Sufism or () is defined by its adherents as the inner, mystical dimension of Islam. A practitioner of this tradition is generally known as a (). Another name for a Sufi is Dervish.

Classical Sufi scholars have defined Sufism as "a science whose objective is the reparation of the heart and turning it away from all else but God." Alternatively, in the words of the Darqawi Sufi teacher Ahmad ibn Ajiba, "a science through which one can know how to travel into the presence of the Divine, purify one’s inner self from filth, and beautify it with a variety of praiseworthy traits."

Classical Sufis were characterised by their attachment to dhikr (a practice of repeating the names of God) and asceticism. Sufism gained adherents among a number of Muslims as a reaction against the worldliness of the early Umayyad Caliphate (661-750 CE). Sufis have spanned several continents and cultures over a millennium, at first expressed through Arabic, then through Persian, Turkish and a dozen other languages. "Orders" (ṭuruq), which are either Sunnī or Shī‘ī or mixed in doctrine, trace many of their original precepts from the Islamic Prophet Muhammad through his cousin ‘Alī, with the notable exception of the Naqshbandi who trace their origins through the first Caliph, Abu Bakr. Other exclusive schools of Sufism describe themselves as distinctly Sufi.

Mainstream scholars of Islam define sufism as simply the name for the inner or esoteric dimension of Islam.

Etymology and origin of the term

Several origins of the word 'sufi' have been suggested. Commonly, the lexical root of the word is traced to (), "wool", referring either to the simple cloaks the early Muslim ascetics wore, or possibly to (), "purity". The two were combined by the Sufi al-Rudhabari who said, "The Sufi is the one who wears wool on top of purity." The wool cloaks were sometimes a designation of their initiation into the Sufi order. Others have suggested that word comes from the term ahl as-suffah ('the people of the bench'), who were a group of impoverished companions of the Prophet Muhammad who held regular gatherings of dhikr.

According to the medieval Iranian scholar Abū Rayḥān al-Bīrūnī the word sūfi is a derivation from the Greek word "sofia" or "sophia" (σοφία), meaning wisdom..

Basic views

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While all Muslims believe that they are on the pathway to God and hope to become close to God in Paradise — after death and after the "Final Judgment" — Sufis also believe that it is possible to draw closer to God and to more fully embrace the Divine Presence in this life. The chief aim of all Sufis is to seek the pleasing of God by working to restore within themselves the primordial state of fitra, described in the Qur'an. In this state nothing one does defies God, and all is undertaken with the single motivation of love of God. A secondary consequence of this is that the seeker may be led to abandon all notions of dualism or multiplicity, including a conception of an individual self, and to realize the Divine Unity.

Thus, Sufism has been characterized as the science of the states of the lower self (the ego), and the way of purifying this lower self of its reprehensible traits, while adorning it instead with what is praiseworthy, whether or not this process of cleansing and purifying the heart is in time rewarded by esoteric knowledge of God. This can be conceived in terms of two basic types of law (fiqh), an outer law concerned with actions, and an inner law concerned with the human heart. The outer law consists of rules pertaining to worship, transactions, marriage, judicial rulings, and criminal law — what is often referred to, a bit too broadly, as qanun. The inner law of Sufism consists of rules about repentance from sin, the purging of contemptible qualities and evil traits of character, and adornment with virtues and good character.

Sufism, which is a general term for Muslim mysticism, sprang up largely in reaction to the worldliness that infected Islam when its leaders became the powerful and wealthy rulers of multitudes of people and were influenced by foreign cultures. Harun al-Rashid, eating off gold and silver, toying with a harem of scented beauties, surrounded by an impenetrable retinue of officials, eunuchs and slaves, was a far cry from the stern simplicity of the Prophet, who lived in a modest house, wore faded clothes and could be approached by any of his followers.

The typical early Sufi lived in a cell of a mosque and taught a small band of disciples. The extent to which Sufism was influenced by Buddhist and Hindu mysticism, and by the example of Christian hermits and monks, is disputed, but self-discipline and concentration on God quickly led to the belief that by quelling the self and through loving ardour for God it was possible to maintain a union with the divine in which the human self melted away.

Teaching

To enter the way of Sufism, the seeker begins by finding a teacher, as the connection to the teacher is considered necessary for the growth of the pupil. The teacher, to be genuine, must have received the authorization to teach (ijazah) from another Master of the Way, in an unbroken succession (silsilah) leading back to Sufism's origin with Muhammad. It is the transmission of the divine light from the teacher's heart to the heart of the student, rather than of worldly knowledge transmitted from mouth to ear, that allows the adept to progress. In addition, the genuine teacher will be utterly strict in his adherence to the Divine Law.

Scholars and adherents of Sufism are unanimous in agreeing that Sufism cannot be learned through books. To reach the highest levels of success in Sufism typically requires that the disciple live with and serve the teacher for many, many years. For instance, Baha-ud-Din Naqshband Bukhari, who gave his name to the Naqshbandi Order, served his first teacher, Sayyid Muhammad Baba As-Samasi, for 20 years, until as-Samasi died. He subsequently served several other teachers for lengthy periods of time. The extreme arduousness of his spiritual preparation is illustrated by his service, as directed by his teacher, to the weak and needy members of his community in a state of complete humility and tolerance for many years. When he believed this mission to be concluded, his teacher next directed him to care for animals, curing their sicknesses, cleaning their wounds, and assisting them in finding provision. After many years of this he was next instructed to spend many years in the care of dogs in a state of humility, and to ask them for support.

As a further example, the prospective adherent of the Mevlevi Order would have been ordered to serve in the kitchens of a hospice for the poor for 1,001 days prior to being accepted for spiritual instruction, and a further 1,001 days in solitary retreat as a precondition of completing that instruction.

Some teachers, especially when addressing more general audiences, or mixed groups of Muslims and non-Muslims, make extensive use of parable, allegory, and metaphor. Although approaches to teaching vary among different Sufi orders, Sufism as a whole is primarily concerned with direct personal experience, and as such has sometimes been compared to other, non-Islamic forms of mysticism (e.g., as in the books of Seyyed Hossein Nasr).

History of Sufism

Origins

In its early stages of development Sufism effectively referred to nothing more than the internalization of Islam. According to one perspective, it is directly from the Qur’an, constantly recited, meditated, and experienced, that Sufism proceeded, in its origin and its development. Others have held that Sufism is the strict emulation of the way of Muhammad, through which the heart's connection to the Divine is strengthened.

From the traditional Sufi point of view, the esoteric teachings of Sufism were transmitted from Muhammad to those who had the capacity to acquire the direct experiential gnosis of God, which was passed on from teacher to student through the centuries. Some of this transmission is summarized in texts, but most is not. Important contributions in writing are attributed to Uwais al-Qarni, Harrm bin Hian, Hasan Basri and Sayid ibn al-Mussib, who are regarded as the first Sufis in the earliest generations of Islam. Harith al-Muhasibi was the first one to write about moral psychology. Rabia Basri was a Sufi known for her love and passion for God, expressed through her poetry. Bayazid Bastami was among the first theorists of Sufism; he concerned himself with fanā and baqā, the state of annihilating the self in the presence of the divine, accompanied by clarity concerning worldly phenomena derived from that perspective.

Sufism had a long history already before the subsequent institutionalization of Sufi teachings into devotional orders (tarîqât) in the early Middle Ages. Almost all extant Sufi orders trace their chains of transmission (silsila) back to Muhammad via his cousin and son-in-law Ali. The Naqshbandi order is a notable exception to this rule, as it traces the origin of its teachings from Muhammad to the first Islamic Caliph Abu Bakr.

Two of Imam Al Ghazali's greatest treatises, the "Revival of Religious Sciences" and the "Alchemy of Happiness," argued that Sufism originated from the Qur'an and was thus compatible with mainstream Islamic thought, and did not in any way contradict Islamic Law—being instead necessary to its complete fulfillment. This became the mainstream position among Islamic scholars for centuries, challenged only recently on the basis of selective use of a limited body of texts . Ongoing efforts by both traditionally trained Muslim scholars and Western academics are making Imam Al-Ghazali's works available in English translation for the first time, allowing readers to judge for themselves the compatibility of Islamic Law and Sufi doctrine.

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Growth of Sufi influence in Islamic cultures

The spread of Sufism has been considered a definitive factor in the spread of Islam, and in the creation of integrally Islamic cultures, especially in Africa and Asia. Recent academic work on these topics has focused on the role of Sufism in creating and propagating the culture of the Ottoman world, and in resisting European imperialism in North Africa and South Asia.

Between the 13th and 16th centuries CE, Sufism produced a flourishing intellectual culture throughout the Islamic world, a "Golden Age" whose physical artifacts are still present. In many places, a lodge (known variously as a zaouia, khanqah, or tekke) would be endowed through a pious foundation in perpetuity (waqf) to provide a gathering place for Sufi adepts, as well as lodging for itinerant seekers of knowledge. The same system of endowments could also be used to pay for a complex of buildings, such as that surrounding the Süleymaniye Mosque in Istanbul, including a lodge for Sufi seekers, a hospice with kitchens where these seekers could serve the poor and/or complete a period of initiation, a library, and other structures. No important domain in the civilization of Islam remained unaffected by Sufism in this period.

Contemporary Sufism

Current Sufi orders include the Qadiria Boutshishia,Oveyssi, Naqshbandi, the Chishti, the Qadiriyyah, the Qalandariyya, the Sarwari Qadiri, the Shadhliyya and the Suhrawardiyya.

Sufism is popular in such African countries as Morocco and Senegal, where it is seen as a mystical expression of Islam.Sufism is traditional in Morocco but has seen a growing revival with the renewal of sufism around contemporary spiritual teachers such as Sidi Hamza al Qadiri al Boutshishi. Mbacke suggests that one reason Sufism has taken hold in Senegal is because it can accommodate local beliefs and customs, which tend toward the mystical.

Sufism suffered many setbacks in the modern era, particularly (though not exclusively) at the hands of European imperialists in the colonized nations of Asia and Africa . The life of the Algerian Sufi master Emir Abd al-Qadir is instructive in this regard. Notable as well are the lives of Amadou Bamba and Hajj Umar Tall in sub-Saharan Africa, and Sheikh Mansur Ushurma and Imam Shamil in the Caucasus region. In the twentieth century some more modernist Muslims have called Sufism a superstitious religion that holds back Islamic achievement in the fields of science and technology.

For a more thorough, though incomplete, summary of currently active groups and teachers, readers are referred to links in the site of Dr. Alan Godlas of the University of Georgia.

A number of Westerners have embarked with varying degrees of success on the path of Sufism. One of the first to return to Europe as an official representative of a Sufi order, and with the specific purpose to spread Sufism in Western Europe, was the Swedish-born wandering Sufi Abd al-Hadi Aqhili (also known as Ivan Aguéli). René Guénon the French scholar became a sufi in the early twentieth century and was known as Sheikh Abdul Wahid Yahya. His manifold writings defined the practice of sufism as the essence of Islam but also pointed to the universality of its message. Other spiritualists as for instance G. I. Gurdjieff. may or may not conform to the tenets of Sufism as understood by orthodox Muslims.

Other noteworthy Sufi teachers who were active in the West in recent years include Sidi Hamza al Qadiri al Boutshishi,[Bawa Muhaiyaddeen]], Nader Angha, Sheikh Abdullah Sirr-Dan Al-Jamal, Inayat Khan, Javad Nurbakhsh, Bulent Rauf, Irina Tweedie, Idries Shah and Muzaffer Ozak.

Currently active Sufi academics and publishers include Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee, Nuh Ha Mim Keller, Abdullah Nooruddeen Durkee, Abdal Hakim Murad and the Franco-Moroccan Faouzi Skali.

Theoretical perspectives in Sufism

Traditional Islamic scholars have recognized two major branches within the practice of Sufism, and use this as one key to differentiating among the approaches of different masters and devotional lineages.

On the one hand there is the order from the signs to the Signifier (or from the arts to the Artisan). In this branch, the seeker begins by purifying the lower self of every corrupting influence that stands in the way of recognizing all of creation as the work of God, as God's active Self-disclosure or theophany. This is the way of Imam Al-Ghazali and of the majority of the Sufi orders.

On the other hand there is the order from the Signifier to His signs, from the Artisan to His works. In this branch the seeker experiences divine attraction (jadhba), and is able to enter the order with a glimpse of its endpoint, of direct apprehension of the Divine Presence towards which all spiritual striving is directed. This does not replace the striving to purify the heart, as in the other branch; it simply stems from a different point of entry into the path. This is the way primarily of the masters of the Naqshbandi and Shadhili orders.

Contemporary scholars may also recognize a third branch, attributed to the late Ottoman scholar Said Nursi and explicated in his vast Qur'ân commentary called the Risale-i Nur. This approach entails strict adherence to the way of Muhammad, in the understanding that this wont, or sunnah, proposes a complete devotional spirituality adequate to those without access to a master of the Sufi way.

Contributions to other domains of scholarship

Sufism has contributed significantly to the elaboration of theoretical perspectives in many domains of intellectual endeavor. For instance, the doctrine of "subtle centers" or centers of subtle cognition (known as Lataif-e-sitta) addresses the matter of the awakening of spiritual intuition in ways that some consider similar to certain models of chakra in Hinduism. In general, these subtle centers or latâ'if are thought of as faculties that are to be purified sequentially in order to bring the seeker's wayfaring to completion. A concise and useful summary of this system from a living exponent of this tradition has been published by Muhammad Emin Er.

Of note with regard to the spread of Sufi psychology in the West is Robert Frager, a Sufi teacher authorized in the Halveti Jerrahi order. Frager was a trained psychologist, born in the United States, who converted to Islam in the course of his practice of Sufism and wrote extensively on Sufism and psychology.

Sufi cosmology and Sufi metaphysics are also noteworthy areas of intellectual accomplishment.

Sufi practices

The devotional practices of Sufis vary widely. This is because an acknowledged and authorized master of the Sufi path is in effect a physician of the heart, able to diagnose the seeker's impediments to knowledge and pure intention in serving God, and to prescribe to the seeker a course of treatment appropriate to his or her maladies. The consensus among Sufi scholars is that the seeker cannot self-diagnose, and that it can be extremely harmful to undertake any of these practices alone and without formal authorization.

Prerequisites to practice include rigorous adherence to Islamic norms (ritual prayer in its five prescribed times each day, the fast of Ramadan, and so forth). Additionally, the seeker ought to be firmly grounded in supererogatory practices known from the life of Muhammad (such as the "sunna prayers"). This is in accordance with the words, attributed to God, of the following, a famous Hadith Qudsi:

My servant draws near to Me through nothing I love more than that which I have made obligatory for him. My servant never ceases drawing near to Me through supererogatory works until I love him. Then, when I love him, I am his hearing through which he hears, his sight through which he sees, his hand through which he grasps, and his foot through which he walks.

It is also necessary for the seeker to have a correct creed (Aqidah), and to embrace with certainty its tenets. The seeker must also, of necessity, turn away from sins, love of this world, the love of company and renown, obedience to satanic impulse, and the promptings of the lower self. (The way in which this purification of the heart is achieved is outlined in certain books, but must be prescribed in detail by a Sufi master.) The seeker must also be trained to prevent the corruption of those good deeds which have accrued to his or her credit by overcoming the traps of ostentation, pride, arrogance, envy, and long hopes (meaning the hope for a long life allowing us to mend our ways later, rather than immediately, here and now).

Sufi practices, while attractive to some, are not a means for gaining knowledge. The traditional scholars of Sufism hold it as absolutely axiomatic that knowledge of God is not a psychological state generated through breath control. Thus, practice of "techniques" is not the cause, but instead the occasion for such knowledge to be obtained (if at all), given proper prerequisites and proper guidance by a master of the way. Furthermore, the emphasis on practices may obscure a far more important fact: The seeker is, in a sense, to become a broken person, stripped of all habits through the practice of (in the words of Imam Al-Ghazali words) solitude, silence, sleeplessness, and hunger.

Dhikr

Dhikr is the remembrance of God commanded in the Qur'an for all Muslims through a specific devotional act, such as the repetition of divine names, supplications and aphorisms from hadith literature and the Qur'an. More generally, dhikr takes a wide range and various layers of meaning. This includes dhikr as any activity in which the Muslim maintains awareness of God. To engage in dhikr is to practice consciousness of the Divine Presence and love, or "to seek a state of godwariness". The Qur'an refers to Muhammad as the very embodiment of dhikr of God (65:10-11). Some types of dhikr are prescribed for all Muslims, and do not require Sufi initiation or the prescription of a Sufi master because they are deemed to be good for every seeker under every circumstance.

Some Sufi orders engage in ritualized dhikr ceremonies, or sema. Sema includes various forms of worship such as: recitation, singing (the most well known being the Qawwali music of the Indian subcontinent), instrumental music, dance (most famously the Sufi whirling of the Mevlevi order), incense, meditation, ecstasy, and trance.

Some Sufi orders stress and place extensive reliance upon Dhikr. This practice of Dhikr is called Dhikr-e-Qulb (remembrance of Allah by Heartbeats). The basic idea in this practice is to visualize the Arabic name of God, Allah, as having been written on the disciple's heart.

Muraqaba

The practice of muraqaba can be likened to the practices of meditation attested in many faith communities. The word muraqaba is derived from the same root (r-q-b) occurring as one of the 99 Names of God in the Qur'an, al-Raqîb, meaning "the Vigilant" and attested in verse 4: 1 of the Qur'an. Through muraqaba, a person watches over or takes care of the spiritual heart, acquires knowledge about it, and becomes attuned to the Divine Presence, which is ever vigilant.

While variation exists, one description of the practice within a Naqshbandi lineage reads as follows:

He is to collect all of his bodily senses in concentration, and to cut himself off from all preoccupation and notions that inflict themselves upon the heart. And thus he is to turn his full consciousness towards God Most High while saying three times: “Ilahî anta maqsûdî wa-ridâka matlûbî—my God, you are my Goal and Your good pleasure is what I seek.” Then he brings to his heart the Name of the Essence—Allâh—and as it courses through his heart he remains attentive to its meaning, which is “Essence without likeness.” The seeker remains aware that He is Present, Watchful, Encompassing of all, thereby exemplifying the meaning of his saying (may God bless him and grant him peace): “Worship God as though you see Him, for if you do not see Him, He sees you.” And likewise the prophetic tradition: “The most favored level of faith is to know that God is witness over you, wherever you may be.”

Visitation

In popular Sufism (i.e., devotional practices that have achieved currency in world cultures through Sufi influence), one common practice is to visit the tombs of saints, great scholars, and righteous people. This is a particularly common practice in South Asia, where famous tombs include those of Khoja Afāq, near Kashgar, in China; Lal Shahbaz Qalander, in Sindh, Pakistan; Moinuddin Chishti in Ajmer, India. Likewise, in Fez, Morocco, a popular destination for such pious visitation is the Zaouia Moulay Idriss II and the yearly visitation to see the current Sheikh of the Qadiri Boutchichi Tariqah, Sheikh Sidi Hamza al Qadiri al Boutchichi to celebrate the Mawlid (which is usually televised on Morrocan National television).

Persecution

The government of Iran is considering an outright ban on Sufism, according to the 2009 Annual Report of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom. It also reports: :In February 2009, at least 40 Sufis in Isfahan were arrested after protesting the destruction of a Sufi place of worship; all were released within days. :In January, Jamshid Lak, a Gonabadi Dervish from the Nematollahi Sufi order, one of the country‘s largest Sufi sects, was flogged 74 times after being convicted in 2006 of slander following his public allegation of ill-treatment by a Ministry of Intelligence official. :In late December 2008, after the closure of a Sufi place of worship, authorities arrested without charge at least six members of the Gonabadi Dervishes on Kish Island and confiscated their books and computer equipment; their status is unknown. :In November 2008, Amir Ali Mohammad Labaf was sentenced to a five-year prison term, 74 lashes, and internal exile to the southeastern town of Babak for spreading lies, based on his membership in the Nematollahi Gonabadi Sufi order. :In October, at least seven Sufi Muslims in Isfahan, and five others in Karaj, were arrested because of their affiliation with the Nematollahi Gonabadi Sufi order; they remain in detention. :In November 2007, clashes in the western city of Borujerd between security forces and followers of a mystic Sufi order resulted in dozens of injuries and the arrests of approximately 180 Sufi Muslims. The clashes occurred after authorities began bulldozing a Sufi monastery. It is unclear how many remain in detention or if any charges have been brought against those arrested. During the past year, there were numerous reports of Shi'a clerics and prayer leaders, particularly in Qom, denouncing Sufism and the activities of Sufi Muslims in the country in both sermons and public statements.

Islam and Sufism

Sufism and Islamic law

, Uttar Pradesh, India.]] Scholars and adherents of Sufism sometimes describe Sufism in terms of a threefold approach to God as explained by a tradition (hadîth) attributed to Muhammad,"The Canon is my word, the order is my deed, and the truth is my interior state". Sufis believe the canon, order and truth are mutually interdependent. The order, the ‘path’ on which the mystics walk, has been defined as ‘the path which comes out of the Canon, for the main road is called branch, the path, tariq.’ No mystical experience can be realized if the binding injunctions of the Canon are not followed faithfully first. The path, order, however, is narrower and more difficult to walk. It leads the adept, called sâlik (wayfarer), in his sulûk (wayfaring), through different stations (maqâmât) until he reaches his goal, the perfect tawhîd, the existential confession that God is One. Shaykh al-Akbar Muhiuddeen Ibn Arabi mentions," When we see someone in this Community who claims to be able to guide others to God, but is remiss in but one rule of the Sacred Law - even if he manifests miracles that stagger the mind - asserting that his shortcoming is a special dispensation for him, we do not even turn to look at him, for such a person is not a sheikh, nor is he speaking the truth, for no one is entrusted with the secrets of God Most High save one in whom the ordinances of the Sacred Law are preserved. (Jami' karamat al-awliya')".

The Amman Message, a detailed statement issued by 200 leading Islamic scholars in 2005 in Amman, and adopted by the Islamic world's political and temporal leaderships at the Organization of the Islamic Conference summit at Mecca in December 2005, and by six other international Islamic scholarly assemblies including the International Islamic Fiqh Academy of Jeddah, in July 2006, specifically recognized the validity of Sufism as a part of Islam.

Traditional Islamic thought and Sufism

The literature of Sufism emphasizes highly subjective matters that resist outside observation, such as the subtle states of the heart. Often these resist direct reference or description, with the consequence that the authors of various Sufi treatises took recourse to allegorical language. For instance, much Sufi poetry refers to intoxication, which Islam expressly forbids. This usage of indirect language and the existence of interpretations by people who had no training in Islam or Sufism led to doubts being cast over the validity of Sufism as a part of Islam. Also, some groups emerged that considered themselves above the Sharia and discussed Sufism as a method of bypassing the rules of Islam in order to attain salvation directly. This was disapproved of by traditional scholars.

For these and other reasons, the relationship between traditional Islamic scholars and Sufism is complex and a range of scholarly opinion on Sufism in Islam has been the norm. Some scholars, such as Al-Ghazali, helped its propagation while other scholars opposed it. W. Chittick explains the position of Sufism and Sufis this way:

Traditional and Neo-Sufi groups

) of Ma Laichi in Linxia City, China.]] The traditional Sufi orders, which are in majority, emphasize the role of Sufism as a spiritual discipline within Islam. Therefore, the Sharia (traditional Islamic law) and the Sunnah are seen as crucial for any Sufi aspirant. One proof traditional orders assert is that almost all the famous Sufi masters of the past Caliphates were experts in Sharia and were renowned as people with great Iman (faith) and excellent practice. Many were also Qadis (Sharia law judges) in courts. They held that Sufism was never distinct from Islam and to fully comprehend and practice Sufism one must be an observant Muslim.

In recent decades there has been a growth of neo-Sufi movements in the West. Examples include the Universal Sufism movement, the Golden Sufi Center, the Sufi Foundation of America, the neo-sufism of Idries Shah, Sufism Reoriented and the International Association of Sufism. Rumi has become one of the most widely read poets in the United States, thanks largely to the translations published by Coleman Barks.

Islamic positions on non-Islamic Sufi groups

The use of the title Sufi by non-traditional groups to refer to themselves, and their appropriation of traditional Sufi masters (most notably Jalaluddin Rumi) as sources of authority or inspiration, is not accepted by some Muslims who are Sufi adherents.

Many of the great Sufi masters of the present and the past instruct that: one needs the form of the religious practices and the outer dimension of the religion to fulfill the goals of the inner dimension of Sufism (Proximity to God). The exoteric practices prescribed by God contain inner meanings and provide the means for transformation with the proper spiritual guidance of a master. It is thought that through the forms of the ritual and prescribed Islamic practices (prayer, pilgrimage, fasting, charity and affirmation of Divine Unity) the soul may be purified and one may then begin to embark on the mystical quest. In fact it is considered psychologically dangerous by some Sufi masters to participate in Sufi practices, such as "dhikr", without adhering to the outer aspects of Islam, which add spiritual balance and grounding to the practice.

Some traditional Sufis also object to interpretations of classical Sufis texts by writers who have no grounding in the traditional Islamic sciences and therefore no prerequisites for understanding such texts. These are considered by certain conventional Islamic scholars as beyond the pale of the religion. However, there are Islamic Sufi groups that are open to non-Muslim participation, Sufi-Buddhism being one such group.

Preeminent Sufis

Abul Hasan al-Shadhili

Abul Hasan al-Shadhili (d. 1258 CE), the founder of the Shadhiliyya Sufi order, introduced dhikr jahri (The method of remembering Allah through loud means). Sufi orders generally preach to deny oneself and to destroy the ego-self (nafs) and its worldly desires. This is sometimes characterized as the "Order of Patience-Tariqus Sabr". In contrary Imam Shadhili taught that his followers need not abstain from what Islam has not forbidden, but to be grateful for what God has bestowed upon them. This notion known as the "Order of Gratitude-Tariqush Shukr" was espoused by Imam Shadhili. Imam Shadhili gave eighteen valuable hizbs (litanies) to his followers out of which the notable Hizbul Bahr is recited worldwide even today.

Bayazid Bastami

Bayazid Bastami (d. 874 CE) is considered to be "of the six bright stars in the firmament of the Prophet", and a link in the Golden Chain of the Naqshbandi Tariqah. He is regarded as the first mystic to openly speak of the annihilation (fanā') of the base self in the Divine, whereby the mystic becomes fully absorbed to the point of becoming unaware of himself or the objects around him. Every existing thing seems to vanish, and he feels free of every barrier that could stand in the way of his viewing the Remembered One. In one of these states, Bastami cried out: "Praise to Me, for My greatest Glory!" His belief in the unity of all religions became apparent when asked the question: "How does Islam view other religions?" His reply was "All are vehicles and a path to God's Divine Presence."

Ibn Arabi

Muhyiddin Muhammad b. 'Ali Ibn 'Arabi (or Ibn al-'Arabi) is considered to be one of the most important Sufi masters, although he never founded any order (tariqa). His writings, especially al-Futuhat al-Makkiyya and Fusus al-hikam, have been studied within all the Sufi orders as the clearest expression of tawhid (Divine Unity), though because of their recondite nature they were often only given to initiates. Later those who followed his teaching became known as the school of wahdat al-wujud (the Oneness of Being). He himself considered his writings to have been divinely inspired. As he expressed the Way to one of his close disciples, his legacy is that 'you should never ever abandon your servanthood ('ubudiyya), and that there may never be in your soul a longing for any existing thing'.

Junayd Baghdadi

Junayd Baghdadi (830-910 CE) was one of the great early Sufis, and is a central figure in the golden chain of many Sufi orders. He laid the groundwork for sober mysticism in contrast to that of God-intoxicated Sufis like al-Hallaj, Bayazid Bastami and Abusaeid Abolkheir. During the trial of al-Hallaj, his former disciple, the Caliph of the time demanded his fatwa. In response, he issued this fatwa: "From the outward appearance he is to die and we judge according to the outward appearance and God knows better". He is referred to by Sufis as Sayyid-ut Taifa, i.e. the leader of the group. He lived and died in the city of Baghdad.

Mansur al-Hallaj

Mansur al-Hallaj (d. 922 CE) is renowned for his claim "Ana-l-Haqq" (I am The Truth). His refusal to recant this utterance, which was regarded as apostasy, led to a long trial. He was imprisoned for 11 years in a Baghdad prison, before being tortured and publicly crucified on March 26, 922. He is still revered by Sufis for his willingness to embrace torture and death rather than recant. It is said that during his prayers, he would say "O Lord! You are the guide of those who are passing through the Valley of Bewilderment. If I am a heretic, enlarge my heresy."

Reception

Perception outside Islam

, Sudan. A choreographed Sufi performance on Friday at Qadiriyya event.]] Sufi mysticism has long exercised a fascination upon the Western world, and especially its orientalist scholars.

The Islamic Institute in Mannheim, Germany, which works towards the integration of Europe and Muslims, sees Sufism as particularly suited for interreligious dialogue and intercultural harmonisation in democratic and pluralist societies; it has described Sufism as a symbol of tolerance and humanism – nondogmatic, flexible and non-violent.

Influence of Sufism on Judaism

A great influence was exercised by Sufism upon the ethical writings of Jews in the Middle Ages. In the first writing of this kind, we see "Kitab al-Hidayah ila Fara'iḍ al-Ḳulub", Duties of the Heart, of Bahya ibn Pakuda. This book was translated by Judah ibn Tibbon into Hebrew under the title "Ḥovot ha-Levavot".This was precisely the argument used by the Sufis against their adversaries, the Ulamas. The arrangement of the book seems to have been inspired by Sufism. Its ten sections correspond to the ten stages through which the Sufi had to pass in order to attain that true and passionate love of God which is the aim and goal of all ethical self-discipline. A considerable amount of Sufi ideas entered the Jewish mainstream through Bahya ibn Paquda's work, which remains one of the most popular ethical treatises in Judaism.

It is noteworthy that in the ethical writings of the Sufis Al-Kusajri and Al-Harawi there are sections which treat of the same subjects as those treated in the "Ḥovot ha-Lebabot" and which bear the same titles: e.g., "Bab al-Tawakkul"; "Bab al-Taubah"; "Bab al-Muḥasabah"; "Bab al-Tawaḍu'"; "Bab al-Zuhd". In the ninth gate, Baḥya directly quotes sayings of the Sufis, whom he calls Perushim. However, the author of the Ḥovot ha-Levavot did not go so far as to approve of the asceticism of the Sufis, although he showed a marked predilection for their ethical principles.

The Jewish writer Abraham bar Ḥiyya teaches the asceticism of the Sufis. His distinction with regard to the observance of Jewish law by various classes of men is essentially a Sufic theory. According to it there are four principal degrees of human perfection or sanctity; namely: :(1) of "Shari'ah," i.e., of strict obedience to all ritual laws of Islam, such as prayer, fasting, pilgrimage, almsgiving, ablution, etc., which is the lowest degree of worship, and is attainable by all :(2) of Ṭariqah, which is accessible only to a higher class of men who, while strictly adhering to the outward or ceremonial injunctions of religion, rise to an inward perception of mental power and virtue necessary for the nearer approach to the Divinity :(3) of "Ḥaḳikah," the degree attained by those who, through continuous contemplation and inward devotion, have risen to the true perception of the nature of the visible and invisible; who, in fact, have recognized the Godhead, and through this knowledge have succeeded in establishing an ecstatic relation to it; and :(4) of the "Ma'arifah," in which state man communicates directly with the Deity.

Abraham ben Moses ben Maimon, the son of the great Jewish philosopher Maimonides, believed that Sufi practices and doctrines continue the tradition of the Biblical prophets. He introduced into the Jewish prayer such practices as reciting God’s names (dhikr), prostration , stretching out hands, kneeling, ablution of the feet. Some of these Sufi-Jewish practices are still observed in a few Oriental synagogues.

Abraham Maimini's principal work is originally composed in Judeo-Arabic and entitled "כתאב כפיא אלעאבדין" Kitāb Kifāyah al-`Ābidīn ("A Comprehensive Guide for the Servants of God"). From the extant surviving portion it is conjectured that Maimuni's treatise was three times as long as his father's Guide for the Perplexed. In the book, Maimuni evidences a great appreciation and affinity to Sufism (Islamic mysticism). Followers of his path continued to foster a Jewish-Sufi form of pietism for at least a century, and he is rightly considered the founder of this pietistic school, which was centered in Egypt.

The followers of this path, which they called, interchangably, Hasidism (not to confuse with the latter Jewish Hasidic movement) or Sufism (Tasawwuf), practiced spiritual retreats, solitude, fasting and sleep deprivation.The Jewish Sufis maintained their own brotherhood, guided by a religious leader - like a Sufi sheikh.

Abraham Maimuni's two sons, Obadyah and David, continued to lead this Jewish-Sufi brotherhood. Obadyah Maimonides wrote Al-Mawala Al Hawdiyya ("The Treatise of the Pool") - an ethico-mystical manual based on the typically Sufi comparison of the heart to a pool that must be cleansed before it can experience the Divine.

The Maimonidean legacy extended right through to the 15th century with the 5th generation of Maimonidean Sufis, David ben Joshua Maimonides, who wrote Al-Mursid ila al-Tafarrud (The Guide to Detachment), which includes numerous extracts of Suhrawardi’s Kalimat at-Tasawwuf.

Popular culture

Films

The movie Bab'Aziz (2005), directed by Nacer Khemir, tells the story of an old and blind dervish who must cross the desert with his little granddaughter during many days and nights to get to his last dervish reunion celebrated every 30 years. The movie is full of Sufi mysticism, containing quotes of Sufi poets like Rumi and showing an ecstatic Sufi dance.

In Monsieur Ibrahim (2003), Omar Sharif's character professes to be a Muslim in the Sufi tradition.

The 2007 short film 'Vishwaas Ki Goonj/The Echo Of Faith', highlights the universal message of Sufism and conveys mankind's ability to practice and uphold the notion of 'oneness of beings'. Directed and presented by Basant P. Tolani, the film received first prize in the Global Festival of Films on Peace and Spirituality 2008 by IFTC (International Films & Television Club) and AAFT (Asian Academy Of Films and Television).

Newer production companies and directors are beginning to populate the media landscape with films that emphasize a Sufi sensibility. Most notably Sufi Films with Director James McConnell, and Simon Broughton (Director of Sufi Soul – The Mystic Music of Islam), to name a few in a growing field. The University of North Carolina provides a partial list of some other Films on Sufism and Saints.

Music

Madonna, on her 1994 record Bedtime Stories, sings a song called "Bedtime Story" that discusses achieving a high unconsciousness level. The video for the song shows an ecstatic Sufi ritual with many dervishes dancing, Arabic calligraphy and some other Sufi elements. In her 1998 song "Bittersweet", she recites Rumi's poem by the same name. In her 2001 Drowned World Tour, Madonna sang the song "Secret" showing rituals from many religions, including a Sufi dance.

Singer/songwriter Loreena McKennitt's record The Mask and Mirror (1994) has a song called "The Mystic's Dream" that is influenced by Sufi music and poetry. The band MewithoutYou has made references to Sufi parables, including the name of their album It's All Crazy! It's All False! It's All a Dream! It's Alright (2009). Lead singer Aaron Weiss claims this influence comes from his parents, who are both Sufi converts.

Lalan Fakir and Kazi Nazrul Islam scored several Sufi songs. Famous Sufi singers from the Indian subcontinent include Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Kailash Kher, Alam Lohar and Abida Parveen. A. R. Rahman, the Oscar-winning Indian musician has several compositions which draw inspiration from the Sufi genre; one example is the filmi qawwali, "Khwaja Mere Khwaja" in the 2008 Bollywood film Jodhaa Akbar.

Junoon, a band from Pakistan, is famous for creating the genre of Sufi rock by combining elements of modern hard rock and traditional folk music with Sufi poetry.

Richard Thompson is a practicing Sufi and once lived in a Sufi commune in East Anglia with his first wife and young family.

Sufi structures

See also

Hazrat Babajan

Islam

List of Sufism related topics

Tawassul, a religious practice in which a Muslim seeks nearness to God

References

Additional reading

Al-Badawi, Mostafa. Sufi Sage of Arabia. Louisville: Fons Vitae, 2005.

Ali-Shah, Omar. The Rules or Secrets of the Naqshbandi Order, Tractus Publishers, 1992, ISBN 978-2-909347-09-7.

Angha, Nader. "Sufism: A Bridge Between Religions". MTO Shahmaghsoudi Publications, 2002, ISBN 0-910735-55-7

Angha, Nader. "Sufism: The Lecture Series". MTO Shahmaghsoudi Publications, 1997, ISBN 978-0910735742.

Angha, Nader. "Peace". MTO Shahmaghsoudi Publications, 1994, ISBN 978-0910735995.

Arberry, A.J.. Mystical Poems of Rumi, Vols. 1&2. Chicago: Univ. Chicago Press, 1991.

Austin, R.W.J.. Sufis of Andalusia, Gloustershire: Beshara Publications, 1988.

Azeemi,Khwaja Shamsuddin. Muraqaba: Art and Science of Sufi Meditation, Houston:Plato Publishing,Inc., 2005, ISBN 0975887548.

Bewley, Aisha. The Darqawi Way. London: Diwan Press, 1981.

Burckhardt, Titus. An Introduction to Sufi Doctrine. Lahore: 1963.

Colby, Frederick. The Subtleties of the Ascension: Lata'if Al-Miraj: Early Mystical Sayings on Muhammad's Heavenly Journey. City: Fons Vitae, 2006.

Emin Er, Muhammad. Laws of the Heart: A Practical Introduction to the Sufi Path, Shifâ Publishers, 2008, ISBN 9780981519616.

Emin Er, Muhammad. The Soul of Islam: Essential Doctrines and Beliefs, Shifâ Publishers, 2008, ISBN 9780981519609.

Ernst, Carl. The Shambhala Guide to Sufism. HarperOne, 1999.

Fadiman, James and Frager, Robert. Essential Sufism. Boulder: Shambhala, 1997.

Farzan, Massud. The Tale of the Reed Pipe. New York: Dutton, 1974.

Gowins, Phillip. Sufism—A Path for Today: The Sovereign Soul. New Delhi: Readworthy Publications (P) Ltd., 2008. ISBN 9788189973490

Khan, Hazrat Inayat. The Sufi message, Volume IX—The Unity of Religious Ideals, Part VI, SUFISM— Wahiduddin.net

Koc, Dogan, "Gulen's Interpretation Of Sufism", Second International Conference on Islam in the Contemporary World: The Fethullah Gülen Movement in Thought and Practice, December 2008

Lewinsohn (ed.), The Heritage of Sufism, Volume I: Classical Persian Sufism from its Origins to Rumi (700-1300).

Michon, Jean-Louis. The Autobiography (Fahrasa) of a Moroccan Soufi: Ahmad Ibn `Ajiba (1747–1809). Louisville: Fons Vitae, 1999.

Nurbakhsh, Javad, What is Sufism? electronic text derived from The Path, Khaniqahi Nimatullahi Publications, London, 2003 ISBN 0-933546-70-X.

Rahimi, Sadeq (2007). Intimate Exteriority: Sufi Space as Sanctuary for Injured Subjectivities in Turkey., Journal of Religion and Health, Vol. 46, No. 3, September 2007; pp. 409–422

Schimmel, Annemarie, Mystical Dimensions of Islam. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1983. ISBN 0-8078-1223-4

Schmidle, Nicholas, "Pakistan's Sufis Preach Faith and Ecstasy", ''Smithsonian magazine, December 2008

Shah, Idries. The Sufis. New York: Anchor Books, 1971, ISBN 0385079664.

Shaikh Sharfuddin Maneri. Letters from a Sufi Teacher. Mountain View, CA: Golden Elixir Press, 2010. ISBN 978-0-9843082-4-8.

Seker, Nimet. Jewish and Muslim Mysticism: Jewish Mystics on the Sufi Path Qantara.de April 2010

Wilcox, Lynn. "Women and the Holy Qur'an: a Sufi Perspective". MTO Shahmaghsoudi Publications, 1998, ISBN 0-910735-65-4

External links

Sufism Oxford Islamic Studies Online

Sufism, Sufis, and Sufi Orders - Sufism's Many Paths

Extensive photo Essay on Sufism by a National Geographic photographer

Category:Islam in Punjab (Pakistan) Category:Islam in Turkey Category:Arabic words and phrases

Region	Islamic scholar/Sufi
Color	#B0C4DE
Name	Muhammad Tahir Bakhshi Naqshbandi |
Birth date	January 6, 1962
Birth place	Rahmatpur, Larkana, Pakistan
School tradition	Sunni Islam, Hanafi, Sufi, Naqshbandi
Influences	Abul-Hassan Kharaqani, Baha-ud-Din Naqshband Bukhari, Ahmad Sirhindi, Abu Hanifa, Sohna Saeen
Influenced	Syed Ismaeel Shah, Allama Muhammad Idrees Dahiri

Khwaja Muhammad Tahir Bakhshi Naqshbandi (}}, born 1962) , also known as Sajjan Saeen (}}, ), is a prominent Naqshbandi Sufi shaykh in Pakistan. He was born on January 6, 1962 at dargah Rahmatpur Sharif, district Larkana, Pakistan. He is successor to Khwaja Allah Bakhsh, also known as Sohna Saeen, whose lineage goes to Khwaja Ghareeb Nawaz Hadhrat Fazal Ali Shah Qureshi. His followers and partisans are all over Pakistan and in countries such as the United Kingdom, Germany, Sweden, Spain, Australia, New Zealand and the USA.

He is patron-in-chief of Jamaat Islah-ul-muslimeen, Rohani Talaba Jamaat and Jamiyat-e-Ulema Tahiriya. He has more than 300 deputies (Khulafa') who are dedicated to spread the Naqshbandi message across the world.

Early life

The shaykh was born on January 6, 1962 at dargah Rahmatpur sharif, in district Larkana, Sindh. As per the Islamic principles, his grandsheikh Hadhrat Khwaja Muhammad Abdul Ghaffar said the Azan and Iqamat in his ears at birth, since his father was out of station for Tabligh (preaching). His name was also suggested by his grandsheikh, which was happily accepted by his parents. Pir Mitha died on December 12, 1964. He was under two years of age that his parents migrated from Rahmatpur sharif to another village in Dadu district in January 1965. In April 1965, his father Khwaja Allah Bakhsh established a new village and center for peaching called Faqeerpur sharif, near Radhan Station in Dadu district. There, he passed his childhood while the center was being established. Later, his parents migrated to the new and current center Allahabad sharif situated in district Naushehro-Feroz, and resides there since then.

Education

His education started from Dargah Faqeer Pur Shareef near Radhan City, District Dadu, Pakistan where he got primary education and nazra Quran. He learned Tajwid Quran when he was only 7 years old. He learned Persian, Arabic and Hadith from Madirsah Jamiya Arabiya Ghaffaria, Dargah Allahabad Shareef, Kandiaro, Naushahro Feroze District, Pakistan. He finished advanced Arabic and Hadith education from Al-Markaz Qadriya Karachi. He studied with various teachers, some of them include Maulana Muntakhib-al-Haqq Qadri, Allama Yahya Siddiqi (History), Maulana Saeed-ur-Rahman (Adab), Abdul-Quddus Hashmi (comparative religions) and Mufti Mahmood Alwari. He received multiple Asnad of Hadith, and in one of the these, his line goes to Shah Waliullah Dahlawi with only three intermediaries.

He graduated his Dars-i-Nizami from Madrasah Jamia Arabiya Ghaffaria in 1979. He is also a graduate in Islamic Studies from Sindh University, Pakistan.

Spiritual Education

He received Ijazah of Naqshbandi tariqah from his father, Sheikh Sohna Saeen who was the chief caliph and successor of Hadhrat Abdul-Ghaffar Naqshbandi of Larkana, Sindh. His father trained him in the spiritual path of Naqshbandi Mujaddidi tariqah from the childhood, and permitted him to teach the tariqah to his followers. He received Ijazah three times from his father. Once he received Khilafat (syn. of Ijazah in tariqah) in 1397 A.H when he was still studying in madrasah. Second time he received Khilafat when his father was awarding Khilafat to another person Maulana Siddiq Ahmad Nasir. Third time he received Khilafat in 1403 A.H (the year his father died) along with Maulana Naseem Ahmed of Hyderabad.

During the last years of his father, he used to represent his father and presided various programs and gatherings where he initiated new comers in the tariqah. His father used to send him in his place.

Succession

After the demise of Khwaja Allah Bakhsh Abbasi all the Islamic scholars, khalifas (spiritual representatives) and key persons of the organization unanimously agreed to nominate his son Khwaja Muhammad Tahir as successor. He is also known as Sajjan Saeen. On that day almost every follower took Oath of Allegiance on his hand except for a few who also took Oath of Allegiance later. Some of them had reported that Khwaja Allah Bakhsh came in their dream and advised them to take Oath. Some other had spiritual sightings of Prophet Muhammad who guided them to take the oath of allegiance with Shaikh Muhammad Tahir, as reported in the book Seerat Wali-e-Kamil.

His tariqah

Spiritual Chain of Succession

Shaikh Muhammad Tahir belongs to the Mujaddidi order of Sufism, which is the main branch of Naqshbandi Sufi tariqah. His spiritual lineage goes to Prophet Muhammad, through Shaikh Ahmad Sirhindi, the Mujaddid of eleventh Hijri century. The complete lineage is as under: # Sayyadna Muhammad d.11AH, buried Madinah SA (570/571 - 632 CE) # Sayyadna Abu Bakr Siddiq, radiya-l-Lahu`anh d.13AH, buried Madinah, SA # Sayyadna Salman al-Farsi, radiya-l-Lahu`anh d.35AH buried Madaa'in, SA # Imam Qasim ibn Muhammad ibn Abu Bakr d.107AH buried Madinah SA. # Imam Jafar Sadiq, alayhi-s-salam (after which moves to Iran) d 148AH buried Madinah SA. # Shaikh Bayazid Bastami, radiya-l-Lahu canh d 261AH buried Bistaam, Iraq (804 - 874 CE). # Shaikh Abul Hassan Kharqani, qaddasa-l-Lahu sirrah d 425AH buried Kharqaan, Iran. # Shaikh Abul Qasim Gurgani, qaddasa-l-Lahu sirrah d.450AH buried Gurgan, Iran. # Shaikh Abu Ali Farmadi, qaddasa-l-Lahu sirrah (after which moves to Turkmenistan) d 477AH buried Tous, Khorasan, Iran. # Khwaja Abu Yaqub Yusuf Hamadani, qaddasa-l-Lahu sirrah d 535AH buried Maru, Khorosan, Iran. # Khwaja Abdul Khaliq Ghujdawani, qaddasa-l-Lahu sirrah d 575AH buried Ghajdawan, Bukhara, Uzbekistan. # Khwaja Arif Reogari, qaddasa-l-Lahu sirrah d 616AH buried Reogar, Bukhara, Uzbekistan. # Khwaja Mahmood Anjir-Faghnawi, qaddasa-l-Lahu sirrah d 715AH buried Waabakni, Mawralnahar. # Shaikh Azizan Ali Ramitani, qaddasa-l-Lahu sirrah d 715AH buried Khwaarizm, Bukhara, Uzbekistan. # Shaikh Muhammad Baba Samasi, qaddasa-l-Lahu sirrah d 755AH buried Samaas, Bukhara, Uzbekistan. # Shaikh Sayyid Amir Kulal, qaddasa-l-Lahu sirrah d 772AH buried Saukhaar, Bukhara, Uzbekistan. # Shaikh Muhammad Baha'uddin Naqshband, qaddasa-l-Lahu sirrah d 791AH buried Qasr-e-Aarifan, Bukhara, Uzbekistan (1318–1389 CE). # Shaikh Ala'uddin Attar Bukhari, qaddasa-l-Lahu sirrah buried Jafaaniyan, Mawranahar, Uzbekistan. # Shaikh Yaqub Charkhi, qaddasa-l-Lahu sirrah d 851AH buried Charkh, Bukhara, Uzbekistan. # Shaikh Ubaidullah Ahrar, qaddasa-l-Lahu sirrah d 895AH buried Samarkand, Uzbekistan. # Shaikh Muhammad Zahid Wakhshi, qaddasa-l-Lahu sirrah d 936AH buried Wakhsh, Malk Hasaar # Shaikh Durwesh Muhammad, qaddasa-l-Lahu sirrah d 970AH buried Samarkand, Uzbekistan. # Shaikh Muhammad Amkanaki, qaddasa-l-Lahu sirrah (after which moves to India) d 1008AH buried Akang, Bukhara, Uzbekistan. # Shaikh Muhammad Baqi Billah Berang, qaddasa-l-Lahu sirrah d 1012AH buried Delhi, India. # Shaikh Ahmad Faruqi Sirhindi, qaddasa-l-Lahu sirrah d 1034AH buried Sarhand, India (1564–1624 CE) # Muhammad Masum Sirhindi, qaddasa-l-Lahu sirrah d 1079AH buried Sarhand, India. # Muhammad Saifuddin Faruqi Mujaddidi, qaddasa-l-Lahu sirrah d 1096AH buried Sarhand, India # Hafiz Muhammad Mohsin, qaddasa-l-Lahu sirrah # Sayyid Nur Muhammad Badayuni, qaddasa-l-Lahu sirrah, d.1135AH # Mirza Mazhar Jan-e-Janaan, qaddasa-l-Lahu sirrah, d.1195AH # Abdullah Dahlawi, alias Shah Ghulam Ali Dehlavi, qaddasa-l-Lahu sirrah, d.1240AH # Shaikh Abu-Saeed Faruqi Mujaddidi, qaddasa-l-Lahu sirrah, buried in Dehli, India, d.1250AH # Shaikh Ahmed Saeed Faruqi Mujaddidi, qaddasa-l-Lahu sirrah, buried in Madinah, d.1277AH # Shaikh Khwaja Dost Muhammad Qandhari, qaddasa-l-Lahu sirrah, Musa Zai Sharif, d.1284AH # Shaikh Khwaja Muhammad Usman Damani, qaddasa-l-Lahu sirrah, Musa Zai Sharif, d.1314AH # Shaikh Sayyad Laal Shah Hamdani, qaddasa-l-Lahu sirrah, Hamdan, Punjab, d.1323AH # Shaikh Muhammad Sirajuddin, qaddasa-l-Lahu sirrah, Musa Zai Sharif, d.1333AH # Pir Fazal Ali Qureshi, qaddasa-l-Lahu sirrah, Miskeenpur, district Muzaffargarh, Punjab, Pakistan, d.1935 # Khwaja Muhammad Abdul Ghaffar, alis Pir Mitha, qaddasa-l-Lahu sirrah, Larkana, Sindh, Pakistan, d.1964 # Shaikh Allah Bakhsh Abbasi, alias Sohna Saeen, qaddasa-l-Lahu sirrah, d.1983 # Shaikh Muhammad Tahir Abbasi

Sufi Methodology

The Shaikh focuses on Qalbi Zikr (a method of remembering Allah by heart), which makes the base of his tariqah. He advises his murids or spiritual students to practice Muraqbah daily, which is a kind of meditation for the Qalbi Zikr. The collective Zikr or Muraqba is held daily after the Fajr prayer in all the centers of the organization. The shaikh himself leads the Muraqba at Dargah Allahabad sharif daily where he himself resides. This collective Muraqba is different from other branches of the Naqshbandi tariqah. While the murids will go into meditation by closing their eyes and sitting in a recommended position, the shaikh (or the one who leads the Muraqba) will recite some verses of the Holy Quran and sing from the Sufi poetry, while making a sound from a Tasbih with large prayer beads. The sound is produced by striking the large stones of the Tasbih with each other while the Tasbih progresses, and is not rhythmic but continuous. This method was first practiced by Shaikh Ahmed Saeed Faruqi, the eighth Shaikh in the lineage of Shaikh Muhammad Tahir. Many other Sufi shaikhs have also been reported to have practiced this method, including Shaikhs from other tariqahs such as Qadri.

The purpose of this sound from the Tasbih, as described by the Shaikh, is that a person can tune his meditation of pronouncing Allah, Allah, Allah with the sound of the Tasbih, thus making it easier to practice the Zikr. Other Sufi orders have also practiced some form of external sound to help meditate and proclaim the words of Zikr. Most of the Sufi music falls into this very purpose, though later modified at large extent. But this sound of Tasbih does not produce any rhythm, since music is considered unlawful in Islamic Sharia hence making it illegal in the Mujaddidi Sufi order which is based on adhering to the rules of Sharia.

His message

His message is the same what has been of Sufi Saints. He focuses on the remembrance Allah in ones heart, love of Prophet Muhammad and all creations of Allah. In his speeches he always emphasizes on how to purify inner soul so that love of God can be achieved. He believes in interfaith harmony and people from different sects and religions join his gatherings.

In Pakistan, he has large number of followers. The annual Urs of his shaykh which is celebrated every year in November, is attended by more than five hundred thousand people (2008 estimate), and is one of the biggest religious gatherings in Pakistan. Outside Pakistan he has a large number of followers in UAE and considerable numbers in countries such as UK, Australia and South Africa. Some of his murids live in the US, Canada, parts of Europe, Saudi Arabia, China, Sri Lanka and some other countries, where they are actively engaged to spread his message of inter-faith harmony and love of God with Qalbi Dhikr.

Religious Contribution

Books and publications

He has been writing on different topics of Islam such as Sufism, Zikr (Remembrance of Allah), Islamic law etc. All of his publications are in Urdu language. Some of them are listed below.

:* Jalwagah-e-Dost (جلؤہ گاہ دوست): This book discusses in detail about tasawuf, sufiism, zikr (rememberance of Allah) and quotations of Naqshbandi spiritual personalities. :* Tasawuf Kia Hay (تصوف کیا ہے؟): This book discusses the history of tasawuf and clarified some misconceptions about the subject. :* Rozay ki Haqeeqat (روزہ کی حقیقت): This book discusses the importance of fasting and its true spirit. :* Sahib-e-Khalq-e-Azeem (صاحبِ خلقِ عظیم): This book highlights the character of Prophet Muhammad :* Sahib-e-Ahl-e-Zikr ki Khidmat Main Chund Maarozaat (صاحبِ اہلِ ذکر حضرات کی خدمت میں چند معروضات): This book is guidance for everyone on how to reach Allah, keep distance from wrong doing and its importance for the people who steps into tasawuf and submit themselves to one God. :* Haram Kamana aur Kahana Gunah-e-Kabeera Hai (حرام کمانا اور کھانا ایک گناہِ کبیرہ ہے): This book details about the importance of halal and haram mostly with respect to earning money through right or wrong sources. :* Muhabbat ki Nishaniyan (محبت کی نشانیاں): This book highlights the significance and symptoms of divine love. :* Murshid-e-Kamil Murid-e-Sadiq ki Nazar Main (مرشدِ کامل مریدِ صادق کی نظر میں): This book explains in detail how much respect a true follower should give to his spiritual guide and how it is important in achieving spiritual goals and learning lessons.

Books Written About Him

A number of books have been published on his personality, his message and his teachings. Following are a few of them: :* Dargah Allahabad Shareef, Kandiaro, Naushahro Feroze District, Pakistan :* Dargah Faqeer Pur Shareef near Radhan City, District Dadu, Pakistan :* Dargah Tahirabad Shareef, Chambar road, District Tando Allahyar, Pakistan :* Markaz Islah-ul-Muslimeen, Zakariya Goth, Near Tool Plaza, Karachi, Pakistan :* Markaz Rooh-ul-Islam, Baidyan Road, Bhatta Chowk, Lahore Cantt, Pakistan :* Dargahe Tahiri - Markaz Roohul Islam, Steet 20, Nasira Abad, Near Kohe Noor Mill, Rawalpindi, Pakistan ( Map)

Chain of Madrasahs (Islamic schools)

There are hundreds of small and large scale madrasahs across Pakistan which come under his spiritual supervision. These free Islamic schools provide free education ranging from Nazra (recitation of Quran, the basic Islamic education) to Dars-e-Nizami (highest course of Islamic studies).

Some of them are listed below:

:* Madrasah Jamiya Arabiya Ghaffariya, Dargah Allahabad Shareef, Kandiaro, Naushahro Feroze District, Pakistan. This is the central Madrasah, where most of the higher courses are taught. :* Madrasah Jamiya Ghaffariya, Dargah Faqeer Pur Shareef near Radhan City, District Dadu, Pakistan :* Jamiya Bakhshiya, Naudero, Larkana, Pakistan :* Rooh-ul-Quran, Lohar Masjid, Hyderabad, Pakistan :* Madrasah Jamiya Arabiya Tahiriya, Dargah Tahirabad Shareef, Chambar road, District Tando Allahyar, Pakistan :* Dar-ul-Fuyooz, Mohajir Camp, Karachi, Pakistan :* Noor-ul-Islam Bakhshiya Mujaddidiya, North Nazimabad, Karachi, Pakistan :* Madrasah Taleem-ul-Islam, Othal, Balochistan, Pakistan

His Prominent Khulafa (Deputies)

Shaikh Muhammad Tahir Bakhshi has around three hundred Khulafa (deputies or caliphs), propagating his mission and teaching spirituality in various parts of Pakistan and abroad.

:* Mawlana Muhammad Rafiq Shah, Bakhshi Tahiri, grandson of the famous Naqshbandi Shaykh Hadhrat Fazal Ali Shah Qureshi Naqshbandi who is the 3rd grandshaikh of Shaikh Muhammad Tahir :* Mawlana Muhammad Deedah-Dil, Tahiri, grandson of the famous Naqshbandi Shaykh Hadhrat Pir Mitha Naqshbandi Mujaddidi who is the grandshaikh of Shaikh Muhammad Tahir :* Mawlana Muhammad Jameel Abbasi Tahiri, grandson of Hadhrat Sohna Saeen and nephew of Shaikh Muhammad Tahir :* Haji Khair Muhammad Abbasi Tahiri, Hyderabad :* Moulana Fatehuddin soomro alias Bedar Morai, Moro, a writer and author of multiple books :* Mawlana Riasat Ali Tahiri, Sialkot :* Mawlana Syed Ismaeel Shah Tahiri, Rawalpindi :* Sayyad Muhammad Jee'al Shah Jilani, Jacobabad, Sindh. He belongs to the Jilani family, one of the highest ranked religious families in Pakistan who are descendants of Shaikh Abdul-Qadir Jilani. He has a large following in Upper Sindh and Balochistan. :* Mawlana Mufti Abdur-Rahman, Allahabad Sharif, Kandiaro, Sindh. He was first awarded Khilafat from Pir Mitha :* Khalifa Mawlana Sardar Ahmed, Bucheki Sharif, Punjab. He was first awarded Khilafat from Pir Mitha :* Mawlana Muhammad Ramzan Lakho, Bucheki Sharif, Punjab :* Allama Muhammad Idrees Dahiri, Moro, who is one of the leading Islamic scholars and preachers in Sindh, and is an author of multiple books including a complete Tafsir of the Quran :* (late) Mawlana Muhammad Daud Shar-Baloch :* (late) Mawlana Haji Muhammad Ali Bozdar (d.1997) who had a large following in Lower Sindh, specially Badin and Thatta district

His Khulafa Living Abroad

Following is a list of his Khulafa (Deputies) living outside Pakistan. :* Khalifa Mawlana Qamar Al-Hashmi, Bakhshi Tahiri, Madinah Munawwara, Saudi Arabia :* Khalifa Zafarullah Tahiri (late), USA :* Khalifa Ghulam Shabbir Joyo Tahiri, New York, USA :* Khalifa Mawlana Masood Tahiri, Beijing, China :* Khalifa Haji Muhammad Siddiq Sagri Tahiri, Ajman, UAE :* Khalifa Muhammad Saleem Tahiri, UAE :* Khalifa Muhammad Sultan Tahiri, UAE :* Khalifa Ahmed Hussain Tahiri, Kashmir (Pakistan), residing in UAE :* Khalifa Sayyad Ahmed Tahiri, Kashmir (India) ,residing in UAE :* Khalifa Nazir Ahmed Kashmiri Tahiri, Masqat, Oman :* Khalifa Muhammad Arshad Naghar Tahiri, Sydney, Australia

References

Category:Naqshbandi order Category:Pakistani Sufis Category:Sufi saints Category:Sufi teachers Category:1963 births Category:Living people Category:Mujadid

Name	Annemarie Schimmel
Caption	Glass plate in the Bonngasse; Bonn, Germany
Birth place	Germany
Education	Doctorate of civilization and languages, doctorate of religious history.
Occupation	Iranologist, Sindhologist, Orientalist, Islamic studies, Sufism studies, Iqbal studies

Annemarie Schimmel, SI, HI, (April 7, 1922 – January 26, 2003) was a well known and very influential German Orientalist and scholar, who wrote extensively on Islam and Sufism.

Early life

Schimmel was born to Protestant and highly cultured middle-class parents in Erfurt, Germany. Her father, Paul, was a postal worker and her mother, Anna belonged to a family with connections to seafaring and international trade. Schimmel remembered her father as "a wonderful playmate full of fun", her mother made her feel she was the child of her dreams and her home as full of poetry and literature, though her family was not an academic one.

She began studying at the University of Berlin in 1939 at the age of 17, during the period of Nazi Germany. She received a doctorate in Islamic languages and civilization at the age of 19. Following this, she was drafted by the German Foreign Office while continuing with her scholarly work in her free time. At the age of 23, she became a professor of Arabic and Islamic studies at the University of Marburg, Germany in 1946, where she earned a second doctorate in the history of religions in 1954.

Work

A turning point in her life came in 1954 when she was appointed Professor of the History of Religion at the University of Ankara (Turkey). There she spent five years teaching in Turkish and immersing herself in the culture and mystical tradition of the country.

She was a faculty member at Harvard University from 1967 to 1992 and became Professor Emerita of Indo-Muslim Culture upon her retirement. She was also an honorary professor at the University of Bonn. She published more than 50 books on Islamic literature, mysticism and culture, and translated Persian, Urdu, Arabic, Sindhi and Turkish poetry and literature into English and German.

For her work on Islam, Sufism or mysticism and Muhammad Iqbal, the government of Pakistan honored her with its highest civil awards known as Sitara-e-Imtiaz or 'Star of Excellence', and Hilal-e-Imtiaz or 'Crescent of Excellence'. She was conferred with many other awards from many countries of the world, including the Leopold Lucas Prize of the Evangelisch-Theologische Faculty of the University of Tübingen and the 1995 prestigious Peace Prize of the German Book Trade. This award caused a controversy in Germany, as she had defended the outrage of the Islamic world against Salman Rushdie in a television interview. Schimmel's award speech is available here in translation entitled, A Good Word is like a Good Tree.

Personal life

She was briefly married in the 1950s. Although she had no immediate living family, she is survived by a well-loved son of a cousin and his family.

Works by Annemarie Schimmel

As Through A Veil

And Muhammad Is His Messenger: The Veneration of the Prophet in Islamic Piety

A Dance of Sparks: Imagery of Fire in Ghalib's Poetry

A Two-Colored Brocade: The Imagery of Persian Poetry

Deciphering the Signs of God: A Phenomenological Approach to Islam (1991-1992 Gifford Lectures, online)

Gabriel's Wing: Study into the Religious Ideas of Sir Muhammad Iqbal

Mystical Dimensions of Islam

Rumi's World : The Life and Works of the Greatest Sufi Poet

Look! This Is Love

The Triumphal Sun: A Study of the Works of Jalaloddinn Rumi

Islam: An Introduction

Islamic Calligraphy

Make A Shield From Wisdom : Selected Verses from Nasir-i Khusraw's Divan

Ernst Trumpp;: A brief account of his life and work

The Mystery of Numbers

Islam and the Wonders of Creation: The Animal Kingdom (2003)

See also

Malamatiyya

Iranology

Famous Americans in Iran

References

External links

Burzine K. Waghmar, Professor Annemarie Schimmel (April 7, 1922 to January 26, 2003), Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, 13 (2003): 377-79.

M. Ikram Chaghatai and Burzine K. Waghmar, Bibliography of the works of the Scholar-Hermit Prof. Dr. Annemarie Schimmel, ed. M. Suheyl Umar, Iqbal Academy, Lahore, 2004.

Burzine K. Waghmar, Annemarie Schimmel, The Guardian, Feb. 6, 2003, p. 24.

Shusha Guppy, Professor Annemarie Schimmel, The Independent, Jan. 30, 2003.

Stephen Kinzer, Annemarie Schimmel, Influential Scholar of Islam, Dies at 80, The New York Times, Feb. 2, 2003.

Leonard Lewisohn, Annemarie Schimmel, The Times, Feb. 6, 2003.

Annemarie Schimmel, A Life of Learning, autobiographical brochure, Charles Homer Haskins Lecture, American Council of Learned Societies, Williamsburg 1993.

Memorial Minute, Faculty of Arts & Sciences, Harvard University

Biography of Annemarie Schimmel (in Persian)

Annemarie Schimmel and Muhammad Iqbal Lecture of Khosro Naghed at Tehran university. (in German/Persian)

Obituary notice, Iqbal Academy, Pakistan

Category:1922 births Category:2003 deaths Category:German academics Category:German orientalists Category:Iranologists Category:Harvard University faculty Category:Iqbal scholars Category:Islamic studies scholars Category:Hilal-i-Imtiaz Category:University of Bonn faculty Category:Ankara University faculty Category:Sitara-i-Imtiaz Category:Recipients of the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade Category:German Sindhologists

Name	Muhammad Iqbal
Region	Islamic Philosophy
Era	Modern era
Color	#B0C4DE
Image name	Iqbal.jpg
Birth date	November 9, 1877
Nationality	British Indian (Subject of British India)
Birth place	Sialkot, Punjab, British India
Death date
Death place	Lahore, Punjab, British India
School tradition	Muslim.
Main interests	poetry, philosophy, sufism.
Influences	Aristotle, Rumi, Imam Rabbani, Goethe, Nietzsche, Bergson, Molana Muhammad Ali Johar, Thomas Walker Arnold,
Influenced	Indian independence movement, Khilafat movement, Israr Ahmed, Abul Ala Maududi, Khalilollah Khalili, Jawdat Said, Qaed e Millat Bahadur yar jung}}

Sir Muhammad Iqbal ( / Allama Muḥammad Iqbāl; November 9, 1877 - April 21, 1938), commonly referred to as Allama Iqbāl (}}, ʿAllāma meaning "The Learned One") in Pakistan, was a Lahori Muslim poet, philosopher and politician in British India. He wrote his works in Persian and Urdu.

After studying in Cambridge, Munich and Heidelberg, Iqbal established a law practice, but concentrated primarily on writing scholarly works on politics, economics, history, philosophy and religion. He is best known for his poetic works, including Asrar-e-Khudi—for which he was knighted— Rumuz-e-Bekhudi, and the Bang-e-Dara, with its enduring patriotic song Tarana-e-Hind. In India, he is widely regarded for the patriotic song, Saare Jahan Se Achcha. In Afghanistan and Iran, where he is known as Eghbāl-e-Lāhoorī (}} Iqbal of Lahore), he is highly regarded for his Persian works. Iqbal was a strong proponent of the political and spiritual revival of Islamic civilisation across the world, but specifically in South Asia; a series of famous lectures he delivered to this effect were published as The Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam. One of the most prominent leaders of the All India Muslim League, Iqbal encouraged the creation of a "state in northwestern India for Muslims" in his 1930 presidential address. Iqbal encouraged and worked closely with Muhammad Ali Jinnah, and he is known as Muffakir-e-Pakistan ("The Thinker of Pakistan"), Shair-e-Mashriq ("The Poet of the East"), and Hakeem-ul-Ummat ("The Sage of Ummah"). He is officially recognized as the national poet of Pakistan. The anniversary of his birth (}} - Yōm-e Welādat-e Muḥammad Iqbāl) is on November 9, and is a national holiday in Pakistan.

Iqbal is said to have conceived the idea of Pakistan as a separate Muslim homeland while meditating at the shrine of the famous Sufi saint Ali Hujwiri in Lahore.

Early life

Mohammad Iqbal was born on November 9, 1877 at Sialkot to a Kashmiri father and a Punjabi mother. His father, 'Rattan Lal Sapru' was a Kashmiri Hindu of the Sapru sub-caste who converted to Islam and took the name 'Sheikh Nur Mohammad', later he migrated to Punjab, where he married a Punjabi woman named Imam Bibi. Iqbal was the first cousin of Sir Tej Bahadur Sapru, an eminent Indian lawyer and political leader.

Works in Persian

Iqbal's poetic works are written primarily in Persian rather than Urdu. Among his 12,000 verses of poetry, about 7,000 verses are in Persian. In 1915, he published his first collection of poetry, the Asrar-e-Khudi (Secrets of the Self) in Persian. The poems emphasise the spirit and self from a religious, spiritual perspective. Many critics have called this Iqbal's finest poetic work In Asrar-e-Khudi, Iqbal explains his philosophy of "Khudi," or "Self." Iqbal's use of the term "Khudi" is synonymous with the word "Rooh" mentioned in the Quran. "Rooh" is that divine spark which is present in every human being, and was present in Adam, for which God ordered all of the angels to prostrate in front of Adam. One has to make a great journey of transformation to realize that divine spark which Iqbal calls "Khudi".

A similitude of this journey can be understood by the relationship between fragrance and seed. Every seed has the potential for fragrance within it, but to reach its fragrance the seed must go through all the different changes and stages: First breaking out of its shell. Then breaking the ground to come into the light, developing roots at the same time. Then fighting against the elements to develop leaves and flowers. Finally reaching its pinnacle by attaining the fragrance that was hidden within it. Similarly, in order to reach one's khudi or rooh, one needs to go through the multiple spiritual stages which Iqbal himself went through, and encourages others to travel. Not all seeds reach the level of fragrance; many die along the way - incomplete. In this same way, only a few people can climb this Mount Everest of spirituality; most get consumed along the way by materialism.

The same concept was used by Farid ud Din Attar in his "Mantaq-ul-Tair". He proves by various means that the whole universe obeys the will of the "Self." Iqbal condemns self-destruction. For him, the aim of life is self-realization and self-knowledge. He charts the stages through which the "Self" has to pass before finally arriving at its point of perfection, enabling the knower of the "Self" to become a viceregent of God.

garche Urdū dar uzūbat shekkar ast

tarz-e goftar-e Dari shirintar ast

Translation:

Even though in sweetness Urdu* is sugar - (but) speech method in Dari (Persian) is sweeter *

Works in Urdu

Iqbal's first work published in Urdu, the Bang-e-Dara (The Call of the Marching Bell) of 1924, was a collection of poetry written by him in three distinct phases of his life. Sir Muhammad Iqbal was elected president of the Muslim League in 1930 at its session in Allahabad, in the United Provinces as well as for the session in Lahore in 1932. In his presidential address on December 29, 1930, Iqbal outlined a vision of an independent state for Muslim-majority provinces in northwestern India:

and other Muslim activists]]

"I would like to see the Punjab, North-West Frontier Province, Sind and Baluchistan amalgamated into a single state. Self-government within the British Empire, or without the British Empire, the formation of a consolidated Northwest Indian Muslim state appears to me to be the final destiny of the Muslims, at least of Northwest India." Iqbal thus stressed not only the need for the political unity of Muslim communities, but the undesirability of blending the Muslim population into a wider society not based on Islamic principles. He thus became the first politician to articulate what would become known as the Two-Nation Theory — that Muslims are a distinct nation and thus deserve political independence from other regions and communities of India. However, he would not elucidate or specify if his ideal Islamic state would construe a theocracy, even as he rejected secularism and nationalism. The latter part of Iqbal's life was concentrated on political activity. He would travel across Europe and West Asia to garner political and financial support for the League, and he reiterated his ideas in his 1932 address, and during the Third Round-Table Conference, he opposed the Congress and proposals for transfer of power without considerable autonomy or independence for Muslim provinces. He would serve as president of the Punjab Muslim League, and would deliver speeches and publish articles in an attempt to rally Muslims across India as a single political entity. Iqbal consistently criticised feudal classes in Punjab as well as Muslim politicians averse to the League.

Evaluating the contribution of Iqbal to the creation of Pakistan and modernization of Islam writes Sailen Debnath, “The concept of Islamic nationalism was theorized by Mohammad Iqbal. A philosopher and poet, Iqbal blended Islamic philosophy with the classical and modern philosophy of the West. He brought Islam at the door of modernism even retaining its catholicity and purity and worked out an ideological paradigm of pan-Islamism and Islamic nationalism in India. Since 1905 till his death, Iqbal built the philosophical bedrock for the establishment of Pakistan on the subtlety of argument, romanticism and dynamism. He met with no serious challenge of the kind from the Congress. He had no peers in the Muslim League; therefore, all its leaders followed his theory and philosophy without any contradiction. Thus Muslim communalism got a philosophy and secularism was engraved. On the basis of humanity and equality, Iqbal took Islam to be the best religion of the world. He supported Islamic state, culture and nationalism inevitably complementary to one another for the growth of pan-Islamism or Islamic internationalism. For greater and broader unity and brother- hood among the Muslims in pursuance of the Quran, Iqbal rejected blood-relationship as the basis of human unity. He asserted Islam as the inner force of Islamic brotherhood. Thus his theory brought together the majority of the Muslims from Bengal to the North Western frontier provinces, and this made the Indian Muslims to feel their identity with … Islam …and this in course of time paved the path to the creation of Pakistan”. ) (Ref. Sailen Debnath, Secularism: Western and Indian, ISBN 9788126913664, Atlantic Publishers, New Delhi.

Patron of The Journal Tolu-e-Islam

He was also the first patron of the historical, political, religious, cultural journal of Muslims of British India and Pakistan. This journal played an important part in the Pakistan movement. The name of this journal is The Journal Tolu-e-Islam. In 1935, according to his instructions, Syed Nazeer Niazi initiated and edited, a journal Tolu-e-Islam named after the famous poem of Sir Muhammad Iqbal, Tulu'i Islam. He also dedicated the first edition of this journal to Sir Muhammad Iqbal. For a long time Sir Muhammad Iqbal wanted a journal to propagate his ideas and the aims and objective of Muslim league. It was Syed Nazeer Niazi, a close friend of him and a regular visitor to him during his last two years, who started this journal. He also made Urdu translation of The Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam, by Sir Muhammad Iqbal.

In the first monthly journal of Oct. 1935, an article "Millat Islamia Hind" The Muslim nation of India was published. In this article Syed Nazeer Niazi described the political conditions of British India and the aims and objectives of the Muslim community. He also discussed the basic principles of Islam which were aims and objective of Sir Muhammad Iqbal' concept of an Islamic State.

The early contributors to this journal were eminent Muslim scholars like Maulana Aslam Jairajpuri, Ghulam Ahmed Pervez, Dr. Zakir Hussain Khan, Syed Naseer Ahmed, Raja Hassan Akhtar, Maulvi Ghulam Yezdani, Ragheb Ahsan, Sheikh Suraj ul Haq, Rafee ud din Peer, Prof. fazal ud din Qureshi, Agha Muhammad Safdar, Asad Multani, Dr. Tasadaq Hussain, Prof. Yusuf Saleem Chisti.

Afterward, this journal was continued by Ghulam Ahmed Pervez,who had already contributed many articles in the early editions of this journal. After the emergence of Pakistan, the mission of the journal Tolu-e-Islam was to propagate the implementation of the principle which had inspired the demand for separate Muslim State according to the Quran. This journal is still published by Idara Tolu-e-Islam, Lahore.

Relationship with Muhammad Ali Jinnah

Ideologically separated from Congress Muslim leaders, Iqbal had also been disillusioned with the politicians of the Muslim League owing to the factional conflict that plagued the League in the 1920s. Discontent with factional leaders like Sir Muhammad Shafi and Sir Fazl-ur-Rahman, Iqbal came to believe that only Muhammad Ali Jinnah was a political leader capable of preserving this unity and fulfilling the League's objectives on Muslim political empowerment. Building a strong, personal correspondence with Jinnah, Iqbal was an influential force on convincing Jinnah to end his self-imposed exile in London, return to India and take charge of the League. Iqbal firmly believed that Jinnah was the only leader capable of drawing Indian Muslims to the League and maintaining party unity before the British and the Congress:

"I know you are a busy man but I do hope you won't mind my writing to you often, as you are the only Muslim in India today to whom the community has right to look up for safe guidance through the storm which is coming to North-West India and, perhaps, to the whole of India." Iqbal had backed the Khilafat struggle; Jinnah had dismissed it as "religious frenzy." And while Iqbal espoused the idea of Muslim-majority provinces in 1930, Jinnah would continue to hold talks with the Congress through the decade and only officially embraced the goal of Pakistan in 1940. Some historians postulate that Jinnah always remained hopeful for an agreement with the Congress and never fully desired the independence of India. Iqbal's close correspondence with Jinnah is speculated by some historians as having been responsible for Jinnah's embrace of the idea of Pakistan. Iqbal elucidated to Jinnah his vision of a separate Muslim state in a letter sent on June 21, 1937:

"A separate federation of Muslim Provinces, reformed on the lines I have suggested above, is the only course by which we can secure a peaceful India and save Muslims from the domination of Non-Muslims. Why should not the Muslims of North-West India and Bengal be considered as nations entitled to self-determination just as other nations in India and outside India are."

Final years & death

In 1933, after returning from a trip to Spain and Afghanistan, Iqbal began suffering from a mysterious throat illness. He spent his final years helping Chaudhry Niaz Ali Khan establish the Dar ul Islam Trust Institute at the latter's Jamalpur estate near Pathankot, an institution where studies in classical Islam and contemporary social science would be subsidised, and advocating the demand for an independent Muslim state. Iqbal ceased practising law in 1934 and he was granted pension by the Nawab of Bhopal. After suffering for months from his illness, Iqbal died in Lahore in 1938. His tomb is located in Hazuri Bagh, the enclosed garden between the entrance of the Badshahi Mosque and the Lahore Fort, and official guards are maintained there by the Government of Pakistan.

Iqbal is commemorated widely in Pakistan, where he is regarded as the ideological founder of the state. His Tarana-e-Hind is a song that is widely used in India as a patriotic song speaking of communal harmony. His birthday is annually commemorated in Pakistan as Iqbal Day, a national holiday. Iqbal is the namesake of many public institutions, including the Allama Iqbal Medical College, Allama Iqbal Open University, the Allama Iqbal International Airport in Lahore, and Gulshan-e-Iqbal Town in Karachi. Government and public organizations have sponsored the establishment of colleges and schools dedicated to Iqbal, and have established the Iqbal Academy to research, teach and preserve the works, literature and philosophy of Iqbal. Allama Iqbal Stamps Society established for the promotion of Iqbaliyat in philately and in other hobbies. His son Javid Iqbal has served as a justice on the Supreme Court of Pakistan.

Influence and legacy

Allama Iqbal's poetry has also been translated into several European languages where his works were famous during the early part of the 20th century. Iqbal’s Asrar-i-Khudi and Javed Nama were translated into English by R A Nicholson and A J Arberry respectively.

Legacy in India

Iqbal's poem Saare Jahan Se Achcha has remained popular in India for over a century. Mahatma Gandhi is said to have sung it over a hundred times when he was imprisoned at Yerawada Jail in Pune in the 1930s. The poem was set to music in the 1950s by sitar maestro Ravi Shankar and recorded by singer Lata Mangeshkar. Stanzas (1), (3), (4), and (6) of the song are widely sung in India, and regarded as an unofficial national song, and were also turned into the official quick march of the Indian Armed Forces. Rakesh Sharma, the first Indian cosmonaut, employed the first line of the song "sāre jahāñ se acchā hindostāñ hamārā" that means "Better than the entire world, is our Hindustan (India) " in 1984 to describe to then prime minister Indira Gandhi how India appeared from outer space. Current prime minister, Manmohan Singh, quoted the poem at his first press conference. A translation, commentary and literary appreciation of Masnavi Pas Cheh Bayad kard and Musafir in Urdu by Dr Elahi Bakhsh Akhtar Awan was published by University Book Agency Khyber Bazaar Peshawar Pakistan in 1960

Controversy: Many of writers believe on his sufi-ism and poetry which is living in the heart of the peoples, but as far as Pakistan mufiqar is concerned, there was no link with it, because in the same time, Indian athum is written by him: Saray Jahan se acha Hindustan Hamara......

External links

Dr. Allama Iqbal, poet of the east - Article by Faisal Hanif

Official Website of Allama Iqbal by Iqbal Academy Pakistan

Allama Iqbal Stamps Society

Allama Iqbal Urdu Cyber Library Network

Official Website of Dr. Allama Muhamamd Iqbal by Nazaria-i-Pakistan Trust

Official Website of Dr. Iqbal Society of North America

A Blog on Allama Iqbal's Works

Iqbal and His Times

Brief Life Sketch of Allama Muhammad Iqbal

Iqbals Awakening

The Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam

Biography of Iqbal Lahuri

Video's on Iqbaliyat

Muhammad Iqbal at Kavita Kosh (Iqbal's poetry in Hindi font)

Allama Iqbal Digital Library

Allama Muhammad Iqbal aur Muslim Leaque

http://www.allamaiqbal.com/ias/iqbalspoetryfaisalhanif.html Official Website of Allama Iqbal Academy Scandinavia

Allama Iqbal site

Dr. Allama Iqbal-The Innovator

some of his best Urdu poems from Columbia university site

Works of Iqbal in simlepk site

search Kalame Iqbal with difficult words

Reconstruction Of Religious Thought In Islam by Allama Iqbal

http://pakistaniat.com/2007/03/22/pakistan-day-jinnah-mohammad-iqbal-allama-sir-dr-doctor-poetry-march-23/

Dr. Allama Muhammad Iqbal - Poet of the East

I Desire (With English Translation)by Qazi Muhammad Ahkam

133rd Birthday Anniversary

Muhammad Iqbal: A Spiritual Bridge between East and West Qantara.de

Category:Muhammad Iqbal Category:Leaders of the Pakistan Movement Category:Urdu poets Category:Indian poets Category:Knights Bachelor Category:Muslim scholars of Islam Category:Ravians Category:University of Heidelberg alumni Category:Persian literature Category:Persian poets Category:Muslim philosophers Category:Contemporary Indian philosophers Category:Kashmiri people Category:Alumni of Trinity College, Cambridge Category:Alumni of the Inns of Court School of Law Category:Members of Lincoln's Inn Category:20th-century philosophers Category:1877 births Category:1938 deaths Category:People from Lahore Category:People from Sialkot Category:Punjabi people