The Sufis' Belief in Fire and Paradise

Their belief in the Fire and Paradise: It is unbecoming of the Sufis to seek Paradise, as this is a sign of weak Imaan (Faith), so they claim!;ABakr Al-Kalabathi said in his book, At-Ta'arruf li Mathahib Ahl At-Tasawwuf (Gaining Knowledge in the Schools of the Sufis), p. 15 5, "Some people entered on Rabe-'ah Al-'Adawiyyah (a well known Sufi teacher) to visit her when she was suffering from an illness. They said, 'How do you feel?' She said, 'By Allah! I do not know of a particular reason behind my illness, except that Paradise was offered to me and my heart felt eagerness towards it. Hence, I believe that my Lord got jealous and then criticized (or blamed) me (by making me sick!). "' The Sufis say this, while a man once said to the Prophet that he asks Allah for Paradise and to be saved from the Fire while praying, and added that he does not understand what the Prophet and his companion Mu'ath murmur while praying. The Prophet replied, «We murmur about the same thing» [Abu Dawood, ibn Majah, Ahmad & ibn Khuzaymah].

As for the Fire, it is not befitting for the firm Sufi to seek to escape from it, because only those who are not free" fear the Fire. This is especially the case since a Sufi can merely spit on the Fire, and it will be extinguished, as one of their leaders once claimed! Other Sufis, such as Abu Yazid Al Bustami (l-Luma', p. 490], ibn 'Arabi and their likes who believe in Wa'hdat Al Wujud --that everything and everyone is Allah Himself-, believe that the Fire is Allah! Therefore, the Fire actually has more joys and tranquility in it than the joys of Paradise, so they claim! Ibn 'Arabi said, in Fusus Al-'Hikam, p. 94, "And if they enter the residence of misery, they will be in joy therein!" Further, and to add to this utter confusion and defiance of Allah and the Islamic principals, Mohammad ibn Uthman Al-Mirghani said, "Whoever saw me, or saw those who saw me, up to five generations, will be saved from the Fire!" [Taj AtTafasir, p. 41.

The Sufi belief regarding the Awliyaa':

The true Awliyaa' are Allah's loyal slaves who strictly adhere to the Allah, the Sunnah and the way of the rightly-guided ancestors. However, the Sufis have different beliefs with regards the Awliyaa' (pious people), as some Sufis believe that the Wali (pious leader, saint) is better than the Prophet, as ibn 'Arabi has stated, "The grade of the prophet-hood is in a Barzakh (a border area), just above the Messenger and below the Wali." Further, many of them elevate the Wali to the status of Allah Himself. To these Sufis, the Wali is equal to Allah in attributes, for the Wali brings life and death, provides sustenance and controls the existence, just as Allah does.

The Sufi scholars divide the ranks of the Sufi Awliyaa' into the following categories, all of which were compiled and explained by Abdul Wahhab Ash-Sha'rani, based on ibn Arabi's book, Al-Futu'hat Al-Makkiyyah:

A - Al-Ghawth, the grand Qutb (or the pillar), who controls everything in existence. AshSha'rani said that ibn 'Arabi said, chapter 383, "Know that the entire existence is being preserved (or protected) through the Qutb."

B - The four Awtad (poles), who control the four corners of the universe on behalf of AlGhawth (helper). Ash-Sha'rani said that ibn 'Arabi said, chapter 383, "Through the Awtad, Allah perseveres and protects the south, the north, the east and the west."

C - The seven Abdal [as whenever one of them passes away, another Badal (replacement) is appointed in his place]. Each of the Abdal controls one of the seven continents, again on behalf of AlGhawth. Ash-Sha'rani said that ibn 'Arabi said, chapter 383, "Through the Abdal, Allah protects the seven continents."

D - An-Nuj'abaa' (honorable, chosen ones) who control the individual cities. Ibn 'Arabi said, "Know that every city or province has its own Qutb (meaning Najeeb)..." [Al-Yawaqheet wal-Jawahir, by ibn 'Arabi, v.2 p. 83].

The Sufis claim that all these Awliyaa' meet every night in Cave 'Hiraa to decide the destiny of the creation! As-Suliumasi said, "I heard the Shaykh (meaning his teacher, Abdul Aziz Ad-Dabbagh, who was an ignorant illiterate person, yet he claimed that he was given the entire knowledge, from beginning to end!) say, 'Ad-Diwan (the conference or meeting, where the Awliyaa' meet every night) is held in Cave 'Hiraa, where the Messenger of Allah used to go to mediate and think about the creation before he became a Prophet."' He also heard Ad-Dabbagh say, "When the Diwan is held, the Awliyaa' will agree on what will occur until the same time the next night. They will thus discuss what Allah will decide in the following day and night, as they have the authority over the worlds..." [Al-lbreez, p. 169].

Their belief with regards to Satan and Pharaoh:

The Sufi mainstream believe that Satan is the best of the creation, and that he has acquired the highest status and grades with regards to Taw'hid (worshipping Allah in Monotheism), since he refused to bow down prostrate except for Allah when Allah ordered him to bow down before Adam. They also claim that Allah has forgiven Satan his sins and has entered him into Paradise! Pharaoh is also the best person who practiced Taw'hid, since he claimed that he is Allah, the Most High.

According to the Sufis, Satan and Pharaoh have thus known the truth, that they are Allah, and this is the reason behind Satan's refusal to bow down in prostration before Adam, as Allah has commanded him, "And (remember) when We said to the angels, "Prostrate yourselves before Adam. " And they prostrated except satan, he refused and was proud and was one of the disbelievers. [2:34], and since Pharaoh proclaimed, "I am your lord, most high." [79:24]!

Al-'Hallaj said, "No being has practiced Taw'hid in the heavens better than Satan!" He also said that Moses once asked Satan, "O Satan! What prevented you from Sujud (prostration)?" He said, "The call unto the only One who is being worshipped is what prevented me, and if I had performed Sujud, I would have become like you!" [At-Tawaseen, for Al-'Hallaj].

As for Pharaoh, ibn'Arabi said, "Since Pharaoh was the ruler, he had the supreme authority... this is why he said, 'I am your lord, the most high,' meaning, 'since all are lords in a sense, I am your highest lord."' [Al-Fusus Al-Makkiyyah, p. 210-211]. This is why ibn'Arabi said that Pharaoh is in Paradise, for Pharaoh knew that he was Allah, just as Satan refused to bow down in Sujud for himself, as he too knew that he was Allah! Allah is exalted from this utter deviation from the truth.'

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