Also, some groups emerged that considered themselves above the sharia and discussed Sufism as a method of bypassing the rules of Islam in order to attain salvation directly. wa-halo yoḏeʾaʿ atta; in "The Way of Serving God", p. 371. conversion of Iran from majority Sunni to Shia, celebration of the birthdays of Sufi saints, Learn how and when to remove this template message, The Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam, "Sufism, Sufis, and Sufi Orders: Sufism's Many Paths", "Taking Initiation (Bay'ah) | The Naqshbandiyya Nazimiyya Sufi Order of America: Sufism and Spirituality", "Khalifa Ali bin Abu Talib - Ali, The Father of Sufism - Alim.org", https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jami, https://www.academia.edu/40141803/Persian_Poetry_Sufism_and_Ismailism_The_Testimony_of_Khwajah_Qasim_Tushtaris_Recognizing_God, "Dr. Jonathan AC Brown - What is Sufism? [189] According to Philip Jenkins, a Professor at Baylor University, "the Sufis are much more than tactical allies for the West: they are, potentially, the greatest hope for pluralism and democracy within Muslim nations." [citation needed]. The Golden Sufi Center exists in England, Switzerland and the United States. The Qadiriyyah have not developed any distinctive doctrines or teachings outside of mainstream Islam. These artists integrated Islamic visual traditions, especially calligraphy, and elements of modern art into syncretic contemporary compositions. More generally, dhikr takes a wide range and various layers of meaning. [11] They strive for ihsan (perfection of worship), as detailed in a hadith: "Ihsan is to worship Allah as if you see Him; if you can't see Him, surely He sees you. My servant never ceases drawing near to Me through supererogatory works until I love him. He is said to have helped the poorer members of the community for many years, and after this concluded his teacher directed him to care for animals cleaning their wounds, and assisting them. "[142] In the vernacular, it is most commonly used by Muslims to indicate an Islamic saint, otherwise referred to by the more literal "friend of God. The term neo-Sufism was originally coined by Fazlur Rahman and used by other scholars to describe reformist currents among 18th century Sufi orders, whose goal was to remove some of the more ecstatic and pantheistic elements of the Sufi tradition and reassert the importance of Islamic law as the basis for inner spirituality and social activism. In more complicated dances, the member of a Sufi order may form concentric circles. This invocation, which was first introduced by the Qurʾān, appears at the beginning of every Qurʾānic surah (chapter) except the ninth (which presents a … Many Sufi personalities embraced calligraphy as a sacred practice, and as a vehicle for reflection on divine mysteries. At the beginning of the Sema, by holding his arms crosswise, the semazen appears to represent the number one, thus testifying to God's unity. "[63][64][62][65], Towards the end of the first millennium, a number of manuals began to be written summarizing the doctrines of Sufism and describing some typical Sufi practices. It was founded by Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee to continue the work of his teacher Irina Tweedie, herself a practitioner of both Hinduism and neo-Sufism. 1 (2019): 17–49. He cites the early shaykhs (shuyukh al-salaf) such as Al-Fuḍayl ibn ‘Iyāḍ, Ibrahim ibn Adham, Ma`ruf al-Karkhi, Sirri Saqti, Junayd of Baghdad, and others of the early teachers, as well as Abdul-Qadir Gilani, Hammad, Abu al-Bayan and others of the later masters— that they do not permit the followers of the Sufi path to depart from the divinely legislated command and prohibition. The Qadiri Order is one of the oldest Sufi orders. Walī (Arabic: ولي‎, plural ʾawliyāʾ أولياء) is an Arabic word whose literal meanings include "custodian", "protector", "helper", and "friend. In this branch the seeker experiences divine attraction (jadhba), and is able to enter the order with a glimpse of its endpoint, of direct apprehension of the Divine Presence towards which all spiritual striving is directed. [101] Fariduddin Attar stated, "Muhammad is the exemplar to both worlds, the guide of the descendants of Adam. Historically, Sufis have often belonged to different ṭuruq or "orders" – congregations formed around a grand master referred to as a wali who traces a direct chain of successive teachers back to the Islamic prophet Muhammad. May 7, 2016 - Explore magda hassaan's board "Sufi designs" on Pinterest. [56] In his Al-Risala al-Safadiyya, ibn Taymiyyah describes the Sufis as those who belong to the path of the Sunna and represent it in their teachings and writings. KuficKufic is the oldest form of the Arabic script. The members or followers of a tariqa are known as murīdīn (singular murīd), meaning "desirous", viz. [13] Ibn Arabi regards that the first entity that was brought into existence is the reality or essence of Muhammad (al-ḥaqīqa al-Muhammadiyya). 9 Pins • 57 Followers. [200], The precepts prescribed by the Torah number 613 only; those dictated by the intellect are innumerable. [155] Historically, a "belief in the miracles of saints (karāmāt al-awliyāʾ, literally 'marvels of the friends [of God]')" has been "a requirement in Sunni Islam."[156]. [78], Opposition to Sufi teachers and orders from more literalist and legalist strains of Islam existed in various forms throughout Islamic history. The word calligraphy comes from the Greek words kallos, meaning beauty, and graphein, meaning writing. ", and that Ibn al-Farid "stresses that Sufism lies behind and before systematization; that 'our wine existed before what you call the grape and the vine' (the school and the system)..."[197] Shah's views have however been rejected by modern scholars. It includes Arabic Calligraphy, Ottoman, and Persian calligraphy. ", "Listening to Islamic Songs with Musical Instruments", "Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan : National Geographic World Music", "Popular Sufi leader in Morocco dies aged 95", "Confreries: A Crossroads of Morocco's Literary and Spiritual Diversity", "Pakistan's Sufis defiant after Islamic State attack on shrine kills 83", "88 dead, 343 injured in Sehwan shrine explosion: official data", "Sehwan blast: Death toll reaches 90 as two more victims succumb to injuries", "Who Are Sufi Muslims and Why Do Some Extremists Hate Them? [125], Some Sufi orders stress and place extensive reliance upon dhikr. Muhammad is therefore the primary role model for human beings to aspire to emulate. The symbolic emblem of the Naqshbandi Sufi Order, Grave of Ma Yuanzhang, the Sufi Grand Master, in China, Allah's essence within a disciple's heart, associated with the Sarwari Qadri Order, Mirror calligraphy, symbolizing the Sufi Bektashi Order of the Dervish, Safaviyya star from ceiling of Shah Mosque, Isfahan, A symbol from the Mughal Empire: an amulet comprising magic squares, Quranic verses (including Al-Baqara 255 (Throne Verse) (2:255) running around the frame), and invocations to God, with a depiction of Zulfiqar at the center, Sufi mysticism has long exercised a fascination upon the Western world, and especially its Orientalist scholars. Sheikh Nadjm ed-Din Kubra was among those killed by the Mongols. [31] According to Carl W. Ernst the earliest figures of Sufism are Muhammad himself and his companions (Sahabah). Many other terms that described particular spiritual qualities and roles were used instead in more practical contexts. 1. The basic idea in this practice is to visualize the Allah as having been written on the disciple's heart.[126]. He was a Prophet while Adam was between water and clay, and his elemental structure is the Seal of the Prophets. In his commentary, Ibn Taymiyya stresses that the primacy of the sharia forms the soundest tradition in tasawwuf, and to argue this point he lists over a dozen early masters, as well as more contemporary shaykhs like his fellow Hanbalis, al-Ansari al-Harawi and Abdul-Qadir, and the latter's own shaykh, Hammad al-Dabbas the upright. Spaces between letters are often narrow, and lines ascend upwards from right to left. Although not affiliated with the hurufiyya movement, the contemporary artist Shirin Neshat integrates Arabic text into her black-and-white photography, creating contrast and duality. The order was formalized by his nephew, Shahab al-Din Abu Hafs Umar Suhrawardi. A number of Westerners have embarked with varying degrees of success on the path of Sufism. [123], The dhikr may slightly vary among each order. I was convinced that the group of Aulia (holy mystics) is the only truthful group who follow the right path, display best conduct and surpass all sages in their wisdom and insight. The Quran refers to Muhammad as the very embodiment of dhikr of Allah (65:10–11). By removing his black cloak (hırka), he is spiritually reborn to the truth. These interact in various ways, producing the spiritual types of the tyrant (dominated by nafs), the person of faith and moderation (dominated by the spiritual heart), and the person lost in love for God (dominated by the ruh). Other Western Sufi organisations include the Sufi Foundation of America and the International Association of Sufism. Some[who?] Its ability to articulate an inclusive Islamic identity with greater emphasis on personal and small-group piety has made Sufism especially well-suited for contexts characterized by religious pluralism and secularist perspectives. The extent to which Sufi orders declined in the first half of the 20th century varied from country to country, but by the middle of the century the very survival of the orders and traditional Sufi lifestyle appeared doubtful to many observers. There is not in the horizons, beyond the horizons or below the horizons, anyone more elegant, more noble, more knowing, more just, more fearsome, or more compassionate, than the subject of this tale. The ink is often in color and chosen so that its intensity can vary greatly, creating dynamism and movement in the letter forms. Abdul-Qadir Gilani (1077–1166) was a Mesopotamian-born Hanbali jurist and prominent Sufi scholar based in Baghdad, with Persian roots. meaning and symbolism, as well as their numeric value. In this branch, the seeker begins by purifying the lower self of every corrupting influence that stands in the way of recognizing all of creation as the work of God, as God's active self-disclosure or theophany. In July 2016, at International Sufi Festival[212] held in Noida Film City, UP, India, H.E. Islamic calligraphy has also been incorporated into modern art beginning with the post-colonial period in the Middle East, as well as the more recent style of calligraffiti. Emblem of Qadiriyya Sufi Order. [201], Abraham Maimonides' principal work was originally composed in Judeo-Arabic and entitled "כתאב כפאיה אלעאבדין" Kitāb Kifāyah al-'Ābidīn (A Comprehensive Guide for the Servants of God). [87], To Sufis, the outer law consists of rules pertaining to worship, transactions, marriage, judicial rulings, and criminal law—what is often referred to, broadly, as "qanun". For instance, the doctrine of "subtle centers" or centers of subtle cognition (known as Lataif-e-sitta) addresses the matter of the awakening of spiritual intuition. Later those who followed his teaching became known as the school of wahdat al-wujud (the Oneness of Being). Pseudo-kufics is especially common in Renaissance depictions of people from the Holy Land. She died in Jerusalem and is thought to have been buried in the Chapel of the Ascension. Below artifacts focus specially on depicting life of Dervish and Sufi saints. You are the guide of those who are passing through the Valley of Bewilderment. So when working on the Sufi Comics – Rumi book, we included references to the verses of the Qur’an on the same theme as the poem. [208], Allama Iqbal, one of the greatest Urdu poets has discussed Sufism, philosophy and Islam in his English work The Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam. The order is one of the most widespread of the Sufi orders in the Islamic world, and has a huge presence in Central Asia, Pakistan, Turkey, Balkans and much of East and West Africa. 910). The Jewish Sufis maintained their own brotherhood, guided by a religious leader like a Sufi sheikh. As a mystic and ascetic aspect of Islam, it is considered as the part of Islamic teaching that deals with the purification of the inner self. [113], Sufism has contributed significantly to the elaboration of theoretical perspectives in many domains of intellectual endeavor. It took on a particularly violent form in the 18th century with the emergence of the Wahhabi movement. It is an explicit reference to a Medieval system of teaching involving political theology and lettrism. Calligraphy has been popular in western, Arabic and Chinese / oriental domains. Moinuddin Chishtī turned towards India, reputedly after a dream in which Muhammad blessed him to do so. “Subhanallah” meaning “God is perfect” or “Praised be God, or Glory to God” in Arabic. Traditionally, the term was charged with Sufi intellectual and esoteric meaning. (Jamiʿ karamat al-awliyaʾ)". Rumi states, "I 'sewed' my two eyes shut from [desires for] this world and the next – this I learned from Muhammad. "[18], Despite a relative decline of Sufi orders in the modern era and criticism of some aspects of Sufism by modernist thinkers and conservative Salafists, Sufism has continued to play an important role in the Islamic world, and has also influenced various forms of spirituality in the West. The Senussi tribes of Libya and the Sudan are one of the strongest adherents of Sufism. The term, hurifiyya is derived from the Arabic term, harf for letter. The persecution of Sufism and Sufi Muslims over the course of centuries has included acts of religious discrimination, persecution and violence, such as the destruction of Sufi shrines, tombs, and mosques, suppression of Sufi orders, and discrimination against adherents of Sufism in a number of Muslim-majority countries. The term tariqa is used for a school or order of Sufism, or especially for the mystical teaching and spiritual practices of such an order with the aim of seeking ḥaqīqah (ultimate truth). During the trial of al-Hallaj, his former disciple, the Caliph of the time demanded his fatwa. "[36] Eminent Sufis such as Ali Hujwiri refer to Ali as having a very high ranking in Tasawwuf. Also see ibid., Chapter 10 ("Iqquḇim"), s.v. These two explanations were combined by the Sufi al-Rudhabari (d. 322 AH), who said, "The Sufi is the one who wears wool on top of purity. Likewise, in Fez, Morocco, a popular destination for such pious visitation is the Zaouia Moulay Idriss II and the yearly visitation to see the current Sheikh of the Qadiri Boutchichi Tariqah, Sheikh Sidi Hamza al Qadiri al Boutchichi to celebrate the Mawlid (which is usually televised on Moroccan National television). The report stressed the Sufi role as moderate traditionalists open to change, and thus as allies against violence. Traditionally, the term was charged with Sufi intellectual and esoteric meaning. “Music in the Islamic Tradition.”, Jonathan A.C. Brown, "Faithful Dissenters,", A. Del Boca, "Gli Italiani in Libia – Tripoli Bel Suol d'Amore" Mondadori 1993, p. 415. His writings, especially al-Futuhat al-Makkiyya and Fusus al-hikam, have been studied within all the Sufi orders as the clearest expression of tawhid (Divine Unity), though because of their recondite nature they were often only given to initiates. "[27][28], Others have suggested that the word comes from the term ahl aṣ-ṣuffah ("the people of the suffah or the bench"), who were a group of impoverished companions of Muhammad who held regular gatherings of dhikr, one of the most prominent companion among them was Abu Huraira. My first design in a series of 3. "[102] Sufis have historically stressed the importance of Muhammad's perfection and his ability to intercede. Then whosoever breaks his pledge, breaks it only to his own harm, and whosoever fulfils what he has covenanted with Allâh, He will bestow on him a great reward. [79], Around the turn of the 20th century, Sufi rituals and doctrines also came under sustained criticism from modernist Islamic reformers, liberal nationalists, and, some decades later, socialist movements in the Muslim world. Islamic calligraphy is the artistic practice of handwriting and calligraphy, based upon the alphabet in the lands sharing a common Islamic cultural heritage. Gilani spent his early life in Na'if, a town just East to Baghdad, also the town of his birth. Although the overwhelming majority of Sufis, both pre-modern and modern, were and are adherents of Sunni Islam, there also developed certain strands of Sufi practice within the ambit of Shia Islam during the late medieval period, particularly after the conversion of Iran from majority Sunni to Shia. The Rahmaniyyah tariqa murids follow the doctrines and teachings of traditional Islam, and they believe in the fundamental principles of Islam interpreted through applied mysticism. The Ni'matullāhī order is the most widespread Sufi order of Persia today. [13] Ibn Arabi maintains that Muhammad is the best proof of God, and by knowing Muhammad one knows God. From the 14th century onward, other cursive styles began to develop in Turkey, Persia, and China. Naskh translates to "copying," as it became the standard for transcribing books and manuscripts. "[143][144][145] In the traditional Islamic understanding of saints, the saint is portrayed as someone "marked by [special] divine favor ... [and] holiness", and who is specifically "chosen by God and endowed with exceptional gifts, such as the ability to work miracles. Thus, practice of "techniques" is not the cause, but instead the occasion for such knowledge to be obtained (if at all), given proper prerequisites and proper guidance by a master of the way. Calligraphy from the Greek word kalligraphía (καλλος kallos "beauty" + γραφος graphos "writing") meaning beautiful writing plays an important role in Islam. 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