Extravagant Sufism 1/3

Sufism reached its most organized form by the end of the third century after the Hijrah (Prophet Muhammad's migration from Mecca to Madinah, which occurred in 623 AD), when one of the well-known and infamous Sufi teachers, Al'Husayn ibn Mansoor Al-'Hallaj, announced his most deviant and un-Islamic beliefs. The scholars of Islam during that time issued several Fatwas (Islamic rulings (that declared Al-'Hallaj's beliefs and ideas as clear Kufr (disbelief).

Consequently, he was executed in 309 AH, and was' crucified on Baghdad's bridge. In spite of what had happened to Al-'Hallaj, Sufism continued to spread in many areas such as Persia, in particular, and also in Iraq. As for Persia, Abu Sa'id Al Mayhani was instrumental in spreading Sufism, as he established a special order for Sufis, which he called "Al-Khanat", which served as Sufi social clubs. Later on, other Sufis adopted this practice of establishing their own Khanat, and hence the Sufi Turuq --pl. for Tariqhah, each of which is considered a distinct Sufi school of thought-- started to appear in the fourth century after Hijrah, especially in Egypt, Iraq and Morocco.

During the sixth century AH, many Sufis who have started their own Turuq claimed that they were direct descendants of the Messenger of Allah. They did so in order to gain the support and loyalty of the common-folk, so they will be receptive to the Sufi methodology. Thus, many people embraced the Sufi Turuq, such as the Turuq of some infamous Sufi teachers as Ar-Rifa'i in Iraq, and Al-Badawi and Ash-Shathili in Egypt. Many other Sufi Turuq then appeared and spread throughout the Muslim World.

During the period between the sixth and the eighth centuries after the Hijrah, the Sufi Turuq became very popular with many ignorant and misguided Muslims. Many more new Sufi sects appeared and, as a consequence, many monuments were built around the graves, to fulfill the Sufi urge to call the dead in supplication instead of Allah. The Fatimid dynasty, which appeared in Egypt, Syria and other parts of the Muslim World, and who claimed to be direct descendants of the Prophet's daughter, Fatimah, helped significantly in spreading Sufism. Hence, the practice of erecting monuments around the graves became even more widespread, such as the monuments that were built around the claimed gravesite of Al-'Husayn ibn Ali, and around the grave of As-Sayyidah Zaynab, a grand daughter of the Messenger of Allah.

During the eighth century AH, a great Imam of Islam was especially active in fighting all types of deviation in belief and practice, both with his tongue and pen. His defending the true Islamic Faith and the correct 'Aqeedah (Belief), against Sufism in particular, has had and still have a tremendous impact on the successive generations that came after him. This Imam was Imam ibn Taymiyyah, who was succeeded by his famous students, all Imams in their own right, such as ibn Al-Qayyim, ibn Kathir, Ath-Thahabi, Al-Mazzi, among many others.

These very well known students of ibn Taymiyyah carried the legacy of their great teacher and defended the integrity of the Islamic Faith against both the Sufis and their innovated, deviant beliefs and practices. In the twelfth century after the Hijrah, Allah raised yet another Imam and defender of the true Taw'hid (Monotheism), Imam Mohammad ibn Abdil-Wahhab, who exposed the utterly misguided way of thought, heretic beliefs and deviant practices of the Sufis, which almost engulfed the entire Muslim world then. This is why Imam Mohammad ibn Abdil Wahhab was called, "The Mujaddid (reviver) of Da'wah (the call) of Taw'hid."

First: The Sufi Creed

I - With regards to Allah: The Sufis have different types of belief in Allah. Al-'Hallaj and those who followed his misguided way, believed in incarnation and that Allah's Soul appears in all types of shapes, even animals, such as cows, pigs, donkeys, etc. Allah is praised from the Kufr and Shirk (polytheism and disbelief) that the disbelievers attribute unto Him. Abu Yazid Al-Bustami, a renowned yet deviant Sufi teacher said, "Allah once ascended me (meaning to Him!) and raised me between His Hands, and then said to me, 'O Abu Yazid! My creation like to gaze at you.' So I said, 'Bestow Your Oneness unto me, and make me wear Your Selfishness, so that when Your creation see me, they will say, 'We have seen You (meaning Allah),' so You will be him (meaning I), while I will not be here! "' (Al Luma', p. 461).

As evil and utterly deviant this belief certainly is, many other Sufis have even gone a step further in Kufr and Shirk, as they believe that everything and everyone is Allah Himself! They say that there is no difference between the Creator and the creation. This polytheistic belief appeared in the third century and took its final shape by the hand of such infamous, deviant Sufi teachers as ibn 'Arabi, ibn Sab'een, At-Tilmisani, Al-Jeely, Abdul-Ghani An-Nabulsi, and others. The majority of the Sufi teachers in the present time and a numerous number of their followers adopt this very clear type of Kufr and Shirk which, as ibn Taymiyyah and other scholars have attested, is worse than the Kufr of the Christians, who claim that Jesus is god, or the son of God.

In contrast, the Sufis who believe in Wa'hdat Al-Wujud (that everything and everyone is Allah Himself), as compared to the Jews and Christians, claim that everything and everyone is Ilah (God)! Ibn 'Arabi said in his book, Fusus Al-'Hikam, "Moses had more knowledge than Aaron, because Moses knew what his people had worshipped in reality [when they worshipped the golden calf (refer to the Quran, 2:54), meaning they only worshipped Allah Himselfl, for Moses knew that Allah has decreed that none should be worshipped except He (refer to 17:23 in the Quran), and what Allah wills, occurs.

Thus, Ibn 'Arabi twisted the meaning of this Ayah, so that its meaning becomes, "None is being worshipped except He," instead of, "None should be worshipped except He!) So Moses criticized his brother, because of Aaron's rejecting (worshipping the calf by the Jews) and because he did not have wide knowledge, for the 'Arif (who truly knows) sees the 'Haqq (meaning Allah) in everything. In fact, he sees that He is everything!" [Al-Fusus, p. 192].


2 - The Sufi belief in the Prophet:

Again, the Sufis have various types of beliefs with regards to the Messenger of Allah:

A - Some Sufis claim that the Messenger neither reached their status, nor did he acquire the knowledge that the Sufis have acquired, as Al-Bustami has stated, "We went into a sea which the Prophets could only reach its shores!!!"

B - Some Sufis believe that the Prophet is the dome of the universe and that he is Allah Who is settled on the Throne, and that all the creation were created from his light.

C - Some Sufis claim that Prophet Mohammad's light is the first created existence, and that the rest of the creation were created from the Prophet's light. Ahmad ibn Mubarak AsSuljumasi, in his book "Al-lbreez", related that his teacher, Abdul-Aziz Ad-Dabbagh, said, "... the first of all that which Allah has created, was Mohammad's light. From him (meaning from Mohammad's light), He then created the Qalam (the Pen, which Allah has commanded to write all what will occur in the universe from beginning to end), the seventy veils, and their respective angels (meaning who attend each veil!). He then created Al-Law'h (in which all what will occur is duly recorded)..."

D - Some Sufis claim that the Prophet's light was the first to exist, and that Allah created everything for Mohammad's sake, but they do not state that everything was created from Mohammad's light.

To be continued

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