Jalaleddin Rumi

A short outline of the life of Rumi

Jalaleddin Rumi was one of the great spiritual masters and poetic geniuses of mankind, and the Mevlevi Sufi order was founded to follow his teachings. He was born in 1207 in Balkh in present day Afghanistan to a family of learned theologians. Escaping the Mongol invasion, he and his family traveled extensively in Muslim lands, performed pilgrimage to Mecca and visited Medina; the journey brought the family to Erzincan and then Karaman, where Rumi studied for a short period in the Halaveye School. In 1228, at the invitation of the Sultan of the Seljuks, Alaeddin Keykubad, they settled in Konya, Anatolia, in present day Turkey, then part of the Seljuk Empire. Here Jalaleddin married and lived with his wife, Gevher Hatun, who bore him two children. He is called ‘Rumi,’ meaning ‘Anatolian’ because of his life in that place. He also gained the title Mevlana which means ‘Our Master’ through his life’s work there.

When his father Bahauddin Veled passed away in 1231, Rumi succeeded him as professor in religious sciences at the largest theological school in Konya. Only 24 years old, Rumi was already an accomplished scholar in religious and positive sciences. He died on the 17^th of December 1273 in Konya, where he had spent most of his adult life and composed all his works, and where his tomb lies today.

His religious life

Although Rumi had already succeeded to his father’s position as a teacher, when the great scholar and Sufi Burhaneddin al-Tirmithi arrived in Konya, Rumi studied under him and devoted himself to his service for nine years. This training was focused on divine love, worship, austerity and abstinence, piety, consciousness of God, humility, and tolerance, which are the foundations of Sufism. Rumi spent his days mostly praying and serving people who came to visit the Sufi center, preparing food for them, collecting wood for cooking and heating, and cleaning the toilets and bathrooms used by visitors. He thus learned the merit of serving people and knew that serving people is ultimately serving God. On Burhaneddin’s advice Rumi completed his scholarly education in Aleppo, mastering also the classical Islamic sciences, including jurisprudence (fiqh), commentary on the Qur’an (tafsir), tradition (hadith) and epistemology (usul). There were thus a number of significant figures in Rumi’s spiritual development. Apart from his father and Burhaneddin, he met many great philosophers and scholars of the age including the renowned Ibn Arabi in Aleppo and Damascus, and others in Konya under the patronage of the Seljuk Court. He thus acquired both the inner and outer sciences within sixteen years.

 

The most famous and probably the most fruitful relationship in his development was with Shems-i Tebriz, whom he met in Konya at the suggestion of Ruknuddin Zarqubi. Modern historians may argue about who influenced whom in their long association but this is not profitable. What we know is that for a particular period of time, two skillful and acute spirits came together, and by sharing the divine bounties and gifts they received from their Lord, they reached peaks that most would not be able to reach easily on their own. To this day the place where the two first met in Konya is known as Marc’al Bahreyn, the meeting point of the two oceans. Through their spiritual cooperation, they enlightened those of their own age, and have also influenced all the centuries which followed.

Following the departure of Shams, Rumi continued to compose his works and to develop the principles that would be followed by the order formed and named in his honour after his death. He started to live in seclusion and abstinence practicing ascetics in series of three periods of forty days; eating little, talking little and sleeping little were essential components of this discipline.

Here it is important to remember that while Rumi was informed by numerous sources of ideas, on his journey he seemed to leave many of his contemporaries behind—his love and compassion flowed like the waters of the world’s oceans; so much so that while continuing to live physically among humans, he managed to become ever closer to God. He never elevated himself above others but his writings, both during his life and after his entering into eternal life, provide a guiding star which reflects the light of the spiritual life of the Prophet of Islam. Thus, he is among the few figures who have exerted great influence over large parts of history and large regions of the world.

His place in the Islamic tradition

Rumi was not, and is not, the only hero of love. He was and is one of the great representatives of the school of love in the Islamic tradition based on the life and practices of the Prophet, which we call Sufism. This tradition, which includes names like Hasan Basri, Ibrahim Ethem, and Bishr-i Khafi in the Arabian Peninsula in the second century of Islam, grew rapidly with Ahmed Yasawi and Yunus Emre in Central Asia and Anatolia during the rule of both the Seljuks and the Ottomans. In recent times this understanding of Islam has been represented by Sufis and scholars like Mevlana Halid-i Bagdadi, Bediüzzaman Said Nursi, Muhammed Lutfi Efendi and recently Fethullah Gülen. Rumi was one of the important rings in that golden chain of Islamic tradition, and was deeply affected by and benefited from the wealth and experiences of those Sufis and scholars preceding him, as well as influencing those to come.

His Sufi understanding

Rumi’s love for Allah was a fiery one, with a constant weeping and longing for God’s mysteries. Love for anything other than God is not real Love: ‘Wherever I put my head, that is my place of worship. No matter where I am, that is where God is. Vineyards, roses, nightingales, the sema and loving . . . They are all symbols, the reason is always Him.’ Allah is the Beloved and Rumi bewails his separation from Him, as the ney weeps at its separation from the reed bed whence it came and longs for return. He experienced love and passion both through his solitary asceticism and his communal engagements and said: ‘The way of God’s Messenger is the way of Love. We are the children of Love. Love is our mother.’ It was in his solitariness that he became most open to the truest union with God, and it was in his separation from all things except God that he became like a ball of fire. And while such a sense of burning would prove difficult for many to bear, Rumi, considered it an essential part of passion, and not complaining was viewed as a tradition of loyalty. To him, those who profess a love of God must necessarily accompany their statement of ‘I love’ with a sense of furious burning—this is the price one must willingly pay for being close to God or in union with Him: ‘I was raw, I am now cooked and burnt.’ Additionally, one must engage in ascetic behavior such as moderate eating, drinking, sleeping, and a constant awareness and directedness towards God in one’s speech, and one must inevitably experience bewilderment at God’s bounties. Rumi cannot understand how a lover can sleep in an immoderate way, as it takes away from time shared with the Beloved. For him, excessive sleeping was offensive to the Beloved. As God instructed David by saying, ‘O David, those who indulge in sleeping without contemplating Me, while they claim passion for Me, are really lying,’ so also Rumi states, ‘When the darkness falls, lovers become intense.’ Rumi continually prescribed this in word, and also showed it in his actions.

   His literary works

Rumi's poetry and prose writings have a spiritual content that is the universal language of the human soul. They speak of the spiritual journey of man's ascent through the mind and love to Perfection. His works were recorded, collected and compiled during his lifetime and after his death by his son, his friends and his students, particularly his much-loved disciple Husameddin Chelebi.

The Mathnawi

Soon after his spiritual friend Shems appeared in his life, Rumi started his marvelous work, The Masnawi, consisting of twenty-five thousand verses. Written in couplets and collected into six large volumes The Masnawi expresses Rumi’s burning love, refined spirit, fine intelligence and mysticism through the form of linked stories.

Divan-i Kebir

Also known as Divan-i Shems-i Tebriz (the collected poems of Shems of Tebriz) because Rumi used his friend’s name as a pseudonym, and consisting of over forty thousand couplets, this is a monumental work of divine lyricism. The whole is studied in depth in Muslim countries and selected passages have been widely translated and read throughout the world for centuries.

Fihi ma Fihi

Fihi ma Fihi (It Is What It Is), written in prose, is a collection of discourses and spiritual discussions given at gatherings with his students. Again using stories and examples it covers such topics as the mystical view of life and death, the phases of initiation into the mystical life, the relationship between the master and the initiate, faith, love, conduct, ethics and worship.

His continuing significance

Rumi was a devout Muslim and his teaching of peace and tolerance has appealed to men and women of all sects and creeds, and continues to draw followers from all parts of the Muslim and non-Muslim world. As both a teacher and a mystic, his doctrine advocates tolerance, reasoning, goodness, charity and awareness through love, looking with the same eye on Muslims, Jews, Christians and others alike.

Recognized as perhaps the greatest mystical poet of Islam, he communicated something through his writing that has attracted spiritual seekers from almost every religion in the world, for hundreds of years. Although at the time that Rumi emerged as a teacher and spiritual guide, the lands and the people of the East had been scourged and exhausted by the assaults of the Mongols, the Seljuk State much weakened by incursions and invasions by the Harzemshahs, who had previously defended Muslim lands against the Mongols, and in the chaos of the weakened state intercommunal and interreligious violence and schism were starting to arise, Rumi was able to produce an atmosphere of tolerance and dialogue. His message was to clarify the relation of human beings to our Creator, and our relation to others and our fellow beings. Even in his day, Rumi was sought out by merchants and kings, devout worshippers and rebellious seekers, famous scholars and common peasants, men and women. When he passed away in 1273, Muslims, Christians, Jews, Arabs, Persians, Turks and Romans honored him at his funeral, and men of five faiths followed his bier. That night was named Sheb-ul Arus (The Night of Union with the Divine). Ever since, the Mevlevi dervishes have kept that date as a festival.

Although Rumi was known and loved during his lifetime by the Christians in his immediate environment, the West only came to know him many centuries later, in part because the great German poet, Goethe, one of the fathers of the hugely Romantic movement, came to know and be influenced by some of the works of Rumi through the translations of the Austrian historian, Josef von Hammer. Even though most Islamic scholars would argue that von Hammer’s translations were for the most part inadequate, nevertheless the power and beauty of Rumi’s thought, mysticism and love shone through. By this route, Rumi has long been a strong, albeit indirect, influence on religious, cultural and even political life in Europe and the United States, and provides a real point of unity for East and West. The current truth and great potential of this cultural meeting is best proved by the fact that Rumi has been the best-selling poet in the United States for the last thirteen years.

Rumi’s life and works show us that it is not faith, belief and religion which cause hatred, conflict and violence, but the sins of hatred and greed and other symptoms of the unrestrained ego, and he showed us how the true practice of religion, the purification of the heart, is the remedy for these.

In our days his life and works are a reminder to all that the ‘Clash of Civilizations’ is far from inevitable and they show us how to derive hope, renewal and reconciliation, rather than despair, fear and enmity from our differences. He invites us to call constantly to mind that we are all one, from God we come and to God we will return:

 

Come, come, come again,

Whoever you may be,

Come again, even though

You may be a pagan or fire worshipper,

Our hearth is not the threshold of despair.

Come again, even if you may have

Violated your vows a hundred times,

Come again… 

http://www.whirlingdervishes.org/rumilife.htm

SUFISM AND ITS ORIGINS

By M. Fethullah Gülen

Sufism (tasawwuf) is the path followed by Sufis (adherents of Islamic mysticism) to reach the Truth—God. While this term usually expresses the theoretical or philosophical aspect of this search, its practical aspect is usually
referred to as "being a dervish."

WHAT IS SUFISM?

Sufism has been defined in many ways. Some see it as God's annihilating the individual's ego, will, and self-centredness and then reviving him spiritually with the lights of His Essence so that he may live according to His will. Others view it as a continuous striving to cleanse one's self of all that is bad or evil in order to acquire virtue. Junayd al-Baghdadi, a famous Sufi master, defines Sufism as a method of recollecting "self-annihilation in God" and "permanence or subsistence with God." Shibli summarizes it as always being together with God or in His presence, so that no worldly or other-worldly aim is even entertained. Abu Muhammad Jarir describes it as resisting the temptations of the carnal self and bad qualities and acquiring laudable moral qualities.

There are some who describe Sufism as seeing behind the "outer" or surface appearance of things and events and interpreting whatever happens in the world in relation to God. This means that a person regards every act of God as a window to "see" Him, lives his life as a continuous effort to view or "see" Him with a profound, spiritual "seeing" indescribable in physical terms, and with a profound awareness of being continually overseen by Him.
All of these definitions can be summarized as follows: Sufism is the path followed by an individual who is seeking to free himself or herself from human vices and weaknesses in order to acquire angelic qualities and conduct pleasing to God. Such a goal can be realized by living in accordance with the requirements of God's knowledge and love, and in the resulting spiritual delights that ensue. Sufism is based on observing even the most "trivial" rule of Shari'a in order to penetrate their inner meaning.

An initiate or traveler on the path (salik) never separates the outer observance of the Shari'a from its inner dimension, and therefore observes all of the requirements of both the outer and the inner dimensions of Islam. Through such observance, he or she travels toward the goal in utmost humility and submission.

Sufism, being a demanding path leading to knowledge of God, has no room for negligence or frivolity. It requires that the initiate should strive continuously, like a honeybee flying from the hive to flowers and from flowers to the hive, to acquire this knowledge. He should purify his heart from all other attachments, and resist all carnal inclinations, desires, and appetites. He should lead his life in a spiritual manner, always be ready to receive divine blessing and inspiration, and in strict observance of the example left behind by Prophet Muhammad. Convinced that attachment and adherence to God is the greatest merit and honor, he should renounce his own desires for the demands of God, the Truth.

After these [preliminary] definitions, we should discuss the aim, benefits, and principles of Sufism. Sufism requires the strict observance of all religious obligations, an austere lifestyle, and the renunciation of carnal desires. Through this method of spiritual self-discipline, the individual's heart is purified and his senses and faculties are employed in the way of God, which means that he can now begin to live on a spiritual level.

Sufism also enables man, through the constant worship of God, to deepen his awareness of himself as a devotee of God. It enables him to renounce this transient world and the desires and emotions that it engenders, and awakens him to the reality of the other world that is turned toward God's Divine Beautiful Names. Sufism allows the individual to make this transition, for it develops the angelic dimension of one's existence and enables the acquisition of a strong, heart-felt, and personally experienced conviction of the articles of faith that he had accepted only superficially.

The principles of Sufism may be listed as follows:
1. Reaching true belief in God's Divine Oneness and living in accordance with its demands.
2. Heeding the Divine Speech (the Qur'an), and discerning and then obeying the commands of the Divine Power and Will as they relate to the universe (the laws of creation and life).
3. Overflowing with Divine Love and getting along with all other beings in the realization (originating from Divine Love) that the universe is a cradle of brotherhood.
4. Giving preference or precedence to the well-being and happiness of others.
5. Acting in accord with the demands of the Divine Will-not with the demands of our own will-and living in a manner that reflects our self-annihilation in God and subsistence with Him.
6. Being open to love, spiritual yearning, delight, and ecstasy.
7. Being able to discern what is in hearts or minds through facial expressions and the inner, 
Divine mysteries and meanings of surface events.
8. Visiting spiritual places and associating with people who encourage the avoidance of sin and striving in the way of God.
9. Being content with permitted pleasures, and not to taking even a single step toward that which is not permitted.
10. Continuously struggling against worldly ambitions and illusions that lead us to believe in the eternal nature of this world.
11. Never forgetting that salvation is possible only through certainty or conviction of the truth of religious beliefs and conduct, sincerity or purity of intention, and the sole desire to please God.
Two other elements may be added: acquiring knowledge and understanding of the religious and gnostic sciences, and following the guidance of a perfected, spiritual master. Both of these are of considerable significance the Naqshbandiyah Sufi order.

It may be useful to discuss Sufism according to the following basic concepts, which often form the core of books written on good morals, manners, and asceticism, and which are regarded as the sites of the "Muhammadan Truth" in one's heart. They can also be considered lights by which to know and follow the spiritual path leading to God. The first and foremost of these concepts is wakefulness (yaqaza), which is alluded to in several Prophetic sayings (hadiths): "My eyes sleep but my heart does not," and "Men are asleep. They wake up when they die."

THE ORIGIN OF SUFISM

As the history of Islamic religious sciences tells us, religious commandments were not written down during the early days of Islam; rather, the practice and oral circulation of commandments related to belief, worship, and daily life allowed the people to memorize them. Thus it was not difficult to compile them in books later on, for what had been memorized and practiced was simply written down. In addition, since religious commandments were the vital. issues in a Muslim's individual and collective life, scholars gave priority to them and compiled books on them. Legal scholars collected and codified books on Islamic law and its rules and principles pertaining to all fields of life. Traditionists established the Prophetic traditions (hadiths) and way of life (sunnah), and preserved them in books. Theologians dealt with the issues concerning Muslim belief. Interpreters of the Qur'an dedicated themselves to studying its meaning, including issues that would later be called "Qur'anic sciences," such as naskh (abrogation of a law), inzal (God's sending down the entire Qur'an at one time), tanzil (God's sending down the Qur'an in parts on different occasions), qira'at (Qur'anic recitation), ta'wil (exegesis), and others.

Thanks to these universally appreciated efforts, the truths and principles of Islam were established in such a way that their authenticity cannot be doubted. While some scholars were engaged in these "outer" activities, Sufi masters were mostly concentrating on the pure spiritual dimension of the Muhammadan Truth. They sought to reveal the essence of man's being, the real nature of existence, and the inner dynamics of man and the cosmos by calling attention to the reality of things lying beneath and beyond their outer dimension.

Adding to the Qur'anic commentaries, the narrations of the Traditionists, and the deductions of the legal scholars, the Sufi masters developed their ways through asceticism, spirituality and self-purification-in short, their practice and experience of religion. Thus the Islamic spiritual life based on asceticism, regular worship, abstention from all major and minor sins, sincerity and purity of intention, love and yearning, and the individual's admission of his essential impotence and destitution became the subject-matter of Sufism, a new science possessing its own method, principles, rules, and terms. Even if various differences gradually emerged among the orders that were established later on, it can be said that the basic core of this science has always been the essence of the Muhammadan Truth.

The two aspects of the same truth—the commandments of the Shari'a and Sufism—have sometimes been presented as mutually exclusive. This is quite unfortunate, as Sufism is nothing more than the spirit of Shari'a, which is made up of austerity, self-control and criticism, and the continuous struggle to resist the temptations of Satan and the carnal, evil-commanding self so as to be able to fulfill religious obligations. While adherence to the former has been regarded as exotericism (self-restriction to the outer dimension of religion), following the latter has been seen as pure esotericism. Although this discrimination partly arises from assertions that the commandments of the Shari'a are represented by legal scholars or muftis, and the other by the Sufis, it should be viewed as the result of the natural, human tendency of assigning priority to that way which is most suitable for the individual practitioner.

Many legal scholars, Traditionists, and interpreters of the Qur'an produced important books based on the Qur'an and the Sunna. The Sufis, following the methods dating back to the time of the Prophet and his Companions, also compiled books on austerity, the spiritual struggle against carnal desires and temptations, states and stations of the spirit. They also recorded their own spiritual experiences, love, ardor, and rapture. The goal of this literature was to attract the attention of those whom they regarded as restricting their practice and reflection to the "outer" dimension of religion, and directing it to the "inner" dimension of the religious life. Both Sufis and scholars sought to reach God by observing the Divine obligations and prohibitions. Nevertheless, some extremist attitudes-occasionally observed on both sides-caused disagreements.

Actually there was no substantial disagreement, and it should not have been viewed as a disagreement, for it only involved dealing with different aspects and elements of religion under different titles. The tendency of specialists in jurisprudence to concern themselves with the rules of worship and daily life and how to regulate and discipline man's individual and social life, and that of Sufis to provide a way for man to live at a high level of spirituality through self-purification and spiritual training cannot be considered a disagreement.
In fact, Sufism and jurisprudence are like the two schools of a university that is seeking to teach its students the two dimensions of the Shari'a and to enable its students to practice it in their daily life. One school cannot survive without the other, for while one teaches how to pray, how to be ritually pure, how to fast, how to give charity, and how to regulate all aspects of daily life, the other concentrates on what these and other actions really mean, how to make worship an inseparable part of man's existence, and how to elevate man to the rank of a universal, perfect being-a true human being. That is why neither discipline can be neglected. Although some self-proclaimed Sufis have labelled religious scholars as "scholars of ceremonies" and "exoterists," real, perfected Sufis have always depended on the basic principles of the Shari'a and have based their thoughts on the Qur'an and the Sunna. They have derived their methods from these basic sources of Islam.

Al-Wasaya wa al-Ri'aya (The Advices and Observation of Rules) by al-Muhasibi, al-Ta'arruf li-Madhhabi Ahl al-Sufism (A Description of the Way of the People of Sufism) by Kalabazi, al-Luma' (The Gleams) by al-Tusi, Qut al-Qulub (The Food of Hearts) by Abu Talib al-Makki, and al-Risala (The Treatise) by al-Qushayri are among the precious sources where Sufism is dealt with according to the Qur'an and the Sunna. Some of these sources concentrate on self-control and self-purification, while others elaborate upon various topics concerned with Sufism.
After these great compilers came Hujjat al-Islam Imam al-Ghazzali , author of Ihya' al-Ulum al-Din (Reviving the Religious Sciences), his most celebrated work. He reviewed all of Sufism's terms, principles, and rules, and, establishing those agreed upon by all Sufi masters and criticizing others, united the outer (Shari'a and jurisprudence) and inner (Sufi) dimensions of Islam.

The Sufi masters coming after him presented Sufism as one of the religious sciences or a dimension thereof, promoting unity or agreement among themselves and the so-called "scholars of ceremonies." In addition, they made several Sufi subjects, such as the states of the spirit, certainty or conviction, sincerity and morality, part of the curriculum of madrassas (institutes for the study of religious sciences).

Although Sufism mostly concentrates on the inner world of man and deals with the meaning and effect of religious commandments on man's spirit and heart and is therefore abstract, it does not contradict any of the Islamic ways based on the Qur'an and Sunna. In fact, as is the case with other religious sciences, its source is the Qur'an and the Sunna, as well as the conclusions drawn from the Qur'an and the Sunna via ijtihad (deduction) by the purified scholars of the early period of Islam. It dwells on knowledge, knowledge of God, certainty, sincerity, perfect goodness, and other similar, fundamental virtues. Defining Sufism as the "science of esoteric truths or mysteries," or the "science of man's spiritual states and stations," or the "science of initiation" does not mean that it is completely different from other religious sciences.

Such definitions have resulted from the Shari'a-rooted experiences of various individuals, all of whom have had different temperaments and dispositions, over the centuries. It is a distortion to present the viewpoints of Sufis and the thoughts and conclusions of Shari'a scholars as essentially different from each other. Although it is undeniable that some Sufis have been fanatic adherents of their own ways, and that some religious scholars (i.e., legal scholars, Traditionists, and interpreters of the Qur'an) have restricted themselves to the outward dimension of religion, those who follow and represent the middle, straight path have always formed the majority. Therefore it is wrong to conclude that there is a serious disagreement, which most likely began with some unbecoming thoughts and words uttered by some legal scholars and Sufis against each other, between the two groups.

When compared with those on the side of tolerance and consensus, those who have started or participated in such conflicts are very few indeed. This is natural, for both groups have always depended on the Qur'an and Sunna, the two main sources of Islam. In addition, the priorities of Sufism have never been different from those of jurisprudence. Both disciplines stress the importance of belief and of engaging in good deeds and good conduct. The only difference is that Sufis emphasize self-purification, deepening the meaning of good deeds and multiplying them, and attaining higher standards of good morals so that one's conscience can awaken to the knowledge of God and thus embark upon a path that leads to the required sincerity in living Islam and obtaining God's pleasure. By means of these virtues, man can acquire another nature, another heart, a spiritual intellect within the heart, a deeper knowledge of God, and another "tongue" with which to mention God, he can observe all Shari'a commandments based on a deeper awareness of, and with a disposition for, devotion to God.

An individual practitioner of Sufism can use it to deepen his or her spirituality. Through the struggle with one's self, solitude or retreat, invocation, self-control and self-criticism, the veils covering the inner dimension of existence are torn apart, enabling the individual to acquire a strong conviction of the truth of all the major and minor principles of faith. 

http://www.whirlingdervishes.org/sufizm.htm

The Whirling Dervishes

Sufism and Dervishes
The origin and roots of Sufism lie in the life and practices of the Prophet of Islam and the Qur’an. Sufism espouses a well-founded and thoroughgoing interpretation of Islam, which focuses on love, tolerance, worship of God, community development, and personal development through self-discipline and responsibility. A Sufi’s way of life is to love and be of service to people, deserting the ego or false self and all illusion so that one can reach maturity and perfection, and finally reach Allah, the True, the Real.
Through the Whirling Dervishes program we hope to bring to you a hint of one of the remarkable ways of achieving this: the way of Rumi, the great Muslim mystic and poet.
The Order of the Whirling Dervishes is one branch of the vast Sufi tradition of Islam. The universal values of love and service shared by all Sufis are very much relevant to the social and political realities of today, and this ritual, which is only performed by the Order of the Whirling Dervishes, has come to symbolize these values in the hearts and minds of millions throughout the world.


The Fundamental Meaning of Sema

THE SEMA RITUAL began with the inspiration of Mevlâna Jalâluddîn Rumi (1207-1273) and was influenced by Turkish customs and culture.
It is scientifically recognized that the fundamental condition of our existence is to revolve. There is no being or object which does not revolve, because all beings are comprised of revolving electrons, protons, and neutrons in atoms. Everything revolves, and the human being lives by means of the revolution of these particles, by the revolution of the blood in his body, and by the revolution of the stages of his life, by his coming from the earth and his returning to it.

However, all of these revolutions are natural and unconscious. But the human being possesses a mind and an intelligence which distinguishes him from other beings. Thus the whirling dervish or semazen, intentionally and consciously participates in the shared revolution of other beings.
Contrary to popular belief, the semazen's goal is not to lose consciousness or to fall into a state of ecstasy. Instead, by revolving in harmony with all things in nature -- with the smallest cells and with the stars in the firmament -- the semazen testifies to the existence and the majesty of the Creator, thinks of Him, gives thanks to Him, and prays to Him. In so doing, the semazen confirms the words of the Qur'an (64:1): Whatever is in the skies or on earth invokes God.
An important characteristic of this seven-centuries-old ritual is that it unites the three fundamental components of human nature: the mind (as knowledge and thought), the heart (through the expression of feelings, poetry and music) and the body (by activating life, by the turning). These three elements are thoroughly joined both in theory and in practice as perhaps in no other ritual or system of thought.
The Sema ceremony represents the human being's spiritual journey, an ascent by means of intelligence and love to Perfection (Kemal). Turning toward the truth, he grows through love, transcends the ego, meets the truth, and arrives at Perfection. Then he returns from this spiritual journey as one who has reached maturity and completion, able to love and serve the whole of creation and all creatures without discriminating in regard to belief, class, or race.
In the symbolism of the Sema ritual, the semazen's camel's hair hat (sikke) represents the tombstone of the ego; his wide, white skirt represents the ego's shroud. By removing his black cloak, he is spiritually reborn to the truth. At the beginning of the Sema, by holding his arms crosswise, the semazen appears to represent the number one, thus testifying to God's unity. While whirling, his arms are open: his right arm is directed to the sky, ready to receive God's beneficence; his left hand, upon which his eyes are fastened, is turned toward the earth. The semazen conveys God's spiritual gift to those who are witnessing the Sema. Revolving from right to left around the heart, the semazen embraces all humanity with love. The human being has been created with love in order to love. Mevlâna Jalâluddîn Rumi says, "All loves are a bridge to Divine love. Yet, those who have not had a taste of it do not know!"

The Ritual Dance or Sema
The Mevlevi (also spelled as mawlawi) Ritual dance or sema consists of several stages with different meanings:
The first stage, Naat-i Sherif, is a eulogy to the Messenger of Islam and the all Prophets before him, who represent love. To praise them is to acknowledge and praise God Almighty Who created and sent them to humanity as a mercy. This eulogy is followed by a drumbeat (on the kudum) symbolizing the divine command ‘Be’ for the creation of the entire universe.  
 
The Naat-i Sherif is followed by a Taksim, an improvisation on the reed flute or ney. This expresses the divine breath, which gives life to everything.
 
Then follows the Sultan Veled procession or Devr-i Veled, accompanied by peshrev music; this is a circular, anticlockwise, procession three times around the turning space. The greetings of the semazen, or whirling dervishes, during the procession represent the three stages of knowledge: ilm-al yaqin (received knowledge, gained from others or through study), ayn-al yaqin (knowing by seeing or observing for oneself) and haqq-al yakin (knowledge gained through direct experience, gnosis).

During the Sema itself there are four selams, or musical movements, each with a distinct rhythm. At the beginning, during and close of each selam, the semazen testify to God's existence, unity, majesty and power:
 

The First Selam represents the human being's birth to truth through feeling and mind. It represents his complete acceptance of his condition as a creature created by God.

 

The Second Selam expresses the rapture of the human being witnessing the splendor of creation in the face of God's greatness and omnipotence.

 

The Third Selam is the rapture of dissolving into love and the sacrifice of the mind to love. It is complete submission, unity, and the annihilation of self in the Beloved. This is the state that is known as nirvana in Buddhism and fana fillah in Islam. The next stage in Islamic belief is the state of servanthood represented by the Prophet, who is called God's servant foremost and subsequently His ‘Messenger.’ The aim of Sema is not uncontrolled ecstasy and loss of consciousness, but the realization of submission to God.

 

In the Fourth Selam, just as the Prophet ascends to the spiritual Throne of Allah and then returns to his task on earth, the whirling dervish, after the ascent of his spiritual journey, returns to his task, to his servanthood. He is a servant of God, of His Books, of His Prophets, of His whole Creation.

 
This is followed by a recitation from the Qur’an, the Sura (Chapter) Mary on the miracle birth of Jesus and his mission.
 
At the end, by the salute, the dervish demonstrates again the number ‘1’ in his appearance, arms consciously and humbly crossed, and, by this, the unity of God.

 
The ceremony ends with a prayer for the peace of the souls of all the Prophets and believers.
 
After the completion of the Sema, all the dervishes retire silently to their rooms for meditation and further remembrance of God.
 
IMPORTANT NOTE: Sema is a spiritual act, so please DO NOT applaud while watching. You may kindly do so, if you wish, after the dervishes have left the stage

http://www.whirlingdervishes.org/whirlingdervishes.htm

SUFISM-

SUFISM- By Peter J. Awn

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One of truly creative manifestations of religious life in Islam is the mystical tradition, known as Sufism. The term derives most probably from the Arabic word for wool (suf), since the early ascetics of Islam (sufis) are  said to have worn coarse woolen garments to symbolize their rejection of the wool.
Origins.
Muslim mystical writers such as Abu Bakr al-Kalabadhi  (d. 990/5) and ‘Ali  al-Hujwiri (d.1071/2), nonetheless, have proposed a number of etymologies for sufi :
saff, “rank”, implying that Sufis are an elite group among Muslims ; suffah,  “bench, ” alluding” to the people of the bench, the intimates  of the prophet muhammad who  gathered at the first mosque in medina ; safa, “purity”, focusing on the moral uprightness essential to the sufi way of life .
The resolution of the etymological debate is less critical than the recognition that the terms sufi and sufism evoke complex layers of meaning in Islam, including the denial of the world, close association with the prophet and his message, and a spiritual attainment that raises one a rank of unique intimacy with god

Some earlier western scholars of sufism concluded that mysticism is incompatible with the muslim perception of an almighty, transcendent.  God with whom one shares little intimacy. In their opinion Sufi mysticism was born on Islam’s contact with other major world religious, especially Christianity and Buddhism. This theory is no longer considered viable for two reasons : first, the Qur’anic perception of the relationship of the individual to god is quite complex, highlighting both immanence and transcendence, and second, while no one denies that Islam evolved in a religious pluralistic environment,

Muslim Intellectual A Study of al-Ghazali

PREFACE – For a book entitled Muslim Intellectual A Study of al-Ghazali By W. Montgomery Watt

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The difficulty of writing about al-Ghazali is well illustrated by the various comments and critisicm that have been made of the works by Julius Obermann, A.J. Wensick, Margareth Smith and Farid Jabre. The difficulty is due to the great volume of this writings, to the fact books were ascribed to him that were definitely not by him and the changes in his outlook which occurred during the course of his life. When the growth and development of his outlook is combine with the lack of complete agreement about which works unauthentic, scholars are presented with the some peculiarly intractable problems before they can properly begin the study of al-Ghazali’s thought. Yet the subject is one that is well worth attempting. Al-Ghazali has been acclaimed as the greatest. His outlook, too, is closer that of many Muslims to the outlook of modern Europe and America, so that he is more easily comprehensible to us. Thus there is here a great challenge to scholarship.

The present study of the struggle and achievement of al-Ghazali does not attempt to
take up that challenge in its entirely, but only to look at his life and thought as a whole within the context of the times in which he lived. I have  tried to write in such a way that the book could be read by general sociologist as well as by the students of Islam, but this means that Islamists will find an undue neglect of detail. In defence I would make the plea that is necessary to look at the picture as a whole  before we can  see at what points  further detailed study is needed. The general standpoint from which I write is that of the sociology of knowledge – a discipline which, though still in its infancy , is characteristic of our age and a expressions of its spirit. Since practically nothing has been written about  the Islamic world from this standpoint, I have found it necessary to re-examine and reassess much of the previous history of Islamic thought. This re-assesment had largely been made, and  the relevant sections of his book written, before I began Islamic Philosophy and theology.

Sapardi Djoko Damono

Aku ingin mencintaimu dengan sederhana
dengan kata yang tak sempat diucapkan
kayu kepada api
yang menjadikannya abu


Aku ingin mencintaimu dengan sederhana
dengan isyarat yang tak sempat disampaikan
awan kepada hujan
yang menjadikannya tiada

ZIKIR: JALAN UNTUK MERAIH CINTA ILAHI

Oleh: Muhammad Arifin Ilham


Ajaran Islam paling dasar dan paling penting tersurat dan tersirat dalam kalimat syahadat: Laa ilaaha illallaah, yang berarti "tidak ada Tuhan selain Allah." Kalimat tauhid ini merupakan pengakuan keimanan seorang hamba kepada Sang Pencipta, yang diimplementasikan dalam berbagai macam bentuk ketaatan kepada-Nya. Taat menjalankan perintah-Nya dan taat untuk menjauhi larangan-Nya. Hikmah ketaatan dengan demikian adalah terus-menerus mengingat-Nya.

Al-Qur'an secara tegas menyatakan bahwa, "Hai orang-orang yang beriman! Berzikirlah dan ingatlah nama Allah dengan zikir sebanyak-banyaknya. Dan bertasbihlah kepada-Nya di waktu pagi dan petang." (al-Ahzaab: 41-42). Makna ketaatan sesungguhnya terletak pada makna kalimat 'Mengingat Allah', yaitu apa saja yang tidak bisa dilupakan dalam keadaan bagaimana pun. Hal ini sebagaimana yang dijelaskan dalam ayat, "(Yaitu) orang-orang yang mengingat Allah sambil berdiri, duduk dan dalam keadaan berbaring,…" (aali-'Imraan: 191). Ibnu 'Abbas ra menjelaskan ayat tersebut bermakna, "Mengingat Allah diperintahkan dalam setiap keadaan, siang dan malam hari, di darat dan di lautan, selama dalam perjalanan, di saat dalam kelapangan dan kesempitan, di saat sakit dan sehat, secara lahiriah dan batiniah."

Manfaat penting yang dapat diperoleh dari kegiatan "mengingat Allah" adalah, janji Allah berupa ampunan dan pahala yang besar, sebagaimana firman-Nya: "Sesungguhnya laki-laki dan perempuan -yang banyak menyebut Allah, Allah menyediakan untuk mereka ampunan dan pahala yang besar." (al-Ahzaab: 35).

Oleh karena itu, seorang Mukmin tak akan menyia-nyiakan kehidupannya di dunia untuk melakukan hal-hal yang tak ada kaitannya dengan kegiatan mengingat Allah. Hasan al-Bashry pernah berkata, "Carilah kegembiraan dalam tiga hal: shalat, mengingat Allah (zikir), dan membaca Al-Qur'an. Jika engkau tak melakukannya, ketahuilah bahwa engkau adalah budak belenggu dunia. Hanya saja, jelas bahwa hal-hal ini bukanlah tiga jumlahnya, melainkan satu: sebab shalat dan membaca Al-Qur'an merupakan zikir. Kemudian, zikir adalah nama Al-Qur'an itu sendiri (yakni, adz-dzikr), dan shalat dimaksudkan untuk mengingat Allah: "…dan tegakkanlah shalat untuk mengingat-Ku." (Thaahaa: 14).

Tak heran bila obyek segenap ibadah seorang Muslim adalah mengingat Allah. Ruh doa misalnya adalah mengingat Allah. Tujuan shaum ialah menghancurkan keakuan, hawa nafsu dan syahwat yang bersemayam di dalam hati, sebab jika hati telah dibersihkan dari kotorannya, maka ia akan dipenuhi dengan mengingat Allah. Ibadah haji dilakukan dengan mengasingkan diri dari semua kesibukan duniawi, dan meluangkan waktu untuk melulu menyibukkan diri dengan mengingat Allah. Hikmah beribadah haji adalah menuntaskan kerinduan untuk berjumpa dengan-Nya

Ketika cahaya dari hasil mengingat-Nya masuk menembus hati, maka hati pun menjadi kosong dari kesedihan dan kedukaan dunia, hati akan dipenuhi dengan kecintaan hanya kepada Allah semata. Cahaya dari mengingat-Nya akan mengubah hati menjadi lampu yang bersinar terang, jiwanya senantiasa bernafsu muthma'innah, dan ibadahnya tentu saja tu'maninah. Dengan demikian jelas pula bagi kita bahwa tujuan zikir bukanlah sekedar mengingat saja. Zikir sejatinya bertujuan menanamkan kecintaan pada Dzat yang selalu disebut-sebut, agar pengetahuan tentang-Nya dan kecintaan pada-Nya dapat dikembangkan sehingga kedekatan-Nya dapat tercapai.

Dengan zikir, hati ini akan dipenuhi cinta pada Allah, hingga tak ada lagi tempat yang tersisa bagi yang lainnya; hubungan cinta dengan segala sesuatunya pun terputus dan yang tersisa hanyalah kecintaan pada Allah. Cinta kita kepada Rasulullah Saw, keluarganya dan para sahabatnya, mustahil akan tumbuh jika tak dibarengi dengan cinta kepada Allah. Dan cinta yang benar serta yang diridhai Allah kepada anak, istri dan keluarga adalah cinta yang tumbuh karena kecintaan kita kepada Allah. Ibnu Qayyim al-Jauziyah mengatakan, bahwa "Barangsiapa yang menolak untuk mencintai, berzikir kepada Allah, serta tidak merindukan pertemuan dengan-Nya, maka dia akan mendapatkan kecelakaan dari kecintaannya kepada yang selain Allah itu. Ia akan mendapatkan azab, baik di dunia, di alam barzakh maupun di akhirat kelak. Mungkin saja ia diazab karena mencintai patung, atau mencintai salib, atau lebih mencintai wanita, atau lebih mencintai saudara serta keluarganya, yang sebenarnya merupakan kecintaan yang amat hina dan rendah, dibandingkan dengan kecintaan terhadap Allah."

Orang yang sibuk mengingat Allah, adalah orang yang menafikan segala bentuk ketaatan kepada mahluk. Dengan pedang Laa ilaaha illallaah, ia menafikan segala macam pikiran yang sesat, ia menolak segala bentuk penyembahan kepada yang selain Allah. Para pezikir adalah orang yang mampu melepas keterikatan dirinya dari segala sesuatu selain Allah, ia mampu mengosongkan hati dari kecintaan kepada dunia serta mampu menghilangkan segenap pikiran buruk dan tidak baik.

Sedangkan orang yang lupa (berzikir) kepada Allah adalah orang yang lupa kepada dirinya. Al-Qur'an menyatakan: "Dan janganlah kamu seperti orang yang melupakan Allah, lalu Allah pun membuat mereka melupakan diri mereka sendiri. Mereka itu orang-orang yang fasik." (al-Hasyr: 19). Dalam pengertian spiritual, orang yang melupakan diri sendiri adalah orang yang telah tersesat. Al-Qur'an menyatakan: "Dan barangsiapa yang berpaling dari mengingat (Allah) yang Maha Pengasih, niscaya Kami sertakan syaitan atasnya, maka ia adalah teman baginya (selalu menyertainya)." (az-Zukhruf: 36).

Dan hanya orang Mukminlah yang terus-menerus mengingat Allah di dalam setiap denyut nadinya. Ia sadar bahwa dengan berzikir ia mengharapkan Allah dapat menanamkan di dalam hatinya rasa cinta kepada-Nya. Ia sadar bahwa Allah hanya berlaku diskriminatif dalam urusan agama dan cinta-Nya saja. Allah hanya akan mencintai orang yang mencintai-Nya. Allah memberikan kasih-sayang-Nya, tetapi tidak cinta-Nya kepada setiap insan. Saudaraku, jadikanlah zikir menjadi jalan untuk meraih cinta-Nya. Orang yang jatuh cinta adalah hamba yang mengabaikan dirinya, selalu menyebut-nyebut nama Rabb-nya, melaksanakan hak-hak-Nya, memandang-Nya dengan hati, membakar hati dengan cahaya kehedak-Nya, jika bicara selalu menyertakan Allah, jika berucap dari Allah, jika bergerak menurut perintah Allah, jika diam bersama Allah, dia dengan Allah, milik Allah dan bersama Allah!

_____________________________

Semoga artikel dari ustadz Arifin Ilham di atas bermanfaat untuk kita semua, amien.

Santri, Rihlah, dan Barat (Part 3)

Oleh Sumanto Al Qurtuby
mahasiswa PhD di Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, Amerika Serikat
 

Meskipun dunia Islam pasca tumbangnya Dinasti Andalusia dan merapuhnya 
otoritas Turki Usmani mulai menunjukkan keloyoannya seiiring meluasnya 
kolonialisme Eropa (terutama Inggris, Perancis, Belanda, Spanyol, dll) 
di berbagai kawasan Islam, tradisi rihlah untuk mencari ilmu 
pengetahuan dan menggali kebudayaan ini tidak sirna. Bahkan meskipun 
Belanda dulu mempersulit kaum Muslim "Jawi" untuk berangkat ke Mekah 
dan Madinah, semangat untuk menunaikan ibadah haji plus thalabul ilmi 
tetap menyala. Spirit untuk pergi ke Haramain semakin membara ketika 
pemerintah Hindia Hindia Belanda pada akhirnya melapangkan jalan bagi 
kaum Muslim untuk beribadah haji sejak pertengahan abad ke-19. Motif 
Pemerintah Belanda pada waktu itu adalah agar kaum Muslim menjadi 
saleh dengan demikian mereka akan sibuk melakukan "aktivitas 
keagamaan" dan melupakan "political activism" yang bisa membahayakan 
stabilitas politik pemerintah Belanda, sebuah ramalan yang celakanya 
keliru.

Dengan kebijakan yang mempermudah ibadah haji ditambah dengan 
teknologi steamship yang mereka sponsori dan dibukanya Terusan Suez 
(tahun 1869), para kaum Muslim dari Melayu / Jawi yang berangkat ke 
Mekah dan Madinah menjadi membludak sehingga pada awal-awal abad ke-20 
jamaa'ah haji dari "Tanah Jawi" ini menjadi kontingen terbesar di 
Mekah dan Madinah. Perlu diketahui bahwa kaum Muslim yang berhaji pada 
waktu itu tidak semata-mata didorong untuk menunaikan rukun Islam yang 
kelima saja, tetapi juga dalam rangka menuntut ilmu (baca, rihlah) di 
pusat-pusat keislaman seperti Mekah, Madinah, Damaskus, dan juga 
Cairo. Karena itu biasanya sehabis menunaikan ibadah haji, mereka 
tidak langsung pulang melainkan menetap beberapa bulan bahkan beberapa 
tahun di marakiz al-ilm-nya kaum Muslim bongso "Jawi" ini. Kelak, para 
jamaah haji inilah yang memegang peranan penting dalam proses 
diseminasi keislaman di Nusantara. Sepulang dari Mekah, Madinah, 
Kairo, dan tempat-tempat lain di Arab dan Timur Tengah, mereka 
kemudian mendirikan masjid, madrasah, dan pesantren yang kemudian 
menjadi conduit proses penyebaran Islam di negeri ini. Sampai 
pertengahan abad ke-20, arus umat Islam yang menuntut ilmu di Timur 
Tengah masih kencang.

Baru pada awal-awal pemerintah Order Baru, arus ke Timur Tengah 
menurun seiring dengan kebijakan pemerintah waktu itu yang kurang 
friendly dengan "Islam Arab/Timur Tengah" karena dianggap sebagai 
sarang Islam garis keras. Revolusi Islam Iran tahun 1979 juga turut 
menambah "kewaspadaan" di pihak Orde Baru akan potensi Islam politik 
sehingga semakin menambah kerasnya kebijakan-kebijakan terhadap Islam. 
Meski begitu bukan berarti arus kaum Muslim ke Timur Tengah berhenti. 
Kaum Muslim hanya "istirahat" sejenak untuk mewacanakan "Islam 
politik" meski tetap melakukan "Islam kultural." Baru pada akhir 
1980an dan awal 1990an, Presiden Suharto sedikit mengubah kebijakan 
atas Islam dan mengganti `style keberagamaan' dari "kejawen" ke arah 
yang lebih welcome dan `merangkul' kaum Muslim. Ia sendiri, untuk 
menunjukkan "Islamic piety" dan komitmen keislaman dan kaum Muslim, 
berangkat ke Mekah untuk menunaikan haji, dan menjadi sponsor 
pendirian ICMI. Inilah era yang oleh Martin van Bruinessen disebut 
"santrinisasi" karena penampilan para petinggi negara dari sipil 
sampai militer yang "ke-hijau-hijau- an."
Tumbangnya Orde Baru membuat wajah Indonesia berubah: dari 
otoritarianisme ke democracy, dari "belenggu" ke kebebasan. Proses 
transisi politik ini juga membawa konsekuensi baru berupa kebebasan 
untuk menentukan "kiblat" pembelajaran. Maka travelling untuk menuntut 
ilmu ke manca negara, baik Timur maupun Barat, kembali menguat di 
kalangan Muslim termasuk kaum santri. Program-program beasiswa 
(scholarship) yang ditawarkan berbagai lembaga dan pemerintah Luar 
Negeri menjadi faktor terpenting yang membuat ghirah para santri tak 
terbendung untuk ikut berkompetisi dengan komunitas non-santri guna 
mendapatkan tiket beasiswa. Program beasiswa ini memang sudah ada 
sejak pemerintah Orde Baru tetapi hanya dapat diakses oleh "golongan 
tertentu" yang mempunyai relasi dengan pemerintah dan kroninya. Dalam 
semangat kronisme dan iklim kompetisi yang tidak sehat, kaum santri 
yang mayoritas terbelakang dan "lugu" jelas tidak mampu bersaing 
dengan "mereka" yang mempunyai akses dan jaringan ke pemerintah. Hanya 
kelompok-kelompok tertentu saja yang bisa menikmati beasiswa waktu itu.

Sekarang iklim sudah berubah. Kompetisi relatif sehat dan terbuka, 
meskipun tentu saja masih ada semangat "koncoisme" yang tidak sehat. 
Keterbukaan berkompetisi inilah yang membuat para santri berhasil 
melaju ke pusat-pusat peradaban intelektual di negara-negara Barat. 
Citra santri yang tidak kompetitif, tidak ilmiah, tidak berprestasi, 
tidak intelek, dll pun sedikit demi sedikit lebur siiring dengan 
semakin banyaknya alumni pesantren yang belajar di AS, Kanada, 
Australia, Eropa, dlsb. Tetapi satu hal yang penting dan menarik untuk 
dicatat, meskipun para santri ini mempelajari berbagai disiplin 
keilmuan dan dididik oleh (sebagian besar) para orientalis non-Muslim 
mereka tetap saja seorang santri yang lucu dan "lugu." Mereka—kaum 
"santri baru" ini— meskipun tinggal di kota-kota modern dan 
metropolitan Barat juga bukan lantas larut dalam arus kebudayaan baru 
dimana mereka tinggal. Sebagai santri mereka mampu memilah dan memilih 
mana tradisi dan kebudayaan yang dianggap baik dan sebaliknya. Lebih 
lanjut, mereka juga tidak dengan serta merta mencampakkan tradisi 
pesantren dan NU tempat mereka dibesarkan seperti dituduhkan banyak 
orang, bahkan sebaliknya mereka merindukan dan memelihara tradisi-
tradisi pesantren dan identitas santri: sarungan, kuplukan, kumpulan, 
tahlilan, dzibaan, tadarusan, dst.

Saya berharap para "santri baru" ini kelak menjadi sarjana polymath 
yang mumpuni di berbagai disiplin sebagaimana para ulama di abad 
pertengahan Islam. (Selesai)