Exploring Sufi Poetry

Welcome
Richard Cawley, Religious & Theological Studies In this lecture, we will explore some of the poetry of the Islamic mystical tradition, known as Sufism To help us do this properly, we will look at the following areas: 1. Definitions 2. Islam: Texts, Terms and Contexts 3. Sufism: an Overview 4. Sufi Poetry

The aim isnt to explore every aspect, but to give a representative framework

Welcome
Key Themes As we explore our material, it is helpful to keep a few key themes in mind Orthodoxy and Heresy either in terms of ideas/beliefs or in practice Different understandings of God (or Theology) The relationship between God and creation/humanity Identity and understandings of the person The relationship between scripture and poetry/music Sufi poetry/music as performance

Definitions

Definitions
Before we can explore mysticism, we need first to ask what is spirituality? This is a complex task in itself, with all sorts of possible answers What do you think spirituality is?
Turn to the person next to you and spend 2 minutes discussing that very question

Definitions
Mysticism is equally difficult to define What is Mysticism? A very wide range of answers to this question have been suggested Comes from the Greek word mysterion, meaning approximately secret teaching A search for inner meaning? Connection to the Divine? Experiential knowledge of God? Wisdom? These things, and others, have been suggested What, then, is Islamic Mysticism? Key terms: Sufism and Sufi, faqir and dervish (poor

person and seeker, approximately)

Definitions
What is Sufism? Popular Imagery Whirling Dervishes Qawwali Music The term is derived from the Arabic word tasawwuf Sufi = one who practices Sufism

Definitions
Disputed derivation Suggestions include: Suf, the coarse, woollen garment worn by Sufis Safi, meaning pure, purified Ahl al-Suffah (people of the bench), the poor wayfarers of Muhammads time The Greek Sophia (Wisdom)

Definitions
Whatever the actual origin of the word, these derivations all suggest certain things Voluntary poverty Dedication to exploring the deeper meanings of faith Metaphysical speculation regarding nature of God, the Universe and the Human Being Mystical practices: music, poetry and remembrance of God All aimed at direct, personal contact with, experience of and reflection on, the Divine

Islam: Texts, Terms and Contexts

The Muslim World

Introducing Islam

Just over 1400 years old, emerging in what is now Saudi Arabia Approx. 1 billion followers today Centred historically on the Middle East Most Muslims are not Arabs Indonesia, with some 200 million people, is the worlds largest Muslim majority country Between 3 and 9 million Muslims in the USA 1.6 million Muslims in Britain, according to the 2001 census figures

Introducing Islam

Founded some 1,400 years ago in what is now Saudi Arabia by Muhammad ibn Abdullah According to tradition, born in 570 CE Received revelations in 610 (at the age of 40) Read in the name of your Lord, Who created: He created man from a clot. Read, by your Most Generous Lord, Who taught by the Pen. He taught man what he did not know (96:1-5) These revelations gradually became known as the Quran (or the recitation) Islamic teaching considers the Quran to the be the literal speech of God (kalam Allah) Forms the bedrock of Islamic teaching

Key Religious Concepts

Radical monotheism God is the central focus of the Quran The Chapter of Sincerity/Purity (Surat al-Ikhlas)
Say, He is Allah, [who is] One, Allah, the Eternal Refuge, He neither begets nor is born and nor is there to Him any equivalent (112:1-4)

Tawhid (oneness): La ilaha illa Allah Literally, no god but God The central phrase of Islamic thought, subject to much speculation in the Sufi tradition Other Quranic notable references: 59:22; 3:18; 2:255 99 Names of God, drawn from Quranic text The Merciful (al-Rahman), The Holy (al-Quddus), The Real or The Truth (al-Haqq) Allah and the Greatest Name (Ism al-Azam)

Prophets and Prophecy

Sacred history punctuated by arrival of prophets Starting with Adam and ending with Muhammad History thus a linear movement, from beginning of creation to day of judgement Prophets are warners & bringers of good tidings (11:2), sent to every nation (43:6) Some referred to by name
Indeed, We have revealed to you [O Muhammad], as We revealed to Noah and the prophets after him. And We revealed to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, the Descendents [of Israel], Jesus, Job, Jonah, Aaron, and Solomon, and to David We gave the book [of Psalms] (4:163)

Hebrew Prophets important (45:16; 3:84) Obedience to Prophets essential (4:64) Muhammad the Seal of the Prophets (33:40), understood generally to mean the last prophet

The Day of Judgement

Crucial concept, referred to in numerous ways, as an ever-present reality The Hour (al-Saa): 6:31 The Day of Judgement (Yaum al-Din): 1:4 The Day of Resurrection (Yaum al-Qiyamah): 2:113 The Day (al-Yaum): e.g.69:13-37, esp. 15 The Day of Decision (Yaum al-Fasl): 77:7-15, esp. 77:13 The Day of Distress (Yaum al-Asir): 74:9 The Overwhelming Event (al-Ghashiyah): 88:1

Sufism: An Overview

Historical Development
Mystical or supernatural contact a key Quranic theme
We have indeed revealed this (Message) in the Night of Power: And what will explain to thee what the night of power is? The Night of Power is better than a thousand months. Therein come down the angels and the Spirit by Allah's permission, on every errand: Peace!...This until the rise of morn! (Surah al-Qadr 97:1-5)

The night during Ramadan when the Quran was said to have been first revealed to Muhammad

Muhammads Night Journey The night journey (isra wa al-miraj) to Jerusalem a key episode in Muhammad life
Praise be to Him who brought His slave [Muhammad] by night from the holy mosque to the further mosque [masjid al-aqsa], the environs of which We have blessed in order to show him Our signs (17:1)

From Mecca to the Temple Mount and from there into heaven, to a meeting with God
And he saw by another place, by the lote-tree of the farthest edge, near which is the paradise of refuge, when the lote-tree was veiled by what veiled it. His eye did not waver, nor did he transgress; He had seen one of the greatest signs of his Lord (53:13-18)

The strange, allusive language highlights the supernatural nature of this event A direct, personal meeting with God

Historical Development
From the very beginnings of Islam, there were people who sought to withdraw from the world Muhammad is reported to have said: Be in this world as though you were a traveller or a stranger Asceticism (zuhd) renouncing the world and its attachments A number of Muhammads prominent companions are said to be within this category The 4 immediate successors of Muhammad (Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, Ali) were all thought to be ascetics in this sense Although such people were ascetics and mystics, Sufism as a distinct discipline did not exist at this early stage

Historical Development
From the 8th century onwards, this asceticism begins to expand in other directions Growing emphasis on love for the Divine Important early figures Hasan al-Basri (died c. 728 CE) Son of a freedman of Zayd ibn Thabit (one of the main collectors of the Quran) Emphasis on ascetic practice: extra fasting, prayer, etc Emphasis on ethical practice Rabia al-Adawiyya (died c. 801CE) Love of God the key focus
O Lord, If I worship You from fear of Hell, burn me in Hell. If I worship You from hope of Paradise, bar me from its gates. But if I worship You for Yourself alone, then grace me forever with the splendour of Your Face

Historical Development
During the eighth, ninth and tenth centuries Sufism began to develop in two main directions
Ecstatic Sufism (also called drunken Sufism) Here the emphasis was on reaching ecstatic communion with God Often through meditation, dhikr and music; sometimes through narcotics too Mystics in this altered state of consciousness appeared to be drunk Annihilation of the self in God (fana) Ecstatic sayings, often seemingly against the norms of Islamic law Early example: Bayezid Bastami (died 874CE) Glory to Me, how great is My Majesty Said to have been intoxicated in God whilst saying this

Historical Development
Mansur al-Hallaj (died 922 CE) Born in Persia Known for deep meditative and contemplative practices Reported to have faced the Kaaba in Mecca for one year in silence Ecstatic utterances eventually brought him into conflict with the authorities Ana al-Haqq Literally, I am the Truth (one of the Names of God) Executed for heresy in 922 CE

Historical Development
Ecstatic remarks such as Bayezids and Hallajs were criticised by the scholarly elite, who felt that they transgressed the law (Shariah) This led to an alternative approach Known as Sober or Shariah-oriented Sufism Emphasis on staying firmly within the limits of Islamic law
Junayd al-Baghdadi (died mid 10th century CE) Critical of al-Hallaj, accusing him of betraying secret teachings One of his key ideas was of a subsistence in God beyond annihilation (baqa`) That is, the changed mystic was to re-enter the world and help to change it This idea is reminiscent of the Buddhist idea of Boddhisatva

Historical Development
Jalal al-Din Rumi (died 1273 CE) From Balkh, in modern-day Afghanistan Travelled with his family to Konya (in modern day Turkey) to avoid the onslaught of Genghis Khan Met with a wandering hermit called Shams al-Din who took Rumi as a disciple Rumi concentrates on Divine love A prolific and deeply influential poet The Masnavi-yi Manavi (or Spiritual Couplets) Rumi is one of the most widely read poets in the world today Founder of the Mevlevi tariqa (or path), which survives today These are the whirling dervishes

Tariqas: Sufi Orders

The growth and expansion of Sufi practices gradually led to the development of organised groups These are known as paths or tariqas, usually named after their supposed founder Each has a chain of initiation, leading back to Muhammad (known as a silsila, chain) Major contemporary orders include Naqshbandi Haqqani order, led by Shaykh Nazim alHaqqani The Naqshbandis, unusually, trace their origins to Abu Bakr (Muhammads first successor), and are staunchly Sunni in outlook A strong focus on obedience to the Shariah The Mevlevi order (the whirling dervishes) Nimatullahi Sufi Order: an Iranian Shia sufi order

Historical Development
In the contemporary Muslim world, Sufism continues to exist and offer the same sorts of mystical approaches to life Muslim reformers have, however, increasingly criticised a number of Sufi ideas and practices Sufi notions of sainthood, intercession and pilgrimage to the tombs of saints are especially controversial Thus, in the contemporary Islamic world, Sufism is a contested term and there are ongoing debates about its place within Islam and its meaning for Muslims

Friendship with God

The friend of God (Wali, Awliya plural) In Sufi thought, it is the term for saint Based on a number of Quranic passages, including: Behold! Indeed on the friends of Allah there is no fear, nor shall they grieve (10:62) The key idea is that through devotional practice the lower self (ego or nafs) is gradually erased An important Hadith Qudsi Whosoever shows enmity to someone devoted to Me, I shall be at war with him. My servant draws not near to Me with anything more loved by Me than the religious duties I have enjoined upon him, and My servant continues to draw near to Me with supererogatory works so that I shall love him. When I love him I am his hearing with which he hears, his seeing with which he sees, his hand with which he strikes and his foot with which he walks. Were he to ask [something] of Me, I would surely give it to him, and were he to ask Me for refuge, I would surely grant him it Later Sufi thinkers developed this idea into an elaborate spiritual hierarchy

Practices
As with other Muslims, Sufi practice involves reading the Quran, the five daily prayers and so on However, perhaps the most important practice is dhikr, or Remembrance (of God) Although the Quran refers to remembering God in a number of different senses, Sufi practice involves the repetition of a set litany of phrases, often on a daily basis This is known as a wird (or litany) These are used in individual remembrance, often after the five daily prayers They usually contain set passages of the Quran, or set phrases, repeated a certain number of times A common form is: Subhan Allah, Al hamdu Lillah, Allahu Ackbar (Glory to God, Praise be to God, God is Great)

Practices
Group remembrance is a common feature of Sufi practice These range from very subdued forms through to active, noisy and physical forms Some forms are set to music I have placed links to You Tube videos of different kinds of dhikr on Blackboard We are also going to listen to some dhikr now This comes from the Naqshbandi tariqa, and involves the repetitive chanting of la ilaha illa Allah (there is no god but God) Although different tariqas use different forms of remembrance, this is an example of energetic dhikr

Music
Designed to help participants attain direct experience of contact with God As you can perhaps imagine, such forms of remembrance can also induce altered states of consciousness Other forms of dhikr-inspired music include the qawwali of India and Pakistan and the sama of Turkey We will listen to some examples of this now 1. Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan: Allah, Muhammad, Char Yaar (Allah, Muhammad and the Four Friends) 2. Aziz Mian: Ye Hai Maikada (In the Tavern of Love) 3. The traditional whirling ceremony (sema`) of the Mevlevi order (from Turkey)

Sufi Poetry

Sufi Poetry Poetry is, perhaps, the quintessential feature of Sufism Muslims were writing poetry of a distinctly mystical flavour from the earliest days of Islam Rabia al-Adawiyya (died 801CE)
I have loved You with two loves, a selfish love and a love that is worthy. As for the love which is selfish, I occupy myself therein with the remembrance of You to the exclusion of all others. As for that which is worthy of You, therein You raise the veil that I may see You. Yet there is no praise to me in this or that, but the praise is to You, whether in that or this (quoted in Smith, 1994, 126)

Emphasis on love in all its ambiguities: human and divine, real and metaphorical Sufi poetry uses a lot of very controversial imagery Wine, love (sometimes described in very physical terms), idolatry Pre-Islamic poetry uses these metaphors, though very differently Used to challenge, communicate experience, inspire, offer spiritual interpretations of religion

Sufi Poetry: Rumi on Interpretation The interpretation of a sacred text is true if it stirs you to hope, activity and awe; and if it makes you slacken your service, know the real truth to be this: its a distortion of the sense of the saying, not a true interpretation. This saying has come down to inspire you to serve that God may take the hands of those who have lost hope (Masnavi 5.3125-3130)

Further Reading: Islamic Spirituality & Sufism

You can explore Islamic spirituality and Sufism further in these books:

Arberry, A J (1950), Sufism: an Account of the Mystics of Islam, London: Unwin Baldock, J (2004), The Essence of Sufism, London: Arcturus Publishing Ernst, C W (1997), The Shambhala Guide to Sufism, Boston, Mass.: Shambala Karamustafa, A T (2007), Sufism: The Formative Period, Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press Renard, J (1996), Seven Doors to Islam, Berkeley, CA: University of California Press Renard, J (1998), Windows on the House of Islam, Berkeley, CA: University of California Press Renard, J (2008), Friends of God, Berkeley, CA: University of California Press Schimmel, A (1975), Mystical Dimensions of Islam, Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press