philosophy of the scripture

8/14/2019 Philosophy of the Scripture

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Philosophy of the scripture

Sufi philosophy includes the schools of thought unique to Sufism, amystical branch within Islam.

Sufism and its philosophical traditions may be associated with Sunni Islamor Shia Islam. It has been suggested that Sufi thought emerged from theMiddle East in the eighth century, but adherents are now found around theworld.

It was around 1000 CE that early Sufi literature, in the form of manuals,treatises, discourses and poetry, became the source of Sufi thinking andmeditations

Sufi philosophy, like all other major philosophical traditions, has severalsub-branches including metaphysics and cosmology as well as severalunique concepts.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sufismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunni_Islamhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shia_Islamhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle_Easthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Erahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metaphysicshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosmologyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosmologyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metaphysicshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Erahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle_Easthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shia_Islamhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunni_Islamhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sufism


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Metaphysics-Major ideas in Sufimetaphysicshave surrounded the concept of Wahdat or "Unitywith God". Two main Sufi philosophies prevail onthis controversial topic. Wahdat-ul-Wujood(Unityof Being) essentially states that the only truth

within the universe is God, and that all thingsexist within God only. Wahdat-ul-Shuhud(Apparentism, or Unity of Witness), on the otherhand, holds that any experience of unity betweenGod and the created world is only in the mind of

the believer and that God and his creation areentirely separate.It is the state where there is nodifference between God and human being who istrying to achieve a particular state ie 'No OneExcept God'.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sufihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metaphysichttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philosophieshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Truthhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Truthhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philosophieshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metaphysichttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sufi


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Cosmology-Sufi cosmology has three mainschools that are often somewhatincongruously combined, the Ishraqi visionaryuniverse as expounded by Suhrawardi Maqtul

, the Neoplatonic view, and the Hermetic-Ptolemaic spherical geocentric world.

Psychology-There are three centralconcepts in Sufi psychology, which are Nafs

(the ego), Qalb (the heart) and Ruh (the soul).The origin and basis of these terms is Quranicand they have been expounded upon bycenturies of Sufic commentaries.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sufi_cosmologyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ishraqihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suhrawardi_Maqtulhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neoplatonichttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermetichttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ptolemaic_systemhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sufi_psychologyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nafshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qalbhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hearthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruhhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soulhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quranhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quranhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soulhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruhhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hearthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qalbhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nafshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sufi_psychologyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ptolemaic_systemhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermetichttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neoplatonichttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suhrawardi_Maqtulhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ishraqihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sufi_cosmology


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Lataif-e-sitta- Drawing from Qur'anic verses, virtually all Sufisdistinguish Lataif-as-Sitta ("the six subtleties") as: Nafs, Qalb, Sirr,Ruh, Khafi, and Akhfa. These lataif (singular: latifa) designatevarious psychospiritual "organs" or, sometimes, faculties ofsensory and suprasensory perception. They are thought to be partsof the self in a similar manner to the way glands and organs arepart of the body.

Ruh (soul)-The soul never dies. The sufi, mostly, believe in astrong soul. You can make your soul strong through the practiceyou get through the teaching of your pir. If you make your soulstrong according to the teaching of Islam, then you can get on theway which leads to Allah.Death does not mean 'The End' it is turnto enter in new life which is entirely different from the life which hehas spent. Death is only sepration of Ruh from Body. Which wasmixed by God to provide life.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pir_(Sufism)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pir_(Sufism)


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Nasma (subtle body / Astral Body)-Nasma is the Sufi term for thesubtle body or Astral Body. It is not to be

confused with the Rooh (soul) which ispermanent and transcends both nasmaand physical form.

Physical body- Sufism demarcates thephysical body from the Nasma. Only thephysical body is dropped at the time ofdeath.
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Subtle_body_or_Astral_Body&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Subtle_body_or_Astral_Body&action=edit&redlink=1


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Spiritual states

Haal- A haal is a state of consciousness, generally aproduct 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 ofconsciousness. There are seven Manzils along thepath to God. The Manzils are also parts of the Qur'anwhich help in protecting one from sorcery.

Maqaam-A maqaam is one's spiritual station or

developmental level, as distinct from one's haal, orstate of consciousness. This is seen as the outcome ofone's effort to transform oneself, whereas the haal isa gift.
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Concepts in Gnosis

Fanaa- Fanaa is the Sufi term for extinction. It means to annihilate the self, while remainingphysically alive. Persons having entered this state are said to have no existence outside of, and bein complete unity with, Allah. Fanaa is equivalent to the concept ofnirvana in Buddhism andHinduism 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. Inother words, fanaa is abstention from sin and the expulsion from the heart of all love other than theDivine Love; expulsion of greed, lust, desire, vanity, show, etc. In the state of fanaa the reality ofthe true and only relationship asserts itself in the mind. One realizes and feeds that the only realrelationship is with Allah Ta'ala fanaa means to destroy your self. if you destroy your self in the loveof allah then that fanaa will convert into entire life means abdi zindgi. and for that one you have todestroy your will and yourself on the will of allah

Baqaa- A person's Baqaa, which literal means permanency, is a term in Sufi philosophy whichdescribes a particular state of life with God. Inayat Khan writes in his bookA Sufi message ofspiritual 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 allancient prophets and sages experienced it, and taught it to the world.Baqa is the original state ofGod. At this state every being must arrive some day, consciously or unconsciously, before or afterdeath. The beginning and end of all beings is the same, difference only existing during thejourney." "Perfection is reached by the regular practice of concentration, passing through threegrades of development: Fan -fi-Shaikh, annihilation in the astral plane, Fan-fi-Rasul, annihilationin the spiritual plane, and Fan-fi-Allah, annihilation in the abstract.After passing through thesethree grades, the highest state is attained of B qi-bi-Allah, annihilation in the eternalconsciousness, which is the destination of all who travel by this path." The two ideas are enjoined inthe 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 manymaqaams (stations) by which the path ofwalaya (sometimes translated as Sainthood) is fullycompleted.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fanaahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allahhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nirvanahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hinduismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mokshahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hinduismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baqaahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inayat_Khanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yaqeenhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yaqeenhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inayat_Khanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baqaahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hinduismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mokshahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hinduismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nirvanahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allahhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fanaa


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Other concepts

Haqiqa-Haqiqa or Haqiqat is the Sufi term for thesupreme Truth or absolute Reality.

Marifa- Marifa (or alternatively 'marifah') literally

means knowledge. The term is used by Sufi Muslimsto describe mystical intuitive knowledge, knowledgeof spiritual truth as reached through ecstaticexperiences rather than revealed or rationallyacquired.

Ihsan- Ihsan is an Arabic term meaning "perfection"or "excellence." Ihsan is the goal or aim of Sufipractices.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haqiqahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marifahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mysticismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ihsanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ihsanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mysticismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marifahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haqiqa


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Management by values

It is this Divine Spirit which is the essence of man. The bodyis merely the outward physical form which contains theDivine 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 sensesand the internal faculties, serve the heart. By the 'heart' wedo not mean the physical organ which pumps the blood, andwhich is possessed by both man and animals. Rather by'heart' we mean the Divine spark which distinguishes manfrom the animals. And unlike the physical heart which diesand decomposes with the rest of the physical body, the

Divine spark or heart is indivisible and transcends deathbecause its origin is in the spiritual world.


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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 aspectall the elements found in the universe. In his inner aspect, he contains thepotential 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 withSatan; 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 theangels, for he is the mystery of God before whom the angels were commanded tofall in prostration. He was given command over the whole universe. The Qur'andeclares:

"It is God who created the heavens and the earth and sent down out of heavenwater, wherewith He brought forth fruits to be your sustenance, and He subjectedto 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 theircourses, 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, manwas created for the service of God and for that purpose alone. To the extent thathe deviates from that purpose, he becomes unworthy of Divine guidance andfavour. 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 ofdragging him to the lowest of the low.


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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 theguidance of a Sufi master, who is able to deliver man from the narrow confinesof the material world into the limitless reality of a spiritual life, wherein he canexperience the Divine spark which eternally shines within him.

It is most important to understand that material man acquires his knowledgegenerally through the five external senses and five inner faculties of which wespoke earlier. The spiritual man, on the other hand, has, in addition to these, anumber of other means of acquiring knowledge, such as prophetic dreams andinspirations from beyond the material world. To the extent that a man adheresto the truth in his waking state, his dreams too disclose a similar degree ofcertainty. The Prophet (pbuh) expressed this in the saying: "The more truthful aman, the more prophetic his dreams."

Although knowledge through dreams comes in a state of sleep, insightsthrough inspirations are gained in a state of wakefulness. The shaykh, or the

Sufi teacher, interprets the dreams of a disciple, helps him to understand hisinspirations, and resolves his doubts and uncertainties.

The spiritual mentor / shaykh


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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 tendencyin man to disobey God, and to take pleasure in evil deed andthought. This inclines man towards gossip, backbiting, vain talk,pride, selfishness, lust, hatred and jealousy. The struggle toovercome 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 sexuallicense.

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, plottingand 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 likesand dislikes.


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Meditation, ecstasy, states, stations and ascension

The various stages on the mystical path are known asmaqamat, or the 'stations', which can be reached by any Sufiby means of prayer, fasting, meditation, and the hal or'mystical state', which may be vouchsafed to the Sufi by theGrace of God but is not attainable by the mystic's own

efforts. A Sufi may be blessed by an experience whichreveals to his soul the reality of the whole universe, from thelowest layer of earth to the highest heaven. This experienceis called mi'raj or the 'ascension.' In this, a Sufi is generallyaccompanied by the spirit of his shaykh, and comes incontact with the spirits of other shaykhs and prophets.Various stations are also revealed to him with differentcolours and lights.


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an inspiration of Sufism and a thoroughelucidation of this unique state of soul &mind that elevates one's body and it'scorrelation with all aspects of mankindrelationships

an inspiration of Sufism and athorough elucidation of this unique

state of soul & mind that elevatesone's body and it's correlation withall aspects of mankind relationships


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" Man is a mirror which, whenpolished, reflects God. "

The God that the Sufis discover is a Godof love and the way to him is throughLove : " whoever knows God, loves him ;whoever knows the world turns awayfrom him. " " If you wish to be free,become a prisoner of Love. "


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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 thedevelopment of man with the purification of mind, through prayer and meditation

The Sufi belief includes conscious evolution whereby, through an effort of will, onecan develop new faculties, for example, telepathy and prophecy. According to Sufis,this conforms to belief in the 'limitless or perfect man'.

The core ofSufism is to leave ordinary life and be closer to God, truth andknowledge.

This is manifest in the use of chants, music and dance.Through the celebration of dance, song, music and whirling, Sufi gatherings become joyousceremonies 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 revolutionrising

from the Earth and returning to it. Therefore, whirling is as natural as life itself.
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The Sufi hypothesis is that there is, in the human psyche, an

evolutionary urge to develop slowly, but decisively to a pointof absolute freedom and that freedom is liberation from thedichotomy of me and thou. It is the split of the whole intome and thou that produces the spiritual dynamic of theurge to reunite and become whole again. This yearning for

wholeness is a natural higher human instinct.


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Role of women had female teachers, students, and spiritual friends who

greatly influenced their thought and being.


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Human beings, both female and male, have walked the path ofreunion with the Source of Being. Though in this world of dualitywe may find ourselves in different forms, ultimately there is nomale or female, only Being

Though cultural manifestations have covered over some of the

original purity of intention, the words of the Qur'an convey theequality of women and men before the eyes of God.

Throughout the centuries, women as well as men have continuedto carry the light of this love. For many reasons, women haveoften been less visible and less outspoken than men, butnevertheless they have been active participants.


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Changing Roles

evolving role of women in exoteric Islam, as it is varied and complex

goddess-worshiping Arabian tribes were still quite barbaric, even buryinginfant 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 extremedifficulty and anguish and helped carry the light of the new faith

Muhammad's and Khadija's daughter, Fatimah, to whom the deeper mysticalunderstanding of Islam was first conveyed, and indeed she is oftenrecognized 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 alanguage 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 ofSufism with a language that anyone could understand.


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Ibn Arabi, the great "Pole of Knowledge" (1165-1240 A.D.),tells of time he spent with two elderly women mystics whohad a profound influence on him: Shams of Marchena, oneof the "sighing ones," and Fatimah of Cordova.

When Bayazid Bestami (d. 874), another well-knownmaster, was asked who his master was, he said it was anold woman whom he had met in the desert


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Throughout the centuries, women as well as men havecontinued to carry the light of this love. For many reasons,women have often been less visible and less outspokenthan men, but nevertheless they have been activeparticipants.

When Bayazid Bestami (d. 874), another well-knownmaster, was asked who his master was, he said it was anold woman whom he had met in the desert

evolving role of women in exoteric Islam, as it is varied andcomplex. We must recognize, though that women ingeneral around the world have often faced prejudicialtreatment because of their gender. Within Islamic societyas well as within our own, difficult treatment of women hasoccurred -- in some cases obvious, in some cases insidious.


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Though local cultural overlays and male-dominated Islamic jurisprudence may haveincreased restrictions on women in various areas, the Qur'an basically enjoins mutualrespect and valuation of the human being regardless of sex or social situation. WithinSufism, this more essential Qur'anic attitude has prevailed.

Among these was Fatimah or Jahan-Ara, the favorite daughter of Shah Jahan, theMogul emperor of India (1592-1666). Fatimah wrote an account of her initiation calledRisala-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 withmen in ceremonies, many women have continued the tradition of composing sacredsongs (illahis). In 1987, a songbook entitled Gul Deste ("A Bouquet of Roses") waspublished in Turkey. It brings together sacred hymns written by women and men ofthe Bektashi tradition from the nineteenth century to the present.


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In the Sudan, for instance, there continue to be shaikhas (female shaikhs) who are particularlyadept 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 evenmore so now than in the past because of Ataturk's proscription of the sufi orders early in thecentury, which drove much of Sufi practice into private homes. One luminous lady, FerihaAna, carried the Rifai tradition in Istanbul until her recent death; Zeyneb Hatun of Ankaracontinues 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, andwomen are no different from men in this capacity.

We have much to learn form each other, and male and female need to recognize each otherso that we can come to balance within ourselves as well as creating balance outwardly in theworld. The male attributes of strength and determination also belong to women; the feminineattributes of receptivity and beauty also belong to men. As we look to the divine in eachother, encouraging each other to rise to the fullness of is or her own divine nature, we pushagainst our limitations until they dissolve and a gift unfolds.


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In love, nothing exists between breast andBreast.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 ofSomethingIn whose presence you are blotted out?And in whose being you still exist?And who lives as a sign for your journey


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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 ifthey 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)

philosophy of the scripture

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