"This path is not monasticism, eating barley and bran, or the garrulousness
of affectation, but rather perseverance in the divine commands and certainty in
divine guidance."
–Ibn 'Ata' Illah al-Iskandari
"Many Muslims look into their hearts today and find a spiritual emptiness.
Speeches abound, but when the chairs are folded up and people go home, they find
their prayers and inner life as dry as ever. Something is clearly missing. This
essay shows that at the centre of the Islamic revelation, there is a brilliant
light that has never been put out, but in our time has been covered over by the
bushel-basket of modernist and Muslim-reform literature. It proves from the
Qur'an and Sunna that from the very beginning of Islam, there has been a fully
orthodox and operational science for increasing the impetus and intensity of
one's relationship with the Divine, a traditional spirituality that is today
called 'Sufism', in all previous Islamic eras was simply known and practiced as
'the way to Allah'. It discusses critics of Sufism, ancient and modern, and
shows that if the false coin has sometimes circulated among Muslims, the real
thing is the brightest hope Islam has to offer a world benighted by nihilism and
materialism."
–Description of the book Sufism and Islam by Shaykh Nuh Ha Mim Keller
Introduction to Islamic Spirituality, Part II will feature commentary by
Shaykh Nuh on his book Sufism and Islam. The goal of these two pre-recorded lessons is to
explain what Sufism is and how it is practiced. Shaykh Nuh will explain how
Sufism or Tasawwuf developed into a formal discipline and why it is so
important in Islam. He will answer the most commonly raised objections against Sufism
and explain how it differs from the pseudo-Sufism popularized in many parts of
the Muslim world as well as academic Sufism. He will then highlight some
important figures in the development of this science.
Following this introduction, Shaykh Nuh will give eleven pre-recorded lessons from the
Hikam (Aphorisms) of Ibn 'Ata' Illah al-Iskandari to give a taste of what
is taught by Sufi teachers. Ibn 'Ata' Illah was a scholar in Arabic grammar,
hadith, Qur'anic exegesis, fundamentals of law and faith, jurisprudence, and
spirituality who lived in Egypt during the 7th century A.H. Shaykh Nuh himself
is a spiritual heir of Shaykh Ibn 'Ata'illah and has an unbroken chain of
transmission to the great author himself. Translating and commentating on Ibn
'Ata'Illah’s words, Shaykh Nuh will cover the topics of belief (iman),
repentance (tawba), unattachment to the world (zuhd), and slavehood to Allah (tahqiq
al-'ubudiyya). Four to five Aphorisms will be covered per lesson.
Introduction to Islamic Spirituality is perfect for anyone who: knows
nothing about Sufism; misunderstands Sufism; has prior negative experiences
either through personal contact or hearsay; or has heard about it but simply
desires to learn more.
Sh. Hamza Karamali will manage weekly live sessions and discussion forum, with all difficult questions forwarded to Shaykh Nuh for answering.
Please note that the Part I of this course is not a prerequisite for this course. The courses in this series all start with the same pre-recorded introductory lessons. The ten lessons from the Hikam differ for each part of this course.