AMAR JALEEL

SUFISM
(LIBERATION OF SOUL)

CAN SUFISM BE DEFINED?

Sufism is neither a religion, nor is it a doctrine, a myth, a cult, or a dogma.
Sufism can neither be taught, nor can it be explained in concrete terms. Like
fragrance Sufism is felt. Like soothing Ragas it is spiritually experienced. It
surrounds. It overwhelms. It encompasses you in serenity. Sufism touches inner
cords of your existence. It provides unexplained vistas hitherto denied to the
vision. It ultimately liberates man to embark upon his search for Ultimate Truth.
Sufism has nothing to do with the external appearance of a person. It does
not call upon a person to perform certain rituals and to put on peculiar garb to
distinguish himself from rest of the fellow beings. It is easy to differentiate
between a Moulvi, a Monk, a Pundit, and a Priest from their attire and
appearance. But, it is not easy to identify a Sufi from what he wears. You may
never know the person sitting next to you is a Sufi. One cant put on a saffron rug,
and declare himself a Sufi. A Sufi does not pronounce his communion with God.
He renounces tall claims. Sufism is a way of life. It emanates from within. It is a
total and unconditional sense of surrender to the One Infinite. A Sufi never
pretends. A true Sufi neither conceals, nor does he reveal himself. He refuses to
occupy elevated stage in society, and deliver sermons. He explains, but he never
indulges in heated debates and discussions, arguments and counterarguments. He
never sides with in the rudimentary tussle between the religions. He maintains a
very low profile all his life. Finally, a Sufi dissolves without knowing in the
boundlessness of the One he seeks. Ultimately he becomes one with Absolute
One.

A true Sufi never distinguishes himself from others. He doesnt distances

himself from fellow human beings on the basis of their faith, cast, and creed. He
remains engrossed in his everlasting quest for Union with Eternal One.
Numerous religions remind him of unity in diversity. They propagate submission
to the Supreme Sustainer without knowing. At times Sufism is innocently
subdivided into Muslim mysticism, Hindu mysticism, Christian mysticism,
Jewish mysticism, and into numerous cults. The factions ascribe certain attributes
of their choice to the Creator. What they forget in their faithfulness is that the
Absolute One is indivisible. Divinity and the Divine can not be partitioned. No
creation (takhleeq) can ever possibly ascribe any attribute to its Creator. Can a
painting or a sculptor of Michel Angelo describe the personality of the artist who
gave it an existence!
A true Sufi does not restrict himself to a mosque, or to a temple, or to a
Church, or to a Synagogue. It is not obligatory for him to be there. Probably, he
may not be seen in any place of worship! He has his own place of worship within
him kindled with Eternal Love. A Sufi remains perpetually in love with Infinite
all his life whether he sleeps, remains awake, interacts with people, or wanders in
wilderness. Everlasting love of a Sufi for his Beloved is manifestation of Bandagi
(worship), and Bandagi is everlasting love for his Beloved. Bandagi (worship)
without love, and love without Bandagi bear no meaning.
True love invariably has to be unconditional. It signifies submission. It is
of no significance to a Sufi what others think of him. He is not bothered if people
laugh at him, jeer him, or ridicule him. He is not deterred when clergy, Qazis
(judges), and the rulers join hands to persecute him, and torment him, and send
him to the gallows. A true Sufi ceaselessly treads the burning desert of trials and
tribulations in search of his Mehboob (Beloved), the Truth. It is a journey he
undertakes knowingly and alone by himself. It commences with his consciousness
for his Creator, and terminates with his getting absorbed in the vastness of One
Supreme.
Even in metaphysical realm it is unlikely to attribute a universally
acceptable definition to Sufism. That is why Sufism or Mysticism has been

subdivided and fragmented into totally diverse forms and the norms. The Muslims
have their own version of Sufism that directly or indirectly adheres to the Islamic
injunctions, Hadith and Sunnah. The Hindus attribute their own definition to
Mysticism that corresponds to their faith. Similarly, the Christians assign their
own meaning to Mysticism that confirms to the fundamental ethics of
Christianity. However, there exists common conjecture in each Faiths approach to
Mysticism or Sufism. They all believe Sufism initiates perpetual quest for the
Creator, and ultimate Truth. The different religions all over the world
nevertheless have their own description of the Creator, and the Truth.
Like phenomenon of life and death, Sufism is infinite in its application. It
is vast. It is immense. It can not be contained in a universal definition. The Sufism
in its original texture emanates from within. It permeates highest form of
consciousness. It indicates mans absolutely personal perception of his Creator,
and his relationship with his Initiator, and the Truth he everlastingly seeks. It all
becomes possible only when he attains freedom from conditioning and thinks
independently.
UNANSWERED QUESTIONS
It is fallacious to assume man is born free. He takes birth in a given
situation without his choice. He takes birth in a certain country and automatically,
and without his intent becomes a citizen of that country. A child born to the
parents settled in the United States would become an American. A child born to
the parents settled in Russia would become a Russian. A child born to the parents
settled in Pakistan would become a Pakistani. A child born to the parents settled in
India would become an Indian. Likewise a child born in a Christian family is
nurtured and brought up to become a Christian. A child born in a Hindu family is
taught and groomed to become a Hindu. A child born in a Muslim family is
tutored and trained to become a Muslim. Each family ensures that the child is
conditioned to adopt the faith, culture, social traits, and the language of the
family. Thus, man surrenders his natural instinct for freedom to his environs, and
chains himself in customs, traditions, culture, and taboos that dont let him mingle

with people equally entangled in their own customs, traditions, and taboos. The
human beings remain separated not only through political and geographic
demarcations, they resist universal unison in the name of their diverse faiths and
religions.
Enigma ensnares man all his life, and he convincingly believes he is born
free! Although he is not! He is born chained in customs, traditions, rituals, and the
family traits. He goes to the particular place of worship because as a child he saw
his parents go to the identical places of worship. He despises some communities
because as a child he saw his parents despise others. He assumes himself the most
cultured, enlightened, and brave among men because his forefathers thought and
behaved like that. Man remains confounded in the given circumstances. He
evolves his own ethics, and code of conduct to judge the world.
Man nevertheless is born with an inquisitive head and heart. Within him
resides a restless soul. He strives to know what hitherto has remained unknown to
him. He attempts to understand what he has not understood before. He decodes
the coded facts of life. He reads. He assimilates. He contemplates. He unshackles
himself. He treads the oceans, deserts, forests, and the civilisations in search of
Truth. He stands up, and musters up courage to look at the world independently.
He listens to the echo of eternal unanswered questions from within. Who am I?
Who has created me? What is the relationship between Creator and the created?
Man seeks answer to the most complex questions in his life. Where from have I
come, and whence shall I return to! Without knowing he enters the fold of the
Sufis.
It is then that he finds himself impeded by the society in which he has
been brought up. The wise, clergy, and the learned who sit in judgement on the
deeds and misdeeds of others admonish him. They warn him not to seek beyond
what has already been sought! Not to redefine what has already been defined!
And finally, not to deviate from the path followed by his forefathers! Fear bears
no meaning for a Sufi. He looks around, and to his astonishment he beholds his
Beloved in every direction! A couplet of a great Sufi like Shah Latif elevates his
soul to liberty:

Jedhan Kayan Parkh

Tedhan Sajan Samhoon
Jedhan (wherever) Kayan (I cast) Parkh (eye, meaning examine)
Tedhan (thither/in that direction)(I behold) Sajan (beloved) Samhoon (in front of
me).
Sufism is mans quest for Truth. Men living in different domains with
totally different cultures, languages, attitudes and aptitudes have deciphered the
Truth according to their peculiar faith. They attribute their own meaning to
Truth. Thus, over the countless centuries man in his faithfulness has subdivided
and fragmented what perpetually and everlastingly happens to be indivisible.
When men in their frenzy partition, subdivide, and fragment Truth they in fact
partition and fragment love, affection, tolerance, forbearance, and mutual respect
for each other. They resultantly cultivate inferno of hatred and aversion within
their hearts. They first divide, and then engage each other in unending violent
combats of death and destruction in the name of Indivisible One.
Eternal One shall always remain One beyond eternity. A true Sufi frees
himself from the confines of contradictory traditions, cultural rituals, traditional
traits, and social attitudes that obstruct his submission to the Everlasting One.
Sachal Sarmast like Mansur Halaj was a fearless Sufi. Somewhere in his verse he
has said:
Jedhan Purab Pundh, Tedhan Aon Na Vanyon,
Heo Hunan Jo Handh, Munhinjo Handh Hinglag Mein.
[The trudge that leads to Purab (westward-to the places of worship), I
shall not proceed. It is theirs (forefathers) Handh (place/destination), my
destination is Hinglaj]. Hinglaj is a distant mountainous region in Sindh once
inhibited by lonely Yogis for meditation.
Once confirmed, and assures that the Everlasting One is indivisible a Sufi
feels liberated from within. He feels liberated from hatred, envy, greed, enmity,
and lust for wealth and power. He then views the world in Universal Unity.

***************************************************