Sufi Research Articles

Dhikrullah Vibration as Emotional Counseling Amongs the Aceh Community

Dhikrullah is an Islamic teaching to get calm has not been used in emotional counseling. The relationship between sound vibrations and emotions is still being studied in the acoustic room. M. J. Griffin has analyzed the benefits of vibration for humans. Neuroscience explains that emotional stability can help increase one's awareness. This paper discusses the role of dhikrullah vibration as emotional counseling among Acehnese people from a scientific approach. Qualitative data was sourced from 10 dhikrullah leaders in North Aceh and 3 dhikrullah leaders in Medan, North Sumatra. For quantitative data obtained through the Electro Encephalo Graph in order to get a sample of 10 subjects. The first finding, the vibration of dhikrullah. Second, dhikrullah as counseling and third, dhikrullah as emotional counseling among the Aceh Temun people from this study will contribute to four aspects. First, the development of Islamic mysticism. Second, increasing public awareness of dhikrullah as emotional therapy in the brain. Third, to explain dhikrullah as a legacy of Sufism scholars. Fourth, to resolve the incomplete mental problems in Aceh. The government can adopt the results of this study into public policy as social capital to strengthen the application of Islamic values in Aceh. The government can recommend a dhikrullah counseling approach to mental hospitals, prisons, nursing homes, trauma rehabilitation centers and drug rehabilitation centers.

Timekeepers and Sufi Mystics: Technical Knowledge Bearers of the Ottoman Empire.

This article shows how the Ottoman understanding of "useful sciences" was reserved for the religious sciences, offering an alternative reading to the present scholarship on Useful and Reliable Knowledge (URK), which emphasizes economic gain. As religious obligations, like the call for prayer, required precise timekeeping, pursuing astronomical knowledge was deemed "useful." Timekeepers and Sufi mystics (dervishes) represent a link between artisanal and scientific knowledge in Ottoman Turkey between the sixteenth and the nineteenth century. Combining their scholarly knowledge and artisanal skills, they produced traditional time-measuring instruments like quadrants and sundials. With the advent of the mechanical clock in the Ottoman Empire, dervishes became engaged in clock-making. Timekeepers kept producing quadrants, while they also acquired skills in repairing and setting mechanical clocks. This understanding prevailing among madrasa (religious) scholars changed drastically in the nineteenth century when scholars trained in modern schools translated European scientific and technical texts that were defined as holders of useful knowledge.

Sufism and its orders

Sufism and its orders

Sufi Songs of Assam: Zikir and Zari

Sufi Songs of Assam: Zikir and Zari

The Pure Intention: On Knowledge of the Unique Name (Al-Qa?d al-Mujarrad f? Ma‘rifat al-Ism al-Mufrad by Ibn ‘A?? All?h al-Iskandar?) (By Translator: Khalid Williams)

Reviewed by: The Pure Intention: On Knowledge of the Unique Name by Khalid Williams Atif Khalil (bio) The Pure Intention: On Knowledge of the Unique Name (Al-Qas.d al-Mujarrad fī Ma‘rifat al-Ism al-Mufrad by Ibn ‘At.ā Allāh al-Iskandarī) Khalid Williams (translator) Cambridge: Islamic Texts Society, 2018. xii + 86 Pages. In his Comfort of the Gnostics (Salwat al-‘ārifīn), Abū Khalaf al-Ṭabarī (d. 1077 CE) opens his chapter on dhikr by declaring without reservation that “no one reaches Him except through perpetual remembrance.”1 As a religious rite, dhikr, silently or aloud, privately or in community, has served as the heart of Sufi piety throughout Muslim history. Despite the defining role of dhikr in Islamic mysticism, we have yet to see a full-length monograph devoted exclusively to the topic in Western scholarship. A number of book chapters and articles, however, have appeared over the course of the last seventy-five years, varying in quality, exploring different facets of the subject. Among them, in 1943 W. Haas published an article in the Muslim World on the meditative practices of the Rahmaniyya Order of Algeria.2 More than thirty years later, another contribution appeared in the same journal, this time by J. Kennedy. It was on the dhikr rituals of the “Nubians” of Egypt and Sudan.3 The Canadian anthropologist and scholar of religion, E. Waugh, explored the role of the munshidīn or singers in the dhikr ceremonies of Egypt in 1991.4 Two years later, A. Geels wrote a detailed description of the collective dhikr ceremony of the Halveti-Jerrahis of Turkey accompanied by a contemporary psychological analysis of the ritual.5 This was followed in 1999 by a relatively comprehensive treatment by J. Lumbard of the levels of dhikr and their relation to the levels of the self, through the lens of traditional Sufi psychology.6 In the same year, M. Waley examined modes of contemplation in Persian Sufism with a focus on the theory and practice of dhikr.7 W. Chittick outlined the cosmology of dhikr in a short chapter in 2002.8 More recently, J. Elias contributed to a volume on meditation in the Western Religions where he analyzed dhikr as a practice that stands in between prayer and meditation.9 An essay by S. Bashir in the same work looked at the role of movement and stillness in 14th century Central Asian Sufism.10 A year later, A. Papas published a paper on dhikr and samā’ in the mysticism of Dahbīdī (d. 1542).11 The most recent addition to the burgeoning field of dhikr-studies has been E. Abuali’s article on the vision of colored lights in the Kubrawi Order.12 And then there are the treatments of remembrance in the works of J. Trimingham,13 M. Valiuddin,14 and others,15 not to mention the [End Page 108] two very good entries on the subject by L. Gardet (Encyclopedia of Islam) and W. Chittick (Encyclopedia of Religion).16 As far as translations are concerned, Ghazālī’s (d. 1111) Book of Invocations and Supplications (Kitāb al-adhkār wa’l-da‘awāt), the ninth book of the Revival (Iḥyā’), was rendered into English in 1973 by K. Nakamura, a revised version of which appeared again in 1990 through the Islamic Texts Society (ITS).17 The same publisher released a translation by M. Fitzgerald and Y. Slitine of Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya’s (d. 1350) Wābil al-sayyib in 2000. Although entitled The Invocation of God, only a portion of the work dealt with dhikr. Without question, the most significant text to appear on the subject in English has been M. Danner’s translation of Miftāḥ al-falāḥ (also by ITS; 1996). Ibn ‘Āṭā’ Allāh (d. 1309), the Shādhilī author of The Key to Salvation confessed in the introduction that his reason for writing the manual was because he had not come across a single adequate treatment of the subject. Few works after it seem to have matched its breadth, scope and degree of influence on later Sufi tradition (outside perhaps of manuals meant for initiated members of specific...

A Case for Repudiations of Reason in Islamic Mysticism

A Case for Repudiations of Reason in Islamic Mysticism

ИСЛАМ КАК ФАКТОР ПОЛИТИКО-ПРАВОВОЙ ТРАНСФОРМАЦИИ ТРАДИЦИОННОГО ОБЩЕСТВА НА СЕВЕРНОМ КАВКАЗЕ

In recent decades, there has been an active penetration of the so-called «pure Islam» into the national republics of the North Caucasus, which has led to a confrontation with Sufi Islam, traditional for this region. In this regard, the article analyzes the processes of transformation of the North Caucasian society that are currently being observed due to the displacement of the population from villages to cities, which, according to the authors, entails the destruction of traditional society. The paper substantiates the relationship between the processes of Islami- zation and transformation of modern North Caucasian society. This problem is relevant, since civil confrontation in this region may threaten the integrity of the Russian Federation. The object of the study is the political and legal transformation of traditional society in the North Caucasus. The subject of the study is Islam as a factor of the political-right transformation of traditional society on the example of the national republics of the North Caucasus. The purpose of the study is to determine the nature of the relationship between the political and legal transformation of North Caucasian society and its Islamization. In accordance with the purpose of the study, the authors have set the following tasks:1) to analyze the current state of North Caucasian society in connection with the observed trends of transition from a traditional society to a modern one; 2) to identify the potential of Islam as a factor of modernization of the traditional North Caucasian society and ensuring its stability

Sufi Authority in “Post-Modern” Muslim Societies

While the beginning of the 21st century demonstrated the emergence of various distinctive styles of Sufism, the existing studies of Sufi practice and discourse in various countries across the world illustrate how social modern forms and techniques are now among the conditions of possibility for a great many movements that are concerned to extend the Islamic tradition, traditions of practice and piety. Yet, modern scholarship represents relatively little known area of Sufi leadership tradition as well as the role of shaykh as a mediating agent in Muslim societies. Fulfilling this scientific gap, this paper is aimed at examining the ways in which we could better understand the role of Sufi shaykh and the production of their authorities in post-modern Muslim societies. In doing so, the paper gives ample emphasis on theoretical discussion about tradition in mystical Islam, and about the ways in which such tradition gives influence to the mediating role played by a Sufi shaykh in society, with a particular case study of the Naqshbandiyah tradition in West Sumatra, Indonesia. This paper reveals the important dimension of traditions of how Sufi shaykhs practice the ideal of Prophet as spiritual masters, within the regional form of Islam, or as mediating shaykhs today, that enable Muslims to pursue a spiritual path within the conflicting situations and pressure of modern life.

SIMBOL DALAM PUISI KETIKA MAUT MENJEMPUT KARYA JALALUDDIN RUMI

The poem "When I Died" is one of Jalaluddin Rumi's literary masterpieces. He is known as a famous Islamic mystical Sufi until this time. Jalaludin Rumi's poem "When I Died" provides clues to humans about real death. Death here is not something scary, but a way to eternal love. This depiction of death, resurrection and immortality is a symbol found in the poem "When I Died" by Jalaluddin Rumi. Various literary works about death are often associated with sadness, grief, loss and unstoppable tears. This makes death a frightening and sad event. However, Rumi actually describes death as a step towards eternal love. This writing will show the symbolic meaning of the poem "When I Died" by using the hermeneutical analysis method from Paul Ricoeur. This method will explain the symbolic meaning of this poem and put an explanation of the symbol's meaning in real life. The result of this analysis is the discovery of various symbols contained in the poem "When I Died", including symbols of death, resurrection, and immortality.

ОБ ОСОБЕННОСТЯХ ПРАВОВОЙ СИСТЕМЫ АФГАНИСТАНА В ПЕРИОД ПРАВЛЕНИЯ ДВИЖЕНИЯ «ТАЛИБАН»

The essence of any legal system in the concrete state depends on what is actually recognized in it as the main source of law. In case of Sharia, such sources are Koran, Sunnah, qiyas, and Yidma. In addition to Sharia, however, pre-Islamic and non-Islamic sources of law – such as adat (custom), firman (decree) and nizam (law) – are actively involved in the legal systems of many Muslim states. The operation of several sources of law in one country is an example char- acteristic for the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan during the rule of the Taliban there. Lack of balance between the interests of different ethnic groups in Af- ghanistan, the inability of Afghan authorities to compromise and contradic- tions among the competing legal norms have led to destabilizing the legal sys- tem of the country that has finally been transformed into a kind of space where several enclave legal sources operate, being in a conflict with each other at such levels of their interaction as Hanafi-Hanbali (the level of madhhabs), inner- Islamic (Sufi and Wahhabi, Shiite and Sunni), ethno-political (Pashtunization and Talibanization), Sharia -non-Sharia (adat, firman). The last level – which is Sharia – non-Sharia (adat, firman) – has become an illustrative example of a complicated, sometimes conflicting, relationship of Sharia and adat (customary law, enshrined in the code of honor “Pashtunwali”).

СОПОСТАВИТЕЛЬНОЕ ИЗУЧЕНИЕ ОБРАЗА ВОЛАНДА В РОМАНЕ М. БУЛГАКОВА "МАСТЕР И МАРГАРИТА" И ИСЛАМСКОГО ГНОСТИЧЕСКОГО ПОДХОДА К ПОНЯТИЮ "ДЬЯВОЛ"

The problem of evil and the devil as a representative of evil has long existed in the religion and culture of different nations. This article attempts to find similarities on this issue in the novel “The Master and Margarita” by Mikhail Bulgakov (1891-1940) and in the approach of some Islamic Sufis, such as Mansur al-Hallaj (858-922) and Ain al-Kuzat Hamadani (1098-1131), etc. What is common in the image of the devil in the pages of the novel of a Russian writer of the twentieth century, a native of the Orthodox environment, and in the texts of medieval Islamic mystics? Common to representatives of these different cultures and eras is the desire to comprehend the problem of the existence of evil in the world and its embodiment in the form of the devil. The similarity is in the fact that the problem of evil and its bearer is posed by Bulgakov and Sufis both in a purely religious context, and in philosophical, Gnostic. In both Islam and Christianity, the devil (“Satan”, “Shaitan”) is the main opponent of the heavenly forces, which is the highest personification of evil and pushes a person on the path of spiritual death. In addition to the religious context, the devil is seen as the result of a Gnostic and mystical approach by different thinkers in the form of an artistic image.

The basic function of happiness and vivacity from Rumi's point of view

Happiness is one of the effective characteristics in human existence that the human soul and body have received many effects from this emotional aspect of human beings. Although psychologists' definitions of the causes and factors of happiness are different, but everyone agrees on one basis, and that is the essential need of the individual and society to strengthen the dimension of happiness and vitality in human beings, and that this feature can lead to prosperity and growth. Provide progress in the individual and society. This article confirms that the teachings of Jalaluddin Mohammad Rumi seek to provide a bed of happiness, with the difference that happiness is different from the view of Rumi as a religious mystic with the views of other greats. This research intends to study happiness and vitality on the basis of spiritual Masnavi. Access to Rumi's thoughts and ideas is important because his ideas can be considered as a great Muslim poet and mystic and a representative of Islamic mysticism and can be generalized to the thoughts of many of his followers. Our method in this paper is a library based on documentary study and content analysis. According to Rumi, sorrow is one of the means of conduct and the seeker can not be painless and sorrow, and sorrow that is not in the path of growth is unpleasant and sorrow that is in the direction of excellence is valuable and pleasant. Sadness and happiness cause human mental moderation. Wise sorrows should be welcomed and irrational joys should be avoided. Wise sorrows are the path to happiness, and as a result, the dynamism and mobility of the soul destroys many of the sorrows and daily joys and gives true clarity to the human soul.

Cameroon: the radicalization of Islam and the expansion of Boko Haram

The radicalization of Islam in Cameroon is quickly changing the country's religious landscape and contributing to the spread of religious intolerance. Unlike, for example, neighboring Nigeria and the Central African Republic, previously Cameroon rarely faced serious manifestations of sectarian tensions, but over the past 10-15 years traditional Sufi Islam has been increasingly supplanted by the ideology of Wahhabism. Wahhabism is rapidly spreading not only in the north of the country, but also in the south, which until recently was inhabited mainly by Christians and animists. The spread of Wahhabism is actively supported and funded by Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar and Egypt. Sufism, the followers of which mainly include Fulani living in the northern regions, is gradually losing its position. The specific interpretation of Islam leads to the destabilization of religious and public political life, and Koranic schools and refugee camps become "incubators of terrorists". The growing influence of radical Islam in Cameroon is largely due to the expansion of the terrorist organization Boko Haram into the country; one of the consequences of this is the broadening affiliation of Cameroonians, inspired by calls for the cleansing of Islam and the introduction of Sharia law, with this armed Islamist group. As in other African countries, the radicalization of Islam is accompanied by the intensification of terrorist activities, leading to an exacerbation of the internal political situation, an increase in the number of refugees, and the deterioration of the socio-economic situation of the population, etc. The failure of the Cameroonian government to counter terrorist activities in the north of the country in the near future may lead to an escalation of the military-political conflict on religious grounds in the context of political instability that Cameroon is experiencing at the moment.

THEOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE IN ISLAMIC MYSTICISM AND GNOSTICISM

In this paper, the similarities between the Gnostic and Islamic mystic beliefs about “Knowledge” (Ma‘refat) will be considered. The aim is to answer the question of whether they share a common view of divine knowledge. For this purpose, first Gnosticism and its ideas will be clarified. Second, a brief history of Islamic Mysticism will be presented. Then, in light of the evolution path of such beliefs, the main principles of both cults about the Gnosis and Mysticism will be reconsidered. The methodology of this study is based on a comparative study, by analyzing Islamic mystical books and Gnostic texts. Through the study of mystical books, the traditions and beliefs of the early mystics, in this case, are stated, and some examples from the Gnostic books about the Gnosis and mystical knowledge are mentioned. The comparative study of these two religions revealed that they have many similarities in points of view to “knowledge”. Similarities between Islamic mysticism and Gnosticism are so much that some believe that the theory of divine knowledge in the minds of Muslim Sufis originates from Gnostic ideas. But this claim cannot be completely true and the Gnostic beliefs have only had influences on it.

The Doctrine of Wahdatul Wujud: The Issue of Contamination of the Study of Islamic Sufism with Greek Philosophy

This study discusses the doctrine of wahdatul wujud which sneaks into the discipline of the study of tasawwuf. This doctrine is said to be sourced from India and circulated to the archipelago by the ulemas Hamzah Shamsuddin Fansuri and as-Sumatrani and strengthened through scientific research thesis nowadays seems to part of the doctrine of Islamic scholarship. This situation prompts the author to study the errors of this doctrine in an effort to defend the purity of monotheism from the pollution done through tasawwuf. The study found that this doctrine uses the verses of mutasyabihat in the interpretation of the Qur’an to adapt to the will of wahdatul wujud which all lead to the incarnation of the essence of Allah Ta’ala in all beings that is an understanding that contradicts the belief in the nature of the twenty beliefs of Ahli Sunnah Wal Jamaah. Thus, the doctrine of wahdatul wujud is pollution of aqeedah thinking which is actually not related to the discipline of the study of tasawwuf according to the teachings of Islam.

«Я надеваю рубище, чтобы стать суфием»: движение маламатиййа и конструирование суфийской истории в сочинениях X–XIII вв.

The critical task of textualization of Sufi practices in the 10-13 centuries was legitimization and establishing Sufism within the framework of "orthodox" Islam. That is why the authors of this period strive to present Sufism as an authoritative "science," which uses other Muslim sciences' methods and techniques. Another important aspect of legitimizing the Sufi movement was creating its pious history, which traces the roots of Sufi teachings back to the Prophet Muhammad's time. The authors of Sufi bio- and hagiographic works of this period constructed the history of Sufism that involved the early Islamic renunciants and representatives of the local mystic-ascetical movements that Sufism encountered after spreading its influence outside Baghdad. One of those movements was the "Path of Blame" (malāmatiyya) representatives, which was initially one of Sufism's regional competitors. However, as the 10-13 century sources demonstrated, its representatives, ideas, and practices were actively incorporated into the "Sufi science." They became part of the history of Islamic piety constructed by the Sufi authors.

Islamic Mysticism and Interreligious Dialogue

My aim in this paper is to investigate Islamic Mysticism and find out how and to what extent mystical views can build good grounds for a productive and fruitful interreligious dialogue. First, I provide a brief clarification of what I mean by the notions of ‘interreligious dialogue’ and ‘Islamic mysticism.’ Then, I explain three mystical principles as three bases for the promotion of interreligious dialogue. These are the metaphysico-theological principle of ‘the unity of existence’ (waḥdat al-wujūd), the anthropological thesis of fitra (primordial nature), and the hermeneutic method for interpreting the Qur’an. Finally, I explore the implications of these principles for interreligious dialogue and discuss the role of mystical teachings in promoting interreligious dialogue in two different, though interrelated, areas: doxastic and moral.

Wrapping Authority: Women Islamic Leaders in a Sufi Movement in Dakar, Senegal, written by Hill, Joseph

Wrapping Authority: Women Islamic Leaders in a Sufi Movement in Dakar, Senegal, written by Hill, Joseph

The Study of the Principles of Philosophy of Islamic Art

The main discourse on Islamic art in the western academia primarily views Islamic art through the lens of art history and sociology of art. Islamic art is considered as sacred in Islamic civilisation and culture, and derives its sanctity from the Quran as the fountain from which it has emanated, which Muslims consider to be the Word of God, much like Christ is the Word of God in Christianity. The Quran has played a formative role in shaping the trinity of sacred Islamic art which is Quranic recitation, calligraphy and architecture. However, another approach which not only is viable but can be considered of great importance to the study of Islamic art, is the employment and utilisation of principles of Islamic philosophy and Sufism which were the pillars of the intellectual milieu in which a given work of art is produced. The application of such principles allows a more comprehensive and detailed interpretation of a work of art. In this paper, the primary Islamic philosophy and sufi doctrines that will be discussed are the concepts of imagination, colour, and calligraphy and examples of their application in the khānqāh and shrine ensemble of Shaykh Ṣafi al-Din Ardabīlī in Ardabil, Iran.

Trials of the Islamic Education Learning Model in Indonesian Universities: A Sufistic Approach as An Alternative

The students of Indonesia University of Education (UPI) and Bandung Islamic University (UNISBA) typically practice religion as it was received from their parents and socio-religious environment. They Salat, which is the main prayer of Islam, simply abort their obligations, and after praying, immediately leave their prayer mats without making dhikr or remembering God first. Furthermore, they do not understand khushu` Salat, which involves remembering God throughout the prayer, along with the meaning of dhikr, and the importance of a Murshid, which is the Grand Shaykh of Sufi Order. They also view Sufism as non-Islamic teaching and are cynical about the practitioners. Therefore, this study aims to examine the effectiveness of the Sufistic learning model in Islamic Religious Education to improve students’ understanding of these teachings in a substantive and tolerant manner. This research used an R&D approach, and the stage that was performed involved the preparation of a draft model and associated trials. Meanwhile, the learning used the madhhab typology approach of the Sufi and Shari`a Islamic models. The trial results showed that the Sufistic approach was effective in increasing students’ understanding of Islamic teachings in a substantive and tolerant manner. Before learning, students were unaware of Sufi Islam and viewed it as a foreign influence. Also, they did not understand khushu` prayers, comprehend the importance of dhikr, nor that of learning from Murshid. After learning, they understood Sufism, accepted the teachings and did not consider them to be foreign influences, and also recognized Islam in a substantive and tolerant manner. Therefore, the Sufism approach is improving the quality of religion and tolerance of students, with the implication that the model is an alternative in learning Islamic education at universities.Objective: This study aims to examine the effectiveness of the Sufistic learning model in Islamic Religious Education to improve students’ understanding of Islamic teachings in a substantive and tolerant manner.Methods: A research and development (R&D) approach, which was performed in the preparation of a draft model and associated trials, was used. Meanwhile, the learning employed the madhhab typology approach of the Sufi and Shari`a Islamic model.Results: The trial results showed that the Sufistic approach in Islamic Education was effective in increasing students’ understanding of Islamic teachings in a substantive and tolerant manner. Before learning, students unfamiliar with Sufi Islam, saw it as a foreign influence, and did not understand khushu` Salat, which involves remembering God throughout the prayer. Also, they considered dhikr, which means to remember God, and learning from Murshid as unimportant. However, they understood Sufism, accepted it as Islamic teachings and not foreign influences, and recognized the religion in a substantive and tolerant manner after the learning process.Conclusion: The Sufism approach in Islamic Education has succeeded in improving the quality of religion and tolerance of students.