What is Tasawwuf? (previously posted by Miguel Decastrohenriques)

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What is Tasawwuf?

 

Condensed from the writings of Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi (may Allah

be pleased with him)

 

What is Tasawwuf? " Verily, he who has purified the heart is

successful and he who has despoiled it has lost. " Many people have

misunderstandings about tasawwuf. Many think that it is something

beyond the Qur'an and Sunnah. Errant Sufis as well as the

superficial ulema, although on the opposite ends of the spectrum,

are together in holding this mistaken notion. Consequently the first

group has shunned the Qur'an and Hadith while the second group has

shunned tasawwuf. Actually, although the term tasawwuf, like many

other religious terms in use today, evolved later, the discipline is

very much part of the Shariah. The department of the Shariah

relating to external deeds like salat and zakat is called fiqh while

the one dealing with the internal feelings nd states of the heart is

called tasawwuf. Both are commanded in the Qur'an. Thus while

commanding Salat and Zakat, the Qur'an also commands gratefulness

and love of Allah and condemns the evil of pride and vanity.

Similarly, in the books of hadith, along with the chapters on

Ibadat, trade and commerce, marriage and divorce, are to be found

the chapters on riya' (show off) takabbur, akhlaq, etc. These

commands are as much a mandatory requirement as the ones dealing

with external deeds.

 

On reflection it will be realized that all the external deeds are

designed for the reformation of the heart. That is the basis of

success in the hereafter while its despoiling is the cause of total

destruction. This is precisely what is known technically as

tasawwuf. Its focus is tahzeebe akhlaq or the adornment of

character; its motive is the attainment of Divine pleasure; its

method is total obedience to the commands of the Shariah.

 

Tasawwuf is the soul of Islam. Its function is to purify the heart

from the lowly bestial attributes of lust, calamities of the tongue,

anger, malice, jealousy, love of the world, love of fame,

niggardliness, greed, ostentation, vanity, deception, etc. At the

same time it aims at the adornment of the heart with the lofty

attributes of repentance, perseverance, gratefulness, fear of

Allah , hope, abstention, tauheed, trust, love, sincerity, truth,

contemplation, etc.

 

To diagnose and treat the diseases of the heart normally requires the

help of an expert teacher or Shaykh. Here are the qualities of a

proper Shaykh.

 

1. He possesses necessary religious knowledge.

 

2. His beliefs, habits, and practices are in accordance with the

Shariah.

 

3. He does not harbor greed for the worldly wealth.

 

4. He has himself spent time learning from a proper Shaykh.

 

5. The scholars and good mashaikh of his time hold good opinion about

him.

 

6. His admirers are mostly from among the people who have good

understanding of religion.

 

7. Most of his followers follow the Shariah and are not the seekers

after this world.

 

8. He sincerely tries to educate and morally train his followers. If

he sees anything wrong in them, he corrects it.

 

9. In his company one can feel a decrease in the love of this world

and an increase in the love for Allah (subhanahu wa ta ala).

 

10. He himself regularly performs dhikr and spiritual exercises.

 

In searching for a Shaykh, do not look for his ability to perform

karamat (miracles) or to foretell the future. A very good Shaykh may

not be able to perform any karamat. On the other hand, a person

showing karamat does not have to be a pious person --- or even a

Muslim. Prominent Sufi Bayazid Bistami says: " Do not be deceived if

you see a performer of supernatural feats flying in the air. Measure

him on the standard of the Shariah. "

 

When you find the right Shaykh and you are satisfied with his

ability to provide spiritual guidance, you perform baya or pledge.

This is a two-way commitment; the Shaykh pledges to guide you in

light of Shariah and you pledge to follow him. Then the Shaykh will

give his murid (student) initial instructions. They include the

following:

 

1. Perform repentance for all the past sins and take steps to make

amends, e.g. if any salat has been missed so far in the life, you

start making up for it.

 

2. If you have any unmet financial obligations toward another person

make plans to discharge them.

 

3. Guard your eyes, ears and tongue.

 

4. Perform dhikr regularly.

 

5. Start a daily session of self-accounting before going to bed.

Review all the good and bad deeds performed during the day. Repent

for the bad ones and thank Allah (subhanahu wa ta ala for the good

ones.

 

6. Perform muraqaba-maut (meditation over death) every night before

going to bed. Just visualize that you have died. Reflect upon the

pangs of death, the questioning in the grave, the plain of

Resurrection, the Reckoning , the presence in the Court of Allah,

subhanahu wa ta ala, etc. This helps bring softness to the heart and

break the tendency to commit sins.

 

7. Develop humility. Even if you observe another individual

committing the worst of vices you should not despise him/her, nor

should you consider yourself nobler. It is very much possible that

the perpetrator of the vice may resort to sincere repentance while

the one who despised the sinner become ensnared in the traps of nafs

and Shaytan. One has no certainty regarding one's end. One,

therefore has no basis for regarding another with contempt.

 

The essential idea of tahzeebe akhlaq is to bring our natural

faculties in a state of balance. The three basic faculties are

anger, desires, and intelligence.

 

Anger: When in equilibrium it results in valor, forbearance,

steadfastness, the ability to restrain anger, and dignity. Excess

will result in rashness, boastfulness, pride, inability to restrain

anger, and vanity. A deficiency will result in cowardice, disgrace

and feelings of inferiority.

 

Desires: Equilibrium here results in chastity, generosity, haya

(decency), patience and contentment. Its excess leads to greed and

lust. The other extreme results in narrow-mindedness, impotence, etc.

 

Intelligence: Equilibrium here makes man wise, sharp-witted and one

with great insights. Excess here makes one deceptive, fraudulent and

an impostor. Its lack results in ignorance and stupidity with the

consequence that such a person is quickly misled.

 

A person will be considered as having a beautiful character only when

these faculties are in the state of balance and equilibrium. Internal

beauty varies with people just as external beauty does. The

possessor of the most beautiful seerah was Prophet Muhammad,

Sallallahu alaihi wasallam. The beauty of our seerah is based on its

closeness to his seerah.

 

 

Condensed from the writings of Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi.