The Formation and General Distinction of The Path of Sufism
During the first few generations of the spread of Islam, the specific practice of and dedication to mysticism was too general to have a special name. However, the spread of Islam lead to significant growths in wealth and knowledge, which in turn caused increases in materialism as more people became occupied with new worldly luxuries. It was during this time that “those who dedicated themselves to the worship of God were distinguished from the rest by the title of Sufis” (Lings 45).
During the early growth and evolution of Sufism, many believers congregated together in groups and formed individual orders. While the basic foundation remained the same, the various orders did differentiate themselves apart from each other by forming their own unique paths towards the universal goal of the spiritual illumination of God. Each order had their own specialized prayers and rituals that explored the mysticism of Islam and allowed them to focus their hearts and minds on God. While some groups utilized chanting, song, and dance, others used more solitary and small group teachings to contemplate on God's divine will. “As a result, an incredibly rich diversity of spiritual possibilities came into being in the Islamic world, which enabled men and women of very differing ethnic...types to participate in the teachings of Sufism” (Manifestations 4). However, even though there are many specialized routes that a believer may take in order to achieve complete mystic spirituality, there are four general aspects of the tariqa, or “the path” that together are shared between almost all of the Sufi orders. If a traveler along the Sufi path wishes to seek the full illumination of God's spirit in themselves, they must embody the nature of these four aspects within themselves (Manifestations).
The first general aspect of transformation that the traveller, or salik, must work in is the purification of the self. One must first cleanse themselves of any depravity from animalistic qualities, in order to acquire a tranquil self. The foundation of purification requires the elimination of the animalistic essence of nafs, which are “the carnal or appetitive soul – the seat of passion and lust” (Valiuddin 2). The nafs can be purified; and this is accomplished when the self begins to shun evil, and opens up to the divine teachings of God. Mahmud ibn Ali al-Kashani described five specific appetitive attributes of the nafs; the first is slavery to carnal desires. Our nafs lead us to lust for sensual pleasures and distract us from desiring God, in favor of more worldly pleasures and interests. Second, the nafs induce hypocrisy and severely decrease our sincerity by changing who we are and what we do depending on the situation. The third attribute of the nafs is the motivation to flaunt wealth and to deceive others. Fourth, the nafs also lay claim to Godship, by
culminating pride and wanting others to praise, follow, and obey them. Finally, the nafs are tied to extreme greed and desire for material wealth. They place great importance on property, while refusing to relinquish possessions that would help others (Valuiddin).
The nafs can only be cleansed of its carnal animalistic attributes by practicing self-remonstrance and austerity. In order to be in union with God, one must express ernest protest of our own lustful desires, as well as work diligently towards eliminating them. The purpose of purification is release ourselves from the hold that our carnal passions have on our souls, allowing for a proper union with God. It is very important to act in exact opposite of the nafs's wishes and desires. “It is incumbent upon every traveler on the Path to purge the nafs of its evil attributes in order to replace these by the opposite, praise worthy qualities (Schimmel 112). The traveler must retrain the selfish and self-centered characteristics of their own nafs, in order to utilize the underlying foundation in efforts to serve God. Constant vigilance and training is required in order to keep up with the daunting task of cleansing. It is very important to not remain idle, for it is during times of laziness where the self is most vulnerable to the carnal desires of the animalistic nafs (Schimmel).
The second aspect of the path of spiritual advancement deals with cleansing of the heart. In referring to the “heart”, Sufism deals not with the physical mass of flesh and blood, but rather it refers to the holding place of God's grace and the spiritual nature of its contents. In order to attain unity with God, Sufism instructs that believers must prepare their hearts by eliminating any preoccupations with material things and worldly dealings. Travelers on this path work towards expelling any un-godly thoughts and beliefs, while maintaining their focus on God. “Cleansing of the heart means erasing from it all the love of the world and worldlings and effacing from it all mundane griefs and sorrows and worry over futile things” (Valiuddin 11). The Sufi path holds that the more time a person spends maintaining outward appearances and being involved in worldly affairs, the more troubles they will be inviting into their life. While Sufis don't believe that the world is worthless, they do contend that love for un-godly things is a hindrance to attaining the divinity of God within ourselves. The path of Sufism declares that there is no room for the love of God in the heart as long as there exists in it a love for the world (Valiuddin).
Sufism contends that in order to attain mystical ecstasy, one must maintain a heart that is open and receptive to the divinity of God. One's heart must be pure in nature and completely devoid of all darkness and decay that are the result of relying on material things and un-godly matters. As part of cleansing the heart, comes the “emptying of the sirr”, which refers to eliminating any thoughts or beliefs that might divert our attention and focus away from God. Many Sufis believe that the sirr is an organ of mystical vision, and just like the heart, is capable of holding divine love and knowledge of the spirit. The sirr should be diligently kept guarded, therefore remaining open only enough so that God alone may be able to enter. Contemplation on God should be the sole occupier of one's sirr in order to maintain spiritual clarity and prevent any muddling of one's mystical vision. The sirr is considered to be the bridge between the finite and the infinite, acting as the gate opening from which the illumination of God's spirit may enter. “The emptying of the sirr is an act of the mind” and is an integral part of cleansing the heart (Valiuddin 95). For if the heart and sirr remain muddled with love for worldly things, then it will be impossible to see the divine clarity of God.
Prayer and the remembrance of God combine to be the third aspect spiritual illumination. This process can be conducted once the heart has been cleansed from all love for the world, and has been opened up to God. The foundation of this aspect centers around the recollection of God, and solidifies the remembrance of God's radiant glory within our hearts. Prayer to God is an important aspect of mystic spiritual advancement because it calls forth to God, requesting guidance and asking for love and grace to transcend and fill the person heart. By bringing God into the heart, all grief and sorrow are eliminated and only the love of God remains. Prayer and remembrance of God is very important because “the heart of one who is forgetful of God is merely the 'wall of a room', and the heart of him who remembers God is the object of Divine Illumination” (Valiuddin 30).
One of the most important forms of worship for the Sufis became ritual prayers. “The mystics laid great stress on the meticulous performance of the ablutions, which became, for them, symbols of the purification of the soul” (Schimmel 148). The early Sufis followed the directions of the law perfectly, and tried their best to relive the model of the prophet Muhammad in even the smallest details. While each Sufi order had their own unique set and style of prayers, all Sufis believed that the act of prayer allowed for the entering into the presence of God. It was considered direct communication, and the highest form of glorification. Sufis also practiced free prayer, that allowed for more personal chosen and directed form of worship. Free prayers were still considered intimate conversations between man and God, but were not however limited in scope and practice as were ritual prayers (Schimmel).
The final general aspect of Islamic mystic advancement centers on the illumination of God's spirit within the self. Sufis believe that the human spirit or soul is an abstract substance that has been created before the creation of the body, yet it is not constrained by time. Through this belief, Sufism contends that once the spirit has attained “pure light and entire purity”, the illumination of God's divinity will radiate from it. While the placement of this stage along the Sufi path has been contended by different orders, most Sufis agree that it should be conducted at the same time as cleansing of the heart. The term “illumination of the spirit implies the filling of the human spirit with the effulgence of the Vision of God, and the fervour of His love” (Valiuddin 137). In order to achieve and maintain perfection of the spirit, it is critical to illuminate it with the divine providence of God, allowing it to become a worthy example of God's being here on Earth. It is said in the Hadith that once a person moves towards God, God will move closer by leaps and bounds, and grace will be abundant. Only then is the self purified and the human spirit illuminated (Valiuddin).
Complete spiritual illumination requires both knowledge and love of God, for love is considered the highest state of spiritual advancement. “One can only love what one knows” and “one can know something only insofar as one loves it” (Schimmel 131). In order to attain mystical ecstasy through knowledge of God, one must first love God fully. Love is an essential part of spiritual illumination, because only loving God, is God accepted into the human spirit (Schimmel). Once God has been accepted into the spirit, it can take the place of the lustful nafs of the soul, and the person will finally be fully aware of the divine will of God. The human spirit then shines radiantly with effulgence of God, as it “has attained such perfection that it has now become worthy of being the perfect bride of the Spirit, thus returning to its Lord” (Self-Awareness 323).
Sufis believe that their spiritual path is like a ladder that leads to the divine. While each Sufi order's path may be different from another, it's important to note that there are four main general aspects of the path that are central to the ideas of Sufism. By committing oneself to these stages, the traveler is able to attain the complete mystical and spiritual illumination of God's radiance within themselves.
Resources
Valiuddin, Dr. Mir. Contemplative Disciplines in Sufism. London: East-West Publications (UK) Ltd., 1980. N. pag. Print.
Schimmel, Annemarie. Mystical Dimensions Of Islam. Univ of North Carolina Pr, 1975. Print.
Lings, Martin. What Is Sufism? Berkeley and Los Angeles, California: Univ of California Press, 1975. Print.
Nasr, Seyyed Hossein. "Self-Awareness and Ultimate Selfhood." Religious Studies. 13.3 (1977): 319-325. Print.
Nasr, Seyyed Hossein. Islamic Spirituality, Manifestations. New York, NY: The Crossroad Publishing Company, 1997. Print.
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