Dervish ‘Abdullah meditating in a hammock

Dervish ‘Abdullah lay lazily in a hammock under a flowery ceiling of beautiful white wisteria above him. Enjoying the sun, he marveled at the beauty of the flowers. He was grateful for their beauty. Then he realized that maybe the flowers weren’t there just to be looked at and admired by him. This thought came into him, because he became aware of subtle movements above him. He shook his head and broke free from the pleasant hypnosis of the flowery beauty. He looked deeper, more attentively at the many flowers. Suddenly he saw a bee emerge from one flower and fly to another flower. And another bee, and another bee. The dervish saw many bees flying, buzzing, among the flowers….

The stone and the tree

There was once a dervish in Abadan, whose cell was always surrounded by disciples, people who had come from far and near to hear his wisdom and try to achieve knowledge and spiritual fulfilment. Sometimes he spoke to them, sometimes he did not. Sometimes he read from books, and sometimes he made them perform various tasks. The disciples tried, for decades, to understand the purport of his words, to fathom the depth of his signs and symbols, and in every way possible to get closer to his wisdom. Those who understood what he taught, were the ones who did not spend time trying to puzzle out things. They cultivated patience and attention, and refrained from looking for verbal associations from…

Initiation into the Chishti order

There are people who want to become Naqshbandi or Qadiri or Suhrawardi or… But just suppose you’d have the opportunity to be admitted into the Chishti tariqa, i.e. the order among all orders… The question then is: What should I do?” The answer is simple: Take your time to find a true teacher. Before finding this spiritual guide who may accept you into the Chishtiyya path, it is useful to prepare yourself somewhat. It is good to try to discipline your ego a little bit. Do not overdo it, because the Chishti way is a more advanced way, than only the path ascetics follow. So in case you talk too much, be more silent, in case you eat too many…

The Supreme Name

There are people, according to ar-Raazi, who hold to the opinion that the supreme name is a specific name and that people are able to know it. Some of the names suggested, are: 1. Hu or Huwa (He) 2. Allah 3. Al-Hayy, al-Qayyum (The Living, The Everlasting) 4. Dhu’l-jalaali-wa’l-ikraam (The Lord of Majesty and Bounty). 5. The supreme name can be found in the ‘isolated letters’ at the beginning of several Qur’anic chapters (different suggestions are offered). As Baba Farid, who is one of the most important Chishti Sufis, is holding the third opinion as referred to above, here is what ar-Raazi among other things writes about it: “It has been reported that Abu ibn Ka’b asked the messenger of…

The tale of the three questions

A certain Sultan owned everything a man could wish for and still he did not know the purpose of life. The answer to three questions made his life difficult: 1. What should I do? 2. With which people should I do the things God asks me to do? 3. When should I do it? The Sultan asked the advice of all kinds of wise people, and then he was told that there was a Chishti dervish, who lived far away, and who might give him a satisfactory answer. The Sultan immediately left and after a journey of several weeks he met the dervish. The dervish was cultivating his own land. He was a simple man, but no simpleton, as he…

The Tongue of Sufism

Just suppose you are able to make an interview with shaykh Abu Sa’id al-Kharraaz. What would you ask him? Perhaps some of your questions are similar to the ones as given below: Q: Several of the Sufis have had a profession. What has been your profession? A: I have been a cobbler. Q: You have also been a shaykh. Can you tell us the names of your disciples? A: I have been a cobbler but I’ve learnt a lot from Beshr al-Hafi, who never put on shoes. I have met Dho’n-nun, who originated from Egypt and I have associated with Sari as-Saqati from Baghdad. Q: Where are you from? A: God. Q: What do you want? A: God. Q: How…

The works of shaykh Ibn al-‘Arabi [part 8]

Shaykh Ibn al-‘Arabi not only wrote books; part of his work consisted of guiding his students. The teachings of shaykh Ibn al-‘Arabi have also come to us by means of his disciples. One of them was shaykh Ibn Sawdakin, who died 8 years later than his murshid in 1248 in Aleppo. He wrote a book wherein he recorded the detailed answers his shaykh gave him to his questions about the highest states and stations in Sufism. It is called Kitab wasa’il as-sa’il (the “Book of the Tool to Help the One Who Asks Questions”), which received a German translation by Manfred Profitlich in 1973. I’ve heard that an English translation may come out in the near future. The book contains a…

Diwaan-e-Mo’in: Ghazal 24

Maraa ay saaqi-ye-wahdat be-daadi jor’ahaa zaan mai Ke har dam az hayaahuyash bar ayad az del-am hai hai The Saqi provides me with cups filled with the wine of unity, So that with every breath my heart keeps on shouting ‘He is!’ ‘He is!’ Magu ai khom che mi-jushi chu mai-ye-dardi to mi-rezi Magu ai nai che mi-naali chu ham khud mi-dami dar wai Don’t tell, O vessel (of the heart), why you are agitated, when you receive the wine of pain! Don’t tell, O flute, why you are complaining, when each breath returns to Him! Che baad-ast in na-midaanam jaam-e-del ba-yak jor’a Chonaan az zang saafi shod ke didam yaar raa dar wai I don’t know what kind of…

The works of shaykh Ibn al-‘Arabi [part 6]

From shaykha Fatima of Nishapur, the teacher of shaykh Dhu’n-Nun, it is a small step to continue with the subject of futuwwa in the teachings of shaykh Ibn al-‘Arabi. The word futuwwa implies in the Arabic language notions like chivalry (forusiyya), generosity (karam), youthfulness (being a fata) and maturity (rujuliyya). It plays a major role in Sufism and has become an eminent way of spiritual initiation. Shaykh Ibn al-‘Arabi explained that although legislative prophecy has been sealed with the arrival of the prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.), still inspiration can be received by means of the path of futuwwa. The path of futuwwa consists essentially of the journey to the ka’ba al–wojud (the ka’ba of existence), the divine sanctuary, which is the…

The greengrocer’s son and other Sufi tales

Here are a few stories about shaykh ‘Omar Ibn al-Farid. The greengrocer’s son The Egyptian shaykh ‘Omar Ibn al-Farid made a study of ahadith, the traditions of Islam, as well as of adab (belles lettres). By means of ascetic practices he tried to experience spiritual enlightenment, but he was not successful. One day he passed by a law school where he saw an old man, a greengrocer (‘attaar), doing ablutions in a wrong way. Somewhat proud of his knowledge, his piety and his ascetic temperament shaykh ‘Omar Ibn al-Farid criticized the behaviour of this greengrocer. The greengrocer then looked at him and addressed him to his surprise by name: “O, ‘Omar! You will not be enlightened in Egypt. You will…