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den surely dat makes him a fool
Those who danced were thought to be quite insane, by those who couldn't hear the music...
not really, everyone likes to annoy someone at some point, otherwise they haven't got any sence of humour in my opinion.
Character is like a tree and reputation like its shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing.
In Saudi Arabia, a Resurgence of Sufism
JIDDAH, Saudi Arabia -- A hush came over the crowd as the young man sitting cross-legged on the floor picked up the microphone and sang, a cappella, a poem about Islam's prophet Muhammad. His eyes shut tight, his head covered by an orange-and-white turban, he crooned with barely contained ardor of how the world rejoiced and lights filled the skies the day the prophet was born.
The men attending the mawlid -- a celebration of the birth and life of Muhammad -- sat on colorful rugs, rocking gently back and forth, while the women, on the upper floor watching via a large projection screen, passed around boxes of tissues and wiped tears from their eyes.
Analysts and some Sufis partly credit reaction to the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks in the United States for the atmosphere that has made the changes possible. When it was discovered that 15 of the 19 hijackers were Saudi, the kingdom's strict Wahhabi doctrine -- which had banned all other sects and schools of thought -- came under intense scrutiny from inside and outside the country. The newfound tolerance Sufis have come to enjoy is perhaps one of the most concrete outcomes of that shift.
"This is one of the blessings of September 11. It put the brakes on the [Wahhabi] practice of takfir , excommunicating everyone who didn't exactly follow their creed," said Sayed Habib Adnan, a 33-year-old Sufi teacher. The government "realized that maybe enforcing one religious belief over all others was not such a good idea."
Sufis here say they are not a separate sect or followers of a separate religion, but adherents to a way of life based on the Muslim concept of ihsan . Muhammad explained ihsan to the angel Gabriel as "worshiping God as if you see Him. Because if you don't see Him, He sees you." Another Sufi characteristic is a strong belief in the power of blessings from the prophet, his close relatives and his companions.
But many Sufis complain that despite outward appearances, Wahhabis continue to destroy shrines in and around their holy places, their salons continue to be raided and their literature is still banned.
On a recent moonlit evening, Jastaniya sipped sugary mint tea with his friends on rugs spread on the rooftop of a Zawiya, or lodge where Sufis go to meditate, chant or sit in on lessons. The words 'God' and 'Muhammad' were written in green neon lights, and Islam's 99 names for God were stenciled in black paint around the wall. "To be a Sufi is to clear your heart of everything but God," he explained. "The Islam we were taught here is like a body without a soul. Sufism is the soul. It's not an alternative religion -- it can contain all Muslims."
That thought seems to be taking hold, even in faraway corners.
[url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/01/AR200605... Post[/url]
That was a good find miss binge.
By the way, you should post the full article for people who may not be able to read it there.
JIDDAH, Saudi Arabia -- A hush came over the crowd as the young man sitting cross-legged on the floor picked up the microphone and sang, a cappella, a poem about Islam's prophet Muhammad. His eyes shut tight, his head covered by an orange-and-white turban, he crooned with barely contained ardor of how the world rejoiced and lights filled the skies the day the prophet was born.
The men attending the mawlid -- a celebration of the birth and life of Muhammad -- sat on colorful rugs, rocking gently back and forth, while the women, on the upper floor watching via a large projection screen, passed around boxes of tissues and wiped tears from their eyes.
The centuries-old mawlid, a mainstay of the more spiritual and often mystic Sufi Islam, was until recently viewed as heretical and banned by Saudi Arabia's official religious establishment, the ultraconservative Wahhabis. But a new atmosphere of increased religious tolerance has spurred a resurgence of Sufism and brought the once-underground Sufis and their rituals out in the open.
Analysts and some Sufis partly credit reaction to the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks in the United States for the atmosphere that has made the changes possible. When it was discovered that 15 of the 19 hijackers were Saudi, the kingdom's strict Wahhabi doctrine -- which had banned all other sects and schools of thought -- came under intense scrutiny from inside and outside the country. The newfound tolerance Sufis have come to enjoy is perhaps one of the most concrete outcomes of that shift.
"This is one of the blessings of September 11. It put the brakes on the [Wahhabi] practice of takfir , excommunicating everyone who didn't exactly follow their creed," said Sayed Habib Adnan, a 33-year-old Sufi teacher. The government "realized that maybe enforcing one religious belief over all others was not such a good idea."
When Adnan moved to Saudi Arabia from his native Yemen four years ago, Sufi gatherings were often clandestine, sometimes held in orchards outside the city, or in basements and without microphones, for fear of drawing attention. "I couldn't wear this," he said, pointing to his turban. "Or this," he said, pulling at his white cotton overcoat. "Or I would be branded a Sufi. You couldn't even say the word 'Sufi.' It was something underground, dangerous, like talking about drugs."
Sufis here say they are not a separate sect or followers of a separate religion, but adherents to a way of life based on the Muslim concept of ihsan . Muhammad explained ihsan to the angel Gabriel as "worshiping God as if you see Him. Because if you don't see Him, He sees you." Another Sufi characteristic is a strong belief in the power of blessings from the prophet, his close relatives and his companions.
Sufism had previously been predominant in Hejaz, the western region of Saudi Arabia, which includes Muhammad's birthplace, Mecca; Medina, where he is buried; and the Red Sea port city of Jiddah. Muslims prayed often at shrines where the prophet's daughter Fatima, his wife Khadija and his companions were buried. Mawlids were public affairs with entire cities decked out in lights, and parades and festivities commemorating the prophet's birthday and his ascension to Jerusalem.
When the al-Saud family that would later come to rule Saudi Arabia took over Hejaz in the 1920s, the Wahhabis banned mawlids as a form of heresy and destroyed the historic shrines of Khadija, Fatima and the prophet's companions, fearing they would lead to idolatry and polytheism.
Wahhabis, crucial allies in the Saud conquest of the disparate regions that became Saudi Arabia in 1932, were awarded control of religious affairs.
Discrimination against Sufis, among others, intensified after armed Wahhabi extremists took over Mecca's Grand Mosque in 1979, demanding that a more puritanical form of Islam be applied in the country. Though the government quelled the uprising and executed its leaders, authorities were shaken by the incident, and lest other Wahhabis defy them, they allowed them more rein.
Soon after, extremist clerics issued a religious edict, or fatwa, declaring Sufi's spiritual leader, Muhammad Alawi Malki, a nonbeliever. He was removed from his teaching position, banned from giving lessons at the Grand Mosque, where both his father and grandfather had taught, and interrogated by the religious police and the Interior Ministry. After Malki was later attacked by a throng of radicals incensed at his presence in the mosque, he could pray there only under armed guard.
Meanwhile, thousands of cassettes and booklets circulated calling Sufis "grave-lovers" and dangerous infidels who had to be stopped before they made a comeback. Their salons were raided, and those caught with Sufi literature were often arrested or jailed.
The tide finally turned in 2003, with the new atmosphere that took hold following the Sept. 11 attacks, when the future King Abdullah, then the crown prince, held a series of meetings to acknowledge the country's diverse sects and schools of thought. One of the guests was Sufi leader Malki. When he died the following year, Abdullah and the powerful defense and interior ministers attended his funeral. The rehabilitation of his legacy was almost complete.
"We were then upgraded from infidels, to people who are ignorant and practicing their religion wrong," said Wasif Kabli, a 59-year-old businessman.
But many Sufis complain that despite outward appearances, Wahhabis continue to destroy shrines in and around their holy places, their salons continue to be raided and their literature is still banned.
Wahhabis and Sufis view Islam from opposite directions. To Wahhabis, who emerged from the kingdom's stark, harsh desert, a believer's relationship can be only directly with God. To them, Sufis' celebrations of the prophet's life smack of idolatry, and supplications to him, his relatives and companions appear to replace or bypass the link with God.
Sufis answer that the prophet celebrated his own birthday by fasting on Mondays, that he himself offered to intervene with God on behalf of Muslims and that he could often be found in the evenings at the grave sites of his wives and companions.
Last month, on the occasion of the prophet's birthday, a crowd of more than 1,000 gathered to celebrate at a private residence. Sufi books, cassettes and DVDs were selling out in one corner of the large garden where the event was held. Adnan, the Sufi teacher, was one of four speakers who addressed the crowd. He asked: Why are we Sufis always on the defensive? "Nobody asks [soccer] fans for religious proof that sanctifies their gatherings at the stadium because of their devotion to their team," he said. "How come we are always asked for an explanation of our devotion to our beloved prophet?"
Muhammad Jastaniya, a 20-year-old economics major and part of a new wave of young Saudis who have embraced Sufism, said what drew him was the focus on God.
On a recent moonlit evening, Jastaniya sipped sugary mint tea with his friends on rugs spread on the rooftop of a Zawiya, or lodge where Sufis go to meditate, chant or sit in on lessons. The words 'God' and 'Muhammad' were written in green neon lights, and Islam's 99 names for God were stenciled in black paint around the wall. "To be a Sufi is to clear your heart of everything but God," he explained. "The Islam we were taught here is like a body without a soul. Sufism is the soul. It's not an alternative religion -- it can contain all Muslims."
That thought seems to be taking hold, even in faraway corners.
Salman al-Odah, the country's most popular puritanical cleric, who was jailed in the 1990s for opposing the presence of U.S. troops in the kingdom, accepted an invitation to visit Sufi cleric Abdallah Fadaaq's mawlid and lesson last week. The scene at Fadaaq's house was an obvious sign of conciliation.
Al-Odah sat with his hands neatly folded in his lap, wearing a red-and-white checkered headdress and clear wraparound glasses and sporting the short scraggly beard that indicates a conservative. Fadaaq, who at 39 is emerging as the new symbol of Hejazi Sufism, wore the white turban, the white overcoat and shawl typical of Sufis, wooden prayer beads resting on his lap. "It's true that there are differences between the way people practice their faith in this country, and this is an indication that people are using their minds and thinking, which is a good thing," Fadaaq said. "But what we should concentrate on are the expanses that bring us together, like the prophet. We must take advantage of what we have in common."
Salaam
Adverts on TV are always telling me to “treat myself”…Maybelline Makeup tells me “I’m worth it..” As a customer “I’m always right”.
We get peed of very easily when someone doesn’t give us way…or if the bus doesn’t stop for us….or if some institute messes us about…
We're bombared with messages that tell us to "stand up for ourselves".
We have this “sense of entitlement”…and it’s worrying.
Women of all ages openly admit that the girls of this generation “Don’t take no crap”…..I don’t really believe that I could do all that my mum does…
Many of us are a part of the selfish generation. And way too many of us are no where near resembling anything close to the self-less nature of true Sufis….
Wasalaam
[b][color=green]Come, come, whoever you are. Wonderer, worshipper, lover of leaving. It doesn't matter. Ours is not a caravan of despair. Come, even if you have broken your vow a thousand times Come, yet again, come, come.
[i]Rumi[/i][/color][/b]
I was thinking about how selfish we are as people….
80% of my dua’s are about my self. 80% of my thoughts are dedicated to my self.
And even when I DO pray for others, give charity or help someone out…I do so KNOWING that if you pray for others, your own dua’s get accepted….if you give charity, your own wealth increases and when you help others out in times of need…you’ll also be helped out in times of need.
Its really difficult to be increase ones level of selflessness….
:?
it definitely is, this society promotes selfishness
common characteristic amongst todays people, that and not accepting fault within themselves, and expecting pity.
on the topic of Sufism......
I suggest you all watch the Imam Ghazali (RA) film
Ghazali - the Alchemist of Happiness
very inspiring and we can all learn a lot from it....most notably, that knowledge is nothing (infact, dangerous) without the dhikr and invocations of Allah swt, and the inner eye that enables us to see withought light......plus the problems Imam Ghazali faced on a philosophical and theological level....and his quest to find answers
vah!
The Lover is ever drunk with love;
He is free, he is mad,
He dances with ecstasy and delight.
Caught by our own thoughts,
We worry about every little thing,
But once we get drunk on that love,
Whatever will be, will be.
ɐɥɐɥ
[color=magenta]My older sister is the biggest Al Ghazzali fan, and she watched the film and she throughly enjoyed it,
if anyone wants to watch it, the link for part 1 is[/color]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujnVA1cfMQE&mode=related&search=
[color=magenta]and just go down the side for the rest of the parts[/color]
[b][color=DeepPink]O you who believe, If you help (in the cause of) Allah, He will help you, and make your foothold firm[/color][color=DeepSkyBlue] {Surah Muhammad7}[/color][/b]
is there anything you cant get on Youtube?! i went and downloaded it! lol
Sis, you needa get read and study Imam Ghazali's works too - Subhanallah, Amazing.
start with Ayuhal Walad - small book, costs 3 or 4 quid, brilliant pieces of advice
The Lover is ever drunk with love;
He is free, he is mad,
He dances with ecstasy and delight.
Caught by our own thoughts,
We worry about every little thing,
But once we get drunk on that love,
Whatever will be, will be.
ɐɥɐɥ
[color=magenta]Yeah i knw my sis got most of his collection and i should get to read them, she was telling about the story of Al Ghazali and the Robbers and it was really an inspiring story[/color]
[b][color=DeepPink]O you who believe, If you help (in the cause of) Allah, He will help you, and make your foothold firm[/color][color=DeepSkyBlue] {Surah Muhammad7}[/color][/b]
I was learning about Imam Zain ul Abideen …the man who used to do 1000 Nafl every night and day, used to distribute bread to the poor in the darkness of the night, used to travel 250miles on foot when travelling to Makkah (he made 30 pilgrimages in his life), used to buy hundreds of slaves and would clothe, educate and free them….AND STILL had time to run his business and bring up his 15 children.
Yet, we don’t do have half that many family/work commitments but claim that we don’t have time for Allah (swt) :?
these are the people of the heavens, we are the people of this world, some more grounded here then others.
assalamu alaikum,
I recently returned from Syria alhamdulillah, and while I was there some brothers invited me to a Sufi group-zikir. I've never been to anything like it before and was curious. Everyone there was very friendly and open, I didn't really get into it but to be honest I dont see any problems in it as all the zikir was towards Allah alone. I'm unsure whether I would go again but I certainly wouldnt stop others attending similar gatherings.
One thing really shocked me though: after the zikir, [b]they all turned to the grave of Imam Dagestani and made du'aa to him![/b] I've heard many people warning me about shirk, but the people insisted they werent committing a sin. Can anyone explain the justification some people have for making du'aa to (or through) dead people? You don't have to agree but it would be nice to understand both sides to the story.
I saw the same thing happen at the graves of Prophets Zakariah and Yahya (pbut) but the people there were mainly Shi'aa so I thought it may be something particular to them.
Any feedback would be welcome, but no rudeness to anyone's opinions PLEASE!!
jazakAllahair
Ya'qub
Don't just do something! Stand there.
[url=http://qa.sunnipath.com/issue_view.asp?HD=1&ID=141]Sunni Saint Worshippers?[/url]
It is called Either tawassul or istighaasah depending upon the method used. (both are pretty similar)
Istighaasah is something I had trouble with 'til someone provided me with evidence.
Also, [url=http://hadithproofsfortawassul.blogspot.com/2005/11/hadith-proofs-for-ta... link, but this is to someones blog. He seems to have alot of links to ahadith et, but I cannot vouch for it.
"For too long, we have been a passively tolerant society, saying to our citizens 'as long as you obey the law, we will leave you alone'" - David Cameron, UK Prime Minister. 13 May 2015.
why is this topic in the sufism thread?
a) because the group were Nakshbundi
b) Noone replied when I put it in the No Topic thread
c) Thanks for the links
Don't just do something! Stand there.
Salaam
I think the best way to some up istighathah is from an anecdote of the great Abul Hasan RA. I don't know if this saint RA is the same Abul Hasan ash-Shadhili RA.
[i]A party of travellers were in the pious company of Abul Hasan RA. The saint RA told them that the next day when they would be travelling, they would be set upon by a group of robbers. The saint RA advised them to call upon him RA when the robbers attacked.
The next day, the travellers had travelled away and were suddenly attacked by robbers. Only one of them called upon Abul HAsan RA to save him, the rest called upon Allah SWT to save them. All of them were subsequently robbed except the one who had called upon Abul Hasan RA.
The travellers later were in the pious prescence of Abul Hasan RA again and related the account of robbery. They asked why when calling on The Lord SWT they were robbed, and when one of them called upon Abul Hasan RA he was kept safe?
The Saint RA replied you all have no rememberance of Allah SWT in your hearts and so your prayers were meer lip-service. Whereas God has blessed me that my heart is always full of the remebrance of Him SWT. Therefore when I heard this person cry out for me to save him (this itself was a miracle considering the distance physically seperating the party from the Saint RA) I called upon God on to save him and my prayer was answered.[/i]
Gentleness and kindness were never a part of anything except that it made it beautiful, and harshness was never a part of anything except that it made it ugly.
Through cheating, stealing, and lying, one may get required results but finally one becomes
thing that is an anecdote, not proof.
One other thing with istighaasah is one has to remember that all power is with Allah (swt).
It is Allah (swt) who will do or not do something, not the person mentioned in the istighaasah.
If someone believes the ait etc will help of his own accord, from his own power, then that is shirk.
"For too long, we have been a passively tolerant society, saying to our citizens 'as long as you obey the law, we will leave you alone'" - David Cameron, UK Prime Minister. 13 May 2015.
The way I see it is, when you go through the means of Prophets (as), family of Prophet (saw), companions, pious people etc then they are beloved to Allah (swt) so if you ask something through their wasila Allah (swt) won't turn that person away because of the status/peity of the intermediary.
As admin said power is with Allah (swt) alone.
[color=indigo][b]Spot on sis. Just reminded me of the story of Hadrat Adam PBUH, after years of repenting he asked for forgiveness in the name of the Holy Prophet saw and was forgiven by Allah swt.[/b][/color]
JazakAllahkhair for everyone's input. Its very helpful of you and I have kinda come to the conclusion that its mainly based on the intentions of the individual.
As we know, there will be three people who are destined for the hellfire:
-The person who calls people to prayer with a beautiful voice
-The person who gives a lot of money to charity
-The martyr
Because these people were acting out of love of this world, for the sake of other people and not for the sake of Allah (swt) alone.
So presumably it follows that there will be people who invoke pious people and Prophets who will be sent to hellfire, and people who do so who will be rewarded with jannah, insha'Allah.
And Allah (swt) knows best!
Don't just do something! Stand there.
Huh?
double huh?
Do you mean if they have the wrong intention? or that doing those acts leads to hellfire?
"For too long, we have been a passively tolerant society, saying to our citizens 'as long as you obey the law, we will leave you alone'" - David Cameron, UK Prime Minister. 13 May 2015.
[color=indigo][b]?[/b][/color]
[color=indigo][b]What he means is that the people who do good deeds for the sake of people and popularity/fame etc and not for the sake of Allah are destined for hellfire cz their intentions aint right.[/b][/color]
Oh...
The way he phrased that it seemed like the aforementioned acts were intrinsicly selfish and will cast you off to hell.
Which is a little odd...
I was quoting (what I thought was) a famous hadith!
I'll try to find the full version when I get home, insha'Allah.
Noor got the gist of it tho...
Don't just do something! Stand there.
[color=indigo][b]‘On the Day of Judgement, the first upon whom punishment will be prescribed will be a man who died as a martyr. He will be brought to Allah (swt), and Allah (swt) will ask him what he did on earth. The martyr will say ‘I fought for you until I died’. Allah (swt) will say ‘You have lied; you fought so that people may call you courageous.’ Then he will be dragged along his face and cast into the hell fire. Another man will be brought forward and Allah (swt) will ask him what he did on Earth. The man will say, ‘I studied religious knowledge, taught it and recited the Holy Qur’an for your sake.’ Allah (swt) will say, ‘You have lied; you learnt knowledge so that people would say that you are an extremely knowledgeable man’. Then he will be thrown into the fire. Another man will come forward who spent all of his wealth on the needy. He will inform Allah (swt) about his generosity and Allah (swt) will throw him into the fire, because he gave money to the poor so that people would talk highly of his generosity.
Hadith from Muslim [/b][/color]
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