Huzn (Sadness or Sorrow) Sufis use the word huzn (sadness or sorrow) as the opposite of rejoicing and joy, and to express the pain one suffers while fulfilling his or her duties and realizing his or her ideals. Every perfected believer will continue to suffer this pain according to the...
Qalb (Heart) The word qalb (heart) has two meanings. One denotes the body’s most vital part, which is located in the left part of the chest and resembles a pinecone. With respect to its structure and tissue, the heart is different from all other bodily parts: it has two auricles...
Hal And Maqam (State And Station) This article explains the meaning of Hal and Maqam (State and Station) in Sufism. Hal (State) denotes experiencing in one’s inner world the “breaths” blowing from the realms beyond the world, and feeling the difference between “night” and “day,” as well as “evening” and...
Halwat And ‘Uzlat (Privacy And Seclusion) Literally meaning solitude and living alone, halwat and ‘uzlat (privacy and seclusion) within the context of Sufism denote an initiate’s going into retreat to dedicate all of his or her time to worshipping God under the guidance and supervision of a spiritual master. He...
Firar And I’tisam (Fleeing And Taking Shelter) This article covers Firar and I’tisam (Fleeing and Taking Shelter). Firar, which literally means to run away from something, is used in Sufism to denote the journey from the created to the Creator, sheltering from the “shadow” in the “original,”[1] and renouncing the...
Sayr u Suluk (Journeying and Initiation) In the language of Sufism, when used together, sayr u suluk (journeying and initiation) denotes becoming free of bodily and animal appetites to a certain extent within the framework of certain principles, searching for ways to reach God and traveling toward Him by the...
Qalaq (Passion) This article covers the answer to the question: “What is Qalaq (Passion)?” Literally meaning boredom with the place where one is and with the surrounding conditions, feeling discomfort as if in imprisonment or captivity, qalaq (passion) is intense love, deeper than the desire for Paradise that the ordinary...
Tafakkur (Reflection) Tafakkur (Reflection) literally means to think on a subject deeply, systematically, and in great detail. In this context, it signifies reflection, which is the heart’s lamp, the spirit’s food, the spirit of knowledge, and the essence and light of the Islamic way of life. Reflection is the light...
Muhasaba (Self-Criticism Or Self-Interrogation) Muhasaba (Self-Criticism or Self-Interrogation) literally means reckoning, settling accounts, and self-interrogation. In a spiritual context, however, it takes on the additional meaning of the self-criticism of a believer who constantly analyzes his or her deeds and thoughts in the hope that correcting them will bring him...
God and the Truth of Divinity This article covers the subjects of God and the Truth of Divinity. The sacred term Allah (God), which is also referred to as the Word of Majesty or the All-Supreme Name in the sense that it is the Chief Divine Name comprising all other...
Tawba, Inaba, And Awba Repentance, Sincere Penitence, and Turning to God in Contrition This article covers Tawba (Repentance), Inaba (Sincere Penitence), and Awba (Turning to God in Contrition). Repentance (tawba) means that one feels regret and, filled with remorse for his or her sins, turns to God with the intention...
What Is Sufism? Sufism (tasawwuf) is the path followed by Sufis to reach the Truth—God. While Sufism usually expresses the theoretical or philosophical aspect of this search, the practical aspect is usually referred to as “being a dervish.” What is Sufism? Sufism has been defined in many ways. Some see...
Wahdat al-Wujud (Unity of Being) What Is Wahdat al-Wujud (Unity of Being)? Does It Conform In Any Way To The Teachings Of Islam?” Wahdat al-wujud (literally, oneness or unity of being) is a teaching mostly spoken of in connection with mystics and Sufis. Although the phrase refers to a subjective...
Sufism As A Lifestyle Sufism is the spiritual life of Islam (Sufism As A Lifestyle). Those who represent Islam according to the way of the Prophet and his Companions have never stepped outside this line. A tariqah is an institution that reaches the essence of religion within the framework of...
Masnavi The Masnavi, or Masnavi-ye-Ma’navi (مثنوی معنوی), also written Mathnawi, or Mathnavi, is an extensive poem written in Persian by Jalal al-Din Muhammad Balkhi also known as Rumi. The Masnavi is one of the most influential works of Sufism, commonly called “the Quran in Persian”. It has been viewed by many commentators as...
Mevlevi Order The Mawlaw’īyya – Mevlevi Order (Mevlevilik or Mevleviyye, طریقت مولویه) is a Sufi order in Konya founded by the followers of Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Balkhi-Rumi, a 13th-century Persian poet, Islamic theologian and Sufi mystic. The Mevlevi are also known as the Whirling Dervishes due to their famous practice of whirling...
Naqshbandi The Naqshbandi (نقشبندی) or Naqshbandiyah (نقشبندية, Naqshbandīyah) is a major Sunni spiritual order of Sufism. It got its name from Baha-ud-Din Naqshband Bukhari and traces its spiritual lineage to the Islamic prophet Muhammad through Abu Bakr, who was father-in-law, companion, and successor of Muhammad. Some Naqshbandi masters trace their lineage...
Ni’matullāhī Order The Ni’matullāhī Order or Ne’matollāhī Order (نعمتاللهی) (also spelled as “Nimatollahi”, “Nematollahi” or “Ni’matallahi) is a Sufi order (or tariqa) originating in Iran. According to Moojan Momen, the number of Ni’matullāhī in Iran in 1980 was estimated to be between 50,000 and 350,000. Following the emigration of Javad Nurbakhsh and other dervishes after...
Qadiriyya Order The Qadiriyya (القادريه, قادریه, also transliterated Qadri, Qadriya, Kadri, Elkadri, Elkadry, Aladray, Alkadrie, Adray, Kadray, Qadiri, “Quadri” or Qadri) are members of the Qadiri tariqa (Sufi order). The tariqa got its name from Abdul Qadir Gilani (1077–1166, Jilani), who was from Gilan. The order relies strongly upon adherence to the fundamentals of Islam. The order, with its many...
Senussi Order The Senussi order (Senussi, Senusiyya, Sanussi, السنوسية), are a Muslim political-religious tariqa (Sufi order) and clan in colonial Libya and the Sudan region founded in Mecca in 1837 by the Grand Senussi (السنوسي الكبير), the Algerian Muhammad ibn Ali as-Senussi. Senussi was concerned with what it saw as both the decline of Islamic thought and spirituality...