Dr Umar Abdullah on Living Islam with Purpose

Dr Umar Abdullah of the Nawawi Foundation has produced another interesting and thought provoking article focusing on the needs of the Muslims in the West (esp in America). This is I believe his sixth article written with a view to addressing these needs. You can read all of the articles here. An extract form Living [...]

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Prayer of Sidi Ibn Mashish (RA)

Here’s a recitation of the famous darood sharif by Sidi Abd-as-Salam aMashish (RA). He was the master of the great Imam of tasawwuf Sidi Abul Hasan as-Shadhili (RA) and regarded as the Qutb of his time. It’s a beautiful litany summarizing the sufi understanding of the greatness of the rank of the Blessed Prophet (upon [...]

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Final Resting Place of Hz Qudratullah Shahab (RA)

May God fill it with Light and elevate his rank. He continues to be an inspiration.

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In Praise of Tea

 
The teapot and utensils of Hz Mehr Ali Shah (RA).
My dear brother Green Sufi has outdone me again! In a recent post he enumerates the virtues of my favorite beverage chai (tea). A coup from chaiwala’s point of view but I’m not going to complain. Read his post here.

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Inspirational Verses

Jaane Saqi ki ankhon ne kiya ishara kar diya
aaj hum ne nazar-e-Saqi zuhd-o-taqwa kar diya
Kaabe walon se jo puchi mein ne manzil Yaar ki
buthkade ki janib chupke se ishara kar diya
( I know not what the Saqi’s eyes signalled
but we have rendred up our abstinence and piety in His honour.
When I asked of the Kaaba [...]

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Adab and Revealation

An excellent article on the Shaykh al-Akbar’s hermeneutics and the immense adab that he shows for the “letter” of the Qur’an from the Ibn Arabi Society website. An extract:
Recent studies of the work of the Shaykh al-Akbar have been bringing more and more clearly to light the fact that his doctrine is rooted in the [...]

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God Suffices Me

Love is a ship for the elect:
it is deliverance from disaster.
Sell intelligence and buy bewilderment:
your intelligence may be opinion,
while bewilderment may be naked vision.
Sacrifice your understanding in the presence of Muhammad:
say, God suffices me.*
Masnavi Bk4 1406-1408
* from Qur’an.
…

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Lest We Forget Palestine

A chilling documentary on the present state of affairs in Gaza. When people are forced to live in inhuman conditions will their humanity not suffer? If it does ( and it surely does) then they are not the only ones to suffer the consequences. See it for yourself here.

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Shaykh al-Alawi on the true meaning of Darood Sharif

An excellent article by one of the great masters of recent times Shaykh Ahmad al-Alawi of the Shadhili tariqa from Algeria. It answers a question that I have often wondered about namely the true meaning of darood sharif, the prayer of blessings on the Prophet (saws). An extract:
It was requested from the great master of [...]

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