astroman wrote: Assalamualaikum  I wish to get some links to genuine sufi remote healers. I wish to know more of their activities and exchange matters of interests. Your help is greatly appreciated. salam

Aaishah (radhi allahu anha) reported that when the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) fell ill, he recited over his body Mu'awwidhatan (Soorah al-Falaq and Soorah an-Nas) and blew over him and when his sickness was intensified, I used to recite over him, and rub him with his hand with the hope that it was more blessed. [Saheeh Muslim vol: 3, no: 5440]

"Some Companions of the Prophet (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) went on a journey until they reached some of the Arab tribes (at night). The chief of that tribe was bitten by a snake (or stung by a scorpion) and nothing could cure him. One of the Sahabah recited Soorah Al-Faatihah and breathed hard over the chief, who recovered as if he was released from a chain, stood up and started walking, showing no signs of sickness.

When Allah's Messenger (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) was informed about the incident, he approved of it and asked: "How did you know that Soorah Al-Faatihah can be recited as a Ruqyah?" [Saheeh al-Bukharee (vol: 3, no: 476)]

"We send down the Qur'aan that which is healing and a mercy for the believer, but it does not increase the wrongdoers except in loss." [Soorah al-Isra (17): 82]

astroman wrote: Assalamualaikum Dear brother Abosait  I quote your statement - " Moreover Sufis employ numerology and make the patient to wear charms and amulets which are unislamic acts." ..........................

Wa alaikum assalam wa Rahmatullah.

That was what I said commenting on Sufi healing.

Sufism offers its followers a life carefree from fighting (Jihad), politics, the initiative to seek knowledge and teach it, the work of Da'wah, and allows a person to indulge in worldly activities such as music, magic, and other prohibited acts.

The leader of the Naqshibandi Tareeqa in America, was quoted in the media as saying the following:

 "You have to be both material and spiritual. Sufis can give people joy in their spiritual life. Well, Madonna is giving people a kind of joy in their material life... You cannot say she is wrong. Sufis don't object and criticise - they are accepting everything. That's why, when my children are looking at Madonna on MTV, I say, 'Let me come and look also!'"

astroman wrote: .....................It is interesting to know more, may be  I felt great differences of sufi as practices in India compared to Pakistan, Iraq, Iran, Kuwait, UAE and Turkey etc -.......................

By examining the mystic doctrines of Christianity, Hinduism, Taoism and other religions, it becomes clear how closer Sufism is to these religions than to Islam.

In fact, Sufism is never characterised under "Islam" in any system of catalogue, but rather under 'Mysticism'.

Sharda in his book �Sufi Thought� highlights these unsurprising similarities by stating that:

"After the fall of Muslim orthodoxy from power at the centre of India for about a century, due to the invasion of Timur, the Sufi became free from the control of the Muslim orthodoxy and consorted with Hindu saints, who influenced them to an amazing extent. The Sufi adopted Monism and wifely devotion from the Vaishnava Vedantic school and Bhakti and Yogic practices from the Vaishnava Vedantic school. By that time, the popularity of the Vedantic pantheism among the Sufis had reached its zenith."

The Sufi doctrine of all religions being acceptable before Allah is derived from the Mystical beliefs of other religions, and not Islam, for Allah says: "Truly, the religion in the Sight of Allah is Islam..." [2: 19]

astroman wrote: ..................otherwise sufi beliefs and knowledge is much greater (much Godly centered). Sheikh, I beg your pardon if I am incorrect........................

The Sufi's have become such an integral part of the lives of so many Muslims that Muslims are finding it difficult to accept that the Sufi path is wrong, and accuse anyone who pinpoints the errors of Sufism as an extremist or a follower of some 'deviant' sect.

Sufism calls to human emotions rather than intellect and Islamic evidence. For example, poetry and music were the most popular form during the past hundreds of years, whereby "Sufi ideas permeated the hearts of all those who hearkened to poetry." (Encyclopaedia Britannica)

Today, Sufism is followed by masses of people who desire to leave behind the complexities of this world, instead of building the ability to challenge it. Sufism provides the perfect escape, where its followers can meditate instead of thinking about the other Muslims who are suffering, let alone help them.

Sufism is so similar to other religions, and very tolerant of them, that a change to Sufism does not involve a complete change of life, as Islam requires. So Buddhists, Sikhs, Taoists and mystic Jews and Christians looking for an easy alternative find solace in Sufism which perhaps only adds another dimension to their previous way of life, rather than uprooting it and starting afresh.

Any group which manages to gain the support of an anti-Islamic Government must be suspicious. During the reign of the tyrant Mustafa Kemal, under whose leadership thousands of scholars were executed and Islamic practices banned, special permission was granted by the Turkish government in 1954 allowing the Mawlawi dervishes of Konya to perform their ritual dances. In fact, they have become a regular attraction nowadays, performing around the world along with their Turkish Mystical Music State Ensemble.

astroman wrote: Assalamualaikum  I wish to get some links to genuine sufi remote healers. I wish to know more of their activities and exchange matters of interests. Your help is greatly appreciated. salam

Note:  Tasawwuf, Tazk�yah al Nafs, Tasf�yyah al Qalb, Irf�n, Sufism, Isl�mic Mysticism, Esoteric or Inner Dimension of Isl�m, Purification of the Heart/Self/Soul and more recently Isl�mic or Sufic Psychology are used inter-changeably.

Tasawwuf is an acronym made up of the four consonant letters: t, s, w, and f.
t stands for tawbah, repentance
s stands for safa, purity, peace and joy
w stands for wilayah, the sanctity of the lovers and friends of Allah
f stands for fana, the annihilation of self into the nothingness.

from 'The Secret of Secrets' by Hadhrat Abdul Qadir Jilani (raa)
translated by Sheikh Tosun Bayrak al Jerrahi al Halveti

"Today, Sufism is followed by masses of people who desire to leave behind the complexities of this world, instead of building the ability to challenge it. Sufism provides the perfect escape, where its followers can meditate instead of thinking about the other Muslims who are suffering, let alone help them. "

(1) " file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CZAMHARI%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml - - The Sufi doctrine of all religions being acceptable before Allah is derived from the Mystical beliefs of other religions, and not Islam"

file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CZAMHARI%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml - - -

astroman wrote: Assalamualaikum Brother Abosait ...................You are not helping but instead  giving me you opinions and quoting from non-islamic media �������

Wa alaikum assalaam wa Rahmatullah.

Hope the (translation of the meaning ) following verse is self explanatory.

astroman wrote: ����..- what does EB know about Sufism or islamic knowledge for that matter. ����������., to learn Islam, people go the Islamic Authority ���������

Ok brother. Let us take the example of one of the Sufi gruoups called the Naqshbandis. They, while wearing the cloak of Islaam, are striving to destroy it from within, in a vain attempt to extinguish the light of Islaam and divert the Muslims from the reality of the religion.

Some of the serious issues of the group�s beliefs and teachings which are directly in conflict with the pure Islaamic teachings as revealed in the Glorious Qur�aan and authentic Sunnah are mentioned below.

What Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta`aalaa) says in the Qur�aan and what His truthful Messenger Muhammad (sallallaahu `alaihi wa sallam) has said in the authentic Ahadith, are quoted first (Only the translation of the meanings with verse number/hadith no., name of the Sahih etc. are given)  and then the group�s beliefs or position vis-a-vis the same issue, taken from their own publications printed by �Arafat Publishing House� are quoted.

1. THE ISLAAMIC BELIEF: Allaah is the Only Truth

Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta`aalaa) says in the Qur�aan -

"That is because Allaah - He is the Truth and it is He who gives life to dead." (Qur�aan, Chapter 22, Verse 6)

THE NAQSHBANDI BELIEF: Aba Yazid al-Bistami is the Truth

On page 15 of the book �The Naqshbandi Way� it reads -

"Whoever recites this Ayah even a single time will attain a high rank and a great position, � he will get what the Prophets and saints could not get, and will arrive at the stage of Aba Yazid al-Bistami, the Imam of the order who said: "I am the Truth (al-Haqq)."

The above statement �I am the Truth� - is a clear example of Shirk (association) in the aspect of the Names and Attributes of Allaah, since Al-Haqq in the definite form, is one of Allaah�s unique attributes and is not shared by any created being or thing unless preceded by the prefix `Abd meaning "Slave of" or "Servant of". (In fact the Mystic al-Hallaaj was publicly executed as an apostate for daring to openly claim divinity in his infamous pronouncement "Anal-Haqq"- I am the Truth.)

2. THE ISLAAMIC BELIEF: None shares with the command of Allaah

Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta`aalaa) says in the Qur�aan -

"Verily, His (Allaah�s) command, when He intends a thing, is only that he says to it, "Be! And it is!" - (Chapter 36, Verse 82);

and in another place in the Qur�aan, Allaah says =

"They have no protector other than Him (Allaah); nor does He share His command with any person whatsoever." - (18:26)

THE NAQSHBANDI BELIEF: Sheikh shares with the command of Allaah

On page 33 of the book �Mercy Oceans - Part 1�, it reads "The Power of the wali is such

that he only needs to say Kun (be) and that will be."

The above is another example of Shirk (association) in the aspect of the Lordship of Allaah, since the Islaamic principle of the Lordship of Allaah states that no created being can share in God�s attributes and infinite qualities, and any attempt to give the Divine attributes to creation is referred to as Shirk (association), the antithesis of Tawheed (singling out Allaah alone for worship).

3. THE ISLAMIC BELIEF: None could attain the Rank of the Prophets or their Companions

The Prophet Muhammad (sallallaahu `alaihi wa sallam) has said in a well known Hadith that,

"The best of people are those living in my generation, and then those who will follow them, and then those who will follow the latter�"

(Saheeh Bukhaaree, Vol 5, Hadith #3, Arabic-English Trans.)

THE NAQSHBANDI BELIEF: Certain people could attain a Rank higher than the Prophets and their Companions.

On page 1 of the book �The Naqshbandi Way� it reads,

"Our master the Sheikh says that a person who manages to act on these principles in our times will achieve what earlier generations did not achieve � he who attains an exalted stage and a great rank, such a rank which the Prophets themselves and the companions were unable to attain."

On page 4 of the book �the Naqshbandi Way� it reads,

"Especially those who hold to the Prophet�s Sunnah, will attain special stations that weren�t opened to earlier people - not even to the Prophet�s companions.�

The deviant claim of attaining the rank which the Prophets could not is a major deception of the Naqshbandiya as any Muslim with even the basic knowledge of Islaam will confirm. As regards the companions (May Allaah be pleased with them all), the Prophet (sallallaahu `alaihi wa sallam) in a hadith narrated by Anas bin Maalik (Radhiallaahu Anhu) said -

"After me, you will see others given preference to you, so be patient till you meet me."

(Saheeh Bukhaaree, Vol 5., Hadith #137, Arabic-English Trans.)

He (sallallaahu `alaihi wa sallam) also said in reference to his Companions (May Allaah be pleased with them all),

"For by Him in Whose hand is my soul, if you were to spend the like of Uhud or of the mountains in gold, you would not reach their actions." (Saheeh Bukhaaree)

4. THE ISLAMIC BELIEF: Allaah is above the heavens

Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta`aalaa) says in the Qur�aan -

"Do you feel secure, that He (Allaah), who is above the heavens, will not cause the earth to sink with you." (Qur�aan, Chapter 67, Verse 16).

And in a long Hadith found in Saheeh Muslim, it is narrated that the companion Mu`awiyah ibn al-Hakam, (Radhiallaahu Anhu) slapped his servant girl who used to tend his sheep, and as a result when to the Prophet (sallallaahu `alaihi wa sallam) and asked what should be done as an atonement for having slapped her. The Prophet (sallallaahu `alaihi wa sallam) replied, "Bring her to me" so Mu`awiyah brought her to the Prophet (sallallaahu `alaihi wa sallam). The Prophet (sallallaahu `alaihi wa sallam) then asked her, "Where is Allaah?" and she replied "Above the Sky" then the Prophet (sallallaahu `alaihi wa sallam ) asked her, "Who am I?" and she replied, "You are Allaah�s Messenger", so the Prophet (sallallaahu `alaihi wa sallam) said, "Free her, for verily she is a true believer." (Saheeh Muslim, Vol 1, Hadith #1094, English Translation)

THE NAQSHBANDI BELIEF: Allaah is Everywhere

On page 13 of the book Haqiqat ul Haqqani it reads,

"Allaah Almighty is everywhere but specially in the Baitullaah as He has Himself called it the house of Allaah. For it to be called the house of the Lord, the Lord of the house must be in it."

The concept of Allaah being everywhere is not Islaamic as the above Qur�aanic Aayah and the authentic hadith confirm. Indeed if Allaah was everywhere then there would be no need for the Prophet (sallallaahu `alaihi wa sallam) to go up through the seven skies on the night of Mi`raaj to meet Allaah - he would have been in the direct presence of Allaah in his very own house.

5. THE ISLAMIC BELIEF: None has the knowledge of the Last Day except Allaah

Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta`aalaa) says in the Qur�aan,

"Verily the knowledge of the Hour is with Allaah (alone)." (31:34)

And according to the well known Hadith, where Angel Jibreel (`alaihis salaam) came in the guise of man, we quote the part of the Hadith that is relevant to our matter, after asking about Islaam, Imaan and Ihsaan, Angel Jibreel (`alaihis salaam) asks Prophet Muhammad (sallallaahu `alaihi wa sallam) "then tell me about the hour (meaning the last day)", the Prophet Muhammad (sallallaahu `alaihi wa sallam) replied, "The one questioned about it knows no better than the questioner."

(Saheeh Muslim, vol 1, Hadith #4, English Translation)

THE NAQSHBANDI BELIEF: Sheikh has the knowledge of the Last Day.

In the beginning of page 19 of the book �Mercy Oceans - part one�, it reads -

"These signs have been given us indication that the Last Day is coming is nearly exactly now �we shall witness that great event within two years."

The above book (Mercy Oceans) was published in 1987 and it I almost nine years since its publication, but the last day is still not witnessed. How could it be when indeed Allaah has clearly stated in the Qur�aan,

"Say None in the heavens and the earth knows the unseen except Allaah." (Qur�aan, Chapter 27, Verse 65)

6. THE ISLAMIC BELIEF: Believers and disbelievers are not equal.

Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta`aalaa) says in the Qur�aan - the likeness of the two parties (disbelievers and believers) is as the blind and the deaf and the seer and the hearer. Are they equal when compared? Will you not then take heed?" (Qur�aan, Chapter 11, Verse 24)

THE NAQSHBANDI BELIEF: Believers and disbelievers are equal

On page 12 of the book �the Naqshbandi Way�, it reads ,

"Allaah does not distinguish between the non-believer and the faasiq (wrong doer) or between a believer and a Muslim. In fact they are all equal to him."

Furthermore, on page 16 of the same book it reads, "Allaah does not distinguish between a kaafir or a hypocrite or between a saint and a Prophet."

7. THE ISLAMIC BELIEF: No intermediary between Allaah and Man

Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta`aalaa) says in the Qur�aan,

"And when My servants ask you (O Muhammad) concerning Me, then (answer them), I am indeed near (to them in knowledge), I respond to the invocations of the supplicant when he calls on Me." (Qur�aan, Chapter 2, Verse 186)

THE NAQSHBANDI BELIEF: Sheikh is intermediary between Allaah and Man

On page 23 of the book Haqiqat ul Haqqani it reads,

"If there wasn�t Mowlana Sheikh Nazim between us and Seyyidina Mahdi (Alai), or between us and the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Sal), or between us and Allaah Almighty, no one would be able to reach to Divine knowledge� this is because Mowlana Sheikh Nazim is the intermediary between us and these stations."

[It should be known that the practice and belief of having an intermediary between man and God is a pagan practice, borrowed directly from other religions like Christianity which believes the Pastor or the church priest to be an intermeidary between man and God and hence confession of one�s sins is done to them and not directly to God.

8. THE ISLAMIC BELIEF: No spokesman between Allaah and Man on the Day of Judgment.

Adi bin Hatim (radhiallaahu `anhu) reported that the Messenger (sallallaahu `alaihi wa sallam) said,

"There is none of you but his Lord will certainly talk to with him without any Spokesman between him and his Lord."

(Sunan Ibn Maajah, Vol 1, Hadith #185, English Translation)

THE NAQSHBANDI BELIEF: Sheikh will be a spokesman between Man and Allaah on the Day of Judgment

On page 11 of the book Haqiqat ul Haqqani it reads,

"When a person takes Bayyat from Mowlana, Mowlana will be with that person. Even until he reaches in front of Allaah Almighty will Mowlana be with him, when Allaah Almighty questions this person Mowlana shall answer all questions instead of him."

9. THE ISLAMIC BELIEF: (For anything to happen) it is only what Allaah wills

Once a companion of the Prophet (sallallaahu `alaihi wa sallam) concluded his statement to the Prophet (sallallaahu `alaihi wa sallam) with the phrase "It is what Allaah wills and you will." The Prophet (sallallaahu `alaihi wa sallam) immediately corrected him saying - �Are you making me an equal with Allaah? Say it is what Allaah alone wills.� (Collected by Ahmad - Arabic)

THE NAQSHBANDI BELIEF: It is what Allaah and the saint wills.

On page 23 of the book "Quthub us Sailan" which is written by the local head of the group, it reads

"One morning in the newspapers, I read that the wakf board had taken over the Dewatagaha Mosque seeking the chief trustee at the time, chairman of the welfare committee and chief trustee, M.I.M. Shaukat came to my place a couple of days later to find out what he could do in that matter as chief trustee, I told him that if it was the will of Allaah and the saint, well nothing could be done on his part."

10. THE ISLAMIC BELIEF: Allaah is in charge of creation.

Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta`aalaa) says in the Qur�aan -

"And Allaah is a Wakil (Guardian) over all things." (Qur�aan, Chapter 11, Verse 12)

And in another place, Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta`aalaa) says,

"He (Allaah) arranges (every) affair from the heavens to the earth." (Qur�aan, Chapter 32, Verse 3)

THE NAQSHBANDI BELIEF: Sheikh is in charge of creation

On page 15 of the book �Haqiqat ul Haqqani� it reads,

"Every thing that you know of is under the spiritual control of the Sultan al Awliya, he is the one who is in charge of all mankind in this universe, he is also in charge of all the world of Jinns and Angels."

Again the above belief is one of Shirk (association) in the aspect of the Lordship of Allaah, as has been explained before.

11. THE ISLAMIC BELIEF: None can change a bad situation except Allaah

Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta`aalaa) says in the Qur�aan,

"And if Allaah touches you with harm, none can remove it but He�" (Qur�aan, Chapter 6, verse 17)

THE NAQSHBANDI BELIEF: Sheikh can change a bad situation.

On page 26 of the book �Haqiqat ul Haqqani� in the 2^nd paragraph it reads,

"If a bad situation is to come to a mureed of his, Sheikh has the power to change it."

12. THE ISLAMIC BELIEF: None can make anyone enter paradise or save from hell, except Allaah.

The Prophet Muhammad (sallallaahu `alaihi wa sallam) said in an authentic Hadith -

"O People of Quraysh, secure deliverance from Allaah (by doing good deeds). I cannot help you at all against Allaah. O sons of Abdul-Muttalib, I cannot help you at all against Allaah; O (my uncle) Abbas ibn Abdul-Muttalib, O (my aunt) Safeeyah, I cannot help you at all against Allaah; O Faatimah, daughter of Muhammad, ask me whatever you like, but I have nothing which can help you against Allaah."

(Saheeh Muslim, Vol 1, Hadith #402, English Translation)

THE NAQSHBANDI BELIEF: Sheikh can make one enter paradise and save one from hell.

On page 30 of the book Haqiqat ul Haqqani, in the 3^rd paragraph, it reads -

"Sheikh will not allow any of his mureeds to enter hell, � Sheikh Nazim will make all the followers to enter into this paradise."

13. THE ISLAMIC BELIEF: The Angel of death will take the soul of the dying.

Allaah (Subhaanahu wa ta`aalaa) says in the Qur�aan,

"Say the Angel of death, who is set over you, will take your souls, then you shall be brought to your Lord." (Qur�aan, 32:11)

THE NAQSHBANDI BELIEF: Sheikh will take the soul of the dying

On page 35 of the book �Haqiqat ul Haqqani� under the heading �No questioning in the grave�, it reads -

"As for anyone who is related to Mowlana Sheikh Nazim as a mureed, the Angel of Death Israel (Alai) will have nothing to do with him, the soul of this mureed at the time of his death will be taken by Mowlana Sheikh Nazim, he shall look at the mureed and immediately the soul of that mureed will leave his body. There is nothing for either the Angel of death or for the Angels of the grave to do with the mureeds of Sheikh Nazim."

14. THE ISLAMIC BELIEF: No hidden knowledge in Islaam, everything is given in the Qur�aan and Sunnah.

The Prophet Muhammad (sallallaahu `alaihi wa sallam) said in an authentic hadith -

"I have not left anything which Allaah ordered you with, except that I have ordered you with it, nor anything that Allaah forbade you, except that I forbade you from it." (Saheeh, al-Baihaqee 7:76, Arabic)

THE NAQSHBANDI BELIEF: Sheikh has hidden knowledge.

In spite of the above clear hadith, the deviant Naqshbandi claim that there is �secret knowledge� with the Sheikh, for example on page 60-61 of the book �Haqiqat ul Haqqani� in the 3^rd paragraph it reads -

"Vast amounts of hidden knowledge have been communicated to his mureeds by Mowlana Sheikh Nazim in this manner. Questions by these mureeds regarding day to day life, or questions relating to religion � and also many other subjects have been answered by Mowlana Sheikh Nazim. When this type of communication has been granted to a mureed, he no longer needs to resort to books to further his knowledge."

15. THE ISLAMIC BELIEF: When Allaah loves a person�

The Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu `alaihi wa sallam) said as narrated by Abu Huraira (radhiallaahu `anhu) that,

"�Allaah said�the most beloved things with which my slave comes nearer to Me, is with what I have enjoined upon him, and my slave keeps on coming closer to Me through performing Nawafil (praying or doing extra deeds besides what is obligatory) till I love him, so I become his sense of hearing with which he hears, and his sense of sight with which he sees, and his hand with which he grips�"

(Saheeh Bukhaaree, Vol 8, Hadith 509, Arabic - English Trans)

[The above hadith should not be misinterpreted by the reader. What it simply means is as has been explained by the Scholars of Hadith is that, when Allaah becomes his sense of hearing means the servant will only hear Halaal speech and will keep away from hearing forbidden speech. And regarding sight, then it means he will only see that which is permissible to see and keep away from seeing that which is Haraam and in the case of the hands then it means he will only touch and use his hands in that which is Halaal and will refrain from touching and doing Haraam with it.]

THE NAQSHBANDI BELIEF: Directly contradicts the above hadith.

On page 62 of the book �Haqiqat ul Haqqani� in the last paragraph it reads,

"Certain of the mureeds of Mowlana Sheikh Nazim experience that Mowlana appears within them, when this happens, they are no longer conscious of themselves as themselves, they lose their identity and are conscious of themselves as their Sheikh. They see through Mowlana�s eyes when the look, they hear through Mowlana�s ears when they hear, and they speak Mowlana�s words when they speak.."

16. THE NAQSHBANDI BELIEF: Sheikh can be in any place at the same time.

On page 33 of the book �Haqiqat ul Haqqani� it reads,

"Mowlana Sheikh Nazim can also be present in his shape and body in several places at the same time."

Also on page 65 of the same book it reads in the 2^nd paragraph,

"Sometimes, mureeds have been transported to other countries and places. For example, they may be transported in a moment to London�some are known to have visited Mecca, Medina, London and Baghdad in moments by the power and the grace of Sheikh Nazim."

THE ISLAMIC POSITION on the above Naqshbandi position

In a Hadith, the Prophet Muhammad (sallallaahu `alaihi wa sallam) said,

"There are three types of Jinn, one type flies through the air�" (Transmitted by al-Haakim, Tabaraani and al-Baihaqi, Arabic)

And Allaah says in the Qur�aan,

"And verily, there were men among mankind who took shelter with the masculine among the jinns, but they (jinns) increased them (mankind) in sin and disbelief." (Qur�aan, 72:6)

17. THE NAQSHBANDI BELIEF: Sheikh has two faces.

On page 21 of the book �Haqiqat ul Haqqani� in the first paragraph describing Sheikh Nazim, it reads -

"He (Sheikh) now has a face towards the creatures and a face towards Allaah Almighty, therefore he is with Allaah Almighty all the time!"

THE ISLAMIC POSITION on the above Naqshbandi belief

The Prophet Muhammad (sallallaahu `alaihi wa sallam) rightly said, as reported by the companion Abu Huraira (radhiallaahu `anhu) who said that Allaah�s Messenger (sallallaahu `alaihi wa sallam) said,

"The worst amongst the people is the double faced one."

(Saheeh Muslim, vol 4, Hadith #6300 - English Translation)

Also, the companion Ammaar (radhiallaahu `anhu) reported the Prophet (sallallaahu `alaihi wa sallam) as saying,

"He who is two faced in this world, will have two tongues of fire on the day of resurrection."

(Sunan Abu Dawud, Vol 3, Hadith #4855 - English Translation)

Nur_Ilahi wrote: Therefore, Abosait, the knowledge about Alam Ruh is there, can be acquired, but of course only available to the waliyullahs who are considered the warisatul Ambiya.

Rasul Allah said (sallallahu 'alahi wasallam), �The virtue of the scholar to a worshipper (Aabid) is similar to the virtue of the moon when it is full to the rest of the stars. And verily the scholars are the inheritors of the Prophets. Verily the Prophets did not leave behind dirhams and deenars, but rather they left behind knowledge. Thus whoever takes it, takes it as a bountiful share.� � Authentic, narrated by Abu Dawood, tirmidhi, and Ibn Majah.

Nur_Ilahi wrote: .........I had come across a story of Rasulullah saying to his son-in-law Ali...............

Nur_Ilahi wrote: .............Remember when Ali was hit by an arrow ...................   ........................Abu Bakar AsSidiq. When he prayed, no words could be heard from him, except his weeping...................

Nur_Ilahi wrote: [Ad-Durr al-Mukhtar, vol 1. p. 43] ['Ali al-Adawi , vol. 2, p 195.] [Kashf al-Khafa, 'Ajluni, vol. 1, p 341.] [Tanwir al-Qulub p. 405] [al-Munqidh, p. 131].

Nur_Ilahi wrote: ����. If you think that Sufism is not part of Islam, that means you are also accusing that these great Imams were wrong too�������

A Muslim leader/Imam/Scholar would no doubt appreciate the good deeds done by his subjects/students on the grounds of equity, justice and fairplay. I do not take this to mean that the leader/Imam/Scholar is endorsing the unislamic beliefs of those groups to be correct.

Nur_Ilahi wrote: Assalamualaikum,   ....................Al-Junaid's assertion actually means that the murid is to be kept ignorant and "pure" enough to occupy himself with dthikr or wird , so that he may join the ranks of those who receive "direct revelation from God," i.e. esoteric knowledge. Abosait, in regards to the above paragraph, you must have forgotten that Muhammad Rasulullah was An-Nabiyul-Ummi - The Unlettered Prophet. But did his being illiterate made him ignorant?

Dear brother/sister Nur_Ilahi,

Wa alaikum assalam wa Rahmatullah.

Please read the following verses from the Qur�an and the translation of their meanings..

Al-Kahf [18:110] http://mediaserver.hadi.org:8080/ramgen/ra101/raw/ra101_18.rm?start=01:09:05.3&End=01:10:08.0&mode=compact">          

قُلْ إِنَّمَا أَنَا بَشَرٌ مِّثْلُكُمْ يُوحَى إِلَيَّ أَنَّمَا إِلَهُكُمْ إِلَهٌ وَاحِدٌ فَمَن كَانَ يَرْجُو لِقَاء رَبِّهِ فَلْيَعْمَلْ عَمَلًا صَالِحًا وَلَا يُشْرِكْ بِعِبَادَةِ رَبِّهِ أَحَدًا

18:110 Say: "I am but a man like yourselves, (but) the inspiration has come to me, that your Allah is one Allah. whoever expects to meet his Lord, let him work righteousness, and, in the worship of his Lord, admit no one as partner.

    Fussilat [41:6] http://mediaserver.hadi.org:8080/ramgen/ra101/raw/ra101_41.rm?start=00:02:25.2&End=00:03:33.9&mode=compact">          

Dear Bro Abosait,

Nur_Ilahi wrote: Dear Bro Abosait, .............Perhaps you can elaborate on your idea of Ihsaan....................

In Islam, Ihsaan is the Muslim responsibility to obtain perfection, or http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Excellence - excellence , in worship, such that http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muslims - Muslims try to worship God (Arabic http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allah - Allah ) as if they see Him, and although they cannot see Him(Due to believing Allah is not made of materials), they undoubtedly believe he is constantly watching over them.

That definition comes from the hadith (known as the http://www.latinodawah.org/library/english/nawawihadiths.html#hadith2 - Hadith of Angel Gabriel ) in which http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhammad - Muhammad Sallallahu alaihi wasallam states,

"[Ihsaan is] to worship God as though you see Him, and if you cannot see Him, then indeed He sees you." ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al-Bukhari - Al-Bukhari and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al-Muslim - Al-Muslim ). ^{http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ihsan#cite_note-0 -}

Nur_Ilahi wrote: ...............I do not think I am able to give a better explanation than yours is.........................

Hadith #2

Also on the authority of Omar, who said :

One day while we were sitting with the messenger of Allah there appeared before us a man whose clothes were exceedingly white and whose hair was exceedingly black; no signs of journeying were to be seen on him and none of us knew him.

He walked up and sat down by the prophet. Resting his knees against his and placing the palms of his hands on his thighs, he said:

"O Muhammed, tell me about Islam".

The messenger of Allah said:

"Islam is

• to testify that there is no god but Allah and Muhammed is the messenger of Allah,
• to perform the prayers,
• to pay the zakat,
• to fast in Ramadhan, and
• to make the pilgrimage to the House if you are able to do so."

He said:

"You have spoken rightly",

and we were amazed at him asking him and saying that he had spoken rightly. He said:

"Then tell me about eman."

He said:

"It is to believe in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, and the Last Day, and to believe in divine destiny, both the good and the evil thereof."

He said:

"You have spoken rightly".

He said:

" Then tell me about ehsan."

He said:

"It is to worship Allah as though you are seeing Him, and while you see Him not yet truly He sees you".

He said:

"Then tell me about the Hour".

He said:

"The one questioned about it knows no better than the questioner."

He said:

"Then tell me about its signs."

He said:

"That the slave-girl will give birth to her mistress and that you will see the barefooted, naked, destitute herdsman competing in constructing lofty buildings."

Then he took himself off and I stayed for a time. Then he said:

"O Omar, do you know who the questioner was?" I said: "Allah and His messenger know best".

He said:

"He was Jebreel (Gabriel), who came to you to teach you your religion."

narrated by Muslim

Nur_Ilahi wrote: http://www.crescentlife.com/spirituality/seven_levels.htm -

".....................good adab which is the greater part of Islam and of Sufism............"

Wow. I read this and I see so many provisions [i.e. rules] and schisms in Islam that its hard to conceive that such a belief is �easy.�

Nur_Ilahi wrote:   For some who are on the straight path, had found a short cut thru using the 7 sifahs of Allah that Allah had gifted to men.

Nur_Ilahi wrote: Deeper tasawwuf is knowledge of the secrets of the unseen.

�Say: �None in the heavens and the earth knows the Ghaib (unseen)  except Allaah, nor can they perceive when they shall be resurrected�[al-Naml 27:65] 

�And with Him are the keys of the Ghayb (all that is hidden), none knows them but He. And He knows whatever there is in the land and in the sea; not a leaf falls, but He knows it. There is not a grain in the darkness of the earth nor anything fresh or dry, but is written in a Clear Record�[al-An�aam 6:59] 

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) explained these keys as referring to five things which are mentioned in Soorat Luqmaan, where Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

�Verily, Allaah, with Him (Alone) is the knowledge of the Hour, He sends down the rain, and knows that which is in the wombs. No person knows what he will earn tomorrow, and no person knows in what land he will die. Verily, Allaah is All‑Knower, All‑Aware (of things)�
[Luqmaan 31:34]. 

Al-Bukhaari narrated in his Saheeh (hadeeth no. 4477) that �Aa�ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) said:

�Whoever tells you that he knows what will happen tomorrow is lying.�

Then she recited,

�No person knows what he will earn tomorrow.� 

�They are nothing.�

O Messenger of Allaah, they say something and it comes true.

�That is a word of truth which the jinni snatches and cackles into the ear of his familiar like the cackling of a hen, and they mix more than one hundred lies with it.� Narrated by al-Bukhaari (7561). 

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) explained how the jinn steal this word. He said:

��when our Lord, may His name be blessed and exalted, decrees some matter, the bearers of the Throne glorify Him, then the people of heaven who are closest to them glorify Him, until the tasbeeh reaches the people of the lowest heaven. Then those who are nearest to the bearers of the Throne say: What did your Lord say? And they tell them what He said. And the people of heaven ask one another for the news, until the news reaches the lowest heaven. Then the eavesdropping jinn snatch what they can and convey it to their familiars. What they narrated as they heard it is true, but they add lies to it.� Narrated by Muslim (2229).

astroman wrote: ................ yet there are another 3 Billion over human beings out there who don't follow us muslims. ..........................

But this search (trying to seek Allah) ends where Islam begins. the one who enters the fold of Islam has found the answers to his questions such as "who is Allah" and "Where is Allah" and obeys the command of Allah:

Al-An'am (The Cattle)

قُلْ إِنَّ صَلاَتِي وَنُسُكِي وَمَحْيَايَ وَمَمَاتِي لِلّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ (6:162)

لاَ شَرِيكَ لَهُ وَبِذَلِكَ أُمِرْتُ وَأَنَاْ أَوَّلُ الْمُسْلِمِينَ (6:163)

6:162 Say: "Behold, my prayer, and (all] my acts of worship, and my living and my dying are for God [alone], the Sustainer of all the worlds,

6:163 in whose divinity none has a share: for thus have I been bidden-and I shall [always] be foremost among those who surrender themselves unto Him."

astroman wrote: Dear Abosait Sincerely are you a lawyer by profession?

astroman wrote: ...................Yet many millions that come into this world are still groping and searching for TRUTH .... GOD... who ever IT is? Millions never ever know or hear  The Almighty name either. So ?

Brother Astroman,

Assalamualaykum.

Though the ongoing subject was about people who make a mockery of the Qur'an and Sunnah and propagate Sufism, the above question cannot be left unattended.

Jazakallahu khair.

The final revelation teaches that all mankind have the recognition of God imprinted on their souls, a part of their very nature with which they are created. (To know about this in detail please read Qur�an, Chapter 7, Verses 172-173)

Just as the child submits to the physical laws which God has put in nature, his soul also submits naturally to the fact that God is his Lord and Creator. But, his parents try to make him follow their own way and the child is not strong enough in the early stages of his life to resist or oppose the will of his parents. The religion which the child follows at this stage is one of custom and upbringing and God Almighty does not hold him to account or punish him for this religion.

Throughout people's lives from childhood until the time they die, signs are shown to them in all regions of the earth and in their own souls, until it becomes clear that there is only one true God. If the people are honest with themselves, reject their false gods and seek God, the way will be made easy for them but if they continually reject God's signs and continue to worship creation, the more difficult it will be for them to escape.

Prophets were sent to every nation and tribe to support man's natural belief in God and man's inborn inclination to worship Him as well as to reinforce the divine truth in the daily signs revealed by God. Although, in most cases, much of the prophets' teachings became distorted, portions remained which point out right and wrong.

What is Tasawwuf?
Condensed from the writings of Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi (may Allah be pleased with him) 

What is Tasawwuf?

Many people have misunderstandings about tasawwuf. Many think that it is something beyond the Qur'an and Sunnah. Errant Sufis as well as the superficial ulema, although on the opposite ends of the spectrum, are together in holding this mistaken notion. Consequently the first group has shunned the Qur'an and Hadith while the second group has shunned tasawwuf. Actually, although the term tasawwuf, like many other religious terms in use today, evolved later, the discipline is very much part of the Shariah. The department of the Shariah relating to external deeds like salat and zakat is called fiqh while the one dealing with the internal feelings and states of the heart is called tasawwuf. Both are commanded in the Qur'an. Thus while commanding Salat and Zakat, the Qur'an also commands gratefulness and love of Allah and condemns the evil of pride and vanity. Similarly, in the books of hadith, along with the chapters on Ibadat, trade and commerce, marriage and divorce, are to be found the chapters on riya' (show off) takabbur, akhlaq, etc. These commands are as much a mandatory requirement as the ones dealing with external deeds.

On reflection it will be realized that all the external deeds are designed for the reformation of the heart. That is the basis of success in the hereafter while its despoiling is the cause of total destruction. This is precisely what is known technically as tasawwuf. Its focus is tahzeebe akhlaq or the adornment of character; its motive is the attainment of Divine pleasure; its method is total obedience to the commands of the Shariah.

Tasawwuf is the soul of Islam. Its function is to purify the heart from the lowly bestial attributes of lust, calamities of the tongue, anger, malice, jealousy, love of the world, love of fame, niggardliness, greed, ostentation, vanity, deception, etc. At the same time it aims at the adornment of the heart with the lofty attributes of repentance, perseverance, gratefulness, fear of Allah , hope, abstention, tauheed, trust, love, sincerity, truth, contemplation, etc.

To diagnose and treat the diseases of the heart normally requires the help of an expert teacher or Shaykh. Here are the qualities of a proper Shaykh.

1. He possesses necessary religious knowledge.
2. His beliefs, habits, and practices are in accordance with the Shariah.
3. He does not harbor greed for the worldly wealth.
4. He has himself spent time learning from a proper Shaykh.
5. The scholars and good mashaikh of his time hold good opinion about him.
6. His admirers are mostly from among the people who have good understanding of religion.
7. Most of his followers follow the Shariah and are not the seekers after this world.
8. He sincerely tries to educate and morally train his followers. If he sees anything wrong in them, he corrects it.
9. In his company one can feel a decrease in the love of this world and an increase in the love for Allah (subhanahu wa ta ala).
10. He himself regularly performs dhikr and spiritual exercises.

In searching for a Shaykh, do not look for his ability to perform karamat (miracles) or to foretell the future. A very good Shaykh may not be able to perform any karamat. On the other hand, a person showing karamat does not have to be a pious person --- or even a Muslim. Prominent Sufi Bayazid Bistami says: "Do not be deceived if you see a performer of supernatural feats flying in the air. Measure him on the standard of the Shariah."

When you find the right Shaykh and you are satisfied with his ability to provide spiritual guidance, you perform baya or pledge. This is a two-way commitment; the Shaykh pledges to guide you in light of Shariah and you pledge to follow him. Then the Shaykh will give his murid (student) initial instructions. They include the following:

1. Perform repentance for all the past sins and take steps to make amends, e.g. if any salat has been missed so far in the life, you start making up for it.

2. If you have any unmet financial obligations toward another person make plans to discharge them.

3. Guard your eyes, ears and tongue.

4. Perform dhikr regularly.

5. Start a daily session of self-accounting before going to bed. Review all the good and bad deeds performed during the day. Repent for the bad ones and thank Allah (subhanahu wa ta ala for the good ones.

6. Perform muraqaba-maut (meditation over death) every night before going to bed. Just visualize that you have died. Reflect upon the pangs of death, the questioning in the grave, the plain of Resurrection, the Reckoning , the presence in the Court of Allah, subhanahu wa ta ala, etc. This helps bring softness to the heart and break the tendency to commit sins.

7. Develop humility. Even if you observe another individual committing the worst of vices you should not despise him/her, nor should you consider yourself nobler. It is very much possible that the perpetrator of the vice may resort to sincere repentance while the one who despised the sinner become ensnared in the traps of nafs and Shaytan. One has no certainty regarding one's end. One, therefore has no basis for regarding another with contempt.

The essential idea of tahzeebe akhlaq is to bring our natural faculties in a state of balance. The three basic faculties are anger, desires, and intelligence.

Anger: When in equilibrium it results in valor, forbearance, steadfastness, the ability to restrain anger, and dignity. Excess will result in rashness, boastfulness, pride, inability to restrain anger, and vanity. A deficiency will result in cowardice, disgrace and feelings of inferiority.

Desires: Equilibrium here results in chastity, generosity, haya (decency), patience and contentment. Its excess leads to greed and lust. The other extreme results in narrow-mindedness, impotence, etc.

Intelligence: Equilibrium here makes man wise, sharp-witted and one with great insights. Excess here makes one deceptive, fraudulent and an impostor. Its lack results in ignorance and st**idity with the consequence that such a person is quickly misled.

A person will be considered as having a beautiful character only when these faculties are in the state of balance and equilibrium. Internal beauty varies with people just as external beauty does. The possessor of the most beautiful seerah was Prophet Muhammad, Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam. The beauty of our seerah is based on its closeness to his seerah. Condensed from the writings of Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi.

Nur_Ilahi wrote: ................I know I lacked quoting the Quran and Hadiths, it is not that there is not any to back up my claim, but I do not have the time to search for  it. InshaAllah, when time permits, I will produce some for your satisfaction.....................

Nur Ilahi, you don�t have time to refer to the Qur�an and Hadith to verify whether what you Shaikh has said is right or wrong.

You have quoted from Ashraf Ali Thanvi who was an advocate of Wahdat al-Wajood.

1. It is mentioned in Aamaal-e-Qur'aani, p. 134 by Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi [published by Jasim Book Depot, Urdu Bazaar, Jama Masjid, Delhi] that if a woman has excessive menstrual bleeding, the verse (Surah Al-'Imran: 3:144) should be written on three different pieces of paper, one tied on her right and the other on her left and the third piece of paper with the Qur'�nic verse to be hung below the naval. This verse of the Qur'aan, "Muhammad (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) is no more than a Messenger, and indeed (many) Messengers have passed away before him. If he dies or is killed, will you then turn back on your heels (as disbelievers)? And he who turns back on his heels, not the least harm will he do to Allah, and Allah will give reward to those who are grateful." [Surah Al-'Imran: 3:144]

2. When Shah Waliullah was in his mother�s womb, she said a prayer. Two tiny hands (too) appeared for prayer. She was frightened. Her husband said, "You have Qutubul-Aqtab (Wali of Walis) in your womb (Hikayat-e-Awlia, p. 17 Ashraf Ali Thanwi) What a break-through

3. The holy messenger came to Shah Waliullah (in the 18 century!) and said, �Why do you worry? Your children are the same as mine.� (Ashraf Ali Thanwi, Hikayat-ul-Awlia)

4. Disrespect to a monk is more perilous than disrespect to Allaah. (Mulla Ashraf Ali Thanwi, Al-Ashraf, p.23, Nov. 1991)

5. Say "Fazabooha" before you cut a melon, or any thing else (for that matter), you will find it sweet. (Aamale-Qurani, Ashraf Ali Thanwi)

6. Recite the verse "When the heaven will split.� Write it (on a piece of paper) and tie to the left thigh of any woman in labor, child birth will become easy. Cut the hair of that woman and 
burn them between her thighs, childbirth will be easier still. (Aamal-e-Qurani, Ashraf Ali Thanwi)

7. During labor pains let the woman hold Mawatta Imam Malik for instant delivery. (Aamal-e-Qurani, Ashraf Ali Thanwi)

8. See what �Hakeemul Ummat� Thanwi says! Keep reciting "Al Mughni" during sex and the woman will love you. (same book, Ashraf Ali Thanwi)

Bro Abosait,

Nur_Ilahi wrote: Bro Abosait, It surprise me that you are finding faults with the author, instead of finding the truth in what Hadrat Ashraf Ali Thanvi wrote. You did not even attempt to counter debate one single fact that were written. When I checked wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashraf_Ali_Thanwi -  I could not find this kind of accusation by you.................

It is mentioned in Aamaal-e-Qur'aani, p. 134 by Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi [published by Jasim Book Depot, Urdu Bazaar, Jama Masjid, Delhi]

astroman wrote: Assalamulaikum Sister Nur Illahi "The answer is not ME but Ruh."

Nur_Ilahi wrote:   1.      If you are pointing to your chest, then the chest is 'Me'? 2.      If you cannot hear me, then how could you understand me? 3.      If your eyes are closed, can you see your beloved someone, like your wife or your children? If the answer is yes, who is looking? 4.      Then when you die can your hands type? 5.      The answer is not ME but Ruh.

That was exactly the reply I expected from you since you are not the first of the Sufis I am confronting.

Answers to your second set of questions:

1. The chest in that case will be �my chest�
2. I have added the words �speak from within audible distance��� Please scroll back and read.
3. The answer is NO.
4. Impossible.

The fan rotates if electricity is passed through it. No one would say �the electricity is rotating� and  anyone in his proper senses would say �the fan is rotating�.

�The human self is referred to as �Nafs� in the Qur�an and it consists of a soul within a physical body. ��

Thus when the soul is wihin a body the body makes the actions such as seeing, hearing, typing etc. and not the soul/Ruh as is clear from the following Verse:

الْيَوْمَ نَخْتِمُ عَلَى أَفْوَاهِهِمْ وَتُكَلِّمُنَا أَيْدِيهِمْ وَتَشْهَدُ أَرْجُلُهُمْ بِمَا كَانُوا يَكْسِبُونَ (36:65)

 

36:65 On that Day We shall set a seal on their mouths but their hands will speak unto Us, and their feet will bear witness to whatever they have earned [in life].

Nur_Ilahi wrote:  We are only interested in the teachings of the Sufis......................................................

[وَلَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا الإِنسَـنَ مِن صَلْصَـلٍ مِّنْ حَمَإٍ مَّسْنُونٍ - وَالْجَآنَّ خَلَقْنَـهُ مِن قَبْلُ مِن نَّارِ السَّمُومِ ]

26. And indeed, We created man from dried (sounding) clay of altered mud.)

27. And the Jinn, We created earlier from the smokeless flame of fire.)

The Substances from which Mankind and Jinns were created

Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid and Qatadah said that Salsal means dry mud. The apparent meaning is similar to the Ayah:

[خَلَقَ الإِنسَـنَ مِن صَلْصَـلٍ كَالْفَخَّارِ - وَخَلَقَ الْجَآنَّ مِن مَّارِجٍ مِّن نَّارٍ ]

He created man (Adam) from sounding clay like the potter's clay, And He created the Jinns from a smokeless flame of fire. (55:14-15)

It was also reported from Mujahid that,

[صَلْصَـلٍ]

�dried (sounding) clay� means "putrid'', but it is more appropriate to interpret an Ayah with another Ayah.

[مِّنْ حَمَإٍ مَّسْنُونٍ]

�of altered mud� means the dried clay that comes from mud, which is soil. "Altered'' here means smooth.

[وَالْجَآنَّ خَلَقْنَـهُ مِن قَبْلُ]

�And the Jinn, We created earlier� means before creating humans.

[مِن نَّارِ السَّمُومِ]

�from the smokeless flame of fire�.

Ibn `Abbas said, "It is the smokeless flame that kills.'' Abu Dawud At-Tayalisi said that Shu`bah narrated to them from Abu Ishaq, who said: "I visited `Umar Al-Asamm when he was sick, and he said: `Shall I not tell you a Hadith that I heard from `Abdullah bin Mas`ud He said: `This smokeless flame is one of the seventy parts of the smokeless fire from which the Jinn where created. Then he recited,

[وَالْجَآنَّ خَلَقْنَـهُ مِن قَبْلُ مِن نَّارِ السَّمُومِ ]

�And the Jinn, We created earlier from the smokeless flame of fire�

The following is found in the Sahih,

�خُلِقَتِ الْمَلَائِكَةُ مِنْ نُورٍ، وَخُلِقَتِ الْجَانُّ مِنْ مَارِجٍ مِنْ نَارٍ، وَخُلِقَ آدَمُ مِمَّا وُصِفَ لَكُم�

�The angels were created from light, the Jinn were created from a smokeless flame of fire, and Adam was created from that which has been described to you.�

The Ayah is intended to point out the noble nature, good essence and pure origin of Adam.

[وَإِذْ قَالَ رَبُّكَ لِلْمَلَـئِكَةِ إِنِّى خَـلِقٌ بَشَرًا مِّن صَلْصَـلٍ مِّنْ حَمَإٍ مَّسْنُونٍ - فَإِذَا سَوَّيْتُهُ وَنَفَخْتُ فِيهِ مِن رُّوحِى فَقَعُواْ لَهُ سَـجِدِينَ - فَسَجَدَ الْمَلَـئِكَةُ كُلُّهُمْ أَجْمَعُونَ - إِلاَّ إِبْلِيسَ أَبَى أَن يَكُونَ مَعَ السَّـجِدِينَ - قَالَ يإِبْلِيسُ مَا لَكَ أَلاَّ تَكُونَ مَعَ السَّـجِدِينَ - قَالَ لَمْ أَكُن لاًّسْجُدَ لِبَشَرٍ خَلَقْتَهُ مِن صَلْصَـلٍ مِّنْ حَمَإٍ مَّسْنُونٍ ]

28. And (remember) when your Lord said to the angels: "I am going to create a man (Adam) from dried (sounding) clay of altered mud. ''

29. "So, when I have fashioned him completely and breathed into him (Adam) of My spirit (the soul which I created for him,) then fall down, prostrating yourselves before him.''

Assalamualaikum Brother.

I repeat here this verse from Allah Himself - Allah Most High says in the Holy Qur�an (15:26-29) that when He created man from black mud and fashioned him into the beautiful shape of a human being, and made him complete,

nothing wrote: [QUOTE=abosait] ............... But I don't understand the 2nd part Abosait.

36:65 On that Day We shall set a seal on their mouths but their hands will speak unto Us, and their feet will bear witness to whatever they have earned [in life].

Nur_Ilahi wrote: Allah had lent 7 of His Sifahs in our souls.

"lent", the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Past_tense - past tense and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Past_participle - past participle of the verb " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lending - lend ".

transitive verb

• " to give for temporary use on condition that the same or its equivalent be returned <lend me your pen>"

Nur_Ilahi wrote: Levels of the Nafs 1. Nafs-i-Ammara, the Commanding Nafs Behold! The commanding nafs encourages evil, except when my Lord bestows mercy. (Qur'an 12:53].......................... 2. Nafs-i-Lawwama: Blaming Nafs But I swear by the accusing nafs that this Scripture is true. (Qur'an 75:2)............................... 3. Nafs-i-Mulhama: Inspired Nafs And a nafs and Him who gave order to it and inspired it with a sense of what is wrong for it and what is right for it. (Qur'an 91:8).............................. 4. Nafs-i-Mutmaina: Tranquil Nafs To the righteous soul will be said, "O, you nafs in complete peace and satisfaction!" (Qur'an 89:27)................................. 5. Nafs-i-Radziyya: Satisfied Nafs Return to your Lord, content (Qur'an 89:28)....................................... 6. Nafs-i-Mardiyyah: Satisfying Nafs for His being pleased with you! (Qur'an 89:28).................... 7. Nafs-i-Safiyyah: Purified Nafs This day have I perfected your religion for you, completed My favor to you, and have chosen for you as your religion Islam. (Qur'an 5:3).................. http://www.crescentlife.com/spirituality/fighting_the_enemy_within.htm -

1. NAFS AL-MUTAMAINNA - the Satisfied Soul.

"0 you satisfied soul. Return to your Lord pleased with yourself and pleasing to Him. Enter among My servants. And enter My paradise".(Soorah Al Fajr (89) :27-30)

2. NAFS AL AMMARA BIS SU' - the soul that dictates evil.

"And I do not free myself from blame. Indeed the human self is inclined to evil, except when my Lord bestows His Mercy (upon whom He wills). Indeed my Lord is Forgiving, Merciful." (Soorah Yusuf v 53)

3. NAFS AL LAWWAMA - the Self-reproaching soul.

"I do call to witness the Resurrection Day. And I do call to witness the self-reproaching Soul." (Soorah Al Qiyamah v 1-2)

The noblest of the souls is the satisfied soul, which at its last moments on earth will receive the glad news from its lord of "Enter among My servants and enter into my Paradise."

1. Nafs Mutmainna: The Qur'aan explains how one can achieve the noble state of the satisfied soul.

"Indeed, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find satisfaction." (Soorah Al-Ra'd (12): 28)

During his return from a Jihad expedition, the Prophet (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) once sat down to rest under the shade of a tree far from his devout companions.

A Makkan called Chawrath bin Al Harith saw his golden chance and came forward with his sword drawn: "0 Muhammad. Who is going to save you from me now?"

Calm and un-fearing, the Prophet (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) stood tall and replied simply, "Allah!".

The man was surprised into confusion by this simple answer and unconsciously dropped his sword. The Prophet (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) immediately picked up the sword and asked, "Tell me who will save you now?".

The man quietly answered, "There is no god worthy of worship but Allah."

Such are the souls described in the Qur'aan;

"Be sure, We shall test you with something of fear, hunger, some loss of goods or lives or fruits of your toils. But give glad tidings to those who are patient. Those who say, when afflicted by calamity: 'To Allah we belong and to Him we shall return'." (Soorah Al Baqarah (2): 155-156)

The satisfied soul believes that all happiness and sorrow is by the decree of Allah.

It therefore feels no need to lament at misfortunes or to boast at success.

"No misfortune can happen on earth or to your soul but it is written in a decree before We bring it into existence. That is truly easy for Allah. In order that you may not despair over matters that pass you by, nor exult in favors bestowed upon you, for Allah loves not the vain boasters.' (Soorah Al Hadid (57): 22-23)

No worldly anxieties upset the satisfied soul.

If it fails to acquire something for which it has struggled for many years, it will accept its destiny and remember the following words of the Prophet of Allah (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) :

"What has reached you was never meant to escape you and what has escaped you was never meant to reach you." (Muwadih by Al-Khateeb Al-Baghdadi)

The satisfied soul seeks its nourishment in Dhikr (the remembrance of Allah), prayer, fasting, Zakat and Hajj.

It relies heavily for support on the branches of faith, the highest of which is to say and believe in "There is no god worthy of worship except Allah and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah", and the lowliest of which is to remove an obstacle from the path.

Angels are present to strengthen this soul and to bless and greet it when it departs this material life, when it is resurrected and when it is admitted into the gardens of paradise.

Their greeting to it is the greeting of a Muslim to his fellow Muslim: "Peace be unto you";

"And those who feared their Lord will be led to the Paradise in crowds; until they arrive there, its gates are opened and its keepers will say: 'Peace be upon you! Well have you done. Enter here and dwell forever'." (Soorah Az Zumar (39) 73)

2. Nafs ammara bis su'

In contrast this soul which earns the company of satan because it ignores the remembrance of Allah.

"The one who withdraws himself from the remembrance of the Merciful, We appoint for him a satan to be a companion to him." (Soorah Az-Zukhruf (43)" 36)

Satan's cohorts and tunes surround the evil soul day and night. It drives from one satanic act to other.

You will see it lying and cheating, wasting time on leisure and sports, frequenting cinemas and concerts, listening to music and dancing.

As one contemporary writer said, "The godless society's motto is 'work and play', while the motto of the god-conscious society is, 'work and pray; "!

3. Nafs Lawwama

The self-reproaching soul succumbs to evil inspirations but then regrets its actions and reproaches itself for being weak and vulnerable.

These feelings of remorse cause it to turn back to Allah, to repent sincerely, and to receive spiritual solace.

It is better for each Nafs to blame itself whenever it commits a wrong. If not, it will find itself being blamed from all those around it.

Consider how the self-reproaching soul is mentioned with the Day of Resurrection in the Qur'aan.

"I do call to witness the Resurrection Day. And I do call to witness the self-reproaching soul." (Surah Al Qiyarnah v 1-2)

There is a common factor between these two entities, which is that both are courts of justice.

The Nafs al Lawwama is an inner court of justice within each person; when he acts wrongfully. his conscience or soul reprimands him, and it is then up to him to pay heed to it or to ignore it.

Besides placing an inner court of justice within each person, the Creator has also prepared a larger Court which will operate on the Final Day and will mete out justice to all of mankind.

Nur_Ilahi wrote: If you dig any grave, mostly what can you find? Just skeletons only. Where is the mouth and the tongue and the ears and the eyes? Then who is it that answers Angel Munkar when he asks - Maa Rabbuka? - Who is your God? Maa Imamuka? - Who is your Imam? Maa Deenuka? - What is your religion?

�         The souls of all people, believers and unbelievers, are taken up to the heavens at the time of death by angels and presented to Allah Almighty.

�         The record of the believer�s deeds is placed in a high place in heaven called Illiyyin and the sinner�s record is thrown into the lowest earth known as Sijjin.

�         "Nay! Truly the record of the evil-doers is preserved in Sijjin. And what will explain to you what Sijjin is? A register inscribed. Nay! Truly the record of the pious is preserved in Illiyyin. And what will make you know what Illiyyin is? A Register inscribed. To which bear witness those nearest to Allah (i.e. the angels).? (Soorah Al-Mutaffifin v 7-9, 18-21)

�        The souls are returned to their bodies temporarily for questioning by the angels.

�        When the soul returns, the dead person is able to hear the retreating footsteps of the men who came to bury him. This is an exception to the general rule in the Qur'aan that the dead cannot hear the living.

�         �Verily, you cannot make the dead to hear, nor can you make the deaf hear the call when they flee, turning their backs.� (Surah An Naml v 80)

�Nor are alike the living and the dead. Verily, Allah makes whom He will hear, but you cannot make those in the graves hear.� (Surah Fatir v. 22)

�        The blessed soul is taken to the heavens where it is changed into a bird and eats freely from the fruits in paradise. It rests in a state of peaceful sleep while the cool breezes of paradise flow gently over it. In contrast is the sinner�s soul, which is thrown with contempt into the lowest earth to feel the savage heat and stench of hell. Both kinds of soul reside in the same places as their Records of deeds.

Nur_Ilahi wrote: I am just trying to prove that the Ruh ����� should be returned to Him as pure as possible. And only Tasawwuf can purify the Ruh or the Soul.

The torture of the grave is for the soul (Ruh), but if Allah Wills, it can also be felt by the body. The human body has to decay and decompose into the ground, but as the punishment of the grave is for the soul, it can continue until the Last Day.

Thus the false theory of Suufis that the soul will merge back into the creator is disproved.

Sufism is a term given by the West.

What Is Tasawwuf

Allah sent His final messenger, Prophet Muhammad , as a source of knowledge for the entire ummah. He was the fountain of Quran, Hadith, tafsir, rhetoric, fiqh, and so on. After the Prophet, the scholars of this ummah carried and propagated each of these branches of knowledge. Because no one person can attain the perfection of the Prophet , who single handedly assumed all of these roles, various branches of the Islamic sciences developed. For example, Imam Abu Hanifah preserved the science of fiqh and after him thousands of scholars continued in his footsteps. Hence these scholars preserved the fiqh of the Prophet . Similarly Imam Bukhari and the other famous scholars of Hadith, preserved the words of the Prophet. The scholars of tajweed preserved the recitation of the Prophet . And, the scholars of Arabic grammar preserved the language of the Prophet .

Along these lines, the Prophet was the model of spirituality for the world. His God-consciousness, deep spirituality, acts of worship, and love for Allah were preserved and propagated by an Islamic science called Tasawwuf. The aim of the scholars of this science was purification of the heart, and development of consciousness of Allah through submission to the shariah and sunnah.

How is Tasawwuf Related to Sufism?

Studying the life of the Prophet , the scholars who propagated the science of tasawwuf understood that a requisite for approaching Allah was abandonment of the common pursuits of the world. They often wore wool because of its simplicity and low cost. In Arabic the word for wool is suf and thus, those who wore it became known as the Sufis. Another possible derivation of the word comes from the root word safa, which means "to clean." Because the scholars of tasawwuf focused on cleansing the heart, they later became known as the Sufis.

What Do Our Scholars Say About Tasawwuf?

Traditional Islamic scholars have accepted Tasawwuf as an important branch of Islamic learning, so long as it remains within the guidelines of the Shariah and emphasizes following the Sunnah of the Prophet .

• http://www.tasawwuf.org/basics/rabbani_moderation.htm - On Moderation - Imam Rabbani (may Allah be pleased with him)
• http://www.tasawwuf.org/basics/ghazali_fasting.htm - The Inner Dimensions of Fasting - Imam Abu Hamid al-Ghazali (may Allah be pleased with him)
• http://www.tasawwuf.org/basics/maulana_jami.htm - Maulana Jami - Excerpts from the poems of Maulana Jami (may Allah be pleased with him)
• http://www.tasawwuf.org/basics/maulana_saadi.htm - Maulana Saadi - Excerpts from the poems of Maulana Saadi (may Allah be pleased with him)
• http://www.tasawwuf.org/basics/thanwi_tasawwuf.htm - What is Tasawwuf? - Condensed from the writings of Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi (may Allah be pleased with him)
• http://www.tasawwuf.org/basics/fighting_ego.htm - Fighting the Ego - Imam Nawawi (may Allah be pleased with him)

I Have Heard That Sufis Teach Praying At Graves, Dancing, Music, And Other Innovations?

It is true that there have been, and currently are, people who have deviated from the teachings of tasawwuf, thus misrepresenting this science. This is not unique to tasawwuf. Our history is full of examples of people who called themselves scholars of tafsir, or hadith while misrepresenting the essence of these sciences. Each of the Islamic sciences is interlinked and bounded by its sister sciences. For example, a scholar of tafsir cannot interpret the Quran by contradicting the hadith. Similarly a true shaykh of tasawwuf (sufism) never breaks even the smallest tenets of the shariah or the sunnah. Rather, he sees them as the means of his progress towards his Lord. In fact, he prefers death over falling into even a minute sin.

I saw a holy man on the seashore wounded by a tiger.
No medicine could relieve his pain; He suffered much,
but he nevertheless constantly thanked God, the most high, saying,
"Praise be to Allah that I have fallen into a calamity and not into sin."

If Not All Sufis Are Authentic How Can I Judge Which To Learn From?

Many of our scholars have addressed this question by listing the "signs" of a true shaykh. Needless to say the common principle has always been submission to the shariah, by following the teachings of one of the four schools of fiqh, and a complete submission to the inner and the outer of the sunnah. This is based on the idea that the Prophet is the nearest and most God conscious of Allah's creation. His daily acts are an exemplification of how the most God-conscious of all of creation lived his life. For example, the Prophet's treating others with kindness, soft speech, humility, preference for white clothing, growing of a lengthy beard, use of the tooth stick, etc are all intentional acts of service to Allah . If someone lacks these sunnan, while claiming they can help bring you closer to Allah, know that they will eventually lead you to a dead end.

What Is The Goal Of The Student Of Tasawwuf?

The goal is complete submission to the shariah and sunnah in order to attain purification of the heart and soul and to develop a true, deep, and lasting connection with Allah .

How Can A Shaykh Assist In These Goals?

A shaykh of tasawwuf spends years in training in order to develop his character, mannerisms, daily schedule, outer being, acts of worship, and knowledge under the guidance of a spiritual master. They learn the essence of worship and practical implications of abandonment of the mundane life of this world from those who are models of god-consciousness. Further, they often spend years mastering the Islamic sciences of Hadith, Quran, tafsir, fiqh, etc. Each aspect of their training further connects them through chains of scholars to the Prophet who, of course, was sent to connect creation to their Lord.

When you enter the company of such a shaykh, their knowledge and extensive experience allows them to assess your spiritual state and hence, advise you on the best "medicine" to cure the diseases of your heart. Just as a doctor is trained to cure physical ailments, so the scholars of tasawwuf treat the maladies of the diseased heart.

I Thought That All One Needs Is The Quran And The Sunnah?

It is true that the Quran and the Sunnah are sufficient. However, at the same time it is also true that a teacher is required to master any subject. If the Quran was sufficient, then Allah could have easily sent the book without a messenger. However, he sent the Prophet as a model of the Quran so that people could directly learn from his example. This then became the method of learning for each of the Islamic sciences. For example, each hadith that Imam Bukhari compiled in his collection of hadith is directly linked to the Prophet through a continuous chain of narrators. Thus, each person in the chain must have learned from someone and must be able to state who that person was. Similar requirements are present in other branches of Islamic science as well. The science of tasawwuf is no exception.

Nur_Ilahi wrote: .........They often wore wool because of its simplicity and low cost. In Arabic the word for wool is suf and thus, those who wore it became known as the Sufis.................

"There are a people who have chosen and preferred the wearing of woolen clothes, claiming that they want to resemble al-Maseeh ibn Maryam. But the way of our Prophet is more beloved to us, and the Prophet (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam.s) used to wear cotton and other garments."

Nur_Ilahi wrote: ..............the Prophet was the model of spirituality for the world. His God-consciousness, deep spirituality, acts of worship, and love for Allah were preserved and propagated by an Islamic science called Tasawwuf....................

Nur_Ilahi wrote: A shaykh of tasawwuf spends years in training..............under the guidance of a spiritual master. ............... ..............When you enter the company of such a shaykh, their knowledge and extensive experience allows them to assess your spiritual state and hence, advise you on the best "medicine" to cure the diseases of your heart. ...............

Evidence Against their teachings: their beliefs and practices

Position of the Sheikh and Wali

In Sufism the Sheikh or Wali is given a similar standing as that of a Catholic Saint, or the Dalai Lama himself.

Complete obedience is enforced on his followers, and any questions are deemed as a betrayal of trust:

"The seeker must submit to the will of the Sheikh and to obey him in all his orders and advice, because the Sheikh has more experience and more knowledge in Haqiqat, in Tariqat and in Shari'ah," and "he must agree with the opinion of his Sheikh completely, as the patient agrees with the physician".

But Muslims believe that any single act of worship must be substantiated by the Qur'an and Sunnah only. Allah the Exalted says:

"Say (to them), 'Produce your proof if you are truthful'." [2: 111],

and the Prophet (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) said

"The created is not to be obeyed over the Creator."

• The Sheikh is given the standing of a deity in Sufism.
  

• Attributes which belong to Allah, are also assigned to their Sheikhs.
  

• They seek help from them, whether they are dead or 10,000km away.
  

• They believe that their sheikhs know everything their students are thinking, and that they converse with the Prophet (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) on a regular basis (in reality).

Nur_Ilahi wrote: What Do Our Scholars Say About Tasawwuf? http://www.tasawwuf.org/basics/maulana_jami.htm - Maulana Jami - Excerpts from the poems of Maulana Jami (may Allah be pleased with him) http://www.tasawwuf.org/basics/maulana_saadi.htm - Maulana Saadi - Excerpts from the poems of Maulana Saadi (may Allah be pleased with him) Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi (may Allah be pleased with him) Imam Nawawi (may Allah be pleased with him)

Imaam Ash-Shaa'fee on Sufism:

"If a person exercised Sufism (Tasawafa) at the beginning of the day, he does not come to Dhuhur except an idiot." [Talbees Iblees].

"Nobody accompanied the Sufis forty days and had his brain return (ever)." [Talbees Iblees].

Concerning the famous Sufi leader, Al-Harith Al-Muhasbi, Imaam Ahmad ibn Hanbaal (R) said:

"Warn (people) from Al-Harith (a Sufi leader) the strongest warning!... He is the shelter of the Ahl Kalaam (people of rhetoric)." [Talbees Iblis].

The famous Sheikh Abu Bakr Al-Jaza'iri stated:

"Sufism is a shameful deception which begins with Dhikr and ends with Kufr. Its outward manifestation appears to be piety, but its inward reality forsakes the Commandments of Allah." [Illat-Tasawwuf Yaa Ibadallah].

Ash-Sheikh Muhammad ibn Rabee' ibn Haadee Al-Madkhalee, a well known teacher at the Islamic University of Medinah brings in his book "Haqeeqatus Soofiyyah Fee Dau'il Kitaabi Was Sunnah", the following:

Concerning the practice of the Sufiyyah in wearing woolen clothing as a sign of Zuhd (abstemiousness/disassociation from the wordly life) and in their attempt to mirror the Prophet 'Isa (AS):

"Ibn Taymiyah (R) mentions in Al-Fataawaa (11/7) from Muhammad ibn Seereen (a famous Tabi'ee who died in 110H) that it reached him that a certain people had taken to wearing woollen clothes in order to resemble 'Isa ibn Maryam (AS), so he said: 'There are a people (Sufis) who have chosen and preferred the wearing of woollen clothes, claiming that they want to resemble Al-Maseeh ibn Maryam (AS). But the way of our Prophet (SAAW) is more beloved to us, and the Prophet (SAAW) used to wear cotton and other garments."

Sheikh Al-Madkhalee goes on:

"As regards the first appearance of Sufism, then the word "Sufism" was not known in the time of the Sahabah, indeed it was not well-known in the first three and best centuries. Shaykhul Islam Ibn Taymiyah (R), mentions that the first appearance of Sufism was in Basrah in 'Iraaq, where some people went to extremes in worship and in avoiding the worldly life, such as was not seen in other lands. [Al-Fataawaa (11/6)]."

Commenting on the reaction of the early Sufis while hearing Qur'an being recited (it was their pratice to fall out and act dumb-struck), Ibn Taymiyah (R) says:

"This was not found to occur amongst the Sahabah, so when it appeared a group of the Companions and the Tabi'een such as Asmaa bint Abi Bakr and 'Abd Allah Az-Zubair and Muhammad ibn Seereen criticsed that since they saw that it was an innovation and contrary to what they knew from the manners of the Sahabah." [Al-Fataawaa (11/6)].

Concerning the spread of Sufism, Ibn Al-Jawzy said: "Sufism is a way whose beginning was complete avoidance of the affairs of worldly life, then those who attached themselves to it became lax in allowing singing and dancing. Therefore, the seekers of the Hereafter from the common people became attracted to them due to the avoidance of the worldly life which they manifested, and the seekers after this world were also attracted to them due to the life of ease and frivolity which they were seen to live." [Talbees Iblis].

Shaikh Abu Zahrah (R) said concerning the reason for the appearance of Sufism and the sources from which it sprung:

1. The first source: Some worshippers amongst the Muslims turned all their attention to avoidance of the worldly life and to cutting themselves off in order to worship. This first began in the lifetime of the Prophet (SAAW) when some of the Sahabah decided to spend the night striving in Prayer and abandoning sleep. Others decided to fast every day without fail. Others decided to cease having marital relations with women. So when that reached the Prophet (SAAW) he said:

"What is wrong with a people who say such and such. But rather I fat and I refrain from fasting, I pray and I sleep, and I marry women. So whoever turns away from my Sunnah, then he is not from me" (Al-Bukharee and Muslim).

Furthermore, the innovation of living like monks (monasticism) is forbiddeen in the Qur'an. He said:

"...the Monasticism which they invented for themselves..." [57:27].

However, when the Prophet (SAAW) passed on to join the company of the highest angels, and many people entered into Islam from the previous religions then the number of those who went to extremes in avoidance of worldly life and its blessings grew and Sufism found a place in the hearts of these people since it had come across a fertile planting ground.

2. The second matter which attracted peoples' souls was something which appeared amongst the Muslims in the form of two ideologies. One of them was philosophical whilst the other was from the previous religions. As for the first, then it was the view of the Illumist school of philosophers who held that knowledge and awareness is brought about in the soul by spiritual exercies and purification of the soul. As for the second ideology, then it was the belief that the Deity dwells in human souls, or that the Deity is incarnate in humanity. This idea began to find a place amongst those sects who falsely attributed themselves to Islam in the earlier times, when the Muslims became mixed with the Christians. This idea appeared amongst the Sabians and some of the Kaysaamiyyah, then the Qaraamitah, then amongst the Baatinees, then in its final shape it appeared amongst some of the Sufis...There is another source from which it took, and which causes the manifestation of Sufi tendencies, which is the idea that the texts of the Book and the Sunnah have an outer, apparent meaning and an inner, hidden meaning...it seems clear that they took this idea from the Baatinees." [Ibn Taymiyah by Abu Zahra].

Ibn Al-Jawzy said after criticising the Sufis for their impostition of hardship upon themselves and for their going beyond bounds of abstemiousness to the point of self torture:

"So this self seprivation which went beyond bounds, which we have been forbideen from, has been turned around by the Sufis of our time, ie. the sixth century, so that they have become as deserious of food as their predecessors were of hunger, and they enjoy morning meals, evening meals and sweet delicacies, all of which or most of which they attain through impure wealth. They have abandoned lawful earnings, turned away from worship and spread out carpets on which they idly recline, most of them have no desire except for food, drink and frivolous activities. [Talbees Iblis].

Speaking of the false miracles claimed by many Sufi leaders, Ibn Taymiyah said:

"It may also be done with the help of their devils as they are a people who are as closely attended by devils as they are by their own brothers... These people who experience these satanic happenings are under a great delusion, in their foolishness they are deprived of all blessings, they only increase that which is feared, they devour the wealth of the people in futile acts, they do not order the good, nor do they forbid evil, and they do not fight Jihaad in Allah's Cause." [Al-Fataawaa].

Futher, Sheikh Al-Madkhalee says:

"Then I return to the point that when I saw that most of the callers were negligent of the most important aspects of Islam which is the call to Tawheed and the correction and purification of 'Aqeedah from all Shirk, which takes the form of worshipping the dead, attachment to the graves and calling upon the dead and the absent, and they remained silent about the other deviation of the present day Sufi orders which are very widespread in the lands of the Muslims, and anyone who travels outside this land will see the predominace that the Sufi orders ahve over the minds of the Muslims in Egypt, Syria, Morocco, Africa and India. Whether is is the Rifaa'ee order, or the Tijanis, or the Ahmadiyyah, or the Qaadiriyyah, or the Burhamiyyah, or the Shadhiliyyah, or the Khattaaniyyah, or the Darqaawees, or the Naqshabandis or whichever of the large number of Sufi orders...when I saw this I wished to remind of that which I held to be something very important. Likewise, I wished to provide my brothers, who study in the highly regarded Daarul Hadeeth, and they come from various Islamic lands where there are many Sufi orders, with some knowledge and some protection from the deadly sickness of Sufism."

As for those authentic and well known books by the 'Ulemah that have refuted Sufism:

1. Al-Fataawaa - by Sheikhul Islam Ibn Taymiyah .
2. Talbess Iblis - by Ibn Al-Jawzy .
3. Tanbeebul-Ghabee ilaa Takfeer Ibn'Arabee - by Burhaanuddeen Al-Baqaa'ee .
4. Tahdheerul-'Ibaad min Ahlil-'Inaad bibid'atil-Ittihaad - by Al-Baqaa'ee .

These are just some of the statements by scholars, past and present, concerning the Sufiyyah. There are many, many more...and the research goes on...

A lot has been said about Sufism- and lot of people have actually deviated from truth in explaining Sufism- going so far as to label it a Bidaah- a term used to describe any un-Islamic practice that is being faultily linked to the religion of Islam.

A lot of those who strive to know what it really means to have inner peace and enjoy ultimate state of spiritual tranquility would like to gain insight into what Sufism entails.

The most commonly used explanation of the practice is that the term Sufism is derived from the word Suf, or wool in Arabic, referring to the primitive material of cloaks early Muslim ascetics used to wear, an emphasis of the Sufi followers� rejection of the growing materialism of life.

Other scholars, in explaining Sufism, suggested that the word originated from the Arabic word Safa, stressing the process of spiritual purification and purgation of heart and soul a Sufi experiences.

There�s yet a third explanation to the term Sufism, offered by Al-Biruni, a 10th century Persian Muslim scientist, physicist, astronomer, chemist, historian, geographer,  mathematician,  and philosopher, who linked the word �Sufeya� to Sophia, or �wisdom� in Greek � But this explanation was refuted by the vast majority of  present Sufi scholars.

Bottom line, Sufism is not a cult or a sect that is separable from Islam as some mistakenly believe, it�s simply a practice of devotion linked to one�s (a Muslim�s) pursuit of the Traiqat (or path) to Allah through love, contemplation, and meditation. A Sufi�s heart is always occupied with Allah (SWT) and nothing but Allah, and this what the Almighty refers to as �Ihsan�.

To attain this goal, a Sufi is in a constant state of inner peace and harmony with his spiritual being, seeking the Ultimate Truth  and particular closeness to the Almighty, and this experience of devotion is what takes him eventually beyond this physical existence.

The Sufi doctrine and practice is usually referred to by scholars as the mystical branch of Islam.

At first Sufism sprang in a place near Iraq. Almost all traditional Sufi scholars or teachers trace their Tariqas or schools and so-called chains of transmission back to our beloved Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) through Imam Ali Ibn Abi Talib, his cousin and son-in-law, but there�s one Sufi school, named Naqshbandi that traces its origin to Abu Bakr Al Siddiq. Later on, as it is commonly believed, the practice of Tasawwof or Sufism, quickly spread throughout different parts of the Arab region, including countries that had been ruled by the Byzantines.

Moreover, some scholars explained that  �Ahl Al Suffa�  are originally some of the companions of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) who decided to dedicate much of their lives to fasting, praying and pleading for salvation.

But corruption among present Sufi schools or Tariqas shouldn�t be overlooked or downplayed. There are Sufi schools, the masters of which defend deviant beliefs that have no links to Islam and actually elevated themselves to the state of Saints and Gods.

Allah describes such people in the Qur�an saying:

�Surely, those whom you invoke besides All�h are slaves like you. So invoke them and let them answer you if you are truthful.� (Qur�an 7:194)