Islam & Sufism

Shariah and Tariqah

What does Islam mean?

Islam means submitting to God’s Will and accepting that there is no God but one God and Muhammad is the Messenger of God, peace and blessings upon him, as are Jesus, Moses, Abraham, Noah and Adam, peace be upon them all.

What is faith according to Islam?

Faith is believing in:

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One God

That He is unlike his creation and cannot be imagined, he is free from time, space, direction, He always Was, Is, and Will Be, He is the Supreme Lord Majesty and the Sole owner of all created things, He is alone, has no partner, no parents, siblings or children, He is the holder of all power and has no enemy, His attributes are only His and belong to no other, He gives life and takes it, The All powerful, The All Merciful, The Most Compassionate, The All Knowing, The Greatest, He is known by his divine name “ALLAH”

and In the existence of spiritual beings known as angels In the revelations of God (the Testaments), the Psalms revealed to David, the Torah sent down to Moses, the New Testament brought to Jesus and the Last Testament, Qur’an brought to Muhammad (peace be upon them all) and all the prophets that were sent as mercy to mankind and belief in The Judgement Day and Resurrection and The Divine Decree (destiny)

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What is Sufism?

Sufism is the way of purifying the heart from bad manners and characteristics, the way of sincere devotion and submission to God based on pure characteristics and the pursuit to life in perfect harmony and balance in accordance to God’s law, Sufism is a way that defines the striving and devotion of the prophets of Allah and the examples of the friends of Allah. Sufism is a method to wake the inner self, to open the dimensions of the heart and not just simply to focus upon the exterior.

The following two traditions (hadith) of the Prophet ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) are often cited as the best description of the true Sufi path. 

Firstly, a companion Abu Hurayrah narrated that Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) had said: “Allah said: ‘I will declare war against him who shows hostility to a pious worshipper of Mine. And the most beloved things with which My slave comes nearer to Me, is 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. And when I love him, 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, and his leg with which he walks; and if he asks Me, I will give him, and if he asks My protection (refuge), I will protect him; (i.e., give him My refuge) and I do not hesitate to do anything as I hesitate to take the soul of the believer, for he hates death, and I hate to disappoint him.” (Sahih al-Bukhari)

Secondly, Abu Hurayrah also narrated that Allah’s Messenger ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) had said: “Allah said: ‘I am just as My slave thinks I am, (i.e., I am able to do for him what he thinks I can do for him) and I am with him if He remembers Me. If he remembers Me in himself, I too, remember him in Myself; and if he remembers Me in a group of people, I remember him in a group that is better than they; and if he comes one span nearer to Me, I go one cubit nearer to him; and if he comes one cubit nearer to Me, I go a distance of two outstretched arms nearer to him; and if he comes to Me walking, I go to him running.” (Sahih al-Bukhari) - 

The practices of performing obligatory prayers, nawafil and constant zikr (remembrance of Allah) along with the pursuit to perfect the character are all practices performed by all Awliya (friends of Allah (saints)) going back to the Prophet ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him), Sufism relates its chains/paths back through Sayyidina Ali raḍyAllāhu 'anhu (may Allāh be pleased with him) the cousin of the prophet and Sayyidina Abu Bakr As Saddiq raḍyAllāhu 'anhu (may Allāh be pleased with him) the first Khalifa after the prophet ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him). Numerous chains have reach back to the original sources and these are known as Tariqah (orders) of which some are Naqshbandiya, Qadriyya, Chisti, Shadhili and Ba’alwi to name a few.

How is Sufism related to Islam?

It is the path of spirituality that exists in Islam. Its meaning is:

  • Seeking the pleasure of God
  • Love and peace with one’s self
  • Harmony with all creations (mankind, animals, and nature)
  • To be dressed with the beautiful attributes of Prophets and Saints

How does Islam view other religions?

All are vehicles and a path to God’s Divine Presence;
According to Islam, all religions are originally from God the Exalted. With time and man’s weakness, most religions were distorted from their original truth and adopted practicing of idol-worship or other wrong beliefs, which turned people away from worship and adoration of the one true God.
You will find the essence of some other religions embodied in the beliefs of Islam. However the final testament of the word of God was sent down in the form of the Quran to the Final Messenger Prophet Muhammad ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) and so muslims adhere to the teachings of the Quran and Sunnah (life of the prophet).

In recent times in media Islam is often portrayed as a barbaric faith with evil motives and desires, the propaganda of holy war and depicts so called representatives as scary and full of terror. It is a clear misconception however, such people are a very small minority that interpret teachings in a negative manner and use these as a way to justify their personal desires and needs. Islam is a religion of peace and harmony, it respects the value of human beings and the needs of others, it is about helping, supporting and beautifying the lives of people. Islam has comfortably existed for centuries amongst other religions such as Christianity and Judaism, all living happily. studying of history will reveal that
How does one enter Islam?

One enters Islam by believing in one’s heart in the existence of One Lord and believing in Muhammad (peace and blessings upon him) as the last of the Prophets that the Lord has sent throughout history.

What is a Shaykh?

A Shaykh is someone who has inherited what the prophets brought and who is authorized to convey these teachings and secrets to those who take his hand as teacher. A true Shaykh is the one that has mastered his lower self’s bad characteristics through devotion and sincerity towards His Lord. For that reason he is able to guide his students to mastery of their own lower selves, opening the way to reach unlimited potential of their spiritual realities. It is that spiritual reality which allows one to attain 6 powers:

The power of attraction
The power of concentration on the heart
The power of guidance
The power to convey other peoples’s burdens and requests to God
The power to convey blessings

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How does one reach spiritual levels in Sufism?

The main methods of attaining spiritual progress in Sufism are:

  • Following the guidance and instructions of an authorized Shaykh or guide.
  • Performing dhikr, the remembrance of your Lord through reciting his Holy Names and Attributes, glorifying Him and praising the Creator of all.
  • Attending the advice and dhikr gatherings held in the presence of the Shaykh or his representative; sitting together, praying together, welcoming all that come to praise their Lord.

The true complete Shariah and performing obligatory duties towards our Creator.