What is Sufism?
by Dr. Javad Nurbakhsh
From a speech given by Dr. Javad Nurbakhsh, Master of the Nimatullahi Order, at the Sorbonne, Paris, in 1963:
Introduction
The substance and definition of Sufism: the substance of Sufism is the Truth and the definition of Sufism is the selfless experiencing and actualization of the Truth.
The practice of Sufism: the practice of Sufism is the intention to go towards the Truth, by means of love and devotion. This is called the Tariqat, the Spiritual Path or way towards God.
The definition of the sufi: the sufi is one who is a lover of Truth, who by means of love and devotion moves towards the Truth, towards the Perfection which all are truly seeking. As necessitated by Love's jealousy, the sufi is taken away from all except the Truth-Reality. For this reason, in Sufism it is said that, "Those who are inclined towards the hereafter can not pay attention to the material world. Likewise, those who are involved in the material world can not concern themselves with the hereafter. But the sufi (because of Love' s jealousy) is unable to attend to either of these worlds."
Concerning this same idea, Shebli has said, "One who dies for the love of the material world, dies a hypocrite. One who dies for the love of the hereafter, dies an ascetic. But one who dies for the love of the Truth, dies a sufi."
Sufism
Sufism is a school for the actualization of divine ethics. It involves an enlightened inner being, not intellectual proof; revelation and witnessing, not logic. By divine ethics, we are referring to ethics which transcend mere social convention; a way of being which is the actualization of the attributes of God.
To explain the Truth is indeed a difficult task. Words, being limited, can never really express the Perfection of the Absolute, the Unbound. Thus, for those who are imperfect, words create doubt and misunderstanding. Yet:
If one cannot drink up the entire ocean,
one can drink to one's limit.
Philosophers have written volumes and spoken endlessly of the Truth, but somehow their efforts have always fallen short. For the sufi, philosophers are those who view the Perfection of the Absolute from a limited perspective; so all they see is part of the Absolute, not the Infinite in its entirety. It is indeed true that what philosophers see is correct; nevertheless, it is only a part of the whole.
One is reminded of Rumi's well-known story of a group of men in India who had never seen an elephant. One day they came to a place where an elephant was. In complete darkness they approached the animal, each man feeling it. Afterwards, they described what they thought they had perceived. Of course their descriptions were different. He who had felt a leg, imagined the elephant to be a pillar. The man who felt the animal's ear, described the elephant as a fan, and so on. Each one of their descriptions with respect to the various parts they had experienced was true. However, as far as accurately describing the whole, their conceptions had all fallen short. If they had had a candle, the difference of opinions would not have come about. The candle's light would have revealed the elephant as a whole.
Only by the light of the Spiritual Path and the mystic way can the Truth really be actualized. In order for one to truly witness the Perfection of the Absolute, one must see with one's inner being, which perceives the whole of Reality. This witnessing happens when one becomes perfect, losing one's (partial) existence in the Whole.
If the Whole is likened to the Ocean, and the part to a drop, the sufi says that witnessing the Ocean with the eye of a drop is impossible. However, when the drop becomes one with the Ocean, it sees the Ocean with the eye of the Ocean.
How is it possible to realize Perfection?
Man is dominated by his self's desires and fears. Those who are ensnared in these habitual impulses are out of harmony with the Divine Nature, and thus ill. As a result of this illness, feelings become disturbed and accordingly, thoughts and perceptions become unsound. Thus, one's faith as well as one's knowledge of the Truth strays from what is real.
In order to follow the way to Perfection, one must first rectify these incorrect thought processes and transmute one's desires and fears. This is accomplished by coming into harmony with the Divine Nature. This way of harmony (the Spiritual Path) consists of spiritual poverty, devotion, and the continuous, selfless remembrance of God. In this way, one comes to perceive the Truth as it really is.
Asceticism and Abstinence in Sufism
In order to travel the path, the sufi needs strength supplied by proper bodily nourishment. It has been said that whatever the sufi eats is transformed into spiritual qualities and light. However, the food of others, since it but serves their own desires and fears, only strengthens their selfish attachments and takes them further away from the Truth.
This one eats and only
stinginess and envy result.
While that one eats and there is but
the light of the One.
This one eats and only
impurity comes about.
While that one eats and all becomes
the Light of God.
It is clear then, that Sufism is not based upon ascetic practices such as abstinence from food. In our school, the traveler on God's Way is only instructed to abstain from food when he is sick or entangled in excessive desire or fear. In this case, the Master or Spiritual Guide permits one to refrain from eating for a brief period of time, and instead directs one to concentrate on spiritual practices. In this way, the excess is transmuted and the seeker's inner being becomes harmonious. Then, the dervish will be enabled to continue on the dangerous ascent to the Infinite.
Some have thought that by fasting the strength necessary for purification is attained. On the contrary, in Sufism abstinence alone is not enough to purify the self. It is true that asceticism and abstinence give one a certain spiritual state, and in this state one's perception may be clarified. But if the self is likened to a dragon that by fasting becomes powerless, it is certain that when the fast is broken and enough food is eaten, the dragon will revive, and stronger than ever will go about attempting to fulfill its desires.
In Sufism, it is by the Tariqat (Spiritual Path) that the self is gradually purified and transformed into Divine Attributes, until there is nothing left of one's compulsive self. Then all that remains is the Perfect, Divine Self. In such extensive and precise work, asceticism and abstinence are virtually worthless.
The Spiritual Path
The Tariqat is the way by which the sufi comes into harmony with the Divine Nature. As we have said, this way is comprised of spiritual poverty (faqr), devotion and the continuous, selfless remembrance of God (zekr), which are represented by the cloak of the dervish (kherqeh).
1. Spiritual Poverty (faqr)
This is both the feeling of being imperfect and needy, and the desire for perfection. The Prophet, Mohammed, said, "My honor is from spiritual poverty. I have been honored over and above all prophets by being graced with spiritual poverty." And God revealed to the Prophet, "Say, God increase my true knowledge of you." As this saying indicates, even though Mohammed was given the honor of Prophethood, it was still necessary that he feel his poverty and desire to be nearer to the essence of God.
2. The cloak of the dervish (kherqeh).
The kherqeh is the garment of honor of the dervish. It symbolizes the Divine Nature and Attributes. Some people have mistakenly imagined that the cloak actually possesses these properties and have felt that if one was to wear such a cloak, one would become a saint. However, wearing spiritual clothing does not make one spiritual. A sufi wears what he or she likes while being in harmony with what is socially approved. 'Ali said, "Wear those clothes which neither cause you to be looked down upon, nor admired and envied." Thus, it is not the clothes which make the sufi, rather it is his or her actions and inner being.
Recline on the throne of the heart,
and with purity in manner be a sufi.
-- Sa'di
The cloak is sewn with the needle of devotion and the thread of the selfless remembrance of God. He or she who wishes to be honored by this cloak of poverty must, with devotion, become surrendered to a spiritual guide. True devotion draws one's heart towards the Beloved. It involves continuous attention to the Truth-Reality and constant effort to let go of attention to the self. This includes unquestioned obedience to one's spiritual guide.
The guide, by spiritual means, penetrates to the depths of the disciple's soul, transmutes his negative qualities, and brings to nothing the impurities of the world of multiplicity. In other words, the guide takes the needle of devotion from the disciple's hand and with the thread of the disciple's selfless remembrance of God, sews the sufi cloak upon the disciple. Then, by the grace of this cloak of Divine Names and Attributes, the disciple will become a perfect being.
3. Continuous, selfless remembrance of God (zekr).
Contained in Absolute, Infinite Unity are forces which emanate and become manifested as created beings. Each being, according to its nature, receives grace from these forces. In the realm of words, the manifestations of these forces, or truths, are expressed by Divine Names. Examples are: the Living (al-hayy), meaning the life of creation is directly connected with Him; and the Transcendent (al-'ali), meaning the force of the universe is with Him.
The Divine Names, in the continuous, selfless remembrance of God (zekr), are prescribed by the Master of the Spiritual Path, in order to cure his disciples of the disease of the self and its desires and fears. But this remembrance is of no value unless all of one's senses come to be fully centered on the meaning-reality of the respective Names. It is only by full acknowledgment and love of the reality of these Divine Names that attention to the self falls away. Then, the self becomes purified and adorned by the Divine Attributes.
The Beloved sat facing my open heart
for so long that,
but for Her Attributes and Nature,
nothing remained of my heart.
-- Maghrebi
Only in such a fashion can the repetition of the Divine Names be called the selfless remembrance of God, or zekr.
The disciple is like a machine whose energy comes from devotion. This machine, by means of the selfless remembrance of God, transmutes all of the self's desires and fears into Divine Attributes. Gradually, the disciple's self passes away and the Divine Nature becomes manifest; then the disciple truly becomes the recipient of the sufi cloak, and his heart and soul become illuminated by the grace of the Divine Attributes. At this point the disciple is worthy of entering the spiritual feast of the sufis, which takes place in the "Tavern of Ruin" (kharabat). This is the spiritual state of self-having-passed away-in-God (fana). Here, the sufi directly perceives the secrets of the Truth. As is said in the Qur'an, "Only the purified experience It (the Truth)." These purified ones, in Sufism, are called Perfect Beings.
In order to show how the remembrance (zekr) is done, let us take the example of LA ILLAHA ILL ALLAH. Its meaning is: there is no god, but God (who is One).
The sufi sits either cross-legged or on his or her heels, with the right hand placed on the left thigh and the left hand over the right wrist. In these positions one's hands and legs form a y LA (the negative particle in Arabic), symbolizing the nonexistence of the sufi before the Beloved. In this state, the sufi must relinquish attention to and belief in this world, the hereafter, and himself.
The Y of one's arms begins at one's navel and continues up to one's neck. It is a scissors which symbolizes the cutting away of the head of one's self, and the surrendering of the belief in and attachment to one's own limited existence.
With ILLAH (god), the sufi moves his head and neck toward the right in a semicircle. This is called the arc of possible existence. The movement symbolizes the negation, or rather, the giving up of the belief in the reality of "other than God". "Other than God" in Sufism is merely all transient, limited, and possible existences. Human beings attend to these possible existences instead of the Eternal, All-encompassing, Necessary and Absolute Reality of God.
Then, with ILL ALLAH, the sufi moves his head and neck to the left. This is called the arc of necessity and symbolizes the reality of the Necessary, the Absolute Reality.
The Manifestation of the Divine
Since words are but manifestations of objects, concepts, and truths, the sufi feels that by continuous and complete attention to the meaning and reality of his remembrance of God, he becomes the true manifestation of that remembrance. That is to say, with continuous, selfless remembrance a Divine Attribute comes to predominate in the being of the sufi.
The sufis consider that there is a particular Divine Attribute which dominates the being of every prophet and saint, such that they can be said to be the incarnation of that attribute. For example, sufis feel that Moses is the manifestation of the transcendent aspect of Reality, because of his ability to speak with God without an intermediary. In the Qur'an, the Lord said to Moses, "Do not fear, because you are transcendent." Jesus is the manifestation of prophethood. While an infant he cried, "God gave me the book and placed me as a prophet."
All of the prophets are manifestations of the Divine Unity and Perfection, but Mohammed is its supreme manifestation. His name is the most exalted of the Divine Names, containing all the Names within it. Thus, Mohammed is the spiritual incarnation and manifestation of all of God's Names. Mohammed himself said, "What God first created was my Light."
In addition, each prophet is the manifestation of one of the Divine Attributes, and all of the Attributes are contained in the most exalted Name. Also, Mohammed is the manifestation of the Great Name. So, due to the fact that his manifestation is inclusive of all the Names, he hierarchically comes before all other created things, and for the same reason said, "I was a prophet while Adam was still between water and earth."
Sama
If you are not one with the Beloved
Seek!
and if you are in Union,
Rejoice!
The musical and ecstatic aspect of Sufism is called Sama. The sufi, while being spiritually enraptured, gives the attention of his or her heart to the Beloved. With particular movements and often special and rhythmical music, he engages in the selfless remembrance of God. In this state, the sufi is a drunken lover who becomes unaware of everything but God. With all his faculties he is attentive to the Beloved, and he has totally given up and forgotten himself.
Not all disciples engage in Sama. It is only given as a practice to some by their spiritual guide, who determines whether it is appropriate for them or not. Sama can be likened to a medicine; it is sometimes prescribed and sometimes prohibited.
Sainthood
Earlier, we have said that the aim of Sufism is the cultivation of Perfect Beings who are mirrors reflecting the Divine Names and Attributes. In Sufism, a perfect being is also called a wali (saint), a word which literally means 'sincere friend'. All who have been prophets have also been saints. The spiritual degree of sainthood is a station indicating the condition of one's inner being, while the rank of prophethood reflects one's mission as a divine messenger.
The prophetic mission of Mohammed was both Absolute Sainthood and Prophecy. 'Ali, while not among the prophets, attained to this same Absolute Sainthood. Mohammed said, " 'Ali and I are of the same light," and 'Ali said, "Spiritually, I have been with all the Prophets."
In the eyes of the great sufis, the saints have included the successors of 'Ali in his spiritual-political role as first of the Shi'ite Imams. Also among the saints are the Sufi Masters who have followed the esoteric path of 'Ali.
These enlightened beings, each according to his or her own capacity, have drunk from the fountain of Truth. Because they are known only by God, only God can truly know the differences between their spiritual stations. In a prophetic tradition (hadith), God says, "My friends (saints) are under my banner, no one knows them but I."
Most people do not have the patience necessary to know the saints. One who is encompassed can not truly know what encompasses him. True knowledge of the saints comes from knowing their reality through one's inner being.
A common misunderstanding is the thought that by going into seclusion one can become a saint. However, in the way of the sufi, the way of Mohammed and 'Ali, one must live in society. Being a recluse and retreating from contact with people has no lasting spiritual value.
Mohammed said, "The faith of a believer is not perfect unless one thousand sincere people give witness to his 'infidelity'." He meant that the divine knowledge of a perfect believer is beyond the level of thinking of most people. Those who hear such a perfect being speak, since they can not perceive the truth of what he is saying, will call him an unbeliever.
A true believer, a sufi, must live in, serve and guide society, and be a vehicle by which society receives Grace. It is for this reason that conforming to and being in harmony with society, being at peace with all, is a quality of a perfect being.
Purification and its Stages
The stages of purification are:
- self becoming emptied
- self becoming illuminated
- self becoming adorned
- self-having-passed-away (fana)
These stages occur in the course of the selfless remembrance of God (zekr). The first stage, becoming emptied, entails letting go of negative qualities, the desires which originate from the self. The second stage of becoming illuminated involves polishing the heart and soul of the tarnish of belief in and attachment to the self. In the third stage, one's inner being becomes adorned by Divine Attributes. Ultimately, the being of the disciple becomes completely filled by the Attributes of the Truth-Reality, to the extent that there is no sign of his own limited existence. This fourth stage is called "self-having passed-away" (fana).
I thought of You so often
that I completely became You.
Little by little You drew near,
and slowly but slowly I passed away.
The disciple, through these stages of purification, travels the inner way, the Spiritual Path (Tariqat). But he or she can do so only by following the duties and obligations of Islam (Shariat). Having traveled this path, the disciple becomes a perfect being and arrives at the threshold of the Truth (Haqiqat). Mohammed said, "The Shariat is my speech, the Tariqat my actions (way of being), and Haqiqat my states."
One could liken the journey within the Haqiqat, within the Truth, to training in a divine university, the "Tavern of Ruin" (kharabat). In this true center for higher education there are no professors, one's only guide being Absolute Love. Here one's only teacher is Love, one's books are Love, and one's being is Love.
Before a perfect being enters this university, he or she can be defined. However, upon entering the Truth, one is indefinable, beyond the realm of words.
Footprints but come to the Ocean's shore.
Therein, no trace remains.
-- Rumi
If you ask his name, like Bayazid, he answers, "I lost him years ago. The more I seek him, the less I find." If you ask of his religion, like Rumi, he answers:
The way of a lover is not among the religions.
The church and state of lovers is God.
If you ask how he is, like Bayazid he answers, There is nothing under my cloak but Allah.
If he speaks, like Hallaj, you may hear him sing I am the Truth.
Such words can truly come only from perfect beings who have lost their 'selves' and become the manifestation of the Divine Nature and Divine Mysteries. Their selves have departed and only God remains
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