Im new to islam, but have associated with naquashabdis, go to ziker at end of every month. im on an understanding islam site, and i try ask about sufism on there, but theres this one guy who just keeps saying lots of things aginst wat i saw! he obviously has plenty of knowledge, but i dont know how to respond to him with out looking stupid! im not has scholerly has he seems! es a bit extreme too, i say shakh kabbani other day, and said that, and he called him the devil! this is long what im going to post on what he said, but i need help answering him! he seems very set and woint listen to me, just keeps sending me tonnes of information, i admire the time he puts into his answers though!
even though i dont understand fully what he goes on about, maybe you can help?
Kay44:

Ive been to see ''that devil' he seems nice, said some really nice speeches. and lots about prophet muhammed for his b-day.
__________________
One day a man asked a sheikh how to reach God. `The ways to God,' the sheikh replied, `are as many as there are created beings. But the shortest and easiest is to serve others, not to bother others, and to make others happy.' - Abu Sa'id
Al-Boriqi

Quote:
Originally Posted by kay44
Ive been to see ''that devil' he seems nice, said some really nice speeches. and lots about prophet muhammed for his b-day.

I have never seen a more proper and fitting situation for the wonderful saying "ignorance is bliss''

kay44

He does teach good, i read pearls and corals, and thats helped me completley forget what i want, and stop my ego ect. and my heads cleared since i put to practce what he said, im not fighting with myself anymore. and i like the way he talks about things, easy to understand where he comes from in the good things he says.
__________________
One day a man asked a sheikh how to reach God. `The ways to God,' the sheikh replied, `are as many as there are created beings. But the shortest and easiest is to serve others, not to bother others, and to make others happy.' - Abu Sa'id
kay44

so he cant be all that bad if he helps people get closer to allah. well, its helped me.
__________________
One day a man asked a sheikh how to reach God. `The ways to God,' the sheikh replied, `are as many as there are created beings. But the shortest and easiest is to serve others, not to bother others, and to make others happy.' - Abu Sa'id

Quote:
Originally Posted by kay44
so he cant be all that bad if he helps people get closer to allah. well, its helped me.

i am reminded by another phrase specifically for this event of yours.

tassawuf (sufism) begins with dhikr (rememberane of Allah, righteous acts, clarity in conscience, etc) and ends with kufr (disbeleif).

''you are at the beginning stage sister. as you further progress you will eventually see (if your fitrah is not corrupt) through the veil from which they speak from.

Quote:
Originally Posted by kay44
found where i read that!
''It was perceived in all Islamic times that when a scholar joins between these aspects, his words mirror his humility and sincerity, and for that reason enter the hearts of listeners. This is why we find that so many of the Islamic scholars to whom Allah gave tawfiq or success in their work were Sufis. Indeed, to throw away every traditional work of the Islamic sciences authored by those educated by Sufis would be to discard 75 percent or more of the books of Islam. These men included such scholars as the Hanafi Imam Muhammad Amin Ibn Abidin, Sheikh al-Islam Zakaria al-Ansari, Imam Ibn Daqiq al-Eid, Imam al-Izz Ibn Abd al-Salam, Abd al-Ghani al-Nabulsi, Sheikh Ahmad al-Sirhindi, Sheikh Ibrahim al-Bajuri, Imam al-Ghazali, Shah Wali Allah al-Dahlawi, Imam al-Nawawi, the hadith master (hafiz, someone with 100,000 hadiths by memory) Abd al-Adhim al-Mundhiri, the hadith master Murtada al-Zabidi, the hadith master Abd al-Rauf al-Manawi, the hadith master Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti, the hadith master Taqi al-Din al-Subki, Imam al-Rafii, Imam Ibn Hajar al-Haytami, Zayn al-Din al-Mallibari, Ahmad ibn Naqib al-Misri, and many many others.''

In the quoran it says you can assosiate with other religions, they all belive in 1 god. haven finished reading it yet, but i read that. its just non-belivers that you shouldent ally, but thats refering to those times, when people killed each other. these times you cant do that. ''


thank you for reference. do you realize that a noteworthy reply, one that establishes vicotry to Islam and the Muslims and repelles the slanders in this quote and clarifies the truth from falsehood would talk 2 volumes to deal with. I cannot live up to such a momumental task. therefore I can only do that which is in accord with what i can do accompanied with hubled efforts to best explain to you in a way that will be easily understood

i will haveto discect your quote in parts


Quote:
''It was perceived in all Islamic times that when a scholar joins between these aspects, his words mirror his humility and sincerity, and for that reason enter the hearts of listeners

this is correct and true. there are virtually hundreds of authentic narrationsin this regard, all which give the meaning that knowledge and sincerity is to be acted upon. the tainted scholar can easily bee seen from the sincere one. This is true. ANd most of those who reported this were those who lived prior to the invention of the sect falled sufism or the invention of the imported persian word "tassawuf". Therefore, by default a scholar can infact live up to this pristine exampl without being attributed to sufism. thats how Abu Hanifah, Shafi'ee, Maalik, Ahmad bin Hanbal, the entirety of the salaf like Mujahid, Qatadah, Ibnul-Mubaarak, az-Zuhri, and many others from them were of the utmost with regard to religiosity , sincerity of purpose, and correct intention.

all of these people were non sufis, infact the term sufi just began and even some of them, like AHmad bin Hanbal warned agianst those who began formulating this innvoated madhaab, like Harith al-Muhasibi, and repelling the doubt that "AHmad merely warned against his kalaam" is defintely fasle for Ahmad actully went to muhasibi's dars on day and started to cry. when he came back to his students they asked him about Harith's affair and why was he crying. Ahmad replied his crying was due to the Muhaisbi's admonishments, and then wanred his students away from listening to him and explained that what muhasibi did was he flipped the manhaj (well he said it in more schoalstic way) it was said that knowledge is mainly built on t'asisiyyah (foundation and creedal knowledge) and the knowledge of the heart is taklimiyyah (branched from the foundational). basically what Harith al-Muhaisibi and most of the later sufis centered their entire methdology on on taklimiyyah and expanded the religion through this matter without first establishing the foundation of their belief by which the knowledge of the heart could actually benefit.

that is why many of the people suscribing to the sufic ways will spend all day trying to purify his heart and spend his time on remembering Allah, and when he is asked where is Allah, he will say "everywhere" or if he is asked 'make du'a for me' he will do so by calling out to an inhabitant of the grave "ya rifa'i"

with such types of beleifs that lead to apostasy, their entire day of the sufi who spent it in dhikr becomes null and void, for they did not fortify themselves with a foundation that will basically benefit the sciences of the heart and that which they acquired.

Therefore, when one understands the above historical context, one realizes that the next statment which is


Quote:kay44
''This is why we find that so many of the Islamic scholars to whom Allah gave tawfiq or success in their work were Sufis ''

equals nothing but bologni

This is similar to the group known as the ash'aris, who converted (through slander) most of our islamic scholars to be ash'aris, like an-nawawee, ibn hajr, Uthman bin Fudi (don fodio) and they even tried to do so with Ibn kathir, Ibn Taymiyyah and adh-Dhahabee.

to properly explain tassawuf (sufism) to you from a sunni perspective I quote one of the famousImaams, and who was deemed as a sufi, but we all know his stance on the sufis

the general behavior of the sunni world towards sufis is best modeled by Shaykhul-Islam Ibn Taymiyah,Haafidh Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyya and the people of hadith in general. They are certainly not indiscriminate towards sufism; at times, they are bitter and stated that the right attitude towards sufism, or any other thing, is to accept what is in agreement with the Quran and the Sunnah, and reject what does not agree (with the quran and sunnah)'" [Majmu Fatawa Shaykh al-Islam, vol. 10, p. 82].

Ibn Taymiyah applies this principle of judicious criticism to sufi ideas, practices and personalities.
He divides the sufis into three categories:

In the first category of sufis whom he calls mashaikh al-Islam, mashaikh al-Kitab wa al-Sunnah and a'immat al-huda, [Majmu'at al-Rasa'il wa al-Masa'il, vol. 1, p. 179, and Majmu Fatawa Shaykh al-Islam, vol. 10, pp. 516-7 and vol. 11, p. 233] he mentions Fudayl b. Iyad, Ibrahim b. Adham, Shaqiq al-Balkhi, Abu Sulayman al-Darani, Maruf al-Karkhi, Bishr ëa-Hafi, Sari al-Saqati, al-Junayd b. Muhammad, Sahl b. Abd Allah al-Tustari and Amr b. Uthman al-Makki.
Later sufis whom he places in this category are: Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani, Shaykh Hammad al-Dabbas, and Shaykh Abu al-Bayan. These sufis, Ibn Taymiyah says, were never intoxicated, did not lose their sense of discrimination, or said or did anything against the Quran and the Sunnah. Their lives and experiences conformed with the Shariah (mustaqim al-ahwal) [Majmu Fatawa Shaykh al-Islam, vol. 10, pp. 516-7].

The second category consists of those sufis whose experience of fana and intoxication (sukr) weakened their sense of discrimination, and made them utter words that they later realized to be erroneous when they became sober [Majmu Fatawa Shaykh ël-Islam, vol. 10, pp. 220-1]. Some of them also did things [Majmu Fatawa Shaykh ël-Islam, vol. 10, pp. 382, 557] under intoxication of which the Shariah does not approve, but sooner or later they became sober and lived well. In this category Ibn Taymiyah mentions the names of Abu Yazid al-Bostami, Abu al-Husayn al-Nuri and Abu Bakr al-Shibli. But he condemns what they said or did in that state and offers apology for them on the ground that they were intoxicated (sukran), and had lost control over reason. [Majmu'at ël-Rasa'il wa ël-Masa'il, vol. 1, p. 168; Majmu Fatawa Shaykh ël-Islam, vol. 10, pp. 382, 557].
His criticism is directed to the third category of sufis who have believed in ideas and expounded doctrines which contradict Islamic principles [ wihdatul woojood and Al-hulool {incarnation}, or who have indulged in practices which are condemned by the Shariah.

The first sufi in this group is al-Hallaj [ the aquidah of God incarnate similar to all mushriks] [Majmu'at ël-Rasa'il wa ël-Masa'il, vol. 1, pp. 81, 83; Majmu Fatawa Shaykh ël-Islam, vol. 11, p. 18]. . . . Next to al-Hallaj the apostate, the sufis who draw strong criticism from Ibn Taymiyah are the ones who expound the doctrine of One Being or unity with God (wahdat al-wujud), such as Ibn ël-Arabi, Sadr ël-Din ël-Qunawi, Ibn Sab'in and Tilimsani. . . . . The apostate Ibn ël-Arabi, who is the central figure in this context (of wahdat ël-wujud ), Ibn Taymiyah subjects him to detailed criticism.
Ibn Taymiyah does not object to intensification of some approved forms of dhikr, or reliance on some methods for purifying the soul, with the neglect of others, provided it is within the limits of the Shariah [Majmu'at ël-Rasa'il wa ël-Masa'il, vol. 4, pp. 86-87].

It is worthwhile to note that Al-Hallaj was executed in Baghdad in 922 for saying "Ana al-Haqq" ("I am the Truth," i.e., God), and his former teacher, al-Junayd, was among those who gave the verdict that he should die. [See Abu Abd al-Rahman al-Sulami, in Tabakat al-Sufiyya, Edited by Nur al-Din Shariba, Maktaba al-Khanji, Cairo, 1986, pp. 307-8, for details.]

The third category of Sufis which includes two sub-categories, regardless of their tareeqah, worship others than Allaah, such as Prophets and “awliya’” [“saints”], living or dead. They say, “Yaa Jeelaani”, “Yaa Rifaa’i” [calling on their awliya’], or “O Messenger of Allaah, help and save” or “O Messenger of Allaah, our dependence is on you”, etc.
Also, they believe in wahdat al-wujood (unity of existence). They do not have the idea of a Creator and His creation, instead they say that everything is creation and everything is God [ Hinduism, pantheism, etc].

They unscrupulously claim that they take knowledge directly from Allaah, without the mediation of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). They say, “Haddathani qalbi ‘an Rabbi (My heart told me from my Lord).”

so the term mutassawuf or commonly known to the english world as "sufi" has quite a broad meaning. And due to ahlu-sunnah who are real or actual salafees, understanding and knowing this reality, then when ahlu-sunnah partakes in refutation of sufis, it is directed at times to the second category of sufis and most of these rududd fall in the thrid category, and not the first, However to expound on this issue and little more, the problem in our times, and for quite a while, is that most of the world that ascribe to tassawuf usually find no fault or partake in the practices either in part or in full with the tenents that are inherent in the third category of tassawuf that Haafidh Ibn Taymiyyah described.

NOTE: the only error that can be said of Ibn Taymiyyah's deduction is his calling the first of generations like Fudayl ibn Iyaad as "sufis" for they were never called this nor were they identified as such, and actually, in their own time the existance of the term "sufi" much less the school that it is now was non existant. That would be like caling a jew, a christian.

SO if you apply the first category of sufis from among those whoyou wish to follow, then the whole of the sunni world, me included is a sufi.

The reality and historical context in which we live in today do not lend suport to the first group. that means sufism, as it is defined today, is not the way the general sunnis and the Imaams of Sunnah and the Jama'ah had established the sciences of the heart and ihsaan. Rather, current day sufism, as it is taught now, mainly falls into the third category of sufism, and as well adopt the practices of the second category. that means the sufism of shaykh Nazim an-Naqshbandi and Keller and the rest of their coherts is beleiving in the apostating beleif of wahdatul-wujood, and to call upon others in worship along with Allah, constituting polytheism from one aspect, and as well blindly following their shaykhs to the other side of polytheism from another aspect for allowing their shaykhs to rule what they can and can't do outside of the ruling of Allah mentioned in the Qur'an.

ANd this right here is the grand of deception (the god instead of the gop) of the sufis. That deception being, to equivalate their shaykhs like Nablusi, deobandi shaykhs, the founder of the naqshbandiyyah, Ibn Arabi, to the established Imaams of the Zaahideen (the astestics) like Hasan al-Basri, Ibn Sireen, or any of he known Imaams of zuhd like Ibraheem at-Taymee.

with this backdrop, we move foward with the folowing


Quote:kaykay44
''Indeed, to throw away every traditional work of the Islamic sciences authored by those educated by Sufis would be to discard 75 percent or more of the books of Islam.''

indeed i have to say, whoever said this is a nutcase. If we were to be realitic in to who was sufi and who was not, we can easily say
1. sufism, as is promoted today, was never practiced at all, in any shap, idea, or form, nor were they attributed to it, nor did they attribute themslvs to it, for the first 400 years of our Islamic history, save a handful among the thousands upon thousands of Imaams that existed in this vital foundational period of our history. that means 40 percent of our works in ALL of Islam by default is depleted with any trace of sufism.

for the next 1000 years, sufism began to emerge more and more, but still remaining a fringe sect amon the muslims from every place. the only country that can be attested to now that is predominately sufism is India and Pakistan. Not even indonesia , in spite of them being the majority in comparison to other groups. But over all, in the islamc world, they remain merely a fraction of the sum total of all of the Imaams of sunnah in the Islamic world from every madhaab, form the hanafis, malaikis, shafi'es and hanbalis. in this period we could reasonably presume they contributed to about 30 percent of the islamic works merely within this time frame.

the only way one can say that 75 percent of our works were by sufis is they classify the correct form of sufism and LIMIT sufism into the first category of sufism I had outlined and quoted above. But no modern day sufi does that. this is the grand deception. since most of the muslim world would fall under the first category, they would say that most of the world is sufi, but they are silent as to clarify to which extent their sufism is.

here are some examples of that deception


Quote:
These men included such scholars as the Hanafi Imam Muhammad Amin Ibn Abidin

unlikee salafiyyah (the method of following the way of the prophet and his companions and their students) sufism, that falls into the second and third categories, is a sect, it has a founder, primarily its inception can be traced back to Harith, abu yazid al-bustami, and al-Hallaj, Ibn Arabi, at-Tilimansi, Abu Bakr ash-Shibli.

the next quote is


Quote:
Sheikh al-Islam Zakaria al-Ansari,

again, will it can be said he was a "sufi" this accusation as well must fit his nature and character and in what category of sufis he fell under. If he was sufi, then I am one too.

he was the author of Manazil al-Sa’irin in tasawwuf dividing it in ten chapters discussing one hundred
stations, maqam. Ibn Taymiyyah said, ‘He mentions three rankings in each chapter. The
first – the lowest in their view – conforms ostensively to the Legal Law; the second
sometime conforms with it and sometimes opposes it; the third, in the majority of cases,
opposes it, especially in the subjects of tawhid, fana’, raja’, and the likes.’[5] Some
additional points concerning this work are discussed in the section entitled, ‘The Sufi’

sufis, generally, they err in the qadr of Allah, since the subject of qadr is itself vague, the ambuguity is what opened the sufis to their deviation in this subject just as the mutazilah were inspired by the ahlul-'ra'i for over stressing theuse of their opinion and philisophical outlooks of their intellects. WIth this in mind Shaykhul-Islam Abu Ism'aeel erred in qadr

Shaykhul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah stated that he took a position that
agreed with the view of the Jahmiyyah and went further than the Ash`aris: He did not
affirm wisdom behind the deeds of Allah nor the existence of causes, and that the station
of fana’ did not allow the Gnostic to see anything but the will of Allah such that he can
no longer view good to be good or evil to be evil, or that he has any action or ability
left.

I am proud to have him within our hanbali school, form among ahlul-hadeeth, rahimahullah


Quote:
Imam Ibn Daqiq al-Eid

eahc name he quotes begins to add humor. the same can be said of him, a fierce thorn in the throat of the innvoting sufis of his time as well as


Quote:
Imam al-Izz Ibn Abd al-Salam

while the natureof his sufism, is more errornous as he falls into the second category of sufism and further tainted his beleifs ith ash'ari beleifs, he aas well authored works fo censorship and words of admonishment agaisnt the sufis and their polytheism that some have incorperated in his time.

for example, the common sufi, like this shaykh nazim affirms it is alowed to call upon the inhabitants of the graves in order for the asker to get closer to Allah. this same Imaam, al-Izz Ibn Abdul-Sallam with regard to that very matter which is entrenched within the school of the sufis this very statement

in his treatise: Al-Waasitab (p.5) he says: “Whoever makes the prophets, and the scholars of the religion, intermediaries between Allaah and His creation, like the door keepers employed by earthly kings who come between them and their subjects, and thinks that they are the ones who raise up the needs of the creation to Allaah, the Most High, and that Allaah, the Most High, guides, gives provision and aid to His creation through them, meaning that the creation make request of them and then they in turn make request of Allaah, just as the intermediaries with earthly kings pass on the request of subjects to them, and the people ask them since it is not deemed correct for them to ask the king directly, and it is more beneficial for them to make their request to the intermediaries than to ask the king directly, since they are closer to the king.
So whoever deems them to be intermediaries in this way, then he is a Kaafir and a mushrik. His repentance is to be sought, and he either repents or he is killed. Such people make similarity with Allaah; they take Him to be like His creation, and attribute rivals to Allaah...”

what pseudo sufi would say this, unless he is of a different kind of sufi.


Quote:
Abd al-Ghani al-Nabulsi, Sheikh Ahmad al-Sirhindi, Sheikh Ibrahim al-Bajuri,

here is another example of this guy's deception. He brings these names to be on par (in the same ballpark) with the previous names mentioned. I will not mention their matter as it is clear they fall into the innvoating categories of sufism that oppose the sufis o the first category.


Quote:
Imam al-Ghazali

, while due respect is giving to this most knowledgeable Imaam rahimahullah, he falls in a way between the the likes of Sirhindi, Bajuri,and from Abdul-Qadir al-Jilanee and the sunni sufis.

Al-Ghazzaali was Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Toosi, who was known as al-Ghazzaali. He was born in Toos in 450 AH. His father used to spin wool and sell it in his shop in Toos.

The life of al-Ghazzaali needs to be discussed at length because he went through a number of stages. He indulged in philosophy, then he recanted and rejected that. After that he indulged in what is known as ‘ilm al-kalaam (Islamic philosophy) and gained a sound grasp of its basic principles; then he rejected that after it became clear to him that it was corrupt and filled with contradictions. He was focusing on ‘ilm al-kalaam during the period when he refuted philosophy, and at that time he was given the title of Hujjat al-Islam, after he had refuted the arguments of the philosophers. Then he recanted ‘ilm al-kalaam and turned away from it. He followed the path of the Baatiniyyah (esotericists) and learned their knowledge, but then he rejected that and showed the beliefs of the Baatiniyyah to be false, and exposed the manner in which they tamper with the texts and rulings. Then he followed the path of Sufism. These are the four stages that al-Ghazzaali went through. Shaykh Abu ‘Umar ibn al-Salaah (may Allaah have mercy on him) spoke well of him when he said: “A lot has been said about Abu Haamid and a lot has been narrated from him. As for these books – meaning al-Ghazzaali’s books which contradict the truth – no attention should be paid to them. As for the man himself, we should keep quiet about him, and refer his case to Allaah.” See Abu Haamid al-Ghazzaali wa’l-Tasawwuf by ‘Abd al-Rahmaan Dimashqiyyah.

No fair-minded person would deny the rare level of intelligence, ingenuity and cleverness that Abu Haamid al-Ghazzaali attained. Al-Dhahabi said of him: “Al-Ghazzaali, the imaam and shaykh, the prominent scholar, Hujjat al-Islam, the wonder of his time, Zayn al-Deem Abu Haamid Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Toosi al-Shaafa’i al-Ghazzaali, the author of many books and one possessed of utter intelligence. He studied fiqh in his own town, then he moved to Nisapur in the company of a group of students. He stayed with the Imaam al-Haramayn and gained a deep knowledge of fiqh within a short period. He became well-versed in ‘ilm al-kalaam and debate, until he became the best of debaters…” (Siyar A’laam al-Nubala’, part 9, p. 323)

You will find that even though Abu Haamid al-Ghazzaali had such a deep knowledge of fiqh, Sufism, ‘ilm al-kalaam, usool al-fiqh, etc., and even though he was such an ascetic and devoted worshipper, and had such a good intention and vast knowledge of Islamic sciences, he still had an inclination towards philosophy. But his philosophy emerged in the form of Sufism and was expressed through Islamic ideas. Hence the Muslim scholars, including his closest companion Abu Bakr ibn al-‘Arabi, refuted his ideas. Abu Bakr ibn al-‘Arabi said: Our shaykh Abu Haamid went deep into philosophy, then he wanted to come out of it but he was unable to. There were narrated from him opinions which sound like the Baatini way of speaking, and that may be verified by looking in al-Ghazzaali’s books. See Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, part 4, p. 66.

Even though al-Ghazzaali was very advanced in knowledge, he had little knowledge of hadeeth and its sciences, and he could not distinguish between sound ahaadeeth and weak ones. Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: “If we assume that someone narrated the view of the salaf but what he narrated is far removed from what the view of the salaf actually is, then he has little knowledge of the view of the salaf, such as Abu’l-Ma’aali, Abu Haamid al-Ghazzaali, Ibn al-Khateeb and the like, who did not have enough knowledge of hadeeth to qualify them as ordinary scholars of hadeeth, let alone as prominent scholars in that field. For none of these people had any knowledge of al-Bukhaari and Muslim and their ahaadeeth, apart from what they heard, which is similar to the situation of the ordinary Muslim, who cannot distinguish between a hadeeth which is regarded as saheeh and mutawaatir according to the scholars of hadeeth, and a hadeeth which is fabricated and false. Their books bear witness to that, for they contain strange things and most of these scholars of ‘ilm al-kalaam and Sufis who have drifted away from the path of the salaf admit that, either at the time of death or before death. There are many such well-known stories. This Abu Haamid al-Ghazzaali, despite his brilliance, his devotion to Allaah, his knowledge of kalaam and philosophy, his asceticism and spiritual practices and his Sufism, ended up in a state of confusion and resorted to the path of those who claim to find out things through dreams and spiritual methods. (Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, part 4, p. 71).

He also said: Hence, even though Abu Haamid refuted the philosophers and classed them as kaafirs, and expressed veneration of Prophethood [as opposed to philosophy], etc., and even though some of what he says is true and good, and indeed of great benefit, nevertheless some of his writings contain philosophical material and matters where he followed the corrupt principles of philosophy that contradict Prophethood and even contradict sound common sense. Hence a group of scholars from Khurasaan, Iraq and the Maghreb criticized him, such as his friend Abu Ishaaq al-Margheenaani, Abu’l-Wafa’ ibn ‘Aqeel, al-Qushayri, al-Tartooshi, Ibn Rushd, al-Maaziri and a group of earlier scholars. This was even mentioned by Shaykh Abu ‘Amr ibn al-Salaah in his book Tabaqaat Ashaab al-Shaafa’i, and was confirmed by Shaykh Abu Zakariya al-Nawawi, who said in his book: “Chapter explaining some important things for which Imaam al-Ghazzaali was denounced in his books which were unacceptable to the scholars of his madhhab and others, namely his odd statements such as what he said in Muqaddimat al-Mantiq at the beginning of al-Mustasfa: ‘This is the introduction to all knowledge, and whoever does not learn this, his knowledge cannot be trusted at all.’”

Shaykh Abu ‘Amr said: “I heard Shaykh al-‘Imaad ibn Yoonus narrating from Yoosuf al-Dimashqi, the teacher of al-Nizaamiyyah in Baghdad, who was one of the famous deans of the school, that he used to denounce these words and say, “Abu Bakr and ‘Umar and So-and-so and So-and-so…” meaning that these great leaders had a great deal of certainty and faith even though they had no knowledge of this Muqaddimah and of any of the ideas contained in it.” (al-‘Aqeedah al-Isfahaaniyyah, part 1, p. 169).

Al-Dhahabi narrated in his book Siyar A’laam al-Nubala’ that Muhammad ibn al-Waleed al-Tartooshi said in a letter which he sent to Ibn Muzaffar: As for what you mentioned about Abu Haamid, I have seen him and spoken to him, and I think that he is a man of great knowledge, he is intelligent and capable, and has been studying all of his life, spending most of his time in study, but then he drifted away from the path of the scholars and entered the crowd of worshippers. Then he became a Sufi and forsook knowledge and its people, then he got involved with “inspiration”, those who claim to have spiritual knowledge, and the insinuating whispers of the Shaytaan. Then he mixed that with the views of the philosophers and the symbolic phrases of al-Hallaaj, and he started to criticize the fuqaha’ and the scholars of ‘ilm al-kalaam. He almost went astray from the religion altogether. When he wrote al-Ihya’ [i.e., Ihya’ ‘Uloom al-Deen], he started to speak of the inspiration and symbolic words of the Sufis, although he was not qualified to do that and had no deep knowledge of such matters. Hence he failed, and filled his book with fabricated reports.

I (al-Dhahabi) say: as for al-Ihya’, it contains many false ahaadeeth, and it contains much that is good. I wish that it did not contain etiquette, rituals and asceticism that are in accordance with the ways of the philosophers and deviant Sufis. We ask Allaah for beneficial knowledge. Do you know what is beneficial knowledge? It is that which Allaah revealed in the Qur’aan, which was explained by the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in word and deed, and the type of knowledge which we are not forbidden to acquire. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever turns away from my Sunnah does not belong to me.” So, my brother, you must ponder the words of Allaah and persist in studying al-Saheehayn, Sunan al-Nasaa’i, Riyaadh al-Nawawi and al-Adhkaar by al-Nawawi, then you will succeed and prosper.

Beware of the opinions of the philosophers, the practice of spiritual exercises, the starvation of monks, and the nonsense talk of those who stay alone for long periods in their monasteries. All goodness is to be found in following the pure and tolerant way of the haneefs. And seek the help of Allaah. O Allaah, guide us to Your straight path.

Al-Maaziri praised Abu Haamid with regard to fiqh, and said that he had more knowledge of fiqh than of usool al-fiqh (the basic principles of fiqh). With regard to ‘ilm al-kalaam which is usool al-deen, he wrote books in this field, but he did not have deep knowledge of it. I realized that he was lacking in experience in this field, because he studied the branches of philosophy before he studied usool al-fiqh, so philosophy made him audacious in criticizing ideas and attacking facts, because philosophy goes along with one’s train of thought, without any shar’i guidelines.

A friend of his told me that he spent a lot of time studying Rasaa’il Ikhwaan al-Safa, which contains fifty-one essays. It was written by someone who has studied sharee’ah and philosophy, then had mixed the two. He was a man who was known as Ibn Seena, who filled the world with his books. He had a good knowledge of philosophy, which led him to try to refer all the basic principles of ‘aqeedah to philosophy. He strove hard and achieved what others had failed to do. I have seen some of his books and I noticed that Abu Haamid quotes him a great deal when he speaks of philosophy. With regard to Sufi views, I do not know where he got them from, but I have seen that some of his companions mention the books of Ibn Seena and their contents, and he also mentioned the books of Abu Hayyaan al-Tawheedi. As far as I am concerned, he picked up his Sufi ideas from him. I was told that Abu Hayyaan wrote a huge book about these Sufi ideas, and al-Ihya’ contains a lot of baseless ideas… then he said: In al-Ihya’ he mentioned ideas that have no basis, such as starting with the index finger when cutting the nails because it is superior to the other fingers, as it is the finger used in tasbeeh; then moving on to the middle finger because it is to the right of the index finger, and ending with the thumb of the right hand. He narrated a report concerning that.

I (al-Dhahabi) say: this is a fabricated report. Abu’l-Faraj al-Jawzi said: Abu Haamid wrote al-Ihya’ and filled it with fabricated ahaadeeth which he did not know were fabricated. He spoke of inspiration and deviated from the framework of fiqh. He said that what is meant by the stars, moon and sun that Ibraaheem saw was the barriers of light that keep a person from Allaah, not the things that are well known. This is like the words of the Baatiniyyah.

(Siyar A’laam al-Nubala’, part 19, p. 340).

Then at the end of his life, al-Ghazzaali (may Allaah have mercy on him) came back to the belief of Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa’ah. He focused on the Qur’aan and Sunnah and condemned ‘ilm al-kalaam and its proponents. He advised the ummah to come back to the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah of His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and to act in accordance with them, as was the way of the Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them and those who follow them in truth until the Day of Judgement). Shaykh al-Islam (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: After that he came back to the path of the scholars of hadeeth, and wrote Iljaam al-‘Awwaam ‘an ‘Ilm al-Kalaam.

(Majmoo Fataawa, part 4, p. 72)

A glance at Iljaam al-‘Awwaam ‘an ‘Ilm al-Kalaam will prove to us that he had indeed changed in many ways:

1 – In this book he advocated the belief of the salaf, and pointed out that the way of the salaf was the truth, and that whoever went against them was an innovator or follower of bid’ah.

2 – He emphatically denounced ta’weel (interpretation of the attributes of Allaah in a manner that differs from their apparent meaning). He advocated affirming the attributes of Allaah and not misinterpreting them in a manner that would lead to denying the attributes of Allaah.

3 – He emphatically denounced the scholars of ‘ilm al-kalaam and described all their principles and standards as “reprehensible innovations” which had harmed a great number of people and created trouble for the Muslims. He said: “The harm caused to a great number of people is something that has been seen, witnessed and experienced. The evil that has resulted since ‘ilm al-kalaam began has become widespread even though people at the time of the Sahaabah forbade that. This is also indicated by the fact that the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and the Sahaabah, by consensus, did not follow the way of the scholars of ‘ilm al-kalaam when they produced arguments and evidence and analysis. That was not because they were incapable of doing so; if they had thought that was something good, they would have done it in the best manner, and they would have studied the matter hard, more than they did with regard to the division of the estate among the heirs (al-faraa’id).”

He also said: “The Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them) needed to prove the Prophethood of Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) to the Jews and Christians, but they did not add anything to the evidence of the Qur’aan; they did not resort to arguments or lay down philosophical principles. That was because they knew that doing so would provoke trouble and cause confusion. Whoever is not convinced by the evidence of the Qur’aan will not be convinced by anything other than the sword, for there is no proof after the proof of Allaah.”

See Abu Haamid al-Ghazzaali wa’l-Tasawwuf.

I will not continue quoting the names he cited since by explaining the matter will require more space and time to read. Instead I will just do what he did, in opposite form.

here were the most prominent of ahlu-sunnah were definately were not sufis, and who, y themselves, contribute to the majority of Islam itself

1. outside of the salaf and the thousands of Imaams that existed therein, there were many other non sufis like
2. al-bukharee, muslim, abu dawood, uthman bin sa'eed ad-darimee, tirmidhi, abu bakr al-khalal, ash-shatibi, al-haakim an-naisaburi, Imaam al-Laalika'i, SHaykhul-Islam Abu Uthmaan as-Saboonee ash-Shafi'ee, Abu Bakr Isma'eeli, Ibn Mandah, Abu Bakr al-Mardawee, Ibn Abi Y'ala, Khateeb al-Bahdaadee, Abu Amr Ibnu-Salah, Imaam al-Asbahaanee, Abul-Qaasim at-Taymee, Shaykhul-Islam al-Baghawee, Haafidh al-Bayhaqee, Haafidh Ibn Abdul-Barr, Haafidh Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali, Haafidh Ibn Hajr al-Asqalaani, Imaam Badru-Deen al-Aiynee, Haafidh Imaam al-Albanee, al-Faqih al-Mujtahid Muhammad al-Ameen ash-Shanqeeti, Ibn Abi Zaid, al-Qurtubi, Haafidh Ibn Jareer at-Tabari, Ibnul-Atheer, Hafidh al-Muzaani, Ibn Taymiyyah, Ibn Katheer, adh-Dhahabee, al-Mizzi, Haafidh al-Iraaqi, Ibnul-Qayyim, al-Muhadith Muqbil bin Hadee, Imaam Sideeq Hasan Khan, ash-Shawkaani (later in his life, not his early part) Imaam Abu Hasan al-Ash'ari, Abu Faraj ash-Shiraazee, al-Imaam at-Tahaawee, al-Imaam Badi-u-Deen Shah as-Sindi, Ibn Surayj ash-Shafi'ee, Abu Bakr al-Aajuree, Ibn Abdul-Hadi, Abdul-Hadi al-Maqdisee, Abdul-Ghani al-Maqdisee, Shaykhul-Islam Muhammd Ibn Abdul-Wahhab, al-Imaam al-Muhadith Hamaad al-Ansaari, Shaykhul-Islam Muhammad Bin Saalih al-Uthaymeen, al-Imaam al-Alamaah Taqi-u-Deen al-Hilaalee, Shaykhul-Islam Imaamul-Aimah Ibnul-Khudhaimah ash-Shafi'ee, Haafidh al-Imaam ad-Daraqutnee, , and I can keep on going and going. and these were, pretty much all of those who lived during the time after the inception of the school of the sufis became dominant in the various regions and cities. the irony is, that these names included in this list are the BULK of Islamic literature, like 75 percent.
Just Ibn Taymiyyah alone contributed hundreds of works and al-Albanee almost 5 hundred works. Each of them were at least authors of over 30 works alone many of them voluminous like 30 and 40 and even 50 volumes.

as well these arethe names of the salaf who in their time, not even the term sufi caught on yet, much less the school

From the Companions
Abu Bakr as-Siddeeq (d.l3H),
Umar ibn al-Khattaab (d.23H),
Uthmaan (d.35H),
Alee ibn abu Talib(d.40H),
az-Zubayr (d.36H),
Sa'eed ibn Abee Waqqaas(d.54H),
Sa'eed ibn Zayd(d.50H),
Abdur-Rahmaan ibn ^Awf (d.31H),
Abdullaah ibn Mas'ood^(d.32H),
Mu'aadh ibn Jabal (d.l71H),
Ubay ibn Ka'b (d.22H),
Ibn 'Abbaas (d.68H),
Ibn 'Umar (d.84H),
'Abdullaah ibn -Amr ibn al-'Aas (d.65H),
'Abdullaah ibn az-Zubayr (d.73H),
Zayd ibn Thaabit (d.45 or 48H),
Abud-Dardaa (d.32H),
Ubaadah ibn Saamit (d.34H),
Abu Moosaaal-Ash'aree(d.44H),
Imraan ibn Husain(d.52H),
Animar ibn Yaasir (d.37H),
Abu Hurairah (d.57H),
Hudhaifah ibn al-Yamaan (d.36H),
'Uqbah ibn 'Aamir al-Juhanee (d.58H),
Salmaan (d.35H)
Jaabir (d.74H),
AbuSa'eedal-Khudree (d.74H),
Hudhaifah ibn Usaid al-Ghifaaree (d.42H),
Abu Umaamah Sudayya ibn ‘Ajlaan [al-Baahilee] (d.86H),
Jundub ibn ^Abdillaah (d.64H),
Abu Mas'ood 'Uqbah ibn 'Amr (d.40H),
'Umair ibn Habeeb ibn Khumaashah,
Abut-Tufail 'Aamir ibn Waalithah (d.llOH),
'Aa'ishah (d.58H),
and Umm Salamah (d.62H).
radiallaahu 'anhum ajma'een
upto 100H

Alqamah ibn Qays (d.62H)
Muhmmad ibn al-Hanafiyyah (d.81H)
Abul-Bukhtaree: Sa'eed ibn Fayrooz (d.83H)
Abul-'Aaliyah Rufai' ibn Mihraan ar-Riyaahee, the freed slave of a woman of the Banoo Riyaah (d.93H)
Sa'eed ibn al-Musayyib (d.94H)
'Alee ibn al-Husain ibn 'Alee [Zainul-'Aabideen] (d.94H ),
'Urwah ibn az-Zubayr (d.94H),
Ibraaheem ibn Yazeed an-Nakhaa'ee (d.96H)


100 >>

Umar ibn 'Abdul-'Azeez (d.101H),
Mujaahid (d.l03H)
'Aamir ibn Sharaaheel ash-Sha'bee (d.l04H)
Abu Qilaabah 'Abdullaah ibn Zayd al-Jarmee (d.l04H)
al-Qaasim ibn Muhammad ibn Abee Bakr (d.l06H),
Taawoos (d.l06H),
Saalim ibn ^Abdillaah ibn 'Umar (d.l06H),
Sulaimaan ibn Yassar (d.l07H).
Muhammad ibn Seereen (d.llOH)
al-Hasan ibn Abil-Hasan al-Basree (d.llOH)
Talhah ibn Musarrif (d.ll2H)
'Ataa^ [ibn Abee Rabaah] (d.ll4H)
Muhammad ibn 'Alee ibn Husain (d.ll4H)
al-Hakamibn'Utaybah(d.ll5H)
Ibn Abee Mulaikah (d.ll7H)
Abdullaah ibn Yazeed ibn Hurmuz, Zayd ibn 'Alee ibn al-Husain (d.l22H),
Zubaydibnal-Haarith(d.l23H)
Muhmmad ibn Muslim, az-Zuhree (d.l24H),
'Amr ibn Deenaar (d.l26H)
Yahyaa ibn Abee Katheer al-Yamamee (d.l29H)
Abu Bakr Ayyoob ibn Abee Tameemah as-Sakhtiyaanee (d.l31H)
Ka'b ibn Maati' al-Ahbaar (d.132H)
'Abdullaah ibn Taawoos (d.l32H)
and Zaid ibn Aslam (d.l36H).
Rabee'ahibn 'Abdir-Rahmaan (d. 136H),
Yoonus ibn ^Ubayd (d.l39H)
Sulaymaan at-Taymee (d.l43H
Abdullaah ibn Shawadhab (d.l44H)
'Abdullaah ibn Hasan [ibn Abee Taalib] (d.l45H)
Abu Hayyaan Yahyaa ibn Sa'eed at-Tameemee (d. 145H)
Muhammad ibn 'Abdir-Rahmaan ibn Abee Laylaa (d. 148H)
Muhammad ibn al-Waleed az-Zubaydee (d.l48H)
Ja'far ibn Muhammad as-Saadiq (d.l48H).
IbnJuraij (d.l50H)
Abu Haneefah (d.150 AH)
'Abdullaah ibn 'Awn (d.l51H)
Abdur-Rahmaan ibn Yazeed ibn Jaabir (d.l53H)
Abu 'Umar ibn al-'Alaa' (d.l54H)
Hamzah ibn Habeeb az-Zayyaatal-Muqri' (d.l56H)
'Abdur-Rahmaan ibn 'Amr al-Awzaa'ee (d.l57H)
Haywah ibn Shuraih (d.l58H)
Maalik ibn Mighwaal (d.l59H)
Sufyaan ath-Thawree (d.l61H)
Zaa^idah ibn Qudaamah (d.l61H)
'Abdul-'Azeez ibn Abee Salamah al-Maajishoon (d.l64H).
Sa'eed ibn 'Abdil-'Azeez at-Tanookhee (d.l67H)
Hammad ibn Salamah (d.l67H)
Abdullaah ibn Lahee'ah (d.l74H)
al-Layth ibn Sa'd (d.l75H)
Muhmmad ibn Muslim at-Taa'ifee (d.l77H)
Shareek ibn 'Abdillaah al-Qaadee (d.l77H)
Abu 'Abdillaah: Maalik ibn Anas, the Faqeeh (d.l79H)
Hammad ibn Zayd (d.l79H)
Naafi' ibn 'Umar al-Jumahee (d.l79H),
Abu 'Ubaydir-Rahmaan 'Abdullaahibnal-Mubaarakal-Marwazee (d.l81H)
Hushaym ibn Basheer al-Waasitee (d.l83H)
an-Nadr ibn Muhammad al-Marwazee (d.l83H)
Abu Ishaaq, Ibraaheem ibn Muhammad al-Fazaaree (d.l86H)
Yahyaa ibn 'Abdil-Maalik ibn Abee Ghaniyyah (d.l86H)
Fudayl ibn 'lyyad (d.l87H)
Abdur-Rahmaanibnal-Qaasim(d.l91H)
al-Fad! ibn Moosaa as-Seenaanee (d.l92H)
'Abdullaah ibn Idrees (al-Awdee) (d.l92H)
Abu Bakr ibn 'Ayyaash (d.193)
Al-Waleed ibn Muslim (d. 194H)
Yahyaa ibn Saleem at-Taa'ifee (d.l95H)
Abdur-Rahmaan ibn Muhammad al-Muhaaribee (d.l95H)
Mu'aadh ibn Mu'aadh (at-Tameemee) (d.l96H)
^Abdullaah ibn Wahb (d.l97H)
Wakee' ibn al-Jarraah (d.l97H
Sufyaan ibn 'Uyainah (d.l98H)
Yahyaa ibn Sa'eed al-Qattaan (d.l98H),
'Abdur-Rahmaan ibn Mahdee (d.l98H),
200>>

Abu Usaamah Hammaad ibn Usaamah (d.201H)
an-Nadr ibn Shumayl al-Maazinee(d.203H)
Abu 'Abdillaah Muhmmad ibn Idrees ash-Shaafi'ee, the Faqeeh (d.204H)
Ashhab ibn 'Abdil-'Azeez (d.204H)
Muhammad ibn 'Ubayd at-Tanaafis (d.204H)
Wahb ibn Jareer(d.206H)
ar-Rabee' ibn Sulaymaan al-Muraadee (d.207H)
Ja'far ibn 'Awn (d.209H)
'Abdul-Maalik ibn 'Abdul-'Azeez (d.212H),
'Abdullaah ibn Yazeed al-Muqri' (d.213H)
'Abu Mushir: 'Abdul-A'laa ibn Mushir ad-Dimashqee (d.218H),
Abdullaah ibn az-Zubayr al-Humaydee (d.219H).
Abu Nu^aym al-Fadl ibn Dukayn (d.219H)
Ibraaheem ibn Moosaa al-Farraa' (d. after 220H)
Abu 'Ubayd al-Qaasim ibn Sallaam (d.224H)
Amr ibn 'Awn (d.225H)
Ismaa'eel ibn Abee Uwais (d.226H)
Yahyaa ibn Yahyaa an-Neesaabooree(d.226H)
Ahmad ibn 'Abdillaah ibn Yoonus (al-Yarboo'ee) (d.227H)
Nuaym ib Hammad al-Khuzaee(d.228H),
Nu'aymibnHammaadal-Marwazee(d.229H),
Abu Ya'qoob, Yoosuf ibn Yahyaa al-Buwaytee (d.231H)
Abu Zakariyyaa Yahyaa ibn Ma'een (d.233H)
Abul-Hasan 'Alee ibn 'AbdillaahibnJa'faral-Madeenee (d.234H)
Abu Bakr ibn Abee Shaybah (d.235H)
Ishaaq ibn Ibraaheem ibn Makhiad, (Ishaaq ibn Raahawaayah)(d.238H)
Muhammad ibn Nasr al-Marwazee (d.238H)
Uthmaan ibn Abee Shaybah(d.239H)
Shaadh ibn Yahyaa, Wahb ibn Baqiyyah (d.239H)
Muhammad ibn Sulaymaan al-Misseesee, known as 'Luwayn' (d.240H)
Abu Thawr rbraaheem ibn Khaalid al-Kalbee (d.240H)
Abu 'Abdillaah Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Hanbal (d.241H)
Abu Qudaamah 'Ubaydullaah ibn Sa'eed as-Sarkhas (d.241H)
Muhammad ibn Aslam at-Toosee (d.242H)
Hishaam ibn 'Ammaar ad-Dimashqee (d.245H)
Abbaasibn'Abdil-'Adheemal-'Anbaree(d.246H)
Ismaa'eel ibn Sa'eed ash-Shaalanjee (d.230 or 246H)
Abu Khaithamah Zuhayr ibn Ibraaheem ad-Dawraqee (d.246H)
Abu Kurayb Muhammad ibn al-'Alaa' al-Hamdhaanee (d.248H)
Humayd ibn Zanjawaih an-Nasawee (d.249H)
'Abdullaah ibn 'Abdir-Rahman as-Samarqandee (ad-Daarimee) (d.250H)
Mu-hammad ibn Bashshaar (Bundaar) (d.252H)
Ahmad ibn Sinaan (d.256H)
Muhammad ibn Ismaa'eel al-Bukhaaree (d.256H)
Abu Mas'ood Ahmad ibn al-Furaat, who settled in Asbahaan (d.258H)
Muhammad ibn Yahyaaadh-Dhuhlee (d.258H)
Abul-Husayn Muslim Ibnul-Hajjaaj from Naysaaboor (Imaam Muslim). (d.261H).
'AbuIbraheem, Ismaa'eel ibn Yahyaa al-Muzanee (d.264H)
Abu Zur'ah 'Ubaydullaah ibn 'Abdil-Kareem ar-Raazee (d.264H)
and Muhammad ibn 'Abdillaah ibn 'Abdil-Hakam al-Misree (d.268H)
Ahmad ibn Sayyaar al-Marwazee (d.268H),
Abu 'Ubaydillaah Muhammad ibn Waarah (d.270H)
Ibn Majah Muhammad bin Yazid (d 273H)
Abu Daawood Sulaymaan ibn al-Ash'athas-Sijjistaanee who settled in Basrah (d.275H)
Ya'qoob ibn Sufyaan al-Fasawee (d.277H)
Abu Haatim Muhammad ibn Idrees al-Hanzaalee (d.277H)
Abu 'Eesaa Muhammad ibn 'Eesaa at-Tirmidhee (d.279H)
Sahl ibn 'Abdillaah at-Tustaree (d.283H)
Al-Ma'aafee ibn 'Imraan al-Mawsilee (d.286H)
Ibn Abee Aasim ash-Shaybaanee (287AH)
Abu Nu'aym 'Abdul-Maalik ibn 'Adiyy al-Istiraabaadhee (d.288H)
Abu Mus'ab Ahmad ibn Abee Bakr az-Zuhree (d.292H)

So i wonder what miracle did this person perform that 75 percent of our works were by sufis or their teachers.

lastly, but not leastly, you added your own philosophical outlook here


Quote:kay44
''In the quoran it says you can assosiate with other religions''

where does it say that and did you resort to the proper explanations of the scholars of the sunnah when you came to that conclusion.


Quote:kay44
''they all belive in 1 god''

again, where does it say that and how did you understand the vrse and did you resort to those who properly understand the verse when you said this.


Quote:kay44
''finished reading it yet, but i read that. its just non-belivers that you shouldent ally ''

yes, the unbeleiver being the one who does not beleive in "ash-hadu anla ilaha ilallah MUHAMMADA RASULULLA"

muhammada rasulullah is the completion of the testimony that the person beleives in God alone who is worshipped alone. If a human being does not beleive in the second, he disbeleives in the first, otherwise, if this is incorrect, then the whole of the quraan in incorrect, and the reason it was revealed as well is also incorrect, and everything the muslims had brought forth in defence of Islam goes down the drain, and the path of ny group, sufis, or anyone else becomes null and void, for beleif can be restricted to merely "one who beleives in God" which in Islamic history was invented by one o the most vile sects of our history, the jahmiyyah. They said, that anyone who merely aknowledged Allah can beleve. therefore no on in this world was a disbeleiver, including those who killed the propehts among the jes for they too beleived in God. likewise when Allah called the polytheist disbeleivers in the quran for not accepting muhsmmad as His messenger, they to, according to your theory, can be labelled as beleivers for they too, beleived in God.



since I see you need to ground yourself with a basci knowledge and understanding of the fundamentals of the religion i recommend this for you

Only registered users can see links on this forum! Register or Login on forum!

at least the above will gain you a rudimentary level of understanding the matters you are delving into or speaking off on your own.

asalamu alaikum''

sorry, im wanting to learn how sufis would deal with things said like that. pritty long eh! can anyone simplyfy what hes trying to say to me and how would i answer people like him?
asalaumu alaikum!

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu!

Not to criticize - just to remind all - Tasawwuf (popularly referred to as Sufi or Sufism) IS NOT a school. Rather it is an approach; a means to reach Allah azza wa jall and a way to purify your lower nafs.

Wa Salam
habrifaqir

What The Scholars Say About Sufism

Sufism (Tasawuff) is the Heart of Islam

The following quotations of the scholars of Shariah regarding the precedence of the knowledge and science of Tasawwuf, (Purification of the Self)

Imam Abu Hanifa (85 H. - 150 H) "If it were not for two years, I would have perished." He said, "for two years I accompanied Sayyidina Ja'far as-Sadiq and I acquired the spiritual knowledge that made me a gnostic in the Way." [Ad-Durr al-Mukhtar, vol 1. p. 43]

Imam Malik (95 H. - 179 H.) "whoever studies Jurisprudence (tafaqaha) and didn't study Sufism [tasawwafa] will be corrupted; and whoever studied Sufism and didn't study Jurisprudence will become a heretic; and whoever combined both will be reach the Truth." [the scholar'Ali al-Adawi , vol. 2, p 195.)

Imam Shafi'i (150 - 205 AH.) "I accompanied the Sufi people and I received from them three knowledges: ... how to speak; .. how to treat people withleniency and a soft heart... and they... guided me in the ways of Sufism." [Kashf al-Khafa, 'Ajluni, vol. 1, p 341.]

Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal (164 - 241 AH.) "O my son, you have to sit with the People of Sufism, because they are like a fountain of knowledge and they keep the Remembrance of Allah in their hearts. they are the ascetics and they have the most spiritual power." [Tanwir al-Qulub p. 405]

Imam Ghazzali (450 - 505 AH.) "I knew verily that Sufis are the seekers in Allah's Way, and their conduct is the best conduct, and their way is the best way, and their manners are the most sanctified. They have cleaned their hearts from other than Allah and they have made them as pathways for rivers to run receiving knowledge of the Divine Presence." [al-Munqidh, p. 131].

Fakhr ad-Din ar-Razi (544 - 606 AH) "the way of Sufis for seeking Knowledge, is to disconnect themselves from this worldly life, and they keep themselves constantly busy .... with Dhikrullah, in all their actions and behaviors. ['Itiqadaat Furaq al-Muslimeen, p. 72, 73]

Imam Nawawi (620 - 676 AH.) "The specifications of the Way of the Sufis are ... to keep the Presence of Allah in your heart in public and in private; to follow the Sunnah of the Prophet (s) ... to be happy with what Allah gave you..."[in his Letters, (Maqasid at-tawhid), p. 201]

Ibn Khaldun (733 - 808 AH.) "The way of the Sufis is the way of the Salaf, the preceding Scholars between the Sahaba and Tabi'een of those who followed good guidance..." [Muqaddimat ibn al-Khaldun, p. 328]

Tajuddin as-Subki (727 - 771 AH.) "May Allah praise them [the Sufis] and greet them and may Allah cause us to be with them in Paradise. Too many things havebeen said about them and too many ignorant people have said things which are not related to them. And the truth is that those people left the world and were busy with worship. ... They are the People of Allah, whose supplications and player Allah accepts and by means of whom Allah supports human beings" [Mu'eed an-Na'am p. 190, the chapter entitled Tasawwufl

Jalaluddin as-Suyuti (849 - 911 AH.) "At-Tasawwuf in itself is the best and most honorable knowledge. It explains how to follow the Sunnah of the Prophet (s) and to put aside innovation." [Ta'yid al-Haqiqat al-'Aiiyya,p 57]

Ibn Taymiyya (661 - 728 AH) "Tasawwuf has realities and states of experience which they talk about in their science. Some of it is that the Sufi is that one who purifies himself from anything which distracts him from the remembrance of Allah and who will be so filled up with knowledge of the heart and knowledge of the mind to the point that the value of gold and stones will be the same to him. And Tasawwuf is safeguarding the precious meanings and leaving behind the call to fame and vanity in order to reach the state of Truthfulness, because the best of humans after the prophets are the Siddiqeen, as Allah mentioned them in the verse: "(And all who obey Allah and the Apostle) are in the company of those on whom is the grace of Allah: of the prophets, the sincere lovers of truth, the martyrs and the righteous; Ah! what a beautiful fellowship." (an-Nisa', 69,70)

"...some people criticised Sufiyya and Tasawwuf and they said they were innovators, out of the Sunnah, but the truth is they are striving in Allah's obedience [mujtahidin fi ta'at-illahij, as others of Allah's People strove in Allah's obedience. So from them you will find the Foremost in Nearness by virtue of his striving [as-saabiq ul-muqarrab bi hasab ijtihadihi]. And some of them are from the People of the Right hand [Ahl al-Yameen mentioned in Qur'an in Sura Waqi'ah], but slower in their progress.

... And this is the origin of Tasawwuf. And after that origin, it has been spread and [tasha'abat wa tanawa'at] has its main line and its branches. (Majmu'a Fatawa Ibn Taymiyya al-Kubra, Vol. 1 1, Book of Tasawwuf, p. 497].

"The miracles of saints are absolutely true and correct, by the acceptance of all Muslim scholars. And the Qur'an has pointed to it in different places, and the Hadith of the Prophet (s) has mentioned it, and whoever denies the miraculous power of saints are only people who are innovators and their followers." [al-Mukhtasar al-Fatawa, page 603]. Ibn Taymiyya says, "what is considered as a miracle for a saint is that sometimes the saint might hear something that others do not hear and they might see something that others do not see, while not in a sleeping state, but in a wakened state of vision. And he can know something that others cannot know, through revelation or inspiration." [Majmu'a Fatawi Ibn Taymiyya, Vol. 1 1, p. 314].

lbn Qayyim (691 - 751 AH.) "We can witness the greatness of the People of Sufism, in the eyes of the earliest generations of Muslims by what has beenmentioned by Sufyan ath-Thawri (d. 161 AH), one of the greatest imams of the second century and one of the foremost legal scholars. He said, "If it had not been for Abu Hisham as-Sufi (d. 115) 1 would never have perceived the action of the subtlest forms of hypocrisy in the self... Among the best of people is the Sufi learned in jurisprudence." [Manazil as-Sa'ireen.]

Abdullah ibn Muhammad ibn Abdul Wahhab (1115 - 1201 AH.) "My father Muhammad ibn Abdul Wahhab and I do not deny or criticize the science of Sufism, but on the contrary we support it, because it purifies the external and the internal of the hidden sins, which are related to the heart and to the outward form. Even though the individual might externally be on the right way, internally he might be on the wrong way. Sufism is necessary to correct it." [ad-Dia'at mukathaffa did ash-Shaykh Ibn Abdul Wahhab,p.85 ]

Ibn 'Abidin (1198 - 1252 AH.) "the Seekers in this Sufi Way don't hear except from the Divine Presence and they don't love any but Him. If they remember Him they cry, and if they thank Him they are happy; ... May Allah bless them." [Risa'il Ibn'Abidin p. 172 & 173]

Muhammad 'Abduh (1265 - 1323 AH.) "Tasawwuf appeared in the first century of Islam and it received a tremendous honor. It purified the self and straightened the conduct and gave knowledge to people from the Wisdom and Secrets of the Divine Presence." (Majallat al-Muslim, 6th ed. 1378 H, p. 24].

Abul Hasan 'Ali an-Nadawi (1331 AH b.) "These Sufis were initiating people on Oneness and sincerity in following the Sunnah of the Prophet (s) and to repent from theirsins and to be away from every disobedience of Allah 'Azza wa Jail. Their guides were encouraging them to move in the way of perfect Love to Allah 'Azza wa Jail. "...In Calcutta India, everyday more than 1000 people were taking initiation into Sufism. "...by the influence of these Sufi people, thousands and thousands and hundreds of thousands in India found their Lord and reached a state of Perfection through the Islamic religion."[Muslit-ns in India, p. 140-146]

Abul 'Ala Maudoodi (1321 - 1399 AH.) " Sufism is a reality whose signs are the love of Allah and the love of the Prophet (s), where one absents oneself for their sake, and one is annihilated from anything other than them, and it is to know how to follow the footsteps of the Prophet (s). ..Tasawwuf searched for the sincerity in the heart and the purity in the intention and the trustworthiness in obedience in an individual's actions." "The Divine Law and Sufism: "Sufism and Shariah: what is the similitude of the two? They are like the body and the soul. The body is the external knowledge, the Divine Law, and the spirit is the internal knowledge."[Mabadi' al-islam, p. 17]

The Place of Tasawwuf in Traditional Islam
© Nuh Ha Mim Keller 1995

Perhaps the biggest challenge in learning Islam correctly today is the scarcity of traditional 'ulama. In this meaning, Bukhari relates the sahih, rigorously authenticated hadith that the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said,
"Truly, Allah does not remove Sacred Knowedge by taking it out of servants, but rather by taking back the souls of Islamic scholars [in death], until, when He has not left a single scholar, the people take the ignorant as leaders, who are asked for and who give Islamic legal opinion without knowledge, misguided and misguiding" (Fath al-Bari, 1.194, hadith 100).
The process described by the hadith is not yet completed, but has certainly begun, and in our times, the lack of traditional scholars—whether in Islamic law, in hadith, in tafsir 'Quranic exegesis'—has given rise to an understanding of the religion that is far from scholarly, and sometimes far from the truth. For example, in the course of my own studies in Islamic law, my first impression from orientalist and Muslim-reformer literature, was that the Imams of the madhhabs or 'schools of jurisprudence' had brought a set of rules from completely outside the Islamic tradition and somehow imposed them upon the Muslims. But when I sat with traditional scholars in the Middle East and asked them about the details, I came away with a different point of view, having learned the bases for deriving the law from the Qur'an and Sunna.
And similarly with Tasawwuf—which is the word I will use tonight for the English Sufism, since our context is traditional Islam—quite a different picture emerged from talking with scholars of Tasawwuf than what I had been exposed to in the West. My talk tonight, In Sha' Allah, will present knowledge taken from the Qur'an and sahih hadith, and from actual teachers of Tasawwuf in Syria and Jordan, in view of the need for all of us to get beyond clichés, the need for factual information from Islamic sources, the need to answer such questions as: Where did Tasawwuf come from? What role does it play in the din or religion of Islam? and most importantly, What is the command of Allah about it?
As for the origin of the term Tasawwuf, like many other Islamic discliplines, its name was not known to the first generation of Muslims. The historian Ibn Khaldun notes in his Muqaddima:
This knowledge is a branch of the sciences of Sacred Law that originated within the Umma. From the first, the way of such people had also been considered the path of truth and guidance by the early Muslim community and its notables, of the Companions of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace), those who were taught by them, and those who came after them.
It basically consists of dedication to worship, total dedication to Allah Most High, disregard for the finery and ornament of the world, abstinence from the pleasure, wealth, and prestige sought by most men, and retiring from others to worship alone. This was the general rule among the Companions of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) and the early Muslims, but when involvement in this-worldly things became widespread from the second Islamic century onwards and people became absorbed in worldliness, those devoted to worship came to be called Sufiyya or People of Tasawwuf (Ibn Khaldun, al-Muqaddima [N.d. Reprint. Mecca: Dar al-Baz, 1397/1978], 467).
In Ibn Khaldun's words, the content of Tasawwuf, "total dedication to Allah Most High," was, "the general rule among the Companions of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) and the early Muslims." So if the word did not exist in earliest times, we should not forget that this is also the case with many other Islamic disciplines, such as tafsir, 'Qur'anic exegesis,' or 'ilm al-jarh wa ta'dil, 'the science of the positive and negative factors that affect hadith narrators acceptability,' or 'ilm al-tawhid, the science of belief in Islamic tenets of faith,' all of which proved to be of the utmost importance to the correct preservation and transmission of the religion.
As for the origin of the word Tasawwuf, it may well be from Sufi, the person who does Tasawwuf, which seems to be etymologically prior to it, for the earliest mention of either term was by Hasan al-Basri who died 110 years after the Hijra, and is reported to have said, "I saw a Sufi circumambulating the Kaaba, and offered him a dirham, but he would not accept it." It therefore seems better to understand Tasawwuf by first asking what a Sufi is; and perhaps the best definition of both the Sufi and his way, certainly one of the most frequently quoted by masters of the discipline, is from the sunna of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) who said:
Allah Most High says: "He who is hostile to a friend of Mine I declare war against. My slave approaches Me with nothing more beloved to Me than what I have made obligatory upon him, and My slave keeps drawing nearer to Me with voluntary works until I love him. And when I love him, I am his hearing with which he hears, his sight with which he sees, his hand with which he seizes, and his foot with which he walks. If he asks me, I will surely give to him, and if he seeks refuge in Me, I will surely protect him" (Fath al-Bari, 11.340–41, hadith 6502);
This hadith was related by Imam Bukhari, Ahmad ibn Hanbal, al-Bayhaqi, and others with multiple contiguous chains of transmission, and is sahih. It discloses the central reality of Tasawwuf, which is precisely change, while describing the path to this change, in conformity with a traditional definition used by masters in the Middle East, who define a Sufi as Faqihun 'amila bi 'ilmihi fa awrathahu Llahu 'ilma ma lam ya'lam,'A man of religious learning who applied what he knew, so Allah bequeathed him knowledge of what he did not know.'
To clarify, a Sufi is a man of religious learning,because the hadith says, "My slave approaches Me with nothing more beloved to Me than what I have made obligatory upon him," and only through learning can the Sufi know the command of Allah, or what has been made obligatory for him. He has applied what he knew, because the hadith says he not only approaches Allah with the obligatory, but "keeps drawing nearer to Me with voluntary works until I love him." And in turn, Allah bequeathed him knowledge of what he did not know, because the hadith says, "And when I love him, I am his hearing with which he hears, his sight with which he sees, his hand with which he seizes, and his foot with which he walks," which is a metaphor for the consummate awareness of tawhid, or the 'unity of Allah,' which in the context of human actions such as hearing, sight, seizing, and walking, consists of realizing the words of the Koran about Allah that,
"It is He who created you and what you do" (Qur'an 37:96).
The origin of the way of the Sufi thus lies in the prophetic sunna. The sincerity to Allah that it entails was the rule among the earliest Muslims, to whom this was simply a state of being without a name, while it only became a distinct discipline when the majority of the Community had drifted away and changed from this state. Muslims of subsequent generations required systematic effort to attain it, and it was because of the change in the Islamic environment after the earliest generations, that a discipline by the name of Tasawwuf came to exist.
But if this is true of origins, the more significant question is: How central is Tasawwuf to the religion, and: Where does it fit into Islam as a whole? Perhaps the best answer is the hadith of Muslim, that 'Umar ibn al-Khattab said:
As we sat one day with the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace), a man in pure white clothing and jet black hair came to us, without a trace of travelling upon him, though none of us knew him.
He sat down before the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) bracing his knees against his, resting his hands on his legs, and said: "Muhammad, tell me about Islam." The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said: "Islam is to testify that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, and to perform the prayer, give zakat, fast in Ramadan, and perform the pilgrimage to the House if you can find a way."
He said: "You have spoken the truth," and we were surprised that he should ask and then confirm the answer. Then he said: "Tell me about true faith (iman)," and the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) answered: "It is to believe in Allah, His angels, His inspired Books, His messengers, the Last Day, and in destiny, its good and evil."
"You have spoken the truth," he said, "Now tell me about the perfection of faith (ihsan)," and the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) answered: "It is to worship Allah as if you see Him, and if you see Him not, He nevertheless sees you."
The hadith continues to where 'Umar said:
Then the visitor left. I waited a long while, and the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said to me, "Do you know, 'Umar, who was the questioner?" and I replied, "Allah and His messenger know best." He said,
"It was Gabriel, who came to you to teach you your religion" (Sahih Muslim, 1.37: hadith .
This is a sahih hadith, described by Imam Nawawi as one of the hadiths upon which the Islamic religion turns. The use of din in the last words of it, Atakum yu'allimukum dinakum, "came to you to teach you your religion" entails that the religion of Islam is composed of the three fundamentals mentioned in the hadith: Islam, or external compliance with what Allah asks of us; Iman, or the belief in the unseen that the prophets have informed us of; and Ihsan, or to worship Allah as though one sees Him. The Qur'an says, in Surat Maryam,
"Surely We have revealed the Remembrance, and surely We shall preserve it" (Qur'an 15:9),
and if we reflect how Allah, in His wisdom, has accomplished this, we see that it is by human beings, the traditional scholars He has sent at each level of the religion. The level of Islam has been preserved and conveyed to us by the Imams of Shari'a or 'Sacred Law' and its ancillary disciplines; the level of Iman, by the Imams of 'Aqida or 'tenets of faith'; and the level of Ihsan, "to worship Allah as though you see Him," by the Imams of Tasawwuf.
The hadith's very words "to worship Allah" show us the interrelation of these three fundamentals, for the how of "worship" is only known through the external prescriptions of Islam, while the validity of this worship in turn presupposes Iman or faith in Allah and the Islamic revelation, without which worship would be but empty motions; while the words, "as if you see Him," show that Ihsan implies a human change, for it entails the experience of what, for most of us, is not experienced. So to understand Tasawwuf, we must look at the nature of this change in relation to both Islam and Iman, and this is the main focus of my talk tonight.
Now, it is characteristic of the Islamic ethic that human actions are not simply divided into two shades of morality, right or wrong; but rather five, arranged in order of their consequences in the next world. The obligatory (wajib) is that whose performance is rewarded by Allah in the next life and whose nonperformance is punished. The recommended (mandub) is that whose performance is rewarded, but whose nonperformance is not punished. The permissible (mubah) is indifferent, unconnected with either reward or punishment. The offensive (makruh) is that whose nonperformance is rewarded but whose performance is not punished. The unlawful (haram) is that whose nonperformance is rewarded and whose performance is punished, if one dies unrepentant.
Human states of the heart, the Qur'an and Sunna make plain to us, come under each of these headings. Yet they are not dealt with in books of fiqh or 'Islamic jurisprudence,' because unlike the prayer, zakat, or fasting, they are not quantifiable in terms of the specific amount of them that must be done. But though they are not countable, they are of the utmost importance to every Muslim. Let's look at a few examples.
(1) Love of Allah. In Surat al-Baqara of the Qur'an, Allah blames those who ascribe associates to Allah whom they love as much as they love Allah. Then He says,
"And those who believe are greater in love for Allah" (Qur'an 2:165), making being a believer conditional upon having greater love for Allah than any other.
(2) Mercy. Bukhari and Muslim relate that the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, "Whomever is not merciful to people, Allah will show no mercy" (Sahih Muslim, 4.1809: hadith 2319), and Tirmidhi relates the well authenticated (hasan) hadith "Mercy is not taken out of anyone except the damned" (al-Jami' al-sahih, 4.323: hadith 1923).
(3) Love of each other. Muslim relates in his Sahih that the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, "By Him in whose hand is my soul, none of you shall enter paradise until you believe, and none of you shall believe until you love one another . . . ." (Sahih Muslim, 1.74: hadith 54).
(4) Presence of mind in the prayer (salat). Abu Dawud relates in his Sunan that 'Ammar ibn Yasir heard the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) say, "Truly, a man leaves, and none of his prayer has been recorded for him except a tenth of it, a ninth of it, eighth of it, seventh of it, sixth of it, fifth of it, fourth of it, third of it, a half of it" (Sunan Abi Dawud, 1.211: hadith 796)—meaning that none of a person's prayer counts for him except that in which he is present in his heart with Allah.
(5) Love of the Prophet. Bukhari relates in his Sahih that the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, "None of you believes until I am more beloved to him than his father, his son, and all people" (Fath al-Bari, 1.58, hadith 15).
It is plain from these texts that none of the states mentioned—whether mercy, love, or presence of heart—are quantifiable, for the Shari'a cannot specify that one must "do two units of mercy" or "have three units of presence of mind" in the way that the number of rak'as of prayer can be specified, yet each of them is personally obligatory for the Muslim. Let us complete the picture by looking at a few examples of states that are haram or 'strictly unlawful':
(1) Fear of anyone besides Allah. Allah Most High says in Surat al-Baqara of the Qur'an,
"And fulfill My covenant: I will fulfill your covenant—And fear Me alone" (Qur'an 2:40), the last phrase of which, according to Imam Fakhr al-Din al-Razi, "establishes that a human being is obliged to fear no one besides Allah Most High" (Tafsir al-Fakhr al-Razi, 3.42).
(2) Despair. Allah Most High says,
"None despairs of Allah's mercy except the people who disbelieve" (Qur'an 12:87), indicating the unlawfulness of this inward state by coupling it with the worst human condition possible, that of unbelief.
(3) Arrogance. Muslim relates in his Sahih that the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, "No one shall enter paradise who has a particle of arrogance in his heart" (Sahih Muslim, 1.93: hadith 91).
(4) Envy,meaning to wish for another to lose the blessings he enjoys. Abu Dawud relates that the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, "Beware of envy, for envy consumes good works as flames consume firewood" (Sunan Abi Dawud, 4.276: hadith 4903).
(5) Showing off in acts of worship. Al-Hakim relates with a sahih chain of transmission that the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, "The slightest bit of showing off in good works is as if worshipping others with Allah . . . ." (al-Mustadrak 'ala al-Sahihayn, 1.4).
These and similar haram inward states are not found in books of fiqh or 'jurisprudence,' because fiqh can only deal with quantifiable descriptions of rulings. Rather, they are examined in their causes and remedies by the scholars of the 'inner fiqh' of Tasawwuf, men such as Imam al-Ghazali in his Ihya' 'ulum al-din [The reviving of the religious sciences], Imam al-Rabbani in his Maktubat [Letters], al-Suhrawardi in his 'Awarif al-Ma'arif [The knowledges of the illuminates], Abu Talib al-Makki in Qut al-qulub [The sustenance of hearts], and similar classic works, which discuss and solve hundreds of ethical questions about the inner life. These are books of Shari'a and their questions are questions of Sacred Law, of how it is lawful or unlawful for a Muslim to be; and they preserve the part of the prophetic sunna dealing with states.
Who needs such information? All Muslims, for the Koranic verses and authenticated hadiths all point to the fact that a Muslim must not only do certain things and say certain things, but also must be something, must attain certain states of the heart and eliminate others. Do we ever fear someone besides Allah? Do we have a particle of arrogance in our hearts? Is our love for the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) greater than our love for any other human being? Is there the slightest bit of showing off in our good works?
Half a minute's reflection will show the Muslim where he stands on these aspects of his din, and why in classical times, helping Muslims to attain these states was not left to amateurs, but rather delegated to 'ulama of the heart, the scholars of Islamic Tasawwuf. For most people, these are not easy transformations to make, because of the force of habit, because of the subtlety with which we can deceive ourselves, but most of all because each of us has an ego, the self, the Me, which is called in Arabic al-nafs, about which Allah testifies in Surat Yusuf:
"Verily the self ever commands to do evil" (Qur;an 12:53).
If you do not believe it, consider the hadith related by Muslim in his Sahih, that:
The first person judged on Resurrection Day will be a man martyred in battle.
He will be brought forth, Allah will reacquaint him with His blessings upon him and the man will acknowledge them, whereupon Allah will say, "What have you done with them?" to which the man will respond, "I fought to the death for You."
Allah will reply, "You lie. You fought in order to be called a hero, and it has already been said." Then he will be sentenced and dragged away on his face and flung into the fire.
Then a man will be brought forward who learned Sacred Knowledge, taught it to others, and who recited the Koran. Allah will remind him of His gifts to him and the man will acknowledge them, and then Allah will say, "What have you done with them?" The man will answer, "I acquired Sacred Knowledge, taught it, and recited the Qur'an, for Your sake."
Allah will say, "You lie. You learned so as to be called a scholar, and read the Koran so as to be called a reciter, and it has already been said." Then the man will be sentenced and dragged away on his face to be flung into the fire.
Then a man will be brought forward whom Allah generously provided for, giving him various kinds of wealth, and Allah will recall to him the benefits given, and the man will acknowledge them, to which Allah will say, "And what have you done with them?" The man will answer, "I have not left a single kind of expenditure You love to see made, except that I have spent on it for Your sake."
Allah will say, "You lie. You did it so as to be called generous, and it has already been said." Then he will be sentenced and dragged away on his face to be flung into the fire (Sahih Muslim, 3.1514: hadith 1905).
We should not fool ourselves about this, because our fate depends on it: in our childhood, our parents taught us how to behave through praise or blame, and for most of us, this permeated and colored our whole motivation for doing things. But when childhood ends, and we come of age in Islam, the religion makes it clear to us, both by the above hadith and by the words of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) "The slightest bit of showing off in good works is as if worshipping others with Allah" that being motivated by what others think is no longer good enough, and that we must change our motives entirely, and henceforth be motivated by nothing but desire for Allah Himself. The Islamic revelation thus tells the Muslim that it is obligatory to break his habits of thinking and motivation, but it does not tell him how. For that, he must go to the scholars of these states, in accordance with the Koranic imperative,
"Ask those who know if you know not" (Qur'an 16:43),
There is no doubt that bringing about this change, purifying the Muslims by bringing them to spiritual sincerity, was one of the central duties of the Prophet Muhammad (Allah bless him and give him peace), for Allah says in the Surat Al 'Imran of the Qur'an,
"Allah has truly blessed the believers, for He has sent them a messenger of themselves, who recites His signs to them and purifies them, and teaches them the Book and the Wisdom" (Qur'an 3:164),
which explicitly lists four tasks of the prophetic mission, the second of which, yuzakkihim means precisely to 'purify them' and has no other lexical sense. Now, it is plain that this teaching function cannot, as part of an eternal revelation, have ended with the passing of the first generation, a fact that Allah explictly confirms in His injunction in Surat Luqman,
"And follow the path of him who turns unto Me" (Qur'an 31:15).
These verses indicate the teaching and transformative role of those who convey the Islamic revelation to Muslims, and the choice of the word ittiba' in the second verse, which is more general, implies both keeping the company of and following the example of a teacher. This is why in the history of Tasawwuf, we find that though there were many methods and schools of thought, these two things never changed: keeping the company of a teacher, and following his example—in exactly the same way that the Sahaba were uplifted and purified by keeping the company of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) and following his example.
And this is why the discipline of Tasawwuf has been preserved and transmitted by Tariqas or groups of students under a particular master. First, because this was the sunna of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) in his purifying function described by the Qur'an. Secondly, Islamic knowledge has never been transmitted by writings alone, but rather from 'ulama to students. Thirdly, the nature of the knowledge in question is of hal or 'state of being,' not just knowing, and hence requires it be taken from a succession of living masters back to the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace), for the sheer range and number of the states of heart required by the revelation effectively make imitation of the personal example of a teacher the only effective means of transmission.
So far we have spoken about Tasawwuf in respect to Islam, as a Shari'a science necessary to fully realize the Sacred Law in one's life, to attain the states of the heart demanded by the Koran and hadith. This close connection between Shari'a and Tasawwuf is expressed by the statement of Imam Malik, founder of the Maliki school, that "he who practices Tasawwuf without learning Sacred Law corrupts his faith, while he who learns Sacred Law without practicing Tasawwuf corrupts himself. Only he who combines the two proves true." This is why Tasawwuf was taught as part of the traditional curriculum in madrasas across the Muslim world from Malaysia to Morocco, why many of the greatest Shari'a scholars of this Umma have been Sufis, and why until the end of the Islamic caliphate at the beginning of this century and the subsequent Western control and cultural dominance of Muslim lands, there were teachers of Tasawwuf in Islamic institutions of higher learning from Lucknow to Istanbul to Cairo.
But there is a second aspect of Tasawwuf that we have not yet talked about; namely, its relation to Iman or 'True Faith,' the second pillar of the Islamic religion, which in the context of the Islamic sciences consists of 'Aqida or 'orthodox belief.'
All Muslims believe in Allah, and that He is transcendently beyond anything conceivable to the minds of men, for the human intellect is imprisoned within its own sense impressions and the categories of thought derived from them, such as number, directionality, spatial extention, place, time, and so forth. Allah is beyond all of that; in His own words,
"There is nothing whatesover like unto Him" (Qur'an 42:11)
If we reflect for a moment on this verse, in the light of the hadith of Muslim about Ihsan that "it is to worship Allah as though you see Him," we realize that the means of seeing here is not the eye, which can only behold physical things like itself; nor yet the mind, which cannot transcend its own impressions to reach the Divine, but rather certitude, the light of Iman, whose locus is not the eye or the brain, but rather the ruh, a subtle faculty Allah has created within each of us called the soul, whose knowledge is unobstructed by the bounds of the created universe. Allah Most High says, by way of exalting the nature of this faculty by leaving it a mystery,
"Say: 'The soul is of the affair of my Lord'" (Qur'an 17:85).
The food of this ruh is dhikr or the 'remembrance of Allah.' Why? Because acts of obedience increase the light of certainty and Iman in the soul, and dhikr is among the greatest of them, as is attested to by the sahih hadith related by al-Hakim that the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said,
"Shall I not tell you of the best of your works, the purest of them in the eyes of your Master, the highest in raising your rank, better than giving gold and silver, and better for you than to meet your enemy and smite their necks, and they smite yours?" They said, "This—what is it, O Messenger of Allah?" and he said: Dhikru Llahi 'azza wa jall, "The remembrance of Allah Mighty and Majestic." (al-Mustadrak 'ala al-Sahihayn, 1.496).
Increasing the strength of Iman through good actions, and particularly through the medium of dhikr has tremendous implications for the Islamic religion and traditional spirituality. A non-Muslim once asked me, "If God exists, then why all this beating around the bush? Why doesn't He just come out and say so?"
The answer is that taklif or 'moral responsibility' in this life is not only concerned with outward actions, but with what we believe, our 'Aqida—and the strength with which we believe it. If belief in God and other eternal truths were effortless in this world, there would be no point in Allah making us responsible for it, it would be automatic, involuntary, like our belief, say, that London is in England. There would no point in making someone responsible for something impossible not to believe.
But the responsibility Allah has place upon us is belief in the Unseen, as a test for us in this world to choose between kufr and Iman, to distinguish believer from unbeliever, and some believers above others.
This why strengthening Iman through dhikr is of such methodological importance for Tasawwuf: we have not only been commanded as Muslims to believe in certain things, but have been commanded to have absolute certainty in them. The world we see around us is composed of veils of light and darkness: events come that knock the Iman out of some of us, and Allah tests each of us as to the degree of certainty with which we believe the eternal truths of the religion. It was in this sense that 'Umar ibn al-Khattab said, "If the Iman of Abu Bakr were weighed against the Iman of the entire Umma, it would outweigh it."
Now, in traditional 'Aqida one of the most important tenets is the wahdaniyya or 'oneness and uniqueness' of Allah Most High. This means He is without any sharik or associate in His being, in His attributes, or in His acts. But the ability to hold this insight in mind in the rough and tumble of daily life is a function of the strength of certainty (yaqin) in one's heart. Allah tells the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) in Surat al-A'raf of the Qur'an,
"Say: 'I do not possess benefit for myself or harm, except as Allah wills'" (Qur'an 7:188),
yet we tend to rely on ourselves and our plans, in obliviousness to the facts of 'Aqida that ourselves and our plans have no effect, that Allah alone brings about effects.
If you want to test yourself on this, the next time you contact someone with good connections whose help is critical to you, take a look at your heart at the moment you ask him to put in a good word for you with someone, and see whom you are relying upon. If you are like most of us, Allah is not at the forefront of your thoughts, despite the fact that He alone is controlling the outcome. Isn't this a lapse in your 'Aqida, or, at the very least, in your certainty?
Tasawwuf corrects such shortcomings by step-by-step increasing the Muslim's certainty in Allah. The two central means of Tasawwuf in attaining the conviction demanded by 'Aqida are mudhakara, or learning the traditional tenets of Islamic faith, and dhikr, deepening one's certainty in them by remembrance of Allah. It is part of our faith that, in the words of the Qur'an in Surat al-Saffat,
"Allah has created you and what you do" (Qur'an 37:96);
yet for how many of us is this day to day experience? Because Tasawwuf remedies this and other shortcomings of Iman, by increasing the Muslim's certainty through a systematic way of teaching and dhikr, it has traditionally been regarded as personally obligatory to this pillar of the religion also, and from the earliest centuries of Islam, has proved its worth.
The last question we will deal with tonight is: What about the bad Sufis we read about, who contravene the teachings of Islam?
The answer is that there are two meanings of Sufi: the first is "Anyone who considers himself a Sufi," which is the rule of thumb of orientalist historians of Sufism and popular writers, who would oppose the "Sufis" to the "Ulama." I think the Qur'anic verses and hadiths we have mentioned tonight about the scope and method of true Tasawwuf show why we must insist on the primacy of the definition of a Sufi as "a man of religious learning who applied what he knew, so Allah bequeathed him knowledge of what he did not know."
The very first thing a Sufi, as a man of religious learning knows is that the Shari'a and 'Aqida of Islam are above every human being. Whoever does not know this will never be a Sufi, except in the orientalist sense of the word—like someone standing in front of the stock exchange in an expensive suit with a briefcase to convince people he is a stockbroker. A real stockbroker is something else.
Because this distinction is ignored today by otherwise well-meaning Muslims, it is often forgotten that the 'ulama who have criticized Sufis, such as Ibn al-Jawzi in his Talbis Iblis [The Devil's deception], or Ibn Taymiya in places in his Fatawa, or Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyya, were not criticizing Tasawwuf as an ancillary discipline to the Shari'a. The proof of this is Ibn al-Jawzi's five-volume Sifat al-safwa, which contains the biographies of the very same Sufis mentioned in al-Qushayri's famous Tasawwuf manual al-Risala al-Qushayriyya. Ibn Taymiya considered himself a Sufi of the Qadiri order, and volumes ten and eleven of his thirty-seven-volume Majmu' al-fatawa are devoted to Tasawwuf. And Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyya wrote his three-volume Madarij al-salikin, a detailed commentary on 'Abdullah al-Ansari al-Harawi's tract on the spiritual stations of the Sufi path, Manazil al-sa'irin. These works show that their authors' criticisms were not directed at Tasawwuf as such, but rather at specific groups of their times, and they should be understood for what they are.
As in other Islamic sciences, mistakes historically did occur in Tasawwuf, most of them stemming from not recognizing the primacy of Shari'a and 'Aqida above all else. But these mistakes were not different in principle from, for example, the Isra'iliyyat (baseless tales of Bani Isra'il) that crept into tafsir literature, or the mawdu'at (hadith forgeries) that crept into the hadith. These were not taken as proof that tafsir was bad, or hadith was deviance, but rather, in each discipline, the errors were identified and warned against by Imams of the field, because the Umma needed the rest. And such corrections are precisely what we find in books like Qushayri's Risala,Ghazali's Ihya' and other works of Sufism.
For all of the reasons we have mentioned, Tasawwuf was accepted as an essential part of the Islamic religion by the 'ulama of this Umma. The proof of this is all the famous scholars of Shari'a sciences who had the higher education of Tasawwuf, among them Ibn 'Abidin, al-Razi, Ahmad Sirhindi, Zakariyya al-Ansari, al-'Izz ibn 'Abd al-Salam, Ibn Daqiq al-'Eid, Ibn Hajar al-Haytami, Shah Wali Allah, Ahmad Dardir, Ibrahim al-Bajuri, 'Abd al-Ghani al-Nabulsi, Imam al-Nawawi, Taqi al-Din al-Subki, and al-Suyuti.
Among the Sufis who aided Islam with the sword as well as the pen, to quote Reliance of the Traveller, were:
such men as the Naqshbandi sheikh Shamil al-Daghestani, who fought a prolonged war against the Russians in the Caucasus in the nineteenth century; Sayyid Muhammad 'Abdullah al-Somali, a sheikh of the Salihiyya order who led Muslims against the British and Italians in Somalia from 1899 to 1920; the Qadiri sheikh 'Uthman ibn Fodi, who led jihad in Northern Nigeria from 1804 to 1808 to establish Islamic rule; the Qadiri sheikh 'Abd al-Qadir al-Jaza'iri, who led the Algerians against the French from 1832 to 1847; the Darqawi faqir al-Hajj Muhammad al-Ahrash, who fought the French in Egypt in 1799; the Tijani sheikh al-Hajj 'Umar Tal, who led Islamic Jihad in Guinea, Senegal, and Mali from 1852 to 1864; and the Qadiri sheikh Ma' al-'Aynayn al-Qalqami, who helped marshal Muslim resistance to the French in northern Mauritania and southern Morocco from 1905 to 1909.
Among the Sufis whose missionary work Islamized entire regions are such men as the founder of the Sanusiyya order, Muhammad 'Ali Sanusi, whose efforts and jihad from 1807 to 1859 consolidated Islam as the religion of peoples from the Libyan Desert to sub-Saharan Africa; [and] the Shadhili sheikh Muhammad Ma'ruf and Qadiri sheikh Uways al-Barawi, whose efforts spread Islam westward and inland from the East African Coast . . . . (Reliance of the Traveller,863).
It is plain from the examples of such men what kind of Muslims have been Sufis; namely, all kinds, right across the board—and that Tasawwuf did not prevent them from serving Islam in any way they could.
To summarize everything I have said tonight: In looking first at Tasawwuf and Shari'a, we found that many Koranic verses and sahih hadiths oblige the Muslim to eliminate haram inner states as arrogance, envy, and fear of anyone besides Allah; and on the other hand, to acquire such obligatory inner states as mercy, love of one's fellow Muslims, presence of mind in prayer, and love of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace). We found that these inward states could not be dealt with in books of fiqh, whose purpose is to specify the outward, quantifiable aspects of the Shari'a. The knowledge of these states is nevertheless of the utmost importance to every Muslim, and this is why it was studied under the 'ulama of Ihsan, the teachers of Tasawwuf, in all periods of Islamic history until the beginning of the present century.
We then turned to the level of Iman, and found that though the 'Aqida of Muslims is that Allah alone has any effect in this world, keeping this in mind in everhday life is not a given of human consciousness, but rather a function of a Muslim's yaqin, his certainty. And we found that Tasawwuf, as an ancillary discipline to 'Aqida, emphasizes the systematic increase of this certainty through both mudhakara, 'teaching tenets of faith' and dhikr, 'the remembrance of Allah,' in accordance with the words of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) about Ihsan that "it is worship Allah as though you see Him."
Lastly, we found that accusations against Tasawwuf made by scholars such as Ibn al-Jawzi, and Ibn Taymiya were not directed against Tasawwuf in principle, but to specific groups and individuals in the times of these authors, the proof for which is the other books by the same authors that showed their understanding of Tasawwuf as a Shari'a science.
To return to the starting point of my talk this evening, with the disappearance of traditional Islamic scholars from the Umma, two very different pictures of Tasawwuf emerge today. If we read books written after the dismantling of the traditional fabric of Islam by colonial powers in the last century, we find the big hoax: Islam without spirituality and Shari'a without Tasawwuf. But if we read the classical works of Islamic scholarship, we learn that Tasawwuf has been a Shari'a science like tafsir, hadith, or any other, throughout the history of Islam. The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said,
"Truly, Allah does not look at your outward forms and wealth, but rather at your hearts and your works" (Sahih Muslim, 4.1389: hadith 2564).
And this is the brightest hope that Islam can offer a modern world darkened by materialism and nihilism: Islam as it truly is; the hope of eternal salvation through a religion of brotherhood and social and economic justice outwardly, and the direct experience of divine love and illumination inwardly.