Sufism and Islam - Softcover

Angha, Molana Salaheddin Ali Nader Shah; Oveyssi, Pir

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0910735972 ISBN 13: 9780910735971

Publisher: M T O Pubns Center, 1996

Synopsis

In this treatise Hazrat Salaheddin Ali Nader Angha elucidates the true meaning of Islam. To fully understand the holy teachings, one needs to discover and experience at a deeper level for oneself. The processes in Sufism nurture the development of inner knowledge and awareness through the heart. This leads to cognition and expansion, enabling the individual to have a deeper understanding of one's true identity and the Divine.

About this title

From the Publisher:

In this lecture, given at the Sorbonne University in April 1995, Hazrat Pir moves beyond theology and philosophy to the reality which is at the very core of Islam. Sufism is presented as the essence of Islam, since all eternal spiritual knowledge must come from The Source of Life, not from cultural expectations or scholastic examinations. At the heart of Hazrat Pir's lecture are two basic ideas: the infinite cannot be discovered through the limited lenses of the senses, and spiritual truth cannot be discovered through the materialism of reason and logic.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.:

The following paragraph is taken from page 15.

Just as there is a process for properly using and displaying a jewel --one must first discover its true value by removing all the layers of dirt and impurities, and sculpting it so that the sun is reflected from each and every angle. In the same manner, the human being must find his own true "value", his inherent identity. He too must remove all earthly bonds that imprison his soul, purify from all impurities, and free himself of all material attributes such as his environment, his society, his possessions, his thoughts, his needs, etc. Only after purification of "I" from whatever else there is, can we achieve cognition. This is the only way to provide the perfect surroundings and environment for the true human being.

The following paragraph is taken from pages 39 and 40.

The law of Islam is "la ilaha ill'Allah" [there is no deity but God]. When each level of the human being rises (ghiyam) from the central source which is the life principle, it is a state of ascension for him. There are seven alifs within the word "la ilaha ill'Allah", each representing a different stage in the creation of the human being. To journey through these seven stages, he must continuously be in a state of repentance which means total awareness or turning towards his centrality or the qiblah. When the human being journeys through the seven stages of his being, then he attains his divinity as "created in the image of God". When the body, the words and the heart are focused on and are founded upon the source of life, all actions reflect the state of true devotion. As it is stated in the Holy Qur'an (24:37), "Men whom neither traffic nor merchandise can divert from the remembrance of God." "All (the celestial bodies) swim along, each in its rounded course." (Holy Qur'an, 21:33)

About this edition

• Publisher: M T O Pubns Center
• Publication date: 1996
• ISBN 10: 0910735972
• ISBN 13: 9780910735971
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 51