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A Commentary
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Akhlaq
Data Ali Hujwiri [May Allah be pleased with him], explained that what
Nuri meant was that akhlaq should not be thought of as simply good
comportment or good character in an ordinary sense. Akhlaq as used
by Sufis consists of virtuous behaviour that derives from the fact that
the inner being of the Sufi has become cleansed and his or her heart
has become purified. How such a Sufi behaves, then, is not so much
the product of effort as it is the cresting of a wave, the origins of which
is God. Data Ali Hujwiri [May Allah be pleased with him], in explaining
Nuri's remark went on to say;
Ihsan
'Ishq
Love ['Ishq]
the object of the remembrance dominates the heart (and that object is
God-Haqq – not the remembrance)…. This is the result of one-pointed
love (mahabbat-i mufrad), which is called "intense love" ('ishq). The
heart of the lover who is burning with love ('ashiq-i garmraw) is always
with the Beloved (ma'shuq). It might even occur that on account of the
intense degree of preoccupation of the heart with the Beloved, the
name of the Beloved may be forgotten. When one becomes so
drowned and forgets one's self and everything – except God (Haqq) –
one reaches the beginning of the path of Tasawwuf. Sufis call this
condition "passing away" (fana') and "not existing" (nisti); meaning
that as a result of the remembrance of God, everything has become
non-existent; and such a person also has become non-existent, namely
the one who has forgotten his or her self.
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Mahhaba
Affection [mahabba]
The word mahabba is derived from the word hubb, both of which
commonly mean love and affection. In the Qur'an, both words occur,
although hubb is more common. The verbal form of these words,
however, is used numerous times in the Qur'an. Two ayas involving love
that Sufis frequently quote are;
"God will bring a people whom He loves and who love Him" [Qur'an 5:54],
and
"Say, if you love God, follow me [namely, the Prophet (pbuh)]; God will
love you" [Qur'an 3:31].
"Indeed, I heard the Messenger of God (peace be upon him) saying, 'God
said, "My love (mahabbati) necessarily belongs to those who love one
another (mutahabbina) for My sake, sit together for My sake, visit one
another for My sake, and give generously to one another for My sake."'
From the Qur'anic examples that we have cited, in addition to this hadith,
it should be clear that mahabba (affection and love) is an important
Islamic principle. In Sufi literature, along with an emphasis on the terms
'ishq (passionate love), we also often see the terms hubb and mahabba
(affectionate love).
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Itminan-i Qalb
On six occasions the Qur'an al kareem links together the roots of the
words itminan and qalb. In particular, one aya that is frequently cited
by Sufis is in surat al-Ra'd,
"The hearts of the folk of gnosis only find peace through Allah
Almighty and only are tranquil through Him, because their hearts are
the place where He looks (mahal nazarihi). Thus, Sufis, as lovers of
Allah Almighty, only find peace in their hearts through God and the
remembrance of Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala.
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Jam'-i Khatir
The Sufi technical term jam' that I have translated by the word
"concentration" is more literally translated as "the state of being
gathered"or "collected," sometimes even being rendered as "union." It
is often used in contrast to the term tafriqa (separation). Concerning
them Qushayri wrote, "Affirming created existence (khalq) comes
about through 'separation;' and affirming Allah (Haqq) derives from
'concentration' or 'gatheredness'. The servant must have both
'concentration' and 'separation.' Whoever has no 'separation' has no
servanthood; and whoever has no 'concentration,' has no gnosis
(ma'rifa).'"Thus "concentrating one's mind," as we find in the poem, is
more than simply the kind of concentration that one uses in one's day
to day activities in the world. "Concentrating one's mind" for the folk of
Tasawwuf implies the transcendental knowledge of Allah Almighty that
is called gnosis (ma'rifa).
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Din-i Ahmad
The religion of Ahmad May Allah Bless him & give him peace is none
other than Islam, since Ahmad May Allah Bless him & give him peace is
one of the names of the Beloved Prophet Muhammad May Allah Bless
him& give him peace, as confirmed in both the Qur'an al kareem and
hadith. In surat al-Saff we read;
Fikr
Contemplation [Fikr]
"Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth, and in the
succession of night and day, there are indeed signs for all who
possess [awakened] hearts, those who remember Allah [Exalted is
He] when they stand, sit, and lie down and contemplate the
creation of the heavens and the earth" [Qur'an 3:190-91].
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Yaqin
Certainty [Yaqin]
But [in contrast to the mere philosopher and the heretic] …the
possessor of true felicity nourish[es] the seed of the spirit in
accordance with the law of Shari'at until all his senses attain
perfection. He will then perceive, through his outer and inner senses,
all the three hundred and sixty thousand realms that constitute the
material and spiritual worlds (mulk va malakut)…He sees every atom
in each of these worlds to be a manifestation of one of the divine
attributes containing within it one of Allah Almighty's signs; he
removes the veil from the face of the manifestations, and the beauty
of God's signs is displayed to him. [As the poet Abu al-'Atahiya stated,]
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Khuld-i Barin
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Wajd
Literally, the word wajd means "finding," but for the Sufis it also means
a moment of ecstasy in which one experiences an unveiling – and
hence a "finding" - of some aspect of Allah Almighty's reality. Ruzbihan
(d. 606/1209) defined wajd as, "The heart's perceiving the sweetness
of contact with the light of " eternality before time" (azaliyat), the
purity of witnessing, and the delight of the [Divine] address. Wajd is
often portrayed as the intermediary stage of a three-stage process
consisting of tawajud, wajd, and wujud. Qushayri defines tawajud as
"willfully seeking to have wajd ; one in this state does not actually
possess true wajd." Concerning wajd itself, Qushayri wrote, "Wajd is
that which encounters your heart, entering [it and coming] over you,
without will or effort on your part." Abu al-Husayn al-Nuri stated,
"For twenty years I have gone between wajd (ecstatic finding) and
faqd (loss). Namely, when I find my Lord, I lose my heart; and when I
find my heart, I lose my Lord."
Qushayri defined the third stage, wujud, as being that which occurs
"after one progresses beyond wajd;" [it is truly realized only] "after the
cessation of human qualities (khumud al-bashariya), because human
qualities cannot remain present during the manifestation of the
sovereignty of the Truth (sultan al-haqiqa)."
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Suf Pushan
These early Sufi ascetics were following the example of the Beloved
Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam, who (as reported by Ibn
Sa'd [d. 230/845] through reliable transmitters) was known to wear
woollen garments. Moreover, the great hadith scholar Bayhaqi (d.
458/1066), in his Shu'ab al-iman, includes numerous reports about the
virtues of wearing suf. In one report the Most Beloved Prophet of Allah
Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam states;
"You should wear clothes of wool (suf). [In so doing,] you will find the
sweetness of faith in your hearts."
In spite of the criticism leveled against this and other reports that the
Beloved Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam wore wool, the
isnad of Ibn Sa'd's report mentioned above was not criticised and
appears to be flawless. Hence in wearing wool the Sufis were not
departing from the record of the sunnah of the Beloved of Allah Salla
Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa Sallam.
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Dhawq
Taste [Dhawq]
Generally, one's spiritual proclivity or capacity is referred to by the
term "taste" (dhawq). More specifically, Qushayri (d. 465/1072)
hierarchically defined dhawq (tasting) along with shurb (drinking), and
a less commonly used term riyy (being quenched). He stated,
The sense of the term "taste" in the poem "What is Tasawwuf ?" seems
to have both the general meaning and the more specifically Sufi sense
as noted by Qushayri. The general meaning is conveyed in the
expressions the "taste for religion," where the sense is that the Sufis'
"appreciation" for religion is the basis for their ecstasy. The more
specific meaning of which Qushayri speaks is alluded to in the poet's
linking together these two hierarchical states of consciousness ("taste"
and ecstasy"). The poet states that "ecstasy" is derived from "taste,"
implying that Sufi ecstasy only comes about after a firm foundation in
the appreciation of and commitment to following the religion (namely
Islam). Hence the poet says, "I have heard that the ecstasy of the
wearers of wool (suf) comes from finding the taste for religion.
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Shari'at
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Conclusion
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Imam Malik
The scholar of Madina, he was known for his intense piety and love of
the Beloved Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa aalihi wa Sallam,
whom he held in such awe and respect that he would not mount his
horse within the confines of Madina out of reverence for the ground
that enclosed the Beloved Prophet Salla Allahu ta'ala 'alayhi wa aalihi
wa Sallam's body, nor would he relate a hadith without first performing
ablution. Ibn al-Jawzi relates in the chapter entitled 'Layer 6 of the
People of Madina' of his book Sifat al-safwa:
Abu Mus'ab said: I went in to see Malik ibn Anas. He said to me: Look
under my place of prayer or prayer-mat and see what is there. I looked
and I found a certain writing. He said: Read it. (I saw that) it contained
(the account of) a dream which one of his brothers had seen and which
concerned him. He said (reciting what was written): 'I saw the Prophet
in my sleep. He was in his mosque and the people were gathered
around him, and he said: I have hidden for you under my pulpit
(minbar) something good -- or: knowledge -- and I have ordered Malik
to distribute it to the people.' Then Malik wept, so I got up and left him.
(1)
It is related by the muhaddith Ahmad Zarruq (d. 899), the hafiz 'Ali al-
Qari al-Harawi (d. 1014), the muhaddiths 'Ali ibn Ahmad al 'Adawi (d.
1190) and Ibn 'Ajiba (d. 1224), and others.(2)
It follows that every one of the saints quoted (in Abu Nu'aym's Hilyat
al-awliya') who has a part of sincere self-application (sidq tawajjuh) has
a part in tasawwuf, and each one's tasawwuf consists in his sincere
self-application. As a rule, sincere self-application is a requirement of
religion since it forms both the manner and the content of the acts
which Allah accepts. Manner and content are not sound unless
sincerity of self-application is sound.
'He approves not unthankfulness in His servants, but if you are
thankful, he will approve it in you' (39:7).
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