Brother Salieu,
Thanks for your reply.I have a feeling that you only read the article by Nuh
Ha Mim Keller without continuing with the rest,because if you had done that
you would have realised that,I quoted the very people you also quoted in
your reply in their own words to avoid the risk of misrepresentation.So,my
dear brother,I would suggest that you do that.I will go along with Sister
Ginny's view that if sufism is not for you,you do not have to participate in
it.Leave people who are interest in that intragal path of the faith to
follow their conscious and understanding,backed- up by formidable evidence
from the Faith.At this particular time in the history of Islam,what we so
desperately need is tolerance and understanding,which is in short supply in
the camps of salafis and wahhabis.For me,there is far greater things that
binds us as muslims rather than one particular brand of Islam wanting to
dominate the World with their own posturings.I will therefore respectfully
suggest that we agree to disagree on this one and move one.Brothers and
sisters now have enough materials at their disposal to make up their
minds.For the record,are you a salafi or Wahhabi follower?
The best of salam,
Musa


On 18/04/06, Sal Barry <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
> Musa,
>
> Sufism has been refuted before the time of Imam Abdul Wahab by the likes
> of
> Imam Ahmad, Imam Shaafi'e, Ibn Taymiyah (Eventhough  Nuh Ha Mim Keller
> states otherwise below), Ibn Jawzee, and the like. The Wahhabi
> Interpretation you mention below can be misleading because it indicates
> that
> Sufi refutaition began during the time of Imam Abdul Wahab to the present.
> That is far from being the case. Sufi refutation began as soon as Sufism
> reared it head. The Islam practised in the Desert of Arabia 1400 years did
> not include believing that the Quran has an outer and inner meaning. The
> lay
> people relegated to understanding the outer meaning and the sheikhs
> understanding both. This is undeniably part of the  Aqeedah of the Sufis.
>
> I will state below the statements of some of the scholars regarding sufism
> and a refutation of
> Nuh Ha Mim Keller's writings and statements.
>
> WHAT THE ISLAAMIC SCHOLARS HAVE SAID ABOUT SUFISM
>
> Imaam Ash-Shaa'fee on Sufism:
> "If a person exercised Sufism (Tasawafa) at the beginning of the day, he
> does not come to Dhuhur except an idiot." [Talbees Iblees].
>
> "Nobody accompanied the Sufis forty days and had his brain return (ever)."
> [Talbees Iblees].
>
> Concerning the famous Sufi leader, Al-Harith Al-Muhasbi, Imaam Ahmad ibn
> Hanbaal (R) said:
> "Warn (people) from Al-Harith (a Sufi leader) the strongest warning!... He
> is the shelter of the Ahl Kalaam (people of rhetoric)." [Talbees Iblis].
>
> Sheikh Al-Madkhalee says in his book * "Haqeeqatus Soofiyyah Fee Dau'il
> Kitaabi Was Sunnah", the following
> As for those authentic and well known books by the 'Ulemah that have
> refuted
> Sufism:
>
> 1. Al-Fataawaa - by Sheikhul Islam Ibn Taymiyah .
> 2. Talbess Iblis - by Ibn Al-Jawzy .
> 3. Tanbeebul-Ghabee ilaa Takfeer Ibn'Arabee - by Burhaanuddeen Al-Baqaa'ee
> .
> 4. Tahdheerul-'Ibaad min Ahlil-'Inaad bibid'atil-Ittihaad - by Al-Baqaa'ee
> .
>
> Sufism in the West
> By Hani Abid
> http://www.alarqam.com
>
> PART II:  Uncovering those who accept, adopt and spread Sufism
>
> Nuh Ha Mim Keller
> Hamza Yusuf Hanson
> The Sufi Tradition in Toronto
> Abdal-Hakim Murad
>
> PART II:  Uncovering those who accept, adopt and spread Sufism
>
> Muslims are like a single body, if a virus attacks one part of it, then
> the
> whole body feels it.  It is important to remove any viruses that make the
> body ill in order for it to remain healthy and strong.  Muslims today are
> very weak because the majority has abandoned the teachings of Quran and
> the
> way of the Prophet PBUH (i.e. his Sunnah).  In order to revive the Islamic
> spirit and rejuvenate the Muslim body, Muslims have to first rid
> themselves
> of the viruses that infect their minds, and develop immunity to viruses so
> as to quickly recognize them and treat them.  These viruses are the
> Bida'as
> that are widespread between Muslims, the cure to which is only through
> returning to the way of the Prophet PBUH and his Sunnah.  This is why it
> is
> a duty on every Muslim to inform his/her fellow Muslims about those who
> promote such viruses (Bida'as), to expose their false teachings, and to
> warn
> of the dangers that they spread.
> There's plenty of evidence to inform us of our duty to speak out against
> Bida'a and those who accept, adopt, and spread it.  Scholars like Ibn
> Taymiya, As-Shatiby, and Ibn Al-Qayyim set the example for us in their
> writings to follow.  Ibn Al-Jawzi wrote a wonderful book called "Talbees
> Iblis" in which he exposed many Bida'as and those who propagate them.  In
> the second chapter of "Tablees Iblis" entitled "Censure of Bida'a and
> People
> of Bida'a", Ibn Al-Jawzi quotes the following examples:
> •       Abdullah ibn Umar, may Allah be please with him, narrated that the
> Prophet
> PBUH said "Whoever strays away from my Sunnah is not from my [Ummah]"
> (reported by Bukhary).
> •       A'isha, may Allah be please with her, narrated that the Prophet
> PBUH said
> "whoever respects and honours a person of Bida'a has assisted in
> destroying
> Islam".
> •       It was reported that our righteous predecessors were angered when
> questioned why they talk about people of Bida'a.  One of the righteous
> salaf
> said "my speech about people of Bida'a (i.e. warning about them) is more
> beloved to me than performing extra acts worship for sixty years."
> •       It was also related that the righteous predecessors said ""whoever
> loves a
> person of Bida'a, Allah will foil his deeds and remove the light of Islam
> from his heart".
> •       Another one said, "be warned of those who sit with people of
> Bida'a".
> Clearly, this evidence shows that one must expose and warn about Bida'a
> and
> those who spread it.  Now that we have established the validity of this
> act,
> we shall proceed to expose those who accept, adopt, and propagate the
> Bida'as of Sufism.
> Nuh Ha Mim Keller
> Nuh Ha Mim Keller, an American Sufi, became Muslim in 1977 and moved to
> Jordan where he currently resides.  Keller taught at the first Deen
> Intensive program in Toronto in 1997 along with Hamza Yusuf and others.
> Keller is a member of the 'Alawiya Order, one of the branches of Shadhili
> Order.  'Alawiya Order is derived from al-'Alawi[1].  Although Keller
> spends
> most of his time in Jordan, he still maintains a number of followers in in
> the West.
> In order to cast away any doubt about Keller's belief in the Shadhili
> Tariqa, let's examine Keller's own work.
> "Invocations of Shaadhili Order (written by Nuh Ha Mim Keller), on Page 1,
> Keller says:
> "This blessed collection contains those of the invocations and prayers of
> the Pole and Succor my master Abul Hasan al-Shadhili".
> Comments: The terms "pole" and "succor".  The term Pole in Sufi literature
> means the "perfect man" who holds Allah's attention in this world; all the
> affairs of creation revolve around him. He takes his way in the universe,
> both the seen and unseen parts of it, as the spirit takes its way in the
> body.  He could also be called al-Gouth (Succor, i.e. helper) because
> people
> seek his assistance in case of adversity.  Ahmad al-Tijani (the founder of
> the Tijani Sufi order) said, "The reality of the Pole status is that he is
> great vicegerent of Al-Haqq (i.e. Allah) in all the universe, wherever
> Allah
> is a God, the pole is his vicegerent in the sense that he (i.e. the pole)
> carries out all the decrees that Allah might have. So, nothing will reach
> the creation except through the pole."
> In Pages 102-103 Keller says:
> "The conduct of the disciple towards the sheikh and brethren consists in
> five things: following what the sheikh says, even if something else seems
> better; avoiding what he forbids, even if it means one's death; upholding
> the sheikh's honor be he absent or present, alive or dead; fulfilling the
> sheikh's rights to the degree possible, without remissness; and suspending
> one's intellect, knowledge, and leadership, except as the sheikh
> confirms."
> Keller on Singing and Dancing
> Nuh Ha Mim Keller mentions in his Tariqa Notes that sacred dance is one of
> the rituals of the Shadhili order. According to him, the sacred dance is a
> type of dancing performed by Sufis in unison while they make Dhikr
> (remembrance of Allah).  To show the permissibility of it, Keller argues
> that sacred dancing has 3 components:
> 1.      Dhikr
> 2.      The dancing itself
> 3.      Performing it in congregation
> Since each of the above components is permissible if not recommended in
> its
> own, therefore –Keller concludes- combining them yields a permissible act
> of
> worship.
> Keller also promotes and teaches the same misguided Sufi concepts that we
> revealed in Part I.  He writes in his book "A review of Tariqa Notes",
> page
> 30:
> "Nothing is, beside Allah and His Attributes and His actions and His
> rulings. This is what is meant by the Sufi term wahdat al-wujud or
> (oneness
> of being)".
> Keller mentions the Sufi concept of oneness of being (Wahdat al-wujud).
> This concept is explained by a Toronto Sufi group on their website as[3]:
> Here are two commentaries from the translator (Wahid Baksh Rabbani) of The
> Kashful Mahjub (Unveiling the veiled) by Syed Ali bin Uthman al-Hujweri
> about Wahdat al-Wujud:
> Page 260 ... "In a nutshell, oneness of Being (Wahdat-al-Wujud) in Islam
> means that nothing in this world can contain God, but God contains
> everything. Or nothing is God, but nothing is separate from God. That is
> why
> the concept of hulul and ittihad (incarnation) are against the tenets of
> Islam. Hulul and ittihad presuppose multiplicity of being; whereas Islam
> proclaims oneness of Being ... that is Divine Being. This concept of God
> does not violate the principles of Shari'ah in any way. What happens in
> the
> state of fana-fi-Allah is that man does not become God, but he is lost in
> God's Being. Like an iceberg which when frozen, assumes a separate
> existence, and becomes one with the sea when it melts. Similarly, when the
> seeker is in the state of fana, he is one with God and when in baqa, he
> assumes the shape of an iceberg, cold, hard, and limited."
> Page 266 ... "Again Shibli says, 'tauhid veils the Unitarian from seeing
> the
> beauty of His oneness.' This is because tauhid is the act of man, and the
> act of man cannot be the means (illat) of seeing God and what cannot be
> the
> means of seeing God, is necessarily a veil. Man, with all his attributes
> is
> something other than God because if his attributes (sifat) are regarded as
> Divine Attributes, then man who is the possessor of these attributes
> becomes
> Divine, and then the Unitarian (muwahhid), Unity (tauhid) and the One
> (wahid) become interdependent. And this is precisely the Christian notion
> of
> Trinity. The attribute which veils a man from reaching tauhid (oneness) is
> a
> veil. And one who is veiled is not a Unitarian (muwahhid), for other than
> God in the universe is non-existent."
> Comments: So although the concept of Wahdat al-Wujud rejects that unity
> with
> God means that one becomes God (i.e. the Christian Trinity), it still
> affirms that man is with God physically as nothing exists except God.
> Keller himself confirms this belief of becoming one with God:
> page 35 … Keller says "…After this, a person doesn't need figurative
> interpretations, because the journey is no longer to Allah, but rather in
> Allah, meaning in the knowledge of him, directly and experientially.""[2]
> Of course this is the concept that was invented by Muhyiddin Ibn Arabi.
> Keller on Ibn Arabi:
> On page 42 Keller quotes Muhyiddin Ibn Arabi as saying "…a quality which,
> as
> sheikh Muhyiddin (Ibn Arabi) notes…"
> Comments: Regardless of Ibn Arabi's statement, the simple fact is that
> Keller is quoting a man who was declared a kafir by countless
> well-reputable
> Muslim scholars.  Below are some such fatwas of Muslim scholars on Ibn
> Arabi:
> 1.      Al'izz Ibn Abdulsalam (d 660 H): He said about Ibn Arabi "An evil
> liar
> sheikh who claims that this world is eternal (i.e. was not created by
> Allah)
> and embraces promiscuity."
> 2.      Ibn Taymiya (d 728 H): He extensively discussed the arguments of
> ibn
> Arabi and refuted them and called him a heretic.
> 3.      Ibn Katheer (d 774 H): Imam ibn Katheer in his book of Islamic
> history-
> Al-bidaya Wal Nihaya comments on ibn Arabi "He has a book named beads of
> wisdom in which there are many things that are apparently clear kufr."
> 4.      Adh-Dhahabi (d 748 H) said: "If Ibn Arabi's book (Beads of wisdom)
> does
> not contain clear Kufr, then there is no Kufr in the world."
> 5.      'Ala' al-Di Al-Bukhari Al-Hanafi declared that: "The one who does
> not
> consider Ibn Arabi a kaafir (non-Muslim), then he himself is a kaafir!"
> In fact, Keller not only quotes Ibn Arabi, but he also defends
> him.  Keller,
> in his translation of Ahmad ibn Naqib al-Misri's "Umdat al-salik" writes:
> Muhyiddin ibn Arabi is Muhammad ibn 'Ali ibn Muhammad ibn Arabi, Abu Bakr
> Muhyi al-Din al-Hatimi al-Ta'i, The Greatest Sheikh (al-Shaykh al-Akbar),
> born in Murcia (in present-day Spain) in 560/1165. A "mujtahid" Imam in
> Sacred Law, Sufism, Qur'anic exegesis, hadith, and other Islamic sciences,
> and widely regarded as a friend (wali) of Allah Most High, he was the
> foremost representative of the Sufi school of the "oneness of being"
> (wahdat
> al-wujud), as well as a Muslim of strict literal observance of the
> prescriptions of the Quran and sunna.
> Ibn Arabi's creed is very clear to those who read his works.  He advocates
> the concept of Hulool, which is a stepping-stone to the concept of Oneness
> of Being or "Wahdat al-Wujud".  In simple terms, Oneness of Being means
> that
> none exists but Allah, so everything one sees is Allah or a manifestation
> of
> Allah and this is the Tawhid (oneness or unity) according to some extreme
> Sufis.
> The purpose of the following examples is to show beyond the shadow of a
> doubt what the creed of Ibn Arabi is:
> 1.      Ibn Arabi declares the worshipers of the Golden Calf were not
> committing
> shirk. Found under section: "The Seal of the Wisdom of the Imam in the
> Word
> of Harun (Aaron)"[4]
> 2.      Ibn Arabi criticizes Noah as a messenger.  Found under section:
> "The Seal
> of the Wisdom of the Breath of Divine Inspiration in the Word of Nuh
> (Noah)"[5]
> 3.      Ibn Arabi declares the Pharaoh died a believer (Muslim).  Found
> under
> section: "The Seal of the Wisdom of Sublimity in the Word of Musa
> (Moses)"[6]
> Ibn Arabi also says in his book "Fusus al-Kikam"[7]:
> 1.      "He is the observer in the observer, and the observed in the
> observed.
> None sees Him, save Himself. None perceives Him, save Himself. By Himself
> he
> sees Himself, and by Himself he knows Himself. His Veil is part of his
> Oneness; nothing veils other than he. . . His Prophet is he, and his
> sending
> is He, and His word is He.
> 2.      He who knows himself understands that his existence is not his own
> existence, but his existence is the existence of God."
> Yet with all these proofs, Keller still calls Ibn Arabi "the Greatest
> Shaykh"!  Ibn Taymiya writes in his book al-Uboodiya about Ibn Arabi and
> those who adopt his beliefs:
> The most horrifying Kufr
> Therefore, anyone who witnesses the universal truth without the religious
> truth will hold equal all these types of people whom Allah (SWT) has made
> an
> ultimate distinction between. This reconciliation will eventually conduce
> him to even reconcile between Allah (AWJ) and the idols, as Allah (SWT)
> said
> about this type of people.
> By Allah, we were truly in a manifest error. When we held you (false
> deities) as equals (in Al-'Ibaadah) with the Lord of the Worlds.
> [Ash-Shu'araa:97-98]
> They eventually reach the point where they reconcile between Allah (AWJ)
> and
> every existing being. And they considered all that which He (AWJ) deserves
> of 'Ibaadah and obedience as being due to every existing created thing
> since
> they made His (AWJ) existence the same as the existence of the created
> things. This is of the most horrifying Kufr and atheism towards the Lord
> of
> all the beings. They reach by their Kufr the point where they do not bear
> witness that they are 'Ibaad-u-Allah, neither by the meaning of the
> subdued
> ones nor by the meaning of the worshiping ones. They witness that they
> themselves are the Truth as has been declared by their false idols, e.g.
> Ibn
> Arabi who wrote "Al-Fousous," and other slandering atheists such as Ibn
> Sab'een and his like. They even witness that they are simultaneously the
> worshipers and the ones being worshiped.
> This, indeed, is not the witnessing of the truth, neither the universal
> one
> nor the religious one, but it is rather a going astray and a blindness
> from
> witnessing the universal truth, for they made the existence of the Creator
> the same as that of the created. They made every good and bad quality as
> an
> attribute to both the Creator and the created, for they consider the
> existence of the former as being the same as the existence of the latter.
> But the believers in Allah (SWT) and His Messengers, both commoner and
> elite, are the people of the Quran, as the Prophet PBUH said, "Verily,
> Allah
> has (favorite) people amongst mankind." He was asked, "Who are they? O
> Messenger of Allah." He replied, "The people of Al Quran, they are people
> of
> Allah and His elite."
> The Kufr of those who believe in the incarnation
> These people know that Allah (SWT) is the Lord, the Owner, and the Creator
> of everything. And that the Creator is different from the created being.
> He
> (SWT) is neither incarnated in the being nor combined with him, nor is His
> (SWT) existence the same as the being's existence. Indeed, the Christians
> were not declared by Allah (SWT) as Kuffar (unbelievers) except for that
> they believed in the incarnation and combination of Allah (SWT) with
> Al-Maseeh (Jesus). So how about those who made this true about every
> creature? Yet, they know fully well that Allah (SWT) ordered obedience to
> Him (AWJ) and obedience to His Messengers, and that Allah (SWT) does not
> like corruption nor approves Al-Kufr for His 'Ibaad. And all the creation
> ought to worship Him (SWT) so that they obey His commands, and ask for His
> aid to fulfill that; as He (AWJ) said in the Opening of the Scripture: It
> is
> You we worship and it is You we ask for help. [Al-Faatihah:5]
> The above examples are just a brief illustration of the misguidance of Nuh
> Ha Mim Keller.  Muslims, especially young ones, have to know the truth
> about
> such people so they're not deceived by their appearances or words.  Even
> the
> name that Keller adopted (Ha Mim) shows his commitment to bida'a.  Keller
> explains Ha Mim as: "Ha Mim Ha Mim, Ha Mim, Ha Mim, Ha Mim. The matter be
> done, the victory come, against us they shall not be helped".
>
> INVOCATIONS OF SHAADHILI ORDER BY NUH HA MIM KELLER
>
> HTTP://WWW.ALLAAHUAKBAR.NET/INDIVIDUAL_CALLERS/NUH_HA_MIM/INVOCATIONS_OF_SHAADHILI_ORDER.HTM
>
> A REVIEW OF 'TAREEQA NOTES'  A BOOK BY NUH HA MIM KELLER
>
> HTTP://WWW.ALLAAHUAKBAR.NET/INDIVIDUAL_CALLERS/NUH_HA_MIM/A_REVIEW_OF_TAREEQA_NOTES_OF_NUH_HA_MIM.HTM
>
>
>
> >Dear Ginny et all,
> >Ginny Thanks for your contribution on the subject.I have been away from
> my
> >computer since last Thursday.I just saw the posting forwarded by Brother
> >Salieu offering a different view on sufism,Which is most welcome.Which I
> >may
> >say is the  Wahhabi interpretation or attitude towards Tasawwuf(sufism).I
> >am
> >not at all surprised.Wahhabis are diametrically opposed to the practice
> and
> >will go to any length to rubbish the writings of sufi writers and
> >practitioners.However,I will now present the views of Scholars so that
> >people can judge for themselves.At this point,I must declare an
> >interest.Iam a sunni muslim and a sufi practitioner.
> >   *How would you respond to the Claim that Sufism is bid'a?*
> >*(c)Nuh Ha Mim Keller 1995*
> >
>
> ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤
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