Sufism Part 2 Flashcards
Why are Sufis accused of being ascetic?
Believe pillars and Qur’an are inadequate for a true knowledge of God. Aim for simplicity.
What makes Sufis different to ascetics?
Don’t cut themselves off from society. Are not celebate.
What does Aslan say about how Islamic is sufism?
Start of the journey toward self annihilation and unity with God is Islam
What aspects of sufism are seen as sin of shirk?
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.
What else is unislamic about Sufism?
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.
What did Arabi say about Meditation?
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.
What is Dhikr?
Remembrance of God - repetition of the names of Allah.
Describe Dhikr.
Done whilst counting the beads of a Tasbih (string of prayer beads). Varies according to orders.
How do the Qadiri order perform Dhikr?
Vocal dhikr, repeating shahadah whilst doing rapid head movements - organised in a circle.
How do the Naqshbandi order perform Dhikr?
Silent dhikr, repeating 99 names of Allah
How do the Mevlevi order perform Dhikr?
Whirl around and repeat names of God. (first practiced by Rumi)
Describe a dhikr service.
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.
Why is dhikr important?
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.
What did Muhammad in the Gabriel Hadith say about Ihsan?
“[Ihsan is] to worship God as though you see Him, and if you cannot see Him, then indeed He sees you.”
For Siddiqi, what is true Ihsan?
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.
What did Junayd say about sufism?
“Sufism is being with God, without any attachments”
What did Aslan say about sufism?
Sufism is to Islam as the heart is to the human being.
What did Samnum say about sufism?
“Sufim is about not possessing anything, nor letting anything possess you.”
What did Sufi Hadith Haeri say about sufism?
“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”
What does Nursi say about Fana?
He says to turn oneself into “a mirror through which God’s attributes can be reflected for others to see”
What does Qushayri say about the Saints?
The saint is the perfume of God on earth.
What does Sari al-Saqati say?
“Ask nothing of anyone, take nothing from anyone and you will have nothing to give anyone”
What does Hadith of Bukhari Muhammad say?
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.
Describe the differences between drunken and sober sufism.
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.
