Interview - Part One
The
following interview arose out of a term project assigned to a student in a course on
religious studies at a University in England. Although there have been a few minor
modifications in the
material, the interview remains, for the most part, essentially as it was when given to
the student originally.
1. How did
you become a Sufi Muslim?
There is a
long answer and a short answer to this question. I will give the shortened version.
I was
working in Canada and had become interested in exploring various mystical traditions. I
did a great deal of reading during this period - including works dealing with Carlos
Castaneda, Buddhism, Yoga, Taoism, Christian mysticism, the Qabbala, transpersonal
psychology, the Sufi Path, as well as material on, and by, Gurdjieff.
My heart was
drawn to various aspects of all of the foregoing traditions, but the first practical taste
came with a Gurdjieff group in Canada. Eventually, I discovered that many of the original
teachers of Gurdjieff were Sufi masters also known - depending on geographical location
and linguistic influences - as pirs, shaykhs or murshids. Consequently, I began to look at
the Sufi path more closely, as well as read a great deal in this area.
Through a
somewhat circuitous route, I, finally, was introduced to a professor who taught in the
Department of Middle East and Islamic Studies at the University of Toronto. This
individual also was a Sufi teacher or shaykh from the Chishti Order of Tasawwuf (path of
mystical science - a term which is used by the mystics of Islam rather than the term
"Sufism" since Tasawwuf is not an "ism" like capitalism, socialism,
communism, and so on, which are purely conceptual systems and theories).
Early on in
my research, I believed that mysticism was one thing and spiritual traditions like Islam
were something entirely different. Eventually, I came to understand that the esoteric or
inner aspect of a spiritual tradition was intimately linked with the exoteric or outer
form of a given tradition.
More
specifically, I learned from the aforementioned Sufi shaykh that one could not be a true
Sufi without being a Muslim. Indeed, the mystical dimension is at the heart of Islam.
So, I became
Muslim by stepping onto the Sufi Path and learning that one could not do the latter
without also attending to the requirements and obligations of being Muslim. However, there
was never any pressure on me to become Muslim, and I was permitted to attend all of the
Sufi gatherings which were arranged by the Sufi guide, and, therefore, I was permitted to
come to my understanding of the relationship between the exoteric and the esoteric
dimensions of Islam at my own rate.
2.How do
you give worship to Allah?
There are
many different ways to offer worship to Allah. Indeed, the basic pillars of Islam [namely,
(1) the shahada or attestation of faith, (2) daily obligatory prayers, (3) Ramazan - the
month of fasting, (4) zakat - the giving of charity, and (5) the Hajj or pilgrimage) are
all different ways of worshipping Allah. In addition, there is zikr or remembrance
(chanting), contemplation, meditation, sacred turning, recitation of the Qur'an, and sama
or audition (listening to sacred music). In fact, every act which is done with the
intention of remembering, serving, thanking, loving, singing the praises of, and
submitting oneself to Allah is an act of worship.
3.Which
festivals are important to you?
The two Eids
(Eid al-fitra - after the completion of the month of fasting, and Eid al-adha - observed
during the period of Hajj by Muslims all over the world) are, of course, very important.
The birthday of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) - Milad an-Nabi - which is
observed around the 12th of Rabi Awwal and throughout this auspicious month is another
celebration of importance.
In addition,
there is the 10th of Muharram. This commemorates, among other things, the martyrdom of
Hazrat Hussein (may Allah be pleased with him), the grandson of Prophet Muhammad (peace be
upon him), along with the martyrdom of those who fell with Hazrat Hussein (may Allah be
pleased with him and his associates) at Karbala.
Another date
of importance is the 21st of Ramazan. This occasion marks the anniversary of Hazrat Ali
(may Allah be pleased with him) who was the son-in-law of the Prophet.
The night of
power (said to be an odd numbered night between the 20th and 28th of Ramazan, and
celebrated by many on the 27th of this month) - when the Qur'an was initially revealed to
the Prophet (peace be upon him) through the agency of the archangel Gabriel (peace be on
him) - is another important date of observance. The 27th of Rajab - commemorating the
Prophet's night journey to Jerusalem and, then, his ascension through the seven heavens to
the Lote tree and beyond - is also important.
Finally,
there are a number of occasions during the year which mark the passing away of spiritual
personalities important to various silsilahs (chains of spiritual lineage) of the Sufi
way. There are hundreds of these dates which populate the calendar, and there is not one
day of the year in which a commemoration of the passing away of one special friend of
Allah, or another, is not observed through festivals of celebration in various parts of
the world.
The date of
passing away from this world marks the transition to the real life of the world to come.
Therefore, among the Folk of the Way (the Sufi Path) this time of passing away is an
occasion of joy and happiness since it marks the time of meeting with their Lord - the One
to whom these people have, by the Grace of Allah, dedicated their whole lives in seeking
and serving.
4.How do
you view the Hajj and have you ever been to Mecca on pilgrimage?
I am not
exactly sure what you mean by the first part of this question. The Hajj is one of the five
pillars of Islam, and this rite is incumbent on every adult Muslim at least once in one's
life if one is financially and physically able to make the journey.
The Hajj
offers an opportunity to participate in observances marking, and drawn from, important
spiritual events in the lives of, among others, Prophets Adam, Ibrahim, and Ishmael (may
Allah's peace be upon them all). It is an opportunity to seek forgiveness from Allah for
one's transgressions against Divinity, others and oneself. It is an opportunity for
spiritual awakening, purification and re-commitment.
By the Grace
of Allah, I had the good fortune of going on Hajj approximately ten years ago. It is a set
of experiences which I treasure and remember with fondness, tears and gratitude.
The time
spent in Mecca is only one part of the Hajj. One also spends time in Mina, the plains of
Arafat, and Muzdalifah which are outside of Mecca. In addition, no Hajj is really complete
without visiting the mosque of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in Medina.
5.As a
Sufi how do you view Sunni and Shi'at Muslims method of worship and beliefs?
The Sunni
and Shi'a approaches to Islam represent different people's understanding of what is being
taught through the Qur'an and the life of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). There are
different schools of thought within the Sunni tradition, just as there are different
schools of thought within the Shi'a tradition.
On some
issues, these different schools of thought agree. On some issues, they differ.
The Prophet
(peace be upon him) has said that there are 71 sects among the Jews, and only one of these
ways is correct. He also said that among the Christians, there are 72 sects, yet only one
of these paths is correct. Finally, among Muslims, there are 73 sects, yet only one of
them is correct.
People of
Tasawwuf (i.e., the Sufi path) are committed to finding the Truth of Being. Theological
debates do not interest them - only realization of the Truth interests them.
The more
time one spends in debates with others or pointing fingers at others, the less time there
is to spend on struggling toward self-realization of the Truth which is being manifested
through each of us according to our individual capacities.
6.How do
you feel Sufism is viewed by Sunni and Shi'at Muslims?
One really
can't make a generalization in responding to this question. There are some people from a
Sunni background who disapprove of what they believe the Sufi tradition entails. On the
other hand, there are some individuals from a Sunni orientation who are in empathy with
what they believe the teachings of the Sufi Path to be. The same split of opinion can be
found among people of the Shi'a community.
However,
many of these people - irrespective of whether they dislike, or are attracted to, the Sufi
Path - do not have any real understanding of what the Sufi Path is about. And, ultimately,
what people from these respective communities feel or think about the Sufi Path (whether
positive or negative) doesn't really matter.
The Sufi
Path is what it is. If it is a valid way to knowing God, then those who view it in a
negative light are irrelevant. If it is an invalid way for knowing God, then those who
view this Path in a positive light are also irrelevant.
In short,
what matters is the Truth of things, and not people's opinions about that Truth. Truth is
not a function of our likes and dislikes, theories, theologies or feelings. An individual
must learn how to permit the Truth to shape, color, permeate and determine one's
understanding. Everything else is but speculation - regardless of whether, or not, this is
positive or negative speculation.
7.Do you
believe that Sunni Shi'ate and Sufi Muslims are seen equally in the eyes of Allah?
What I
believe really has nothing to do with how Allah sees individuals from the Sunni and Shi'a
communities. We all are sinners in one way or another. We all make mistakes in one way or
another. We all misunderstand in one way or another. We all see, hear, think, and act
through a set of veils.
Allah loves
all of creation. Unfortunately, we veil ourselves from this love by our biases, emotions,
blindness, opinions, presumptions, assumptions, speculations, judgements, and theological
dogmas.
The Qur'an
and the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) teach us to be tolerant, loving, forbearing,
forgiving, patient, empathetic, helpful, generous, courteous, honest, thoughtful,
respectful, just, and kind in our dealings with other people - whether these others are
Sunni or Shi'a, Muslim or non-Muslim. If one busys oneself with what one has been
counseled to do, one will have no time to wonder how Allah sees the differences between
Sunni and Shi'a, and one will know that however Allah sees these respective groups, the
individuals therein will be treated with fairness, justice, and mercy and that no wrong
will be done to any of them by Allah.
8.What do
you believe will happen to you after death?
The vast
majority of us will face a Day of Judgement in which we will be held accountable for our
deeds and misdeeds. There will be some (a relatively small group) who will face no Day of
Judgement and be admitted directly into a felicitous, joyous, intimate and eternal state
of being brought near to Allah. Allah alone will decide who will be in which group.
For those of
us who will face a Day of Judgement, Allah will not be our judge on that Day. Rather, our
own deeds, intentions, and motivations will judge us. As it indicates in the Qur'an, our
hands and feet will testify against us, and as the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)
intimates, the niyat or intention of our hearts in relation to any given act will also
testify against us.
As a result
of this judgement, some people will enter into one or another level of hell which marks
separation and distance from awareness of Allah's Presence. For some, this stay will be
eternal, while for others, the stay will mark a period of purification from which they
eventually will emerge and be permitted entrance into a realm of paradise appropriate for
them.
For still
others, one or another level of paradise will be given as a reward for the good works
which have been manifested through them. These rewards are described in both the Qur'an
and the traditions of the Prophet as consisting of all manner of desirable experiences.
The People
of Tasawwuf, however, are concerned with neither heaven nor hell, but only with the
Beloved. For them, to do things out of desire for heaven or fear of hell is to prostitute
the true nature of Love such that God is seen as merely a means to an end other than God
(i.e., attaining heaven or avoiding hell), rather than the End ... and Means in and of
Itself which is independent of all other considerations of reward or punishment.
9.What
views do you feel to be uniquely Sufi?
There are
many, many things which could be said here. Perhaps, one of the most important of these is
the following - the purpose of life is neither a matter of attaining heaven nor avoiding
hell ... the purpose of life is to realize one's essential spiritual identity and the
unique spiritual capacity associated with this identity which each of us has been gifted
in order to be able to bear loving, reverential, and constant witnessing to the fact there
is nothing in existence but Divinity.
10.What
practices do you feel to be uniquely Sufi?
Practices
like zikr (remembrance/chanting), contemplation, meditation and sama' (audition -listening
to sacred music) are often associated with the Folk of the Path. In point of fact,
however, many people who are have not been initiated onto the Sufi Path participate in
these practices - although they may do so in their own fashion and not in accordance with
the teachings of the Sufi shaykhs concerning the proper observance of these practices.
Consequently, one cannot necessarily treat these practices as, necessarily, being uniquely
identified with the Sufi Path.
One might
come closer to a better answer to your question if one were to mention the
"practices" of fana and baqa. In one sense, these two terms do not so much refer
to practices in the usually accepted senses of this term, as they are conditions of Being.
On the other hand, every practice is, in reality, a condition of Being of one kind or
another, so whether or not one refers to fana and baqa as practices depends on one's point
of view.
Roughly
speaking - very roughly - fana is being immersed in Divine Presence while being absent
from self. Baqa is being present to Self as manifested Divinity. Those who are preoccupied
with exoteric matters are, generally speaking, uninterested in pursuing either fana or
baqa and, as such, they tend to pursue practices which are unlikely to carry them -
although Allah knows best - in the direction of either fana or baqa.
The Folk of
Tasawwuf, on the other hand, undertake a journey which takes them, God willing, to nowhere
but the practice of fana and baqa. Indeed, these are the culmination of all other
practices in which seekers may engage.
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