Sufi

The Sufi path (tasawwuf) is not about having anomalous, mysterious experiences and the unveiling of lights, but, rather, the Sufi way is directed toward learning how to worship the Truth.

All the rest is nothing but machinations of the ego and its conceits.

An Introduction

The Sufi path is, in a sense, an apprenticeship process. In such a program, an individual associates with a spiritual elder or master - that is, someone who has gained mastery over herself or himself.

Although in the beginning this association may take place in the context of physical proximity, this association is, in essence, a function of the spiritual relationship between a teacher and student. Consequently, once the proper seeds have been sown and begun to take root, the association can carry on quite well even if considerable physical distances may separate the two people.

The purpose of the aforementioned association is to provide the individual with an opportunity to realize varying degrees of spiritual potential which are inherent in the nature of the human being. The degree of this potential which may be realized depends, in part, on the character of the commitment and spiritual capacity of the individual who is seeking realization.

Ultimately, of course, capacity and struggles notwithstanding, the extent of spiritual realization depends on the grace of God. In fact, both an individual's spiritual capacity, as well as one's willingness and strength to struggle in the way of God are themselves manifestation of God's blessings.

One of the most fundamental dimensions of the previously noted issue of the apprenticeship process revolves around the authenticity of the spiritual elder who is to oversee the individual's journey on the Sufi path of Self-realization. The legitimacy of a given teacher or elder is underwritten by a chain of proven and accepted (by God) masters, each of whom has been entrusted by his or her own guide, to assume the responsibility of transmitting, if God wishes, the methods, insights, wisdom and understanding of the mystical sciences which constitute the Sufi path.

However, none of these spiritual teachings can take root essentially and, then, God willing, bear fruit, unless the teacher has the God-given capacity to help establish and engender the quality of nisbath in the person seeking realization. Nisbath is the medium, so to speak, through which spiritual nourishment is transmitted and received.

An individual may have considerable knowledge of the Sufi path, and this person may even have acquired, through various means, certain extraordinary spiritual gifts of one description or another, but if this individual does not have, by the grace of God, the capacity to engender and nurture nisbath within the seeker, then such a person cannot serve as a viable spiritual guide. Nisbath is the umbilical cord of the Sufi path.

Alternatively, if the seeker does not permit herself or himself to grasp hold of, and be opened up to, the spiritual possibilities entailed by the nisbath being offered through a teacher, then no amount of spiritual practices will effect much transformation in such a would-be wayfarer of the mystical path. Many people make the mistake of assuming that the Sufi journey is merely a matter of the acquisition of the requisite kinds of technique and method, when, in reality, technique and method are relatively useless without a healthy nisbath linking spiritual elder and seeker.

Like any other contract, the relationship between student and teacher is organized by the conditions of offer, acceptance and consideration that give expression to the etiquette and nature of the Sufi path. Unless the conditions of the contract are honored, then, in point of fact, the contract becomes null and void.

An authentic spiritual guide always will fulfil, God willing, the terms and conditions of the contract of nisbath. Unfortunately, this often is not so when considered from the seeker's side of fulfilling the duties and obligations that are entailed by the spiritual contract binding teacher and student on the path of Self-realization.

Sufi mystical sciences are intended, God willing, to help the individual seeker to realize her or his true identity and essential capacity. These sciences involve, among other things, providing a means of gaining insight into the quality of one's true Self as a manifestation of Divine attributes.

Furthermore, Sufi mystical sciences offer the individual an opportunity, God willing, to activate ones unique, essential capacity to know, love, cherish, serve and worship Divinity. Moreover, when this capacity is fully realized, one can fulfil one's responsibilities properly with respect to being a caretaker of, and source of mercy for, all of creation.

All aspects of the Sufi mystical path give expression to an infinite, unconditional and sustaining love. This love is an essential binding and transformational force which colors, shapes and orients all the various facets of Sufi methodology.

Without this love, there is no mysticism, irrespective of whatever rituals, practices or appearances may remain. The Sufi mystical sciences constitute the enduring passion play in which human beings both seek, and are sought by, their Creator through the currents and eddies of an ocean of Divine manifestation.

The presence of this unconditional love which is manifested through the spiritual guide should not be assumed to be a sign of license being extended to the seeker in which anything is permitted. Moreover, such unconditional love does not mean that love can be relativized.

Unconditional love is a Divine gift that establishes a constructive framework of compassion, trust, acceptance, tolerance, wisdom, forgiveness, and encouragement that help enable the seeker to struggle with the mistakes and problems which are inevitable parts of the individual's journey along the Sufi path. Unconditional love provides the degrees of freedom necessary to provide the individual with the sort of working environment through which one has an opportunity, God willing, to overcome, and leave behind, those facets of human nature that are inclined to error, distortion and rebellion concerning the truth being manifested by means of, and which stands behind, human existence.

History

Many years ago, my shaykh made a recording consisting, among other things, of an introductory talk about the Sufi Path. This individual was an authentic Sufi guide with whom I worked for sixteen or seventeen years, or so, and who passed away in the later 1980s. After my spiritual guide passed away, my spiritual education continued -- but in a very different way -- by means of a false teacher who sought to destroy me -- as well as many other individuals -- in a variety of ways, but who, by the Grace of God, was not successful.

For many years, I kept the aforementioned talk, and because it was on tape, I wondered if the sound quality would have survived intact across the many hardships, temperature differentials, and so on to which the tape had been subjected over the years. However, I was afraid to play the tape fearing that if I did, the tape might break.

A little while ago, I decided to try to convert the tape to an MP3 format. By the Grace of Allah, this was completed without a hitch. Moreover, after digitally remastering the tape, according to my limited abilities and equipment, an MP3 was produced which, by the Grace of Allah, has pretty good quality.

If you would like to listen to a streaming version of the foregoing tape, then, please click on the audio box below.