Significance of Sufism

There are two categories of Sharia regulations prescribed for people one concerns a person’s behaviour, another refers to the soul. Both of them are vital, because the inner world of a person is the foundation for the outer appearance. The Almighty said: “Whoever would hope for the meeting with his Lord let him do righteous work and not associate anyone else in the worship of his Lord.” (Sura Al Kahf, ayat 110)

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) urged his companions to pay special attention to chastity. He taught them that good manners were a mirror of a good soul which has no faults: “There is in the body a clump of flesh if it becomes good, the whole body becomes good and if it becomes bad, the whole body becomes bad. And indeed such is the heart.”

And he explained that Allah attaches importance to people’s hearts, “Verily Allah does not look to your bodies nor to your faces but He looks to your hearts.” (Narrated by Muslim). The heart drives a person to action, that is why purifying it of bad qualities is a duty for everyone. People who have sound hearts will be saved on the Judgment Day: “The Day when wealth or children will not benefit [anyone]. But only one who comes to Allah with a sound heart.”(Sura AshShu’ara, ayats 88-89).

Imam Jalalutdin Suyuti said, “As for the heart science, its [the heart’s] cognition and purification of vices like envy, hatred, window dressing and pride are fard ul ‘ain (i.e. they are the duty of everyone)”. And the great imam alGhazali wrote, “Chastity (purifying the heart) and trying to improve oneself is a duty for everyone according to the Koran, hadith and the unanimous opinion of ulama (Islamic scholars).”

Ulama rank faults of the soul among the major sins that need to be specially repented. Ibrahim ul Lakani said in his book “Jawharatu tawheed”: “Call to the approved deeds and stay away from gossiping and reviling and any wicked deeds like a speriority, arrogance, envy and also avoid arguments and doing anything for show.”

According to Hasan al Basri, “a human is a slave of his feelings and desires. And one who has learnt to override them will truly become the ruler of his own destiny. If he shows purity of heart (sincerely, for the sake of Allah) in performing everything prescribed by the Almighty, then he will be surrounded with divine care wherever he is. The Almighty will teach him and he will receive knowledge from sources he does not expect”. According to ayat 282 (Holy Koran, Sura Al Baqarah): “And fear Allah. And Allah teaches you.”

Just as it is unbecoming to walk abroad in untidy clothes, so it is inadmissible to forget about your soul and not to try improving yourself:

“You embalm your flesh with precious ointment, But you leave your immortal soul in the ashes of the Earth.”

Faults of the soul are the reason of a person’s estrangement from Allah and His Eternity. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “None shall enter Paradise with a grain of pride still in his heart.”

A person’s well being in Eternity depends on his chastity; his salvation on the Day of Judgment depends on his efforts to improve himself. Hidden faults let a person consider himself to be a perfect being, while he is actually not. Is there any way to unveil them? Sufism is the only teaching that helps to unmask and overcome faults of the heart and to ennoble the soul. Sufism cultivates in a person penitence, fear of God, firmness, honesty, sincerity, asceticism, piety, good manners, love, remembrance of Allah and a feeling of being watched by Allah. A large amount of the theoretical and practical patrimony of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) belongs to Sufis.

• They said no to sins and faults,
• Purified both bodies and souls.
• They grasped their true faith
• And went along the Ihsan path.

Imam al Ghazali, who is also called Hujjat ul Islam (The Argument of Islam), took the Sufi path. After he got its first fruits he said: “Following the path of Sufism is fard ul ‘ain (i.e. everyone’s duty), truly no one is sinless except for the prophets.”

Fudhail ibn Iyaz stated, “Follow the true path and do not be afraid of being lonely on it. Beware of the path of evil and do not be deceived by the large numbers of people following it. Any time you feel lonely remember your brothers [in faith] that are gone. Try to reach them and pay no attention to others that can do nothing for you before Allah. If they are trying to mislead you, ignore them. Whenever you appeal to them, they will be trying to seduce you. And you will be deceived.”

Aleppo, Ramadan 24 of 1381 Hijrah (1961)

ABDUL QADIR ISSA