...The “Perfect Man,” or al-Insan al-Kalil, was first coined by Ibn Arabi, a Sufi mystic and philosopher. It was said that the “Perfect Man” embodied all that was man, an archetype per se. He had within him all the divine properties of God, but had since lost this state of perfection, leading to separation from God. In Sufism, it is believed that all people still have the ability regain that state of perfection. In this sense, the “Perfect Man” is said to be someone who has realized his true oneness with God; one who has reached this perfect state is called awliya. The foremost example of the Perfect Man is the Prophet Muhammad, who all Muslims aspire to imitate. It’s important in Sufism that a being like the Perfect Man exists because it makes it easier to picture a relationship with God, as the bridge formed by the Perfect Man makes Him close and accessible. In this way, Sufis can see themselves as a reflection of the Divine, though different due to the existence of human nature. To attain a state of perfection, one must always realize this difference between human nature and the Divine, while still trying to emulate the attributes of God. These attributes are commonly cited as the attributes of beauty, the attributes of majesty, the attributes of perfection, and the attributes of the essence. Reaching these attributes requires a person to relinquish his ego, and focus solely on how he can become more like God, while still staying humble and knowing his own human nature...
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...Musical Ethnography Review On Qawwali Sufism “For the Sufis of India and Pakistan, the Qawwali songs are ‘food for the soul’, a means for attaining union with God, the ecstatic culmination of mystical experience” (Page i). Upon opening Sufi Music of India and Pakistan: Sound, context and meaning in Qawwali by Regula Burchhardt Qureshi, one may find themselves asking, “What is Qawwali?” Luckily for the reader, that very question is the title of the first section in Qureshi’s meticulously pieced together musical ethnography. The preface and introduction seamlessly introduce you into the world of Sufism, a devotional assembly of Islamic mysticism. More specifically, they introduce you to Qawwali Sufism, which is an Indian genre as well as a musical performance with the purpose of arousing mystical love—union with God—through the ritualistic listening of music, or sama. Rooted in North India, the genre shares characteristics with light, classical Hindustani and Pakistani music. With these facts among others, my fears of unfamiliarity with the subject were gone. The preface and introduction not only introduce the reader to Qureshi’s highly organized style of writing, but also prepares you to cope with the vast amount of information the book is expected to withhold. The preface and introduction also contain some valuable information pertaining to the subject material. She warns the reader that the book is written for the musically literate, and an ethnomusicological...
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...Sufism ideology helped spread Islam in South Asia because it is an amalgamation of the spiritual and mysticism of Islam that was appealing to Indians whose native religion focused on both of those aspects. Sufism is a spiritual tradition which originated within Islam, its development paralleled that of Islam but it focused more on the spirtual development of the individual and G-d. Sufism was influenced by cultures of peoples and itself influenced the culture, a fusion of traditions and religion came to define how Sufism created grassroots of Islam in northern India. Sufism paved the way for Islam in northern India because it acted as the intimidate stage by converting non-believers toward the path of Islam that allowed for future Islamic missionaries to convert faster. The fundamental tenets that make up Sufism deal with a spiritual focus of Islam rather than the dictated and systematic understanding of religion. Sufism developed a form of Islam that historinan Jonathan Berkey claims was “…graft[ed] onto ascetic traditions with a mystical dimension… that lead to a distinctly mystical approach to religious understanding.” (Berkey, 2003: p.156). This merging of mysticism, defined as “the spiritual apprehension of knowledge inaccessible to the intellect, attained through contemplation and self-surrender…”, produced a form Islam that connected an individual not with the material world but the spiritual world. This connection between an individual and G-d, seems intoxicating to...
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...be “the last” end in a long line of prophets that incorporates Moses and Jesus. Since Muhammad was the picked beneficiary and delivery person of the expression of God through the heavenly disclosures, Muslims from all kinds of different backgrounds endeavor to take after his sample. After the heavenly Qur'an, the adages of the Prophet (hadith) and portrayals of his lifestyle (Sunna) are the most imperative Muslim writings (MET museum, 2015). Sufi Sufism is a Muslim development whose supporters try to discover awesome truth and love through direct experiences with God. Sufism has been an unmistakable development inside Islam all through the vast majority of its history. It developed out of an early plain development inside Islam, which, similar to its Christian devout partner, tried to check the experience that accompanied the fast extension of the Muslim group. Sufism emerged from inside Islam in the eighth ninth hundreds of years C.E. as a self-denying development. The development may have been given (or tackled) the name Sufism in light of the course fleece pieces of clothing they wore as a characteristic of their dismissal of common things; Sufis have generally taken pledges of neediness and chastity. (Patheos, 2015). Beliefs Sufi convictions are based immovably in standard Islam and the content of the Quran, in spite of the fact that a couple Sufi educators have strayed excessively near to monism or polytheism to stay inside of the conventional...
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...In the article, To the World, They Are Muslims. To ISIS, Sufis Are Heretics, by Rukmini Callimachi, it’s discussed that ISIS does not consider Sufis to be one of them, they regard them as heretics. It is debated on whether it was ISIS behind the attack on the Sufi synagogue on November 24. ISIS believes that Sufis, which are people in Islam that basically belief in Sufism, or "the phenomenon of mysticism within Islam" and express their religion by worshipping the shrines of Sufist philosophers, are “Mushrikin, an Arabic word meaning polytheists.” They are aggressive towards them because ISIS shares the belief of Islam, that there is only one God, and they take their demonstrations of praise to these idols as an offense to the Islamic State....
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...Mysticism, according to its history, implies a relation to mystery. Mysticism is the spiritual quest in any religion for the most direct experience of God. Mysticism is widely practiced in Eastern religions and concentrates on prayer, meditation, contemplation, and fasting to produce the attitude necessary for what is believed to be a direct encounter with the spiritual realm (Bouyer, 1981). Typically, mystics, theistic or not, see their mystical experience as part of a larger undertaking aimed at human transformation (Teresa of Avila, Life, Chapter 19) and not as the terminus of their efforts. Mysticism has been an intimate part of human society, as a still-unexplainable part of nature, the divine forces over God’s existences, as well as the supernatural, that has allured and guided many to look as far as into the future for answers and as close as deep into themselves and an exploration of the unconscious mind. The many tools of Mysticism, like the Tarot, numerology, astrology, and dreams, are all used to provide insights into a "deeper consciousness" and a "higher plane of existence," which when properly interpreted could very well shed light into the murkiest situation. In today's societies, Mysticism continues to intrigue, appeal to, entertain and aid people across cultures that force us to question the existence of God and Man and develop a sense of understanding for Man’s relationship to God. Mysticism has made significant changes in reshaping the mines of people towards...
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...Al-Ghazali Reflection The section of Deliverance from Error in the readings of The Path to Sufism is very fascinating to me. The way Al- Ghazali speaks in his teachings is very different from that of Boethius and Aristotle. Al- Ghazali expresses his support for mathematics almost as an exact science, he shows that it cannot be used to support religions whether they be Islamic or not. This type of truth is called Apodeictic, which can be defined as truth by definition or necessity, which can also include logic, math and Astronomy. The other type of truth that Al- Ghazali speaks of is conjectural truth. This can be described as truth by speculation, which means that something can be assumed to be real, true, or genuine. An example of a conjectural truth can be Doctor’s advice. Both apodeictic and conjectural truths come from Al- Ghazali’s view of Philosophy, and can prove all of his thoughts true. One word that I found to be an important part of Al- Ghazali’s Deliverance from Error is the word Fitra. Fitra can be defined as a fundamental spiritual interest. Fitra has many different interpretations, some of which include creation, nature, natural disposition, constitution, and temperament. I believe that Fitra can be the driving spirit that directs people in the right path. I think that Fitra can relate to apodeictic truth because people believe what they see, and if they see something out of the ordinary that shouldn’t happen, they will not believe it and have to...
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...SHAH ABDUL LATIF A very rare phenomenon pertains to Sindh, not found anywhere else in the world; that is the association of a poet and a saint with its soil, so much so that Sindh seems soulless without the name of an illustrated spiritualized poet of many dimensions, Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai, was an obtrusive missionary, a thinker, a mystic, a great scholar, a poet and a keen observer. He drew his inspiration from the Quran. There are ample facts, which prove that he had remarkably extensive knowledge of the Sindh language, thus, considered as a greatest Muslim poet of Sindhi language. Shah Jo Risalo is a poetic compendium of famous Sindhi Sufi poet Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai. His collected poems were assembled, which exists in numerous versions and has been translated to English, Urdu, and other languages. His work has been compared frequently to great Persian poets. The traditional compilations of Shah Jo Risalo include 30 Surs. These Surs contain Bayts which Shah Latif sang in state of ecstasy. These Bayts in the Surs concerning the life-stories of his heroines. Suhni, Sassui, Lila, Mumal, Marui, Nuri and Sorath. They are concerned with the moments of denouncements in life-stories, which he used as allegories to express his mystical experiences. Shah Jo Risalo, written in very pure and concise Sindhi verses, is great storehouse not only for Muslims but also for the Hindus. Shah Abdul Latif has hidden his mystical ideas under layers of symbols taken from all spheres of life...
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...^ISDOM OF THE EAST THE PERSIAN MYSTICS JALALU'D-DIN RUM! BY F. HADLAND DAVIS " AUTHOR OF IN THE VALLEY OF STARS " THERE IS A TOWER OP SILENCE "! LONDON STREET JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE 1912 ALL RIGHTS TO A. T. K. THIS LITTLE BOOK OF EASTERN WISDOM IS LOVINGLY INSCRIBED " OUR JOURNEY is TO THE ROSE-GARDEN OF UNION jALA"LU'D-DfN PREFACE to thank Mr. R. A. Nicholson for kind and generous permission to use selections from his Dwani Shamsi Tabriz, and I DESIRE his also his publishers, the Cambridge Press. I am deeply indebted to Mr. E. H. Whinfield for allowing me to use quotations from his rendering I of the Masnavi (Triibner's Oriental Series). also cordially thank Mr. John Hastie for giving permission to quote a few passages from the " " Festival of Spring late Rev. Professor Hastie's (James Maclehose and Sons, Glasgow). The poems quoted from this volume are entitled : "Thy Rose," "I saw the Winter weaving," " " Love sounds the Music of the Spheres," The " The Beloved All in Souls Love-moved," and All the other translations from the lyrical All." poetry of Jalalu'd-Din Rumi are by Mr. R. A. me Nicholson. To these gentlemen, 7 and to those 8 I have left PREFACE unnamed, I tender my warmest thanks my for their help, sympathy, and interest in " attempt to popularise the wisest of the Persian Stiffs." F. LONDON, January 22, 1907. HADLANB DAVIS. CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ...
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...PENGALAMAN DAN KARAKTERISTIK SUFISME JALALUDDIN RUMI Sufisme adalah suatu ilmu yang mempelajari cara bagaimana seorang muslim dapat berada sedekat mungkin dengan Allah Swt. Adapun kesadaran berada dekat dengan Tuhan dapat diambil dari berbagai bentuk sesuai dengan kondisi sufi itu sendiri. Yakni bisa berbentuk ma'rifah, mahabbah, ittihad, hulul maupun wihdah al-wujud. Untuk mencapai tujuannya, seorang sufi harus menempuh jalan panjang, di antaranya melalui al-zuhd, yaitu keadaan meninggalkan dunia dan hidup kematerian. Apabila dilihat dari luasnya wawasan dan tajamnya penglihatan pandangan seorang Jalaluddin Rumi, dari tema-tema universal yang diangkat dalam setiap baris karyanya dan dari cara mengungkapkan pikiran dalam bahasa puisi yang sarat simbol, tak dapat kita pungkiri bahwa bahwa Rumi adalah seorang yang jenius sebagaimana diungkapkan Erich Fromm: "Dua ratus tahun sebelum pemikiran humanisme renaisance, Rumi telah mendahului mengemukakan ide-ide tentang toleransi agama yang dapat ditemukan pada Erasmus dan Nicholas De Cusa, dan ide-ide tentang cinta sebagai tenaga kreatif yang fundamental sebagai yang dikemukakan oleh Facini... Rumi bukan saja seorang penyair dan mistikus (sufi) serta pendiri Tarekat; tetapi ia juga seorang manusia yang mengetahui secara mendalam tabiat-tabiat manusia.” Lalu bagaimana dengan pengalaman dan karakteristik sufi seorang Jalaluddin Rumi? Melalui syair-syair dan puisi yang ia tulis, sebagian orang menganggap ia sebagai pelopor yang menghidupkan...
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...Music raises the soul of man even higher than the so-called external form of religion…That is why in ancient times the greatest prophets were great musicians. – Hazrat Inayat Khan, “The Mysticism of Sound and Music” Without doubt, Bob Marley can now be recognized as the most important figure in 20th century music. It’s not just my opinion, but also, judging by all the mainsteam accolades hurled Bob’s way lately, the feeling of a great many others too. Prediction is the murky province of fools. But in the two decades since Bob Marley has gone, it is clear that he is without question one of the most transcendant figures of the past hundred years. The ripples of his unparalleled achievements radiate outward through the river of his music into an ocean of politics, ethics, fashion, philosophy and religion. His story is a timeless myth made manifest in this iwah, right before our disbelieving eyes. There will come a day when music and its philosophy will become the religion of humanity…If there remains any magic it is music. Unlike mere pop stars, Bob was a moral and religious figure as well as a major record seller internationally. To whom does one compare him? In a recent Sunday New York Times Arts and Leisure lead story, Stanley Crouch makes a compelling case for Louis Armstrong as the century’s “unequaled performer,” excelling not just in his instrumental inventiveness but in his vocal style as well, transforming the way music was made and listened to, and influencing...
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...oneness with God. If genuine understanding of Islam is propagated globally, then it is also more likely that a better understanding of Sufism will also emerge. Keywords: Mysticism, Islam, Sufism, Divine Reality, Religion. Introduction: Mysticism is a teaching about the Divine Reality and a method of realization that permits the seeker to reach it in one way or another. In Islam, that teaching revolves around tawhid, which is the central doctrine of both the Quran and the Sunnah. The foundation of mysticism is the life- determining belief in God. Mysticism is nearly universal and unites most religions in the quest for divinity. Mysticism is a union with the Divine, or a reunion with the infinite. Sufism is the name given to the mystical movement within Islam; a Sufi is a Muslim who dedicates himself to the quest after mystical union or better said, ‘reunion’ with his Creator. The Sufis trace their origin of Sufism or Tasawwuf to the Prophet of Islam. The claim of Sufis that Tasawwuf had its source in the life of the Prophet (PBUH) and his companions is based on certain facts. Islam presents more attractive and functionality of Sufism is as a tool for the revival of true spiritualization which is mysticism that involves awakening of self and illumination. Sufism is defined as the inner mystical dimension of Islam. S.H. Nasr in his approach to Sufism as an alternative that is able to meet the spiritual needs of Modern Man and to able to achieve the level of existence and train the...
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...University of Phoenix Material Jessica Havran Islam Worksheet When studying Islam, it is important to understand the essential elements of the faith, how they are practiced, and the distinctions among the three branches: Shiite Islam, Sunni Islam, and Sufism. Write a 1- to 2-paragraph response for each of the following directives and note where there are differences among the three branches of Islam. 1. Explain the meaning of the name, Islam. The name Islam means, submission or surrender expressing heartfelt surrender to God, and a Muslim is one who submits to God. The words Muslim and Islam are connected to various words for peace, for instance the Arabic word Salam and the Hebrew shalom. They propose the inner peace that is achieved by surrendering to God. Islam also involves the community of all believers, proposing inclusion in a large family. Shiite Islam gets their name from the word Shia, which means fraction. This group followed Ali, who is the son-in-law and cousin of Muhammad. By most early Muslims the first four successors of Muhammad (Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, and Ali) were accepted. Shiite Islam’s believed that the legitimate succession was hereditary, descending from the immediate family of Muhammad. The Light of Muhammad was a God-given, hereditary spiritual power it was thought by most Shiites to have passed to a total of twelve successors or Islam’s. The first legitimate Imam was Ali. The Sunnite or Sunni Islam, is another great...
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...MAWLANA JALAL-UL-DIN BALKHI “RUMI” Jalal-Ul-Din Muhammad Balkhi also known as Rumi is one of the world’s most well-known philosophers. He was born in the city of Balkh, 30th of September, 1207, but spent most of his time abroad and died in Konya, Turkey 17th of December 1275. Rumi studied Islamic Law in Syria and had sustainable knowledge in fields of public speaking, Sufism, and poetry (Qemar). He was thought by the best scholars of his time, he learned poetry and Sufism from his father Bahudin Balkhi and his mentor Burhanudin Termizi. Rumi adopted a significant interest in literature and philosophy. He wrote two famous poems, Masnavi and Divan-I Kabir (The Great Collection of Poems). The first poem, Masnavi adopts its name from music where it is flowing in rhythm. Rumi wrote 18 couplets and dictated the rest.He told many stories of his own, but also borrowed from Arabic, Persian, Jewish sources, Quran and Hadith. Masnavi was completed in 14 years and arranged in 6 chapters which was written by Rumi himself. The writings was naturally and unplanned, it was like a theater, a play show involving many characteristics (Whinfield). The second famous poem Rumi wrote was Divan-I Kabir (The Great Collection of Poems), it is also called Divan-I Shams due to its last couplets. Divan-I Kabir contained 35,000 couplets about love and spiritual joy and was dictated in ecstasy and whirling. Rumi had several writings, he wrote Fifi Ma Fih (What is in it is in it) it contained 71 talks and lectures...
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...Religious beliefs on the afterlife Christianity Whilst there are different orthodox Christian beliefs, Catholics, Protestants, the Baptists and other Christians, the core of Christian belief about the afterlife is that there is an afterlife. How we behave will determine where in the afterlife you will eventually end up. That there is a hell for the wicked ones, especially the Catholic Church still teaches that hellfire is for eternity and there is heaven for those who behaved well. Also, the Catholic Church claims there is an afterlife state which is between heaven and hell the Catholic Church calls ‘purgatory.’ The theological teaching is that after a time of purgation, the spirit will eventually be progress and will go to heaven. There are other Christians, the Protestants, who do not accept purgatory. Catholic theology also states that sinners can confess their sins to Catholic priests and those sins are forgiven for ever – it does not matter how grave the sins might be if the sinner truly repents, he will be forgiven. Judaism Traditional Judaism firmly believes that death is not the end of human existence. However, because Judaism is primarily focused on life here and now rather than on the afterlife, Judaism does not have much dogma about the afterlife, and leaves a great deal of room for personal opinion. It is possible for an Orthodox Jew to believe that the souls of the righteous dead go to a place similar to the Christian heaven, or that they are reincarnated through...
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