial Arts, Sufism and Sunni
http://www.geocities.com/pgssajkm/abjad.html or http://www.abjadkelantan.tsx.org
Ahl-i Allah (People of Allah)
http://www.peopleofallah.org
Ahmed Baki's Sufism and Science Page
http://www.ahmedbaki.com
Almiraj Sufi Books
http://www.almirajsuficentre.org.au/
Alif Publishing: Books on the Sufi Tradition
http://www.rappinc.com/786SUFI/
Allah-Sufism-Islam from author Ahmed Hulusi
http://allah-sufism-islam.com/ or http://www.ahmedhulusi.com
alt.fan.jalaludin newsgroup
http://sunsite.unc.edu/usenet-i/groups-html/alt.fan.jalaludin_rumi.html
Amir Khusro Dehlavi website (Sufi poet from 13th century)
http://www.angelfire.com/sd/urdumedia/index.html
Anulios - a blog on middle eastern culture, art, religion, magic and mysticism
http://www.anulios.org/
Aouliya Foundation (Qadiri-Chishti tariqa in Melbourne, Australia)
http://www.angelfire.com/az2/aouliyafoundation/index.html
Australian Centre for Sufism
http://www.australiansuficentre.org
Baba Farid website
http://www.babafarid.com/
Based on the teaching of hazrat Sultan Bahoo
http://islahijamaat.freeservers.com
Barzakh Foundation Homepage
http://www.geocities.com/yayasan_barzakh
Barzakh Foundation: Sufi Healing for AIDS patient
http://www.geocities.com/yayasan_barzakh/aidsbrze.htm
Bawa Muhaiyaddeen Fellowship
http://www.bmf.org
Belgium Sufi Center (in Flemmish and French)
http://home.worldonline.be/~appels/SOEFI-ORDE&ORDRE-SOUFI.html"
Book of Soul by 17 century Saint Hazat Sultan Bahoo (R.A)
http://risala-roohi.tripod.com
BOOKWEAVER: Books For The Mind Body and Spirit
http://www.bookweaver.co.uk
Centro Naqshbandi de Psicología Transpersonal (Argentina)
http://www.recuerdo.com
Paul Cheneours Sufi Music site
http://www.egnet.co.uk/clients/music/rgm.html
A Cherag's Library -- links to sacred scripture from many traditions intended for use by the Cherags of the Church of All and of all churches founded by Hazrat Inayat Khan
http://www.cheraglibrary.org/
Chishti Qadhiri order
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Olympus/5352
Chishti website
http://www.Chishti.ru
Darqawiyya/Shahdiliyyah
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Delphi/6588/dhikr.html
David and Chandra's Qawwali Page
http://chandrakantha.com/articles/indian_music/kawali.html
Dervish Project -- DVD movie about altered states of consciousness while doing Sufi practices in the Sufi Order International
http://www.dervishproject.com
Dziqr http://msnhomepages.talkcity.com/DharmaDr/dziqr/english.htm http://msnhomepages.talkcity.com/DharmaDr/dziqr/hu.html
Gharibnawaz (Indian Chisti Sufi Center)
http://www.gharibnawaz.com/
Gohar Shahi
http://www.goharshahi.com
The Golden Sufi Center-Events and Publications
http://www.GoldenSufi.org
Gurdjieff and Sufi Paths
http://www.angelfire.com/ca3/gurdjieffsufi/
Haqqani Foundation homepage
http://www.naqshbandi.net/haqqani/
Hazrat Nizamuddin Spiritual Foundation:
http://www.angelfire.com/ca/sufi/page5.html
"The Heart of True Love"
http://www.wic.net/schevene/truelove.htm
The HU Page
http://members.aol.com/hu4wahz/hu/index.html
Iamheart.org
http://www.iamheart.org
Ibn Arabi Society
http://www.ibnarabisociety.org
Il Giardino della Conoscenza
http://www.sufi.it/index.htm
International Association of Sufism
http://www.ias.org
The OnLine version of Sufism, An Inquiry, the journal of the International Association of Sufism
http://www.sufismjournal.org
ISHK
http://www.sufis.org
Islam Understood & Wisdom (from Indonesia)
http://www.angelfire.com/il/Nalapralaya/
Islami Roohani Mission (Naqshbandiya Mujaddediya tareeqah)
http://www.al-maqsood.org
http://www.geocities.com/muaz_niazi
Islamic Bookstore: Islamic Mysticism section
http://IslamicBookstore.com/islamic_books/islamicmysticism.shtml
ISRA: Islamic Studies and Research Association
http://www.angelfire.com/sc/ISRA/
Jaffe Institute of Healing on Spiritual and Physical Levels, returning the heart and spirit to oneness with God
http://www.jaffeinstitue.org
Jamil Islamic Center Of California -- Naqshbandi Haqqani Order
http://www.jamil.com/jic
Halveti-Jerrahi Order
http://www.jerrahi.org
Katinka Hesselink Net Sufism: articles on universal Sufism, from Idries Shah, Robert Frager and Inayat Kahn.
http://www.katinkahesselink.net/sufi/
Konya, Turkey pictures (including Rumi's tomb)
http://www.ege.edu.tr/Turkiye/si/Konya.html
KOTKU Education, Friendship and Assistance Foundation (Naqshbandi tariqa)
http://www.aitco.com/kotku/
Khusro: Videos for sale of Amir Khusro's Music
http://www.angelfire.com/sd/urdumedia/video.html
Kubrawi Order
http://www.kubrawi.org/
"La Rosa Mystica"
http://www.wic.net/schevene/rosa.htm
Madrassa -i- Towheed Homepage
http://hometown.aol.com/hsabit/index.html
Makhdoom's Quality Quest
http://home4.pacific.net.sg/~makhdoom/
(See pages on islam, shah, sufism, poetry, and sindh)
Masjid al-Farah
http://www.ashkijerrahi.com
Master of the Jinn: A Sufi Novel
http://www.masterofthejinn.com
Maternal Sufi Order-TGNJ-RVA
http://www.tariqat-gulnurjihaniyya-rva.net
Meem Connection
http://www.meem.freeuk.com
Mevlevi Order of America
http://www.hayatidede.org
Mevlevi-Order in Germany
http://www.mevlevi.de
Moon Over Medina (Sufi Bookstore)
http://www.moonovermedina.com
"Movimento Sufi Internazionale in Italia e Ticino" (Official Italian representative of The International Sufi Movement, under the guidance of Shaikha Dahnya Bozzini-van Gelder, e-mail: dahnya@freesurf.ch )
http://www.movimentosufi.com/
MTO Shahmaghsoudi website
http://www.mtoshahmaghsoudi.org
Murabitun Worldwide Movement
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Delphi/6588
Muridiyya International: Sufi school of Shaykh Abdoulaye Dieye
http://freespace.virgin.net/ismael.essop/
Sufi Musfaad homepage
http://www.angelfire.com/md/sufimusfadharidas/index.html
Naqshbandi Center in Argentina
http://www.geocities.com/TheTropics/Resort/4212/index.html
Naqshbandi.com - Islam in its true form
http://www.naqshbandi.com/
Naqshbandi-Center of Sheikh Nazim Efendis Murids (in German)
http://www.osmanische-herberge.de
Naqshbandia Dargah of India/Pakistan: Luari Sharif
http://www.luarisharif.org
Mirror Site to Naqshbandia Dargah Alia Luari Sharif
http://www.luarisharif.net
Naqshbandi Foundation for Islamic Education
http://www.nfie.com/
Naqshbandi-Mujaddedi Sufi group in London, UK.
http://www.schoolofsufiteaching.org
Description: Sufi group in London, UK offering teachings of the Naqshbandi, Mujaddedi, Chishti, Qadiri and Shadhili orders.
Naqshbandi Order (Shaykh Mahmud Es'ad Cosan of Istanbul)
http://aitco.com/~islam/index.html
http://npd1.ufes.br/~odilea/smhome.html
Naqshbandi-Haqqani Homepage
http://www.naqshbandi.org/
Nimatullahi Sufi Order (Khaniqah Nimatullahi) - Contains the principles and practices of the Nimatullahi Sufi Order. Includes books on Sufism, the Sufi magazine, poetry and music.
http://www.nimatullahi.org
Ni`matullahi-Safi `Ali Shahi Sufi Order
http://welcome.to/safi
Sufi homepage in German language. There are sayings and definitions of traditional and actual sufi-masters about sufism, a (German) bibliography, a musical example, and informations about the Ni'matullahi sufi order.
http://www.rrz.uni-koeln.de/~a0158/sufismus.htm
Northwest Sufis
http://www.nwsufis.org
A sufi resource of Nuradeen
www.nuradeen.com
Nur Ashki Jerrahi Sufi Order
http://www.ashkijerrahi.com
Nur Ashki Jerrahi Sufi Circle of Atlanta discussion/announcements group
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Nur_Ashki_Jerrahi_Atlanta
Omega Publications: Sufi Books, Music & Gifts
http://www.omegapub.com
Oveyssi Sufism (see MTO Shahmaghsoudi)
Parole Soufie (in French)
http://membres.tripod.fr/mourad/index.html
Pearl Publishing House
http://www.pearlpublishing.com
Petama Project (International Sufi Movement)
http://www.petama.ch
Polish Naqshbandi Mujaddidi group
http://republika.pl/sufism/
http://www.geocities.com/as_saramowicz
Postcards from the Path
http://www.sufi-net.com/
Qadiri-Nushahi Homepage
Distribution of rare Dhikr on audio cassettes from around the world
http://www.crosswinds.net/~sajad/
Qadiri Rifa'i Order
http://www.qadiri-rifai.org
Qalandariya (Sheikh Baba Sultan)
http://community-2.webtv.net/EGiltinan/Bismillah/
Radiant Valley Association -- Tariqat Nabvi Gul Nur Jehaniya
http://www.angelfire.com/ca2/mysticalpathwaynurhu/index.html
Rare 16mm Film entitled Islamic Mysticism: The Sufi Way
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/ebayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1570353077
Rifai-Kadiri-Arusi Tariqas
http://www.rifai-kadiri.org/
Rifa'i Marufi Order of America
http://www.unc.edu/~rdorfman/sufi
created in collaboration with the dervishes in the Rifa'i Marufi Order, Site featuring music, videos, photos and text that offers the seeker a multimedia experience of Sufism as it is practiced in the USA.
Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam
http://www.armory.com/~thrace/ev/siir/Omar_Khayyam.html
Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam
http://www.promotionalguide.com/ok
Rumi html file, about his life and a collection of poems
http://www.armory.com/~thrace/sufi
Rumi's Spiritual Path
http://ccnet.com/~rudra/rumi/rumi.htm
A Mevlana Jelauddin Rumi home page: Shamsuddin's Homestead in the Internet Wilderness
http://www.geocities.com/TheTropics/1889
A tribute to Rumi
http://www.zbnet.com/rumi
Russian Sufi page
http://postman.ru/~dervish
Saraswati Society (Mevlevi Whirling in Great Britain)
http://www.btinternet.com/~saraswati.soc/
Sachalsarmast.com
http://www.sachalsarmast.com/
Seattle Area Sufi Order International Community Page
http://members.aol.com/seattlsufi/
Serving the Guest: An Online Sufi Cookbook
http://www.superluminal.com/cookbook/
Shadhiliyyah Sufi Center of North America
http://www.sufipath.org
Shaduli Sufi Center for Healing and Mystical Studies
http://www.shadhuli.org
Shahmaghsoudi Sufism (see MTO Shahmaghsoudi)
Sidi shaykh muhammad al-jamal ar-rifa'i as- shadhili's teachings:
http://www.sufimaster.org
South African Sufi Site
http://www.sufi.co.za/
Story Park: Sufi stories, poetry and more
http://www.zensufi.com
Sufiajamer.org
http://www.sufiajamer.org
Sufi and Rumi Links
http://www.chattanooga.net/baylor/academic/english/studentwork/rumi/Sufi%20and%20Rumi%20Links
Sufi Book Catalog
http://www.sufibooks.com
Sufi Cabala
http://www.vaxxine.com/cabalaofeightelements/
Sufi Center Bookstore
http://www.rosanna.com/shop.htm
Sufi Coffee Shop - Center of Khaniqahi Nimatullahi Sufi Order's Publications in greater San Jose area.
http://www.suficoffeeshop.org
Sufi Films
http://www.sufifilms.com
Sufi Foundation: Workshops with Adnan Sarhan
http://www.sufifoundation.org
Sufi Healing Order
http://sufihealingorder.org
sufi-mystic.net - Questions/Answers about Sufism, Gudri Shahi Sufi Order (Ajmer, India), Sufi Saint School
http://sufi-mystic.net
Sufi Order International (formerly the Sufi Order of the West)
http://www.sufiorder.org/
Sufi Order Switzerland
http://www.sufismus.ch
Sufi Path
http://sufipath.cjb.net
Description: History of Sufism, The Early Sufis, Biographies of some great Sufis, Prophet Mohammad & Sufism, Sahaba & Sufism, World Religions etc.
 
The Sufi Reiki Association
http://www.sufireiki.org
Sufi Saint Pir Aboo Bakar Shah
http://www.sufipabs.cjb.net
Sufi Saints and Sufism Ancient Wisdom, Principles, Practices, and teachings of the Great Masters.
http://www.geocities.com/sufisaints
A Sufi Spiritual Abuse Recovery Assistance Resource
http://www.sufi-spiritual-abuse-recovery-assistance.org
Sufi Study Circle of the University of Toronto (Canada)
http://www.campuslife.utoronto.ca/groups/sufi/
Mirror site: http://muslim-canada.org/sufi/
Sufi Traditions
http://www.webcom.com/~gnosis/sufi.mystica.html
Sufi World
http://www.surrenderworks.com/sufiworld.html
Sufis.com - a portal to Tractus Books and Augy Hayter's site
http://www.sufis.com
Sufism's Many Paths
http://www.arches.uga.edu/~godlas/Sufism.html
SurrenderWorks: A Center for Sufi Healing
http://www.surrenderworks.com
Swiat Sufi/Tariqa Naqshbandi Poland
http://republika.pl/sufism/
Tabala Wolof: Sufi Drumming of Senegal (information about a recording)
http://www.rootsworld.com/rw/villagepulse/tabala.html
Tasavvuf & Sufiler (Turkish)
http://www.sufism.20m.com/
English version: http://www.sufism.20m.com/sufi.htm
Threshold Society, Mevlevi Order, publications by the Helminskis
http://www.sufism.org
Threshold Society, Mevlevi Order (in Dutch)
http://denboer-s.tripod.com
Tijani Home Page: Information about The Tariqa Tijaniyya, Shaikh Ahmad Al-Tijani (RA), Shaikh Ibrahim Niasse (RA), Shaikh Hassan Cisse and The African American Islamic Institute, Inc.
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/9189
Traingle Sufi Center
http://www.universalsufism.com/
Project Turuq Intercultural
http://skyboom.com/786rashidaltaliq/
Sufi Music, art, and books..UlhaqBrothers
http://www.ilhawaii.net/~heinsite/winghart.html
Universel: A Course of Meditation -- Pir Vilayat Inayat Kahn
http://www.theuniversel.net/
The Winged Heart
http://www.ulhaqbrothers.com
Universel: A Course of Meditation
http://www.universel.net
Zahuri Sufi Website
http://www.zahuri.org
ZenSufi Park
http://www.zensufi.com

Resources on "related topics"