SPIRITUAL SUFISM
Prepared by:Monir El.Shazly
“Protect all things you value by the act of giving them away”Course in Miracles
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SUFISM
The word means “made of wool” in Arabic, and it describes the coarse woolen clothes that Sufis often wore (at times where silk was often used) to remind them that this world was not a place in which to find meaningless comfort in materialistic positions.
Monir El.Shazly 2010
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MYSTICISM
Mysticism is the belief that the idea of exploring the inner or union with the divine is secrets of the soul. achieved through intuition, faith, introspective religious practice, or sudden insight as opposed to more traditional forms of public worshiping and organized practices.
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SPIRITUALITY ACROSS RELIGIONS
Judaism: Kabbalism Christianity: Mystics or Gnosticism Islam: Sufism (Sunni or Shei’i) Hindus: Hindu Vedanta Buddha: Buddhism Tao: Taoism
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SPIRITUALITY IN QURAAN
إن الذين آمنوا والذين هادوا والنصارى والصابئين من آمن بالله واليوم الآخر وعمل
صالحا فلهم أجرهم عند ربهم وال خوف عليهم وال هم يحزنون
62سورة البقرة اآلية رقم
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ابن عربياذا لم يكن ديني الي دينه لقد كنت قبل اليوم انكر صاحبي
دان
فمرعي لغزالن, و دير و قد صارقلبي قابال كل صورة
لرهبان
و الواح توراة, و مصحف قرآنو بيت ألوثان, و كعبة طائف
ركائبه , فالحب ديني و ايمانيادين بدين الحب أني توجهت
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SAINT THOMAS AQUINAS
How can we live in harmony?First, we need to know
We are all madly in love…with the same God
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HAFEZ
Would you think it odd if I said“I’m in love with every church
And mosqueAnd temple
And any kind of shrine”Because I know it is there
That people say the different names Of the One God
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SUFISM , BUDDHISM, HINDUISM, TAOISM
I was once dead; I came alive. Rumi I'm simply awake Buddha You are not who you think you are, your
true self comes alive when you close your eyes Maharishi
The usefulness of what is, depends on what is not Lao Tzu
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THE HIGHEST OF CONSCIOUSNESS
Sufism: Fana الفناء Buddhism: Nirvana Hinduism: Unity Christian Mysticism: Christ Consciousness
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SUFI PRACTICES:
There are three main practices that Sufis employ to gain deeper insight known as Zikr (which is a kind of group ذكر)حضرة(
chanting of God’s names) Sama’ (which is moving meditation) سمع
– Whirling dervishes Seclusion (which is forced isolationخلوة
for contemplation).
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THEMES IN SUFISM: LOVEFor mystics of all religions, the essential principle of
enlightenment is a love so absolute that it absorbs one’s own soul in a mystical union with the God.
According to Islamic theology, all true religions came from the same Source: God. Love represents an important theme in the philosophy of Sufism; The love of God, manifested in the love of everything.
Rumi wrote, “Love’s nationality is set apart from any religion. The religion and nationality of the lover is the Beloved. The lover’s quest is separate from any other quest, for Love is the astrolabe that points to the mysteries of God.”
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THEMES IN SUFISM: LIFE According to Sufies (and the mystics of every
faith), when a person completes his quest for enlightenment, he’s in such perfect alignment with Universal Love that he literally sheds all earthly fears and lives for the day when his body finally expires, releasing his spirit into what he already has come to know (as much as is humanly possible). There is no longer any fear of death, no remorse for lost material gains, and no desire to commit any injustice to any living thing.
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THEMES IN SUFISM: MERCY “God divided His mercy into 100 parts, out of which
He retains 99 parts with Him. He sent the one remaining portion to earth. From this one portion of love emanates all the compassion that the whole of creation shows toward each other”
“God does not consider your looks or your bodies; rather He looks into your hearts actions.”
How does this relate to Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism & Indian American Natives
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RABEYA EL ADAWEYA
“I love You twice: one is the love of love, and one is because You are the source of that love”
“O Lord! If I worship You because I’m afraid of Hell, cast me into it. If I worship You because I desire Paradise, keep me from it. But if I worship you for Your own sake, then don’t withhold from Me Your eternal Beauty.”
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THEMES IN SUFISM: LIGHT ماوات واألرض مثل نوره كمشكاة فيها مصباح ه نور الس الل
ي يوقد من ها كوكب در جاجة كأن المصباح في زجاجة الزة يكاد زيتها يضيء ة وال غربي شجرة مباركة زيتونة ال شرقي
ه لنوره من يشاء ور على نور يهدي الل ولو لم تمسسه نار نه بكل شيء عليم اس والل ه األمثال للن ويضرب الل
35سورة النور اآلية رقم God is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The example of His Light
is like a nook. Within that nook is a lamp, and the lamp is encased in glass. The glass resembles a star, glittering (like a pearl) whose flame is lit from a blessed tree—an olive tree—neither from the East nor the West, whose oil is glistening and glowing, even before it’s been lit! Light upon Light! God guides whomever He wants toward His Light, and this is how God gives examples to people, for God knows about all things (24:35)
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CONCEPTS IN SUFISM: WOMEN Rumi was married twice, once to a Muslim,
and once to a converted Christian. He also had many female students and disciples. They attended his lectures, were teachers to others, and would also participate in the whirling meditation sessions he led. The most famous of Rumi’s female disciples was Fakhr un-Nisa’, who was known as the “Rab’iah” in her day.
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SPIRITUAL SUFI POETS
Rumi Attar Ibn Araby Hafez Rabeya El Adaweya
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SPIRITUAL BOOKS
Conference of the birds – AttarOne of the most influential books of mystical poetry
Mathnawi – RumiThe Classic Sufi teaching manual. It consists of six lengthy books of poetry (each containing several thousand lines of text)
Tao – Lao Tzu Bhagavad Gita – Hindu Bible Course in Miracles - Jesus
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CONTROVERSIAL CONCEPTS
الحالجانا الحق
ابن عربي و انت تديم الذكر كنت منافقااذا كان من تهواه في القلب حاضرا
RumiYou are the truth
From foot to brow. NowWhat else would you like to know?
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RESOURCES: Poetry:
A Gift of Love: Deepak and Friends (Audio) Rumi: Voice of Longing (Audio) Rumi: A Spiritual Treasury Rumi: The Book of Love Love: The joy that wounds
Sufism: With the Great Shiekh “Ibn Araby” مع الشيخ االكبر ابن عربي Idiots Guide to Rumi Meditation Muslim Saints and Mystics www.sufism.org www.dar-al-masnavi.org
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THE TAO
When the Tao is lost, there’s goodnessWhen goodness is lost, there is moralityWhen morality is lost, there are rituals
Rituals are the husk of faith…the beginning of chaos
Lao Tzu )38(
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MONIR EL.SHAZLYHave a spiritual life