Rethinking Islam in the Contemporary World - Term Paper Example

Introduction The Sufi Islam has focused upon contentment with life - such contentment is possible through control of Nafs - Inner Self. If the follower is able to control his inner conscious, and is able to submit his Nafs in the will of God, then probably the flare of spiritual growth and its amalgamation with the source is possible. Sufis consider this as their objective of life - they consider themselves to be drop of ocean which has to pass through tribulation and suffering to enter the ocean. In this version of Islam, the worldly aspect has been ignored and the physical life and responsibility of the human towards his society has been ignored. In Islam, there are two dominant schools of thoughts. One school of thought agrees upon the concept of spiritual excellence through meditation and struggle for nearness of Allah; the other school of thoughts is strict about the worldly affairs and have narrowed the domain to worldly affairs and five pillars of Islam. Discussion The Sufi Islam has strong concept of Sacred Law - this law is between God and the follower. As per law, the Sufi has to maintain secrecy in his spiritual affairs, and matters compounding to identity and matters of God are kept private. It is also claimed that it is difficult to comprehend the power and spirituality of God, and therefore it remains beyond the scope of human understanding and intellect. The relationship between God and his follower is of affection and love, and is beyond any justification based upon intellectual topology. The human being with average spiritual status will probably fail to understand the expression and revelation of the Sufi. The Sufis have therefore gain unique status and repute in their society, and have been popular because of their uncommon and strange expressions towards divine authority. In Sufi Islam, there exists concept of mentor or guide also called Mursid. The Mursid is person who has achieved spiritual success, and has developed contact and affiliation with God. The followers of Mursid are called Mureed - the followers do not consider their Mursid as equivalent to God but for them the Mursid is passage towards spiritual divinity. The Mursid is respected and followed because of his spiritual affiliation and accomplishments by Mureed. Mursid shall never be confused with Prophets - rather the entity of Mursid is based upon his spiritual accomplishments and love for God. Nawawi is considered among the great Sufi scholar in Islamic world. According to Nawawi concept of Sufism is about maintaining close affiliation with God. The Sufis are individuals who have submitted their life towards God, and have spent their time, money, intellect and life for maintaining spiritual bond with the Supreme Lord. The five important actions contribute towards the spiritual marvels of the follower, and have been identified by Nawawi as 1. maintaining close spiritual affiliation with God with meditation and Zikr privately and publicly; 2. abide by the injunctions of Quran and Sunnah; 3. shun assistance from public and develop liaison with God for assistance and support, and believe that God will itself manifest source for help; 4. contentment is essential - and follower shall be satisfied with all bestowed upon by God; 5. seek assistance and guidance from God directly (Rafik12-34) The affection and love for God has been restricted to the observance of the fundamentals of Islam. The interpretation of Nawawi about Sufism is itself different - the intensity of love and affection has not been discussed. The Shiite concept talks about the intensity and seriousness of love, there bond between the God and follower is so deep rather the follower is above the entity of human being and is strongly concentrated with the qualities and characteristics of God - the purity, the spirituality and kindness. Dr. Chittick has discussed this expression of love and spirituality which was possessed by Rumi. It is claimed that Rumi was probably among the few who reached the climax of their spiritual journey. Sufism has been regarded as the "universal manifestation in the inner dimension of Islam" (Chittick 123-27). Sufism is focused, concentrated and regular meditation through which the individual rises above his intellectual and spiritual capacity, and approaches God. Sufism has been regarded as form of eternal and spiritual fusion with God. The Sunni Muslims have although challenged this concept of Shiite Islam, and have restricted their domain of Sufism to compliance of fundamentals of Islam. Rumi is among the few quoted examples of Sufis in Islamic world who have reached the ulterior level of spiritual and divine enigma. The verses of Rumi are reflection of the fact that he was able to unfold the mysteries of spiritualism, through his verses the reader can realise that these can never be a words of an ordinary person. Rumi experienced spiritual change, and this change made him superior and distinct among the other Muslims. The followers of the same religion, of the same Prophet Muhammad were still distinct, and it was the realization of power and zeal of Sufism which drew sharpen differences and contrast. For Rumi, every act of life contributes towards our relationship with God. Dr. Chittick has pointed out that for Rumi the love and affection for God was in its extreme form, Rumi claimed that "all our action is really a continual profession of faith which bears witness to the Eternal Almighty One" (Chittick 123-27). For Rumi, the Sufi Islam was about realization of fact that humans are in state of spiritual dilution, and through meditation they can concentrate their spiritual texture to a level that "they have no reality outside of His Reality" (Chittick 123-27). For Rumi, the attainment of lost spiritual glory is human mission; the humans lost their glory when Adam was exiled from Heaven. From the perspective of Rumi, the sole aim of life shall be to achieve spiritual accomplishment to the level of excellence and superiority. From Nawawi perspective, the Sufism shall not be concentrated to an extreme the human is ignorant about the fundamental responsibilities towards nature and society. It is important for the human to maintain equilibrium, and any imbalance can be consequential. Nawawi has discussed about the humility which the individual shall possess in front of God, however Rumi is more aggressive in his struggle for spiritual accomplishment, the specific stage of love shared by Rumi is complete devotion and submission called Junoon. Ernst has discussed other prominent Islam Sufis Hafiz and Attar. Ernst concluded that spiritual success is possible provided that the follower submits towards Allah for guidance, imminence and affection. The success is also possible through recitation of Quran, and verses in the favour of God. Ernst has regarded Sufism as "teaching of ethical and spiritual ideals" (Carl 78-81). There still exists a huge debate about the influence and authority of Sufism. Conclusion In Sunni Islam, the gap between human and God is essential, the vacuum between human and God is natural, and those who try to infiltrate are infidels. The Sunni faith has strong reaction against Sufism, and has at instances condemned the poetry and sayings of Sufis. The Sunni in their argument submit that gap between God and humans is natural, the God created humans, and He give them law therefore humans have to strictly act and practice within the limits. The interpretation of Shiite Islam is difference which actually talks about the concept of Tanzil and Taweel i.e. behind every command and prophecy there is a literal and hidden meaning. Sufism is hidden interpretation of Islam, and therefore the limitations between God and humans are void, and human soul which in actual is creation of God, can fuse and amalgamate with the divine authority. References 1. Carl W. Ernst. Following Muhammad: Rethinking Islam in the Contemporary World. North Carolina: University of North Carolina Press, 2004. 2. Rafik Berjak. Al-Nawawi: The Jurist of Islam. Michigan: Trafford Publishing, 2009. 3. William C. Chittick. The Sufi Doctrine of Rumi. New York: World Wisdom, 2005. Read More