Sufism history

Sufism history

The spiritual philosophy ‘Sufism’ is called Sufiyat or Tasawuf in Arabic.

Allah Ta’ala says in the Qur’an:
“Avoid open and hidden sins. Surely those who have sinned will soon be punished for what they have done.” (Surah An’am: 120)

From the above verse it is understood that there are two types of deeds related to people namely-
1) Public administration
2) Non-disclosure act

Public practice can be of two types:
a) Positive and appreciative. For example: prayer, fasting, etc.
b) negative. For example: theft-robbery, adultery etc.

In the same way, non-apparent acts can be of two types:
a) Positive and appreciative. For example: modesty, gentleness etc.
b) negative and pejorative. For example: harboring hatred in the heart, pride, bad ideas etc.

Read more: zakat ul fitr

Imam Ghazali (RA) while defining Sufism said, “Sufism is the name of being immersed in the worship of Allah and being completely absorbed in Allah by purifying the soul from all evil other than Allah”.

According to Deobandi scholars, “Education is the main reality of Tasawuf or Sufism. The main purpose is not to become a murid, but to correct or become. Becoming a murid can be compared to institutional admission. One acquires knowledge through institutional admission. Still others are able to acquire knowledge without institutional admission. (Detailed Ahsanul Fatawa-1/546)

The people associated with Tasawuf or Sufism, as well as the old sages, have generally taught people in the light of Quran and Hadith. However, any exaggerated doctrine or method that contradicts the Quran-Hadith is not acceptable.”

According to Sufis, Muhammad SAW. Self-initiator of Sufi philosophy. In favor of the Sufis Rasul. Mentions a hadith which is, “There is a special organ in the human body which if healthy, the whole body will be healthy, and if it is sick, the whole body will be sick. That is Astkarana or Kalab. Know that this soul is purified in the remembrance of Allah”.

The above discussion is a rough idea of Sufism. However, today the believers in Sufism have largely deviated from the basic tenets and practices of Islam due to their extravagant policies.

Beliefs of the Sufis:

Sufis have to attain four levels to attain the highest level of achievement. These are:
A. Shariat
b. marifat
c. Tariqat and
c. hakikat

These are briefly discussed below:

A. Shariat:

Shariah is an Arabic word. It means path or road. The laws of Islam entrusted to us by the Holy Quran and Hadith are called Shariat. In other words, ‘Aqeedah, Ibadat, Akhlaq, transaction and life system provided by the Almighty Allah for the welfare of the servant’s worldly life and the afterlife, is the Islamic Shari’ah.

Almighty Allah has discussed this matter in many places in the holy book Al-Quran. For example, Allah, the Exalted, said, “I have prescribed for each of you a law and a course of action.” (Surah Ma’id 5:48)

Almighty Allah also said, “Then I placed you on a special law of religion. Therefore, you follow it and do not follow the instincts of those who do not know.” (Surah Al Jasiyah 88:18)

Since all provisions of the Islamic life system are Shariat, from personal life to family, social, state and international life, the clear principles of Islam have been indicated in the Quran and Sunnah. However, all those matters which are not described in detail and clearly in the Qur’an and Sunnah, the Shari’ah also includes determining the life system of the human race in the light of the rulings given by Islamic researchers and Imams of Fiqh in the light of the Qur’an and Hadith.

b. marifat:

marifat the Arabic word. Which means education, identity, gaining knowledge etc. Acquiring complete knowledge of a subject through hearing and own experience is called marifat. In Islamic Shari’a, Ma’refat means, “To gain knowledge about the Most Merciful Almighty Allah, the sole claimant of the creation of the world, and His vast creation world.” Having a clear and clear understanding of Allah is the demand of faith.

Marefat is a secret to the Sufs. According to them, “What we do not see and do not know is secret; What we see or recognize is not secret; disclosure According to them, marifat is to know and know oneself, i.e. the destination of one’s body, through the guidance of one’s murshids. Which I have neither seen nor known in the past. And this unseen, unrecognizable, incomprehensible thing through knowing oneself is the name of knowing God, the name of knowing and the name of understanding. In this case they use a fake hadith “He who knows himself, he is able to know his Lord”.

Ma’rifat, in Sufi terms, is a level at which a servant can become aware of the mysteries of creation. If he reaches this level, the secret of human life and the life of creation will become clear to him.

In the language of some Sufis, Ma’refat means Noor Ma’refat or Noor Elahi. That is, to be acquainted with the luminous radiance of the Almighty God, the recognition of the Supreme Being, the holy light of the Son of the Most Loving Almighty God.

It is essential to pass through four levels to reach the aspirational goal of marefat.

1) Iman: Belief in the unseen.
2) Talwa: Indulging in the search for invisible things.
3) Irfan: Gaining knowledge about the unseen subject.
4) Fanafillah: Reaching and rising to invisible things.

c. Tariqat:

Tariqa is an Arabic word. The plural of which is Taraik. The famous Arabic dictionary Lisan al-Araby has written the meaning of Sirat, madhhab, condition. (Lisanul Arab Volume 10-221 pages). There are many other meanings of tarika like method, method, way, road, way, medium, level.

Tariqa to the Sufis
Tariqat is the name of the path that one has to follow in order to pass from Shari’ah to Maraft. When the Shariah followers started following the path of Tariqat, they were called Chalek. A Tariqat-Panthi Salek needs a Dishari or Murshid to navigate the unknown-uncharted path of the Tariqat. Murshid guided him to his destination. Chalek learned many secrets of the world from the Murshids.

It is the duty of Tariqat Panthis to take Bayat from Kamel Pirs or Murshids. Regularly observe the chabak given by his murshids. The murshid informs the murid about the secrets of the tariqat to those who are able to fulfill the conditions given by the pir.

According to the Sufis, the Tariqa consists of seven Arcanum and six Ahkams.

The 7 arcana are:

1) Timely knowledge like knowing Allah.
2) Renunciation of worldly greed and lust.
3) Patience in suffering.
4) Expressing gratitude for Allah’s grace.
5) Fear of Allah in the heart
6) To be immersed in the remembrance of Allah all the time
7) Engaging in meditation on the creator and creation through murakaba.

The 6 six Ahkam of Tariqat are:

1) Profit through Allah.
2) Benevolence.
3) Be persistent in protecting truthfulness.
4) Having strong faith in fortune-telling.
5) Maintaining dependence on Allah.
6) Staying firm while struggling against instinct.

Also getting used to less talk, less sleep and less food, solitary living. The main objective of the Tariqat is to achieve spiritual purity through the development of moral character.

d. Haqiqat:

The word Haqiqat is derived from the word Hakkun and the word Hakikun from Hakikun. The literal meaning of which is real, constant, absolute being, essence etc.
The term Haqiqat means that the absolute truth that can be known is called Haqiqat.
A common Muslim believer understands the real state of a person or thing to mean reality; And the Sufis actually mean the last stage of their pursuit.

According to the erroneous belief of the Sufis, the light that is created in the heart by the proper observance of the practices of the Tariqat is called Haqiqat. He sincerely tastes God’s love and communicates with the Supreme Being. It is the final stage of Sufi practice. When elevated to this level, through Sufi meditation, one’s existence disappears before Allah. In other words, Allah’s qualities develop on him.

An elder who has attained the truth can understand his disciple before he hears them, can read body language, can sense when someone is sick, and can guess people’s minds. He can tell someone’s birth time, birth environment or place, family information, problems etc. He can also see beyond the multidimensional or physical world.

Now let’s discuss in detail the beliefs of the Tariqa followers mentioned in Sufism:

In the eighth century, the practice of asceticism among Christians in the name of spirituality fell on the shoulders of Muslims. A group of people who claim to accept Islam outwardly introduce a new system alongside the Islamic Shariah which they call ‘Tariqa’. Charmonai Pir Syed Md. Fazlul Karim Sahib said that there are 126 Tarikas in the book ‘Vhede Marefat Ba Yade Khoda’. Numerous Sufi schools have emerged in our Indian subcontinent. Some of the following methods are particularly notable among them:

1. Kaderia Tarika
   (Follower of Hazrat Abdul Qadir Jilani R.).
2. Chishtia Tarika
   (Follower of Hazrat Khwaja Mu’inuddin Chishti).
3. Myzvandaria Tarika
   (Follower of Hazrat Ahmad Ullah Maizbhandari).
4. Naqshbandiya Tariqa
   (Follower of Hazrat Khwaja Bahauddin R.).
5. Mujaddidiya Tariqa
   (Follower of Naqshbandi Hazrat Mujaddid-i-Alfe Sani R.) and
6. Suhrawardia Tarika
   (Follower of Hazrat Shihab Uddin Umar Suhrawardy).

Just as Hindu and Christian priests set up ashrams or mathas away from the locality to shelter their devotees, they also built their own abodes under various names, such as khankas, dargahs, shrines and darbars. The founders of these tariqas have formulated the azkar of ziqi in their own words and tariqahs and advise their followers to practice them regularly. Some sects (Majvandaria) preach Hinduism, Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, all religions as correct. In the name of their pirs, falsely informed Shirkis wrote books with karamat which forced the murids to read daily in the name of Azifar. Ajgubi style of ceremonies (Urus, Milad, Fatehkhani) alienates Muslims from Islam.

A fabricated belief created by Tarika Panthi:

The main objective of the tariqas is to “achieve the truth” ie “to dissolve in God”. And for this three levels have to be achieved. These are:

1. Fanafis Sheikh
2. Fanafillah and
3. Bakabillah.

Fanais Shaikh:
A murshid or guide is needed in the pursuit of tariqat. And the devoted followers of these Murshids are called “Fanafis Shaikhs”. The first level is achieved through the Fanafis Shaykh. After this comes Fanafillah and Bakabillah.

Fanafillah:
Fanafillah is the dissolution of the soul in the Creator through purity. The next level is Bakabillah or abiding with Allah. According to Sufi belief, ‘Allah is formless’. So love for the formless energy is the only means to become ‘Fana’ in him. Fanafillah is achieved by purifying the heart through constant remembrance of Allah and receiving Allah’s love. Then there is the last level ‘Bakabillah’.

Bakabillah:
According to Sufi philosophy, when Bakabillah is attained, the person becomes strong with the special power given by God. Then there is peace and joy in the Sufi’s heart. When they reach the land of Bakabilla, they no longer need to pray. In this case they refer to verse 99 of Surah Hijr, where it is said,

وَٱعۡبُدۡ رَبَّكَ حَتَّىٰ يَأۡتِيَكَ ٱلۡيَقِينُ (٩٩)

Meaning: “And keep on obeying your Lord until the final hour comes.” (Surah Hijr-99).

The Sufis translate it as, “Keep worshiping your Lord until Yakin comes”. Their claim is that their yaqin comes when they get baqabillah after becoming fanafillah. Therefore, they give up worshiping Allah’s guidance. Nowjubillah.

Aqeedah of the Sufis in short form

1. Allah is present everywhere.
2. God is formless.
3. Believes in Ahedatul Ajud or Pantheism.
4. Believing in penetrationism or Hulul Aqeedah.
5. God is in the womb of mummies.
6. Like Allah Ta’ala, Rasulullah SAW, Pir Masayek, Ali Allah all have knowledge of the unseen.
7. Their allies are present anywhere in the world.
8. In times of danger, the pir or the ali call the awliyas and go to their graves to ask for something, they can save them from danger and listen to their pleas.
9. Sufis believe that it is possible to see God while sitting in the world.
10. Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wasallam is made of light.
11. Their elders, Ali Aolias are also alive in the grave.
12. Prophet, Rasool, Ali, Awliya, Pir, Elders like Allah Taala has the power to make people good and bad.
13. God cannot be reached without a medium.
14. Believing in Gauss, Qutb, Abdal, Naqeeb etc. (Believing they have their own power).
15. Ide Miladun performed the legendary ritual named Nabi.
16. Believing in the arrival of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) during the Milad Mahfil. (On this occasion, doing Qiyaam in the middle of Milad Mahfil or arranging chairs for the arrival of Rasulullah SAW).
17. I believe in amulet charms.
18. Among the Sufis some are possessed of miraculous powers such as to bring the dead back to life.

Position of Shariah, Tariqat, Marifat and Haqiqat in Islam:

“Forgery in the name of Hadith” Dr. Abdullah Jahangir Rahimahullah is writing a chapter entitled Shari’at, Ma’refat, Tariqat and Haqiqat in which he writes,

Shariat, Tariqat, Marefat and Haqiqat are the four most popular terms in the society. The word “Shariat” is used in Quran-Hadith. The terms tariqat, marifat and haqiqat meaning the four stages or levels of Islam are not used anywhere in the Quran or Hadith. Never did any Sahabi, Tabi’i, the famous four Imams or anyone else use these terms as the four levels or stages of Islam. They were first invented and used by the Shia. Later the term spread among the Sunni simple Sufis.

In particular, after the first three centuries of Islam, Shia political dominance was established in Egypt, Yemen, Iran, Iraq, Baghdad, and throughout the Muslim world. During this time, many aspects of the Shia doctrine spread among ordinary Muslims. And on this occasion, the forgers created a hadith in the name of the Messenger of Allah, may God bless him and grant him peace, and said, “Sharia is a tree, Tariqat is its branches, Marifat is its leaves, and Truth is its fruit.”
(Sirrul Asrar, p. 33).

Another saying they made is, “Sharia is my speech, Tariqat is my work, Haqiq is my status and Marifat is my capital”. (Ajlooni, Kashful Khafa 2/6).

The Qur’an-Sunnah did not instruct the believers to acquire “Marifat”, but rather to acquire knowledge; Because “Marifat” is the condition before attaining faith. But the Shia preach Marifat as a higher level matter separate from faith, Islam and Shari’ah and preach Marifat as “theory” or a secret or separate knowledge. The following statement of Imam Abu Hanifa (R.A.) is recommended to clear up all these confusions:

“We have attained the true knowledge of Allah the Great, as He has described Himself in His Book with all His attributes. … The believers are all equal in matters of Marifaat, and in matters of Yaqeen, Tawakkul, Mahabbat, Riza (satisfaction), Khawf (fear), Raja (hope) and faith in all these matters. Their dignity is more or less in everything that is in addition to the basic faith.” [Imam Abu Hanifa, Al-Fiqhul Akbar; Pages 151-157 with commentary by Mulla Ali Kari).

Two things are clear from the statement of Imam Abu Hanifa (RA):

(1) Knowledge is a companion of faith. Gaining true knowledge of Allah leads to faith; That is why all the believers have received Allah’s Haqq or real Marifaat and in this regard they are all equal.

(2) The knowledge of Allah is not a secret knowledge nor is there a secret way to attain it. His real and perfect knowledge is to know what Allah Almighty has revealed about Himself.

Some terms used in Sufism:

Kashf:
According to the Sufis, through spiritual pursuits the veils of the human heart are lifted and all the mysteries of the universe are revealed before them and the inner soul is opened. And this opening of the soul is called ‘Kashf’ in their terminology.

When ‘Kashf’ is attained there is no barrier between Allah and the Sufi saint. Then they can travel to Jannat, Jahannat, Seven Heavens, Zamin Allah Arsh, Laohe Mahfuz. They know all the news of the unseen, the state of people’s hearts and all that is in the seven heavens and the earth.

Dream:
Dreams are one of the sources of Sufi practice and belief. According to them, through dreams they are from Allah or the Prophet. From him or from any of their dead or living ali and awliya received the rulings of the Shariah.

Ahedatul Oujudergun:
Mohiuddin Ibn Arabi (1165-1240 AD) first popularized this deadly Kufuri creed in the twelfth century. He was born in Murcia, Spain and died in Damascus. He believed that “God exists within man. [Ibn Arabi, Al-Futuhat al-Makkiyyah Vol. 2; Page No. 604; Abdur Rahman al-Waqil, Hajihi Hiyyah as-Sufiyyah page no 35; Bilal Phillips, Principles of Tawheed; Page No. 153;]

Anal Haqq:
Anal Haqq (I am Allah) was coined by Mansur al-Hallaj. He was one of the fire-worshippers of Persia. Later he converted to Islam and chose the Sufi path.

It is said that one day while meditating he saw a bright man. Mansoor asks him, who are you? The man said to him – Anal Hakka, i.e. ‘I am the Absolute Truth’. Note that ‘Al-Haq’ (The Absolute Truth) is one of the 99 names of God.

He was so overwhelmed by this form and speech of Allah that he chanted ‘Anal Haqq’ as if spellbound. From this he came to be known as Anal Haqq or Anal Haq. His intimacy with Allah became so deep that he did not think of himself as anything other than Allah. So he even forgot his name. Instead he introduced himself as Anal Haqq.

The Shariats and Sufis of the time began to insult Manusar as a follower of Satan, a sorcerer, a sorcerer, etc. and finally they complained to the court of Caliph Muqtadir Billah. In the courtroom he said ‘Anal Haq’ in the same way. He was sentenced to 11 years in prison after the trial.

Then on March 26, 922 AD, he was publicly killed on the orders of the then government judges. The killing was done very brutally. He was given 1,000 lashes before being killed. Then his hands and feet were amputated. Later he was beheaded. His body was later cremated and his ashes were thrown into the Tigris River. And his head was hung on a rope in Iraq for two days.

Hululiyargun:
Another Aqeedah of Ibn Arabi was ‘Hulliyyah’ which in Bengali means ‘penetrationism’. The general interpretation of the word Hulul is that Allah ‘Hulul’ i.e. enters into something. This doctrine has existed among people since ancient times. This belief can be observed especially among Christians. Christians believe that God has become one with Jesus (pbuh). Jalaluddin Rumi also believed in Hulul Aqeedah. For this he mentions Mansoor al-Hallaj in his Mashnabi Sharif with praise.

Ishq of Allah
The Arabic word Ishq means love. Hubbun means love. Not being able to distinguish between these two words, Sufigan loves Allah without loving Him.

Firasat:
Firasat means insight. Sufi saints claim that through intuition they can tell the secret states and messages of the human heart. However, the Qur’an and Hadith commentaries show that no one but Allah knows what is in the heart.

Hawatef:
Hataf is one of the principles of Sufis. Through this they claim to hear the words of Allah Ta’ala, Angels, Jinn, Ali, and Khizr (a.s.) either directly or through dreams.

Saytan:
It is known from some writings of the Sufis that they also received guidance on various matters from Satan. It is narrated from Hazrat Junaid (R.A.) in Tablighi Nisab Fazayel, “He once saw Shaytan naked and asked, Are you not ashamed to be naked in front of people? Satan said, are they human? The people are those who are sitting in the mosque of Shoniyya. Those who weakened my body, burned my liver and made it into kebabs. Hazrat Junaid (RA) said, I went to Shonizia Mosque and saw some old men with their heads on their knees engaged in Moraqaba. They saw me and began to say, Never be deceived by the words of Khabis Shaytan.

(Allah knows best)