Principles of Sufism
‘Willful and total submission to the Sheikh’, is
probably the motto of Sufism. From a glance, it is clear that a special and
complete bond is formed between the head of the Sufi order (the ‘Sheikh’) and
the Mureed (follower); understanding the principles of Sufism lies in
understanding its basic structure. So what is it all about?
Basically, the follower gives a pledge of allegiance,
whereby he pledges to obey the Sheikh, and in turn the Sheikh promises to
deliver the follower from every problem or calamity that may befall him. The
Sheikh also offers the sincere follower lucrative fringe benefits. Once a
follower agrees, he is blessed and assigned a set of Dhikr (chants). The
follower is also to carry on with his life in a manner that is laid out by the
Sufi order. If a conflict arises between his duties within the order and
outside duties, the follower is to act upon the instructions of the Sheikh. In
this manner the Sheikh’s hold over the follower becomes absolute.
All in all, the follower is separated from the outside
world and is exploited in many ways. As Muslims we believe that no human has a
special power or ability to deliver us from the calamities of the grave or the
Hereafter. Each of us will stand before God and will be judged individually.
God tells us:
“And every soul earns not [blame] except against itself, and
no bearer of burdens will bear the burden of another.” (Quran 7:164)
We also believe that as Muslims we are not to submit and
surrender ourselves to anyone but God, Almighty. Besides the Creator, all else
is apt to make error. The Prophet, may the blessing and mercy of God be upon
him, said:
“Every son of Adam makes mistakes and the best of
them are those who repent.” (Tirmidthi)
The Sheikh
He is the ‘supreme authority’, the head of ‘job’
distribution within the Order and gives each of the followers their necessary Dhikr.
It is to this individual whom the follower pledges full and total obedience; thereafter,
the two universal laws of the Sheikh-follower bondage will come into effect:
a. The follower must never argue with the Sheikh,
nor ask him for a proof in relation to the actions he does.
b. Whoever opposes the Sheikh, will have broken
the ‘covenant’ and is thus debarred from all fringe benefits offered by the
Sheikh, even if he stays a close friend to him.
As Muslims we believe that all acts of worship are ‘Tawqeefiyah’,
i.e. not subject to opinion; thus must be substantiated with textual evidences
that are both authentic and decisive. God, Almighty, tells us:
“Say (to them), ‘produce your proof if you are truthful.’”
(Quran 2:111)
We believe that there is no middle-man between God and
His slaves. We are to call unto Him directly. God tells us:
“And your Lord says, ‘Call
upon Me; I will respond to you.’ Indeed, those who disdain My worship will
enter Hell [rendered] contemptible.” (Quran 40:60)
In Sufism, the Sheikh is thought to be ‘the inspired man
to whose eyes the mysteries of the hidden are unveiled, for the Sheikhs see
with the light of God and know what thoughts and confusions are in man’s
hearts. Nothing can be concealed from them.’ Ibn Arabi, claimed that
he used to receive direct revelation from God, similar to the way that Prophet
Muhammad did, and was quoted as saying: “Some works I wrote at the command of
God sent to me in sleep, or through mystical revelations.” M. Ibn Arabi, “The
Bezels of Wisdom,” pp.3
We believe that the knowledge of the unseen is
restricted to God alone. Anyone who claims the knowledge of the unseen has
indeed told a lie. God tells us:
“And who is more disbelieving than he who forges a lie against
God, or says, ‘It has been revealed to me,’ when nothing has been revealed to
him?”(Quran 6.93)
The Prophet, may the blessing and mercy of God be upon
him, said:
“Do not forge lies against me, because he who does
so enters the Fire.” (Saheeh Muslim)
The Covenant
This is an interesting ceremony, which by far, is the
most important principle of Sufism as it is common among all Sufi Orders. Here
the Sheikh and the follower hold hands and close their eyes in solemn
meditation. The follower willfully and wholeheartedly pledges to respect the
Sheikh as his leader and guide to the path of God. He also pledges to adhere
to the rites of the Order throughout his life and promises never to walk away,
along with this the follower pledges complete and unconditional allegiance,
obedience and loyalty to the Sheikh. After this the Sheikh recites:
“Verily, those who take the allegiance to you take it to
Allah.” (Quran 48:10)
The follower is then given his specific Dhikr. The
Sheikh asks the follower: “Have you accepted me as your Sheikh and spiritual
guide before God, Almighty?” In reply, the follower is to say: “I have
accepted,” and the Sheikh responds saying: “And we have accepted.” Both of
them recite the Testimony of Faith and the ceremony is ended by the follower
kissing the Sheik’s hand.
This entire ceremony was unknown during the Prophet’s
life and the best three generations that preceded him. The Prophet, may the
blessing and mercy of God be upon him, said:
“Whoever lives after me shall see many differences
(i.e. religious innovations); so adhere to my Sunnah and the Sunnah
of my Rightly Guided Caliphs.” (Abu Dawood)
The Prophet, may the blessing and mercy of God be upon
him, also said:
“Verily, the best of speech is the Book of God, and
the best of guidance is the guidance of (Prophet) Muhammad and the evil of all
religious matters are the innovations. Every innovation (in religion) is a bid’ah
and every bid’ah is misguidance, and every misguidance will lead to the Fire.”
(Saheeh Muslim)
Imam Malik, may Allah grant him His Mercy, said: “He who
introduces an innovation
in the religion of Islam and deems it a good thing in effect claims by that
Muhammad betrayed (the trust of conveying) the Divine Message.”
The Dhikr
It is also known as the ‘Wird’ and in Sufism it
is the practice of repeating the name of God, and the repetition of a set number
of invocations. These invocations may include beseeching the dead or seeking
help from other than God for needs that only God Almighty can grant.
Ahmad at-Tijani, a Sufi Elder, claimed that the wird
was withheld by Prophet Muhammad; he did not teach it to any of his Companions.
At-Tijani claimed that the Prophet knew that a time would come when the wird
would be made public but the person who would do that was not yet in existence.
As a result, Sufis believe that there is an ongoing chain of transmission
between Prophet Muhammad and their current Sheikh.
Dhikr is categorized by the Sufi elders into
three categories:
A. Dhikr of the commoners, in which they
are to repeat ‘La ilaaha ill-Allah Muhammad-ur-Rasoolullah’ (i.e. there is no
God worthy of being worshipped but Allah and Muhammad is the slave of God.)
B. Dhikr of the high class, which is to
repeat the name of God, ‘Allah’.
C. Dhikr of the elite, which is to repeat
the Divine pronoun ‘Hu’, (i.e. He).
At times, the Dhikr is chanted in melodic hymns with
eyes closed, rich music may be played (to some this is essential); moreover,
some will dance before the Sheikh while saying the Dhikr. Many a time
the Dhikr includes open polytheism (the greatest sin in Islam). God
tells us:
“And it has been revealed to you and to those before you: If
you attribute partners to God, your deed shall surely be in vain and you shall
certainly be among the losers.” (Quran 39:65)
Interpretation of the Quran
In Sufism, studying the exegesis of the Quran or
pondering the meanings of its verses is discouraged, and at times, even
forbidden. Sufis claim that every verse of the Quran has an outward meaning
and an inward meaning. The inward meaning is understood solely by the Sufi
elders. On account of this, Sufis have introduced concepts and words that are
totally foreign to the teachings of Islam.
In the Quran God, Almighty encourages us to properly understand
His words. God tells us:
“(This is) a Scripture that We have revealed unto you, full of
blessing, that they may ponder its revelations, and that men of understanding
may reflect.” (Quran 38:29)
The exegesis of the Quran is accomplished by studying the
Quran along with the Sunnah; these two sources of Islamic law must be taken
hand in hand as one integral unit. We are to understand and interpret the
Quran and the Sunnah the way they were understood by the first generations.
Conclusion
As can be seen from the above, Sufism varies quite
drastically from the true spirit of Islam. Sufism inculcates in the follower
the will to stop using the basic faculties given to him by God, the Creator of
the world and to submit himself to a form of slavery.
Islam, on the other hand, is very simple; there is no
need for intermediaries or any saints between man and God, and one is only to
submit and surrender themselves to God, Almighty.
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