Sufi Cosmology Sufi cosmology (الكوزمولوجية الصوفية) is a Sufi approach to cosmology which discusses the creation of man and the universe, which according to mystics are the fundamental grounds upon which Islamic religious universe is based. According to Sufi cosmology, God’s reason for the creation of this cosmos and humankind...
Sufi Metaphysics Major ideas in Sufi metaphysics have surrounded the concept of weḥdah (وحدة) meaning “unity”, or in Arabic توحيد Tawhid (Unity). Two main Sufi philosophies prevail on this topic. waḥdat al-wujūd literally means the “Unity of Existence” or “Unity of Being.” The phrase has been translated “pantheism.” Wujud (i.e. existence or...
The Alchemy of Happiness by Mohammad Al Ghazzali This book is the translated version of Kimiya-yi Sa’ādat (کیمیای سعادت, The Alchemy of Happiness), written by Mohammed Al Ghazzali INTRODUCTION The remarkable treatise, which I introduce to your notice, is a translation from one of the numerous works of the Arabian Philosopher, Abou Hamid...
The Alchemy Of Happiness Kimiya-yi Sa’ādat (کیمیای سعادت, The Alchemy of Happiness) was a book written by Abū Ḥāmid Muḥammad ibn Muḥammad al-Ghazālī, a Persian theologian, philosopher, and prolific Sunni Muslim author regarded as one of the greatest systematic thinkers of Islam. The Kimiya-yi Sa’ādat was written towards the end of his...
Sama In Sufism Sama in Sufism is a ceremony performed as dhikr. Sama means “listening”, while dhikr means “remembrance”. These rituals often include singing, playing instruments, dancing, recitation of poetry and prayers, wearing symbolic attire, and other rituals. It is a particularly popular form of worship in Sufism. In 2008, UNESCO confirmed...
What Is Taqwa? Taqwa is an Islamic term for being conscious and cognizant of God, of truth, of the rational reality, “piety, fear of God”. It is often found in the Quran. Al-Muttaqin refers to those who practice taqwa, or in the words of Ibn Abbas — “believers who avoid Shirk with Allah and...
What Is Karamat? In Sunni Islam, karamat (کرامات karāmāt, pl. of کرامة karāmah, lit. generosity, high-mindedness) refers to supernatural wonders performed by Muslim saints. In the technical vocabulary of Islamic religious sciences, the singular form karama has a sense similar to charism, a favor or spiritual gift freely bestowed by God. The marvels ascribed to Muslim saints have included supernatural...
Persecution Of Sufis Persecution of Sufis and Sufism has included destruction of Sufi shrines and mosques, suppression of orders, murder, and discrimination against adherents in a number of Muslim-majority countries. The Turkish Republican state banned all Sufi orders and abolished their institutions in 1925 after Sufis opposed the new secular order. The Iranian...
List Of Sufi Orders The following is a list of Sufi orders or schools (ṭarīqah). A attariya Razaviya Alevi Aamiria Aâbid Abbasiyya Abululai (also Abululaiya) Adhamiyya Adrawiyya Agamiyya Ahmadiya (Imamut-Tarikat Sheikh Borhanuddin Uyesi) Ahmadiyya-Idrissiyya Aissawa (also Aïssâwa, Issawiyya, Issâwa, Aïssaoua, Issaoua) Akbariyya Akmaliyya (Haqmaliyya) Alamiyya Al Hakika Mizaan Mizaani Sufi Order (Sallahudin Amaan...
Who Is Wali? Wali (ولي, plural ʾawliyāʾ أولياء) is an Arabic word whose literal meanings include “custodian”, “protector”, “helper”, and “friend”. In the vernacular, it is most commonly used by Muslims to indicate an Islamic saint, otherwise referred to by the more literal “friend of God”. In the traditional Islamic understanding of saints, the...
What Is Sufi Whirling? Sufi whirling (or Sufi turning) (Semazen) is a form of physically active meditation which originated among Sufis, and which is still practiced by the Sufi Dervishes of the Mevlevi order and other orders such as the Rifa’i-Marufi. It is a customary meditation practice performed within the Sema, or worship ceremony, through which dervishes (also called semazens,...
What Is Muraqabah? Muraqabah (to observe) refers to meditation in Sufi terminology. Through murāqbah a person watches over their (spiritual) heart and gains insight into the heart’s relation with its creator and its own surroundings. Muraqābah is a core concept in commonly found ṭarīqas (ar. sufi orders). The objective of murāqbah...
What Is Ma’rifat? In Sufism, ma’rifat (معرفة, ma‘rifah, ‘knowledge’) describes the mystical intuitive knowledge of spiritual truth reached through ecstatic experiences, rather than revealed or rationally acquired. A seeker of ma’rifa is called ‘arif, “the one who knows”.[1] In one of the earliest accounts of the Maqamat-l arba’in (“forty stations”) in Sufism, Sufi master Abu Said ibn Abi’l-Khayr lists ma’rifa as the...
What Is Haqiqat? Haqiqat (حقيقة ḥaqīqa “truth”) is one of “the four stages” in Sufism, shari’a (exoteric path), tariqa (esoteric path), haqiqat (mystical truth) and marifa (final mystical knowledge, unio mystica). The four stages Shariat Main Article: Shariat Shari’a is Islamic law or Islamic jurisprudence as revealed in the Qur’an and Sunna. The first step in Sufism is following every aspect of the law...
What Is Tariqa? A tariqa (tariqah; طريقة ṭarīqah) is a school or order of Sufism, or specifically a concept for the mystical teaching and spiritual practices of such an order with the aim of seeking Haqiqa, which translates as “ultimate truth“. A tariqa has a murshid (guide) who plays the role of leader or spiritual director....
History Of Sufism This article covers the history of Sufism. Sufism is the mystical branch of Islam. A Sufi is a Muslim who seeks annihilation of the ego in God. Early history The exact origin of Sufism is disputed. Some sources state that Sufism is the inner dimensions of the teachings of Muhammad whereas others say that...
Poems By Rumi We have collected and put the best poems by Rumi. Enjoy reading these insights and feel free to share this page on your social media to inspire others. Jalāl ad-Dīn Muhammad Rūmī (جلالالدین محمد رومی), also known as Jalāl ad-Dīn Muhammad Balkhī (جلالالدین محمد بلخى), Mevlânâ, Mawlānā (مولانا, “our master”), Mevlevî, Mawlawī (مولوی,...
Islamic Meditation This article covers Islamic Meditation. Meditation and mindfulness are often associated with several eastern traditions such as Buddhism and Yoga, yet few know the essential position of meditative spiritual practice within Islam. In Islam, meditation serves as the core element of various mystical traditions (in particular Sufism), though it is...
Mysticism Mysticism is the practice of religious ecstasies (religious experiences during alternate states of consciousness), together with whatever ideologies, ethics, rites, myths, legends, and magic may be related to them. It may also refer to the attainment of insight in ultimate or hidden truths, and to human transformation supported by various practices and experiences....
What Is Celibacy? Celibacy is the state of voluntarily being unmarried, sexually abstinent, or both, usually for religious reasons. It is often in association with the role of a religious official or devotee. In its narrow sense, the term celibacy is applied only to those for whom the unmarried state is the result...