What is 'Sufism' ?

[Fatima Noor]

:salam:

Also I wanted to ask is it allowed in Islam, (but I will only understand whether it is or not if I know what it is.. so pls answer in detail).

:jazak:

:salam:

:-)

[kayra]

:salam:

Also I wanted to ask is it allowed in Islam, (but I will only understand whether it is or not if I know what it is.. so pls answer in detail).

:jazak:

:salam:

:-)

:salam: sister,

Sufism is tasawwuf. There are many, many threads on tasawwuf here, explaining it much better than I ever could. One of the best websites on tasawwuf is tasawwuf.org, and they address you question here: http://www.tasawwuf.org/basics/what_tasawwuf.htm. Yes, it is allowed in Islam. Real tasawwuf is an integral PART of Islam.

A Sufi is one who practices tasawwuf. Now, just as we get millions of people who call themselves Muslims, but they drink, fornicate, and don't fulfil a single one of the 5 pillars of Islam - not every "sufi" practices tasawwuf. So don't focus on self-proclaimed sufis, or even widely-acclaimed sufi shaykhs (murshids), because you will get a lot of conflicting impressions. Also, many websites also provide extremely erroneous information, so try to avoid reading random articles unless they've been specifically recommended by a trusted student or teacher of tasawwuf.

As a general rule, if something you read about tasawwuf (or a sufi or shaykh) sounds contrary to the Shariah or Sunnah, then this is NOT tasawwuf.

Read works by the great masters of the past - Hadhrat Abdulqadir Gilani, for example.

Sorry if I sound rather abrupt, as I'm very pressed for time. InshaAllah you are at the start of a beautiful journey :)

:ws:

[TripolySunni]

:salam: sister,

Sufism is tasawwuf. There are many, many threads on tasawwuf here, explaining it much better than I ever could. One of the best websites on tasawwuf is tasawwuf.org, and they address you question here: http://www.tasawwuf.org/basics/what_tasawwuf.htm. Yes, it is allowed in Islam. Real tasawwuf is an integral PART of Islam.

A Sufi is one who practices tasawwuf. Now, just as we get millions of people who call themselves Muslims, but they drink, fornicate, and don't fulfil a single one of the 5 pillars of Islam - not every "sufi" practices tasawwuf. So don't focus on self-proclaimed sufis, or even widely-acclaimed sufi shaykhs (murshids), because you will get a lot of conflicting impressions. Also, many websites also provide extremely erroneous information, so try to avoid reading random articles unless they've been specifically recommended by a trusted student or teacher of tasawwuf.

As a general rule, if something you read about tasawwuf (or a sufi or shaykh) sounds contrary to the Shariah or Sunnah, then this is NOT tasawwuf.

Read works by the great masters of the past - Hadhrat Abdulqadir Gilani, for example.

Sorry if I sound rather abrupt, as I'm very pressed for time. InshaAllah you are at the start of a beautiful journey :)

:ws:

Salam Aleykum
I'am not exactly a "Sufi"So I don't know much about Imam Jilani other than the fact that he was a pious Man who followed the Traditions of the Prophet PBUH, however i heard from my sri lankan friend stuff like he used to call the chicken and the chicken comes and cooks itself then he snaps his fingers so the bones run away, he also told me that doing Dua at his grave is 100% Accepted ect... Now I'am 100% sure that isn't true but I ask where did he(They) get these stories from?
Salam

[kayra]

Salam Aleykum
I'am not exactly a "Sufi"So I don't know much about Imam Jilani other than the fact that he was a pious Man who followed the Traditions of the Prophet PBUH, however i heard from my sri lankan friend stuff like he used to call the chicken and the chicken comes and cooks itself then he snaps his fingers so the bones run away, he also told me that doing Dua at his grave is 100% Accepted ect... Now I'am 100% sure that isn't true but I ask where did he(They) get these stories from?
Salam

:salam: brother,

I am not exactly a "sufi" either. In terms of an imaginary tasawwufi hierarchy, I would be the parasite on the back of a flea on the back of a dog that licked the feet of the most lowly mureed (student) of Hadhrat Abdulqadir Jilani.

So while I can say with confidence that no chicken has ever cooked itself for me, I wouldn't dare to say with equal confidence that Allah would not make such miracles happen to one of Allah's close Friends. After all, Allah makes miracles happen to all of us, whether we realize it or not! However, I have NEVER read the above story, or heard it or anything remotely resembling it from any of my sufi friends (and I have heard a lot of "Jilani legends" over the years!). As for the praying-at-the-graveside thing: many people believe that Allah will not refuse the prayers of His true friends, those perfectly pious people whom are blessed to be loved by Allah. BUT it does not logically follow that praying at the graveside of a saint or pious person will make the prayers of every Muslim 100% acceptable. Your friend was probably a little confused or got a bit carried away with enthusiasm! I have visited the grave of a pious deceased person and read surah al-Fatiha there, because I was told that it was a polite thing to do at the grave of any deceased Muslim. I have no first-hand experience of what your friend described, and I wouldn't attempt it unless I learned that there was firm Quranic/ Sunnah evidence for it. Nor have I heard any second-hand experiences of this practice from sufi friends. So I can'T tell you that your friend is wrong on both counts, just that I've never heard reliable accounts of either event.

This is why we should be very, very careful to stick to reliable and trustworthy sources in all matters - fiqh, ahadeeth, Tasawwuf, etc. This is what scholars are for. This is what a kamil Shaykh is for, in guiding us along the path. It's not just matters of Tasawwuf where legends abound - we hear of fabricated ahadeeth, or unfounded fiqh rulings, or bizarre fatwa. Allah has provided us all with inner compasses - our hearts - as well as His own words - the Holy Quran - and the actions and words of our beloved Prophet :saw: to remove doubt and controversy from most issues, alhamdulillah. If you hear or read of anything that sounds "wrong", the best thing to do is to ignore it, unless you can research it thoroughly.

As to "where" people get stories from - the answer is "anywhere"! I can tell a totally fabricated story here on SF, about an event in the life of our Prophet :saw:, quoting sources which may or may not even exist. If 500 people read that story, maybe 20 of them will believe it and pass it on. In 20 years time, maybe 500 people across the globe will have accepted my story as "fact". Of course, the punishment for such a fabrication is too terrible to even think about...

:ws:

[saqfu]

the quran states that prophet pbu them all hve 4 obligations.

1. read out the verses
2.tazkya
3. teach knowledge
4. teach wisdom

from the 1st obligation comes qirat from 3rd and 4th obligation comes fiqh and from the second obligaton comes sufism. sufism is just tazkya. the prophet pbuh used to do tazkya of the sahab r.a this is why they never did zikr and no sufism existed then. it is after the prophet pbuh passed away that caused sufism to start. because the method of tazkya changed. the prophet pbuh still does tazkya from the barazakh but now the method of doing tazkya changed. this is where sufism comes from. it is not something new in islam, but simply a change in the method of tazkya.

[MujahidAbdullah]

Salam Aleykum
I'am not exactly a "Sufi"So I don't know much about Imam Jilani other than the fact that he was a pious Man who followed the Traditions of the Prophet PBUH, however i heard from my sri lankan friend stuff like he used to call the chicken and the chicken comes and cooks itself then he snaps his fingers so the bones run away, he also told me that doing Dua at his grave is 100% Accepted ect... Now I'am 100% sure that isn't true but I ask where did he(They) get these stories from?
Salam


the chicken thing may be a karamat of Hadharat Abdul Qadir Jillani( Ive never heard that one ), but karamat are but a side affect of of Hadharat Abdul qadir Jillanis piety. Karamat are not in and of themselves proof of waliyyat. some Yogis can float, it does not make them walis. Hz Abdul Qadir Jillani is one the greatest walis who will ever lived not because of karamat, but because of his devotion to Allah.

The second thing about the dua at the grave, your friend may be confused. He is refering to Istaghatha, which is done not just by making dua at His grave, but by asking Allah to have hz Abdul Qadir Jillani intercede for the person making the dua in some matter.(many people have a problem with istaghatha and tawassul, so we will leave it at that).

[suleimanibnsalim]

Bismillah...

As-Salamu `Alaykum wa Rahmatullah...

Al-Habib `Umar defined Tasawwuf as "the inheritance of the meanings of revelation from the source by way of connected transmission". Tasawwuf is about the wisdoms of our religion, and the way to get our hearts to be firm in Taqwa, such that we hate Kufr and sins and love obedience. Off course, action is the result! The point about the "source" via "connected transmission is that we take from Shaykhs who are authorized by Shaykhs to teach and guide back to the Messenger of Allah, Sallallah `Alayh wa Sallam whose method is the method of Tasawwuf, who took from Sayyiduna Jibril `Alayh as-Salam who took from Allah, Rabb al-`Izzah wal-Jalal.

If you are really sincere in finding out about Tasawwuf, read from their own scholars. Pick up:

1. The Ihya of Imam al-Ghazali, and the rest of his works.

2. Risalah al-Mustarshidin, Adab an-Nufus and at-Tawahhum of Imam al-Harith al-Muhasibi

3. Qut al-Qulub of Abu Talib al-Makki

4. Book of Assistance of Imam al-Haddad, translated by Mustafa al-Badawi in English. This is a must have. Also, the other works of the Imam like An-Nasaih ad-Diniyyah and Risalah Adab Suluk al-Murid (translated by Mostafa al-Badawi as "the two treatises".

5. Is`af Talibi Ridha al-Khallaq of Habib `Umar and Ma`alim as-Suluk (Translation by Sh Mlmali Adam into English as "Wayfarers to God")

Once you have read and reflected on however much you can of the above mentioned books, tell me if they are in line and calling to the Shari`ah or the opposite. The matter will be clear.

Keep me in your Duas,

Was-Salam