Love of GodLove of Godandand

Sufism Sufism

WHAT IS THE SUFISMWHAT IS THE SUFISM

"Sufism is that you should be with "Sufism is that you should be with God--without any attachment." God--without any attachment." Junayd Al BagdadiJunayd Al Bagdadi

"Sufism consists of entering every "Sufism consists of entering every exalted quality (khulq) and leaving exalted quality (khulq) and leaving behind every despicable quality." behind every despicable quality." Abu Muhammad al-Jariri

Shibli’s definition is summarized as Shibli’s definition is summarized as being always together with God.being always together with God.

TasawwufTasawwuf is a path leading to is a path leading to knowledge of God.knowledge of God.

Your journey is towards your homeland. Your journey is towards your homeland. Remember you are traveling from the Remember you are traveling from the world of appearances to the world of world of appearances to the world of Reality. Reality. Abd’l Khaliq GhijuduwaniAbd’l Khaliq Ghijuduwani

TasawwufTasawwuf or sufism (the translation or sufism (the translation usually preferred in the West) is the usually preferred in the West) is the name of the ways sufis follow to reach name of the ways sufis follow to reach God, the Truth. God, the Truth. FETHULLAH GULENFETHULLAH GULEN

WHAT IS THE LOVEWHAT IS THE LOVE

MahabbaMahabba (love) means fondness, tender (love) means fondness, tender and kind feelings, and inclination. Love and kind feelings, and inclination. Love is based on two important pillars: is based on two important pillars: The The firstfirst is that which is manifested by the is that which is manifested by the lover’s acts. A lover tries to comply with lover’s acts. A lover tries to comply with the Beloved’s desires. the Beloved’s desires. The secondThe second relates to the inner world of the lover, relates to the inner world of the lover, who should inwardly be closed who should inwardly be closed to everything else unrelated to Him.to everything else unrelated to Him.

LOVE OF GODLOVE OF GOD

Everyone prays to You from fear of the Everyone prays to You from fear of the Fire; And if You do not put them in the Fire; And if You do not put them in the Fire, Fire, This is their reward. This is their reward. Or they pray to You for the Garden, Or they pray to You for the Garden, Full of fruits and flowers. And that is Full of fruits and flowers. And that is their prize. their prize. But I do not pray to You like this,But I do not pray to You like this,For I am not afraid of the Fire, For I am not afraid of the Fire, And I do not ask You for the Garden. And I do not ask You for the Garden. But all I want is the Essence of Your But all I want is the Essence of Your Love, And to return to be One with Love, And to return to be One with You, And to become Your Face." You, And to become Your Face." Rabi’a Al-AdawiyyaRabi’a Al-Adawiyya

"O God, if I worship You for fear of Hell, "O God, if I worship You for fear of Hell, burn me in Hell, burn me in Hell, And if I worship You in hope of And if I worship You in hope of Paradise, Exclude me from Paradise.Paradise, Exclude me from Paradise.But if I worship You for Your Own sake, But if I worship You for Your Own sake, Grudge me not Your everlasting Grudge me not Your everlasting Beauty." Beauty."

A man asked Bayazid, "Show me a A man asked Bayazid, "Show me a deed by which I will approach my deed by which I will approach my Lord." He said, "Love the friends of Lord." He said, "Love the friends of Allah”Allah”

HOW DO WE KNOW GOD LOVES USHOW DO WE KNOW GOD LOVES US

If Allah loves His servant He will grant three attributes that are the proofs of His Love: generosity like the generosity of the ocean, and favor like the favor of the Sun in its giving of light, and modesty like the modesty of the Earth. The true lover never considers any affliction too great and never decreases his worship because of his pure faith." Ebu Yazid Al-Bistami

THE STATES OF SPIRITUAL JOURNEY

1. Al-emaanu billah (to believe in the Oneness of God)

2. Marifatullah (gnosis or spiritual knowledge of God):

From the Holy Sciptures

Through science (the Names being various and being manifested in the various ways and degrees)

Through experience (worship, dhikr, devotion, caring)

“True spiritual Knowledge is a light that God projects into the heart of the Knower.”

3. Muhabbatullah (love of God): Divine 3. Muhabbatullah (love of God): Divine love can not be defined or described. It love can not be defined or described. It can only be known through experiencecan only be known through experience

A- Metaphorical loveA- Metaphorical love B- True loveB- True love

““Everyone prays to You from fear of the Everyone prays to You from fear of the Fire; Fire;

And if You do not put them in the Fire, And if You do not put them in the Fire, This is their reward. This is their reward. Or they pray to You for the Garden, Or they pray to You for the Garden, Full of fruits and flowers. And that is their Full of fruits and flowers. And that is their

prize.“ prize.“

But I do not pray to You like this, But I do not pray to You like this,

For I am not afraid of the Fire, For I am not afraid of the Fire,

And I do not ask You for the Garden. And I do not ask You for the Garden.

But all I want is the Essence of Your But all I want is the Essence of Your Love,Love,

And to return to be One with You, And to return to be One with You,

And to become Your Face. And to become Your Face.

Rabi’a Al-AdawiyyaRabi’a Al-Adawiyya

4. Makhafatullah (fear of God): This 4. Makhafatullah (fear of God): This fear is out of respectfear is out of respect

5. Zawki rukhani (spiritual pleasure)5. Zawki rukhani (spiritual pleasure)

HOW WE KNOW THAT GOD LOVES USHOW WE KNOW THAT GOD LOVES US

“ “My servant draws near to Me through My servant draws near to Me through nothing that I love more than what I nothing that I love more than what I made obligatory for him. My servant made obligatory for him. My servant never ceases drawing near to Me never ceases drawing near to Me through supererogatory works until I through supererogatory works until I love him. Then when I love him, I am love him. Then when I love him, I am his hearing with which he hears, his his hearing with which he hears, his sight with which he sees, his hand sight with which he sees, his hand with which he grasps, and his foot with which he grasps, and his foot with which he walks." with which he walks."

Ebu Yazid Al-Bistami says, “If Allah Ebu Yazid Al-Bistami says, “If Allah loves His servant, He will grant three loves His servant, He will grant three attributes that are the proofs of His attributes that are the proofs of His Love: generosity like the generosity Love: generosity like the generosity of the ocean, favor like the favor of of the ocean, favor like the favor of the sun in its giving of light, and the sun in its giving of light, and modesty like the modesty of earth.” modesty like the modesty of earth.”

HOW A PERSON CAN LOVE GODHOW A PERSON CAN LOVE GOD

1.To follow the examples of His 1.To follow the examples of His messengersmessengers

A man asked Bayazid, "Show me a A man asked Bayazid, "Show me a deed by which I will approach my deed by which I will approach my Lord." He said, Lord." He said,

“ “Love the friends of Allah.”Love the friends of Allah.”

2. Purifying the heart and doing what 2. Purifying the heart and doing what is beautiful. “My earth and my is beautiful. “My earth and my heaven do not encompass me, but heaven do not encompass me, but the heart of My servant who has faith the heart of My servant who has faith does encompass me.”does encompass me.”

The heart of a person of faith is the The heart of a person of faith is the Throne of the All-Merciful (Throne of the All-Merciful (Qalb al Qalb al mumin ‘arsh ar-Rahmanmumin ‘arsh ar-Rahman))

Heart is the house of God. Purify it Heart is the house of God. Purify it from whatever if other than Him so from whatever if other than Him so that the All-Merciful may descend that the All-Merciful may descend into His palace at nights. into His palace at nights. (Ibrahim Hakki of Erzurum)

3.Remembrance3.Remembrance

"Remember me, I shall remember you." "Remember me, I shall remember you." (2:152)(2:152)

4.Service to the creations of God. Jesus, 4.Service to the creations of God. Jesus, peace be upon him, said, “I came not to peace be upon him, said, “I came not to be served, but to serve.” Mathew 28be served, but to serve.” Mathew 28

5.Love needs to be tasted and 5.Love needs to be tasted and experiencedexperienced

6.Contemplation6.Contemplation

7.Thinking about the death and Hereafter7.Thinking about the death and Hereafter

FOUR STEPS OF SAFETY OF THE SPIRITUAL FOUR STEPS OF SAFETY OF THE SPIRITUAL JOURNEY (According to Said NursiJOURNEY (According to Said Nursi))

First StepFirst Step – Do not praise yourself. – Do not praise yourself.

””Therefore, do not justify yourselves” Therefore, do not justify yourselves” (53:32). “Who takes as his god his own (53:32). “Who takes as his god his own desire” (25:43)desire” (25:43)

Second StepSecond Step – Do not forget God. – Do not forget God.

““And be not like those who forget God, and And be not like those who forget God, and He therefore makes them forget their own He therefore makes them forget their own selves” (59:19). selves” (59:19).

Third Step – Goodness is from God.“Whatever good happens to you is from

God, but whatever evil befalls you is from yourself” (4:79).

“Truly he succeeds who purifies it.” Fourth Step –Journey to real world.“Everything will perish except His own

Face” (28:88).

THE DEGREES OF LOVETHE DEGREES OF LOVE

1- A person will sometimes love and 1- A person will sometimes love and sometimes, by following his carnal sometimes, by following his carnal soul, a person will forget Allah. soul, a person will forget Allah.

2- A person will obey God’s 2- A person will obey God’s commands, but will make mistakescommands, but will make mistakes

3- A person loves God more than 3- A person loves God more than anyone or anything else all the timeanyone or anything else all the time

4- Intoxicated love of God. 4- Intoxicated love of God.