Sunday, September 4, 2011

Tasawwuf 103 by Al-Sulami


Bismillah.

Pardon us for that rather cheeky title. We were looking for a bite-size knowledge this morning and we found it in the English translation of Al Sulami's Jawami' Adab Al-Sufiya. It's a 'collection of Sufi rules of conduct.' Lesson number 103 in the said book is something definitely more useful than the Psychology 101 course we learned circa 1989.
[With due respect to our friend 'S' who is a Psychology lecturer, sorry I couldn't resist that : )]

Lesson number 103:
The Sufi must be benevolent and altruistic toward his fellows.

"I heard Nasir ibn Abi Nasir say: I heard Abul Husayn al-Maliki say: A Sufi master was asked about tasawwuf and the adab of it, and said: 'Tasawwuf consists of four stations; whenever they join together in a human being, he deserves to be called a Sufi. They are benevolence, altruism, patience, and cognizance.

As to benevolence, if a rich and powerful man goes to a person and asks for something he does not have, and thinks he is showing favor to him by making this request, that is not conferring favour.

As to altruism (ithar), it is when a person relinquishes something in order to give it to somebody else, even if he himself needs it...
while patience is the soul's ability to bear adversities.

As to cognisance (al-diraya), it is useful knowledge, or, otherwise, silence."

O friends, Lisan al-Din will, for a short period of time, be in SILENCE because we have got some homework to do, InshaAllah. May it be beneficial for us and you. Until then, we pray:
Rabbi zidni 'ilman, war zuqni fahman.
Fi amanillah.

________________________
Publisher Credit: The Islamic Texts Society
Translator Credit: Elena Biagi

6 comments:

  1. As Salamu aleykum sister.

    Very beautiful and good blog, mashaAllah.

    My name is sidi Muhammad Issa, I'm a faqir alawi, I live in Brazil. My shaykh is Sidi Shaykh Ahmad Habieb of Algiers, who recived his Ijaza in Sharia and Tassawuf (including to give the Khalwa) from Sidi Shaykh Ali Boudlimi, who recived his Ijaza in Tassawuf from sidi Shaykh Ahmad Al Alawi, RadiaLlahu Ta'ala Anhum.

    I have some books and texts of sidi Shaykh Al Alawi and will be an honor to help you, you can ask me anything.

    My e-mail is: muhammad_issa_br@hotmail.com

    May Allah bless you and reward you, very good work, mashaAllah.

    Was Salam.

    Muhammad Issa

    ReplyDelete
  2. Wa alaykumsalam warahmatullah,
    Dear Sidi Muhammad Issa,

    MashaAllah! I am delighted to hear from someone who is spiritually connected to Shaykh Ahmad Al Alawi (r.a.)
    Thank you for your generous offer. I shall accept it gladly InshaAllah.
    To be honest, I am kind of embarrassed because I am ignorant about Al-Alawi's teachings, although it's obvious that I adore him and all the tariqa shuyukh. Alhamdulillah, Allah has opened the door to him, through you, InshaAllah.

    Thank you and ameen to your kind du'a. Indeed, I am honored and humbled to receive your message.
    Alhamdulillah.

    Yours sincerely,
    Ezza

    ReplyDelete
  3. Salam.

    Thank you for your answer.

    Alhamdulillah I have the best books of sidi sahykh, Al Minahu l Quddusiyya complete in english, Al Mawaddu l Ghaitthiyya in spanish (soon in english too inshaAllah, Diwanu l alawiyya, and others. InshaAllah soon I will scan this books in my computer, so I will send you inshaAllah.

    Its an honor for me to know someone like you, you are a very blessed woman, mashaAllah.

    We have an small zawyah here with few fuqara and faqirat, alhamduliLlah, and I think the women here will be very happy talking to you.

    May Allah bless you.

    Muhammad

    ReplyDelete
  4. Dear Sidi Muhammad Issa,

    Allah...
    I am speechless, I am humbled to be contacted by someone like you. I am a nobody really.
    I have got tears in my eyes, just reading your message. MashaAllah, people of Allah are indeed very generous. Thank you!

    Please kindly convey my salam and respect to all the women at the zawiyah.

    I will write to you soon from my private email InshaAllah.

    Respectfully yours,
    Wassalamualaykum warahmatullah,
    Ezza

    ReplyDelete
  5. I will wait your email, thank you very much.

    You can ask me any question about the Tariqa or anything else.
    You can be shure Allah will open you all the Way to Him , and RasuluLlah (SallaLlahu aleyhi wa Sallam) already pray to Allah for you from his maqam. And sidi shaykh Al Alawi too.
    You are already a real faqira, mashaAllah.

    I have a question, there is some branch of the Tariqa alawiyya there?

    Muhammad Issa

    ReplyDelete
  6. Alhamdulillah for everything.
    Dear Sidi Muhammad,
    Thank you again for all your generous comments. We shall keep in touch via email InshaAllah.

    I hope ikhwan from the Alawi tariqa anywhere in Malaysia who is reading this, would come to the fore, so we could build a bridge with Alawi jemaah in Brazil and also Algeria InshaAllah.

    May Allah make us love one another for the sake of Him and grant us protection on the Day of Resurrection. Ameen.

    WasSalam
    Ezza

    ReplyDelete