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THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE CHISHTIYYAH

SUFI DHIKR : ANALYSIS AND

EXPLANATIONS

BY

ALIAS MOHAMED BIN ABD. GHANI

INTERNATIONAL ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY

MALAYSIA

2008



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APPROVAL PAGE

I certify that I have supervised and read this study and that in my opinion, it conformsto acceptable standards of scholarly presentation and is fully adequate, in scope andquality, as a dissertation for the degree of Master of Islamic Civilization.

………...………………………… Uthman El-Muhammady

Supervisor

I certify that I have supervised and read this study and that in my opinion, it conformsto acceptable standards of scholarly presentation and is fully adequate, in scope andquality, as a dissertation for the degree of Master of Islamic Civilization.

………...………………………… Baharudin Ahmad

Examiner

This thesis was submitted to the Kuliyyah of ISTAC and is accepted as a partialfulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Islamic Civilization.

…………………………………….Ibrahim M. ZeinDean,International Institute of IslamicThought and Civilization



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INTERNATIONAL ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY MALAYSIA

DECLARATION OF COPYRIGHT ANDAFFIRMATION OF FAIR USE OF UNPUBLISHED

RESEARCH

Copyright © 2008 by Alias Mohamed Bin Abd. Ghani. All rights reserved.

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE CHISHTIYYAH SUFI DHIKR: ANALYSIS

AND EXPLANATIONS

No part of this unpublished research may be reproduced, stored in a retrievalsystem, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,

photocopying, recording or otherwise without prior written permission of thecopyright holder except as provided below:

1. Any material contained in or derived from this unpublished researchmay only be used by others in their writing with due acknowledgment.

2. IIUM or its library will have the right to make and transmit copies(print or electronic) for institutional and academic purposes.

3. The IIUM library will have the right to make, store in a retrievalsystem and supply copies of this unpublished research if requested byother universities and research libraries.

Affirmed by Alias Mohamed Bin Abd. Ghani.

………………………………….. …………………………Signature Date



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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Bismi Ll ā h ir-Rahm ā n ir-Rah ī m

I wish first to give thanks to All ā h, Exalted is He, for the very excellence of Hiscreation, and for His mercies which exist and are bestowed in abundance upon Hishumanity. His benefits are epitomized in the creation, life, and teachings of all of HisProphets (may His blessings be upon them all), and perfected in the form of His lastProphet, the master of humanity, chief of both the worlds, Sayyidina Mu Í ammad(Peace and blessings of All ā h be upon him). I am happy to be able to complete mythesis on ‘The Significance of the Chishtiyyah Sufi Dhikr : Analysis andExplanations’. Certainly my du’a and prayer to All ā h has been answered. I am,therefore, unable to express my gratitude to All ā h through whom this thesis has

become possible. A special debt of gratitude is hereby acknowledged and expressed

for my supervisor and dear friend Ust. (Dr.) Muhammad Uthman El-Muhammady,ISTAC, IIUM who has shared with me his spiritual and intellectual possessions, forwhich honour and favour I could never adequately express my appreciation. MayAll ā h grant him long life and health and strength in service to His cause, and bless hisefforts and reward him aptly for all the good that he has done. My wife, Hajjah WanInehas and children, listened with love and concern to my ideas and efforts while Iwas writing this thesis, and I must thank the All-Merciful for their endless support andforbearance. It has been my good fortune to receive so much assistance in the

preparation of this thesis that it would be impossible to thank personally all those whohave contributed to it. However, I would particularly like to thank Brother Farid andSister Ros for their help in the technical aspects of this work. May All ā h the Mercifulreward them all with His choicest blessings!Amin!Amin!Amin!

Wa ā khiru da‘w ā nā an al-hamdu li-Ll ā hi Rabb il-‘ ā l ā min! Wa Î – Îal ā tuwas-sal ā mu ‘al ā ras ū lihil-kar ī m! Rabban ā taqabbal minn ā innakaanta-Sam ī ’- ul-‘ ā lim! Subh ā na Rabbika rabb il-‘izzati ‘amm ā ya Îif ū nWa sal ā mun ‘al ā l-mursalin Wal – Í amdu li Ll ā hi rabbi l-‘ ā lam ī n! Amin!In the end our claim is that all praise be to All ā h, the Lord of the worlds,and blessings and greetings to the Prophet (s.a.w.). Our Lord! Acceptfrom us this duty! Lo! Thou, only Thou, art the Hearer, the Knower!Gloried be thy Lord, the Lord of Majesty From that which they attribute(unto Him!) Peace be upon His Messengers! Praise be to All ā h theAlmighty Lord of the Worlds! Be it so!



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CONTENTS

Abstract ...................................................................................................................iiAbstract in Arabic ...................................................................................................iiiApproval Page.........................................................................................................ivDeclaration Page .....................................................................................................vCopyright Page........................................................................................................viAcknowledgements.................................................................................................vii

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ........................................................................11.1 Background of the Research .................................................................11.2 Keys of the Treasures of the Heavens and the Earth.............................1

CHAPTER 2: SUFISM .........................................................................................52.1 Nature of Sufism....................................................................................5

2.1.1 Al-Tasawwuf ................................................................................52.1.2 Sufism and Pantheism.................................................................72.1.3 Sufism and Mysticism.................................................................72.1.4 Knowledge and Love ..................................................................9

2.2 The Doctrinal Foundations ....................................................................102.2.1 The Aspects of Unity ..................................................................102.2.2 Creation .......................................................................................122.2.3 The Archetypes ...........................................................................132.2.4 Universal Man .............................................................................15

2.3 Spiritual Realization ..............................................................................162.3.1 Three Aspects of the Ways .........................................................162.3.2 The Intellectual Faculties ............................................................182.3.3 Rites ............................................................................................192.3.4 Meditation ...................................................................................20

CHAPTER 3: CHISHTIYYAH ...........................................................................223.1 History ...................................................................................................22

3.1.1 Personality — Shaykh Mu‘ ī n al-D ī n Chishti..............................223.2 Doctrine .................................................................................................31

3.2.1 Philosophy...................................................................................31

3.2.2 Aphorisms — Shaykh Baba Farid ..............................................343.3 Method...................................................................................................373.3.1 Theory and Practice ....................................................................373.3.2 Social Ethics................................................................................423.3.3 Chishti Rituals .............................................................................433.3.4 Ùariqat .........................................................................................44



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CHAPTER 4: T. IZUTSU SEMANTIC ANALYSIS ........................................514.1 Principle of Semantic Analysis..............................................................514.2 The Application of Semantic Analysis..................................................55

CHAPTER 5: EXPLANATIONS AND ANALYSIS OF CHISHTIYYAH .....56

5.1 Dhikr Formula .......................................................................................565.1.1 Lā il ā ha ill ā ’ Ll ā h as a Formula of Dhikr ..................................56

5.1.1.1 The Inward Meanings of Lā il ā ha illa’Ll ā h .....................575.1.1.2 The Exoteric Meaning of Lā il ā ha illa’Ll ā h ....................595.1.1.3 Polytheism ( Shirk ) ............................................................605.1.1.4 On Unification ( Taw Í ī d ) ..................................................62

5.1.2 Takbir , Tasb ī h, Tahmid ...............................................................655.1.2.1 Ascribing Power and Ability ............................................67

5.1.3 Astaghfiru’ Ll ā h ..........................................................................705.1.3.1 A Distinction between Subtle Gradation of Sins..............715.1.3.2 On Presence with All ā h ....................................................73

5.2 The World-Views of the Keywords.......................................................765.2.1 All ā h: The Focus-Word ..............................................................76

5.2.1.1 Divine Names: The Most Beautiful Names......................765.2.1.2 Tawh ī d: The Core Doctrine of Islam................................825.2.1.3 Ontological Relation Between All ā h and Man.................865.2.1.4 Jahiliyyah and Islam.........................................................905.2.1.5 All ā h from Sufi Perspective .............................................94

5.3 The Impact of Creed on the Individual and Society ..............................1085.3.1 Islam: The Weltanschauung........................................................1085.3.2 What Constitutes a Mu’min (True) Muslim................................1115.3.3 Five Pillars of Islam ....................................................................1115.3.4 Fundamental Rights in Islam ......................................................1125.3.5 Status of Women in Islam...........................................................1145.3.6 Islamic Principles: Its Universal and Eternal Application ..........1155.3.7 Islam and Challenges of Science and Technology......................117

5.4 Dhikr All ā h (Remembrance of All ā h) ...................................................1235.4.1 Two Forms of Remembrance of All ā h .......................................1235.4.2 Stipulations for Remembrance of All ā h......................................1245.4.3 Most Important Formulae of Remembrance of All ā h.................125

5.5 Love and Attachment.............................................................................1285.6 Death and Subsequent Events................................................................136

5.6.1 The Reason for Existence ...........................................................1365.6.2 Islamic Perspective on Death......................................................1395.6.3 Suicide.........................................................................................141

5.6.4 The Soul and the Death Process..................................................1425.6.5 Al Ghaib — the Unseen ..............................................................1455.6.6 Al Barzakh — the Barrier............................................................1485.6.7 The Day of Judgment..................................................................1505.6.8 Repentance ..................................................................................153



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SUMMARY ...........................................................................................................156

BIBLIOGRAPHY .................................................................................................163

APPENDICES .......................................................................................................167Appendix I ...................................................................................................167Appendix II..................................................................................................168Appendix III ................................................................................................171Appendix IV ................................................................................................175



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CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE RESEARCH

This thesis in an endevour to explain the significance of Chishtiyyah Sufi dhikr which

is known as Maq āliÌ as- Ø amāwā ti wa’l- Ạr Ì : The Keys of the Treasures of the

Heavens and the Earth.The scope of the research involves the study of the dhikr

formula, its focus-word, key-words and its implied weltanschauung.

The Chishtiyyah Sufi Order is one of the oldest and the biggest order in India

founded by Mu‘ ī n ad-D ī n Chishti (1142-1236A.D.). Shaykh Mu‘ ī n ad-D ī n himself as

Sufi as well as a “wali” ― “beloved friend of All ā h” ― made constant attempt at

reciting the said dhikr, so that by His Grace, eventually, he is, as it were “effaced” in

the One Remembered. But he also displayed a very high degree of spiritual

commitment and extremely intent concentrations in his spiritual devotions. Then,

All ā h transformed Shaykh Mu‘ ī n ad-D ī n Shishti from a seeker of Truth to the station

of the “beloved friend of All ā h”.

1.2 THE KEYS OF THE TREASURES OF THE HEAVENS AND THE

EARTH

There is none worthy of worship except All ā h.



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And All ā h (the Almighty) is the greatest.And glory be to All ā h and all Praises is to All ā hAnd I ask All ā h for forgiveness.There is none worthy of worship except Him. He is the First and theLast.And He is the Apparent and the Hidden.

And He imparts and takes away life.And He is the Ever-Living who never dies.In His Hand (of Power) is all Good.And He has power over all things .1

The above dhikr is known on Maq āliÌ as- Ø amāwāti wa’l- Ạr Ì ; the Keys of the

Treasures of the Heavens and the Earth.

It is reported that ‘Uthm ā n ibn ‘Affan, may All ā h be pleased unto him,

requested further information about All ā h’s injunction of the Keys of the Treasures of

the Heavens and the Earth (mentioned several times in the Qur’ ā n). 2

The Prophet (s.a.w.) continued.

O ‘Uthm ā n! Whoever recites it one hundred times every day will berewarded by ten graces. First, all his previous sins will be forgiven.Second, his suffering from the hellfire will be written off. Third, twoangels are appointed to guard him day and night from his sufferings anddiseases. Fourth, he is granted a treasure of blessing as someone whowould have set free one hundred slaves from the offspring of theProphet Ishmael (a.s.). Sixth, he would be rewarded of blessings as if hehad read the entire Qur’ ā n, the Psalms, the Torah, and the Bible.Seventh, a house will be constructed for him in the Heaven. Eight, hewill be married to a pious heavenly maiden. Ninth, he will be honouredwith the crown of honour. Tenth, his recommendation for forgiveness ofseventy of his relatives will be accepted.

O ‘Uthm ā n! If you were strong enough you would not miss thisremembrance on any day. You will be one of the successful ones andyou will surpass everybody before and after you.

The formula for the Keys of the Treasures of the Heavens and the Earth may be

recited twenty one times after each daily prayer and requires not more than three or

1 Shaykh Hakim Moinuddin Chishti, The Book Of the Sufi Healing (Vermont: Inner TraditionsInternational,1991), 156.2 Al-Qur’ ān, Al-An’ ām: 59; Ā l-i-‘Imr É n: 180; Al-Mun ā fiqūn: 7; Al-Baqarah : 116; Al-Baqarah : 107.



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four minutes to do so. All ā h says: “As for those who strive in Us, surely We guide

them to Our paths.” 3

Mu‘ ī n ad-D ī n Chishti (r.a.) the founder of Chishtiyyah Sufi order made

constant and incessant recitation of the above verses for the past thirty years up to the

night of his death on the fifth Rajab 633AH. On that night as usual, he retired to his

meditation cell after the night prayer (‘ ishā) and instructed his murids not to disturb

him that night. They stayed away, but heard through the door a sound expressing

unparallel ecstasy throughout the night. In the early hours of the morning, this sound

ceased. When the door of his cell did not open at the time of morning prayer (fajr ),

anxiety was felt by everyone. Ultimately, the door was forced open by his students,

who to their astonishment, found that the soul of the great saint had relinquished his

mortal body. The following sentence was radiantly glittering upon his forehead, as

light:

Hadh ā Í ab ī bu Ll āh M ā ta f ī hubbi’ Ll āhHe is the beloved of All ā hAnd he died in All ā h’s Love .4

Shaykh Abu Anees Barkat Ali of Dar-ul-Ehsan, Pakistan had achieved a

unique position among the men of piety by reciting this sacred formula. He has

erected a large board upon which the words of this invaluable formula are written.

This he placed at the entrance way of his spiritual sanctuary. The shaykh who is now

in his seventy-sixth year has achieved much by way of this dhikr . First, he has

personally adopted more than ten thousand Hindus of the lowest caste and provided

them with a complete training and education in life. Second, he maintains a clinic that

3 Al-Qur’ ān, Al-‘Ankab ūt : 69.4 Shaykh Hakim Moinuddin Chishti, as reported by Shah Waliyullah Al-Dahlawi in Penawar Rohani (Kota Bharu:Pustaka Aman Press,1987), 41; Sh ā h Wal ī yu’llah Ad Dahlawi, Al-Qawl al-Jam Ê l ma‘aShar Í Shif ā’ al- ‘ AlÊl , Calcutta, n.d), 50.



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provides medical care and that has restored the sight of more than three thousand

persons so far, without charge of any kind. Third, he has written more than three

hundred books on Islam and Sufi sm, all of which have been distributed free of charge

(the jacket of one reads: “These books are written for ourselves and you to read, but

not for sale. They have already been sold to Him for Whom they were meant”).

Fourth, he is a shaykh to fourteen Sufi orders. The qualities and attributes of Sufi

Barakat Ali could be enumerated further, but anyone who views his life with an open

mind must conclude that he has exceeded the usual range of human accomplishments.

M ā Shā’ All āh!5

5 Shaykh Hakim Moinuddin Chishti, The Book Of the Sufi Healing , 157.



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CHAPTER 2

SUFISM

2.1 NATURE OF SUFISM

2.1.1 Al - Ta Î awwuf

Øufism or Ta Îawwuf is the inward or esoteric dimension of Islam while the shar ī ‘ah is

the exoteric order 1. These two dimensions of Islam — outward and inward — are

more or less different but they have definite relationship to one another. This can be

explained as follows: The shar ī ‘ah may be seen as the circumstance of a circle. The

esoteric or the haq ī qah may be seen as the circle’s centre. The tar ī qah , the ‘initiatic’

path may be likened to that of radius moving from circumstance to the centre, that

leads from outward observance to inner conviction, from belief to vision, from

potency to act. 2

The word Ta Îawwuf is commonly thought to have been derived from the

Arabic word sū f (wool), a reference for the woolen clothing worn by the earliest

Øū f ī s,3 who preferred its symbolic simplicity to riches and more sophisticated

materials.

The Arabic word Øū f ī strictly speaking refers to one who has attained the goal.

But now tends to include also who are still travelling towards it. To embark on the

spiritual path, a special rite of initiation is a required prerequisite.

A Øū f ī makes a constant attempt at recollection and remembrance of All ā h, so

that by His Grace, eventually, he is, as it were, “effaced” in the One Remembered.

1 Titus Burckhardt, An Introduction to Sufi Doctrine (Lahore: Sh. Muhammed Ashraf, 1998), 3.2 The Concise Encyclopedia of Islam , “Sufism.” (London: Stacy International, 1984), 377.3 Ibn Khaldun, The Muqaddimah , translated from Arabic by Franz Rosenthal (London:Routledge &Kegan Paul, 1978), vol. 3, 76-77.



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There are many “branches” of the spiritual “family tree” of Øū f ī sm. But this

cannot be interpreted that there exist schisms or “sects” within Øū f ī sm. The outward

sign of a sectarian tendency is always the quantitative and “dynamic” manner in

which propagation takes place. Authentic Øū f ī sm can never become a “movement” for

the very good reason that it appeals to what is most “static” in man, to wit, the

contemplative intellect .4

Origins and ethos of Øū f ī orders may differ; the actual method may vary; but

such fundamental rituals remain in so many of the Orders, linking and uniting them in

their sacred quest.

Victor Danner puts it like this:

The dhikr can be manifested in a variety of forms derived from theQur’ ā nic revelation, these forms depending on the perspectives of thedifferent S ū f ī schools, the inspirations of particular masters, and otherconditions; but their variegated manifestation in no way detracts fromthe fundamental character of the dhikr . Consequently, the elements ofthe tar ī qa remain the same after the days of the Prophet, to be sure, buttheir combinations and expressions can vary from master to master — and even within the lifetime of one master. Instead, it would seem thatone of the important functions of S ū fism has been to furnish theseelements of the path to its seekers in the right proportions and inaccordance with the needs of each generation. 5

To sum up, Øū f ī sm consists of both esoterism and initiation, haq ī qah and

tar ī qah , doctrine and method; the inward dimension of Islam. In other words, there is

no Øū f ī sm without Islam.

4 Burckhardt, An Introduction to Sufi Doctrine , 10.5 Ian Richard Netton, Sufi Ritual: The Parallel Universe (Suwey:Curzone Press, 2000), 15.



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2.1.2 Øū f ī sm and Pantheism

One of the most famous Øū f ī doctrine is “the unity of being” ( wahdat-al-w ū jud ). It has

been translated as pantheism. This is however, incorrect for pantheism as understood

by the West refers to substantial or existential continuity with the Divine Principle.6

Wahdat-al-w ū jud actually means that everything which exists can only exist

because it is an aspect of Divine Reality, hence an aspect of the Divine Unity itself.

Furthermore, it is, in fact, the intellectual consequence of the Qur’ ā n’s declaration that

“Everywhere you turn, there is the Face of All ā h.” 7

Wahdat-al-w ū jud does see All ā h everywhere, but does not reduce All ā h to

everything. All ā h remains supremely transcendent; even though everything which

arises out of substance everything which exists resembles Him ( tashbih ), He

resembles nothing but Himself ( tanzih ).8

In connection with the above, Ibn ‘Arabi has this to say.

…None grasps Him save He Himself. None knows Him butHimself…He knows Himself by Himself. …other-than-He cannot graspHim. His impenetrable veil is His own Oneness. Other-than-He does notcloak Him. His veil is His very existence. He is veiled by His Onenessin a manner that cannot be explained. Other-than-He does not see Him;whether prophet, envoy, or perfected saint or angel near unto Him. His

prophet is He Himself. His envoy is He. His message is He. His word isHe. He has sent word of His ipseity by Himself, from Himself toHimself, without intermediary or causality other than Himself. …other-than-He has no existence and so cannot bring itself to naught …9

2.1.3 Øū f ī sm and Mysticism

Certainly to define Øū f ī sm as “Muslim mysticism” is a misnomer . Mysticism to the

Greek Fathers of the early Christian church refers to the knowledge of the

6 Burckhardt, An Introduction to Sufi Doctrine , 22.7 Al-Qur’ ā n, Al-Baqarah : 115.8 Cyril Glasse, 379.9 Burckhardt, An Introduction to Sufi Doctrine , 23.



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“mysteries”. But mysticism is also used to denote religious manifestations which are

strongly marked with individualistic subjectivity and governed by a mentality which

does not look beyond the horizons of exotericism.

Christian contemplatives, follow the way of spiritual love ( al-ma Í abbah )

lacking the contemplatives of a purely intellectual order. Again the distinction

between the true mysticism and purely religion “mysticism” in the Christian world is

unclear.

Øū f ī sm or Ta Îawwuf includes both the esoteric doctrine and transmission from

one master to another. There is a clear division between esotericism which always

involves a mystical view of things and the exotericism which is related to shar ī ‘ah .

Although a Øū f ī is identified with the Divine Act, meaning a disposition to

open oneself to the essential Reality ( al-haq ī qah) , which transcends discursive

thought and also a possibility of placing oneself intellectually beyond all individual

subjectivity, he still conforms to the revealed Law, the shar ī ‘ah since his individual

human nature will always remain passive in relation to Divine Reality or Truth. 10

The goal of the Øū f ī determines the intellectual horizon and the spiritual means,

permit the contemplative to take up an active position in relation to his own psychic

form. By doing so, the contemplative ceases to be such-and such a person, that is his

empirical “I” and “becomes” the Truth on which he has meditated as the Divine Name

which he invokes.

Unlike “moralistic” conception of virtue, which is quantitative and

individualistic, Øū f ī sm is based on religious virtues. Its intellectual essence is that of

human images or “subjective traces” of the universal Truth.

10 Ibid., 21.



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The difference between Øū f ī sm and religious mysticism can be reduced to a

question of doctrine. The religious mysticism — the exotericism — maintains a

fundamental and irreducible separation between Divinity and himself — while Øū f ī

recognizes the essential unity of all beings, or the unreality of all that appears separate

from All ā h.

To arrive at this station of al-haq ī qah , or to remove “veil” ( hijā b) will not be

successful by human effort alone. It requires spiritual means which is “initiatic” and

are as it were, a prefiguring of the non-human goal of the Way.

Added to this the constant battle between the Spirit ( ar-R ū Í ) and the soul ( an-

nafs ) to win the heart ( al-qalb ). By ar-R ū Í it is referring to the intellectual principle

which transcends the individual nature, while by an-nafs the psyche, the centrifugal

tendencies of which determine the diffuse and inconstant domain of the “I”. When the

Spirit gains the victory over the soul, then the heart will be transformed into Spirit and

will at the same time transmute the soul suffusing her with spiritual light. Then too the

heart reveals itself what it really is, that is as the tabernacle ( mishk ā t ) of the Divine

Mystery ( sirr ) in man .11

2.1.4 Knowledge and Love

Sufis identified three words towards All ā h: makh ā fah (“the way of fear”, or

“purification”) ma Í abbah (“the way of love”, or “sacrifice and conformity”); and

ma’rifah (“the way of knowledge”).

True knowledge involves not just mental knowledge but also identity between

the knower and the object of knowing. The highest stage is called as the “knower by

All ā h” ( ‘Arif bi Ll ā h), whereby it is beyond temporary spiritual states of soul (sing.

11 Ibid.,12-21.



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H ā l , pl ahw ā l ) but also beyond permanent stage of realization (sing. maq ā m, pl

maq ā mā t ). This is in fact the end of the path, and is “perfected”, or completely

divested of ignorance.

Ma’rifah “knowledge” is often translated as “gnosis”. One aspect of ma’rifah

is self knowledge as understood by the Ía d ī th: “He who knows his soul, knows his

Lord.” 12 Ma’rifah involves direct metaphysical knowledge, spiritual psychology

(knowledge of the microcosm) and cosmology (knowledge of macrocosm). The

science under discussion does not refer to empirical science, rather the intuitive,

traditional science which understood clearly the supernatural Cause in all effects, and

the trace of the Absolute everywhere. 13

2.2 THE DOCTRINAL FOUNDATIONS

2.2.1 The Aspects of Unity

Qur’ ā n, revealed to the Prophet Mu Í ammad (s.a.w.) is the ultimate source of Islamic

religion. The Sunnah which includes the customs and usage but also the sayings (or

Traditions) of the Prophet ( aÍ ā d ī th, sing. Í ad ī th) is the secondary source of Muslim

doctrine and practice. Another important type of Í ad ī th is the Í ad ī th quds ī in which

All ā h Himself speaks through the mouth of the Prophet. Such sayings, although of

Divine inspiration are distinct from the Qur’ ā nic revelation.

The Central Message ( ris ā lah ) of Islam is the declaration of faith ( shah ā da ):

There is no god but All ā h; Muhammad is the Messenger of All ā h ( Lā ill ā ’ Ll ā h:

Muhammadur Ras ū lu’ Ll ā h). All Muslim doctrine, and above all, Øū f ī doctrine,

derives from shah ā da .

12 Cyril Glasse, 37813 Ibid.



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The Islamic Law or shar ī ‘ah is contains above all the Five Pillars ( ark ā n) of

Islam. These are faith, prayer, fasting, almsgiving and pilgrimage. Faith ( ī mā n) is

assent to the shah ā da . Prayer ( sal ā t ) is the canonical prayer that is observed five times

daily (at dawn, noon, afternoon, sunset and night). Fasting ( Îawm ) is the abstention

from food and drink from dawn to sunset observed during the month of Ramad ā n.

Almsgiving ( zak ā t ) is the giving of a portion of one’s goods for charitable purposes.

Pilgrimage ( hajj ) is the pilgrimage to Ka‘ba at Mecca which a Muslim should made, if

possible, at least once in a lifetime. Øū f ī sm adds to the literal dimension of each of the

Five Pillars a metaphysical and spiritual interpretation.

The practice of the religion of Islam involves the believers in the three great

categories of Islam (submission to the revealed law), mā n (faith in the shah ā da ), and

I Í sā n (virtue or sincerity). The following Tradition ( Í ad ī th) was reported by the caliph

Umar:

One day when we were with the Messenger of God there came unto us aman whose clothes were of exceeding whiteness and whose hair was ofexceeding blackness, nor were there any signs of travel upon him,although none of us had seen him before. He sat down knee unto kneeopposite the Prophet, upon whose thighs he placed the palms of hishands, saying: ‘O Muhammad, tell me what is the surrender unto God(al-Isl ā m).’ The Prophet answered: ‘The surrender is that thou shouldst

perform the prayer, bestow the alms, fast Ramad ā n, and make if thoucanst, the pilgrimage to the Holy House.’ He said: ‘Thou hast spokentruly’ and we were amazed that having questioned him, he shouldcorroborate him. Then he said: ‘Tell me what is faith (im ā n)’, and theProphet answered: ‘It is that thou shouldst believe in God and HisAngels and His Books and His Apostles and the Last Day, and thoushouldst believe that no good or evil cometh but by His Providence.’‘Thou hast spoken truly,’ he said, and then: ‘Tell me what is excellence

(ihsā

n).’ The Prophet answered: ‘It is that thou shouldst worship God asif thou sawest Him, for if thou seest Him not, verily He seeth thee.’Then the stranger went away, and I stayed there long after he had gone,until the Prophet said to me: ‘O ‘Umar, knowest thou the questioner,who he was?’ I said: ‘God and His Prophet know best, but I know not at



12

all.’ ‘It was Gabriel.’ Said the Prophet. ‘He came to teach you yourreligion.’ 14

The following of a spiritual way implies the inner illumination of Islam and

mā n by I Í sā n. The Øū f ī must have an awareness of understanding of the Five Pillars

of Islam (faith, prayer, fasting, almsgiving, pilgrimage) and practicing them in an

“inward” manner. This is indeed an aspect of the Way itself. Ø al ā t is not merely a

ritual prayer but alsoan expression of man’s “slavehood” ( ‘Ubudiya ) towards his Lord

( Rabb ),as well as the creature’s participation in the song of praise that binds the whole

of creation to the Creator. Ø al ā t is performed not only by the believers but also by

angels and leads them into the invisible channels along which flow the blessings

( Îal ā t ) and the peace ( sal ā m) of God. Fasting ( Îawm) is a reminder of the utter

dependence of the ‘poor’ ( fuqar ā ) on Him who is ‘rich beyond any need of all the

worlds’ ( gh ā niyun ‘ani’l- ‘ ā lam ī n). Almsgiving ( zak ā t ) reminds the Øū f ī of his

initiatic vow that all his goods and his very life belong only to All ā h, and also that he

and his brothers are “members of one another”. Finally, the pilgrimage ( Í ajj ) to the

Ka’ba in Mecca is the outward symbols of the inward journey to the “heart” ( qalb ),

which is the seat of the Intellect ( ‘aql ) and is the mysterious centre where the Divine

Spirit ( ar-R ū Í ) touches the human soul .15

2.2.2 Creation

Why was the world created? In Islam the mystery of this existence is provided in the

hadith qudsi : “I was a hidden treasure, and I wished to be known, so I created theworld.” 16

14 Translated by Martin Lings. See A S ū fi Saint of the Twentieth Century (London: Allan & Uuwia,1971), 44.15 William Stoddart, Sufism (Great Britain: The Aquarian Press, 1976), 31-32 and 61-63.16 Ibid., 48.



beyond all reflections and sentiments, a total and immediate act of witness ( shah ā da) ;

‘witness’ such as this means nothing other than knowledge of All ā h.

All ā h can only be known, however, when the human ego, which instinctively

regards itself as a self-sufficient centre — a kind of “divinity” in addition to the

Divinity — is extinguished before the infinitude of All ā h, in accordance with the

words: “There is no divinity but All ā h”. This does not mean that the immortal essence

of the soul has to be annihilated; what must be dissolved is that mental morass,

confounded of ego-determined passions and imaginings, the constant tendency of

which is to restrict consciousness to the level of ephemeral appearances. When this

“veil” of selfishness is lifted from the Spirit which is hidden underneath — the Spirit

which sees through to the essence of things — then for the first time things are seen as

they really are. All ā h is seen in His all-embracing Presence, and the creature as a pure

possibility contained in the Divine Being.

The organ by means of which man takes cognizance of the presence of All ā h

is, according to Øū f ī teaching, not the brain but the heart. As with the Christian

Fathers, the heart is the seat, not of the sentiments, but of the Intellect or Spirit ( ar-

Rū Í ), which penetrates to Reality and transcends mental forms.

Deflected from the true centre of his being, which has its roots in the Eternal,

the consciousness of the average man as if imprisoned in a kind of dream or state of

forgetfulness ( ghafla ). This is why man must be “reminded” (of that which he has

“forgotten”), and this is the reason for what is known as dhikr , which the Øū f ī must

practise in a large variety of ways, and which means “recollection” or “mindfulness”

as well as “contemplation” and “invocation”. Dhikr is closely related to the “prayer of

the heart” of the Hesychasts of Eastern Christianity.

chishti zikr

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