Salamualaykum, I see Al Madani has already been disproving the following statement from Laith Al-Doory, however, there are a few other refutations which my mind naturally springs to, that I can provide. My mind is not so trained in a Muslim education, yet also is in full agreement with Qur'an and other Ahadith, so it is worthy to contrast my refutation with that of an educated Muslim.
A mystic is not an ordinary person but somebody who has developed an intuitive faculty to a high degree giving him an inner sense of knowing. To disparage mysticism is to disparage every holy person that ever lived.
The Qur'an is a mystical book that requires interpretation. The question arises as to who's word can be trusted to give that interpretation. Mainstream Muslims would argue that the Hadith provides the answers. However, the Hadith was not transcribed by Mohammed and for the most part was not written by mystics, but by ordinary people prone to lies, bigotry and irrationality. Nevertheless, many mainstream Muslims quote the Hadith as if it were holy text.
First I agree that a person named as a Mystic is not an ordinary person. Usually the reason anybody is labelled as a Mystic, is because other persons can not fathom how they are sustaining Islam. Sometimes that is why we are cautious of every matter of any mystical nature, it just seems impossible and so we assume a lie. In fact there are texts in mystical traditions, such as the Kalama Sutra of Buddhism, which instruct us not to believe that any phenomenon is Holy only because of its Mystery. So while a Mystic is not ordinary, a real Mystic always resembles and presents their self as normally as can possibly be attained.
Laith Al-Doory writes that a mystic, being un-ordinary, is rather: "developed an intuitive faculty to a high degree which give him an inner sense of knowing", but here I have to disagree. The "Intuition" is not a well enough defined word to use. What is intuitive to me, might be against all wants to another person, and so if you say that intuition defines a mystical tradition, then you invite those persons whom intuitively want to sin to acquire empathy with real Holy men.
The wisdom held in Judaism about mysticism is a reference to the wonderment of witnessing miracle.
Please beware of confusing that real traditional worth with those whom seek only to imitate it.
About what you tell of Ahadith, you ought to get your facts straight. Ahadith is all very rigorously well documented as the exact words of Mohammed. We can equate Ahadith to having actual documentary evidence of every word spoken by a figure like Moses: what enormous value these sentences must be regarded in. Whose regard the sentences of Ahadith are being held by, is what ever defines the nature of as less than Holy.
You write that Qur'an is mystical, and therefore requires interpretation. But therein you are forgetting the nature of Prayer. Is it not the truth that really valuable intuition is engaged through Prayer, or mediation being the same mental state.
What is unique among all Religions to Islam, is that a facility has opened within Human mental processing, which enables any person to enter into that Prayerful state of mind as a Mystic. For one man he might be able to be in that state of mind 24 hours a day by nature, yet for another, he need bow down with an Imam within Mosque to be so able. Yet Islam teaches that the beneficience of that state of mind need be provided into the experience of every individual. While I am stable in that state of mind constantly, I can thereby, because the state of mind has been made available to every Muslim, begin to learn why, and understand the condition, in which other persons find it difficult to sustain a stable frame of mind and emotion, when in the full flow of real prayer. So in Islam we all commit to providing for one another, to equal out those balances. It is that because of this process very very many of the early Muslims truly aspired to correcting the Human biological weakness which prevented them before from being equitably able as any Mystic or Holy teacher. That aspriation and the commitment it requires are a frightening thing to acquire certainty of, and Islam is enabling of that fear to be accepted. Islam must be acknowledged by Mystics and teachers of all Religions in this status. The companions of Mohammed ought to by right all be given the same status as any Mystic of Judaic ancestry.
I hope that Laith Al-Doory can recognise now what is real of the difference Islam holds in respect of the nature of the Mystery of Allah.
Alaykumuassalam
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