Three Tales Of Sufi Wisdom

CROSSING THE WATERS

Stories of sages crossing a physical body of water are common
to many traditions. There are stories of the Buddha crossing a river to
his disciples; Jesus walking on water in Matthew 14.24-31, p. 759; a
Taoist sage walking through a cataract in Chuang Tzu 19; and Moses
crossing the Red Sea in Exodus 14, pp. 615f. Itivuttaka 114-15: Cf.
Dhammapada 338-47, p. 418. `Wayfarer,` etc. are titles of the Buddha.


http://www.euro-tongil.org/ws/theme072

Naqshabandi-

``The first story I heard from a video of Shaykh Sayyid Muhammad Madani
Ashrafi al Jilani of Kichhaucha Sharif, U.P., India but wrote it in my
own words. The other two stories are well-known in traditional Sufi
circles. ``


Let us all recognize the fact that most of the Gnostics share the same incidents which you have heard and recounted. These stories in some form or the other exist in the wisdom of other Gnostic traditions goes on to prove these points-

1. the Gnostic tradition is ``handed`` to an individual through his unfliching association with a Sheikh/Master.
2. the rote rememberance of almighty or the verses of some book are universally redundant unless accompanied by ``rememberance from the heart``.
3. The Sheikh/Master would be magnanimous even to those who want to steal his wisdom for temporal benefit.

When he had reached the middle of the river and the Imam had gone a little further, Iblis, the accursed Satan, suddenly swooped down to him and began his mendacious whisperings in the disciple’s ear. Satan said to him, “Look at the Imam! He is saying Allah’s name, while he asks you to commit shirk and repeat his own name! Why don’t you also trust in Allah alone and say, ‘Ya Allah!’ too?”


Naqshbandi, I am having trouble digesting this part of the story, was it really Satan who said that to him? It could`ve been the disciple`s own conscience telling him to reach the spirituality Imam Junayd was experiencing. Because Satan seems to be talking sense here, which, he is not known for.

Wouldn`t you agree?

And yes, dear people, as talha put it rightly, learn the language of the Book before you dare to express it. la hol wa la quwwat!

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Stuka

Multifaceted people are the most dangerous people. And `multifaceted` Asif Naqshbandi is the perfect face of Sufism.

Non Muslims need to take an independent, and real deep look into what Sufism is and is not, and what its relationship with Islam is. This is not an area in which a non Muslim like you or me should be flying blind.


Dear Naqshbandi

I agree with you that some of these stories may have something to say if they did not ultimately lead into your theology.

``Iyaka nabudu was iyaka nastain``

Verily all help comes from Allah we are but instruments of our Lord.

Mr Asfand and Mr Isphahani, are you two well versed in Arabic grammar? Have you studied Tafsir of the Quran? If you have`nt your interpretation of the Quran can be seriously flawed. Since, the quran can not be completely translated accurately in any other language you can not profoundly understand it in any language other than Arabic. The ayats that you two quote from the Quran; do you know when, why and under what circumstances were they revealed? Do you know to whom they were specifically addressed?

If your answer is negative to any one of the above questions your understanding of the Quran is very much flawed. To understand the Quran you need to have the pre-requistes. To understand a Quantum Physics book you need to have an understanding of physics 100. Likewise, religious knowledge requires education.

I am not saying you have no right to quote from the Holy Book. But, first educate yourself.

As far as asking for help from someone is concerned. Then Prophets themselves have done that. Because at all times they knew that it wasnt the person who helped them but in reality it was Allah. The person was only an instrument.

There are verses in the Quran that are only addressed to the unbelievers who ask help from idols. Such as the one Isphahni quoted ``29 :41. The likeness of those who take Auliyâ` (protectors and helpers)
other than Allâh is as the likeness of a spider, who builds (for itself) a house,
but verily, the frailest (weakest) of houses is the spider`s house; if they but knew`` This is addressed to polytheists. Isphahni mistakenly attributes this verse to muslims. A serious error.


Here are some incidents and proofs that permit asking humans for help.

The Prophet said to al-Farsi, concerning asking from people: ``If you absolutely must ask from people, then ask from the righteous ones`` (in kunta la budda sa`ilan fas`al al-salihin``

``Al-Bukhari narrates in his Sahih that our mother Hajar, when she was running in search of water between Safa and Marwa, heard a voice and called out: ``O you whose voice you have made me hear! If there is a ghawth (help/helper) with you (then help me)!`` and an angel appeared at the spot of the spring of Zamzam.``

`` Ibn Abi Shayba relates in his ``Musannaf`` (7:103) from Aban ibn Salih that the Prophet (saws) said: ``If one of you loses his animal or his camel in a deserted land where there is no-one in sight, let him say: ``O servants of Allah, help me! (yâ `ibâd Allâh a`înûnî), for verily he will be helped.``

``Umar (ra) sought help and relief from drought and famine in Madina by writing to `Amr ibn al-As and Abu Musa al-Ash`ari in Egypt and Basra respectively, each with the words, ``Yaa ghawthaah li Ummati Muhammad! = Help! Help! for the Community of Muhammad!``

Annas narrated: Whenever drought threatened them, `Umar ibn al-Khattab used to ask Allah for rain through the mediation of al-`Abbas ibn `Abd al-Muttalib. He [`Umar] used to say: ``O Allah! We used to ask you through the means of our Prophet and You would bless us with rain, and now we ask You through the means of our Prophet`s uncle, so bless us with rain.`` And it would rain.

These examples show that it is permissible to ask for help from the pious muslims/ awliya`Allah(Friends of Allah).

Peace!

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Salaam Asif,

With all due respect.

How can you explain the verse from Surah Al-Fatihah:

``Iyaka nabudu was iyaka nastain``
Loosely translated in urdu
Ay Allah hum teri hi ibadat karte hain aur tujh he se madad mangte hain.

So how can the concept of ya-junaid fits in the light of this verse??

-Asfand
Sacramento CA

``The moral of this story is that brains are better than faith, and only the stupid put their faith in God without making sure they know what they are doing.``

I do not agree.

Tabdeer first and taqdeer later.

Work hard and leave the result on Allah. Keep trying till you succeed. And if you still fail then maybe what you are trying to achieve is not good for you as Allah knows whats best for you.

Brain is simply a tool to analyze. It can not give you guidance.

Guidance comes from the Allah.

Cheers

Asfand Siddiqui
Sacramento CA

These days opinions are considered knowledge. The first tale in no way shows that Allah is lesser than Junaid and it does not show Junaid`s spiritual power.

Many teachings cannot be taught to people because they do not have the pre requisites to learn them. And if taught then they do more harm then benefit. Its better that they not be not posted on forums, where every tom, dick, and harry would misinterpret them.

The first story elucidates the necessity of a guide or teacher on the path to Allah/God. It needs to be explained in depth. I am sure the person who narrated that story, narrated it to his students and not to lay men.

Second tale: Shams was not killed by any caliph, its totally absurd to say that he was killed by a caliph. This shows the readers ignorance about the subjet.

The third tale has been misunderstood too by most readers, and its not really their fault. They have no idea of what is being taught in these tales.

Jesus said to the disciples, ``O disciples, do not cast pearls before
swine, for the swine can do nothing with them.``

(mewlana?) fuzair:

:)

recalled this old arabian saying: `have faith in Allah, but tie (down) your camel before sleeping`

Ralph,

tHat is the worst argument ever! if I like, e.g. Nabokov or fried chicken will you then stop reading Nabokov or eating chicken too just because I happen to recommend it! And yet he accuses me of narrow-mindedness!

Story number one proves that Imam Junaid is nauz o billah bigger than Allah ...wah bhai wah...I was always taught that Allah is the Alpha and Omega, Awwal and Akhir, Zahir and Batin...Mr. Naqshbandi please donot lead the awaam to hell.

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In a small town in the middle of nowhere there were two churches, a Southern Baptist one and a Catholic one. The Catholic one had been steadily losing parishners to the Southern Baptist one as the latter had a new and fiery young preacher who could give a truly inspired sermon.

In despair, the Catholic Bishop recalled the banished old reprobate of a priest (the proverbial Whiskey Priest) from exile and asked him to take on the Baptist preacher and reclaim the lost sheep, so to speak. For a couple of weeks, the two went head to head and honors were even. Finally the Catholic priest proposed a contest, the loser to leave town.

At the outskirts of town was a disgusting, smelly wetland/marsh and the bet was that whoever could cross it without sinking into the mud, their faith was stronger and the loser would leave town. The priest walks up to the edge, pulls out a bottle, takes a long swig, thinks for a long time, takes another swig, and sweating and trembling, hitches up his cassock and muttering, ``Mary and the Saints help me`` proceeds to walk across the stinking water without sinking.

The Preacher is amazed and says, ``If his false faith can do this, my oneness with Christ means that I can do it as well.`` He loudly proclaims his personal relationship with Christ and then then calmly and confidently steps forward and sinks up to his ankles. Undeterred, he continues on and rapidly sinks in quicksand up to his hips. Screaming in fear and begging the priest for help, he promises to leave as soon as the priest pulls him out. The priest grabs a rope, throws it and pulls the preacher out.

As he lies gasping for breath, the preacher asks him, ``I must know. How did you do it? You had to take a drink before and call on the Saints to help. You were also trembling and sweating.`` The priest looks at him and says, ``Faith is all very well as long as things are going fine, but it really helps to know where the stepping stones are located.``

The moral of this story is that brains are better than faith, and only the stupid put their faith in God without making sure they know what they are doing.

Not bad for five minutes. Maybe I`m a Sufi and don`t know it!

First Tale: shows that people who beleive in such things are biggest kafirs, even bigger than heeng-haldi smelling Stukas and Saxenas. (why the biggest miracles happen only when Saint and disciple are alone?)

Second Tale: is fabricated to show down Rumi. Was not Shamz killed by the Muslim Khalifa or to be one? What does that say about that pious Islamic king?

Third Tale: you can be the biggest chor in the world but as long as you agree to follow the Saints, saints will accpet you as a fellow saint.

Naqshbandi if this is Sufi`sm, welcome back to the fold of half-kuffar ummah of ours.:)