[Enrivaanonock]

salaams-

i just read a small booklet by sh. muhammad adly entitled tawheed or sufism, and it really casts a lot of doubt on sufism. The main point that he makes is that there were no dhikr circles in the time of the Sahaba. Also he says that if there were some other way to get close to Allah SWT, wouldn't the Prophet saws tell us? And he says that there was not term "sufism" in early Islam, just Ihsan, and that Ihsan is simply what it is defined as in hadith Gibreel, not that you must follow a tarqia of which there are many...

anyone else read this?

[UTHZzJ6f]

kindly read post # 169 here http://www.sunniforum.com/forum/show...e-bidah/page17

[exschke]

The name of the book is one of the stupidest I've ever heard, and I honestly wouldn't even bother reading it just based on the title alone.

As for his claims, there are multiple and numerous ahadith mentioning the gatherings of dhikr and their benefit. Furthermore, the term Salafi was never used in the early times, nor many other terms everyone uses today. The classification of hasan hadith came after the time of the Salaf, the term "sufism" was not heard of in early periods of Islam because it is an English word, while sufi and tasawwuf were used by the Salaf, etc.

Really, these arguments are just childish, and I'm surprised to see people still using them.

[vasyasvc]

The main point that he makes is that there were no dhikr circles in the time of the Sahaba.

Hazrat Abu Hurairah (RA) narrates from Rasulullah (PBUH) that there is a group of angels who patrol the earth and wherever they find any gathering of Zikr they call out to each other and form a circle around this gathering that reaches to the sky. When this gathering disperses, they return to the sky where they are questioned by Allah Ta’ala, although He is All-knowing: Where have you come from? They reply: We come from a gathering of Your servants who are engaged in Tasbeeh, Takbeer and Tahmeed. Allah Ta’ala asks them: Have they seen Me? The angels reply: No. Allah Ta’ala asks: And what if they had seen Me? They reply: Then they would have engaged even more excessively in Your Ibadah and in Tasbeeh (glorifying of) You. Allah Ta’ala says: What are they asking for? They reply: They ask of You Jannah. Allah Ta’ala then asks: Have they seen Jannah? The angels reply: No. Allah Ta’ala asks: And what if they had seen Jannah? They reply: Then they would have been even more desirous, eager and keen for it. Allah Ta’ala says: What are they seeking refuge from? They reply: They ask refuge from the Fire (of Hell). Allah Ta’ala asks: Have they seen the Fire? The angels reply: No. Allah Ta’ala asks: And what if they had seen it? They reply: Then they would have tried harder to escape from it and they would have been more fearful of it. Allah Ta’ala says: I make you witness that I have pardoned them. One angel exclaims: A certain person was not from them. He came (coincidentally) for some work. Allah Ta’ala says: They are such a people that even those who sit with them (for other work) will not be deprived - Bukhari, Muslim, Baihaqi

And he says that there was not term "sufism" in early Islam, just Ihsan,

there are many terms that we use today which were not prevalent in the early days of islam.

and that Ihsan is simply what it is defined as in hadith Gibreel, not that you must follow a tarqia of which there are many...

we do not have to follow a madhab to be a muslim either but by following one we are saved from error and misguidance so as a consequence it becomes the preferable method as it saves us from error and misguidance.

[vasyasvc]

Hazrat Abdur Rahman bin Sahl bin Haneef (RA) reports that Rasulullah (PBUH) was in one of his homes when the following verse of the Qur’an was revealed: “and attach yourself with those who call out to their Rabb morning and evening” 18:28
Rasulullah (PBUH) came forth in search of the people mentioned in this verse. He found a group of engaged in the remembrance of Allah; among them were those with disheveled hair and parched skin and dressed only with a single garment. He came close to them and sat down among them exclaiming: All praise belongs to Allah for having made in my Ummah such people whom (even) I have been instructed to sit with - Tabrani, Ibn-Jareer

[StizePypemype]

This is from http://tasawwuf.org/basics/what_tasawwuf.htm
Tasawwuf free from bidah I pray this answers some of your questions

What Is Tasawwuf
Tasawwuf is a branch of Islamic knowledge which focuses on the spiritual development of the Muslim.
Allah sent His final messenger, Prophet Muhammad , as a source of knowledge for the entire ummah. He was the fountain of Quran, Hadith, tafsir, rhetoric, fiqh, and so on. After the Prophet, the scholars of this ummah carried and propagated each of these branches of knowledge. Because no one person can attain the perfection of the Prophet , who single handedly assumed all of these roles, various branches of the Islamic sciences developed. For example, Imam Abu Hanifah preserved the science of fiqh and after him thousands of scholars continued in his footsteps. Hence these scholars preserved the fiqh of the Prophet . Similarly Imam Bukhari and the other famous scholars of Hadith, preserved the words of the Prophet. The scholars of tajweed preserved the recitation of the Prophet . And, the scholars of Arabic grammar preserved the language of the Prophet .

Along these lines, the Prophet was the model of spirituality for the world. His God-consciousness, deep spirituality, acts of worship, and love for Allah were preserved and propagated by an Islamic science called Tasawwuf. The aim of the scholars of this science was purification of the heart, and development of consciousness of Allah through submission to the shariah and sunnah.

How is Tasawwuf Related to Sufism?
Studying the life of the Prophet , the scholars who propagated the science of tasawwuf understood that a requisite for approaching Allah was abandonment of the common pursuits of the world. They often wore wool because of its simplicity and low cost. In Arabic the word for wool is suf and thus, those who wore it became known as the Sufis. Another possible derivation of the word comes from the root word safa, which means "to clean." Because the scholars of tasawwuf focused on cleansing the heart, they later became known as the Sufis.

What Do Our Scholars Say About Tasawwuf?
Traditional Islamic scholars have accepted Tasawwuf as an important branch of Islamic learning, so long as it remains within the guidelines of the Shariah and emphasizes following the Sunnah of the Prophet .

On Moderation - Imam Rabbani (may Allah be pleased with him)
The Inner Dimensions of Fasting - Imam Abu Hamid al-Ghazali (may Allah be pleased with him)
Maulana Jami - Excerpts from the poems of Maulana Jami (may Allah be pleased with him)
Maulana Saadi - Excerpts from the poems of Maulana Saadi (may Allah be pleased with him)
What is Tasawwuf? - Condensed from the writings of Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi (may Allah be pleased with him)
Fighting the Ego - Imam Nawawi (may Allah be pleased with him)
I Have Heard That Sufis Teach Praying At Graves, Dancing, Music, And Other Innovations?
It is true that there have been, and currently are, people who have deviated from the teachings of tasawwuf, thus misrepresenting this science. This is not unique to tasawwuf. Our history is full of examples of people who called themselves scholars of tafsir, or hadith while misrepresenting the essence of these sciences. Each of the Islamic sciences is interlinked and bounded by its sister sciences. For example, a scholar of tafsir cannot interpret the Quran by contradicting the hadith. Similarly a true shaykh of tasawwuf (sufism) never breaks even the smallest tenets of the shariah or the sunnah. Rather, he sees them as the means of his progress towards his Lord. In fact, he prefers death over falling into even a minute sin.

I saw a holy man on the seashore wounded by a tiger.
No medicine could relieve his pain; He suffered much,
but he nevertheless constantly thanked God, the most high, saying,
"Praise be to Allah that I have fallen into a calamity and not into sin."

If Not All Sufis Are Authentic How Can I Judge Which To Learn From?
Many of our scholars have addressed this question by listing the "signs" of a true shaykh. Needless to say the common principle has always been submission to the shariah, by following the teachings of one of the four schools of fiqh, and a complete submission to the inner and the outer of the sunnah. This is based on the idea that the Prophet is the nearest and most God conscious of Allah's creation. His daily acts are an exemplification of how the most God-conscious of all of creation lived his life. For example, the Prophet's treating others with kindness, soft speech, humility, preference for white clothing, growing of a lengthy beard, use of the tooth stick, etc are all intentional acts of service to Allah . If someone lacks these sunnan, while claiming they can help bring you closer to Allah, know that they will eventually lead you to a dead end.

What Is The Goal Of The Student Of Tasawwuf?
The goal is complete submission to the shariah and sunnah in order to attain purification of the heart and soul and to develop a true, deep, and lasting connection with Allah .

How Can A Shaykh Assist In These Goals?
A shaykh of tasawwuf spends years in training in order to develop his character, mannerisms, daily schedule, outer being, acts of worship, and knowledge under the guidance of a spiritual master. They learn the essence of worship and practical implications of abandonment of the mundane life of this world from those who are models of god-consciousness. Further, they often spend years mastering the Islamic sciences of Hadith, Quran, tafsir, fiqh, etc. Each aspect of their training further connects them through chains of scholars to the Prophet who, of course, was sent to connect creation to their Lord.

When you enter the company of such a shaykh, their knowledge and extensive experience allows them to assess your spiritual state and hence, advise you on the best "medicine" to cure the diseases of your heart. Just as a doctor is trained to cure physical ailments, so the scholars of tasawwuf treat the maladies of the diseased heart.

I Thought That All One Needs Is The Quran And The Sunnah?
It is true that the Quran and the Sunnah are sufficient. However, at the same time it is also true that a teacher is required to master any subject. If the Quran was sufficient, then Allah could have easily sent the book without a messenger. However, he sent the Prophet as a model of the Quran so that people could directly learn from his example. This then became the method of learning for each of the Islamic sciences. For example, each hadith that Imam Bukhari compiled in his collection of hadith is directly linked to the Prophet through a continuous chain of narrators. Thus, each person in the chain must have learned from someone and must be able to state who that person was. Similar requirements are present in other branches of Islamic science as well. The science of tasawwuf is no exception.

Is It Mandatory That I Learn And Develop My Spirituality Under A Shaykh?
The juristic scholars of the ummah have ruled that taking a spiritual guide is a sunnah. That is, it is not mandatory, however, it is the way of the Prophet . However, according to the scholars of this ummah achieving the aims of tasawwuf are mandatory. For example, purifying the heart from pride, rectifying one's character, etc are essential to ones religion. Thus, if one can achieve these goals on their own, they may. However, if one tries and continually fails, it is highly recommended that he seek the assistance of a spiritual doctor.

[gennickhif]

salaams-

i just read a small booklet by sh. muhammad adly entitled tawheed or sufism, and it really casts a lot of doubt on sufism. The main point that he makes is that there were no dhikr circles in the time of the Sahaba. Also he says that if there were some other way to get close to Allah SWT, wouldn't the Prophet saws tell us? And he says that there was not term "sufism" in early Islam, just Ihsan, and that Ihsan is simply what it is defined as in hadith Gibreel, not that you must follow a tarqia of which there are many...

anyone else read this?

Nothing of sufism is outside of Quran and Hadith. Sufis try to attain the most perfect tawhid, usually their kamileen have the best tawhid.

When it comes to sufism/tasawwuf, there are two groups; 1 - totally denies tasawwuf and sufism, bashes it, because of the khurafaat practiced by jahil sufis (people who take on the cloak of the sufis but are in fact astray and lead others astray). 2 - people who take it to the opposite extreme and have involved a lot of khurafaat bidat shirk and haraam into it saying it is something that it outside of Quran and Hadith and above Quran and Hadith naoozubillah.

Alhamdulillah our buzrughs take the middle way. They have taken out all of the khurafaat bidat shirk and haraam that crept into it by jahil sufis and they practice the real tasawwuf totally based on Quran and Sunnah. Follow the way of our pious elders.