Sulook and Other Related Matters

-What is Sulook? To take out something from a body and enter something into it. – Try and be of service to others and do not attempt to have others serve you; the more useful you are, the more valuable you will become and thus be made more dearer. -By subjecting “the good” to our [...]

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The Greatest Name

Even the Ism al-Azam (Greatest Name) as far as it is only a Name is not beneficial untill and unless its remembrance is in accordance with the courtesies and demands of the Remembered. All this is only possible when one receives knowledge of this Name (directly) which in turn is only possible when one knows [...]

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The Taste of Hidden Things

One of the best contemporary books on Sufism is The Taste for Hidden Things by Sara Sviri. It combines interesting quotations from classical sources with insights from more recent practitioners. Much more interesting than the usual introductory books. Here’s a poem by an unnamed student of the author called “Mudtarr” (constrained). It is always like [...]

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A Saying of Imam Zayn al-Abedin

If you are aware of any of your actions, that is a proof that it has not been accepted (by God). For that which is accepted is elevated and hidden from you; your not noticing it is a sign of its acceptance. Imam Zayn al-Abedin (RA).

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The Wasiya of Shaykh Sadrudddin Qunawi

Shaykh Sadruddin Qunawi was the successor and step-son of the Shaykh al-Akbar and the main expositor of his teachings in the Persian speaking world. Amongst the things he mentioned in his final counsel to his disciples was: 1- Adhere to the Quran, Sunnah and Ijma. 2- Limit yourselves to the clear and unambiguous amongst the [...]

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The Way and The Goal

We have no way to God, different from what He has laid down in the law. Whoever says there is another way has spoken a falsehood. The disciple has no goal but the Real. When his goal becomes manifest, wherever it becomes manifest, he should uphold it and stick to it. For the Men come [...]

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Doorkeepers of the Real (Al-Haqq)

Know that reverence for the Real lies in reverence for the Shaykh. To break the compact of obedience to the one is to do the same with the other. The Shaykhs are the doorkeepers of the Real ……………….If a person becomes the companion of a shaykh who can be followed as a guide and does [...]

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True Life

When the momin progresses through firm faith and certainty and reaches the level where the light of faith becomes rooted such that it becomes similar to the instinct in animals, then he becomes a complete wali (saint). The animals (hayawan) do not accept any outward interference in their constitution, either from their surroundings or from [...]

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The Pledge (Bay’at)

Bay’at is from root the meaning “to sell”. The disciple’s pledging himself to a master is the same as selling himself to him, however, the buyer here is God Himself. As He has said: ” God has purchased of the believers…….”. In practice the agent of this sale is the Messenger (peace and blessings be [...]

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The Kash al-Mahjub

Green Sufi has drawn our attention to an excellent website dedicated to Hz Sayyedina Ali bin Usman al-Hujweri aka Hz Data Ganj-Baksh Lahori (May Allah be well pleased with him). He has drawn our attention to the importance of Kashf al-Mahjub as a guiding text of Sufism. I thought I’d put something that I came [...]

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