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SUFISM (LIBERATION OF SOUL)
CAN SUFISM BE DEFINED?
Sufism is neither a religion, nor is
it a doctrine, a myth, a cult, or a dogma. Sufism can neither be taught, nor
can it be explained in concrete terms. Like fragrance Sufism is felt. Like
soothing Ragas it is spiritually experienced. It surrounds. It overwhelms. It
encompasses you in serenity. Sufism touches inner cords of your existence. It
provides unexplained vistas hitherto denied to the vision. It ultimately
liberates man to embark upon his search for Ultimate Truth.
Sufism has nothing to do with the
external appearance of a person. It does not call upon a person to perform
certain rituals and to put on peculiar garb to distinguish himself from rest of
the fellow beings. It is easy to differentiate between a Moulvi, a Monk, a Pundit,
and a Priest from their attire and appearance. But, it is not easy to identify
a Sufi from what he wears. You may never know the person sitting next to you is
a Sufi. One can’t put on a saffron rug, and declare himself a Sufi. A Sufi does
not pronounce his communion with God. He renounces tall claims. Sufism is a way
of life. It emanates from within. It is a total and unconditional sense of surrender
to the One Infinite. A Sufi never
pretends. A true Sufi neither conceals, nor does he reveal himself. He refuses
to occupy elevated stage in society, and deliver sermons. He explains, but he
never indulges in heated debates and discussions, arguments and
counterarguments. He never sides with in the rudimentary tussle between the
religions. He maintains a very low profile all his life. Finally, a Sufi
dissolves without knowing in the boundlessness of the One he seeks. Ultimately he becomes one with Absolute One.
A true Sufi never distinguishes himself from
others. He doesn’t distances himself from fellow human beings on the basis of
their faith, cast, and creed. He remains engrossed in his everlasting quest for
Union
with Eternal One. Numerous religions remind him of unity in
diversity. They propagate submission to the Supreme Sustainer without knowing. At times Sufism is innocently
subdivided into Muslim mysticism, Hindu mysticism, Christian mysticism, Jewish
mysticism, and into numerous cults. The factions ascribe certain attributes of
their choice to the Creator. What
they forget in their faithfulness is that the Absolute One is indivisible. Divinity and the Divine can not be partitioned. No creation (takhleeq) can ever possibly ascribe any attribute to its Creator. Can a painting or a sculptor
of Michel Angelo describe the personality of the artist who gave it an
existence!
A true Sufi does not restrict himself to a mosque,
or to a temple, or to a Church, or to a Synagogue. It is not obligatory for him
to be there. Probably, he may not be seen in any place of worship! He has his
own place of worship within him kindled with Eternal Love. A Sufi remains perpetually in love with Infinite all his life whether he
sleeps, remains awake, interacts with people, or wanders in wilderness. Everlasting
love of a Sufi for his Beloved is
manifestation of Bandagi (worship),
and Bandagi is everlasting love for
his Beloved. Bandagi (worship) without love, and love without Bandagi bear no meaning.
True love invariably has to be
unconditional. It signifies submission. It is of no significance to a Sufi what
others think of him. He is not bothered if people laugh at him, jeer him, or
ridicule him. He is not deterred when clergy, Qazis (judges), and the rulers join hands to persecute him, and
torment him, and send him to the gallows. A true Sufi ceaselessly treads the
burning desert of trials and tribulations in search of his Mehboob (Beloved), the Truth. It is a journey he undertakes knowingly and alone by himself.
It commences with his consciousness for his Creator, and terminates with his getting
absorbed in the vastness of One Supreme.
Even in
metaphysical realm it is unlikely to attribute a universally acceptable
definition to Sufism. That is why Sufism or Mysticism has been subdivided and
fragmented into totally diverse forms and the norms. The Muslims have their own
version of Sufism that directly or indirectly adheres to the Islamic
injunctions, Hadith and Sunnah. The Hindus attribute their own
definition to Mysticism that corresponds to their faith. Similarly, the
Christians assign their own meaning to Mysticism that confirms to the
fundamental ethics of Christianity. However, there exists common conjecture in
each Faith’s approach to Mysticism or Sufism. They all believe Sufism initiates
perpetual quest for the Creator, and
ultimate Truth. The different
religions all over the world nevertheless have their own description of the Creator, and the Truth.
Like
phenomenon of life and death, Sufism is infinite in its application. It is
vast. It is immense. It can not be contained in a universal definition. The
Sufism in its original texture emanates from within. It permeates highest form
of consciousness. It indicates man’s absolutely personal perception of his Creator, and his relationship with his Initiator, and the Truth he everlastingly seeks. It all becomes possible only when he
attains freedom from conditioning and thinks independently.
UNANSWERED QUESTIONS
It is fallacious to assume man
is born free. He takes birth in a given situation without his choice. He takes
birth in a certain country and automatically, and without his intent becomes a
citizen of that country. A child born to the parents settled in the United States Russia Pakistan India
Enigma ensnares man all his
life, and he convincingly believes he is born free! Although he is not! He is
born chained in customs, traditions, rituals, and the family traits. He goes to
the particular place of worship because as a child he saw his parents go to the
identical places of worship. He despises some communities because as a child he
saw his parents despise others. He assumes himself the most cultured,
enlightened, and brave among men because his forefathers thought and behaved
like that. Man remains confounded in the given circumstances. He evolves his
own ethics, and code of conduct to judge the world.
Man nevertheless is born with
an inquisitive head and heart. Within him resides a restless soul. He strives
to know what hitherto has remained unknown to him. He attempts to understand
what he has not understood before. He decodes the coded facts of life. He
reads. He assimilates. He contemplates. He unshackles himself. He treads the
oceans, deserts, forests, and the civilisations in search of Truth. He stands up, and musters up
courage to look at the world independently. He listens to the echo of eternal
unanswered questions from within. Who am I? Who has created me? What is the
relationship between Creator and the created? Man seeks answer to the most
complex questions in his life. Where from have I come, and whence shall I
return to! Without knowing he enters the fold of the Sufis.
It is then that he finds
himself impeded by the society in which he has been brought up. The wise,
clergy, and the learned who sit in judgement on the deeds and misdeeds of
others admonish him. They warn him not to seek beyond what has already been
sought! Not to redefine what has already been defined! And finally, not to
deviate from the path followed by his forefathers! Fear bears no meaning for a
Sufi. He looks around, and to his astonishment he beholds his Beloved in every direction! A couplet
of a great Sufi like Shah Latif elevates his soul to liberty:
Jed’han Ka’yan Parkh
Ted’han Sajan Samhoon
Jed’han (wherever) Ka’yan (I cast) Parkh (eye, meaning examine) Ted’han
(thither/in that direction)(I behold)
Sajan (beloved) Samhoon (in front
of me).
Sufism is man’s quest for Truth. Men living in different domains
with totally different cultures, languages, attitudes and aptitudes have
deciphered the Truth according to
their peculiar faith. They attribute their own meaning to Truth. Thus, over the countless centuries man in his faithfulness
has subdivided and fragmented what perpetually and everlastingly happens to be
indivisible. When men in their frenzy partition, subdivide, and fragment Truth they in fact partition and
fragment love, affection, tolerance, forbearance, and mutual respect for each
other. They resultantly cultivate inferno of hatred and aversion within their
hearts. They first divide, and then engage each other in unending violent
combats of death and destruction in the name of Indivisible One.
Eternal One shall always
remain One beyond eternity. A true
Sufi frees himself from the confines of contradictory traditions, cultural
rituals, traditional traits, and social attitudes that obstruct his submission
to the Everlasting One. Sachal
Sarmast like Mansur Halaj was a fearless Sufi. Somewhere in his verse he has
said:
Jed’han
Purab Pundh, Ted’han A’on Na Van’yon,
He’o Hunan
[The trudge that leads to Purab (westward-to the places of
worship), I shall not proceed. It is theirs (forefathers’) Handh (place/destination), my destination is Hinglaj]. Hinglaj is a distant mountainous region in Sindh once
inhibited by lonely Yogis for meditation.
Once confirmed, and assures that
the Everlasting One is indivisible a
Sufi feels liberated from within. He feels liberated from hatred, envy, greed,
enmity, and lust for wealth and power. He then views the world in Universal
Unity.
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