another complaint!

[Brother_Mujahid]

i'll stay schtum and let the moddys reply :zip:

 

[Nakisai]

why don't we just love each other

 

[sisters of T_M]

Next thing is were not here to advertise the tareeq. Just informing people that such a tareeq of purification exists and if anyones interested then contact us. Purification is something big and we know its not something to joke about with. Alhamdulillah thanks to our sheikh but most of all Allah [swt] we know what is goof and bad for us in this world and who to be awaree of, what you need to do to get the deeds and what you need to avoid from getting the sins.

There should be another column on what sufism is [the good side] not the deviant. Its fair to know what sufism can contain of the good points.


good point sister!

So ppl in this thread can have, what i see, as some what biased opinion on groups such as 'sufis' and what not, but I say at the end of the day we're all muslims

i agree with you brother but it is people who express their feelings to one group and do not let others contribute in this topic. they should think that one might get upset by saying this especially when they cannot express there feelings to it.

why don't we just love each other

inshallah sister we all do love each other for the sake of being all muslims.

 

[Ansar Al-'Adl]

First of all, br. Minaz asked why we can't just call ourselves "muslim", and this is exactly what I agree with, that we don't need to propagate these kind of titles like "sufi" etc. that only divide the Muslim ummah further.

And Ukhti-TM mentioned that there are good things taught by sufis, and I agree completely, that not all sufis are deviated, and some see it as a pious way to achieve spirituality. And I have already clarified that in the article. And we encourage members to always post information on getting closer to Allah, but we don't need to advertise a specific title like "sufi" to do that.

So if anyone has anything else to mention on this topic, please mention it, if not then the issue is resolved and we can close the thread (as is standard procedure with resolved issues).

 

[sisters of T_M]

these are views on sufism from some of the pious and righteous saints in the past.

Imam Abu Hanifa (r) (85 H.-150 H) said, "If it were not for two years, I would have perished. For two years I accompanied Sayyidina Jacfar as-Sadiq and I acquired the spiritual knowledge that made me a knower in the Way."

The book Ad-Durr al-Mukhtar, vol 1. p. 43, mentions that Ibn cAbideen said, "Abi Ali Dakkak, one of the sufi saints, received his path from Abul Qassim an-Nasarabadi, who received it from ash-Shibli, who received it from Sariyy as-Saqati who received it from Macruf al-Karkhi, who received it from Dawad at-Ta'i, who received the knowledge, both the external and the internal, from the Imam Abu Hanifa (r), who was supporting the Sufi Spiritual Path." The Imam said before he died:, "Were it not for a certain two years, Nucman [i.e. myself] would have perished." There were the last two years of his life, when he began accompanying Jacfar as-Sadiq (q).

Imam Malik (94-179 H./716-795 CE)
Imam Malik (r) said, "Whoever studies jurisprudence [fiqh] and didn't study Sufism (tasawwuf) will be corrupted; and whoever studied tasawwuf and didn't study fiqh will become a heretic; and whoever combined both will be reach the Truth." This saying is mentioned and explained in the book of the scholar 'Ali al-Adawi with the explanation of Imam Abil-Hassan, a scholar of fiqh, vol. 2, p. 195.

Imam Shafici (150-205 H./767-820 CE)
Imam Shafici said, "I accompanied the Sufi people and I received from them three knowledges:

1. they taught me how to speak
2. they taught me how to treat people with leniency and a soft heart.
3. they guided me in the ways of Sufism."

This is mentioned in the books, Kashf al-Khafa and Muzid al-Albas, by Imam 'Ajluni, vol. 1, p. 341.

Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal (164-241 H./780-855 CE)
Imam Ahmad (r) said, advising his son, "O my son, you have to sit with the People of Sufism, because they are like a fountain of knowledge and they keep the Remembrance of Allah in their hearts. They are the ascetics and they have the most spiritual power." This is explained in the book Tanwir al-Qulub, p. 405, by Shaikh Amin al-Kurdi.

Imam Ahmad said about the Sufis, as mentioned in the book Ghiza al-Albab, vol. 1, p. 120, "I don't know any people better than them."

Imam al-Muhasibi (d. 243 H./857 CE)
Imam al-Muhasibi reported that the Prophet (s) said, "My Nation is going to split into 73 divisions and only one of them will be the Group of Salvation." And Allah knows best that the Group is the people of Tasawwuf. He went deeply into the explanation of that subject, in the book Kitab al-Wasiya p. 27-32.

Imam al-Qushayri (d. 465 H./1072 CE)
Imam al-Qushayri said about Sufism, "Allah made this group the best of His saints and He honored them above all of His Servants after His Messengers and Prophets, and He made their hearts the secrets of His Divine Presence and He chose them from among the Nation to receive His Lights. They are the means of humanity. He cleaned them from all connnections to this world, and He lifted them to the highest states of vision. And He unveiled to them the Realities of His Unique Oneness. He made them to observe His Will operating in them. He made them to shine in His Existence and to appear as Lights of His Lights." [ar-Risalat al-Qushayriyya, p. 2]

Imam Ghazali (450-505 H./1058-1111 CE)
Imam Ghazali, hujjat ul-Islam, the Proof of Islam, said about Sufism, "I knew to be true that the Sufis are the seekers in Allah's Way, and that their conduct is the best conduct, and their way is the best way, and their manners are the most sanctified. They have cleaned their hearts from other than Allah and they have made them as pathways for rivers to run receiving knowledge of the Divine Presence." [al-Munqidh min ad-dalal, p. 131].

Imam Nawawi (620-676 H./1223-1278 CE)
Imam Nawawi said, in his Letters, al-Maqasid, "The specifications of the Way of the Sufis are five:

To keep the Presence of Allah in your heart in public and in private;
To follow the Sunnah of the Prophet (s) by actions and speech;
To keep away from dependence on people;
To be happy with what Allah gives you, even if it is little;
To always refer your matters to Allah, Almighty and Exalted." [Maqasid at-Tawhid, p. 20]
Imam Fakhr ad-Din ar-Razi (544-606 H./1149-1209 CE)
Imam Fakhr ad-Din ar-Razi said, "The way the Sufis seek Knowledge is to disconnect themselves from this worldly life, and keep themselves constantly busy in their mind and in their heart, with Dhikrullah, during all their actions and behaviors." [Ictiqadat Furaq al-Musliman, p. 72, 73]

Ibn Khaldun (733-808 H./1332-1406 CE)
Ibn Khaldun said, "The way of the Sufis is the way of the Salaf, the Scholars among the Sahaba, Tabiceen, and Tabic at-Tabiceen. Its origin is to worship Allah and to leave the ornaments of this world and its pleasures." [Muqaddimat ibn Khaldan, p. 328]

Tajuddin as-Subki
Tajuddin as-Subki (r) mentioned in his book Muceed an-Naceem, p. 190, under the chapter entitled Sufism, "May Allah praise them and greet them and may Allah make us to be with them in Paradise. Too many things have been said about them and too many ignorant people have said things which have no relation to them. And the truth is that they have left dunya and are busy with worship."

He said, "They are the People of Allah, whose duca and prayers Allah accepts, and by means of whom Allah supports human beings."

Jalaluddin as-Suyuti
He said in his book Ta'yad al-haqiqat al-cAliyya, p. 57, "Sufism in itself is the best and most honorable knowledge. It explains how to follow the Sunnah of the Prophet (s) and to leave innovation."

Ibn Taymiyya (661-728 H./1263-1328 CE)
In Majmaca Fatawa Ibn Taymiyya, published by Dar ar-Rahmat, Cairo, Vol, 11, page 497, Book of Tasawwuf, Ibn Taymiyya says: "You have to know that the rightly-guided shaikhs must be taken as guides and examples in the Dan, as they are following in the footsteps of the Prophets and Messengers. The Way (tariqat) of those shaikhs is to call people to Allah's Divine Presence and obedience to the Prophet."

Ibn Taymiyya says on page 499 of the same volume: "The shaikhs whom we need to take as guides are our examples and we have to follow them. As when on the Hajj (the pilgrimage), one needs a guide (dalal) to reach the Kacba, these shaikhs are our guide (dalal) to Allah and our Prophet (s)."

Among the shuyukh he mentioned are: Ibrahim ibn Adham, Macruf al-Karkhi, Hasan al-Basri, Rabia al-Adawiyya, Junaid ibn Muhammad, Shaikh Abdul Qadir Jilani, Shaikh Ahmad ar-Rafa'i, and Shaikh Bayazid al- Bistami.

Ibn Taymiyya quotes from Bayazid al-Bistami on page 510, Volume 10: "...the great Sufi shaikh, Bayazid al-Bistami, and the famous story of when he saw God in a vision (kashf) and said to Him: 'O Allah what is the way to You?' And Allah responded, 'Leave yourself and come to Me.'" Ibn Taymiyya continues quoting Bayazid al-Bistami, "I shed my self as a snake sheds its skin."

Implicit in this quotation is an indication of the need for zuhd (self-denial or abstention from the worldly life), as that was the path followed by Bayazid al-Bistami.

So we see from the above quotes, that Ibn Taymiyya was accepting many shaikhs by quoting them and urging people to follow guides to show the way to obey God and to obey the Prophet (saw).

In sum, Sufism, in the present as in the past, is the effective means for spreading the reality of Islam, extending the knowledge and understanding of spirituality, and fostering happiness and peace. With it man can find himself and, in so doing, find his Lord. With it man can improve, transform, and elevate himself, and find salvation from the ignorance of this world and its misguided pursuit of some materialistic fantasy. And Allah knows best what he intends for his servants.

 

[Ansar Al-'Adl]

Shall we play the game of throwing sectarian articles at each other? Half the stuff in your article was misquotations of a number of great shuyukh.

WHAT THE ISLAAMIC SCHOLARS HAVE SAID ABOUT SUFISM

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 and the son of a well known scholar, 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 (s.a.w.s) is more beloved to us, and the Prophet (s.a.w.s) 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 Sahâbah, 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 practice to fall out and act dumb-struck), Ibn Taymiyah (R) says:

"This was not found to occur amongst the Sahâbah, 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 criticised that since they saw that it was An innovation and contrary to what they knew from the manners of the Sahâbah." [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 (s.a.w.s) when some of the Sahâbah 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 (s.a.w.s) he said: "What is wrong with a people who say such and such. But rather I fast 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-Bukhaaree and Muslim). Furthermore, the innovation of living like monks (monasticism) is forbidden in the Qur'an. He said:

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

However, when the Prophet (s.a.w.s) 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 exercises 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 imposition of hardship upon themselves and for their going beyond bounds of abstemiousness to the point of self torture:

"So this self deprivation which went beyond bounds, which we have been forbidden from, has been turned around by the Sufis of our time, i.e.. the sixth century, so that they have become as desirous 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 Iblees].

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 predominance that the Sufi orders have 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 .

There are many scholars who declared ibn Arabi to be a disbeliever then one of the Imaams of his time, al-Allaamah Burhaan ad-Deen al-Baqaa`ee [809-885H] authored a work entirely devoted to this in which he mentions the names and statements of tens of scholars from the time of ibn Arabi to his time who declared him to be a disbeliever. He mentions even more who declared him to be a deviant and worse - some of them sufis themselves. Insha`Allaah I will mention a few of them here and the interested reader can refer to the aforementioned book for more detail. The name of the book is ‘Tanbeeh al-Ghabbi ilaa takfeer ibn Arabee’

Ibn Arabi said concerning the worshippers of the cow at the time of Moses (AS) as in his ‘Fusoos’ (pg. 192), "Moses (AS) was more knowledgeable of this matter than Haaroon because he knew what the Companions of the Cow (truly) worshipped. This is because he knew that Allaah had decreed that none was to be worshipped save Him Alone and that when Allaah decrees a thing it must occur. Therefore when Moses censured his brother Haaroon it was because of Haaroon rejecting (what the Companions of the Cow did) and his inability to truly comprehend it. For the Gnostic is the one who sees the Truth (Allaah) in everything, indeed he sees the Truth to be everything."

[Therefore ibn Arabee thought that the action of these people was correct because what they were worshipping was in reality Allaah!! Refuge is sought with Allaah]

(1). Zayn ad-Deen al-Iraaqee [the teacher of ibn Hajr al-Asqalaanee] said, "these words are disbelief from the one who utters them due to a number of reasons…"

It is known that ibn Arabee believed that Pharaoh was correct when he said ‘I am your lord most high’ as in Fusoos (pg. 210).

Al-Iraaqee said, "his saying concerning the statement of Pharaoh, ‘I am your lord most high’ that it was correct for him to say that…there is not doubt that the one who says this statement, and it is authentic that he said it while possessing his intelligence and not being coerced then he is a kaafir…"

(2). The son of Al-Iraaqee, Imaam Walee ad-Deen Ahmad al-Iraaqee said under the twenty first issue of his ‘Fataawaa al-Makkiyyah,’ "there is no doubt in including the Fusoos that is famous from him amongst the clear and explicit disbelief. The same applies to his ‘Futoohaat al-Makkiyyah.’ If these books are truly written by him (ibn Arabee) and he believed in what he wrote when he died then he is a kaafir who will remain for eternity in Hellfire. There is no doubt concerning this."

(3). Ibn Sayyid an-Naas and ibn Daqeeq al-Eid and other scholars all mention from their shaykh al-Izz bin Abdis Salaam (who was contemporary to ibn Arabee) that he said about him, "an evil shaykh, a liar." This was mentioned by adh-Dhahabee via many routes.

(4). Abu Hayyaan [b. 654H] in his famous tafseer under aayah 5:17

(5, 6). Ibn Hajr and his Shaykh al-Balqeenee. Ibn Hajr says in his biography to ibn al-Faarid in his ‘Lisaan al-Meezaan,’ "I asked our Shaykh Siraaj ad-Deen al-Balqeenee about ibn al-Arabee and he promptly replied that he was a kaafir."

(7). Al-Haafidh adh-Dhahabee, "and how would it be if the Shaykh (i.e. Sayf ad-Deen Alee al-Hareeree, the Sufi) saw the words of ibn Arabee which are pure kufr and heresy, he would say ‘this is the Dajjaal that is awaited.’"

He also said, "if his (ibn Arabees) words are not kufr then there is no kufr in the world."

(8).Ibn Taymiyyah as is well known from him.

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

Now evidently, if you continue to throw sectarian articles out, you are telling me you have no further useful information to contribute to the discussion.