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To: tariqas elist From: Haramullah (tyagi@houseofkaos.abyss.com) Subject: Sufism and the Sunna (rules) Date: 49940822 Alaykum dinakum wahleya din. My kin Noori writes: | Is kissing the feet of the shaykh following the sunnah of the | prophet, blessings of Allah and peace be upon him? My feeling is that this may be better placed within the 'sufi' elist, since it seems a particularly Muslim question. I shall endeavor to respond from my peculiar (and ignorant) corner. "Niffari bids the gnostic [sufi] perform only such acts of worship as are in accordance with his vision of God, though in so doing he will necessarily disobey the religious law which was made for the vulgar. His inward feeling must decide how far the external forms of religion are good for him. "'God said to me, Ask Me and say, "O Lord, how shall I cleave to Thee, so that when my day (of judgement) comes, Thou wilt not punish me nor avert Thy face from me?" Then I will answer thee and say, "Cleave in thy outward theory and practice to the Sunna (the rule of the Prophet), and cleave in thy inward feeling to the gnosis which I have given thee; and know that when I make Myself known to thee, I will not accept from thee anything of the Sunna but what My gnosis brings to thee, because thou art one of those to whom I speak: thou hearest Me and knowest that thou hearest Me, and thou seest that I am the source of all things."' "The commentator observes that the Sunna, being general in scope, makes no distinction between individuals, e.g. seekers of Paradise and seekers of God, but that in reality it contains exactly what each person requires. The portion specially appropriate in every case is discerned either by means of gnosis [ma'rifat], which God communicates to the heart [qalb], or by means of guidance imparted by a spiritual director [sheikh]. "'And He said to me, "My exoteric revelation does not support My esoteric revelation."' "This means that the gnostic need not be dismayed if his inner experience conflicts with the religious law. The contradiction is only apparent. Religion addresses itself to the common herd of men who are veiled by their minds, by logic, tradition, and so on; whereas gnosis belongs to the elect, whose bodies and spirits are bathed in eternal Light. Religion sees things from the aspect of plurality, but gnosis regards the all-embracing Unity. Hence the same act is good in religion, but evil in gnosis [sufism] - a truth which is briefly stated thus: "'The good deeds of the pious are the ill deeds of the favourites of God.'" _The Mystics of Islam_, by Reynold A. Nicholson, pp. 72-4. __________________________________________________________ Thus it is entirely dependent upon one's station with respect to God, and this is best left to Allah and to the individual. Those whom I call muslim (i.e. of the Way of God, rather than simply of the religion) will concern themselves with themselves and let Allah lead others to their ends, not condemning, not praising. As Sheikh Hisham says: "Your job is to interfere with yourself alone. Correct yourself, and leave everyone else to their Lord. Let them do what they want to do. _This is the true understanding and teaching of Sufism: leave everyone to their Lord, and interfere only with yourself._" _Mercy Oceans: Secrets of the Heart_, by Sheikh Muhammad Hisham Kabbani, p. 3. ________________________________________________ And as penned by the Beast himself: "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law. The word of Sin is Restriction." _Liber Al vel Legis_, from Nuit unto Ankh-af-na-khonsu (666) Chapter I, verses 40-41. ____________________________________________________________ La ilaha illa 'Llah, oh my kin, and Muhammadun rasulu 'Llah. Haramullah tyagi@houseofkaos.abyss.com
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