A bird’s eye on sufism

Admin عدد الرسائل : 310 تاريخ التسجيل : 02/09/2008

A.Arafa wrote on an earlier web site كتب:: A bird’s eye on sufism

Sufism is the heart and kernel of ISLAM, a Religion adopted by 1.2 Billion adherents all over the Globe. Sufism has been conceived by some as some kind of psychology, by others as metaphysics, or as a confusing collection of magic and legends.
However, its adherents and followers conceive Sufism in an entirely different way. According to them, Sufism is a unique way which leads, through several stations and modes to Annihilation of the Self (Fanaa’). This Annihilation does not mean that the human personality is nothing, like some eastern religions; but it means that, by direct witnessing, the realization that every being is nothing taken as cut off from its principle, which is the essence of every being, in Islam that is called Al HAQQ. Seen in the light of Al HAQQ, every thing subsists by its relation to Al HAQQ in a unique way. That is why Annihilation leads to the annihilation of Annihilation or Subsistence, seen as such, Sufism does not depart away from Islamic ORTHODOXY and Islamic law but, in fact, demands it. Simply put, the Sufis are models of perfection in Islam because they comprehend both esoteric (Batini) and exoteric (Zaheri) aspects of Islam.
So Sufism may touch some principles, may intersect with some metaphysical doctrines or may use some legends to develop manners for good behavior, but it can never be interpreted or reduced to those things alone as separated from what its adherents and followers say.