Universal Sufism- Inayat Khan

bismelah ar-rahman ar-raheem

Salaam alaikum,

I enter this problem in hope that we are all seeking truth and not just egotistical desires, insha allah we only say what we say for the love of Allah and not his wrath.

Here is my bones about Univeral Sufism. Sufism is to Islam as Kabaalah is too Judaism as Monasticism is to Christianity. I cannot be a monastic Muslim, nor can I be a kabaalite Muslim. Sufism belongs to the refined and defined spiritual practices of Islam and not any other practice. Without Islam you have no sufism tasawwuf, period! It is just a catch word for people to manipulate and use without having any knowledge of the real practice of the heart. This is where my heart breaks. Because of kafirs that use this beautiful word and practice to their own egotistical desires, the true essence of it becomes diluted and then the true seekers of the heart of the Beloved have a harder and harder time finding it.

Abu Ishaq Shami of Chist, may Allah be pleased, integrated aspects of Hindu singing that is how singing was introduced to the practice, although i would be highly suspect about claiming that he said the Sufism is Universal.

The practice of tasawwuf is based purely in the practice of Islam and practically all lineages are traced back to Sayyidina Ali, ra, the son-in-law of Rasul, saaws which ultimately leads to our beloved Rasul and to our pure Beloved, Allah subhana wa ta'ala.

Islam is the one religion/dogma that truly takes into account spirituality, all of it's laws are set to help Muslims to lead spiritual lives. To disconnect the divine from it makes it worthless, I'm sorry to say. The practice of sufism becomes hollow without Islam (body) and Iman (mind/faith). Anyone who thinks that they can practice sufism without Islam cannot truly remember G-d and will continue to practice their big egos! Sufism is about zikr, Islam is about Allah, purely.
Believe me, I have tried to just consider Sufism as the way, but it is only one foot of the way, believe me hopping is not easy and most will fail and will decide to leave it. So many people are looking for meaning. I live by an ashram with a fake guru/swami and I see the hopeful go there in droves and leave in droves after finding mind control, sexual and financial manipulation, and scary forms of meditation. Offering up the most important piece of the puzzle, ihsan, without having discipline that is taught through Islam is fallacy.

If one can't give up their old physical practices of this world, what makes any think they can give up their EGOS so that their spirit can thrive in this world, also? this is key. All who truly practice sufism must believe in Allah, in his messengers, in the Quran, in jinn, in angels, in the day of judgement. period.

Sufism should not be given away or sold, it is earned. Historically, sufism comes from the sahabis who were all enlightened by the pure light of Allah through our beloved Rasul Mohammad, saaws. Practice of Zikr was determined in the QURAN ash-shareef and not in any other.
I could go on and on. Allah is universal, no doubt, but sufism is not. Sufism belongs to Islam and no other. It came from Islamic mystics that trace their lineage to Rasul, saaws, and Sayyidina Ali ra, and not a Hindu, Christian, animist, Jewish mystic, etc. Do not deviate from the straight path. I beg for the sake of Allah subhana wa ta'ala and his most beautiful Nabi Mohammad, saaws.

May Allah guide all on the sirat al-mustaqim.

Dhikr

Dhikr Allah or zikr Allah is an essential peace to practicing Islam.  

Allah, swt, said, "Therefore, Remember me and I will remember you.  Give thanks to me and reject me not."-al-baqarah 2.152

"O ye who believe.  Remember Allah with much remembrance; and glorify him morning and evening."-surah al-ahzab 41.42

"Then woe unto those whose hearts are hardened against the remembrance of Allah.  Such are in plain error." -surah Zumar 39.22

There are numerous more ayats that talk about making dhikr.

Dhikr is not just saying the beautiful names of our Beloved, but it's living in wonderment of our Beloved and all that He gives to us.  It's not just about taking your tasbeeh out and making dhikr or sitting with a group of Muslims making dhikr outloud.  In fact you can view the fallen leaves of a maple tree and make dhikr Allah.  You can step onto a sandy beach with bare feet and make dhikr Allah.  It's possible to sit with just your heart and hear Allah's love in the beats of your heart.  Why not be swimming under the water and with every stroke you remember Allah and not your own ego.

Dhikr is not about mindlessly saying the most holy names of Allah, it's about forgetting about your EGO for a while and being apart of the infinite perfection of the Creator.  Whether you are given permission by a maulana to say certain names or you remember Allah from your own heart, just never forget Allah, the infinite protector.    

Remember Allah not for anything but for the sake of Allah and His mercy.  Do not do it because you feel obliged or because you are bored, remember Allah because you need Him to remember you.

Learning to truly love Allah, subhana wa ta'ala, should be the prime goal for all existence. What else you do with your life should be to satisfy his love of you.

It is a lot easier to talk about loving allah, but to truly love him as you love your parents, spouse, and children is more difficult. when I read these ecstatic penned by Maulana Jelalluddin Balkhi (Rumi) or hear the words of Rabia Adawiya, I grow so curious as to how they practiced to find the romantic and sensual love for Ar-Rahman.

As I read about the devotion of the christian nuns towards their marriage to Jesus, I can understand how they can devote themselves because they have a visual representation of their idea of God. How do we lovers of Allah, the one pure representation of the creator of the universe, find that love and devotion that produces the ecstasies that spiritual poets describe?

What amount of our lives should we give up, at least temporarily, in pursuit of this exercise of love through our hearts?
In the coming month of Muharram the 10th of Ashura gives everyone the perfect opportunity to learn to love Allah through the fasting and du'a that one can make on that day.

Never forgetting to make dhikr Allah every day

Upgrading or Reverting- I'm Muslim

I would like to share with you all how I came to know those words and why they are so important to me. In 2000 I was living in Sana’a, Yemen, which is where I said the Shahada. What I witnessed amongst the Yemenis is a truly beautiful culture and way of living that is dictated by Islam. People follow the Sharia and Sunnah because they know that it helps to develop spiritual relations with the One God. I witnessed how this beautiful society was so able to promote spirituality and not just rigid religion. The women that I was associated with carried with them a peace that is hard to find amongst my friends here. In fact, I admit that I never knew what true friendship was until I met a sweetheart of Allah, Maha Al-Qerbi. There is special care that is felt amongst spiritual people of which is extra powerful amongst the true lovers of the One God.

Although, when I returned to the States in 2001, I had a hard time cultivating Islam. I found it easier to go back to my old life. I hadn’t follow develop the discipline to be a Muslim. In the beginning of 2007, my heart started to be pulled back to Islam. After years of not praying, not thinking about G-d, not caring about anything in life, but my own, something just changed. I suddenly felt empty. No longer did I care about all the things that kept me locked into this culture. Not my bike, not my knowledge of beer, nor my ability to attract good-looking people towards me, was satisfying in any way to me. One night in that winter of 2007, I attended a zikr-Allah. I put on my abaya and hijab and suddenly remembered Allah. I wept when I heard other people saying the name of G-d. With their hearts and not with their ego, people declared their love to the Beloved.

That summer, I crossed the Asian world. I visited tombs of saints in Central Asia, Azerbaijan and Turkey. I prayed at the great Ottoman Masjids and saw the faces of my brothers and sisters looking for Allah. When I arrived back in the States from that fascinating travel, I looked deeper into my heart to see if I was truly ready to submit to Islam. The world around me had not changed, but I had. I knew that I would be able to listen to my heart and truly give myself to G-d.

What does it mean to give oneself to Allah? It means that one must follow the life of the Prophet Moh’d, sws. How does one do that? For me it meant, to stop listening to my ego and start listening to my heart and spirit. I started praying all of my prayers and even more. I found out much about the saints, the women, and the lovers of Allah. Their stories and poetry vibrated through me.

One such saint is Rabia Adawiya, a woman from Basra, Iraq. She was kidnapped and forced into prostitution at a young age. Through the hardship of her life, she kept her heart turned to Allah and came to know Allah as her Beloved.
In one stanza in one of her classic poems she writes: “O Allah, If I adore you out of fear of Hell, burn me in Hell. If I adore you out of desire for Paradise, Lock me out of Paradise. But if I adore You for yourself alone. Do not deny to me your eternal beauty.”
I had previously been under the impression that Allah was separate from humanity, her words gave me new insight. Being in Love with Allah is a hard emotion to take on. How does one fall in love with G-d? I looked towards different Sufi tariqats to understand how the saints invoked such emotion. I found it easily in them. For hours I sat and listened to highly spiritual beings explaining what Islam really is. What Allah is and What his Attributes are and Why it’s important to cultivate those Names into ones life.
There are thousands of stories, fables, and parables written by Muslims since the time of the Prophet that put so vividly the world of Islam. Another beautiful stories goes as followed.

There was once two young children who played with one another. As they grew up the boy fell in love with this girl. He would never be allowed to marry her. He became a majnoon, wandering from forest to forest, living in caves because of the pain of seeing his beloved with another. One time he without thought passed in front of a man praying, almost knocking him over. The man yelled at him. Majnoon points out to him, that one must not be in love with Allah if he is so distracted by such a fly, as he was so in love with his Layla that he never noticed this man praying.
This story illustrates the perfection of Ishq that one must shoot for in this life. We must not pray just because we feel obligated, one must pray and live ones life in sincerity to develop enlightenment and ISHQ for Allah.

I don’t know if I will ever be able to express all the beautiful aspects of Islam and what it means to me to be a Muslim. It is such a blessing to know that I have an extremely supportive community who accept you regardless of your color, background, or social standing. Purity comes rapidly to the heart for the lovers of Allah and a special clarity comes to the mind. After a few months of seeking to know Allah, I was able to confidently give up many aspects of my ego in return of my spirit.

Today, as I sleep I find myself remembering Allah, through prayers. When I dream, I hear words of my Beloved. When I walk through the day, caring for my father, I see the duty that Allah has sent me to fulfill. In fact, because of the practice of Islam, I have gained special attributes myself. When needed, I can see through the eyes of others and feel their hearts beat as my own. I am more in check of my feelings and more able to feel comfort with one breath. In-Allah. Out-HU