An authentic Sufi

[Spiritualseeker]

Namaste,


Recently I have been fascinated with some of the writings of Ahmed Hulusi who is a Turkish Sufi. There are many different Sufi sects within Islam. Some are simply spiritual paths that just simply label themselves as Sufi, but do not go into the heart of Sufism. While I am currently studying Advaita, I have come to understand many of the deeper teachings that Sufism has to offer. These deeper teachings really have nothing to do with what mainstream Islam represents. That is why I label this thread as An Authentic Sufi. I do not mean this in an egotistical way of saying who is a Sufi or who is not, but my intention is to just share that this man (Ahmed Hulusi) seems to understand the truths that the 'heretical' Sufi saints spoke of.

Ahmed Hulusi interprets the Oneness (Ahadiyat) of Allah in the authentic Sufi manner. He views the testimony of faith: "La illaha illallah" which is usually translated as "There is no god, but Allah", but instead he views it from the authentic sufi position as "There is no god, only Allah". He criticizes the Sky god primitive belief of other people (including his fellow Muslims). In this view it is said that Allah is everything and everything that is manifested are the manifestations of Allah's Names and Attributes.

Here is a list of free online books by Ahmed Hulusi:

http://www.ahmedhulusi.org/en/books/

Here are some Youtube videos of Ahmed Hulusi with subtitles in English:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERdnOH4r1f8 The Mysteries of the Brain

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QlxPakZdAE8 Brain Mechanics and the Quantum Potential


Ibn Arabi a Sufi Mystic who has been heavily condemned by fundamentalist Muslims.

Om Namo Bhagavati Rudraya

[Omkara]

You may also want to look into the sufi Mansour al Hallaj,and Kashmir Shaivism...both seem to have very close links with your area of interest.

[Spiritualseeker]

Thank you Omkara. I remember reading briefly about al-Hallaj being murdered by fundamentalist Muslims for his statements of his recognition of Oneness with the Divine. I will check this out.

[Omkara]

A few things I forgot to mention-

Al Ghazali-His works are among the most important sufi philosophical sufi texts.

Sufism is an outgrowth of kabbalah and neoplatonism.You might like those too.

Kashmir shaivism is a shaivite nondual tradition that builds on advaita and ultimately transcends it.It has close links to the sufi movement in kashmir.

[Omkara]

The problem with the sufis and the kabbalists is that they have to resort to sophisticated intellectual gymnastics to derive support for their philosophies from the quran and the old testament respectively.I am not very sure how much scriptural support the sufis have from the quran.

[ShivaFan]

Namaste Spiritualseeker

I do not know anything of Sufi. The little I do know is from a couple things mentioned from my wife's side of the family, your posting made me recall a mention from the mother, something about a tomb which was not Hindu, I am pretty sure it was either Islam saint or Sufi mystic, but I am pretty sure it was Sufi mystic. Hindus go to this tomb for certain reasons (as if for getting "blessing" but really it seemed not really blessing but as if there is a sort of "magic" there or mystic to help with, oh perhaps help if one is sick? honestly, I don't recall the specifics as to why, but it seemed it was the Person whose presence was there, the Saint or mystic that was there in spirit and not really the Sufi belief system per say though no one discounting the belief system unique or distinct from the Person).

I am curious, does anyone else know about such a tomb or tombs of Sufi Saint which is visited by Hindus?

But I did do a "five minute research" on Sufi since your post was there, to see "what else?" Sufi says in addition to "God is All and One" (did I say that correctly? Seems to be Supreme Brahman in color vision or meditation or belief). Immediately I noticed something:

"Serve God" (Seva?), "God then Sees you" (Dharshan? Hindu Bhakti? Deva saying "you are (or will become) Mine"?), "Repeat the names of God" (Kirtan? Chanting, or bhajans even?) ...

Sounds like ISKCON almost!

May be "controversial" for some, but an intersting post and thanks for sharing links. Thanks!

Om Namah Sivaya

[Omkara]

The Ajmer dargah of Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti is a famous Sufi shrine which many hindus visit.

[ShivaFan]

Namaste Omkara

I am thinking this was not Ajmer but in Bengal. Thanks! Seems there are lots of "Sufi tombs" that Hindus visit!

Om Namah Sivaya

[wundermonk]

Al Ghazali-His works are among the most important sufi philosophical sufi texts.

I believe Al Ghazali was also one of the most important Asharite theologians. Unfortunately (if I remember right) the Asharite school laid the foundation of literalist interpretations of the Quran as opposed to a more liberal interpretation of the Quran by the likes of Ibn Rushd and others of the Mutazilite school which developed when Islam came in touch with ancient Greek philosophy.

Unfortunately (for us) the liberal Mutazilite scholars were killed and all their books burned by fanatics sometime early in the 2nd millenium C.E.

I strongly suggest The Closing of the Muslim Mind: How Intellectual Suicide Created the Modern Islamist Crisis - by Robert Reilly.

[ShivaFan]

Namaste

Sorry, I can't help but being a jokester, but I thought the Abrahamic section was closed!? Just kidding. Anyway I thought I would throw a little Hindu in the mix of the thread about the tombs and some "what other?" aspects that struck me as ISKCON-like.

Om Namah Sivaya