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To: alt.magick.tyagi,alt.sufi,talk.religion.misc,alt.islam.sufism,alt.politics,talk.politics
From: haramullah (nagasiva@luckymojo.com)
Subject: al-Latif the Domain of Righteousness
Date: Mon, 12 Nov 2001 01:44:22 GMT

50011111 VI! om 

assalam alaykum, my kin.

elijah wright :
> i have temporarily switched the list into quasi-moderated mode.  this
> situation will hopefully eliminate the personal attacks that seem to be
> flying rapidly back and forth.
> 
> all un-hateful posts will of course be approved and distributed 
> posthaste.

thank you, kin.

Abu 'Abdullah al-Sajazi:

	Futuwwah is knowing that others can be forgiven
	for their misdeeds, but that you yourself are
	always at fault; that everyone and everything
	else is complete, while you yourself are lacking.
	Futuwwah is showing understanding and compassion
	equally to what appears good and what appears bad.
	The highest form of Futuwwah is when nothing
	occupies you but Allah.

	[Ibn al-Husayn al-Sulami, "Futuwwah", Tosun Bayrak
	 al-Jerrahi, Inner Traditions, 1991.]

compare this with the Old Boy of Tao and Teh:

	The people of the world are merry-making,
	 As if partaking of the sacrificial feasts,
 	 As if mounting the terrace in spring;
	I alone am mild, like one unemployed,
	 Like a new-born babe that cannot yet smile,
	 Unattached, like one without a home.

	The people of the world have enough and to spare,
	But I am like one left out,
	 My heart must be that of a fool,
	 Being muddled, nebulous!

	The vulgar are knowing, luminous;
	 I alone am dull, confused.
	The vulgar are clever, self-assured;
	 I alone, depressed.
	Patient as the sea,
	 Adrift, seemingly aimless.

	The people of the world all have a purpose;
	 I alone appear stubborn and uncouth.
	I alone differ from the other people,
	 And value drawing sustenance from the Mother [Nature]. 

	[Lao Tzu, "Tao Teh Ching", Chapter 20, transl. Lin Yutang, 
	 Random House, 1976.]

true humility cannot ever be Right. there is only One who can ever
be Right in the way seized by those without foundation: the Crusher,
the Ever-Dominating One, *al-Qahhar*. *al-Qahhar* 

	created the causes of rebellion, denial, arrogance, ignorance, 
	tyranny and hypocrisy, upon which the darkness of His terror 
	is reflected.

here, described by Sheikh Tosun Bayrak al-Jerrahi al-Halveti, is perhaps
the central principle of disciplined struggle: 

	Allah counters His attribute of *al-Qahhar* with His 
	attribute *al-Latif*. They are within each other. He has 
	also created causes and means that separate His punishing 
	destructive force from His delicate loving finesse (*al-Latif*).
	He has created the means of faith, sincerity, justice, 
	compassion, generosity, wisdom, and other beautiful 
	characteristics upon which the light of *al-Latif* shines.

the sheikh suggests that the reader

	try to find the traces of these ascending and descending 
	causes, and these two mirrors -- one is full of light, the 
	other, darkness, in and around you. We take refuge from 
	Allah al-Qahhar in Allah al-Latif.

	["The Most Beautiful Names", Jerrahi Order of America, 1985.]

Ibn Durayd is reputed as saying:

	Do not be bothered by the
		people who want something from you.

	Happy is the one from whom people want.

	Do not send away empty-handed
		the one who asks from you.

	For lasting honor blongs to
		him who is the source of hope.

	["Futuwwah", ibid.l]

Ubaydullah ibn 'Uthman reports that ibn Masruq said:

	Once I caused trouble to Abdul-Qasim al Haddad.
	In response, he wrote this poem:

		If you try someone else,
		you will remember me
		and see what a treasure
		I am for you.

		When you rose up, I remained humble.
		I belonged to those who stayed smaller
			while their brothers gained favors.

		You will regret what you did 
			and throw away your lance,

		And you will know that what you do 
			was out of weakness.

	I went to him and said, "I was not criticizing so that you
	should come and ask pardon, but because I saw loyalty in
	you. 

	["Futuwwah", Ibid.]

so arises all the criticizing, to be of 'help', because of 'offense'.
even though Sufi sheikhs there are who teach

	the Sufi ... has niether the worldly passion to annoy or
	bring pain upon his fellow mman, nor the basis (a self)
	from which to become offended. Because the Sufi has no self,
	there is no pain for him to bear, and thus, he is unaffected
	by all the seeming vices and virtues of people. He who feels
	offended has a 'self', and he who still has a self is not a
	Sufi. Rather, he is one who remains caught up in 'duality'
	and is unfaithful to God. The true Sufi, however, is an
	ever-faithful lover of God, fully in the Oneness of God. As
	Hafez has said:

		We offer Love to everyone
			and in Love accept all blame,
		For in our way, to be offended
			is faithlessness to God.

	Thus the Sufi can never experience offense.

	[Dr. Javad Nurbakhsh, "Answers to Questions About Sufism",
	 Khanikahi Nimatullahi, 1976]


	In such a state [as *fana*], the Sufi says:

		The lover has died and left both Islam and unbelief.
		Burning in love the flames,
			the moth does not ditinguish
			between the light of the mosque
			and the light of the monastery

	Or:

		Blasphemy and religion, Ka'ba and Pagan temple,
		For the true lover, are one in the same.

	[Dr. Nurbakhsh, Ibid.]

therefore no boundary is sacrosanct, as it depends upon the believer
as to what manner of condition is best suited to hir din, what is
hir submission to the Most Compassionate, and al-Latif the aim of
all true lovers of God.

peace be with you,

haramullah
nagasiva@luckymojo.com
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