Tassawuf (Sufism) is the spiritual science of Islam, while Fiqh is the Legal science, and Aqida is the science of Theology.
Found via SufiNews
The Three Pillars of Sufism: Humility, Charity, Truth
Discourse: OSHO - Times of India - India
Saturday, August 5, 2006
The Qur’an says three basic qualities have to be in the heart of the seeker. The first is khushu or humility. The second is karamat or charity, and what this means is sharing, to experience the joy of giving. And the third is sijd or truthfulness, which means authenticity. That is, recognising that which you are. These are the three pillars of Sufism.
Humility does not mean the ordinary so-called humbleness. The humble person is not egoless. He carries a new kind of ego, of being humble. He thinks he is humble, “Nobody is as humble as I am”. He goes on comparing. The ego has not changed, the ego has only taken a new posture, more subtle. First the ego was very gross.
That’s when you go on bragging about your money. One day you renounce all your money and then you start bragging that you have renounced all. This is subtle, but the bragging continues. The claim was for somebody, now it is for nobody.
The claim is still there. Now it has taken a subtle form. Humility, khushu, means a man who has understood all the ways of the ego. And by understanding all the ways of the ego, the ego has disappeared.
This is one of the most essential qualities for those who want to move towards godliness — because if you are too much you will not be moving. You have to be liquid, you have to melt; you cannot remain frozen in your ego.
The second is charity, karamat. Charity does not mean that you give and you feel very good that you have given, that you give and you oblige the person to whom you have given. Then it is not karamat; then it is not charity.
Charity is when you give and you feel obliged that the other has taken it; when you give with no idea that you are obliging anybody in any way; when you give because you have too much. It is not that the other needs.
Charity is when you give out of your abundance. The flower has blossomed and the words spread the fragrance to the winds — what else can the flower do? The lamp has been lit and it shares its light, it spreads its light. The cloud is full of water and it showers — what else can it do?
The third is truthfulness. It does not mean saying the truth, it means being the truth. Saying is only half-way; being is the true thing.
You can say truth a few times when it doesn’t harm you — that’s what people go on doing. When truth is not going to harm them they become truthful. And if sometimes truth is going to harm others they persist in being very truthful.
But when the truth is not going to help you then you drop it, then it is no more meaningful. That’s why people say “Honesty is the best policy”. Policy? The very word is dishonest.
Truth cannot be a policy and honesty cannot be a policy. They can only be your very heart — not policies. Policies can be used and dropped. Policies are political. When honesty pays, you are honest — that’s what it means.
When it does not pay, you become dishonest. You have no relationship with honesty. You use it. Sijd means to be truthful, to be true. It is not only a question of policy.
Whatsoever happens, whatsoever the result, not thinking of the result but just to be true, to risk all for truth — that’s what sijd is. It is to risk everything for truth — because if truth is saved, all is saved, and if truth is lost, all is lost.
November 19th, 2006 - 12:28 am
A beautiful post, Brother
Thank you.
Ya Haqq!
November 19th, 2006 - 12:34 am
Salaams Sidi Yursil
Ahhh…ma sha Allah! What an excellent post. Al hamdu lillah, I’ve been reading and thinking along these very lines of late.
Ya Allah! Let all my pretenses fall away, like so much dust slipping through my fingers!
Abdur Rahman
November 19th, 2006 - 1:43 am
Salaams once again Yursil bhai…
After I posted this last comment, and after reading something over at Black Turban, I was inspired to write this. Enjoy….
Talking With Authority
We always seek to talk with authority,
when in Truth,
we should let Authority talk with us.
There is a reason for this:
authority is like an anchor,
which all our worried ships
seek amidst the storms of the open sea.
Adam’s children seek stillness
and anchors exist to restrain wanderings.
Thus, we cast our lines outward
hoping that our need
reaches the Ocean Floor.
But, as often as not
our rope-like hearts entangle themselves
in weeds
and in all manner of passing driftwood.
Some even reach reefs of purest coral,
where the Sea’s great heart
has painted a myriad of colourful hues,
tear-like structures of longing and need.
But, reefs themselves must one day be passed by,
if we are to find that Deep Quiet,
that Floor, ultimate and still,
in which all things must ground themselves.
We return to the surface once more.
Understand, O seeker of pearls,
that not every anchor finds the Sea’s deep bed.
Ma’as salama
Abdur Rahman bhai
November 19th, 2006 - 11:33 am
as-salamu’alaikum Sidi,
MashaAllah very nice
Also, I asked Shaykh Abdul Kerim, he said there are a few who listen to Shaykh Abdul Kerim scattered in England but he would probably recommend simply finding the other Naqshibandi’s from this list:
http://www.haqqaninaqshbandiuk.com/list-of-naqshbandi-zikrs-in-uk.html
Of course, there is some confusion which you are well aware of, so just keep that in mind. Otherwise, he extended his warmest invitations to you personally, to visit when you are capable to the Dergah.
November 20th, 2006 - 7:50 am
wa alaikum salaam
I’d love to visit the Dergah. Insha Allah, it will happen one day. My salaames to everyone there.
As you say, I’m aware of some confusion. That’s kind of why I asked. I do know a very good naqshbandi brother in Wales and thought about visiting him.
Well, it’s all in Allah’s hands and what mighty hands they are.
Abdur Rahman