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Excrepts from KASHF-AL MAHJUB
The oldest persian treatise on Sufism

by
Ali B. Uthman Al-Jullabi Al Hujwary
(Popularly known as Hazrat Data Gunj Baksh)

Translated by Reynold A. Nicholson

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Sufism

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Abu Sa�id has said, �Sufism is the subsistence of the heart with God without any meditation.� This alludes to contemplation (mushahadat), which is violence of love, and absorption of human attributes in realizing vision of God, and their annihilation by the everlastingness of Him.� (p. 167)

As posed in question by Abu Sa�id to Ali-Hujwary, Sufism is learning the true meaning of Sufism and the nature of the �stations� of the Sufis, and being able to understand their doctrines and sayings, which cannot be accomplished without comprehending their mystical allegories, and feeling the nature of Divine Love the way it is manifested in human hearts. It is also knowing why intellect is unable to reach the Essence thereof, and Why the soil recoils from the reality thereof, and Why the spirit is lulled in the purity thereof; and mastery means being able to explain the practical aspects of Sufism which are connected with these theories.�

Sufism and its Pitfalls

Know that in this time the science of Sufism is obsolete, especially in this country. The whole people is occupied with following its lusts and has turned back on the path of quietism (rida), while the �ulama� (scholars) and those who pretend to learning have formed a conception of Sufism which is quite contrary to its fundamental principles.
High and low alike are content with empty professions: blind conformity has taken the place of spiritual enthusiasm. The vulgar say, �We know God�, and the elect, satisfied if they feel in their hearts a longing for the next world, say, �This desire is vision and ardent Love.� Everyone make pretensions, none attains to reality. The disciples, neglecting their ascetic practices, indulge in idle thoughts, which they call �contemplation�.

Ali b. Uthman al-Jullabi, al-Hujwary (ra) may God have mercy upon him has explained thus:

It is to encounter false pretensions

Some false pretenders picked out passages here and there in order to deceive the public, while they erased and destroyed the rest; others did not mutilate the books, but left them unread; others read them, but did not comprehend their meaning, so they copied the text and committed it to memory and said: �We can discourse on mystical science.� Now a days true spiritualism is as rare as the Philosopher�s Stone (kibrit- i Ahmar); for it is natural to seek the medicine that fits the disease, and nobody wants to mix pearls and coral with common remedies like shalitha and dawa al misk. (1)

The Royal falcon is sure to get its wings clipped when it perches on the wall of an old woman�s cottage.

Hazrat Ali Hujwary has also said, "Our contemporaries give the name of �laws� to their lusts, pride and ambition they call �honor and learning�, hypocrisy towards men �fear of God�, concealment of anger �clemency�, disputation �discussion�, wrangling and foolishness �dignity�, insincerity �renunciation�, cupidity �devotion to God�, their own senseless fancies �Divine Knowledge�, the motions of the heart and affections of the animal soul �Divine LOVE�, heresy �poverty�, skepticism �purity�, disbelief in positive religion (zandaqa) �self-annihilation�, neglect of The Law of Prophet �The mystic path�, evil communication with time servers �exercise of piety�.

Abu Bakr al-Wasti has said, �We are afflicted with a time in which there are neither the religious duties of Islam nor the morals of Paganism nor the virtues of Chivalry� (ahlam- i Dhawi `l-murrawa). Mutanabbi says to the same effect. (2)

�God curse this world! What a vile place for any camel-rider to alight in!
For here the man of lofty spirit is always tormented.�

Notes

(1) An electuary used as a remedy for paralysis of tongue or mouth.
(2) Mutanabbi, ed. By Dieterici, p.662, l.4 from foot.

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