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Posted on 01/21/2003 11:39:07 AM PST by ex-Texan
Sufi Wisdom of the Week: Let Love Rule --
The Sufis Ain't Wahhabi
By Joe Katzman
As militant Islam does its level best to discredit the religion, it's important to remember that there are other voices within the faith. One such is the Sufis, the Islamic mystics who live islam (submission), iman (faith) and ishan (awareness of G-d, "to act beautifully").
The Wahhabi hate them, of course, which constitutes an endorsement in my books. The great poet Rumi was a Sufi, and so were many other figures of religious and cultural significance. I've come to appreciate the Sufis for their poetry, their humour, and their body of wisdom. Every Shabbat, therefore, I will be sharing some of that via my Blog.
This one comes from Ahmad Hatif:
"Let the eye of your heart be opened that you may see the spirit and behold invisible things. If you set your face toward the region where love reigns, you will see the whole universe laid out as a rose garden. What you see, your heart will wish to have, and what your heart seeks to possess, that you will see. If you penetrate to the middle of each mote in the sunbeams, you will find a sun within.
Give all that you possess to Love. If your spirit is dissolved in the flames of Love, you will see that Love is the alchemy for spirit.
You will journey beyond the narrow limitations of time and place and will pass into the infinite spaces of the Divine World, What ear has not heard, that you will hear, and what no eye has seen, you shall behold.
Finally, you shall be brought to that high Abode, where you will see One only, beyond the world and all worldly creatures. To the One you shall devote the love of both heart and soul until, with the eye that knows no doubt, you will see plainly that "One is and there is nothing save God alone."
For in-depth philosophical exploration of these concepts from a less mystical point of view, you might try this essay, which references the Hatif'swords in the process.
posted by Joe Katzman on 1/18/2003 12:50:43 PM | [link to this post!]
(Excerpt) Read more at windsofchange.net ...
I think that the essential problem with Islam is the Wahhabi-Taliban-Fanatic-Cult or 'The Dark Side' .... which has lured so many like a gigantic black hole.
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You may meet sufis in any line of work. They will often be very good at what they do. Even war.
Look for "The Subtleties of the Inimitable Mulla Nasrudin" by Idries Shah.
Some quotes:
HOW TO GET OUT OF TROUBLE
A man had fallen between the rails in an Underground station when Nasrudin came along one afternoon. People were crowding around, all trying to get him out before a train ran him over.
They were shouting, 'Give me your hand!' But the man would not reach up.
The Mulla elbowed his way through the crowd and leant over to the man. 'Friend,' he said, 'what is your profession?'
'I am an income-tax inspector,' gasped the man.
'In that case,' said Nasrudin, 'take my hand!' The man immediately grasped the Mulla's hand and was hauled to safety.
Nasrudin turned to the open-mouthed audience. 'Never ask a tax man to give you anything, you fools,' he said, and walked away.
THAT'S WHY THEY APPRECIATE IT
'Never give people anything they ask for until at least a day has passed!' said the Mulla.
'Why not, Nasrudin?'
'Experience shows that they only appreciate something when they have had the opportunity of doubting whether they will get it or not.'
IT TAKES ONE TO KNOW ONE
A practical joker challenged Nasrudin in the teahouse:'People say you are very clever. But I bet you a hundred gold pieces you can't fool me!'
'I can, just wait for me,' said Nasrudin, and walked out.
Three hours later, the man was still waiting for Nasrudin and his trick. Finally he conceded that he had been fooled. He went to the Mulla's house and put a bag of gold as his forfeit through the window. Nasrudin was lying on his bed, planning his trick. He heard the chink of coins, found the bag and counted the gold.
'Good,' he said to his wife, 'kind destiny has sent me something to pay my bet with if I lose. Now all I have to do is to think out some stratagem to fool the joker who is, no doubt impatiently, awaiting me in the teahouse.'
COSTLY
Nasrudin opened a booth with a sign above it:
TWO QUESTIONS ON ANY SUBJECT ANSWERED FOR £5.
A man who had two very urgent questions handed over his money, saying:
'Five Pounds is rather expensive for two questions, isn't it?'
'Yes,' said Nasrudin, 'and the next question, please?'
I posted a typo, and 'the Hatif'swords' is a typo error which became a huge context error and because it implies a a militant stance by Hatif. That is totally incorrect. The correction is as follows: * 'the Hatif's words ...'*
The link is to a Christian Philosophy site.
--Swap Mulla Nasrudin stories.
Lots of dervishes.
The Taliban, who were Wahabbi inspired ( and supported ),forced their version of Islam on the populace.
Talk to a Sufi in the presence of a mullah (Sunni, Shia or Wahhabi), and he'll tell you that Sufism is one with Islam.
Take that same Sufi out of the mullah's earshot, and he'll tell you that Sufism has its roots in Hellenistic antiquity, and it simply made its peace with Islam when that religion came to dominate that corner of the earth.
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