Scathing Criticism Of Sufism (From Dhikir to Kufr the Sufi Way)

Scathing Criticism Of Sufism (From Dhikir to Kufr the Sufi Way)

The following scathing criticism of Sufis and Sufism, which is posted in http://forum.athaar.org as a Critical Research Paper on Sufism, is very interesting to read. It clearly demonstrates the current ongoing struggle for the heart and soul of Islam, between the minority oil intoxicated Islamic fundamentalists [Wahhabis, Taliban, and their brainwashed cohorts, the so called defenders of Wahhabi version of "Pure Islam"], and the vast majority of God loving, tolerant, law-abiding, and Sufi influenced Muslims of diverse Islamic societies who're simply sick and tired of watching their great faith, the faith of peace and submission, being hijacked by a fanatical Islamic sect bent on destroying any and all who do not agree with their nihilistic, intolerant, and Wahhabi plagued religious-cum-political ideologies. 

As I've reiterated in some of my previous postings, the fanaticism phenomena occurs when one religion or followers of a particular faith think that those who do not believe in their faith must face the consequences of their ungodliness! As for the Islamic fundamentalists[Wahhabi zealots and their coward and traitor Taliban puppets], their most disturbing and erroneous aspect lies in the fact that their faith is less in God than in their own concept of God. At the dawn of 21st century, Muslim fanatics' frenzy readings of religious scriptures, and their malicious out of context taking of Quranic verses as an effective tool for political/religious means, have created unparalleled human tragedies in both Islamic and non-Islamic societies.

These Islamic fundamentalists strongly believe that the "Wahhabi doctrines" they are supposedly filled with, are above any doctrines, and that "Wahhabi-law" is the only law they must obey. Therefore, how can we possibly argue with these fanatics who love to tell us they would rather obey their perverted version of God than true Islam, and that they are surely going to heaven for butchering us, the non-Wahhabi Muslim Infidels!!

I'm also of strong opinion that it's high time for the "Moderate Muslims" to break their deafening silences, and to urgently embark on the unequivocal denunciations and rejections of expressions of hatred, bigotry, and intolerance vis-a-vis either their fellow Muslims(as manifested in the paper below), or any expressions of intolerance and hatred towards Christians, Jews, and people of other faiths.

In other words, it's high time for us Muslims to speak up loud and clear. Failure to do so, will result in further affirmation of the already presumed notion of: "Moderate-Muslim" is an oxymoron!


From Dhikir to Kufr the Sufi way
By Aboo Idaarah
http://forum.athaar.org (click on link to read entire Paper)

"Jalal-uddin al-Rumi (d. 1273), an infamous Sufi philosopher, in his book Masnawi, confirms his belief in the theory of evolution. The following lines are recognized as the central theme of Rumi's work: "I died as mineral and became a plant, I died as a plant and rose to an animal, I died as an animal and I was a man.."

"Ibn Arabi's doctrine of pantheism was a combination of Manichean, Gnostic, Neo-Platonic, Vedantic and Christian philosophies and speculations, which he tried vainly to give an Islamic sanction by relating it to Prophetic traditions.."
"The Sufis say: "When you unite with the Beloved (God), then there is neither command nor prohibition in matters of religion. Sufis habitually reject the doctrine of "the fear of God, the wrath of the Day of Judgment, the fury of the Hell-Fire and the promise of Jannah." Faith based on coercion, they say, is slavery, and God has created man with mind, free will and love. Therefore, the mainspring of Sufism is love not fear and obedience to the religious laws.."
"Sufi occultism, with its host of philosophical and theosophical doctrines, is beyond doubt antithetical to Islam. Islam proclaims that the matchless entity and essence of Allah is totally different from that of His slaves, i.e., man. Sufis, on the contrary, subscribe to the belief that matter, man and God form in effect one single entity and essence..Sufism is a blend of various thoughts and philosophies. By intermingling a few traces of Islamic teachings with it, the Sufi thinkers attempted to sanctify their doctrines and demonstrate its conformity to Islam."

_________________________

What is Sufism

Sufism is often, willfully or otherwise, referred to by Sufis themselves, or by orientalists, as "Islamic mysticism", in order to give the impression that Islam is either wholly or partly an esoteric religion, with a set of dogmatic rituals to be understood by the elite alone-in this case, the Sufis! Unfortunately, the lack of any sound critical analysis of the subject in the English language allows these orientalists to flood the English and North American book market with literature that stands unchallenged, and dupes naive Muslims into believing that true salvation can only be attained by pursuing a mystical order. Their vain goal strips Islam of its Universality.

True Muslims should be content with the name "Muslims given to them by Almighty Allah as he says: which means,

"He has chosen you (to conform to His religion) and has imposed no difficulty upon you in religion, the religion of your father Ibrahim. He named you 'Muslims' both before (in the preceding Divine Scriptures) and in this Book." (22.78)

Ibn Kathir elaborated on this verse, saying: "Allah has chosen the Muslims, honored them, and distinguished them exclusively of other nations by the most honorable Messenger and the most perfect religion, and He has not overburdened them with more than they can bear.

If Sufis insist that they are Muslims, then what is the sense of identifying themselves with Sufism rather than with Islam. The word "Sufism" was not familiar to those who lived in the first and the best three generations of as-Salaf as-Salih (the pious predecessors) who were commanded by Allah the Exalted and His Messenger (s.a.w)

Structure of Sufi Orders

Sufism presumes a fundamental link between the shaikh, head of the Sufi tareeqah (order), and the murid (novice), extending throughout their lifetime and continuing after their death. The murid takes an 'ahd (oath) of loyalty and swears obedience to the shaikh, who in turn promises to solve the murid's problems and deliver him from every dilema whenever he calls on his shaikh for help. The shaikh also promises to interced for him with Allah so that he may be admitted to Jannah

The murid pledges to be conscientious in practicing the set of dthikr (chants) assigned to him by his shaikh, to adhere to the rules of the order and to accept its claim on his loyalty for life over a wide range of behaviour affecting the well-being of the order. The quality and extent of the shaikh's hold over the murid is therefore almost total.

The murid's behavior even outside the order's group setting is expected to conform to rules laid down by the order. And where conflict with outside obligations arises, the murid must resolve it by acting as a Sufi and following his order's rules. The Tijaniyyeh Order makes every candidate for initiation pledge not to visit the grave of pious personality or visit any living scholar. This is one of the major factors in widening the rift between one order and another, causing an order to enter into conflict against his others in an attempt to convert, conquer or annihilate them.

The mechanism of the order structure in Sufism leads to many evil results:

- Division of the Muslim ummah into fractions and orders ruled by deviant and ignorant shaikhs, thus making the ummah an easy prey for conquest by non-Muslims.

- Enmity among the adherents of different orders, to the point that they will not marry into one another's families or cooperate with one another.

- Deception on the part of the shaikh, who falsely claims the ability to deliver the murid from difficulties and deadly problems the befall him. The shaikh even claims he will be present at the murid's death, regardless of time or place, and ridiculously enough, will instrut him in his grave on what to tell the two angels of the grave, and will argue with them on his behalf. Finally, the shaikh promises to intercede for him with Allah on the Day of Judgment, and to help cross over as-Siraat (the bridge over Hell) on that Day, and accompany him to Jannah.

This kind of deception, offering security in the grave as well as in the Hereafter, is a flagrant lie, not permissible under any circumstance. Sufi shaikhs lead simple-minded Muslims to believe in such claims, and the result is shirk (polytheism). Deceiving Muslims is one of the major sins.

- Insulating the murid as far as possible from the world outside the order as to exploit and manipulate him.

Development of Sufi Thought

Sufism is a blend of various thoughts and philosophies. By intermingling a few traces of Islamic teachings with it, the Sufi thinkers attempted to sanctify their doctrines and demonstrate its conformity to Islam

Greek philosophy, and in particular the teachings of Neo-Platonists, have left an indelible mark on many aspects of Sufism. This came about as a result of the translation of Greek philosophical works into Arabic during the third Islamic century. Greek pantheism became an integral part of Sufi doctrine.

Manicheanism is also one of the mainstreams of Sufism. N. Fatemi observed: "It is interesting how near to Manichean ideas the Sufis are, remembering that both Manicheanism and Sufism were nurtured in Persia.

Vedanta, the chief Hindu philosophy, which is an example of pantheism in its metaphysical strictness, also had a great impact on Sufism following the conquest of Sindh by Muhammad b. Qasim in the second century A.H.

Sufi occultism, with its host of philosophical and theosophical doctrines, is beyond doubt antithetical to Islam. Islam proclaims that the matchless entity and essence of Allah is totally different from that of His slaves, i.e., man. Sufis, on the contrary, subscribe to the belief that matter, man and God form in effect one single entity and essence.

Ibn Arabi's doctrine of pantheism was a combination of Manichean, Gnostic, Neo-Platonic, Vedantic and Christian philosophies and speculations, which he tried vainly to give an Islamic sanction by relating it to Prophetic traditions.

"Of his main theme," R.W.J. Austin wrote, "the one that predominates over the rest and to which they are subordinate in the oneness of being (wihdat al-wujood). The concept of the Oneness of Being is all-embracing one, in that all Ibn al-Arabi's other concepts are but facets of it, just as he would say that all distinction, difference and conflict are but apparent of a single and unique reality, the 'seamless garment' of Being, whose reality underlies all derivatives being and its experience."

Ahlu al-Sunnah wa al-Jama'ah, on the other hand, are agreed that Allah is One Alone, qualified with all the attributes wherewith He has qualified Himself and named with all names whereby He has named Himself, without resembling creation in any respect; that His essence does not resemble the essences of His creatures nor His attributes resemble theirs. Allah the Supreme says: which means, "There is nothing like unto Him; He is the Al-Hearing, the All-Seeing."

Muhiyddin Ibn Arabi, one of the leading authorities on Sufi mysticism, who captured the imagination and the adulation of Sufis around the world, was born in the year 560 A.H. (1165 A.D.), and pursued the study of the occult and the metaphysical doctrines of the Sufis."Such learning and accompanying practices," R.J. Austin wrote, "often led Ibn Arabi, even while he was still young man in Seville, to spend long hours in the cemeteries communing with the spirits of the dead."(!)

He talked about his "cemetery revelations" as matters of fact, and managed to compile a massive compendium on Sufism entitled Al-Futoohat Al-Mekkiyyah (the Meccan Revelations). Of this, Ibn Arabi wrote, "Some works I wrote at the command of God sent to me in sleep, or through mystical revelations."(!)

The other striking impression that Ibn Arabi wanted to leave on the readers of his Meccan Revelation is that he, too, as a spiritual and mystical figure, experienced the heaviness of revelation, resembling that of the Prophet (s.a.w). He noted that sometimes the pressure of mystical revelation was so strong that he felt compelled to finish a work before taking a rest.

Allah the Exalted particularly condemns such claimants, saying: which means, "And who is more disbelieving than he who forges a lie against Allah, or says, 'It has been revealed to me,' when nothing has been revealed to him, or who says, 'I will send down the like of which Allah has sent down.'"

According to the Qur'an, revelation is of two kinds. The first is the revelation that came from Allah to His Prophets and Messenger through an angel, such as Jibreel (Gabriel). This cam to an end with the death of the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w). The second is Satanic communication, of which Allah says: which means, "Shall I inform you on whom the Satans descends, on every habitual liar and sinner."

Muslims believe that the Prophet (s.a.w) is the last of the Prophets, with whom the line of Prophethood is closed. Therefore, anyone who claims to be a prophet or a recipient of Divine revelation is an imposter and an heretic. And besides, it sounds quite eerie for a young man to spend long hours in cemeteries "communing with the spirits of the dead." The Prophet (s.a.w) was told by Allah: meaning, "And you cannot make those who are in graves to hear. "Indeed, communion of this nature could very well lead to a theory such as pantheism.

In order to substantiate his theosophical and pantheistic doctrine and make it appear Islamic, Ibn Arabi resorted to ta'weel, which is giving far-fetched interpretations to selected verses of the Qur'an or Prophetic traditions from the Sunnah, changing their apparent meaning to one which falls in line with his beliefs, a technique which was used before him by all the 'Batini' or secretive sects that strayed away from the path of Islam. He referred to Almighty Allah as "Creator-Creature," and took pains to present the Divine Being in a theosophical context, and to convince his readers that Allah's creation springs from nothing other than His "fundamental being."

Thus, the god that Ibn Arabi believed in is, in reality, all the elements that constitute the universe: human, animal and every other existing thing. As an example he depicted his own master, as a divine reality. And to make sure his readers did not misconstrue his heresy, he further emphasized: "In relation to existence, He (God) is the very essence of existing things. Thus in a certain sense, relative beings are elevated in themselves, since in truth they are none other than He who bears the name Abu Said al-Kharraz."

From this heretical concept of Allah, one may deduce without limit, principles which contradict the prescripts and fundamental tenets and creeds evident in the Qur'an and the Sunnah. For example, man, as alleged by "Son of Plato," is nothing less than God Himself, and since Fir'awn (Pharaoh) was a man, his declaration of being a god would have been true according to Ibn Arabi's pantheistic doctrine.


In Defiance of the Qur'an and Sunnah

The following are excerpts and quotations from well-known Sufi works presented along with corresponding beliefs from outside the fold of Islam. Relevant texts from the Qur'an and the Sunnah are also quoted for the sake of comparison, so that Muslims may judge for themselves whether Sufi beliefs are Islamic or not. Each quotation is footnoted with the reference from which it is taken.

The Sufis claim:" The ways unto God are as numerous as the number of creatures in the world. Ibn Mas'ood, may Allah be pleased with him, said: "The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w) made a straight line on the ground with his hand, then he said, 'This is the straight way of Allah.' Then he made (short) line on each side of the straight line; then he said, 'These (short) lines, each one has a shaitan inviting people to it.' Then he recited the verse: meaning,

'And this is My path straight. So follow it, and do not follow (other) ways, lest they lead you away from My path.'

Allah the Exalted says: "His footstool encompasses the heavens and the earth." The Prophet (s.a.w) said: "The seven heavens by the side of the kursi (footstool) are naught but as a ring thrown down in a desert land, and such is the Kursi with respect to the Arsh (the Divine Throne).

The sufis say: "When you unite with the Beloved (God), then there is neither command nor prohibition in matters of religion. Sufis habitually reject the doctrine of "the fear of God, the wrath of the Day of Judgment, the fury of the Hell-Fire and the promise of Jannah." Faith based on coercion, they say, is slavery, and God has created man with mind, free will and love. Therefore, the mainspring of Sufism is love not fear and obedience to the religious laws.

Allah the Supreme describes His Prophets, saying: meaning, "They used to vie with one another in good deeds, and they called on Us in hope (for rewards) and in fear (of punishment)." Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet (s.a.w) said: "When one of you finishes reciting the last tashah-hud (in prayer, and just before making tasleem), let him seek Allah's protection from four things: from the torment of Hell-Fire, from the torture of the grave, from the afflictions of life and death, and from the affliction of the pseudo-Christ (ad-Dajjal)."

Abu Hurairah also said: "The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w) said to a man, 'What do you say, (ask Allah for) in your prayer?' The man said, 'I recite tashah-hud, then I ask Allah for Jannah and seek protection of Him from the Fire; by Allah, I do not know you dendeneh (making du'a in a low and faint voice) nor the dendaneh of Mu'aadth.' The Prophet (s.a.w) replied, 'We make dendeneh about these two things.'"

Allah the Exalted describes His believers thus: meaning, "Verily those who fear their Lord with reverence, and those who believe in the signs of the Lord, and those who ascribe no partners to their Lord, and those who give what they give while their hearts are full of fear, because to their Lord they will return."

Aa'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, inquired about the verse, "Those who give what they give..." saying, "O Messenger of Allah! Is it those who steal and commit fornication are fearful?" He said, "Nay, daughter of (Abu Bakr) As-Siddiq, rather, those who fast and pray who are afraid (that their acts of worship may not be accepted by Allah).

Allah the Exalted says: meaning, "Say (to men, O Muhammad!), 'If you love Allah, then follow me; Allah will love you and forgive your sins." Thus the love of Allah necessitates following the commands of the Messenger of Allah with hope for reward and fear of punishment in the Hereafter.

Jalal-uddin al-Rumi (d. 1273), an infamous Sufi philosopher, in his book Masnawi, confirms his belief in the theory of evolution. The following lines are recognized as the central theme of Rumi's work: "I died as mineral and became a plant, I died as a plant and rose to an animal, I died as an animal and I was a man.

What became the darwinian theory states that the origin of species is derived by descent, with variation from parent forms. In other words, man, according to the theory of Darwin and contrary to what Allah confirms in the Qur'an, was not created as a separate species.

Allah the Exalted says: meaning, "Verily, We created man from an extract of clay. Then We placed him as a drop of sperm in a safe depository."

Imaam Ash-Shaa'fee on Sufism:

"If a person exercised Sufism (Tasawafa) at the beginning of the day, he does not come to Dhuhur except an idiot." [Talbees Iblees].

"Nobody accompanied the Sufis forty days and had his brain return (ever)." [Talbees Iblees].

Concerning the famous Sufi leader, Al-Harith Al-Muhasbi, Imaam Ahmad ibn Hanbaal said:

"Warn (people) from Al-Harith (a Sufi leader) the strongest warning!... He is the shelter of the Ahl Kalaam (people of rhetoric)." [Talbees Iblis].
The famous Sheikh Abu Bakr Al-Jaza'iri stated:

"Sufism is a shameful deception which begins with Dhikr and ends with Kufr. Its outward manifestation appears to be piety, but its inward reality forsakes the Commandments of Allah." [Illat-Tasawwuf Yaa Ibadallah].

Ash-Sheikh Muhammad ibn Rabee' ibn Haadee Al-Madkhalee, a well known teacher at the Islamic University of Medinah brings in his book "Haqeeqatus Soofiyyah Fee Dau'il Kitaabi Was Sunnah", the following:

Concerning the practice of the Sufiyyah in wearing woolen clothing as a sign of Zuhd (abstemiousness/disassociation from the wordly life) and in their attempt to mirror the Prophet 'Isa (AS):

"Ibn Taymiyah ® mentions in Al-Fataawaa (11/7) from Muhammad ibn Seereen (a famous Tabi'ee who died in 110H) that it reached him that a certain people had taken to wearing woollen clothes in order to resemble 'Isa ibn Maryam (AS), so he said: 'There are a people (Sufis) who have chosen and preferred the wearing of woollen clothes, claiming that they want to resemble Al-Maseeh ibn Maryam (AS). But the way of our Prophet (SAAW) is more beloved to us, and the Prophet (SAAW) used to wear cotton and other garments."
Sheikh Al-Madkhalee goes on:

"As regards the first appearance of Sufism, then the word "Sufism" was not known in the time of the Sahabah, indeed it was not well-known in the first three and best centuries. Shaykhul Islam Ibn Taymiyah ®, mentions that the first appearance of Sufism was in Basrah in 'Iraaq, where some people went to extremes in worship and in avoiding the worldly life, such as was not seen in other lands. [Al-Fataawaa (11/6)]."

Commenting on the reaction of the early Sufis while hearing Qur'an being recited (it was their pratice to fall out and act dumb-struck), Ibn Taymiyah ® says:

"This was not found to occur amongst the Sahabah, so when it appeared a group of the Companions and the Tabi'een such as Asmaa bint Abi Bakr and 'Abd Allah Az-Zubair and Muhammad ibn Seereen criticsed that since they saw that it was an innovation and contrary to what they knew from the manners of the Sahabah." [Al-Fataawaa (11/6)].
Concerning the spread of Sufism, Ibn Al-Jawzy said: "Sufism is a way whose beginning was complete avoidance of the affairs of worldly life, then those who attached themselves to it became lax in allowing singing and dancing. Therefore, the seekers of the Hereafter from the common people became attracted to them due to the avoidance of the worldly life which they manifested, and the seekers after this world were also attracted to them due to the life of ease and frivolity which they were seen to live." [Talbees Iblis].

Shaikh Abu Zahrah ® said concerning the reason for the appearance of Sufism and the sources from which it sprung:

1. The first source: Some worshipers amongst the Muslims turned all their attention to avoidance of the worldly life and to cutting themselves off in order to worship. This first began in the lifetime of the Prophet (SAAW) when some of the Sahabah decided to spend the night striving in Prayer and abandoning sleep. Others decided to fast every day without fail. Others decided to cease having marital relations with women. So when that reached the Prophet (SAAW) he said: "What is wrong with a people who say such and such. But rather I fat and I refrain from fasting, I pray and I sleep, and I marry women. So whoever turns away from my Sunnah, then he is not from me (Al-Bukharee and Muslim). Furthermore, the innovation of living like monks (monasticism) is forbiddeen in the Qur'an. He said:

"...the Monasticism which they invented for themselves..." [57:27].

However, when the Prophet (SAAW) passed on to join the company of the highest angels, and many people entered into Islam from the previous religions then the number of those who went to extremes in avoidance of worldly life and its blessings grew and Sufism found a place in the hearts of these people since it had come across a fertile planting ground.

2. The second matter which attracted peoples' souls was something which appeared amongst the Muslims in the form of two ideologies. One of them was philosophical whilst the other was from the previous religions. As for the first, then it was the view of the Illuminist school of philosophers who held that knowledge and awareness is brought about in the soul by spiritual exercises and purification of the soul. As for the second ideology, then it was the belief that the Deity dwells in human souls, or that the Deity is incarnate in humanity. This idea began to find a place amongst those sects who falsely attributed themselves to Islam in the earlier times, when the Muslims became mixed with the Christians. This idea appeared amongst the Sabians and some of the Kaysaamiyyah, then the Qaraamitah, then amongst the Baatinees, then in its final shape it appeared amongst some of the Sufis...There is another source from which it took, and which causes the manifestation of Sufi tendencies, which is the idea that the texts of the Book and the Sunnah have an outer, apparent meaning and an inner, hidden meaning...it seems clear that they took this idea from the Baatinees." [Ibn Taymiyah by Abu Zahra].

Ibn Al-Jawzy said after criticising the Sufis for their impostition of hardship upon themselves and for their going beyond bounds of abstemiousness to the point of self torture:

"So this self deprivation which went beyond bounds, which we have been forbidding from, has been turned around by the Sufis of our time, ie. the sixth century, so that they have become as deserious of food as their predecessors were of hunger, and they enjoy morning meals, evening meals and sweet delicacies, all of which or most of which they attain through impure wealth. They have abandoned lawful earnings, turned away from worship and spread out carpets on which they idly recline, most of them have no desire except for food, drink and frivolous activities. [Talbees Iblis].

Speaking of the false miracles claimed by many Sufi leaders, Ibn Taymiyah said:

"It may also be done with the help of their devils as they are a people who are as closely attended by devils as they are by their own brothers... These people who experience these satanic happenings are under a great delusion, in their foolishness they are deprived of all blessings, they only increase that which is feared, they devour the wealth of the people in futile acts, they do not order the good, nor do they forbid evil, and they do not fight Jihaad in Allah's Cause." [Al-Fataawaa].

Futher, Sheikh Al-Madkhalee says:

"Then I return to the point that when I saw that most of the callers were negligent of the most important aspects of Islam which is the call to Tawheed and the correction and purification of 'Aqeedah from all Shirk, which takes the form of worshiping the dead, attachment to the graves and calling upon the dead and the absent, and they remained silent about the other deviation of the present day Sufi orders which are very widespread in the lands of the Muslims, and anyone who travels outside this land will see the predominance that the Sufi orders ahve over the minds of the Muslims in Egypt, Syria, Morocco, Africa and India. Whether is is the Rifaa'ee order, or the Tijanis, or the Ahmadiyyah, or the Qaadiriyyah, or the Burhamiyyah, or the Shadhiliyyah, or the Khattaaniyyah, or the Darqaawees, or the Naqshabandis or whichever of the large number of Sufi orders...when I saw this I wished to remind of that which I held to be something very important. Likewise, I wished to provide my brothers, who study in the highly regarded Daarul Hadeeth, and they come from various Islamic lands where there are many Sufi orders, with some knowledge and some protection from the deadly sickness of Sufism."

As for those authentic and well known books by the 'Ulemah that have refuted Sufism:

1. Al-Fataawaa - by Sheikhul Islam Ibn Taymiyah .
2. Talbess Iblis - by Ibn Al-Jawzy .
3. Tanbeebul-Ghabee ilaa Takfeer Ibn'Arabee - by Burhaanuddeen Al-Baqaa'ee .
4. Tahdheerul-'Ibaad min Ahlil-'Inaad bibid'atil-Ittihaad - by Al-Baqaa'ee .

These are just some of the statements by scholars, past and present, concerning the Sufiyyah. There are many, many more...and the research goes on...