SUFI

SM

What is SUFISM?
MysticalIslamicbelief and practice in which
Muslims seek to find the truth of divine love and
knowledge through direct personal experience of
God.

Islamicmysticismis
calledtaawwuf(literally, to dress in
wool) inArabic, but it has been called
Sufism in Western languages since the
early 19th century.
The Sufis are also generally known as the
poor,fuqar, plural of the Arabicfaqr,
in Persiandarvsh, whence the English
wordsfakiranddervish.

History and Origin of SUFISM

Sufism is rejection of
worldly things; Sufis have
traditionally taken vows of
poverty and celibacy, as
well as a loss of self, with
the
ultimate
goal
of
mystical union with God.

Dress of Sufis
"Wearing of the coffin-cloth in life time."

"A Sufi uses only one solitary covering

generally called gudri (a quilt made of
patched cloth) following the tradition of
the prophets and saints which is the
symbol of their fuqr (contentment) and
riyazat (strivings). But there are certain
extremely rigid conditions too which must
be fulfilled before a Sufi aspires to wear
this coveted gudri.

(Kashf-ul-Mahjoob)

History and Origin of

SUFISM
Sufis have been inspired by the image of the
ProphetMuhammadthe founder of Islam
and have thus largely influenced Muslim
piety by their Muhammad-mysticism.
Without the Sufi vocabulary, Persianand
other literatures related to it, such
asTurkish,Urdu, Sindhi, Pashto, and Punjabi,
would lack their special charms. Through the
poetry of these literatures, mystical ideas
spread widely among the Muslims.

History and Origin of

SUFISM
Islamic mysticism had several stages
of growth;
a. the appearance of early asceticism
b. the
development
of
a
classical
mysticism of divine love
c. the rise and proliferation of fraternal
orders of mystics.

School of Thought among

different Sufis
Illuminist- pay emphasis on philosophical
ideas
Hulool- Allah dwells and intricate in
human beings.
Wahdat ul wajood- a single reality and
everything is the essence of Allah.

Sufism In Quran
"Allah loveth those who love Him".

When a Sufi reaches the pinnacle of his career,

he enters the domain of the spiritual world,
which is as certain as this material world.
Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, in his Tarjumaanul-Quran, clarifies this point. He says:
"Again and again the Quran has revealed the
fact that the relation of Allah with man is nothing
but a relation of their mutual love. In appreciation
of man's own wonderful creation, Allah gracious
expects nothing but his love and devotion only."

Sufism In Sunnah
"He who has known his self has known Allah.

A Hadith Qudsi of the Holy Prophet relates

that Allah describes such extraordinary
devotion in this manner:
"When a devotee seeks Me devoutly, I
also reciprocate his love and become his ear
by which he hears, his eye by which he sees,
his hand by which he works and his feet by
which he walks."

Sufism Is for All

The Holy Prophet has laid it down that 'God does not look upon your
outward forms'. It is not the outward form that matters, but the inner
purpose of the heart, as the Prophet said, 'The people are assembled
(on the day of Judgement) according to the purposes of their hearts'
So also Abbas of Tus said that when on the Day of Resurrection the
summons goes forth, 'O men', the first person to set foot in that class
of men (i.e. those who are the enter Paradise) will be Mary, upon
whom be peace The true explanation of this fact (that women
count for as much as men among the saints) is that wherever these
people, the Sufis, are, they have no separate existence in the Unity
of God. In the Unity, what remains of the existence of 'I' or 'thou'? So
how can 'man' or 'women' continue to be? So too, Abu Ali Farmadhi
said, 'Prophecy is the essence, the very being of power and sublimity.
Superiority and inferiority do not exist in it. Undoubtedly saintship is
of the same type'.

Characteristics of a SUFI by
Hazrat Junaid Baghdadi
The courage and magnanimity of Prophet
Ibrahim.
The obedience of Prophet Ismail.
The patience and forbearance of Prophet Ayub.
The signs of Prophet Zakaria.
The poverty of Prophet Yahya.
The traveling nature of Prophet Isa (Jesus).
The simplicity of dress of Prophet Mussa (Moses).
The Fuqr (contentment and renunciation) of
Prophet Mohammed.

Traits of SUFI for Sheikh Ali

Hujwari
implicit faith in and obedience to Allah by
giving up all other worldly hopes and hypocrisy.
honoring of the elders and welcoming of the
younger ones with equanimity, love and
respect.
desiring neither rewards nor any other kind of
appreciation from any quarter whatever except
God.
over-powering all sensuous desires of the evil
of Nafs.

Sufi Poetry
Sufi poetryhas been written in many
languages, both for private devotional
reading and as lyrics for music played
during worship.
Themes
and
styles
established
inPunjabipoetry,Sindhi
poetry,Arabic
poetryand mostlyPersian poetryhave
had an enormous influence on Sufi poetry
throughout the Islamic world, and is often
part of theSufi music.

Sufi poets and Sufi

poetry
Sufism facilitates --encounters with God,
love, and the deepest aspects of human
consciousness-- have evoked feelings in
Sufis that have poured out through their
ravaged hearts onto their lucid tongues,
providing us with some of the most
beautiful and profound poetry ever written.
Some of the most prominent of the Sufis
who wrote poetry were Rumi, Bulleh shah,
Khawaja Ghulam Farid, Rabia al-Basri.

Bulleh Shah

Na Kar Bandeya
Meri Meri
Na Teri Na Meri
char Dinan Da Mela
Duniya Fair Mitti Di Dheri,

(dont be so possessive in this non permanent world,

nothing was our,and nothing will be.
Its just a matter of time before the world
dissolves into its own impermanence.)

 One muslim peotry (collect peotry)

RUMI
THE TRUE SUFI
What makes the Sufi? Purity of heart;
Not the patched mantle and the lust
perverse
Of those vile earth-bound men who steal
his name.
He in all dregs discerns the essence pure:
In hardship ease, in tribulation joy.
The phantom sentries, who with batons
drawn
Guard Beauty's place-gate and curtained
bower,

Quotes of Rumi
Align yourself with the Divine.
Only from the Heart can you
touch the sky.
I know you are tired but come
this is the way.
If you find me not within, you
will never find me For I have
been with you from the
Beginning.

A Kafi of Khawaja Ghulam Farid

English Translation:

Musag malyndi da guzar gaya dinh

sara,
Singhar karyndi da guzar gaya dinh
sara.
Kejjla payom, surkhi layom, keetom
yar visara,
Kang udynday umer vihanri, Aaya
na yar piyara.
Roh dongar tay jungle bala, Rolyom
Ishaq awara.
Hik dam aish di sayj na manrum,
bakht na ditrum vara.
Parh Bismalla gholum sir knu,
chatum Ishiq ajara.
Ranjhan manda, man ranjhan di,
rooz azal da kara.
Hijer Fareeda lambi laie, jal giyom
muft vchara.

I wasted my day (the entire lifetime) in shining my

teeth
with
Musag
(a
tree
root)
.
I spoiled all my day in makeup and in beautifying
myself.
I made linings about my eyes with eyeliner; I
colored
my
lips
red
with
lipglass.
I
decorated
myself
for
my
love.
I spent all my life in scaring crows (traditionally,
crows cackling is an indication of some guest
coming to see you) but my beloved did not come.
I wandered in the dry land, in desert (rohi) and in
woods and jungle, I wandered for my love.
Never did I sleep well, not for a moment. My fate
did not give me the turn (of good fortune) .
With the name of Allah I uncovered my head and
picked
the
burden
of
love.
Ranjha (the beloved of Heer; traditional) is mine, I
am for him (here the name of Ranjha is used
metaphorically for beloved), such is written in the
sacred book of fate, right from the day of creation of
the
universe.
O Fareed! separation has taken too long a period, I
have almost burnt to ashes. Pity!

Rabi'al Basri
I have loved Thee with two loves, a selfish
love and a love that is worthy (of Thee).
As for the love which is selfish, I occupy
myself therein with remembrance of Thee
to the exclusion of all others,
As for that which is worthy of Thee, therien
Thou raisest the veil that I may see Thee.
Yet is there no praise to me in this or that,
But the praise is to Thee, whether in that
or this

If I Adore You
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.
Rabia al-Basri

Sufism in Pakistan
The Sufi strives to understand Divine
Reality from the inside.
Though little is known in detail of
early Sufi activity in Pakistan, the
spread of Islam is usually credited to
the work of Sufi mystics who first
established their
khanaqahs
in
western Punjab.

The Advent of Colonial Rule and Sufism

After the British annexed Punjab, many pirs were
honored by the British and given positions of local
administrative authority.
During the colonial era, the overthrow of local elites by
foreign invaders removed traditional sources of
patronage for Sufism. Hereditary custodians of Sufi
shrines became integrated into the landholding
classes and became further entrenched as political
leaders. Sufi responses to colonialism ranged from
uaccommodation to confrontation.
In the postcolonial period, some efforts were
made,to bring Sufi institutions under governmental
control. In some of these cases, officials appeared at
Sufi festivals to direct popular reverence for saints into
legitimizing their regimes, and governments also
attempted to control the large amount of donations for
the shrines.

Contemporary Sufism
Muslims in some rural areas of Pakistan identify themselves
with some pir, living or dead, and seek his intercession for
the solution of their problems (worldly or spiritual), and for
salvation.
There is belief in the powers of both the person (i.e. pirs)
and legends about their miracles (karamah). Many of these
pirs are either themselves landlords or are associated with
the traditional landowning interests.
Some of these pir families to use their spiritual influence to
gain election to the national and provincial legislatures.
In Pakistan Sufism has now become a position to be
defended or criticized in terms of ideological constructions
of Islam.
Whether defended in traditional languages as part of
classical Muslim culture, Sufism still forms part of the
symbolic capital of not only Pakistan but also of the
majority of Muslim countries.
As a form of religious practice, Sufism is seen both as an

Mera haath katora hai, Manga da

A begging bowl is in my hand
Mera haath katora hai, Manga da
A begging bowl is in my hand
Mera peera walee naa, Rawan da
My mentor is Gods friend, Ill plea
Shala waleya Peera
My beloved Mentor
Peera ho Peera
Peera ho Peera

(Hazrat Sultan Bahu)

ALLAMA IQBAL
tere ishq kii intahaa BALchaahataa huu.N
of your Love,
merii saadagii dekh kyaa chaahataa huu.N
unachievable.
sitam ho ki ho vaadaa-e-behijaabii
unveil your beauty,

I want to have the extremes

See, how silly am I, wishing for

I dont care if you maltreat me or promise to

ko_ii baat sabr-aazamaa chaahataa huu.N

test my fortitude
ye jannat mubaarak rahe zaahido.n ko
dwelling in the paradise,
ki mai.n aap kaa saamanaa chaahataa huu.N
to face with you.

I just want something unbearable to

Let the God fearing people be

For, instead I want to be face

( I dont want to go to paradise but want to

observe the Divine Beauty)
ko_ii dam kaa mehamaa.N huu.N ai ahal-e-mahafil
moments, as a gust,

O fellows, I am here for a few