Islam and Sufism an introduction

Whoever  had  come had built a new edifice. He departed and left the place to another And the other one concocted the sane futile schemes And the edifice was not completed by anyone, ....As all the good and bad must surely die He is happy who carries off the ball of virtues. Send provisions for thy journey to the to thy tomb, Nobody will bring it after thee: Send it before

This being human is a guest house every morning a new arrival. A joy, a depression, a meanness; some momentary awareness comes as an unexpected visitor. Welcome and entertain them all! Even if they're a crowd of sorrows, who violently sweep your house empty of all its furniture. Still treat each guest honourably. He may be clearing you out for some new delight. The dark thought, the shame, the malice, meet them at the door laughing and invite them in. Be grateful for whoever comes, because each one has been sent as a guide from beyond.

" Everyone prays to You from fear of the Fire; And if You do not put them in the Fire, This is their reward. Or they pray to You for the Garden(Heaven), Full of fruits and flowers. And that is their prize. But I do not pray to You like this, For I am not afraid of the Fire, And I do not ask You for the Garden. But all I want is the Essence of Your Love",

Advice of Shaikh Sadi to students;  "Learn a profession or a trade because property and riches of the world are not to be relied  upon;  ; but a professions or a trade is  a living fountain and permanent wealth.---------

Causation from Masnavi of Rumi God hath established a rule and causes and means for the sake of who seek Him under the canopy. Most things come to pass according to the rule, but some time His power breaks the rule. He established a goodly rule and custom; He made the evidentiary miracle a breach of custom. O thou who art ensnared by causes, do not imagine that the Causer is defunct! The Causer brings into existence whatsoever He will, His Omnipotence can destroy all causes; But, for the most part, He lets the execution of His Will follow the course of causation, In order that seeker may be able to pursue their object of desire. Where there is no cause, what way should the seeker pursue? He must have a visible cause in the way he is going. Causes are films on the eyes, for not every eye is worthy to contemplate His work.

Alike for those who for To-day prepare, And those  that  after To-morrow stare, A Muezzin from the Tower of Darkness cries, "Fools! Your Reward is neither Here or There"Omar Khayyam (1048-1141)

quote 2 of Shaikh Sadi on ignorance. O intelligent man what is the tongue in he mouth? It is the key to the treasure-door of a virtuous  man, When the door id closed  how can one know Whether he is a seller of jewels or a hawker?

A  quotes of Shaikh Sadi on ignorance. Nothing is better for an ignorant man than silence, and if he were to consider it to be suitable, he would not be ignorant. If thou possessest not the perfection of excellence It is best to keep thy tongue within thy mouth. Disgrace is brought on a man by his tongue.  

Khjwaja Shams Uddin Ahmed Hafizz was bornn in Shiraz in 1315. He was a was a scholar, a Sufi and a well known poet. His Diwan e Hafiz is most famous. Goethe (1749-1832) was a admirer of Hafiz and referred him as his soul mate. He also named one of his collection as Dewan. Here is a poem in praise of God. Khaliq In wide Eternity's vast space, Where no beginning was, wert Thou: The rays of all-pervading grace Beneath Thy veil flamed on Thy brow. Then Love and Nature sprang to birth, And Life and Beauty filled the earth. Awake, my soul! pour forth thy praise, To that great Being anthems raise--- That wondrous Architect who said,   "Be formed," and this great orb was made .  

A selection from Diwan e Shams I Tabrez. He is the first, He is the lest, He is the outward, He is the inward ; I know none other except "Ya Hu" [Yahweh] and "Ya man Hu" ["O He who is"]. I am intoxicated with Love's cup, the two worlds have passed out of my ken; I have no business save carouse and revelry. If once in my life I spent a moment without you, From that time and from that hour I repent of my life. If once in this world I win a moment with you, I will trample on both worlds, I will dance in triumph for ever. O Shamsi Tabriz, I am so drunken in this world, That except of drunkenness and revelry I have no tale to tell. .

A selection from Masnavi  of Rumi "O friends, God has given me inspiration. Oftentimes strong counsel is suggested to the weak. The wit taught by God to the bee Is withheld from the lion and the wild ass. It fills its cells with liquid sweets, For God opens the door of this knowledge to it. The skill taught by God to the silkworm Is a learning beyond the reach of the elephant".

Ah, make the most of what we may yet spend, Before we too in the dust descend; Dust into dust,  and under dust to lie Sans (without) wine, sans song, sans singer, and--sans End.

A quote from Boustan of Sadi O Contentment make me rich For beside thee no other wealth exists Loqman(a sage) selected the corner of patience Who has no patience has no wisdom

spent my precious life in hopes, alas!  That every desire of my heart will be fulfilled.  My wishes were realized, but to what profit? Since  There is no hope that my past life will return.  The hand of fate has struck the drum of departure.  O my two eyes, bid farewell to the head.  O palm, forearm, and arm of my hand,  All take leave from each other.  Death, the foe of my desires, has fallen on me  For the last time, O friends. Pass near me.  My life has elapsed in ignorance.  I have done nothing, be on your guard. 

A selection from Gulistan of Sadi. Why should possessors of enjoyment and luck Bear sorrow for fear of distress? Go, be merry, my heart-rejoicing friend. The pain of tomorrow must not be eaten today.

Hakim Abu ʾl-Qasim Ferdowsi , a scholar of the Golden age of  Islam,  was born in 940 in Tus in Iran. He was a  well known poet and wrote in Farsi. He is best known for his  "Shahnameh" or  "Shahnama"  (The story of kings). It contains 50,000 couplets or two line verses. Here is a sample of his work.:  "Listen: this story's one you ought to know, You'll reap the consequence of what you sow. This fleeting world is not the world where we Are destined to abide eternally: And for the sake of an unworthy throne You let the devil claim you for his own. I've few days left here, I've no heart for war, I cannot strive and struggle any more, But hear an old man's words: the heart that's freed From gnawing passion and ambitious greed Looks on kings' treasures and the dust as one; The man who sells his brother, as you've done, For this same worthless dust, will never be Regarded as a child of purity. The world ...

A Selection from Bostan of Saadi. Thy body is a city full of good and bad; Thou art sultan; and wisdom is the prime minister. Know for sure that the mean, neck­ exalting, In this city are­ false pride and passion and avarice(greed).   Lust and concupiscence(strong sexual desire) are highwaymen(robbers) and pickpockets. When the sultan displays favor to the bad, How may ease remain for the wise? Lust and avarice and envy Are like blood in thy veins; and like the soul in thy body. If these enemies should obtain nurture, They would turn aside their heads from thy order and judgment.

God has no gender, nor shape, nor form that we can comprehend. He is One, Alone, Single, Eternal, Everlasting, Knowing, Living, Hearing, Seeing, Majestic, Clement, Merciful, Compassionate, without resembling creation in any respect; that His Essence does not resemble the essences of created beings, that He is not contained by space, nor affected by time. One of the great scholar said in a discourse: "'Before' does not outstrip Him, 'after' does not interrupt Him, to' does not join with Him, 'in' does not inhabit Him, 'when' does not stop Him, 'over' does not overshadow Him, 'under' does not support Him, 'opposite' does not face Him, 'behind' does not take hold of Him, 'before' does not limit Him, His pre-existence preceded time, His eternity preceded limit. before is after Him...

A quote from Masnavi of Rumi* "Treasure abounds in ruins; A dog in a flourishing city is still a dog". *Translation R A Nicholson

A quote from Bostan of Sadi. O wise one! expose not people's defects; For it closes thy eyes from thy own defects.

Amir Khusro was born in U.P in India in 1253 where his family had settled after leaving Balkh in Afghanistan He was a mathematician, a poet, a Sufi, a musician and a composer. He originated Khayal, Tarana and other forms  of Indian classical music. He  also originated Qawwali. It is said that he introduced S itar. It is similar to a Persian instrument, the Setar (3 strings).  It is also said that he introduced the tabla. Others say that his name sake Khusrao Khan did. The t abla is an adaptation from Mridangam and Pakhawaj. Amir Khusro died at the age of 72 in 1325 . The same year Sultan Mohammed Tughlaq became the ruler of Delhi and  Khwaja Nizamuddin Aulia of the Chisti Order died. Music and dance is an integral part of Hindu worship and devotion. Khusro introduced Khyal,Tarana and other forms as a secular element of Indian classical music that does not require invoking Radha...

"Thou art hidden from us, though the heavens are filled With Thy Light, which is brighter than sun and moon! Thou art the Source that causes our rivers to flow. Thou art hidden in Thy essence, but seen by Thy bounties. Thou art like the wind, and we like the dust; The wind is unseen, but the dust is seen by all. Thou art the Spring, and we the sweet green garden; Spring is not seen, though its gifts are seen. Our every motion every moment testifies, For it proves the presence of the Everlasting God" * a poem in praise of Allah(God). masnavi  translated  by prof. R A  Nicholson

Continuation  of posts introducing a few scholars of the * Golden age of Islam (8th to 13th century), by giving a short overview and a sample of their work. Maulana Jalaluddin Rumi was born in Balkh, Afghanistan in 1207 and died in 1273 and is buried in Konya, Turkey.  Al Ghazali (1065-1111) had a great influence on Rumi. His father Burhan Uddin was also a known scholar. At the age of 34 Rumi had become a well  known scholar and a professor. After  meeting Shams, a Sufi ,he embarked on a spiritual search that lasted 13 years. From 1245 to1261, he wrote fifty thousand versess known as Diwan-Shams e Tabrazi. After 1261 in twelve years he wrote 25,700 verses known as Masnave.* Here is a selection from Masnavi*. Khaliq "The Prophet said "Trust in God, yet tie the camel's leg.' 'The worker is the friend of God'; Through trust in Providence neglect not to use means. Go, O fatalists, practise trust with self-exertion...

Continuation  of posts introducing a few scholars of the * Golden age of Islam (8th to 13th century), by giving a short overview and a sample of their work Shaikh Saadi, (1184-1283)   a thinker, teacher and a Sufi was born in Shiraz in Iran.    Maulana Rumi (1207-1273) was his most famous contemporary. They experienced and survived the turmoil, death and destruction inflicted by Mongols and continued their work after the defeat of the Mongols in 1260 by Mamelukes of Egypt. He r eceived his higher education, at then famous, Al Nizamya center of knowledge* in Baghdad (Bait ul Hikma or House of Wisdom and knowledge*). He studied Science, Law, History, Arabic literature, Philosophy, Logic, Religious studies and Governance.                                   ...

Continuation of posts introducing a few scholars of the Golden age of Islam(8th to 13th century), by giving a short overview and a sample of their work. Farīd ud-Dīn   (Attar)  a physician, a pharmacologist, a scholar of Islam and a Sufi was born in Nishapur, Iran in 1150..  At the age of 72 he was killed during the massacre of the people of Nishapur by invading Mongols.  The killing and destruction of cities, libraries, institutions of learning and Mosques was wide spread from Bokhara to Syria. In Baghdad a city of over one million*, over 500,000 people were killed. Merv, a city of 500,000 was totally destroyed and most of its inhabitants killed and it exists only in ruins today. Bokhara and Samarkand were attacked by Jochi Khan in 1220. Balkh, Nishapur and others cities were targeted in 1222, followed by Merv after that, Isfahan in 1237 and Baghdad in 1258 by Hulagu Khan. Cities in Syria were next to be invaded until Hulag...

Continuation  of posts introducing a few scholars of the * Golden age of Islam (8th to 13th century), by giving a short overview and a sample of their work Omar Khayyam  (1040-1134) a Mathematician, a philosopher, scholar of Islam  and a Sufi was born in Naishapur, Iran.  He  Wrote a treatise entitled "Demonstration of Problems of Algebra" (1070) and on the "Triangular array of binomial coefficient known as Pascal's triangle". In 1077 he produced another work, "Explanations of the Difficulties in the Postulates of Euclid", and on "theory of proportions". He also wrote on religion, music and astronomy. Contemporaries included Al Bairuni (973-1048) a philosopher and scientist, who calculated the circumference of the earth quite accurately. He wrote widely on topics including Hindus(religion, Medicine,  philosophy etc.). Abu Sina (Avicenna 980-1057) a great physician, a philosopher and a Sufi, wrote on Islam, P...

In t his and in next several posts I will introduce a few scholars of the * Golden age of Islam (8th to 13th century), and will give a short overview and a sample of their work Rabia al Basri   (717-810) was an early scholar and a Sufi. Her contemporaries included Jabir Ibn Haiyan* (722-800) known as   Gebe r In Europe, who is regarded as the father of chemistry.   Al-Khwārizmī * (780-860) known as  Algorithm* in Europe, invented  Algebra   and   Algorithm .   Al-Kindi * (800-873) was a philosopher and a mathematician. On appointment by the Abbasides Caliph, he headed a team of translators who translated Greek Classics, works of science and medicine, from Galen into Arabic (from Arabic these works were translated into Latin and other European languages). There were no contemporaries in Europe; it was in the dark ages. People like Dante**(1265-1321), Leonardo de Vinci (1452-1519), Shakespeare (1564-1616) and other...

Very little if any of her work of Rabia survived and reliance is from  secondary sources.  Farid Uddin Attar(1150-1222) in the 12th century revived her work and poems. Her Tomb is in Basra in Iraq and hence the name Rabia Al Basri.. O God, my whole occupation And all my desire in this world, Of all worldly things, Is to remember You. And in the Hereafter It is to meet You. This is on my side, as I have stated. Now You do whatever You will

Rabia Al Basri, an early scholar of Islam and a Sufi was born in 717, about 85 years after the  death of the Prophet(pbuh) in 632 . The Prophet (SAWS) was born in 570 and the Hijrat (the migration to Madina) took place in 622, the start of the Muslim calendar.   The injunction of Islam to seek knowledge was taken seriously by the Umma. Muslims quite early in their history started to excel in Science, Philosophy, medicine and other fields.  They also spread out to far away countries.   As early as 710, Muslims started to reach Al Andaluse (Spain, Portugal, Gibraltar etc.)   An era began  when  Muslim rule started in Cordoba in 756  and ended in 1492 when Granada surrendered.   Blood shed and a wholesale expulsion of Muslims from Andalusia took place. Those who remained were forced to convert.  Jews also met the same fate and they settled in several Muslim Countries...