Related Research Articles
Sufism, also known as Tasawwuf, is a mystic body of religious practice found within Islam which is characterized by a focus on Islamic purification, spirituality, ritualism, asceticism, and esotericism. It has been variously defined as "Islamic mysticism", "the mystical expression of Islamic faith", "the inward dimension of Islam", "the phenomenon of mysticism within Islam", the "main manifestation and the most important and central crystallization" of mystical practice in Islam, and "the interiorization and intensification of Islamic faith and practice".
A tariqa is a school or order of Sufism, or specifically a concept for the mystical teaching and spiritual practices of such an order with the aim of seeking haqiqa, which translates as "ultimate truth".
Idries Shah, also known as Idris Shah, né Sayed Idries el-Hashimi and by the pen name Arkon Daraul, was an Afghan author, thinker and teacher in the Sufi tradition. Shah wrote over three dozen books on topics ranging from psychology and spirituality to travelogues and culture studies.
The Khalwati order is an Islamic Sufi brotherhood (tariqa). Along with the Naqshbandi, Qadiri, and Shadhili orders, it is among the most famous Sufi orders. The order takes its name from the Arabic word khalwa, meaning “method of withdrawal or isolation from the world for mystical purposes.”
The Shadhili Order is a tariqah or Sufi order of Sunni Islam founded by al-Shadhili in the 13th century and is followed by millions of people around the world. Many followers of the Shadhili Order are known as Shadhilis, and a single follower is known as Shadhili.
Sofia University is a private for-profit university in Palo Alto, California. It was originally founded as the California Institute of Transpersonal Psychology by Robert Frager and James Fadiman in 1975.
Muzaffer Ozak was a Turkish Muslim spiritual author, imam, and the 19th Grand Sheikh of the Halveti-Jerrahi Order of Dervishes, a traditional Ottoman Sufi order based in Istanbul, Turkey. He served the position from 1966 to 1985, becoming revered in Western countries because of his visits through Europe and the United States of America, where he celebrated public zikr ceremonies with his dervishes. He is also well known in Turkey for his ilahis, Sufi religious hymns. Ozak also ran a small shop in the historic book bazaar, Sahaflar Çarşısı, that still serves the community today.
Lex Hixon (1941–1995) was an American Sufi author, poet, and spiritual teacher. He practiced and held membership in several religious traditions. He believed that all religions are true, which was sparked by his study of the life and teachings of Ramakrishna.
Sufi studies is a particular branch of comparative studies that uses the technical lexicon of the Islamic mystics, the Sufis, to exemplify the nature of its ideas; hence the frequent reference to Sufi Orders. It may be divided into two main branches, the orientalist/academic and the spiritual.
Pir or Peer is a title for a Sufi spiritual guide. They are also referred to as a Hazrat and Sheikh or Shaykh, which is literally the Arabic equivalent. The title is often translated into English as "saint". In Sufism, a Pir's role is to guide and instruct his disciples on the Sufi path. This is often done by general lessons and individual guidance. Other words that refer to a Pir include Murshid and Sarkar.
Silsila is an Arabic word meaning chain, link, connection often used in various senses of lineage. In particular, it may be translated as "spiritual genealogy" where one Sufi Master transfers his khilafat to his khalîfa, or spiritual descendant. In Urdu, silsila means saga.
Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee is a Sufi mystic and lineage successor in the Naqshbandiyya-Mujaddidiyya Sufi Order. He is an extensive lecturer and author of several books about Sufism, mysticism, dreamwork and spirituality.
A Sheikh or shaykh, of Sufism is a Sufi who is authorized to teach, initiate and guide aspiring dervishes in the Islamic faith. He has laid all his worldly desires to rest thru the one intense desire for knowing the love of God his beloved. The sheik is vital to the path of the novice Sufi, for the sheik has himself travelled the path of mysticism. Viewed as the spiritual master, the sheik forms a formal allegiance (bay'a) to the disciple of Sufism and authorizes the disciple's travels and helps the disciple along the mystical path. Islamic tradition focuses on the importance of chains and legitimization. In Sufism, sheiks are connected by a continuous spiritual chain. This chain links every previous Sufi sheik, and eventually can be traced back to the Successors, and in later times to the Prophet himself. As Sufism grew, influential shayks began to acquire spiritual centers and waypoints known as khanqah, ribat, and zaouia. Sheikhs duplicate the Prophetic realities, and are also expected to perform and act as an intermediary between the Creator and the created, since the sheikh has arrived close to God through his meditations and spiritual travels. There are several types of such sheikh.
The Nur Ashki Jerrahi Sufi Order is a contemporary Sufi Order based in New York City and México City. It is a descendant of the 18th century Jerrahi Order of Istanbul and was founded in the early 1980s by American Sufis Nur al-Anwar al-Jerrahi and Fariha Fatima al-Jerrahi after they received direct transmission from their spiritual guide Muzaffer Özak Âșkî al-Jerrahi, the Grand Sheikh of the Jerrahi Order from 1966 until his passing in 1985. Sheikh Muzaffer Özak was the 19th successor of the founding saint Hazreti Pîr Muhammad Nureddin al-Jerrahi (1678-1720).
There are three central ideas in Sufi Islamic psychology, which are the Nafs, the Qalb (heart) and the Ruh (spirit). The origin and basis of these terms is Qur'anic and they have been expounded upon by centuries of Sufic commentaries.
Sheikh Tosun Bayrak al-Jerrahi al-Halveti was an author, artist, translator and Sufi. He served as a government official in Ankara, Honorary Consul of Turkey in Morocco and was the Sheikh of the Jerrahi Order in America. He died on February 15, 2018.
Ali Kianfar is an Iranian Sufi master, author, teacher, philosopher and international speaker. He is a co-founder and co-director of the International Association of Sufism and Editor-in-Chief of the online journal Sufism: An Inquiry. He teaches Sufism and Islamic Philosophy.
James Fadiman is an American writer known for his research on microdosing psychedelics. He co-founded the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology, which later became Sofia University.
Sufism in Bangladesh is more or less similar to that in the whole Indian subcontinent. India, it is claimed, is one of the five great centers of Sufism, the other four being Persia, Baghdad, Syria, and North Africa. Sufi saints flourished in Hindustan (India) preaching the mystic teachings of Sufism that easily reached the common people, especially the spiritual truth seekers in India. Sufism in Bangladesh is also called pirism, after the pirs or teachers in the Sufi tradition.
Fariha Fatima al-Jerrahi is the spiritual guide and current Sheikha of the Nur Ashki Jerrahi Sufi Order in New York City.
References
- ↑ Staff. "Who is Robert Frager?". Integral Institute. Archived from the original on 2006-05-15. Retrieved 2009-06-02.
- ↑ "COMMON THREADS IN MYSTICISM with ROBERT FRAGER, Ph.D." The Intuition Network. Retrieved 9 September 2023.
- ↑ Wulandari, Asti (2017). "Nafs in Sufism Psychology: Robert Frager's Perspective". Khazanah: Jurnal Studi Islam dan Humaniora. 15 (1): 23–34. doi: 10.18592/khazanah.v15i1.1155 . Retrieved 9 September 2023.
- ↑ "The Wisdom of Islam by Robert Frager | Review | Spirituality & Practice".
- 1 2 Hamilton, Craig (September 2006). "The Man with Two Heads". EnlightenNext Magazine. Archived from the original on 2013-04-15. Retrieved 2009-06-02. A reprint from Issue 34, September to December 2006.
- ↑ "Our Sensei". 5 April 2010.
- ↑ "Instructors — Bridgetown Aikido :: Portland Oregon". www.bridgetownaikido.com. Archived from the original on 2012-09-20.
- ↑ "Robert Frager - Aikido Master".
