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An explination of Islam and Sufism


What does Islam mean?
Islam means submitting to God's Will and accepting that there is no God but one God and Muhammad is the Messenger of God, peace abd blessings upon him, as are Jesus, Moses, Abraham, Noah and Adam, peace be upon them all.

What is faith according to Islam?
Faith is believing in:

One God
In the existence of spiritual beings known as angels
In the revelations of God (the Testaments), the Psalms revealed to David, the Torah sent down to Moses, the New Testament brought to Jesus and the Last Testament, Qur'an brought to Muhammad (peace be upon them all)
all the prophets that were sent as mercy to mankind
The Judgement Day and Resurrection
The Divine Decree (destiny)
What is Sufism?
Sufism is the way of purifying the heart from bad manners and characteristics

How is Sufism related to Islam?
It is the path of spirituality that exists in Islam. Its meaning is:

Seeking the pleasure of God
Love and peace with one's self
Harmony with all creations (mankind, animals, and nature)
To be dressed with the beautiful attributes of Prophets and Saints
How does Islam view other religions?
All are vehicles and a path to God's Divine Presence;
According to Islam, all religions are originally from God the Exalted. With time and man's weakness, most religions were distorted from their original truth and adopted practicing of idol-worship or other wrong beliefs, which turned people away from worship and adoration of the one true God.
You will find the essence of other religions embodied in the beliefs of Islam.
How does one enter Islam?
One enters islam by believing in one's heart in the existance of One Lord and believing in Muhammad (peace and blessings upon him) as the last of the Prophets that the Lord has sent throughout history.

What is a Shaykh?
A Shaykh is someone who has inherited what the prophets brought and who is authorized to convey these teachings and secrets to those who take his hand as teacher. A true Shaykh is the one that has mastered his lower self's bad characteristics through devotion and sincerity towards His Lord. For that reason he is able to guide his students to mastery of their own lower selves, opening the way to reach unlimited potential of their spiritual realities. It is that spiritual reality which allows one to attain 6 powers:

The power of attraction
The power of concentration on the heart
The power of guidance
The power to convey other peoples's burdens and requests to God
The power to convey blessings
How does one reach spiritual levels in Sufism?
The main methods of attaining spiritual progress in Sufism are:

Following the guidance and instructions of an authorized Shaykh or guide.
Performing dhikr, the remembrance of your Lord through reciting his Holy Names and Attributes, glorifying Him and praising the Creator of all.
Attending the advice and dhikr gatherings held in the presence of the Shaykh or his representative; sitting together, praying together, welcoming all that come to praise their Lord.

? 1997-2005, Islamic Supreme Council of America
 

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Login to find out (May 16, 2006 at 12:34am)
salam all....nice post! but i sometimes i think labels do more harm than good. in this case, for instance, islam imo encompasses sufism and in a way they are one and the same. here and many other places, sufism is defined as the spiritual path of islam....but what is islam without the spiritual part (empty, meaningless mechanics imo)....so why would we divide these things into two separate concepts. what do you guys think? i agree w/ frosty in the sense that its important to turn to experts when assistance and guidance is needed in areas you are not familiar w/ but I too have difficulty w/ the concept of intecession cause just like there are hadiths that support intercessions, the quran does state that in the day of judgement, no soul can intercede for another.
 
Login to find out (May 3, 2006 at 6:24pm)
here is a cool site that gave some insight mawlid.ca
i read various books one of my favorites is IRSHAD Legend of a Sufi master ... I think thats the name .... it was a really good read. Let me know if you want me to share some of my experiences. :)
 
Login to find out (May 3, 2006 at 3:39pm)
Salaams. I'm really interested in Sufism, I think it embodies a lot of my beliefts toward Islam. At the same time, however, I don't know much about it at all. Do happen to know of any RELIABLE sites or books that would serve as a good starting point? Thank you so much!
 
Login to find out (April 18, 2006 at 11:59am)
Salam .. you gotta think of it this way... when you are sick you see a doctor who is a professional or when your car is broken you go to a mechanic .. these are experts in their fields so are Sheiks and Imams.. as for Intercessions there are hadiths that prove intersession you gotta take these Individuals as steps to Allah they are our guides.
 
Login to find out (April 16, 2006 at 8:07pm)
peace
thanks for you post ...

i have had an issue with the idea of Shaykh and Imam as ones who 'convey other peoples's burdens and requests to God ' and having 'power to convey blessings ' why is it not enough to have a direct line of communication to god and why not accept that god knows and blesses you directly -- i have no issue with Shaykh and Imam as guide but to have them in the role of intermediary is something i have difficulty with ...

peace out