Replied by(Noman) Replied on (23/Aug/2006)

Sufis & Their Claims About Their Methods
"Those who follow the messenger, the unlettered Prophet, whom they find mentioned in their own (scriptures),- in the law and the Gospel;- for he commands them what is just and forbids them what is evil; he allows them as lawful what is good (and pure) and prohibits them from what is bad (and impure); He releases them from their heavy burdens and from the yokes that are upon them. So it is those who believe in him, honour him, help him, and follow the light which is sent down with him,- it is they who will prosper."
(Al-Qur'an, 7:157 Al-Araf [The Heights]))

Sufis & Their Claims About Their Methods

http://ourdialogue.com/answers/articles.php?actionfiltered=show&showarticle=1547

When I went home a couple of years ago, I was introduced by my relatives to a Sufi teacher and I learned the methods of their Thikr and how the teacher guides them so that they achieve what they call kashf and they may see the founder of their method who had died more than four hundred years ago, or they might even see the Prophet, peace be upon him, himself. I later studied Hadith and the life of the Prophet, peace be upon him, and his companions, but I could not find anything about all that is taught by this method and its teachers. When I mentioned this to my relatives, they told me that I still needed more guidance, and that my limited knowledge prevented my true appreciation of the importance of what they do and what the Sheikh does for them. However, I am still confused. Could you please explain what Thikr really means and whether it is a separate worship, like prayer and fasting? What does the Qur'an and the Hadith say about its types and which of them did the Prophet, peace be upon him, do? Is Sufism part of Islamic teachings? Does it stand out like the Qur'an, Hadith or Fiqh? Is this way of doing Thikr correct, or is it an innovation? Could you also explain about kashf and whether it is true that some people are able to speak to the spirits of prophets, saints or other people in order to find out things?

The word Thikr means the 'remembrance of God.' Every Muslim should always be conscious of God. To achieve that it is necessary that he remembers God in all situations. Such remembrance can be verbal or in private. However, because it is in the nature of human beings that when more than one sense takes part in any action, it is more engraved in one's memory and subconscious, the Prophet, peace be upon him, has recommended us to do the Thikr as often as we can, in practically all situations.

It is in this light that we should look at the recommendation to glorify God and praise Him after every prayer when we may say 'Subhan-Allah [limitless is God in His glory], Al-Hamdulillah [praise be to God] and Allahu Akbar [God is great] 33 times after every obligatory prayer and before going to sleep. On each occasion we add the declaration that there is no deity save God to make up 100 phrases of Thikr.

There is no particular method of saying this, or indeed of doing any form of Thikr. Why is one needed anyway? It is a question of remembering God's name and being conscious of Him so that we may avoid bad deeds and do only what brings us nearer to Him, and what will enable us to earn greater reward. Having said that, I should add that the Prophet, peace be upon him, has taught us that the best form of Thikr is that done in private, or when one is alone. This obviously avoids showing off, which is the mark of most of what Sufi methods, in their great variety do.

Besides, look at the advantage of remembering God in private, when you know that only He sees and hears you. You are then most sincere in your approach, and you recognize the benefit within yourself. You do not need to be with others in order to remember God. Indeed it is most important to remember Him when alone, because that is the time when evil thoughts may have the better of you.

Moreover, the best form of Thikr is reading the Qur'an which is God's revealed word. What is needed for that is to learn the Qur'an properly through a teacher. That does not require sessions of the type Sufi methods organize. Another form of this is the supplication to God, including the supplication when you request God to grant you something that belongs to this world, such as passing an examination, getting a suitable job, etc. This is Thikr because the fact that you turn to God and request Him to fulfill that-which means that you remember Him as the One who can help you in all situations.

If you read a portion of the Qur'an every day, glorify God and praise Him after your obligatory prayers, attend to these and add some voluntary prayers, and you turn to God with your supplication, then you achieve the position of those whom God describes as 'men and women who remember God often.' This is what the Prophet, peace be upon him, taught his companions and all his followers. This is then the method to achieve it.

Taking up your next point, I say categorically that the Prophet, peace be upon him, did not know anything about the future except what God might have told him. He declared repeatedly that he knew what God had chosen to reveal to him. He had no way of knowing what would happen tomorrow or in the next hour. No amount of Thikr, prayer, supplication or other forms of worship would give anyone such knowledge. Indeed anyone who claims to know the future is a liar, including astrologers; fortune-tellers, clairvoyants, and any person who tries to impress a group of followers, even though he may give himself an appearance of great piety. How could he make such a claim when God has chosen not to give such knowledge to anyone? As for the prophets being alive, we know that every soul shall die and all prophets had died, with the exception of Jesus who had been raised to heaven by God. It is said, however, that Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, is in a transitional stage of life which is different from our own and from the life Hereafter.

No Sufism, or mysticism, is part of Islamic teachings. It cannot be placed in any position of comparison with the Qur'an, Hadith or Fiqh, i.e. the study of Islamic law. The founders of Sufi methods do not make such a claim for it.

They only say that they have particular method of purifying the soul from the temptation of this world. To the overwhelming majority of Muslim scholars that can only be achieved by following example set by Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. He has taught no mystic or Sufi practices. Moreover, much of what the Sufis do has no sanction by the Prophet, peace be upon him which means that these practices are innovations. However, I cannot give you a general verdict, which applies to everything they do. Every practice should be examined on its own merits. What is in line with the Prophet's teachings may be accepted and what is not should be rejected as innovation.

What Sufis describe as kashf cannot be accepted. In its linguistic sense, the word means 'uncovering.' So, what they mean is that by diligent worship and their form of Thikr one may achieve a position where the curtains are raised to uncover knowledge, which is denied to other people. Let me tell you that the type of knowledge they speak of was not given to the Prophet, peace be upon him, the most perfect of believers who never entertained any evil thought and the most diligent worshiper who dedicated all his worship to God in the purest form and fashion.

How could such knowledge be given then to an ordinary human being who, try as he may, will not achieve any degree close to that of the Prophet? Moreover, their claim to talk or see the spirits of former teachers as well as that of the Prophet, peace be upon him, himself is utter nonsense. It contradicts the Qur'an itself, which instructs the Prophet, peace be upon him, to disdain any knowledge of the spirit.

Now these people claim to be able, through some means, which they have identified, to get to speak to the spirit of people who had died a long [or even short] time ago. Wherefrom and how they have acquired such knowledge? From the Prophet, peace be upon him, who has been commanded to declare that all knowledge of the spirit belonged to God alone? Or from God Himself? If so, then they are claiming to have revelations from God when no one may have such revelation after Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, who is the last prophet and messenger. Or from some other source?

In this case, they are making false claims, and indeed turning to things other than God for such information. That can only be described as associating partners with God and that in Islamic terminology means shirk. What every Muslim should do is to try to learn the Prophet's practices and follow his examples, because that is what we are accountable for on the Day of Judgement. God will not ask anyone why he did not follow this or that Sheikh or person [or imam]. He will ask him about following the Prophet, peace be upon him. There is much in Sufism that is contrary to what the Prophet, peace be upon him, has taught. Hence it is not acceptable to God.