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Book report on sufism: an introduction to the mystical tradition of islam summary
What is the significance of Sufism in Islam
Book report on sufism: an introduction to the mystical tradition of islam summary
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Sufism is a Muslim movement whose followers seek to find divine truth and love through direct encounters with God. Sufism arose from within Islam in the 8th-9th centuries C.E. as an ascetic movement. The movement may have been given (or taken on) the name Sufism because of the course wool garments they wore as a mark of their rejection of worldly things; Sufis have traditionally taken vows of poverty and celibacy. Sufism developed religious practices focusing on strict self-control that enable both psychological and mystical insights as well as a loss of self, with the ultimate goal of mystical union with God. The Sufi movement consists of fraternal orders in which leaders train and assist disciples in the mastery of Sufism's philosophical …show more content…
Mostly they focused upon tawakkul, absolute trust in God, which became a central concept of Sufism.
Another century or so later, a new emphasis on love changed asceticism into mysticism. "This development was done by Rabi'ah al-'Adawiyah (d. 801), a woman from Basra who formulated the Sufi ideal of a pure love of God that was disinterested, without hope for Paradise or fear of Hell.Other important developments soon followed, including strict self-control, psychological insight, "interior knowledge," annihilation of the self, mystical insights about the nature of man and the Prophet, hymns and poetry. This period, from about 800-1100 AD, is referred to as classical Sufism or classical mysticism." (
The next important stage in Sufi history was the development of fraternal orders, in which disciples followed the teachings of a leader-founder. The 13th century is considered the golden age of Sufism, in which some of the greatest mystical poetry was composed. Important figures from this period include Ibn al'Arabi of Spain, Ibn al-Farid of Egypt, Jalal ad-Din ar-Rumi of Persia, and Najmuddin Kubra of Central Asia. By this time, Sufism had permeated the whole of the Islamic world and played a large role in the shaping of Islamic
Sufism is often described as being the mystical branch of Islam – a spiritual path that speaks to the very heart of the believer and brings to the fore, a very real sense of God’s immediacy within the context of daily life and religious practice. As a mystical tradition, it propositions a God that has shared His divine essence with mankind – a God who is available to address and dwell within the human condition. By discussing Sufi practice and its development of traditional Islamic precepts including prayer and fasting, this essay will place it within the context of Islam with a look at how its mystical notions contribute towards a more immediate understanding of God. Furthermore, the practice of dikhr s well as the Sufi path of divine love as a journey towards divine unity will be discussed in showing how Sufism involves a sense of self-denial in favour of comprehending the divine nature of God. Sufism’s intersection with Greek science and philosophy will also be outlined in illustrating the all-encompassing nature of the Sufi God. Comparing different viewpoints, this essay includes critical commentary that will suggest that as a progression of the Islamic faith, Sufism indeed makes a substantial contribution to an understanding of the Islamic God – one that is relevant within the context of modern day society.
The 'Standard'. Emerald Hills of the Heart: Key concepts in the practice of Sufism. New Jersey: Tughra Books, Inc. Nasr, S. H. (1979). The Species of the World.
Ghazali’s main interests were Islamic jurisprudence, Theology and Sufism. At a time where Greek philosophy was influencing many Muslim thinkers, Al-Ghazali believed that Neo-platonic philosophy mainly was conflicting with Islamic teachings. On the other hand, Sufism was also being evolved into beliefs that were un-Islamic. Ghazali with his knowledge and personal mystical experience set out to rectify these trends.
Murata, Sachiko. "Sufi Teachings in Neo-Confucian Islam." Indiana University. N.p., 25 Apr. 2005. Web. 3 Nov. 2013. .
Our contemporary beliefs will always be melded with ancient ways of life, and one such ancient way of life is Sufism. The role of Sufism in Muslim countries is prevalent in everyday life and is influencing the life roles of people. If the governing body does not have a separation from Sufism, or any religious institution, that could have negative effects on people. Religion alone is able to manifest in society, and can cause conflicts. Sufism influencing society is unavoidable, but if a government is heavily involved with religious matter it will negatively affect the lives of their citizens. For example reducing the role of women within a religion would be a negative result. A government may have too much power and indirectly, or directly,
In the roots of sufi philosophy there are influences other than neoplatonist philosophy. Ascetic practices within the sufi philosophy are associated with Buddhism. The notion of purification (cleaning one' s soul from all evil things and trying to reach Nirvana and to become immortal in Nirvana) plays an important role in Buddhism. The same idea shows itself in the belief of "vuslat" (communion with God) in Sufi philosophy.
Rabi’a is to have believed to be born 717 CE, 95-99 AH, or during the second half of 8th Century AD, she has no approximate date of birth. She is the first female Sufi saint as well as first true Sufi saint in the Sufi tradition (New World Encyclopedia) and first female poet in Islam (WISE Muslim Women). Sufism, according to Marcia Hermansen’s piece, Sufi Movements in America”, is not a sect of the Islamic religion like the Sunni and Shi’i because Sufi’s can be from either of those sects. This following believed that “their orientation derives from the Quran and the experience of the Prophet Muhammad and is at the heart or center of Islam” (119) and was practiced and associated with the arts; poetry, the arts, and music. (120). Rabi’a a Sufi
Jaoudi, Maria. Christian and Islamic spirituality: sharing a journey. Mahwah, N.J.: Paulist Press, 1993. Print.
For one’s spiritual development to be in a positive balanced state it requires the aql and nafs to be synchronised and to override its negative counterparts. Aql (intellect & reason) and nafs (ego) are just two parts of an interconnection of faculties within human beings. Aql is not only the operation of thinking, but has faculties within itself that are vital to comprehend. The aql differentiates man from animal, it is where knowledge is absorbed and its attainment produces a noble man. The aql is the medium that needs to be disciplined for only its positive gain for its spiritual journey, therefore reflecting and remembering God and His creation and Revelation. The nafs is a metaphysical system abundant in negative attributes, but a variable entity within us to allow us to appreciate the positivity when guided in the right path in one’s spiritual journey. Spiritual cleansing (tazikyah al-nafs) can be practiced for one to reach such a positive balanced state for the nafs. Therefore synchronising the aql and nafs towards positivity, will result in attaining a balanced spiritual state.
“The knowledge of God cannot be obtained by seeking, but only those who seek it find it.”(Abu Yazid al-Bistami). This quote sums up the aim of Sufism which is that those who embark on a journey that consists of love and the remembrance of God and living a spiritual and devotional life will attain great reward. Islamic mysticism, otherwise known as Sufism or 'Tasawwuf' is the Islamic science of spirituality that aims to explore and search the 'truth of divine love and knowledge through direct personal experience of God'. It involves various mystical paths that are aimed to determine the true essence of God and of humanity and also helps when encountering the 'divine love and wisdom in the world' (Sufism - Encyclopedia Britannica, 2012). Sufism is a mystical aspect or element rather than an Islamic sect. The term Sufism derives from the word 'Suf' which translates literally into 'wool' and 'Tasawwuf' which literally translates ' to dress in wool'. This usually refers to the garments worn by the ascetics that were made out of wool due to the simplicity and little cost. Also, Sufism is an aspect of Islamic knowledge which is concerned with the 'spiritual development' of a Sufi. The main role model of spirituality was the Prophet Muhammad simply because of his immense love for God, worship, spirituality, simplicity and God consciousness. The focus of Sufi scholars and mystics was the purification of the heart and the development of deep spirituality via submission to the Quran and Sunnah (Tasawwuf. Org- what is Tasawwuf, 2001).
Sufism is a deviant sect of islam in which the people try to experience a reunion with God (called mystism). And for attaining this state they limit themselves to monasteries or any isolated places far from the people, as their ultimate goal is union with god.
...wards Allah may be of three kinds: (a) Mohabbat-e-Islami i.e. love which a new convert to Islam develops with Allah on account of his conversion to the new faith; (b) Mohabbat-e-nuwahhibi, i.e. love which a man develops as a result of his effort in the way of following the Holy Prophet Muhammad; (c) Mohabbat-e-khass, i.e. love which is the result of cosmic emotion. A mystic should develop the last one.
The origin of Sufism goes back to the Prophet Muhammad who received the Revelation known as the ‘Quran’. He is regarded as the first Sufi master who passed his mysterious teachings orally to his followers who also received his special grace or barakat (Armanios 1).
In our universe there are numbers of worshiping ways to God. Every religion has its own set of worshiping styles and perception. Mystics of Sufis have made their own place outside these groups. A mystic might be follower of Christianity or Islam or any other religion but his perceptions to worship God are different from his own community. For example a Christian follower will go to church pray to God hear the sermon he might be doing all this with a perception of his religious duty fear from hell and love of paradise. But mystics do not do so. We must first know a general and brief meaning of mysticism. Mysticism can be defined as strong spiritual belief of God and worshipping God with intense spiritual devotion. Definition of mysticism is
Al-Farabi (Abu Nasr) was an Islamic political philosopher and scientist. He was one of the finest Muslim philosophers of medieval Islam. Alfarabi was considered the greatest philosophical authority and was known as the “second teacher” after Aristotle in the medieval Islamic world. Much of Alfarabi’s career was dedicated to teaching, writing and his studies. Less than half of Al-Farabi’s writings have been discovered that were listed in the medieval catalogues.