Shirdi Sai Baba and more by Kevin R.D. Shepherd
2009-08-26 10:42:00 Through many independent publications of a high standard of philosophically-informed writing on a wide range of subjects, Kevin R.D. Shepherd has also given expositions of diverse interesting aspects of cultist figures and movements. The much revered figure of the Muslim ’saint’, Shirdi Sai Baba, gave rise to a tradition. As Shepherd writes: “The conflatory phrase “Sai ...
Shaykh Abdul Kerim al-Kibrisi Sohbet ? Mawlid 2009
2009-03-24 06:35:00 Posted in Religion Tagged: 2009, Islam, Mawlid, Muhammad, Prophet, Shaykh Abdul-Kerim, Sohbet, Sufism
By: Wa Salaam
An American Spiritual Tradition
2009-03-16 21:54:00 Marc Manley wrote an interesting blog post a few weeks back, where he asked the question, “[N]ow that Islam has arrived on America?s shores, what will its spiritual tradition look like?” For me, there is a very easy answer: The Osmanli Naks-i’bendi Sufi Association. There is not much more to it. Really, for me its that simple. ...
By: Wa Salaam
Sheikh Maulana w/ Mevlevi Hat
2009-02-23 08:04:00 (video courtesy of Nakshibendi.com) Selam alaykum. Yes its been a while and all is well alhamdulillah. I’m noticing that although I have not posted in several months readership has doubled subhanAllah! Thank you all for supporting this blog may Allah Almighty bless you and keep you all. Recently, I was looking for some videos to post and ...
By: Wa Salaam
Thomas Merton's letter to Sufis and views on Sufism
2008-12-19 04:26:00 "I'm deeply impregnatedwith Sufism."- Thomas Merton,In 'The Springs of Contemplation'"I am the biggest Sufi in Kentucky though I admitthere is not much competition"- Thomas Merton, October 1966"My prayer tends very much to what you (sufis) call fana.^"- In letter to a Sufi master Abdul Aziz^ Fana in sufism refers to the inner act and unitive experience of merging with the Divine oneness1. Sufism: a very strange subject and it should be kept a strange subject"Who wants mystical theology in a monastery?!", says he mischievously. "That?s almost as bad as bootlegging or something!" dismissing it, bug-eyed with mock wondering disgust. "The last thing in the world any modem, progressive Catholic wants to hear about is mystics... I sort of throw it at you with a Moslem disguise or something like that in which it is more acceptable."At this point, having warmed his audience up, he launches into the topic of the day."Now, we?ll talk about Sufism. Sufism is a very strange subject, and it s...
Being A Better Muslim; A Better Mu?min; A Better Man Pt. 1
2008-09-09 02:16:00 Ramadan kerim; Ramadan mubarak all. Its good to be writing again and it is only because of a simple yet profound realization that I find myself with the inspiration to write anything at all. That realization coming through so many ways but they all begin with a sohbet. The sohbet of our Shaykh, Abdul Kerim ...
By: Wa Salaam
Being A Better Muslim; A Better Mu?min; A Better Man Pt. 1
2008-09-09 02:16:00 Ramadan kerim; Ramadan mubarak all. Its good to be writing again and it is only because of a simple yet profound realization that I find myself with the inspiration to write anything at all. That realization coming through so many ways but they all begin with a sohbet. The sohbet of our Shaykh, Abdul Kerim ...
By: Wa Salaam
Inheriting A Lifestyle of Islamic Chivalry
2008-04-25 08:11:00 What is chivalry? In the West we have a very narrow understanding of chivalry and what generally comes to the minds of most Americans when contemplating chivalry is: medieval knights, throwing your jacket over a puddle or some random act of kindness for a damsel in distress. All of which are about as likely to happen in ...
By: Wa Salaam
Entry Into A Sufi Circle
2008-04-24 03:29:00 If you read, if you practice, you may qualify for a Sufi circle. If you only read, you will not. If you think you have had experiences upon which you can build, you may not qualify. Words alone do not communicate: there must be something prepared, of which the words are a hint. Practice alone does not ...
By: Wa Salaam
The Sagaciousness of Nasreddin Hoja
2008-04-22 17:39:00 Nasreddin Hoca is a a well known figure all throughout the Muslim World. He may be the most widely loved sufi shaykh that has ever existed. He lived during the Seljuk rule which spanned from China across Central Asia and the Middle East. Nasreddin Hoca is legendary and has been loved by Afghans, Persians, Turks ...
By: Wa Salaam
He Who Knows Himself, Knows His Lord
2008-04-18 05:44:00 Today was an interesting day, it began for me a bit reluctantly because I left the window open and it was much colder in my bedroom than normal. But eventually, I prepared myself and quickly raced out of the bedroom to prepare for fajr, the morning prayers. When I left my apartment to catch the ...
By: Wa Salaam
Maulana Shaykh Nazim and Shaykh Abdul-Kerim in Cyprus
2008-02-13 21:58:00 Go to ‘Osmanli Naks-i’bendi Hakkani Photos‘ to see more…
By: Wa Salaam
Sufism Is An Obligation on Muslims
2008-02-04 04:27:00 According to the Radd al-Mukhtar, a compilation of fatawa by Imam al-Azam, Abu Hanifa (ra), it is obligatory on Muslims to acquire some knowledge of tasawwuf, saying: “It is fard-i ‘ain for every Muslim, man or woman, to learn kalam, fiqh and tasawwuf as much as necessary out of these eight branches, and it is a ...
By: Wa Salaam
Sema: Traditional Sufi Worship and Whirling
2008-02-03 18:05:00 For over 700 years Muslims have performed a devotional worship, a form of sema, whirling in continual remembrance of their Creator. This tradition of whirling became commonly known through the sufi poet Maulana Jalal’ud-din Rumi. The word sema, which is arabic for “sound” is described best by Shamsi Tabriz, Maulana Jalal’ud-din’s master and shaykh saying, “There ...
By: Wa Salaam
Holy Chanting and Remembrance on Ashura
2008-01-22 19:02:00 A Holy Assembly in commemoration of the Holy Day, Ashura. Photograph and audio recording courtesy of Yursil.com
By: Wa Salaam
Rebellion in Islam: the fight against doctrine part 2
2007-12-16 17:28:00 A spiritually inclined apostate of Islam, sherryx, continues his article. The movement of Mysticism emerged as a reaction against the nexus of Arab imperialism - the Mullahs or the clerics and the emergence of a culture of the rich and the fashionable , against which the “rough shirt” of wool became the symbol of resistance ...
Kamal Posh, the blanket wearers | history of sufism
2007-12-12 01:07:00 Sufism is a path of love. The Sufi is a traveler on the path of love, a wayfarer journeying back to God through the mysteries of the heart. For the Sufi the relationship to God is that of lover and Beloved, and Sufis are also known as lovers of God. The journey to God takes place within the heart, and for centuries Sufis have been traveling deep within themselves, into the secret chamber of the heart where lover and Beloved share the ecstasy of union.Sufism is the ancient wisdom of the heart. It is not limited by time or place or form. It always was and it always will be. There have always been lovers of God, long before they were known as Sufis.There is a story about a group of mystics, a band of lovers of God, who were called the Kamal Posh. Kamal Posh means blanket wearers, for their only possession was a blanket which they wore as a covering during the day and used as a blanket at night. As the story goes they traveled throughout the ancient world from prophet to prophet but no ...
Rebellion in Islam: the fight against doctrine
2007-12-11 17:21:00 Another apostate of Islam, sherryx writes about the historic forces that led to the rise of Sufism. It’s an enlightening article that highlights the mystical and libertarian force within Islam, suprisingly in the language of Marxists! I recommend everyone read this, especially the unfriendly critics of Islam. I am He whom I love, and He whom ...
The sufi who would destroy Islam
2007-12-02 16:47:00 From my favorite blog, Lame Crab Walks Straight I will incinerate this creed and religion, and burn it. Then I will put your love in its place. How long must I hide this love in my heart? What the traveler seeks is not the religion and not the creed: Only You. - Ayn al-Qozat Hamadani, executed at the age 33, on the charge of ...
A Growing Muslim Presence in Harlem
2007-11-26 21:24:00 I live in Harlem and Harlem, New York has a very unique cascade of Islamic influence that is unmistakably “Harlem”. For example, recently I asked a fellow Naks-i’bendi visiting me in Harlem if Harlem was what he expected it to be like? He told me “no”, explaining that he did not expect to receive so ...
By: Wa Salaam
Find Sufis and Divine lovers near you | Sufism Meetup | where sufis meet
2007-11-26 07:28:00 Meetup.com is an excellent website service to help you find virtually any interest group near your country, locality or city.and guess what, now its super easy to search and know where those illusive and stealth Divine lovers gather and sing together. Surprise, surprise! they are nearer than you know.[>] visit sufism.meetup.com to find and to meet local people interested in Sufism, the mystical tradition of Islam. The website is pretty neat with very useful features such as calendar to know exactly the events according to dates. For example: calendar for Los Angeles Beloved Sufis shows you all the events according to date. Different cities may have different sufi paths (tariqa) gathering, but hey! when it comes to Divine lovers, who cares the differences? Don't forget to signup for free to become member.[>] click here to browse the cities or countries for Sufi meetup. May God connect your heart with blessed souls in this path of truth."And God has put affection and love between the...
Islam and Sufism in West Africa
2007-11-15 20:43:00 The world of Islam in West Africa has such a rich and interconnected relationship with the people and their culture that it is hard to imagine that there was ever a time Islam was not present. In fact it is hard to imagine Islam without also thinking of the distinctive characteristics of West African Islam. ...
By: Wa Salaam
Taking the Oath: An Islamic Tradition
2007-11-07 08:58:00 Taking bayat means taking an oath. It is a sunnat, however a forgotten sunnat of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (may Peace and Blessings be upon him). When the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) and the Believers, his Companions went to Hajj, for the first time after the hijri/migration to Medina, they stopped before entering Mecca. The ...
By: Wa Salaam
Nusrat Fateh ?Ali Khan: ?Ali ?Ali Maula Haqq! (in Urdu)
2007-10-31 09:30:00 Its interesting to me to be going into my closet pulling out old CDs that I haven’t listened to in a while. When you do you notice that there is no age on spiritual music particular Ghazals and Qawwalis. Lately, Hyder ‘Ali of the Osmanli Traveller Blog and I have been listening to a ...
By: Wa Salaam
Custom Made Misbaha
2007-10-30 04:56:00 One thing about the Osmanli Naks-i’bendi Hakkani Sufi Association is that daily worship is taken very seriously. And because daily worship calls for a good amount of dhikr (pronounced zee-kir) it is necessary to have a misbaha. The misbaha helps count the number of repetitions made in your tasbih. This is very helpful when making ...
By: Wa Salaam
Say Allah, Allah, Allah!
2007-10-28 21:54:00 There are a few things in my life that consistently offer a feeling of freshness and renewal. One is wudu’, the ritual ablution Muslims perform before prayer, its impact on the soul is a significant one. After performing the wudu’ one has a strong sense of cleanliness and purity that can be felt for long ...
By: Wa Salaam
Sufi Whirling in New York City
2007-10-10 21:49:00 On a cool evening during the Holy Month of Ramadan, the Osmanli Naks’i-bendi-Hakkani Sufi Association spent the night in prayer and worship to their Lord. Some of this worship included music and whirling captured in this video. Shaykh Abdul-Kerim holds these events weekly on Friday at 353 W 39th St, Rm #304 in Manhattan (NYC). read ...
By: Wa Salaam
Chechen Muslims Make Hadra and Zikr
2007-10-01 22:33:00 This is one of my favorite video clips. It features a gathering of Chechen Muslims, from the Qadiri Sufi Association, reciting, “la ilaha illa Allah”, “there is no god but the One God”. Every time I watch this clip it makes the hairs on the back on my neck stand-up! SubhanAllah! Glory be to Him, ...
By: Wa Salaam
Dara Shikoh?s ?Two Oceans?: Book Review
2007-09-25 20:30:00 Sufism, or Islamic mysticism, provides rich resources for developing theologies of inter-faith dialogue and solidarity, an urgent necessity in today’s world where talk of a global ‘clash of civilisations’ threatens to become a frightening reality. In this regard, the works of numerous Indian Sufis is particularly significant because they lived and wrote in a multi-religious ...
Sufi Hadra at Dergah
2007-09-21 22:32:00 The Osmanli “Lions” of the Osmanli Naksibendi Sufi Order in Sydney Center New York perform loud recitation and hadhra worship under the direction of Shaykh Abdul Kerim al-Kibrisi with ijazaat and instruction from Maulana Shaykh Nazim al-Haqqani. read more | digg story
By: Wa Salaam
Teaching Good Manners
2007-09-10 07:21:00 God said to the Believers, “Let there arise out of you a band of people inviting to all that is good, enjoining what is right, and forbidding what is wrong: They are the ones to attain felicity.” (003: 104) And as we grow into adulthood, we accumulate various responsibilities. These responsibilities cause pressure, that pressure tends ...
By: Wa Salaam
Sufis; friends of ?god? and of atheists!
2007-09-08 20:20:00 My favorite blog’s latest blurb: The Believers Appoint Themselves Elect In addition to being fully humane, why must we be religious? Because it is about our own self interest isn?t it, to get that place in heaven, or feel sustained by some Higher Power. Weird then, to congratulate ourselves based on this unnecessary induced obsession.
I AMness | Integral vision of Ken Wilber and Sufism
2007-09-08 18:14:00 The Integral Vision of Ken Wilber Thoughts from Quranic and Sufi Mystic Perspective[1.]Those who know Ken Wilber and aware of his writings, thoughts will definitely admit that he is one of the most profound thinker, philosopher and a prophet like visionary figure of our contemporary time.Although Ken Wilber in his writings hardly speaks about Sufi tradition, the point from where he is coming from, the path he is taking on and the station where he is reaching has profound link with Sufi Mysticism or Islamic Mysticism and that can be validated by passages of the Quran and the gnostic sayings of Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace. I was reading the Integral Vision by Ken Wilber, the book which just came out (2007, Shambhala). Now this relation, shared truth is interesting and at the same time important because the goal is to point or arrive at the aspects of truth through an integral vision. And Sufi tradition, which is an alive, thriving and much modern up-to-date tradition can be br...
Muslims Running From Sufism
2007-08-31 22:13:00 I’m curious why more Muslims aren’t affiliated with one tariqat or another. Tasawwuf (sufism) is an Islamic Science that can be traced to the ahl al-suffa (people of the veranda), who were sahab-e-kiram (companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him) that would spend much of their time outside of the Prophet’s house in devotion ...
By: Wa Salaam
FINDING MY RELIGION V - Anne Scott, a follower of Sufism, teaches feminine
2007-08-31 03:27:00 Sufism is typically thought of as a mystical branch of Islam whose practices developed in the Middle East during the eighth century and whose adherents can now be found around the world. But whereas some Sufis continue to identify themselves as part of Islam, others do not. Anne Scott has worked with the Naqshbandi Sufi ...
By: Templar Globe
I know not who I am
2007-08-30 17:49:00 Bulleh Shah, the greatest mystic poet of Punjab, had lived the most tumultuous period of the Sub-continent history during which Mughal dynasty jolted after Aurangezb?s death and his successors first fought each other for the Delhi?s throne and later the attack of Nadir Shah broke the back of Mughal?s rule in India. The subsequent events ...
By: Wayward Mind
Why mysticism is irritating bullshit
2007-08-21 18:18:00 In this entry I will detail why I find mysticism irritating bullshit. It bloody well makes no sense on its own merits. Smug mystics (who don’t believe they are arrogant but are one of the most arrogant & pretentious bastards in the world) smile to themselves in their condescending way, thinking; “You just don’t get ...
Fiqh Before Tariqat
2007-08-05 09:47:00 This topic surfaced out of the signature tagline of a commenter on this blog. The commenter responded to the Mercy on Friday post and incidentally opened up the opportunity for a discussion on something that is affecting Islam in a very big way and that is the idea of “fiqh before tariqat” and the subsequent ...
By: Wa Salaam
Why mysticism (Sufism) in Pakistan has lost its pedigree?
2007-07-31 22:47:00 Living in the country like Pakistan where at every step we come across a soul buried ? a mystic; nowadays we can?t find a true Teacher who could help us in taking the oath of Allegiance or Bay?a read more
Sufi wisdom
2007-07-31 03:49:00 From my all-time favorite blog: A good man is one who treats others as he would like to be treated. A generous man is one who treats others better than he expects to be treated. A wise man is one who knows how he and others should be treated: in what ways, and to what extent. The ...
Meaning of Tasawouf | Sufism and making of Sufi
2007-07-30 18:55:00 It is narrated by Amir al-Moumenin (Leader of the faithful ones) Ali (as well as Imam Sadiq, his grandson), who said that "Tasawouf is an acronym of four letters". Tasawouf is the original arabic term to mean Sufism, although this translation is a misnomer, containing an -ism which doesn't do justice to this inner dimension of spirituality that transcend any ism or boundary or dogma.Tasawouf is a four letter word: TSVF and each letter holds a secret representing one stage or quality of a Sufi. Together the word TSVF makes the twelve principles; one who perfect these principles is a Sufi.T, the first letter stands for three practices of Tark or Abandonment; Tubeh or Repentance and Tugha or Virtue.S, the second letter of the word, stands for another three qualities to be perfected by a salek (a traveler on the spiritual journey); Sabr or Patience; Sedgh or Truthfulness and Honesty and Safa or Purity.V, the third letter stands for Vud or Love; Verd or Wird meaning Remembrance; and Vaf...
Bay?at and the Birth of Saifuddin
2007-07-29 16:34:00 Blogging, for me, began as an expression of identity, the expression of an identity which had been beaten and bruised in the backlashings of American society. Interestingly enough, it was this very same society which gave birth to this identity, an identity which is now demonized. That is to say, the American Muslim, estranged and ...
By: Wa Salaam
Christians and Muslims condemn Harry Potter
2007-07-23 00:50:00 I was shocked to learn what ultra-nutty Christians and Muslims have to say about Harry Potter! But first, about the book itself: I tore through it in two nights! My feelings were that the first two books were the best. The rest just plain sucked as they became progressively less about their wondrous school experience. I ...
Articles of Apostacy - Part 3: Exploring Muslim minds
2007-06-10 02:37:00 My name is Salahudin and this is the story of my experience with Islam: from being a born Muslim to an agnostic atheist.This article is a continuation from part 2. By this time I had openly declared my apostasy. And when I was forced to confront Muslims about my philosophical critiques against Islam, they intellectually squirmed ...
An interview with an Imaam
2007-06-08 19:43:00 The following is an interview with an anonymous Imaam who is runs a public 1-1877 number for Islam. That is, you call in and ask questions about Islam and he will answer to the best of his knowledge. Trust me when I say that I would love to give out that number so that everyone can ...
My experience with Islam - Part 2: Disagreeing with Theology
2007-06-08 03:38:00 This article is a continuation from part 1. As I stated before, post-9/11 was a time for deep introspection of my beliefs for me. As I started exploring different sects within Islam a feeling of frustration developed within me, mainly because no sect was able to give me what I was looking for: a religious acceptance ...
My experience with Islam - Part 1: My Islamic background
2007-06-06 09:38:00 My name is Salahudin and this is the story of my experience with Islam; from childhood as a born Muslim to an adult as an agnostic atheist. I was born in 1986 in Lahore, Pakistan. I come from what would be considered an “upper middle class” family with my parents being of a high skilled technical profession. ...
Is a sense of humor allowed in Islam?
2007-05-02 00:38:00 Luckily for the forehead-slamming, pious-to-the-degree-of-being-co-nstipated-prudes, the answer is a resounding yes! This gem of a find gave us the answer. And as always with Islam, nothing is “allowed” without a bit but following it. For example, the above pdf document explains that you are allowed to, as a Muslim, have a sense of humor, BUT you ...
understanding relationship between Sufism and poetry
2007-05-01 05:45:00 Dana Wilde in a draft fashion has outlined ideas toward a basic understanding of the relationship between Sufism and poetry, with an exposition of basic ideas about what poetry is and does, and might do. i quote only critical areas.Poetry & Sufism: A Few Generalities It's not surprising that Sufis place so much emphasis on music and especially poetry in their teachings and their understanding of the Way to reunion with the Divine. The general Sufi sense of what reality consists in is inherently poetic; it seems not only to parallel the cosmos that a poetic imagination, in the most general terms, conceives, but really seems to embody that version of reality.All poetry is inherently mystical. In the first and most basic way, its primary aim is to communicate at nonrational levels. Metaphors exist to convey, or evoke, or create sensibilities that cannot be conveyed or created using direct terms. For our purposes, this means metaphors evoke "feelings" in the range of emotions, but als...
Women, know thy limits!
2007-04-30 00:40:00 First, watch this video: and then check this actual video out, made by an Arab Muslim: What this guy said and did is considered a preposterous and hilarious joke in the non-Muslim, progressive and civilized world! How they can remain so backwards as to actually try to propagate their misogynistic beliefs is beyond our understanding! Though we ... |
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