Philosophy of the scripture

• Sufi philosophy includes the schools of thought unique to Sufism, a

mystical branch within Islam.
• Sufism and its philosophical traditions may be associated with Sunni Islam
or Shia Islam. It has been suggested that Sufi thought emerged from the
Middle East in the eighth century, but adherents are now found around the
world.
• It was around 1000 CE that early Sufi literature, in the form of manuals,
treatises, discourses and poetry, became the source of Sufi thinking and
meditations
• Sufi philosophy, like all other major philosophical traditions, has several
sub-branches including metaphysics and cosmology as well as several
unique concepts.
• Metaphysics-Major ideas in Sufi metaphysics
have surrounded the concept of Wahdat or "Unity
with God". Two main Sufi philosophies prevail on
this controversial topic. Wahdat-ul-Wujood (Unity
of Being) essentially states that the only truth
within the universe is God, and that all things
exist within God only. Wahdat-ul-Shuhud
(Apparentism, or Unity of Witness), on the other
hand, holds that any experience of unity between
God and the created world is only in the mind of
the believer and that God and his creation are
entirely separate.It is the state where there is no
difference between God and human being who is
trying to achieve a particular state ie 'No One
Except God'.
• Cosmology-Sufi cosmology has three main
schools that are often somewhat
incongruously combined, the Ishraqi visionary
universe as expounded by Suhrawardi Maqtul
, the Neoplatonic view, and the Hermetic-
Ptolemaic spherical geocentric world.
• Psychology-There are three central
concepts in Sufi psychology, which are Nafs
(the ego), Qalb (the heart) and Ruh (the soul).
The origin and basis of these terms is Quranic
and they have been expounded upon by
centuries of Sufic commentaries.
• Lataif-e-sitta- Drawing from Qur'anic verses, virtually all Sufis
distinguish Lataif-as-Sitta ("the six subtleties") as: Nafs, Qalb, Sirr,
Ruh, Khafi, and Akhfa. These lataif (singular: latifa) designate
various psychospiritual "organs" or, sometimes, faculties of
sensory and suprasensory perception. They are thought to be parts
of the self in a similar manner to the way glands and organs are
part of the body.
• Ruh (soul)-The soul never dies. The sufi, mostly, believe in a
strong soul. You can make your soul strong through the practice
you get through the teaching of your pir. If you make your soul
strong according to the teaching of Islam, then you can get on the
way which leads to Allah.Death does not mean 'The End' it is turn
to enter in new life which is entirely different from the life which he
has spent. Death is only sepration of Ruh from Body. Which was
mixed by God to provide life.
• Nasma (subtle body / Astral Body)-
Nasma is the Sufi term for the
subtle body or Astral Body. It is not to be
confused with the Rooh (soul) which is
permanent and transcends both nasma
and physical form.
• Physical body- Sufism demarcates the
physical body from the Nasma. Only the
physical body is dropped at the time of
death.
• Spiritual states
• Haal- A haal is a state of consciousness, generally a
product of spiritual practices, recognised in Sufism.
Each haal (state) is associated with a maqaam
(station) of along the spiritual path.
• Manzil- A Manzil in Sufism is a plane of
consciousness. There are seven Manzils along the
path to God. The Manzils are also parts of the Qur'an
which help in protecting one from sorcery.
• Maqaam-A maqaam is one's spiritual station or
developmental level, as distinct from one's haal, or
state of consciousness. This is seen as the outcome of
one's effort to transform oneself, whereas the haal is
a gift.
• Concepts in Gnosis
• Fanaa- Fanaa is the Sufi term for extinction. It means to annihilate the self, while remaining
physically alive. Persons having entered this state are said to have no existence outside of, and be
in complete unity with, Allah. Fanaa is equivalent to the concept of nirvana in Buddhism and
Hinduism or moksha in Hinduism which also aim for annihilation of the self.
• The nature of fanaa consists of the elimination of evil deeds and lowly attributes of the flesh. In
other words, fanaa is abstention from sin and the expulsion from the heart of all love other than the
Divine Love; expulsion of greed, lust, desire, vanity, show, etc. In the state of fanaa the reality of
the true and only relationship asserts itself in the mind. One realizes and feeds that the only real
relationship is with Allah Ta'ala fanaa means to destroy your self. if you destroy your self in the love
of allah then that fanaa will convert into entire life means abdi zindgi. and for that one you have to
destroy your will and yourself on the will of allah
• Baqaa- A person's Baqaa, which literal means permanency, is a term in Sufi philosophy which
describes a particular state of life with God. Inayat Khan writes in his book A Sufi message of
spiritual liberty,
• "The ideal perfection, called Baqa by Sufis, is termed 'Najat' in Islam, 'Nirvana' in Buddhism,
'Salvation' in Christianity, and 'Mukhti' in Hinduism. This is the highest condition attainable, and all
ancient prophets and sages experienced it, and taught it to the world.Baqa is the original state of
God. At this state every being must arrive some day, consciously or unconsciously, before or after
death. The beginning and end of all beings is the same, difference only existing during the
journey." "Perfection is reached by the regular practice of concentration, passing through three
grades of development: Faná -fi-Shaikh, annihilation in the astral plane, Faná-fi-Rasul, annihilation
in the spiritual plane, and Faná-fi-Allah, annihilation in the abstract.After passing through these
three grades, the highest state is attained of Bá qi-bi-Allah, annihilation in the eternal
consciousness, which is the destination of all who travel by this path." The two ideas are enjoined in
the concept fana’ wa baqa’ (annihilation of the self and abiding in God)
• Yaqeen-Yaqeen is generally translated as "certainty", and is considered the summit of the many
maqaams (stations) by which the path of walaya (sometimes translated as Sainthood) is fully
completed.
• Other concepts
• Haqiqa-Haqiqa or Haqiqat is the Sufi term for the
supreme Truth or absolute Reality.
• Marifa- Marifa (or alternatively 'marifah') literally
means knowledge. The term is used by Sufi Muslims
to describe mystical intuitive knowledge, knowledge
of spiritual truth as reached through ecstatic
experiences rather than revealed or rationally
acquired.
• Ihsan- Ihsan is an Arabic term meaning "perfection"
or "excellence." Ihsan is the goal or aim of Sufi
practices.
 Management by values
• It is this Divine Spirit which is the essence of man. The body
is merely the outward physical form which contains the
Divine spark. The body is made of the material elements fire,
earth, air and water, and has five external senses -- sight,
hearing, smell, taste and touch; and five internal faculties --
discursive thinking, imagination, doubting, memory and
longing. All these powers, that is, both the external senses
and the internal faculties, serve the heart. By the 'heart' we
do not mean the physical organ which pumps the blood, and
which is possessed by both man and animals. Rather by
'heart' we mean the Divine spark which distinguishes man
from the animals. And unlike the physical heart which dies
and decomposes with the rest of the physical body, the
Divine spark or heart is indivisible and transcends death
because its origin is in the spiritual world.
• Man: the microcosm
• The position of man in the universe is most important. Man is the microcosm, that
is, a miniature universe. As such, he comprises in his outward or physical aspect
all the elements found in the universe. In his inner aspect, he contains the
potential qualities of all creation from the lowest to the highest, that is, animal,
satanic and angelic. He shares the qualities of lust and selfishness with the pigs;
the qualities of jealousy and anger with the dogs; his cunning and deceit with
Satan; his power and his spiritual light with the angels. But, what is more
important, through love and devotion to God he can rise even higher than the
angels, for he is the mystery of God before whom the angels were commanded to
fall in prostration. He was given command over the whole universe. The Qur'an
declares:
• "It is God who created the heavens and the earth and sent down out of heaven
water, wherewith He brought forth fruits to be your sustenance, and He subjected
to you the ships to run upon the sea at His commandment, and He subjected to
you the rivers, and He subjected to you the sun and moon constant upon their
courses, and He subjected to you the night and the day and gave you all you
asked Him."But although the universe was created for the service of man, man
was created for the service of God and for that purpose alone. To the extent that
he deviates from that purpose, he becomes unworthy of Divine guidance and
favour. Consequently, he is left to his own devices with all his enormous powers,
which, under the influence of his animal and satanic qualities, are capable of
dragging him to the lowest of the low.
• Purpose of life
• Sufism helps man to be increasingly aware of his purpose of life -- namely,
unfailing service to his Lord and Creator. It is a path travelled under the
guidance of a Sufi master, who is able to deliver man from the narrow confines
of the material world into the limitless reality of a spiritual life, wherein he can
experience the Divine spark which eternally shines within him.
• It is most important to understand that material man acquires his knowledge
generally through the five external senses and five inner faculties of which we
spoke earlier. The spiritual man, on the other hand, has, in addition to these, a
number of other means of acquiring knowledge, such as prophetic dreams and
inspirations from beyond the material world. To the extent that a man adheres
to the truth in his waking state, his dreams too disclose a similar degree of
certainty. The Prophet (pbuh) expressed this in the saying: "The more truthful a
man, the more prophetic his dreams."
• Although knowledge through dreams comes in a state of sleep, insights
through inspirations are gained in a state of wakefulness. The shaykh, or the
Sufi teacher, interprets the dreams of a disciple, helps him to understand his
inspirations, and resolves his doubts and uncertainties.
• The spiritual mentor / shaykh
• The carnal soul:
• In the first stage, one struggles against the carnal soul or nafs al-
ammara as it is called by the Sufis. Nafs al-ammara is the tendency
in man to disobey God, and to take pleasure in evil deed and
thought. This inclines man towards gossip, backbiting, vain talk,
pride, selfishness, lust, hatred and jealousy. The struggle to
overcome nafs al-ammara involves the purifying of the body, tongue,
mind and heart. a) The body is purified by keeping it free from dirt,
by preserving its members from harm and by not indulging in sexual
license.
• b) The tongue must be purified by restraining it from backbiting,
malicious gossip and vain talk, or from using it to alter the truth.
• c) The mind must be purified by abstaining from suspicion, plotting
and thinking ill of others.
• d) The heart must be purified by keeping it free from lust, jealousy,
greed, selfishness, hatred and pride.
• e) In this stage, a Sufi constantly examines the motives of his likes
and dislikes.
 3
• Meditation, ecstasy, states, stations and ascension
• The various stages on the mystical path are known as
maqamat, or the 'stations', which can be reached by any Sufi
by means of prayer, fasting, meditation, and the hal or
'mystical state', which may be vouchsafed to the Sufi by the
Grace of God but is not attainable by the mystic's own
efforts. A Sufi may be blessed by an experience which
reveals to his soul the reality of the whole universe, from the
lowest layer of earth to the highest heaven. This experience
is called mi'raj or the 'ascension.' In this, a Sufi is generally
accompanied by the spirit of his shaykh, and comes in
contact with the spirits of other shaykhs and prophets.
Various stations are also revealed to him with different
colours and lights.
• an inspiration of Sufism and a thorough
elucidation of this unique state of soul &
mind that elevates one's body and it's
correlation with all aspects of mankind
relationships
• an inspiration of Sufism and a
thorough elucidation of this unique
state of soul & mind that elevates
one's body and it's correlation with
all aspects of mankind relationships
• " Man is a mirror which, when
polished, reflects God. "

The God that the Sufis discover is a God

of love and the way to him is through
Love : " whoever knows God, loves him ;
whoever knows the world turns away
from him. " " If you wish to be free,
become a prisoner of Love. "
 Few points
• stresses on self-realisation, beautification of the soul through piety, righteousness
and universal love for all
• a perfect being is also called a Wali (saint), a word that literally means 'sincere
friend‘
• it emphasised only on the Love of God but later it also stressed on the need of the
development of man with the purification of mind, through prayer and meditation
• The Sufi belief includes conscious evolution whereby, through an effort of will, one
can develop new faculties, for example, telepathy and prophecy. According to Sufis,
this conforms to belief in the 'limitless or perfect man'.
• The core of Sufism is to leave ordinary life and be closer to God, truth and
knowledge.
• This is manifest in the use of chants, music and dance.
Through the celebration of dance, song, music and whirling, Sufi gatherings become joyous
ceremonies of blissful love and ecstasy of the union with the Divine.
• Sama represents a journey to growth by shedding the conditioning of the mind and ego
• In living beings there is circulation of blood, the flow of life. Life itself is a revolution—rising
from the Earth and returning to it. Therefore, whirling is as natural as life itself.
• The Sufi hypothesis is that there is, in the human psyche, an
evolutionary urge to develop slowly, but decisively to a point
of absolute freedom and that freedom is liberation from the
dichotomy of ‘me’ and ‘thou’. It is the split of the whole into
‘me’ and ‘thou’ that produces the spiritual dynamic of the
urge to reunite and become whole again. This yearning for
wholeness is a natural “higher human instinct”.
 Role of women
• had female teachers, students, and spiritual friends who
greatly influenced their thought and being.
• Human beings, both female and male, have walked the path of
reunion with the Source of Being. Though in this world of duality
we may find ourselves in different forms, ultimately there is no
male or female, only Being
• Though cultural manifestations have covered over some of the
original purity of intention, the words of the Qur'an convey the
equality of women and men before the eyes of God.
• Throughout the centuries, women as well as men have continued
to carry the light of this love. For many reasons, women have
often been less visible and less outspoken than men, but
nevertheless they have been active participants.
•
 Changing Roles
• evolving role of women in exoteric Islam, as it is varied and complex
• goddess-worshiping Arabian tribes were still quite barbaric, even burying
infant girls alive in favor of male offspring,-It tried to address the imbalances
• Muhammad's beloved wife, Khadija, filled a role of great importance,
sustained, strengthened, and supported him, in the midst of extreme
difficulty and anguish and helped carry the light of the new faith
• Muhammad's and Khadija's daughter, Fatimah, to whom the deeper mystical
understanding of Islam was first conveyed, and indeed she is often
recognized as the first Muslim mystic
• As the mystical side of Islam developed, it was a woman, Rabi'a al-Adawiyya
(717-801 A.D.), who first expressed the relationship with the divine in a
language we have come to recognize as specifically Sufic by referring to God
as the Beloved. Rabi'a was the first human being to speak of the realities of
Sufism with a language that anyone could understand.
• Ibn Arabi, the great "Pole of Knowledge" (1165-1240 A.D.),
tells of time he spent with two elderly women mystics who
had a profound influence on him: Shams of Marchena, one
of the "sighing ones," and Fatimah of Cordova.
• When Bayazid Bestami (d. 874), another well-known
master, was asked who his master was, he said it was an
old woman whom he had met in the desert
• Throughout the centuries, women as well as men have
continued to carry the light of this love. For many reasons,
women have often been less visible and less outspoken
than men, but nevertheless they have been active
participants.
• When Bayazid Bestami (d. 874), another well-known
master, was asked who his master was, he said it was an
old woman whom he had met in the desert
• evolving role of women in exoteric Islam, as it is varied and
complex. We must recognize, though that women in
general around the world have often faced prejudicial
treatment because of their gender. Within Islamic society
as well as within our own, difficult treatment of women has
occurred -- in some cases obvious, in some cases insidious.
• Though local cultural overlays and male-dominated Islamic jurisprudence may have
increased restrictions on women in various areas, the Qur'an basically enjoins mutual
respect and valuation of the human being regardless of sex or social situation. Within
Sufism, this more essential Qur'anic attitude has prevailed.
• Among these was Fatimah or Jahan-Ara, the favorite daughter of Shah Jahan, the
Mogul emperor of India (1592-1666). Fatimah wrote an account of her initiation called
Risala-i Sahibiyya, which is known as a beautiful and erudite exposition of the
flowering of Sufism within her heart.
• Among the Bektashis, an order in which women have always been integrated with
men in ceremonies, many women have continued the tradition of composing sacred
songs (illahis). In 1987, a songbook entitled Gul Deste ("A Bouquet of Roses") was
published in Turkey. It brings together sacred hymns written by women and men of
the Bektashi tradition from the nineteenth century to the present.
• In the Sudan, for instance, there continue to be shaikhas (female shaikhs) who are particularly
adept in the healing arts. In the Middle East, women continue to mature in many Sufi orders.
In Turkey in particular, the teachings continue through women as well as men, perhaps even
more so now than in the past because of Ataturk's proscription of the sufi orders early in the
century, which drove much of Sufi practice into private homes. One luminous lady, Feriha
Ana, carried the Rifai tradition in Istanbul until her recent death; Zeyneb Hatun of Ankara
continues to inspire people in Turkey and abroad with her poems and songs
• Everyone is expected to establish his or her own direct connection with the divine, and
women are no different from men in this capacity.
• We have much to learn form each other, and male and female need to recognize each other
so that we can come to balance within ourselves as well as creating balance outwardly in the
world. The male attributes of strength and determination also belong to women; the feminine
attributes of receptivity and beauty also belong to men. As we look to the divine in each
other, encouraging each other to rise to the fullness of is or her own divine nature, we push
against our limitations until they dissolve and a gift unfolds.
• In love, nothing exists between breast and
Breast.
Speech is born out of longing,
True description from the real taste.
The one who tastes, knows;
The one who explains, lies.
How can you describe the true form of
Something
In whose presence you are blotted out?
And in whose being you still exist?
And who lives as a sign for your journey
 Quotes
• Whatever you have in your mind - forget it;
Whatever you have in your hand - give it;
Whatever is to be your fate - face it!
Abu Sa'id (Essential Sufism)
• IF words come out of the heart, they will enter the heart, but if
they come from the tongue, they will not pass beyond the ears.
Al-Suhrawardi (Essential Sufism)
• Pray for what you want, but work for the things you need.
Modern Traditional (Essential Sufism)