that I have ever said about Love."
Mollana Rumi
The substance of Sufism is the Truth and the meaning of Sufism is the selfless experiencing and actualization of the Truth.
The practice of Sufism is the intention to go towards the Truth, by means of love and devotion. This is called the tariqat, the spiritual path or way towards God.
The sufi is one who is a lover of Truth, who by means of love and devotion moves towards the Truth, towards the perfection which all are truly seeking. As necessitated by love's jealousy, the sufi is taken away from all except the Truth.
How is it possible to realize Perfection?
Human beings are dominated by the self's desires and fears. Those who are ensnared in these habitual impulses are out of harmony with the Divine Nature, and thus are ill. As a result of this illness, feelings become disturbed and, accordingly, thoughts and perceptions become unsound. Thus, one's faith as well as one's knowledge of the Truth strays from what is real.
In order to follow the way to perfection, one must first rectify these incorrect thought processes and transmute one's desires and fears. This can only be accomplished by coming into harmony with the Divine Nature. This way of harmony (the spiritual path) consists of spiritual poverty, devotion, and the continuous, selfless remembrance of God. In this way, one comes to perceive the Truth as it really is.
Asceticism and Abstinence in Sufism
In order to travel the path, the sufi needs strength supplied by proper bodily nourishment. It has been said that whatever the sufi eats is transformed into spiritual qualities and light. However, the food of others, since it but serves their own desires and fears, only strengthens their selfish attachments and takes them further away
from the Truth.
This one eats and only
stinginess and envy result.
While that one eats and there is but
the light of the One.
This one eats and only
impurity comes about.
While that one eats and all becomes
the Light of God.
Mollana Rumi
It is clear, that Sufism is not based upon ascetic practices such as abstinence from food. In our school, the traveler on God's Way is only instructed to abstain from food when he is sick or entangled in excessive desire or fear. In this case, the master or spiritual guide permits one to refrain from eating for a brief period of time, and instead directs one to concentrate on spiritual practices. In this way, the excess is transmuted and the seeker's inner being becomes harmonious. Then, the dervish will be enabled to continue on the dangerous ascent to the Infinite.
Some have thought that by fasting the strength necessary for purification is attained. On the contrary, in Sufism abstinence alone is not enough to purify the self. It is true that asceticism and abstinence give one a certain spiritual state, and in this state one's perception may be clarified. But if the self is likened to a dragon that by fasting becomes powerless, it is certain that when the fast is broken and enough food is eaten, the dragon will revive, and stronger than ever will go about attempting to fulfill its desires.
In Sufism, it is by the tariqat (spiritual path) that the self is gradually purified and transformed into Divine Attributes, until there is nothing left of one's commanding self. Then all that remains is the Perfect, Divine Self. In such extensive and precise work, asceticism and abstinence are virtually worthless.
The Spiritual Path
The tariqat (spirtual path) is the way by which the sufi comes into harmony with the Divine Nature. This way is comprised of spiritual poverty (faqr), devotion and the continuous, selfless remembrance of God (dhikr), which are represented by the cloak of the dervish (khirqah).
This is both the feeling of being imperfect and needy, and the desire for perfection. The Prophet, Muhammad has said in this regard, "My honor is from spiritual poverty. I have been honored over and above all prophets by being graced with spiritual poverty." And God revealed to the Prophet, "Say, God increase my true knowledge of You." As this saying indicates, even though Muhammad was given the honor of Prophethood, it was still necessary that he feel his poverty and desire to be nearer to the essence of God.
The khirqah is the darvish's garment of honor and devotion. It symbolizes the Divine Nature and Attributes. Some people have mistakenly imagined that the cloak actually possesses these properties and that if one was to wear such a cloak, one would become a saint. However, wearing spiritual clothing does not make one spiritual. A sufi wears what he or she likes while being in harmony with what is socially approved. 'Ali said, "Wear those clothes that neither cause you to be looked down upon nor admired and envied." Thus, it is not the clothes that make the sufi; rather, it is the sufi's actions and inner being.
Recline on the throne of the heart,
and with purity in manner be a sufi.
Sheikh Sa'di
The cloak is sewn with the needle of devotion and the thread of the selfless remembrance of God. One who wishes to be honored by this cloak of poverty must, with devotion, surrender to a spiritual guide. True devotion draws one's heart towards the Beloved. It involves continuous attention to the Truth and constant effort to let go of attention to the self. This includes unquestioned obedience to one's spiritual guide.
The guide, by spiritual means, penetrates to the depths of the disciple's soul, transmutes his or her negative qualities, and brings to nothing the impurities of the world of multiplicity. In other words, the guide takes the needle of devotion from the disciple's hand and with the thread of the disciple's selfless remembrance of God, sews the sufi cloak upon the disciple. Then, by the grace of this cloak of Divine Names and Attributes, the disciple will become a perfect human being.
Contained in Absolute, Infinite Unity are forces which emanate and become manifested as created beings. Each being, according to its nature, receives grace from these forces. In the realm of words, the manifestations of these forces, or truths, are expressed by Divine Names. Examples are: the Living (al-Hayy), meaning the life of creation is directly connected with Him; and the Transcendent (al-'Ali), meaning the force of the universe is with Him.
The Divine Names, in the continuous, selfless remembrance of God (dhikr), are prescribed by the master of the spiritual path, in order to cure disciples of the disease of the self and its desires and fears. But this remembrance is of no value unless all of one's senses come to be fully centered on the meaning-reality of the respective Names. It is only by full acknowledgment and love of the reality of these Divine Names that attention to the self falls away. Then, the self becomes purified and adorned by the Divine Attributes.
For so long did the Beloved
face my open heart
That except for His Attributes and Nature,
nothing remained of that heart.
-- Maghrebi
Only in such a fashion can the repetition of the Divine Names be called the selfless remembrance of God (dhikr).
The disciple is like a machine whose energy comes from devotion. This machine, by means of the selfless remembrance of God, transmutes all of the self's desires and fears into Divine Attributes. Gradually, the disciple's self passes away and the Divine Nature becomes manifest; then the disciple truly becomes the recipient of the sufi cloak, and the heart and soul become illuminated by the grace of the Divine Attributes. At this point the disciple is worthy of entering the spiritual feast of the sufis, which takes place in the "Tavern of Ruin" (kharabat>. This is the spiritual state of 'passing away of the self in God' (fana). Here, the sufi directly perceives the secrets of the Truth. As is said in the Koran,
"Only the purified experience It (the Truth)."
These purified ones, in Sufism, are called perfect human beings.
The Manifestation of the Divine
Since words are the manifestations of objects, concepts, and truths, sufis feel that by continuous and complete attention to the meaning and reality of remembrance of God, they becomes the true manifestation of that remembrance. That is to say, with continuous, selfless remembrance, a Divine Attribute comes to predominate in the sufi's being.
The sufis consider that there is a particular Divine Attribute that dominates the being of every prophet and saint, such that each can be said to be the incarnation of that attribute. For example, sufis feel that Moses is the manifestation of the transcendent aspect of Reality because of his ability to speak with God without an intermediary. In the Koran, the Lord said to Moses, "Do not fear, because you are transcendent." Jesus is the manifestation of prophethood. While an infant he cried, "God gave me the book and placed me as a prophet."
All of the prophets are manifestations of the Divine Unity and Perfection, but Muhammad is its supreme manifestation. His name is the most exalted of the Divine Names, containing all the Names within it. That is, Muhammad is the spiritual incarnation and manifestation of all of God's Names. Muhammad himself said, "What God first created was my light."
In addition, each prophet is the manifestation of one of the Divine Attributes, and all of the Attributes are contained in the most exalted Name. Also, Muhammad is the manifestation of the Great Name. So, due to the fact that his manifestation is inclusive of all the Names, he hierarchically comes before all other created things, and for the same reason said, "I was a prophet while Adam was still between water and earth."
Sama
If you are not one with the Beloved
Seek!
and if you are in Union,
Rejoice!
Mollana Rumi
The musical and ecstatic aspect of Sufism is called sama. The sufis, while being spiritually enraptured, give all the attention of their hearts to the Beloved. Often with special and rhythmical music, they engage themselves in the selfless remembrance of God. In this state, the sufi is a drunken lover who becomes unaware of everything but God. With all their faculties the sufis are attentive to the Beloved, and have totally given up and forgotten themselves.
Not all disciples engage in sama. It is only given as a practice to some by their spiritual guide, who determines whether it is appropriate for them or not. Sama can be likened to a medicine; it is sometimes prescribed and sometimes prohibited.
Sainthood
Earlier, we have said that the aim of Sufism is the cultivation of perfect human beings who are mirrors reflecting the Divine Names and Attributes. In Sufism, a perfected human being is also called a wali (saint), a word that literally means 'sincere friend'. All who have been prophets have also been saints. The spiritual degree of sainthood is a station indicating the condition of one's inner being, while the rank of prophethood reflects one's mission as a divine messenger in the world.
The prophetic mission of Muhammad was both Absolute Sainthood and Prophecy. 'Ali, while not among the prophets, attained to this same Absolute Sainthood. Mohammed said, " 'Ali and I are of the same light," and 'Ali said, "Spiritually, I have been with all the Prophets."
The saints, each according to his or her own capacity, have drunk from the fountain of Truth. Because they are known only by God, only God can truly know the differences between their spiritual stations. In a prophetic tradition (hadith), God says, "My friends (saints) are under my banner; no one knows them but me."
Most people do not have the patience necessary to know the saints. One who is encompassed cannot truly know what encompasses him. True knowledge of the saints comes from knowing their reality through one's inner being.
A common misunderstanding is the thought that by going into seclusion one can become a saint. However, in the way of the sufi, one must live in society. Being a recluse and retreating from contact with people has no lasting spiritual value.
Mohammed said, "The faith of a believer is not perfect unless one thousand sincere people give witness to his 'infidelity'." He meant that the divine knowledge of a perfect believer is beyond the level of thinking of most people. Those who hear such a perfected being speak, since they can not perceive the truth of what he is saying, will call him or her an unbeliever.
A true believer, a sufi, must live in, serve and guide society, and be a vehicle by which society receives Grace. It is for this reason that conforming to and being in harmony with society, being at peace with all, is a quality of a perfected being.
Purification and its Stages
The stages of purification are:
- self becoming emptied
- self becoming illuminated
- self becoming adorned
- self having passed away (fana)
These stages occur in the course of the selfless remembrance of God (dhikr). The first stage, becoming emptied, entails letting go of negative qualities, the desires which originate from the self. The second stage of becoming illuminated involves polishing the heart and soul of the tarnish of belief in and attachment to the self. In the third stage, one's inner being becomes adorned by Divine Attributes. Ultimately, the being of the disciple becomes completely filled by the Attributes of the Truth, to the extent that there is no sign of his own limited existence. This fourth stage is called "self-having passed-away" (fana).
I thought of You so often
that I completely became You.
Little by little You drew near,
and slowly but slowly I passed away.
The disciple, through these stages of purification, travels the inner way, the spiritual path (tariqat). Having traveled this path, the disciple becomes a perfect being and arrives at the threshold of the Truth (haqiqat). Muhammaad said, "The shari'at is my speech, the tariqat my actions, and haqiqat my states."
One could liken the journey within the haqiqat, within the Truth, to training in a divine university, known in sufism as the "Tavern of Ruin" (kharabat). In this true center for higher education there are no professors, one's only guide being Absolute Love. Here one's only teacher is love, one's books are love, and one's being is love.
Before a perfected being enters this university, he or she can be defined. However, upon entering the Truth, one is indefinable, beyond the realm of words.
Footprints but come to the Ocean's shore.
Therein, no trace remains.
Mollana Rumi
If you ask his name, like Bayazid, he answers, "I lost him years ago. The more I seek him, the less I find." If you ask of his religion, like Rumi, he answers:
The way of a lover is not among the religions.
The church and state of lovers is God.
If you ask who he is, like Bayazid, he answers, "There is nothing under my cloak but God."
If he speaks, like Hallaj, you may hear him sing, "I am the Truth."
Such words can truly come only from perfected beings who have lost their 'selves' and become the manifestation of the Divine Nature and Divine Mysteries. Their selves have departed and only God remains.
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