World of Tasawwuf

In the time of the Prophet, Tasawwuf was a reality without a name, today Tasawwuf is a name, but few know its Reality

Language


Sufi Symbolism

In reading the enraptured poetry of the Sufi's, it should be borne in mind that, though the symbols of earthly love and beauty are freely used, yet the real meaning is concealed. No doubt this was originally done to keep secret their mystic love, lest the profane should scoff. But as time went on certain words began to have a recognised meaning amongst themselves. For instance:


EMBRACES and KISSES are raptures of love.

SLEEP is contemplation, PERFUME the wish for Divine favour.

IDOLATERS mean men of the pure faith, not infidels.

WINE, which is strictly forbidden in Islam, was used as a word-symbol by the Sufi's to denote spiritual knowledge, and the WINE-SELLER means the spiritual guide.

A TAVERN is a place where the wine of Divine love inebriates the pilgrim.

INTOXICATION means religious ecstasy, MIRTH the joy in the love of the Deity.

BEAUTY means the glory of the Beloved.

CURLS and TRESSES mean plurality veiling the face of Unity from its lovers.

The CHEEK means Divine essence of names and qualities.

The DOWN is the world of pure spirits which is nearest to Divinity.

The MOLE on the cheek is the point of indivisible Unity.

The TORCH is the light kindled in the heart by the Beloved.


We thus see that to the Sufi the love between man and woman is a shadowed picture of the love between the soul and Allah, and just as a lover will dream of his beloved, singing her praises, and thirsting for a sight of her face, so do the Sufi's eternally dream of Allah, ever contemplating His attributes, and consumed with a burning desire for His presence.


The history of mysticism contains many impassioned love songs to the Absolute, but in Sufi poetry there is a peculiar richness, a depth, a colour which fascinates and charms so many of us.


Sufi poetry abounds in allegories and love romances, the stories of 'Layla and Majnum', 'Yusuf and Zulayka', 'Sulayman and Absal', in which it is easy to read the hidden meaning of passion for the Absolute. Various are the love themes of the Sufi's; we hear songs of: the nightingale in love with the rose, the moth fluttering round the light of the candle, the moaning dove who has lost her mate, the snow melting in the desert and mounting as vapour to the sky, of a dark night in the desert through which a frenzied camel madly plunges, of a reed torn from its bed and made into a flute whose plaintive music fills the eyes with tears. 




Poetry



Readers of Sufi poetry for the first time are liable to be amazed, perhaps even repelled, by the extravagant language, by the familiarity with the Deity, by the apparent disregard of all human and Divine laws. But on further examination the wonder of the Sufi's' love for their Beloved shines out with a clear intensity, a beautiful luminous brightness.


They are in love with The One, and their love takes the form of exquisite songs of praise and wonder:


    "I heard entranced; my spirit rushed to meet
    Love's welcome order, for the voice was sweet."


Vaughan says:

"Oriental mysticism has become famous by its poets, and into poetry it has thrown all its force and fire."



    "The Sufi's . . . have one sole and simple task, to make
    Their hearts a stainless mirror for their God."


Love is the Sufi's' theme, Divine, Eternal Love, and into this sea of Love they cast themselves headlong.


Mawlana Rumi alayhir rahman recites:

    "Moths, burnt by the torch of the Beloved's face,
    Are the lovers who linger in the sanctuary."

    "If we are called madmen or drunkards,
    ’Tis because of the Cupbearer and the Cup."

    "Because my mouth has eaten of His sweetmeats
    In a clear vision I can see Him face to face."


top




Beloved



The Sufis' conception of the Beloved is essentially personal, though there is nothing to show that they worshipped Him 'as a person', or assigned to Him a form.

The poet,ABD AR-RAHMAN JAMI [d.897H] alayhir rahman declares:

    "In neighbour, friend, companion, Him we see,
    In beggar's rags or robes of royalty,
    In Union's cell or in distraction haunts,
    There's none but He, by God, there's none but He."

The Sufis realized that it is impossible in spatial terms to describe that which is even beyond pure spirit.

Plotinus has told us in a beautiful passage that;

"We must not be surprised that that which excites the keenest of longings is without any form, even spiritual form, since the soul itself, when inflamed with love for it, puts off all the form which it had, even that which belongs to the spiritual world."

The inability to describe to the uninitiated the secret love of the mystic for the Unknowable is made the subject of an exquisite poem by the Indian poet Tagore:

"I boasted among men that I had known you. They see your picture in all works of mine. They come and ask me who is he? I know not how to answer them. I say, 'Indeed, I cannot tell.' They blame me and they go away in scorn. And you sit there smiling. I put my tales of you into lasting songs. The secret gushes out from my heart. They come and ask me, 'Tell me all your meaning.' I know not how to answer them. I say, 'Ah, who knows what they mean.' They smile and go away in utter scorn. And you sit there smiling."



Unreal to the Real




The Sufis believe that the phenomenal world is the Unreal, that the reason men are blind to the existence of the Real world, which is the Spiritual, is because there are veils and mists separating the soul from God.

This world appears Real to the man who cannot use his spiritual eye and view the Beyond. Having no discernment of the Unseen, he does not believe in its existence.

But whosoever becomes aware of the Divine Light shining in the heart, and who realises the love of God in the soul, is able to pass from the Unreal to the Real; he will see:

    "Gold wherever we go, and pearls
    Wherever we turn, and silver in the waste."

So exquisite is the vision of the All-Beautiful that whoever has had this vision instantly becomes enamoured, and leaves the world of shadows and change to contemplate the One.

He will not rest until he has purified his life, cast aside everything that may be a hindrance in his path, and he will spend his whole life in communion with God, at the same time pouring out in love-songs and praise all the worship and adoration of his soul.

    "By God, sun never rose or set but Thou wert
    My heart's desire and my dream.
    And I never sat conversing with any people
    But Thou wert the subject of my conversation
    In the midst of my comrades.
    And I never mentioned Thee in joy or sorrow
    But love for Thee was mingled with my breath.
    And I never resolved to drink water, when I was athirst,
    But I saw an image of Thee in the cup.
    And were I able to come I would have visited Thee,
    Crawling on my face or walking on my head."

When the Sufi has passed to the Real World he is able to see earthly existence in its true light:

    "I am lost to myself and unconscious,
    And my attributes are annihilated.
    To-day I am lost to all things:
    Naught remains but a forced expression."

Passing through a world of shadows he fixes his eye on Eternity; the happenings of the universe appear to him unworthy of exultation, grief, or sorrow.

Earthly love seems worthless, insipid, and dull, compared to his flaming devotion for the Unchangeable.

He has one desire, one aim, one goal--to reach the bliss which he has briefly touched in rare moments of ecstasy and rapture.

To find the far-off mystic city which ;

      "Mystery shrouds . . . now from mortal eyes,
      Save when upon some lone lost wanderer's sight
      Its diamond turrets like a day-dream rise."



{ParagraphsSidebar}