*The Quranic Sufism*
*by Dr. Mir Vali-ud-din*

*An Excerpt from "*The Quranic Sufism*" by Dr. Mir Vali-ud-din published by
Sh. Muhammad Ashraf Publishers, Booksellers & Exporters, 7-Aibak Road (New
Anarkali) Lahore, Pakistan, (c)1991*
      *CONTENTS**1. Foreward by Syed Abdul Latif*
*2. Chapter 1 by Dr. Mir Vali-ud-din*

*F O R E W A R D*

Sufism or *Tasawwuf *is variously defined. But whatever the variations in
definition, its essential role, as recognized in all hands is to set in
motion a process of spiritual culture, operating in one form or another, for
spiritual tranquility. The mystic tendency in human nature, which
*Tasawwuf*treats of, has been [a] characteristic of serious minds in
all ages and
among every section of humanity. The experience in individual cases has
varied, both in scope and intensity, according to he vision caught of the
Ground of things in life. Indeed long before the advent of Islam, it had
been subjected to a searching analysis particularly in societies given to
metaphysical speculation such as the Greeks and the ancient Indo-Aryans, and
reduced to a system of spiritual training.

Mysticism as practised by the followers of Islam has had a chequered
history. In its earliest manifestation it meant nothing but living from
moment to moment, so to say, in the eyes of God, implicitly following the
lines of thought and conduct as the Prophet had laid both for himself and
his followers. The primary aim was to transform every spiritual flight in
the realm of self-perfection into an urge for the spiritual perfection of
human society at large. But as Islam expanded into a widening political
power, drawing into its fold people born to other modes of life and thought,
the mystic tendency among Muslims underwent a kaleidoscopic change. The
change was marked by the rise of a bewildering variety of mystic schools
influenced chiefly by the Neo-platonism of Alexandria and the Vedantism of
India, promoting in the mystic mind the mood for self-negation. A feeling of
alarm was therefore felt in serious minds. As a way out, attempts were made
at important stages in the history of Sufism to reconcile the early approach
to the new forces at work. But the purists among the Sufis, though resolved
into several orders, themselves by the pressure of time and factors of
geography, and though unable to dispense altogether with the terminology of
the innovating heterodox schools, have struggled hard to keep to the
original way of thought and living. It is the ideology of these and their
practices, which form the subject of this monograph.

The task, it may be observed, has been discharged not by a student of
research interested in the subject only at the intellectual plane, but by a
scholar who is not only an ardent believer in the ideology, but who has
tried to practice it in his own personal life. As a student of philosophy
and as professor of that subject for years at the Osmania University, it was
open to Dr. Mir Valiuddin to have spread the subject on a wide metaphysical
canvas and instituted comparisons. He has, however, very rightly confined
himself to presenting the view, at it has appeared to him, of the mystic
heritage which, undisturbed by the disturbance of history, has continued
from the earliest times to mould and shape the life of many a godly man and
woman in Islam.

The work is intended to present, what the author believes to be, the
contribution of the Qur'an to Mysticism, and has therefore a value to all
seekers of knowledge on the subject. *Syed Abdul Latif*



CHAPTER I

*What is Sufism?*

*I N T R O D U C T I O N*

Scholars wrangle about the derivation of the word '*Sufi*' though about its
exact connotation I do not think that there is any reason to quarrel. Let us
cast a hurried glance at the various attempts of the lexicographers:

(1) Some say: "The Sufis were only named Sufis because of the purity (*Safa*)
of their hearts and the cleanliness of their acts (*athar*)". Bishr ibn
al-Harith said: "The Sufi is he whose heart is sincere (*Safa*) towards
God". Another great Sufi has said: "The Sufi is he whose conduct towards God
is sincere, and towards whom God's blessing is sincere." It is evident that
the whole of the body is reformed and all the actions improved by purity and
sincerity of heart. The unveiling of divine gnosis is entirely dependent on
inner purity. As the Prophet said:

"*Mark, in man there is a lump of flesh, if it is kept wholesome the whole
body remains in a healthy condition and if it is corrupted, the whole body
is corrupted, mark, it is the heart*!"(Bukhari)

But if the term 'Sufi' were derived from "*Safa*" the correct form would be
'*Safawi*' and not 'Sufi.'

(2) Others think that the Sufis were called Sufis only "because they are in
the first rank (*Saff*) before God, through the elevation of their desires
towards Him, the turning of their hearts unto Him and the staying of their
secret parts before Him." But if the term 'Sufi' were referred to *Saff *(rank)
it would be *Saffi* and not 'Sufi.'

(3) Others have said: "They were called Sufis because their qualities
resembled those of the people of the Bench (*Ashab al-Suffa*) who lived in
the time of God's Prophet. They had left this world, departed from their
homes and fled from their companions. They took of this world's good only so
much as is indispensable for covering the nakedness and allaying hunger."
One of them was asked: "Who is a Sufi?" He replied: "*He who neither
possesses nor is possessed.*" By this he meant that he is not the slave of
desire. Another said: "The Sufi is he who possesses nothing, or if he
possesses anything spends it."

But if the term Sufi were derived from 's*uffah*' (or bench) the correct
form would be "*suffi*" and not Sufi!

(4) Lastly it has been claimed that they were only called Sufis because of
their habit of wearing *suf*, i.e. wool. "For they did not put on raiment
soft to touch or beautiful to behold, to give delight to the soul. They only
clothed themselves to hide their nakedness contenting with rough hair cloth
and coarse wool." If the derivation from *suf *(wool) be accepted the word
is correct and the expression sound from the etymological point of view.
According to Arabic lexicon the word "*Tasawwafa*" means, "he donned woollen
dress," as for instance, '*taqammasa*' means 'he put on a shirt'. Abu Bakr
al-Kalabadhi thinks that the word Sufi "at the same time has all the
necessary meanings such as withdrawal from the world, inclining the soul
away from it, leaving all settled abodes, keeping constantly to travel,
denying the soul its carnal pleasures, purifying the conduct, cleansing the
conscience, dilation of the breast, and the quality of leadership."Ibn
Khaldun was also of the opinion that the word Sufi is derived from *suf*.
But it is necessary to remember that it is not merely by putting on rough
hair cloth and coarse wool that one is called a Sufi. As Hujwiri has said:
"Purity (*safa*) is a blessing from God and the 'wool' (*suf*) is a proper
dress of the cattle."

According to the researches of Imam Qushayri the word 'Sufi' came into vogue
a little before the expiry of the second century *Hijri *(or 822 A. D.).
After the death of the Holy Prophet, "Companions" was the title adopted by
the people of that age. They needed no better title, for "companionship" was
unanimously regarded to be the highest and the best. Those who associated
with the "Companions" were called in their own times* Tabe'yin *(Followers).
And the "followers of the Followers" was the title conferred upon those who
sat at the feet of the Followers. After the expiry of this period, there was
a slackening of religious spirit. Hearts were turning more towards the
pleasures of the world than towards God. A number of systems and orders
cropped up. Each order was divided into a number of branches. Seeing this
state of affairs, those who adored God above all things and were wholly
consumed by the fire of His love, separated themselves from the rest of the
world and devoted themselves to the recollection and remembrance of God -
the only object of their love. These men were later called the "Sufis". They
were cut off from the mundane world for God's sake - clean of impurities,
full of meditations, in their eyes gold and mud were of equal value. And
that is why Abu Ali al-Rudhbari has defined a Sufi thus:

"One who wears wool over (his) purity, gives his lusts the taste of tyranny,
and having overthrown the world, journeys in the pathway of the chosen one"
(i.e. the Prophet)

In the light of these historical facts, it is now easy to determine the
exact meaning of Sufism. If you cast a glance over the various definitions
of Sufism given by the Sufis themselves, you will find not a few necessary
attributes ascribed to them. It is not necessary to try to state them all
here. But the gist of them all is beautifully expressed in a definition
formulated by Shaykh-al-Islam Zakariyah Ansari, which is as follows.

"Sufism teaches how to purify one's self, improve one's morals, and build up
ones inner and outer life in order to attain perpetual bliss. Its subject
matter is the purification of the soul and its end or aim is the attainment
of eternal felicity and blessedness."

The following few sayings of the more prominent Sufis amplify and extend
with fresh details the definition above formulated.Imam Qushayri, the author
of the great Sufi compendium Rasa'il, takes Sufism in the sense of purity (*
safa*), i.e. the purity of inner and outer life and says that "purity is
something praiseworthy in whatever language it may be expressed and its
opposite, impurity (*kadar*) is to be eschewed."  In support of it he cites
a tradition, which explains the meaning of Sufism and affords proof for it:

"Abu Hujaifa told us that once the Holy Prophet Muhammad visited us and his
face showed us that he was deeply perturbed. He said: "The *Safw*(pure part
i.e. the best) of this world is gone and only its *kadar* (impurity) remains."
Consequently death is now a boon for every Muslim."

Imam Ghazzali, under the heading "*On the way of the Sufis*" in his book
entitled *Al-Munqidh min-al-Dalal* (Rescuer from Error) states:

"When after acquiring proficiency in these sciences, I turned my attention
to the methods of the Sufis, I came to know that their method attains
perfection by means of theory and practice. The gist of their knowledge is
to mortify the self and acquire freedom from baser passions and evil
attributes so that the heart may get rid of the thought of anything save God
and to embellish it with Divine remembrance."

During the hey-day of his fame and glory, Imam Ghazzali gave up his literary
pursuits and the job of *Qadi*. Adopting the ways of Sufis, he wandered
alone in [the] forests. During this period, in one of his rambles, somebody
met him and asked for a decree on some problem. He said to him, "Avaunt! You
have reminded me of the false times, had you approached me when I was
engaged in literary pursuits and was a *Qadi,* I would have issued a decree
in the matter." The eminent Imam now considered the lessons of the schools
as humbug and he took that period for false times or a time of destruction.
True it is:-

O heart, thy high-prized learning of the schools,
Geometry and metaphysic rules,
Yea, all but lore of God is devil's lore:
Fear God and leave this lore to fools.

In praise of Sufism Abu'l Hasan Nuri says: "Sufism is the renunciation of
all selfish pleasures." In other words it is giving up of unlawful carnal
pleasures. A Sufi is usually free from greed and lust and knows that, "so
long as he is a victim of lust he is, as it were, in a prison." He makes his
self subservient to God's will, thus his greed and lusts are annihilated. He
is well aware that following the dictates of desires and lusts is misleading
and is destructive. As the Qur'an Says:

"*And follow not the lusts (of thy heart), for they will mislead thee from
the Path of God.*" [Qur'an 6:19]

What good advice was offered by Bayazid Bustami in these words:

Listen to a good word of the Sage of Bustam
Spurn the lure of the grain if thou carest not to fall into the net.

To Abu Ali Qazwini, "sufism is good manners." Abu Sahl Sa'luki defines it as
"abstaining from objections." Abu Muhammad al-Jurayri states: "Sufism is the
building up of good habits and the keeping of the heart from all evil
desires and passions." To Muhammad bin al Qassab, "Sufism is good manners
which are manifested by a better man in better times before a better
nation." Muhammad b. Ali has expressed the view that Sufism is goodness of
disposition, he that has the better disposition is the better Sufi."

It is clear, then, that according to these great Sufis, Sufism is nothing
but the purification of the senses and the will. It is the effacement of
one's desires in the will of God. It is the building up of a solid wall
between the pure self and the Gog and Magog of passions and desires. It is,
in a word, 'self-discipline', the avoidance of what is forbidden and the
performance of what is ordained. Alkalabadhi thus sums up their "doctrine of
the duties imposed by God on adults, [the Sufis] are agreed that all the
ordinances imposed by God on His servants in His Holy Book and all the
duties laid down by the Prophet (in the Traditions) are a necessary
obligation and a binding imposition for adults of mature intelligence; that
they may not be abandoned or forsaken in any way by the man, whether he be a
veracious believer (*Siddiq*), or a saint or a gnostic, even though he may
have attained the furthest rank, the highest degree, the noblest station, or
the most exalted stage. They hold that there is no station in which a man
may dispense with the prescriptions of the religious law, by holding
permissible what God has prohibited, or making illegal what God has declared
legal, or legal what God has pronounced illegal, or omitting to perform any
religious duty without due excuse or reason, which excuse or reason is
defined by the agreed judgement of all Muslims and approved by the
prescriptions of the religious law. The more inwardly pure a man is, the
higher his rank and the nobler his station, so much the more arduously he
labours with sincerer performance and a greater fear of God."

In this sense, Sufism is a purely Islamic discipline which builds up the
character and inner life of the Muslims by imposing certain ordinances and
duties, obligations and impositions, which may not be abandoned in any way
by any man. The Prophet Muhammad was sent to "instruct" mankind "in
Scripture and Wisdom and to sanctify them."

The Sufis keep these "instructions" before their eyes; strive their utmost
to perform what has been prescribed for them to do; and to discharge what
they have been called upon to do subsequent to that prescription. God says;
"*And those who fight strenuously for Us We will surely guide them into Our
way.*"

And again:

"*Oh ye who believe! Do your duty to God, seek the means of approach unto
Him and strive with might and main in His cause: that ye may prosper.*"

Believing in these exhortations the great Sufi Yahya has said; "the spirit
of gnosis will never reach thy heart, so long as there is a duty owing to
God which thou hast not discharged!" Thus Sufism, in the words of Abu' Ali
al Rudhbari is "giving one's lust the taste of tyranny" and "journeying in
the pathway of the Holy Prophet."

Now I shall consider the definitions of Sufism, which lay stress on building
[an] inner life. What is meant by 'inner life' itself [will] be made clear
later.

Junayd has defined a Sufi as "dead to himself and alive in God." He passes
away from what belongs to himself and persists through what belongs to God.
When he is 'dead' in relation to his own self, he becomes 'alive' in his
relation to the self of God.

Husayn b. Mansur al Hallaj thinks that a Sufi is, "singular in his being, he
neither accepts anybody nor does anybody accept him." He feels the immediate
Presence of God alone within and senses the Presence of God without and his
mental faculty gets rid of the thought of anything save God and is totally
captivated by God:

The eye does not see anything except God!
Predication of everything is of Him only.

When 'Amr b. 'Uthman-Makki was asked the meaning of Sufism, he replied: "A
Sufi is alive to the value of time and is given every moment to what that
moment demands."

O votary of earthly idols feign,
Why let those veils of flesh enwrap thy brain?
Tis folly to pursue a host of loves;
A single heart can but one love contain! (*Jami*)

When Abu Muhammad Ruwaym was asked to define Sufism, he said: "Sufism is
nothing else save submitting one's own self to the will of God. A Sufi
becomes dead to his self-will and God Almighty's will alone enters [into]
him and as a consequence of it, he has no wish of his own, neither does he
want, desire or yearn for anything. In the words of Shaykh Jilani [this] now
becomes: "At rest in body, contented in mind, broad chested, his face
beaming with the light of God, with an enlightened heart and oblivious of
all things due to his nearness with God."

Ma' aruf Karkhi defines Sufism as: "The grasping of realities and
disappointment from what is in the hands of people." When the truth is
revealed to the Sufi that really God Almighty alone can inflict pain and
bestow blessing, He alone can resuscitate and deal death to us, He alone is
the Creator, the Cherisher, he becomes blind to every other thing except
Him. In calamity and in affluence, he considers God Almighty alone to be the
real agent, the real doer, and does not accept any other being as cause or
instrument.

Shibli says: "A Sufi is severed from the world (*Khalq*) and connected with
God (*Haqq*) alone, as God Almighty had said to Moses, "*I have chosen thee
for Myself (for service) and have disconnected thee from others.*" Later
addressing Moses He said: "*By no means canst thou see Me*."

The same meaning is conveyed by what Dhu'l-Nun said: "Sufis are those who
preferred God Almighty to all things; and liked Him, God Almighty, too,
then, preferred them to all things and liked them."

The [goal] and aim of a Sufi's life is God alone; he loves God alone; [the
Sufi's] thinking, meditation and prayer are for God alone. He is ever
ignorant of everything save God and when he thinks of God alone his mind is
purified, and in this sense, he finds himself attached to God and
disconnected with everything save God. He is totally captivated by God
alone!

Of my soul's union with this fleshly frame
Of life and death,
Thou art the end and aim.
I pass away:
Thou only dost endure
When I say "me", it is "the" I mean to name

If you think over the above definitions of Sufism, you will have to admit
that its teachings are limited not only to purification of the will and
senses, but it also confers on us nearness to God as a consequence of which
a Sufi having lost his sense of self-subsistence loses himself in the
self-subsistence of God. He feels the immediate Presence of God within *(yaft)
*and senses the Presence of God without (*shuhud*). His knowledge and
actions are guided by God alone.

The first step of a Sufi is to teach a traveller on the path how to get
release from the clutches of desire or lust (*hawa*), how to emerge out of
his own individual sphere of knowledge and enter into the knowledge of God.
This part of the Sufi teaching is the same, which is imparted by the *
Shari'at*. It's gist could be expressed in these words: God alone is our
deity (*Illah*) i.e. He alone is our Master, Our Lord and our Helper. We
worship God alone and Him alone we ask for help in all our wants and
desires: "*Thee (alone) do we worship and Thee (alone) do we ask for help*."
[Qur'an 1:5]

From the viewpoint of worship and help, we are cut off from everything save
God and we express our humility and subjection before Him alone. This
conviction in the Supremacy and Lordship of God Almighty purifies man of all
the baser attributes and embellishes him with all the other nobler qualities
-- his heart is freed from unbelief, false worship, hypocrisy, innovation
and sins and is filled with faith, unification, truth and virtue. To begin
with, Sufism means this sanctification of heart only. The same has been
spoken of in the preceding definitions by eminent Sufis as "Purity of
Character," "building up good habits and the purification of heart from all
evil desires and passions." It has been also described as "good manners."

When the Islamic faith imparts to us the knowledge that God alone is our
deity, [that] He alone we should worship and He alone we should ask for
help, the question then necessarily arises in our mind, 'Where should we
seek this God whom we worship and before whom we express our humility and
subjection?' Truly speaking, Sufism gives a reply to the above question in
the light of the Qur'an and the Prophet's traditions, and it is also called
"the knowledge of the nearness of God." (*Ilm-i-qurb*).

Really Sufism is nothing but this knowledge only. The Sufi who is conversant
with the 'knowledge of nearness' knows the secret of the relation between *
Haqq* and *Khalq*, God and the phenomenal things, the secret of nearness and
proximity, immanence and transcendence, Firstness and Lastness, Outwardness
and Inwardness of God with the phenomenal things. Not only does he know this
secret but he feels the immediate Presence of God within his own self. Now
he is dead to his self and consequently we can call him the one whom God has
drawn near to Him (*muqarrab)*. Note in Sura 56 (*waq'ia)* in the Qur'an,
men are sorted out into three classes:

1. The companions of the Right Hand (*Ashab-al-Maimana*).
2. The companions of the Left Hand (*Ashab-al-Mash'ama*).
3. Those nearest to God (*Muqarrabun*).

The companions of the Right Hand are "Those who believe in the Unseen," are
"steadfast in prayer" and "have assurance of the Hereafter" in their hearts.
The companions of the Left Hand are "those who reject faith and go after
false gods." The Qur'an describes them as "*those who bartered guidance for
error*" and "*have lost their true direction.*"

This classification is, thus, according to the knowledge out of which spring
their actions, knowledge of the right path and knowledge of the wrong path.
But who are the "*Muqarrabun*?" They are just not the companions of the
Right Hand only - otherwise they would have not been placed in the separate
category. The Sufis believe that it is just another name for those who are
not only on the right path guided by their Lord, but also know the right
relation between the "*Haqq*" and "*Khalq*" or between the Creator and the
created, between God and man.

To be more explicit, those who regard their Creator as their "*Ilah*" or
Deity and worship Him alone and ask for His help alone and believe that
there is none other than He [Him Who is] worthy of our devotion and able to
help us, are called in Qur'an the Companions of the Right Hand. And those
who regard some created beings as their Deities and worship them and seek
their aid, thus rejecting the faith which lays down that God alone is our
Cherisher and Sustainer, are termed the Companions of the left. The *
Muqarrabun* are those who not only believe their Creator as their only Deity
and worship Him alone and seek for His help alone, but also know the true
relationship that exists between them and their Creator. They have been
promised "Rest and Peace and a Garden of Bliss."

Thus the great Sufi Sheikh Shahabuddin Suharwardi in his famous Sufi
Compendium '*Awarif-al-Maarif*' (Chapter I) holds that though the term
'Sufi' is not used in the Holy Qur'an, the word "*Muqarrab*" connotes the
same meaning, which is expressed by the term Sufi.

A little later, once again he makes explicit: "know that by the word Sufis
we imply "*Muqqarabun"* only, those whom God draws nearer to Himself."

Now you have read a very brief account of the knowledge of those 'nearest to
God' (*Muqarrabun*); you will read its details in the third chapter of this
book. This knowledge is concerned with the "Secret of the Omnipresence of
God." The Qur'an and the traditions definitely prove that the 'essences' of
created beings are the 'other' of God. The relation between the Creator and
the created, is not one of 'identity but is definitely that of  "otherness",
things created are the 'other' of their Creator. "Then will ye fear other
than God?" "Is there a Creator other than God?" In spite of this
'otherness', the omnipresence, proximity, immanence, 'firstness' and
'lastness,' 'outwardness' or 'inwardness' of God, (or in the terminology of
Sufis "identity") too, is indisputably posited by the Qur'an and the
Traditions. Apparently this would seem rather contradictory. We will have to
consider it in the light of the Qur'an and the Traditions and remove the
contradiction. Sufism (The mystical knowledge of the nearness of God or '*
Ilm-i­qurb'*) removes this contradiction and proves -- proves by the words
of God Almighty -- proves by the commentary of His Prophet --  that the
essences of phenomenal things before their creation, subsist in the Divine
Knowledge, are the objects of God's Knowledge, are the Ideas of God and are
definitely the 'other' of their Knower, the Creator. For the 'essences' of
things form, determination, limitation, individualization are necessary. God
is free from these limitations or determinations --is not a form. Being or
existence does not belong to us. It belongs to God alone. We possess
attributes of non-existence, and God Almighty is gifted with the superlative
attributes of existence. Having no existence and existential attributes we
possess no activity of our own. God alone is active, the only agent or doer.

In spite of all that was said above it is possible to position us what
belongs to God, e.g. Being, *Anniyya* (self-consciousness) attributes,
actions etc. How, then, those aspects of God Almighty were related to the
essences of created beings and how was limitation caused in them? Because it
is quite clear that all these aspects are certainly found in us with the
only difference that these are perfect, absolute and eternal for God and
imperfect, limited and contingent for us. The explanation and the answers to
these important questions in the light of the Qur'an and the Traditions form
the subject matter of Sufism and you will find an exhaustive discussion of
these topics in this book.

Knowing all this, the Sufi (or *Muqarrab*) becomes aware of his 'poverty' (*
faqr*). He begins to realize that kingdom and power, actions and attributes
and existence really belong to God Almighty alone and that according to all
these aspects he is a 'pauper' . . . a 'supplicant'! (*Faqir)*.

*O mankind! Ye are the supplicants in your relation to Allah! He is the All
Sufficient, the Owner of Praise.*" [Qur'an 35:15]

Therefore he now sees that God alone is the Living - outwardly and inwardly,
the "Living and the Self-subsisting Eternal." He alone is the Knower and the
Powerful - outwardly and inwardly. It is He alone who has Knowledge and
Power. He alone is the Hearer and the Seer outwardly and inwardly. "*He
alone is the One who heareth and seeth.*"

By this distinction of his "poverty" he automatically gains the distinction
of "trust" (*amanat*); he begins to see that *huwiyya *(ipseity)
*anniya*(I-ness) and attributes and actions are found in him as a
'trust' Therefore,
the Sufi exists through the Existence of God alone, lives through His life
alone and knows through His Knowledge alone. Through His will and power he
has power and will, hears through His hearing alone, sees through His sight
and speaks through His speech. The Tradition of the Proximity of
Supererogation (*Qurb-i-Nawafil*) is aptly applicable to him in which is
explained:

"*My servant continually seeks to win my favour by worlds of supererogation
until I love him; and when I love him, I am to him an ear and an eye and a
hand. Through Me he hears and through Me he sees and through Me he takes.*"

and according to some traditions:

"*I am to him a heart and a tongue, through Me he understands and through Me
he speaks.*"

Thus it may be said that God becomes the hands, feet, and ears of a Sufi and
probably the same meaning is expressed by Junayd when he said "God causes
you to be dead to yourself and makes you alive in Himself." Then alone he
will be able to say:

*"*I bear only the name for its own sake, the rest is He alone.*"*

He has no life of his own, nor any being, but only as he lives in Him and
He, by His Spirit, lives in him. Because God is, he is, without Him, he
feels; he can do nothing and is nothing, not even a memory! Now realizing
his innate nature and being confirmed in the knowledge of his "poverty" (*
faqr)* the Sufi regards all created beings as dead and thus "total
disappointment from what is in the hands of the people" is created in his
mind. He regards God Almighty alone as the doer and submits himself to the
will of God. (*vide* Ruwaym's definition of Sufism above).

You will find an explanation of all these statements of mine and their
vindication by the Qur'an and the Traditions in the following Chapters. As
Junayd has aptly remarked about Sufism: "Our system of doctrine is firmly
bound up with the dogmas of Faith, the Qur'an and the Traditions" and that
which is refuted by the Qur'an and the traditions is nothing but heresy!

There are two causes of heresy being mixed up with Sufism:

1: Peripateticism [Aristotelianism]
2: Neo-platonism

(1) After going through Aristotle and the works of other Greek Philosophers
the later authors crammed Greek Logic and Philosophy in the orthodox
Scholasticism (*kalam*) and instead of refuting those objections and doubts
raised against Islamic doctrines by the opponents, themselves began to
examine theological doctrines and busied themselves in judging them by the
standard of theoretical reasoning. Differences of opinion are sure to arise
among the devotees of 'pure reason', that is why the history of philosophy
is replete with contradictions and inconsistencies. Since the very beginning
there were two parties among the Scholastics of Islam *viz.* the Ash'arites
and the Mu'tazilites. The earlier Ash'arites made their reasoning
subservient to Divine knowledge and during their time those dogmas alone
were accepted which were supported by the Qur'an and the Traditions.

Greek Philosophy and Logic did not find their way in them. But they laid
special emphasis on the fact that the Mu'tazilites should be refuted, so
that the common people may not fall  prey to their wiles. The Mu'ta­zilites
(who are one of the groups of the followers of Wasil bin 'Ata, and excepting
the question of *Imamate*, the Shi'ites, too, in most of the tenets, agree
with the Mu'tazilites) made their doctrines totally subservient to
theoretical reasoning. The result was "that thrown into the wide sea and
utter freedom of Greek thought, their ideas expanded to the bursting point
and more even than a German metaphysician, they lost touch of the ground of
ordinary life, with its reasonable probabilities, and were swinging loose on
a wild hunt after ultimate truth, wielding as their weapons definitions and
syllogism."

As regards the problem of the relation between the Creator and the created,
the Mu'tazilites denied the omnipresence of God with created beings, because
pure reason led them to believe that if the omnipresence of God be admitted
with the created beings, then by the divisibility of the created being it
would necessarily follow that the Being of the Creator, too, is divisible.
Further it would mean that God's Being is capable of incarnation and
identification and this is clearly denying the transcendence of God. That is
the reason why they interpreted in their own way all the Quranic verses in
which encompassment, omnipresence, proximity and immanence are clearly
described. By doing so they thought that encompassment etc. should be in
knowledge only.

The late Ash'arites, too, with a view to making God's transcendence safe,
made use of this sort of interpretation. But the truth is that in the
Qur'an, we find verses of transcendence and verses of immanence in
abundance. To believe in one and reject the other is the way of those who
deny God and His apostles, as indicated by the Qur'an. The great Sufis have
diverted our attention towards this fact. In this book you will find the
true creed of transcendence and immanence and unless the right creed is
adopted the true understanding of the Qur'an and the Traditions is
impossible.

(2) When neo-platonism found its way in[to] Sufism, its first consequence
was that the "otherness" (*gairiat*) of objects was denied. The 'otherness'
of the created things is clearly emphasized in the Qur'an.

Under the influence of the teaching of Plotinus, phenomenal things were
regarded not as other than God but identical with Him. God alone is, and
other than God, in essence as well as in existence, is merely non-existent!
"Everything is He" (*hama ost*)! The necessary outcome of the negation of
the 'essence' of things and 'otherness of things was heresy and *ibahat *(
i.e. regarding everything as permissible). There was now no further need of
following the* Shari'at* (The Law), the antithesis of the Law and the Path (
*Tariqat)* was presented for the first time and thus a campaign was launched
to throw off the yoke of the Islamic Code.

[The] Islamic Code was regarded as the creed of the imperfect, it was
considered unnecessary for the Perfect to follow it; even the very
conception of any other being save God was impossible. *Shari'at *is
compulsory [in]sofar as one has to admit 'otherness' when 'otherness' has
been got[ten] rid of and God alone remained, there is no need to follow
Shari'at. "To follow beauty is the work of women and to follow majesty that
of men." The science of *Shari'at *is "book knowledge" (*Ilm-i-Safina*) but
the Science of *Tariqat* is "heart knowledge" (*Ilm-i-Sina)* which is
bequeathed from one mind to another since aeons, it is arcane secret - a
veiled mystery. Further details of these wild rhapsodies and a satisfactory
refutation of them are given in Chapter IV of this book.

Another consequence of neo-platonism was that the thing, which was not the
sole object, began to be regarded as such and the real object was totally
overlooked. Now higher achievements which are merely the necessary effects
and are born by themselves began to be regarded as the sole object: ecstasy
and 'states', 'clairvoyant illuminations' and 'control (*tasarruf*),
'miraculous powers' and 'true dreams' etc. were considered to be the sole
end or aim of a *salik *(a traveller on the Path) and they were regarded as
a characteristic symbol of holiness and piety. For the attainment of these
feats unwarranted exercises and practices came in vogue, to learn and to be
initiated in such sciences even the yogis and sanyasis were not spared. Thus
a hodgepodge of Indian rites, Greek theories and ideas too kits birth which
was known as Islamic Mysticism of Sufism. The object underlying it was to
possess extraordinary psychic powers and remarkable feats. The desire of
attaining this supernatural power originated in the mind merely to show off
one's superiority among people and to captivate their hearts. But real
Sufism, as you have read in the foregoing paragraphs, consists in steering
clear of lusts and sinful desires and in realizing the Immediate Presence of
God! It teaches us to be dead to self and attain everlasting life in God.
How on earth could it have any relation with the so-called Islamic
Mysticism!

*"*Here is the candle extinguished and
there the living lamp of the Sun!
Do mark the difference between
the one and the other! (Hafiz)"

There is a vivid and lucid description of real Islamic Mysticism in this
book, the object of which is the attainment of *abdiat* and the upshot of
which is the realization of the Immediate Presence of God. The source of
this Sufism is the Holy Qur'an and the Traditions of the Holy Prophet
Muhammad (P.B.U.H). Probably for the first time it is presented to you with
such lucidity and logical sequence. Some of the important points of the
chapters of this book were orally explained to me by the perfect mystic, my
master, Maulana Muhammad Husayn. Every line of this book is supported by the
Qur'an and the Traditions; it has also the support of the great Muslim
Saints, though I did not deem it necessary to give references of their
works. It would benefit the righteous person alone who has been blessed with
true insight into religion, who has made his reasoning subservient to God
Almighty's knowledge and who regards the Qur'an and the Traditions the only
criterion of right and wrong.

He who understands what I say, has no flaw in his insight.
No one can understand me except the one who is gifted with insight.

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