Islam and change - sufi Flashcards
(9 cards)
Philosophical thought?
Sufism: A spiritual path to God focusing on inner experience and divine love.
Key Figures:
Rumi (Turkey) – Influential poet.
Ibn Arabi (Spain) – Wrote about self-realisation of God, religious experience, meditation, and divine attributes.
Contrast to Mainstream Islam:
Less emphasis on Qur’anic recitation; more on thought, reason, and personal connection with God.
Spread of Islam:
Sufi shrines (e.g., Ajmer in India) offer food, aid, and inclusive teachings.
Stories, songs, and parables made Islam accessible to the poor.
Helped spread Islam in South East Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa.
Practices:
Meditation on Prophet Muhammad as the perfect example.
Celebrate his birthday.
Visit tombs of Sufi saints to reflect on their lives.
Weekly Gatherings:
Zikr (remembrance of God), Qasidas (Islamic songs), and meditative dance.
Aim: Enter a trance to experience God’s love.
Seen as a spiritual ascent through stages toward heaven.
Criticism:
Some view Sufism as influenced by non-Islamic cultures, placing it outside orthodox Islam.
Qutb?
Here’s a clear, concise bullet-point summary on Qutb (Sufi Spiritual Leader) for easy learning:
Qutb: Considered the spiritual head of the hierarchy of saints in Sufism.
Believed to have a direct spiritual connection with God, guiding their teachings.
Ibn al-Arabi taught that there is a spiritual hierarchy, with one Qutb at the top.
For Sufis, the head of a religious order may be called the Qutb.
Some view the Qutb as an abstract, symbolic concept rather than a real person.
Qutbs are meant to offer gentle, loving spiritual guidance, not oppressive control.
They help followers reach deeper religious knowledge, believed inaccessible to ordinary people.
The role of the Qutb is similar to the Shia concept of the Imam.
Controversy: Their status may be seen as challenging the Prophet’s perfection and infallibility.
Parables?
Parables in the Qur’an & Hadith:
Used to explain complex, spiritual truths in an understandable way.
Qur’an 3:7: Some verses are literal; others are allegorical (deeper meanings).
Islamic tradition: Each verse may have 7 layers of meaning, revealed based on the hearer’s spiritual level.
Sufi Use of Parables:
Sufis have long used parables to communicate Islam in a relatable, symbolic way.
Helps make teachings more accessible and spiritually rich.
Famous Qur’anic Parables:
Parable of the Light: Light = divine knowledge and inspiration.
Spider’s Web: Weakness of placing faith in anything other than Allah.
The Conference of the Birds (Farid ud-din Attar):
Birds seek the phoenix (symbol of divine truth) as their king.
They journey through 7 valleys, each representing spiritual stages:
Quest – Letting go of dogma
Love – Leaving reasoning behind
Knowledge – Forgetting worldly knowledge
Detachment – Abandoning materialism
Unity – Realising interconnectedness
Wonderment – Experiencing spiritual awe
Annihilation – Losing selfishness, achieving timelessness
Only 30 birds remain and realise the phoenix is their own reflection – symbolising self-realisation and unity with God.
Asceticism?
Asceticism in Sufism – Summary Bullet Points
Asceticism (Zhud):
Spiritual detachment from the material world to focus on Allah.
Practiced by Sufis to reach deeper understanding and closeness to God.
Forms of Ascetic Practice:
Isolation in caves, deserts, or simple homes.
Fasting, renouncing wealth, wearing plain clothes.
Sleeping on the ground, living by begging or foraging.
Rejecting all worldly attachments and self-benefit.
Spiritual Purpose:
To purify the soul and shift focus from this life to the afterlife.
Sufis may become so absorbed in God they lose awareness of self and surroundings.
Prophet Muhammad’s Example:
Used to meditate alone in caves before receiving revelation.
Quote – Rabia of Basra:
“I detach my heart from the world and lessen my desires so much that for 30 years, I have performed every prayer as though it were my last.”
This shows:
Her complete renunciation of worldly desires.
Deep sincerity and mindfulness in worship.
A constant awareness of death and the afterlife.
An example of intense spiritual devotion and discipline.
Personal mystical religious experience?
Personal Mystical Religious Experience (Sufism)
Maqam:
Spiritual “stations” or levels developed through devotion.
Begins with the Five Pillars, then progresses with extra Sufi prayers and practices (morning/evening devotions).
Sufi Ritual Gatherings:
Usually held Thursday evenings.
Include chanting Allah’s names, singing Qasida songs, and other Sufi acts of remembrance.
Fana (“annihilation of the self”):
Letting go of ego and personal desires to fully focus on God.
Represents total surrender and selflessness in spiritual experience.
Hal:
A temporary, God-given state of spiritual ecstasy.
Can occur during Sufi rituals like zikr (remembrance), where one may enter trance-like dances and lose awareness of surroundings.
Encourages deeper, more heartfelt worship.
Ibn Arabi’s Mystical Philosophy:
Key Idea: God reveals Himself to the individual through their thoughts, experiences, and understanding of the universe.
Known as the self-disclosure of God.
Shariah: A starting guide — but greater spiritual truths can be revealed beyond it through meditation and experience.
Ibn Arabi’s Quote:
“The second knowledge, which has no limit at which one can come to a halt, is knowledge that pertains to God and of the resurrection.”
This shows: True spiritual knowledge is limitless, and continuous.
Controversial View:
Arabi believed Islamic law was a temporary step toward a higher mystical truth.
Faced criticism but maintained that he was not contradicting Islam — only deepening its meaning.
Link to Hadith:
“To know oneself is to know God.” – Supports Sufi belief in self-realisation as a path to divine understanding.
Sufi devotional practices?
Sufi Devotional Practices
Local Hajj Traditions (South Asia):
Example: Festival of Qalendar Lal Shahbaz in Sindh, Pakistan.
Includes symbolic Hajj rituals (e.g. throwing stones at pillars representing the devil).
Originated as an accessible alternative to Hajj for the poor unable to travel to Mecca.
Sufi belief: God lives in the heart of the true believer, so visiting a saint’s tomb can hold the same spiritual meaning as the physical Hajj.
Meaning of Hajj (Sufi view):
True Hajj = spiritual journey to God’s presence, not necessarily a physical one.
Visiting Sufi saints’ tombs is seen as partaking in the essence of Hajj.
Blending of Traditions – Mahmoud Shelton
British Sufi Ustadh Mahmoud Shelton:
Combines New Age and ancient British spiritual traditions with Sufi Islam.
Believes in centres of spiritual energy (e.g., Cadair Idris in Wales).
Cadair Idris (Welsh mountain):
In Celtic mythology: Home of giant Idris.
In Islamic tradition: Linked to Prophet Idris, guardian of the cosmos.
Practices:
Meditating in nature, stargazing, and visiting wild, beautiful places to enhance awe of the Creator.
Controversy and Diversity
Criticism:
Some Muslims reject these practices as local customs that dilute Islamic purity.
Counterargument:
These cultural blends enrich Islam, making it accessible and locally meaningful.
The Quran teaches that Allah created humans diverse, and this diversity should be embraced, not rejected.
Dhikr ( rememberence)
Dhikr (Remembrance of Allah)
Definition:
Remembrance of Allah through repeated phrases, chanting, and spiritual rituals.
Common Practices:
Chanting Allah’s names repeatedly.
Using tasbih beads to count recitations.
Saying phrases like:
“Bismillah” – at the start of tasks.
“Alhamdulilah” – to thank Allah (e.g. after meals).
“Shahadah” – recited after prayers, especially by Sufi-friendly Barelvi Muslims.
Source of Authority:
Hadith: “Shall I tell you about the best of deeds?… Remembrance of Allah.”
Sufi Dhikr Service (Weekly Ritual)
Structure:
Short Quran recitation
Chanting of Allah’s names or Arabic phrases
Homily – short spiritual talk promoting humility
Singing Qasidas – Islamic spiritual songs
Trance-like dance (hal) – expressing love and ecstasy
Calm meditative recitation
Final Quran recitation (mirroring the start)
Sharing food as a community
Spiritual Significance:
A central practice in Sufi life.
Helps develop inner connection with Allah.
Leads to hal – a spiritual state of awe, love, or ecstasy.
Murakaba?
Murakaba (Sufi Meditation)
Definition:
A form of deep meditation practiced by Sufis to develop spiritual awareness and closeness to God.
Purpose:
To reach heightened states of consciousness and awareness of Allah.
Stages:
Various spiritual stages are followed.
The Sufi becomes more aware of God, rising to divine awareness and descending back with insight.
Access:
Only highly experienced Sufi teachers can reach the highest levels of Murakaba.
Warning:
Practices can be intense and spiritually overwhelming.
Sufis are advised to work under a qualified spiritual guide for safety and correct guidance.
Sama?
Sama (Whirling Dervish Ritual)
Practitioners:
Mevlevi Order of Sufis (followers of Turkish poet Rumi).
Purpose:
A symbolic whirling dance to enhance spiritual devotion and connection with Allah.
Origins:
The practice started when Rumi was inspired by the rhythmic tapping of a jewelry maker shaping gold, reminding him of repetitive Sufi chants.
Rumi began spinning, and this evolved into the Sama ritual.
Ritual Steps:
Pre-Dance:
Recitation of the Quran.
Flute music accompanies the dance.
Clothing:
White robes and a high hat (representing the gravestone of the ego).
Black cloak is removed at the start, symbolizing rebirth.
Dance:
Begins with arms folded, symbolizing unity with God.
Right hand points upward towards God’s blessings.
Left hand points downward to the earth, symbolizing connection to both God and humanity.
Spiritual Significance:
The whirling represents the planets in the solar system and the circling of the Kaaba in Mecca.
The ritual aims to develop purity, love, and spiritual connection.
