2. By pledging allegiance to Muhammad, the Sahabah had committed themselves to the service of God. Nasta'liq is thought to be a later development of the naskh and the earlier ta'liq script used in Iran. In this theology, letters were seen as primordial signifiers and manipulators of the cosmos.Hurufiyya artists blended Western art concepts with an artistic identity and sensibility drawn from their own culture and heritage. Although art from Persia does depict human forms, art from Arabian Peninsula did not show living beings, and focused on art of word (calligraphy) and beautiful geometric patterns instead. The persona of Muhammad has historically been and remains an integral and critical aspect of Sufi belief and practice. [citation needed]. [86] The chief aim of all Sufis is to seek the pleasing of God by working to restore within themselves the primordial state of fitra. meaning and symbolism, as well as their numeric value. 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. 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) solitude, silence, sleeplessness, and hunger. Ibn Arabi regards Muhammad as the supreme human being and master of all creatures. The word calligraphy comes from the Greek words kallos, meaning beauty, and graphein, meaning writing. Sufi dancers, known in the West as whirling dervishes, twirl in circles in an effort to be close to God. [104] This poem is still widely recited and sung amongst Sufi groups and lay Muslims alike all over the world. [193][194] News organisations such as the BBC, Economist and Boston Globe have also seen Sufism as a means to deal with violent Muslim extremists. Traditionally, the term was charged with Sufi intellectual and esoteric meaning. [103], In the 13th century, a Sufi poet from Egypt, Al-Busiri, wrote the al-Kawākib ad-Durrīya fī Madḥ Khayr al-Barīya ('The Celestial Lights in Praise of the Best of Creation'), commonly referred to as Qaṣīdat al-Burda ('Poem of the Mantle'), in which he extensively praised Muhammad. [123], The dhikr may slightly vary among each order. [23], The term Sufism was originally introduced into European languages in the 18th century by Orientalist scholars, who viewed it mainly as an intellectual doctrine and literary tradition at variance with what they saw as sterile monotheism of Islam. Ibn Taymiyya's Sufi inclinations and his reverence for Sufis like Abdul-Qadir Gilani can also be seen in his hundred-page commentary on Futuh al-ghayb, covering only five of the seventy-eight sermons of the book, but showing that he considered tasawwuf essential within the life of the Islamic community. [41], Modern academics and scholars have rejected early Orientalist theories asserting a non-Islamic origin of Sufism;[14] the consensus is that it emerged in Western Asia. 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. It was founded by Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee to continue the work of his teacher Irina Tweedie, herself a practitioner of both Hinduism and neo-Sufism. Ikhwans (Murids - followers) of the Shadhiliyya are often known as Shadhilis. The holy book of Islam, the Qur'an, has played an important role in the development and evolution of the Arabic language, and by extension, calligraphy in the Arabic alphabet. The same system of endowments could also 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. The term, hurifiyya is derived from the Arabic term, harf for letter. [200], The precepts prescribed by the Torah number 613 only; those dictated by the intellect are innumerable. By removing his black cloak (hırka), he is spiritually reborn to the truth. The report stressed the Sufi role as moderate traditionalists open to change, and thus as allies against violence. He is said to then have served several other teachers for lengthy periods of time. If I worship You for fear of Hell, burn me in Hell, and if I worship You in hope of Paradise, exclude me from Paradise. The shape is greatly influenced by Chinese calligraphy, using a horsehair brush instead of the standard reed pen. The name, meaning "third," is in reference to the x-height, which is one-third of the 'alif. Spaces between letters are often narrow, and lines ascend upwards from right to left. There, he pursued the study of Hanbali law. In the morning he taught hadith and tafsir, and in the afternoon he held discourse on the science of the heart and the virtues of the Quran. Later those who followed his teaching became known as the school of wahdat al-wujud (the Oneness of Being). I've used Oil Paints on Canvas. 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 Chovot 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". Sufi Music, eBooks, Poems, Islamic Art, Pilgrimages & Apps Music In the World Of Islam – Jean Jenkins: Download 1000+ Sufi Music MP3 Worlds Largest Collection of Qawwali, Arfana & Sufiana Kalam, Hamd & Naat [112], Contemporary scholars may also recognize a third branch, attributed to the late Ottoman scholar Said Nursi and explicated in his vast Qur'an commentary called the Risale-i Nur. The Sufi poet Saadi Shirazi stated, "He who chooses a path contrary to that of the prophet shall never reach the destination. Its ability to articulate an inclusive Islamic identity with greater emphasis on personal and small-group piety has made Sufism especially well-suited for contexts characterized by religious pluralism and secularist perspectives. He is the sun of creation, the moon of the celestial spheres, the all-seeing eye...The seven heavens and the eight gardens of paradise were created for him; he is both the eye and the light in the light of our eyes. Ibn 'Arabi (or Ibn al-'Arabi) (AH 561 – AH 638; July 28, 1165 – November 10, 1240) is considered to be one of the most important Sufi masters, although he never founded any order (tariqa). It is considered by some to be a "sober" order known for its silent dhikr (remembrance of God) rather than the vocalized forms of dhikr common in other orders. Nas'taliq and Cursive Nas'taliq, both modern Persian calligraphy styles have also been applied to depict visual illustrations of … [186][187] Orientalists have proposed a variety of diverse theories pertaining to the nature of Sufism, such as it being influenced by Neoplatonism or as an Aryan historical reaction against "Semitic" cultural influence. — [Translation of Quran, 48:10], Sufis believe that by giving bayʿah (pledging allegiance) to a legitimate Sufi Shaykh, one is pledging allegiance to Muhammad; therefore, a spiritual connection between the seeker and Muhammad is established. [84] Notable as well are the lives of Amadou Bamba and El Hadj Umar Tall in West Africa, and Sheikh Mansur and Imam Shamil in the Caucasus. [66], Two of al-Ghazali's greatest treatises are the Revival of Religious Sciences and what he termed "its essence", the Kimiya-yi sa'ādat. Calligraphy has arguably become the most venerated form of Islamic art because the Arabic script was the means of transmission of the Qur'an. Hasan al-Basri, a tabi', is considered a "founding figure" in the "science of purifying the heart". Although Sufis were opposed to dry legalism, they strictly observed Islamic law and belonged to various schools of Islamic jurisprudence and theology. Since Ibn Muqla wrote with a distinctly rounded hand, many scholars drew the conclusion that he founded this script. [101] Fariduddin Attar stated, "Muhammad is the exemplar to both worlds, the guide of the descendants of Adam. [78], Opposition to Sufi teachers and orders from more literalist and legalist strains of Islam existed in various forms throughout Islamic history. [133], As explained by Mevlevi practitioners:[134], In the symbolism of the Sema ritual, the semazen's camel's hair hat (sikke) represents the tombstone of the ego; his wide, white skirt (tennure) represents the ego's shroud. The human being has been created with love in order to love. [184]. The 99 Names of Allah (Arabic: أسماء الله الحسنى‎‎, translit: ʾasmāʾu llāhi lḥusnā) also known as the 99 attributes of Allah, The names of Allah revealed by the Creator (الله) (Allah) in the Qur’an. Dargahs are often associated with Sufi eating and meeting rooms and hostels, called khanqah or hospices. [8][9] Practitioners of Sufism have been referred to as "Sufis" (from صُوفِيّ‎, ṣūfīy).[5]. The Chishti Order (Persian: چشتیہ‎) was founded by (Khawaja) Abu Ishaq Shami ("the Syrian"; died 941) who brought Sufism to the town of Chisht, some 95 miles east of Herat in present-day Afghanistan. Calligraphy from the Greek word kalligraphía (καλλος kallos "beauty" + γραφος graphos "writing") meaning beautiful writing plays an important role in Islam. There are several variations of each, as well as regionally specific styles. [32] Sufi orders are based on the bay‘ah (بَيْعَة bay‘ah, مُبَايَعَة mubāya‘ah 'pledge, allegiance') that was given to Muhammad by his Ṣahabah. [69], Historically, Sufism became “an incredibly important part of Islam” and "one of the most widespread and omnipresent aspects of Muslim life" in Islamic civilization from the early medieval period onwards,[59][70] when it began to permeate nearly all major aspects of Sunni Islamic life in regions stretching from India and Iraq to the Balkans and Senegal. Ibn Muqla is highly regarded in Muslim sources on calligraphy as the inventor of the naskh style, although this seems to be erroneous. 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). This state of affairs lasted for ten years, but whenever I had some spare and congenial moments I resorted to my intrinsic proclivity. These men and women who sat at al-Masjid an-Nabawi are considered by some to be the first Sufis. [79], Around the turn of the 20th century, Sufi rituals and doctrines also came under sustained criticism from modernist Islamic reformers, liberal nationalists, and, some decades later, socialist movements in the Muslim world. [22][23] The Arabic term sufi has been used in Islamic literature with a wide range of meanings, by both proponents and opponents of Sufism. Rabi'a al-'Adawiyya or Rabia of Basra (died 801) was a mystic who represents countercultural elements of Sufism, especially with regards to the status and power of women. [citation needed], The followers of this path, which they called, Hasidism (not to be confused with the [later] Jewish Hasidic movement) or Sufism (Tasawwuf), practiced spiritual retreats, solitude, fasting and sleep deprivation. [207] Elif Şafak's novel The Forty Rules of Love is a fictionalized account of Rumi's encounter with the Persian dervish Shams Tabrizi. 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. "[27][28], Others have suggested that the word comes from the term ahl aṣ-ṣuffah ("the people of the suffah or the bench"), who were a group of impoverished companions of Muhammad who held regular gatherings of dhikr, one of the most prominent companion among them was Abu Huraira. Modern stylesIn the post-colonial era, artists working in North Africa and the Middle East transformed Arabic calligraphy into a modern art movement, known as the Hurufiyya movement. [22][23], Some modern scholars have used other definitions of Sufism such as "intensification of Islamic faith and practice"[22] and "process of realizing ethical and spiritual ideals". Calligraphy’s lofty status. The practice of muraqaba can be likened to the practices of meditation attested in many faith communities. [113], Sufism has contributed significantly to the elaboration of theoretical perspectives in many domains of intellectual endeavor. He himself considered his writings to have been divinely inspired. Diwani is difficult to read and write due to its heavy stylization and became the ideal script for writing court documents as it ensured confidentiality and prevented forgery. [52], Sufi orders include Ba 'Alawiyya, Badawiyya, Bektashi, Burhaniyya, Chishti, Khalwati, Mevlevi, Naqshbandi, Ni'matullāhī, Uwaisi, Qadiriyya, Qalandariyya, Rifa'i, Sarwari Qadiri, Shadhiliyya, Suhrawardiyya, Tijaniyyah, Zinda Shah Madariya, and others. 3. [198][199], There is evidence that Sufism did influence the development of some schools of Jewish philosophy and ethics. “Subhanallah” meaning “God is perfect” or “Praised be God, or Glory to God” in Arabic. [42][43] According to the late medieval mystic, the Persian poet Jami,[44] Abd-Allah ibn Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyyah (died c. 716) was the first person to be called a "Sufi". In his commentary, Ibn Taymiyya stresses that the primacy of the sharia forms the soundest tradition in tasawwuf, and to argue this point he lists over a dozen early masters, as well as more contemporary shaykhs like his fellow Hanbalis, al-Ansari al-Harawi and Abdul-Qadir, and the latter's own shaykh, Hammad al-Dabbas the upright. It is known in Arabic as khatt Islami (خط اسلامي), meaning Islamic line, design, or construction.The development of Islamic calligraphy is strongly tied to the Qur'an; chapters and excerpts from the Qur'an are a common and almost universal text upon which Islamic calligraphy is based. Islamic calligraphy, which goes back to the artistry of ‘Ali b. Ali Talib, grows with elaborate Arabic scripts and ornamentation. It is an explicit reference to a Medieval system of teaching involving political theology and lettrism. A famous modern calligrapher in this tradition is Hajji Noor Deen Mi Guangjiang. Due to the lack of standardization of early Kufic, the script differs widely between regions, ranging from very square and rigid forms to flowery and decorative ones.Common varieties include square Kufic, a technique known as banna'i. "[36] Eminent Sufis such as Ali Hujwiri refer to Ali as having a very high ranking in Tasawwuf. Some teachers, especially when addressing more general audiences, or mixed groups of Muslims and non-Muslims, make extensive use of parable, allegory, and metaphor. So when working on the Sufi Comics – Rumi book, we included references to the verses of the Qur’an on the same theme as the poem. The Sufi tradition centers on the opening of the heart and nothing touches the heart as much as beauty. 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. Sheikh Bawa Muhaiyaddeen tirelessly spent the rest of his life preaching, healing and comforting the many souls that came to see him. The Jewish Sufis maintained their own brotherhood, guided by a religious leader like a Sufi sheikh. The term, hurufiyya is derived from the Arabic term, harf for letter. [45] Ruwaym, from the second generation of Sufis in Baghdad, was also an influential early figure,[46][47] as was Junayd of Baghdad; a number of early practitioners of Sufism were disciples of one of the two. Artists working in this style use calligraphy as a graphic element within contemporary artwork. Although the overwhelming majority of Sufis, both pre-modern and modern, were and are adherents of Sunni Islam, there also developed certain strands of Sufi practice within the ambit of Shia Islam during the late medieval period, particularly after the conversion of Iran from majority Sunni to Shia. 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". In the ninth gate, Baḥya directly quotes sayings of the Sufis, whom he calls Perushim. Asma al-Husna -- The Most Beautiful Names of God, published by Threshold Society. [182][citation needed], The Shadhili is a Sufi order founded by Abu-l-Hassan ash-Shadhili. [14], Sufis have been characterized by their asceticism, especially by their attachment to dhikr, the practice of remembrance of God, often performed after prayers. [155] The marvels ascribed to Islamic saints have included supernatural physical actions, predictions of the future, and "interpretation of the secrets of hearts". [citation needed] In many places a person or group would endow a waqf to maintain a lodge (known variously as a zawiya, khanqah, or tekke) to provide a gathering place for Sufi adepts, as well as lodging for itinerant seekers of knowledge. These interact in various ways, producing the spiritual types of the tyrant (dominated by nafs), the person of faith and moderation (dominated by the spiritual heart), and the person lost in love for God (dominated by the ruh). Although hurufiyyah artists struggled to find their own individual dialogue within the context of nationalism, they also worked towards an aesthetic that transcended national boundaries and represented a broader affiliation with an Islamic identity.The hurufiyya artistic style as a movement most likely began in North Africa around 1955 with the work of Ibrahim el-Salahi. [94] An example is the folk story about Baha-ud-Din Naqshband Bukhari, who gave his name to the Naqshbandi Order. The literature of Sufism emphasizes highly subjective matters that resist outside observation, such as the subtle states of the heart. If I am a heretic, enlarge my heresy". From the 14th century onward, other cursive styles began to develop in Turkey, Persia, and China. ", Musical instruments (except the duff) have traditionally been considered as prohibited by the four orthodox Sunni schools,[129][135][136][137][138] and the more orthodox Sufi tariqas also continued to prohibit their use. [33][34][32], Verily, those who give Bai'âh (pledge) to you (O Muhammad) they are giving Bai'âh (pledge) to Allâh. The Quran refers to Muhammad as the very embodiment of dhikr of Allah (65:10–11). Sizes are 17.7 X 14.5 inches - I ship with DHL express. In the technical vocabulary of Islamic religious sciences, the singular form karama has a sense similar to charism, a favor or spiritual gift freely bestowed by God. Under the leadership of Abu Ahmad's descendants, the Chishtiyya as they are also known, flourished as a regional mystical order. The exact reason for the incorporation of pseudo-Kufic is unclear. His order was Junaidia, which links to the golden chain of many Sufi orders. Bayazid Bastami is a very well recognized and influential Sufi personality. Demonstration Arabic calligraphy Thuluth script, Arabic Islamic Calligraphy in the Chinese Tradition Demonstration by Master Haji Noor Deen. This article is about Sufism. Although not affiliated with the hurufiyya movement, the contemporary artist Shirin Neshat integrates Arabic text into her black-and-white photography, creating contrast and duality. ", "Militants Kill 305 at Sufi Mosque in Egypt's Deadliest Terrorist Attack", "Saif ed-Din Bokharzi & Bayan-Quli Khan Mausoleums", "Mourides Celebrate 19 Years in North America", "Fassiyathush Shazuliya Tariqa | Madurai-Tamil Nadu-India", "MUSLIM NETWORKS AND MOVEMENTS IN WESTERN EUROPE", "Islamic verses / The influence of Muslim literature in the United States has grown stronger since the Sept. 11 attacks", "The Forty Rules of Love by Elif Shafak – review", "Exhibition of Paintings by Farkhananda Khan at Sufi Festival", "Pakistan's Sufis Preach Faith and Ecstasy", Sufism, Sufis, and Sufi Orders – Sufism's Many Paths, Extensive photo Essay on Sufism by a National Geographic photographer, A Survey Of Decisive Arguments And Proof For Tasawwuf – Sufism in Islam, Abū Muḥrīz Jahm ibn Ṣafwān ar-Rāsibī as-Samarqāndī at-Tirmidhī, Abu’l-Hassan Muqātil ibn Sulaymān ibn Bashīr al-Azdī, Abū Ishāq Ibrāhīm ibn Sayyār ibn Hāni’ an-Nazzām, Abū Alī Muḥāmmad ibn Abdi’l-Wahhāb ibn Sallām al-Jubbā'ī, Abū Uthmān Amr ibn Bhār ibn Māhbūb al-Jāhiz al-Kinānī, List of contemporary Muslim scholars of Islam, Abū Abdi’l-Lāh Ahmad ibn Abī Du'ad Faraj ibn Carīr ibn Mâlik al-Iyādī, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sufism&oldid=999272436, Articles with incomplete citations from February 2020, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with unsourced statements from July 2017, Articles with unsourced statements from October 2017, Articles containing Persian-language text, All articles with specifically marked weasel-worded phrases, Articles with specifically marked weasel-worded phrases from August 2020, Articles that may contain original research from July 2017, All articles that may contain original research, Articles with unsourced statements from July 2020, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Abū Abdirrahmān Bishr ibn Ghiyāth ibn Abī Karīma al-Marīsī al-Baghdādī (, Abū Muḥāmmad (Abū’l-Hākem) Heshām ibn Sālem al-Jawālikī al-, Abū Mūsā Isā ibn Subeyh (Sabīh) al-Murdār al-Bāsrī (Murdārīyya), Hīshām ibn Amr al-Fuwātī ash-Shaybānī (Hīshāmīyya), Abū Sahl Abbād ibn Sulaimān (Salmān) as-Sāymarī, Abū’l-Hūsayn Abdūrrāhīm ibn Muḥāmmad ibn Uthmān al-Hayyāt (Hayyātīyya), Abū Amr Ḍirār ibn Amr al-Gatafānī al-Kūfī (Ḍirārīyya), Abū ʿAbdillāh al-Husayn ibn Muḥāmmad ibn ʿAbdillāh an-Najjār ar-Rāzī, Abū ʿAbdallāh Ibnū’z-Zā‘farānī (Zā‘farānīyya), Abū ʿAbdillāh Muḥāmmad ibn Karrām ibn Arrāk ibn Huzāba ibn al-Barā’ as-Sijjī, Haisamīyya (Abū ʿAbdallāh Muhammad ibn al-Haisam), Ishāqīyya (Abū Yaʿqūb Ishāq ibn Mahmashādh), Tarā'ifīyya (Ahmad ibn ʿAbdūs at-Tarā'ifī), Abū Abdillāh Mugīre ibn Sāīd al-ʿIjlī el-Bajalī, Abū Amr (Abū Mu‘tamīr) Muāmmar ibn Abbād as-Sūlamī, Abū Sahl Bīshr ibn al-Mu‘tamīr al-Hilālī al-Baghdādī, Abū Hāshīm Abdu’s-Salām ibn Muḥāmmad ibn Abdi’l-Wahhāb al-Jubbā'ī, Abū’l-Huzayl Muḥāmmad ibn al-Huzayl ibn Abdillāh al-Allāf al-Abdī al-Bāsrī, Abū Ma‘n Sūmāma ibn Ashras an-Nūmayrī al-Bāsrī al-Baghdādī, Abū Bakr Muḥāmmad ibn Abdillāh ibn Shabīb al-Basrī, Abū’l-Kāsīm Abdullāh ibn Ahmad ibn Māhmūd al-Balhī al-Kā‘bī, This page was last edited on 9 January 2021, at 09:57. These two explanations were combined by the Sufi al-Rudhabari (d. 322 AH), who said, "The Sufi is the one who wears wool on top of purity.