Does the Sufism followed by dozens of orders and thousands of shaykhs, both old and new, have: first, a clear, unified concept, and second
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The Shaykh : Now, I am returning to Abu Adnan's suggestion after you saw, and the professor who passed away just now saw, that it should be on the topic of ijtihad, taqlid, and following, and what research touches upon regarding that. Is the Sufism adopted by dozens of orders a concept, at least? I mean, I am satisfied with the question, and my question is clear.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : ... .
The questioner : The apparent text.
The Shaykh : The apparent text.
Another questioner : Both together.
The Shaykh : I say: Does the Sufism followed by dozens of orders and thousands of shaykhs, both old and new, have a clear, unified concept and evidence for it, even if only apparent? I think I am repeating this in your hearing; here are two things: the first thing is that it has a unified concept, and then there is apparent evidence for it; so I hope we start with the unified concept. Do you believe it has a unified concept?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : And it is applied in a unified way as well...?
The questioner : Applied as you said...
The Shaykh : I am asking; I am convinced, so tell me: No.
The questioner : Yes, what do you mean by yes?
The Shaykh : That it is not applied.
The questioner : Not applied? It is applied by some, and praise be to Allah.
The Shaykh : No, my brother, I am not telling you: by some.
The questioner : Yes, by everyone.
The Shaykh : All who adopt it.
The questioner : There are those who deviated from it.
The Shaykh : That is it, so now, where did this concept of Sufism come from?
The questioner : From what the scholars derived from the actions of the Beloved (peace and blessings be upon him) and from the apparent texts of the Qur'an.
The Shaykh : Ah, name for me the scholars who derived this concept, and I am not interested now in hearing the concept from you.
The questioner : I am ready.
The Shaykh: All right.
The questioner : Abu Hanifa himself was a man of Sufism itself; so his action was itself derivation.
The Shaykh : This is a claim, whereas I am asking for the evidence - may Allah bless you.
The questioner : The author of "al-Hashiyyah" transmitted the evidence.
The Shaykh : And you distinguish between the claim and the evidence.
The questioner : The author of "al-Hashiyyah" transmitted the night.
The Shaykh : Who is the author of "al-Hashiyyah"?
The questioner : The author of "Hashiyat Ibn 'Abidin".
The Shaykh : What is my request of you?
The questioner : That you say: Where is the evidence for this claim? I told you: The author of "al-Hashiyyah" transmitted to us...
The Shaykh : What did the author of "al-Hashiyyah" say?
The questioner : The author of "Hashiyat Ibn 'Abidin".
The Shaykh : My brother, clarify what he said? What did he do?
The questioner : He said that Abu Hanifa took the tariqah and took the shari'ah from "Ma'ruf al-Karkhi", and he gave the tariqah and so on in the first part of his "Hashiyah".
The Shaykh : Fine, is this statement recorded now?
The questioner : Recorded.
The Shaykh : This is how it came in... took the tariqah?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : From whom did Abu Hanifa take the tariqah?
The questioner : From "Ma'ruf al-Karkhi" and from "Dawud al-Tai".
The Shaykh : And what is this tariqah?
The questioner : Sufism.
The Shaykh : What is the Sufism that Abu Hanifa took?
Another questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : What was the previous question?
The questioner : The matters that pertain to the rank of ihsan;Sahih al-Bukhari 50.
The Shaykh : And Abu Hanifa, the imam, needs to take ihsan from "Ma'ruf al-Karkhi"?
The questioner : .
The Shaykh : No, you did not answer me.
The questioner : I answered you;.
The Shaykh : I mean... Abu Hanifa is an imam among the imams of the Muslims, and he takes knowledge from the knowledge of the Muslims from a man who is not known for knowledge among the scholars of knowledge; do you believe this "Ma'ruf al-Karkhi"?
The questioner : My master, every understanding and every knowledge has its people; is that not so? So if "Dawud al-Tai" was among the people of knowledge in this understanding, and Abu Hanifa received this knowledge from him.
The Shaykh : What is this knowledge? You are saying...
The questioner : The knowledge of ihsan.
The Shaykh : Is this ihsan a knowledge that exists in the knowledge of the Book and the Sunnah or not?
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Fine, is he not an imam among the imams of the Muslims...?
The questioner : ...And how did he become an imam except by learning from the scholars, and among them this scholar?!
The Shaykh : What did he learn? You are saying: the word Sufism.
The questioner : He learned the rank of ihsan upon which Sufism is built.
The Shaykh : Clarify what is the rank of ihsan?
The questioner : That you worship Allah as if you see Him.
The Shaykh : This does not need clarification; it is present in the hadith itself.
The questioner : When we say: Islam is to establish the prayer and give the zakah, and we said: it does not need clarification, we would not have needed all the books of fiqh.
The Shaykh : What is this talk, O Shaykh?!!
The questioner : Where is the talk?
The Shaykh : Allow me, your words... ihsan is not a practical ruling that needs elaboration and explanation and learning; ihsan is a heart matter, and it was explained in the hadith itself;Sahih al-Bukhari 50; so what did Abu Hanifa, the great imam, learn from Ma'ruf al-Karkhi, whom no one among the scholars of the Muslims describes as an imam?
The questioner: Yes ... .
The Shaykh : The answer: What did he learn from the rank of ihsan?
The questioner : The answer: Did not these heart sciences also become sciences with their laws and methods of reaching them?
The Shaykh: When?
The questioner : Yes? ... from the era of the Tabi'un.
The Shaykh: No.
The questioner : Why?
The Shaykh: No.
The questioner : Why?
The Shaykh : Because you are still.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : No, you are asking: Why? I am answering you.
The questioner: Go ahead.
The Shaykh : Because you attribute to the Companions the least thing that is said: that it is not known, so bring it so we can see; this organization and this derivation... until it became between us.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Until it became a science among the sciences.
The questioner : Excellent.
The Shaykh : So please, let us see.
The questioner : Great, if we knew the meaning of the term Sufism and its implication, as our professor said: the point is not the term, the point is the meaning of the term, does it exist or not? At the beginning of my speech; when we define the meaning of this term, then we see whether the meaning of this term was lived by the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) or they did not live it?
The Shaykh : Fine, and the Messenger (peace be upon him) lived it.
The questioner : (Peace and blessings be upon him), if they lived it, then there is no dispute over the terms at...
The Shaykh : This is all from the self-evident.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : So bring it so we can see.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Bring it so we can see.
The questioner : If Sufism is the very sincerity, if Sufism is the knowledge of gratitude to Allah, if Sufism is the knowledge of love, it is the knowledge of..., it is repentance, it is contentment in every state with Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He); then there is no doubt at that time that these meanings were lived by the Beloved (peace and blessings be upon him), and he taught them to his noble Companions, and the noble Companions lived them in all their states, and that is what we call people to and what we see as Sufism.
The Shaykh : So does your statement mean that all the Companions were Sufis, and all the four imams and the forty and the four hundred, all of them were Sufis?!
The questioner : (May Allah be pleased with them), without doubt, praise be to Allah.
The Shaykh : All of them were Sufis?
The questioner : ... I mentioned it in this meaning.
The Shaykh : And Imam Ahmad was a Sufi as well?
The questioner : Allah, Allah! Did not Imam Ahmad say?
The Shaykh : No, no, we are not discussing you now in what you said about sincerity and what sincerity is.
The questioner : Or what are you discussing me in?
The Shaykh : I want to discuss you in the additions that were attached.
The questioner : What additions?
The Shaykh : They will come.
The questioner : What additions, where are they?
The Shaykh : Let me finish my speech.
So all the scholars and all the Companions, indeed all the Muslims, must be Sufis.
The questioner : And we agree.
The Shaykh : In this meaning.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Fine, so why did this science distinguish itself and come out of the knowledge of the Book and the Sunnah without what? Without some people adopting it and others not?
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : If this is their concept of Sufism? Then it is obligatory for every Muslim... to be sincere, to be mindful of his Lord, to be upright; and so on, this is something in which no person is distinguished, any person.
The questioner : My master, you decided yesterday something very dangerous; you said: Why did this science come out of the Book and the Sunnah? ...
The Shaykh : I did not say: it came out of the Book and the Sunnah, it came out of what? Of the knowledge that scholars study and it took this name, do you see how?
The questioner : Why did it take this term?
The Shaykh : I say: that when it took this name, it does not mean only what I said; because these are things scattered in all the books of the scholars.
The questioner : When was it scattered?
The Shaykh : From the day Allah revealed the Qur'an, they are not in...
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Yes?
The questioner : ... which books? ... sincerity and love, then these Prophetic directions became codified sciences as... for example: the science of grammar in the era of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).
The Shaykh : No problem, no problem.
The questioner : The science... the science of hadith in the era of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was not...
The Shaykh : This is not where the secret of the question is, my master.
The questioner : So where is its secret?
The Shaykh : I am telling you: there is no need to call these qualities, which every Muslim must adopt, "Sufism."
The questioner : There is no need for it, but it exists.
The Shaykh : Excuse me, but the reality—here is the rest of the matter—the observed reality is that every Sufi group has its own method, its own curriculum, its own style, and so on. They do not stop at these restrictions, which all Muslims... are obligated to observe, without a doubt...
The questioner : Where are the books that...? Do you have them...?
The Shaykh : Let us continue our discussion.
The questioner: Go ahead.
The Shaykh : Now, do you believe that some Sufis include in the subject of Sufism, not in the subject of, for example, sincerity, but perhaps in the subject of self-monitoring, what is called the "Unity of Existence"? Do you believe that there are people who said this, or not?
The questioner : We are innocent of the statement of whoever holds to the Unity of Existence.
The Shaykh : No, that is not what I asked you; do you believe that this exists or not? I did not ask you: what do you think of the one who believes this?
The questioner : Do you believe that something like this exists? ...
The Shaykh : Yes, in jurisprudence.
The questioner : Like these people...
The Shaykh: All right.
The questioner : So what did he say about the people of jurisprudence...?
The Shaykh : No, no, sir, no, the existence of people who adopt the doctrine of the Unity of Existence and call themselves Sufis, do you see? Is this not a cause for including this in the qualities you mentioned, which are qualities... in them? That is why I told you, these are the Companions, such and such, and the Imams, and so on; does this naming remain sound given the existence of many groups over the years and days that include under the name of Sufism what is not of Islam at all? And this is not the only example, and you know many, many examples.
The questioner : The answer, sir.
The Shaykh : The answer to what?
The questioner : You are telling me: but this...
The Shaykh : Yes, but I still need to finish for you.
The questioner: Go ahead.
The Shaykh : There are people.
The questioner : The question comes to you, Professor, as a report, established in the minds of the listeners as if it were a fact.
The Shaykh : And what are you going to answer?
The questioner : ... .
Another questioner : What is the Unity of Existence?
The questioner : Please, my master.
The Shaykh : If the Unity of Existence exists among some people, we praise Allah for that.
The questioner : Praise be to Allah.
The Shaykh : ... a calamity among calamities.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : The Unity of Existence is that some who are immersed in Sufism have come to conceive the Creator and the created as one thing, and this is explicit in the books of a known group, and these Muslim masses... we live with this, at least we in Syria, at the peak of the Sufis, and there is also what they call "al-Murabitah," and I do not know if you are familiar with this "al-Murabitah," or what some non-Arabs call in their non-Arabic accent "Rabita Sharif," this connection... that the Shaykh reaches the rank of excellence in worship, so he must reach that through... and not only this, but by monitoring the Shaykh when he mentions Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He), and when he mentions Him, he must not visualize anything but the image of the Shaykh, and be absent from everything, even the Creator of the entire universe, but only monitor the Shaykh, and they have a very strange philosophy, and some modern means have now helped them with... these observations... so they are taught that the Shaykh must, when the disciple turns to him, observe that a tube of light has come out of the Shaykh's heart and connected to the disciple's heart; so he extends it to him, and if the disciple persists in the remembrance of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) in this manner, he reaches Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He).
Now, some images of these Shaykhs are placed at the front of the place, and a simple light is distributed on them, while all the lights in the room are cut off, and... he closes his eyes, and does not stop there; he places his head between his knees, and every little while he visualizes the image and the light shining on it.
The questioner : Did you see this with your own eyes?
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : Did you see that with your own eyes?
The Shaykh : Yes, yes, repeatedly and over and over.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Did you not hear this from a trustworthy person?
The questioner : For the first time I hear... at least.
The Shaykh : ... and before that?
The questioner : Before that, we heard it from those who follow.
The Shaykh : From whom?
The questioner : From those who follow Sufism and...
The Shaykh : No, sir; then come to us in the Levant and show that you are in need of receiving the path, so that we may direct you to one who will teach you this teaching.
The questioner : In any case, sir... a moment ago.
The Shaykh : Excuse me a little...
The questioner : That the action of a man is not a proof, the action of a man is not a proof.
The Shaykh : No, but why are you asking whether this exists or not? When we told you...
The questioner : Because... in the minds of the listeners are things that are not correct.
The Shaykh : No, they are correct, sir, you...
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : You did not see it; and therefore, based on what I saw. No... we are bringing examples, I moved from this which... to what I saw and heard, you do not know that in the books of the "Naqshbandi" it is established that the disciple monitors the Shaykh in his remembrance.
The questioner : I have not read... the "Naqshbandi" in truth.
The Shaykh : And what do we do if we tell you: read the books of the "Naqshbandi"?
The questioner : In any case, I am telling you something: we refer every matter of Sufism to the Book and the Sunnah.
The Shaykh : That is not our research here, sir, our research is studying the state of the Muslim world which directed you to this which you understand as Sufism, and I say: Sufism does not have a concept agreed upon by Muslims; therefore, when you want to speak about Sufism, I advise you not to speak about Sufism; because you say: Sufism is sincerity to Allah (the Exalted), Sufism is excellence in worship, reaching the rank of excellence in worship. Monitoring Allah... so speak about these words which are a point of agreement among all Muslims, do not speak about Sufism; because Sufism has different connotations, the connotation of Sufism in this town may be different from its connotation outside this town, not in Syria, the concept of Sufism in Syria may be different from its concept in Algeria and Marrakech and those countries, and so on.
The questioner : In any case.
The Shaykh : But. If you allow me, the concept of sincerity has no disagreement... monitoring Allah and excellence in worship that you worship Allah, there is none, I am telling you: all the things that you mentioned that when you said them: I call for Sufism; because I believe that this is not only Sufism; so there are things added to Sufism, some of which is disbelief itself, and I gave you an example of the Unity of Existence, and things that if they are not like it, they are close to it, and instead of the disciple's attempt to reach the rank of excellence in worship... you have no news, for example: we live in this atmosphere and they are driven under the name of Sufism, when you ask about Sufism they answer you with words in which there is no disagreement, when you study Sufism in the reality of these people you find otherwise, I give you another example from the examples; you know that many of those who belong to Sufism and to one of the paths stand...
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : ... .
The questioner : The apparent text.
The Shaykh : The apparent text.
Another questioner : Both together.
The Shaykh : I say: Does the Sufism followed by dozens of orders and thousands of shaykhs, both old and new, have a clear, unified concept and evidence for it, even if only apparent? I think I am repeating this in your hearing; here are two things: the first thing is that it has a unified concept, and then there is apparent evidence for it; so I hope we start with the unified concept. Do you believe it has a unified concept?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : And it is applied in a unified way as well...?
The questioner : Applied as you said...
The Shaykh : I am asking; I am convinced, so tell me: No.
The questioner : Yes, what do you mean by yes?
The Shaykh : That it is not applied.
The questioner : Not applied? It is applied by some, and praise be to Allah.
The Shaykh : No, my brother, I am not telling you: by some.
The questioner : Yes, by everyone.
The Shaykh : All who adopt it.
The questioner : There are those who deviated from it.
The Shaykh : That is it, so now, where did this concept of Sufism come from?
The questioner : From what the scholars derived from the actions of the Beloved (peace and blessings be upon him) and from the apparent texts of the Qur'an.
The Shaykh : Ah, name for me the scholars who derived this concept, and I am not interested now in hearing the concept from you.
The questioner : I am ready.
The Shaykh: All right.
The questioner : Abu Hanifa himself was a man of Sufism itself; so his action was itself derivation.
The Shaykh : This is a claim, whereas I am asking for the evidence - may Allah bless you.
The questioner : The author of "al-Hashiyyah" transmitted the evidence.
The Shaykh : And you distinguish between the claim and the evidence.
The questioner : The author of "al-Hashiyyah" transmitted the night.
The Shaykh : Who is the author of "al-Hashiyyah"?
The questioner : The author of "Hashiyat Ibn 'Abidin".
The Shaykh : What is my request of you?
The questioner : That you say: Where is the evidence for this claim? I told you: The author of "al-Hashiyyah" transmitted to us...
The Shaykh : What did the author of "al-Hashiyyah" say?
The questioner : The author of "Hashiyat Ibn 'Abidin".
The Shaykh : My brother, clarify what he said? What did he do?
The questioner : He said that Abu Hanifa took the tariqah and took the shari'ah from "Ma'ruf al-Karkhi", and he gave the tariqah and so on in the first part of his "Hashiyah".
The Shaykh : Fine, is this statement recorded now?
The questioner : Recorded.
The Shaykh : This is how it came in... took the tariqah?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : From whom did Abu Hanifa take the tariqah?
The questioner : From "Ma'ruf al-Karkhi" and from "Dawud al-Tai".
The Shaykh : And what is this tariqah?
The questioner : Sufism.
The Shaykh : What is the Sufism that Abu Hanifa took?
Another questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : What was the previous question?
The questioner : The matters that pertain to the rank of ihsan;
To worship Allah as if you see Him
أن تعبد الله كأنك تراهThe Shaykh : And Abu Hanifa, the imam, needs to take ihsan from "Ma'ruf al-Karkhi"?
The questioner :
Knowledge is only acquired through learning
إنما العلم بالتعلُّمThe Shaykh : No, you did not answer me.
The questioner : I answered you;
Knowledge is only acquired through learning
إنما العلم بالتعلُّمThe Shaykh : I mean... Abu Hanifa is an imam among the imams of the Muslims, and he takes knowledge from the knowledge of the Muslims from a man who is not known for knowledge among the scholars of knowledge; do you believe this "Ma'ruf al-Karkhi"?
The questioner : My master, every understanding and every knowledge has its people; is that not so? So if "Dawud al-Tai" was among the people of knowledge in this understanding, and Abu Hanifa received this knowledge from him.
The Shaykh : What is this knowledge? You are saying...
The questioner : The knowledge of ihsan.
The Shaykh : Is this ihsan a knowledge that exists in the knowledge of the Book and the Sunnah or not?
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Fine, is he not an imam among the imams of the Muslims...?
The questioner : ...And how did he become an imam except by learning from the scholars, and among them this scholar?!
The Shaykh : What did he learn? You are saying: the word Sufism.
The questioner : He learned the rank of ihsan upon which Sufism is built.
The Shaykh : Clarify what is the rank of ihsan?
The questioner : That you worship Allah as if you see Him.
The Shaykh : This does not need clarification; it is present in the hadith itself.
The questioner : When we say: Islam is to establish the prayer and give the zakah, and we said: it does not need clarification, we would not have needed all the books of fiqh.
The Shaykh : What is this talk, O Shaykh?!!
The questioner : Where is the talk?
The Shaykh : Allow me, your words... ihsan is not a practical ruling that needs elaboration and explanation and learning; ihsan is a heart matter, and it was explained in the hadith itself;
To worship Allah as if you see Him, and if you cannot achieve this state of devotion then you must consider that He is looking at you.
أن تعبد الله كأنك تراه ، فإن لم تكن تراه فإنه يراكThe questioner: Yes ... .
The Shaykh : The answer: What did he learn from the rank of ihsan?
The questioner : The answer: Did not these heart sciences also become sciences with their laws and methods of reaching them?
The Shaykh: When?
The questioner : Yes? ... from the era of the Tabi'un.
The Shaykh: No.
The questioner : Why?
The Shaykh: No.
The questioner : Why?
The Shaykh : Because you are still.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : No, you are asking: Why? I am answering you.
The questioner: Go ahead.
The Shaykh : Because you attribute to the Companions the least thing that is said: that it is not known, so bring it so we can see; this organization and this derivation... until it became between us.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Until it became a science among the sciences.
The questioner : Excellent.
The Shaykh : So please, let us see.
The questioner : Great, if we knew the meaning of the term Sufism and its implication, as our professor said: the point is not the term, the point is the meaning of the term, does it exist or not? At the beginning of my speech; when we define the meaning of this term, then we see whether the meaning of this term was lived by the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) or they did not live it?
The Shaykh : Fine, and the Messenger (peace be upon him) lived it.
The questioner : (Peace and blessings be upon him), if they lived it, then there is no dispute over the terms at...
The Shaykh : This is all from the self-evident.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : So bring it so we can see.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Bring it so we can see.
The questioner : If Sufism is the very sincerity, if Sufism is the knowledge of gratitude to Allah, if Sufism is the knowledge of love, it is the knowledge of..., it is repentance, it is contentment in every state with Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He); then there is no doubt at that time that these meanings were lived by the Beloved (peace and blessings be upon him), and he taught them to his noble Companions, and the noble Companions lived them in all their states, and that is what we call people to and what we see as Sufism.
The Shaykh : So does your statement mean that all the Companions were Sufis, and all the four imams and the forty and the four hundred, all of them were Sufis?!
The questioner : (May Allah be pleased with them), without doubt, praise be to Allah.
The Shaykh : All of them were Sufis?
The questioner : ... I mentioned it in this meaning.
The Shaykh : And Imam Ahmad was a Sufi as well?
The questioner : Allah, Allah! Did not Imam Ahmad say?
The Shaykh : No, no, we are not discussing you now in what you said about sincerity and what sincerity is.
The questioner : Or what are you discussing me in?
The Shaykh : I want to discuss you in the additions that were attached.
The questioner : What additions?
The Shaykh : They will come.
The questioner : What additions, where are they?
The Shaykh : Let me finish my speech.
So all the scholars and all the Companions, indeed all the Muslims, must be Sufis.
The questioner : And we agree.
The Shaykh : In this meaning.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Fine, so why did this science distinguish itself and come out of the knowledge of the Book and the Sunnah without what? Without some people adopting it and others not?
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : If this is their concept of Sufism? Then it is obligatory for every Muslim... to be sincere, to be mindful of his Lord, to be upright; and so on, this is something in which no person is distinguished, any person.
The questioner : My master, you decided yesterday something very dangerous; you said: Why did this science come out of the Book and the Sunnah? ...
The Shaykh : I did not say: it came out of the Book and the Sunnah, it came out of what? Of the knowledge that scholars study and it took this name, do you see how?
The questioner : Why did it take this term?
The Shaykh : I say: that when it took this name, it does not mean only what I said; because these are things scattered in all the books of the scholars.
The questioner : When was it scattered?
The Shaykh : From the day Allah revealed the Qur'an, they are not in...
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Yes?
The questioner : ... which books? ... sincerity and love, then these Prophetic directions became codified sciences as... for example: the science of grammar in the era of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).
The Shaykh : No problem, no problem.
The questioner : The science... the science of hadith in the era of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was not...
The Shaykh : This is not where the secret of the question is, my master.
The questioner : So where is its secret?
The Shaykh : I am telling you: there is no need to call these qualities, which every Muslim must adopt, "Sufism."
The questioner : There is no need for it, but it exists.
The Shaykh : Excuse me, but the reality—here is the rest of the matter—the observed reality is that every Sufi group has its own method, its own curriculum, its own style, and so on. They do not stop at these restrictions, which all Muslims... are obligated to observe, without a doubt...
The questioner : Where are the books that...? Do you have them...?
The Shaykh : Let us continue our discussion.
The questioner: Go ahead.
The Shaykh : Now, do you believe that some Sufis include in the subject of Sufism, not in the subject of, for example, sincerity, but perhaps in the subject of self-monitoring, what is called the "Unity of Existence"? Do you believe that there are people who said this, or not?
The questioner : We are innocent of the statement of whoever holds to the Unity of Existence.
The Shaykh : No, that is not what I asked you; do you believe that this exists or not? I did not ask you: what do you think of the one who believes this?
The questioner : Do you believe that something like this exists? ...
The Shaykh : Yes, in jurisprudence.
The questioner : Like these people...
The Shaykh: All right.
The questioner : So what did he say about the people of jurisprudence...?
The Shaykh : No, no, sir, no, the existence of people who adopt the doctrine of the Unity of Existence and call themselves Sufis, do you see? Is this not a cause for including this in the qualities you mentioned, which are qualities... in them? That is why I told you, these are the Companions, such and such, and the Imams, and so on; does this naming remain sound given the existence of many groups over the years and days that include under the name of Sufism what is not of Islam at all? And this is not the only example, and you know many, many examples.
The questioner : The answer, sir.
The Shaykh : The answer to what?
The questioner : You are telling me: but this...
The Shaykh : Yes, but I still need to finish for you.
The questioner: Go ahead.
The Shaykh : There are people.
The questioner : The question comes to you, Professor, as a report, established in the minds of the listeners as if it were a fact.
The Shaykh : And what are you going to answer?
The questioner : ... .
Another questioner : What is the Unity of Existence?
The questioner : Please, my master.
The Shaykh : If the Unity of Existence exists among some people, we praise Allah for that.
The questioner : Praise be to Allah.
The Shaykh : ... a calamity among calamities.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : The Unity of Existence is that some who are immersed in Sufism have come to conceive the Creator and the created as one thing, and this is explicit in the books of a known group, and these Muslim masses... we live with this, at least we in Syria, at the peak of the Sufis, and there is also what they call "al-Murabitah," and I do not know if you are familiar with this "al-Murabitah," or what some non-Arabs call in their non-Arabic accent "Rabita Sharif," this connection... that the Shaykh reaches the rank of excellence in worship, so he must reach that through... and not only this, but by monitoring the Shaykh when he mentions Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He), and when he mentions Him, he must not visualize anything but the image of the Shaykh, and be absent from everything, even the Creator of the entire universe, but only monitor the Shaykh, and they have a very strange philosophy, and some modern means have now helped them with... these observations... so they are taught that the Shaykh must, when the disciple turns to him, observe that a tube of light has come out of the Shaykh's heart and connected to the disciple's heart; so he extends it to him, and if the disciple persists in the remembrance of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) in this manner, he reaches Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He).
Now, some images of these Shaykhs are placed at the front of the place, and a simple light is distributed on them, while all the lights in the room are cut off, and... he closes his eyes, and does not stop there; he places his head between his knees, and every little while he visualizes the image and the light shining on it.
The questioner : Did you see this with your own eyes?
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : Did you see that with your own eyes?
The Shaykh : Yes, yes, repeatedly and over and over.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Did you not hear this from a trustworthy person?
The questioner : For the first time I hear... at least.
The Shaykh : ... and before that?
The questioner : Before that, we heard it from those who follow.
The Shaykh : From whom?
The questioner : From those who follow Sufism and...
The Shaykh : No, sir; then come to us in the Levant and show that you are in need of receiving the path, so that we may direct you to one who will teach you this teaching.
The questioner : In any case, sir... a moment ago.
The Shaykh : Excuse me a little...
The questioner : That the action of a man is not a proof, the action of a man is not a proof.
The Shaykh : No, but why are you asking whether this exists or not? When we told you...
The questioner : Because... in the minds of the listeners are things that are not correct.
The Shaykh : No, they are correct, sir, you...
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : You did not see it; and therefore, based on what I saw. No... we are bringing examples, I moved from this which... to what I saw and heard, you do not know that in the books of the "Naqshbandi" it is established that the disciple monitors the Shaykh in his remembrance.
The questioner : I have not read... the "Naqshbandi" in truth.
The Shaykh : And what do we do if we tell you: read the books of the "Naqshbandi"?
The questioner : In any case, I am telling you something: we refer every matter of Sufism to the Book and the Sunnah.
The Shaykh : That is not our research here, sir, our research is studying the state of the Muslim world which directed you to this which you understand as Sufism, and I say: Sufism does not have a concept agreed upon by Muslims; therefore, when you want to speak about Sufism, I advise you not to speak about Sufism; because you say: Sufism is sincerity to Allah (the Exalted), Sufism is excellence in worship, reaching the rank of excellence in worship. Monitoring Allah... so speak about these words which are a point of agreement among all Muslims, do not speak about Sufism; because Sufism has different connotations, the connotation of Sufism in this town may be different from its connotation outside this town, not in Syria, the concept of Sufism in Syria may be different from its concept in Algeria and Marrakech and those countries, and so on.
The questioner : In any case.
The Shaykh : But. If you allow me, the concept of sincerity has no disagreement... monitoring Allah and excellence in worship that you worship Allah, there is none, I am telling you: all the things that you mentioned that when you said them: I call for Sufism; because I believe that this is not only Sufism; so there are things added to Sufism, some of which is disbelief itself, and I gave you an example of the Unity of Existence, and things that if they are not like it, they are close to it, and instead of the disciple's attempt to reach the rank of excellence in worship... you have no news, for example: we live in this atmosphere and they are driven under the name of Sufism, when you ask about Sufism they answer you with words in which there is no disagreement, when you study Sufism in the reality of these people you find otherwise, I give you another example from the examples; you know that many of those who belong to Sufism and to one of the paths stand...
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.