Hidden Sources of a Sacred Psychology

Published in 2010, Sufism and the Way of Blame: Hidden Sources of a Sacred Psychology is a book written by Dr. Yannis Toussulis.The book provides an interesting and compelling account of the evolution of Sufism from its earliest origins as a spiritual movement following the establishment of Islam, on down to its present manifestations in the Middle East, in  Europe and the British Isles, and in the Americas and other parts of the world. A 'Who's Who' of everything Sufi, this work offers a sensitive treatment of Sufi philosophy [philosophies?] from the perspective of one who's clearly an adherent, yet at the same time providing a scholarly -- and at times even critical -- perspective on movements occurring around and stemming from Sufism.

What is Sufism All About? (Ch. 1)
One can be grounded in a particular tradition without becoming rigid or doctrinaire.

[VOCAB] ishq (תשוקה ) ardent desire. A continuing closeness to, and longing for, an Ineffable God. No concepts or imaginal constraints, no matter how dearly held.

Ecstasy, for Rumi, was secondary to intuitive knowledge, or gnosis. NOTE: Gnosis is a key concept in our study of mysticism in general, and Sufism in particular. It’s worth reading up on this before continuing with the review of the book.

Yannis writes that Sufism as portrayed by New Age enthusiasts is reduced to spiritual consumerism, replaced by “marketable sentimentality,” to fit common expectations.

In the Melami path, love is a byproduct of a deeper “remembrance of the heart” [dhikr al-qalb.] We activate this remembrance by reconnecting to our Source.

We purify our consciousness through dedicated practice: meditation, contemplation, spiritual companionship.

We seek to regain our capacity for “intuitive discernment”; beyond just feelings or “נגיעות ”. This is lacking in both East and West.

 Perenidism

Perenidism the view that all enduring faiths (aka “great religions”) on Earth are singularly important and equally valid since they all derive from the same locus of truth. This truth is discovered only by gnosis, that is, direct perception of God. As such, perenidism affirms the mystical core of all religions.

According to William James, being engaged in a mystical tradition implies an eternal quest for an “immediate form of knowing.”

Yannis points out that it’s important to note that Sufism (like any tradition) possesses a socio-historical dimension. I.e. always impacted by the political and cultural context in which it finds itself. [True for all religions and spiritual movements, yes? – D.E.]

 Syncretism

Syncretism combines different—often seemingly contradictory beliefs, at times melding practices of various schools of thought. This can involve merging—analogizing—several discrete traditions, especially in theology and mythology of religion. It asserts an underlying unity, taking an inclusive approach to different faiths.



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<p class="MsoNormal"> Hazrat Inayat Khan

<p class="MsoNormal">Hazrat Inayat Khan distinguished Sufism from other mystical approaches by saying that Sufism “casts away all differences.” A spiritual humanist, Khan found that Americans were devoted to spirituality but were too diffuse in terms of attention and too restless when not quickly satisfied with a given approach or teaching. He discerned a tendency amongst Americans to be faddish in spiritual seeking.

Critiquing the Sufi Approach (Ch. 2)
<p class="MsoNormal">Each religion remains valid by retaining an esoteric core. Yet various exoteric expressions of religion are also necessary, i.e. have multiple approaches serving different spiritual capacities.

<p class="MsoNormal">Among Moslems, Sufis are regarded as unfavorable due to perception that traditionalism is under attack by secularism, which is regarded as an “adulteration” of Islam.

<p class="MsoNormal">According to Frithjof Schuon (d. 1998), Sufism as manifest in the USA has been quite eclectic, improvised, and heterodox, drawing upon a wide range of traditions, including Christianity, Native American practices (e.g. dances), and so forth.


 * Exoteric religion as a protective shell around its mystical kernel. Getting to that kernel might require breaking the shell.
 * Major concept: Sha’aria is essential to reaching Ta’ariqa. Eventual transcending of Sha’aria to achieve Ta’ariqa is not a negation of the path, but rather of negating the limitation of truth to exclusively external forms.

<p class="MsoNormal">[VOCAB] Ahadit – the collected works of the Prophet.

<p class="MsoNormal"> A Controversial and Critical Point

<p class="MsoNormal">Martin Lings rejected the notion that Sufism is independent of any religion (read: Islam) and that it existed from time immemorial. This, he claims, reduces Sufism to mystical universalism, which he states clearly it is not.

<p class="MsoNormal">Mawalis, literally “clients,” are captured populations who’d converted to Islam at the time of the Arab conquest of Mesopotamia in the decades following Mohammed’s death.

<p class="MsoNormal">Ali, son-in-law of Mohammed, is considered a primary source of every Sufi order and school, according to Yannis. Ali is regarded as the spiritual founder of Shi’ism. Early on, Sufism was a magnet for those eventually becoming Moslems.

<p class="MsoNormal">Shi’ism and Sufism possess a common origin – both are linked with the esoteric dimension of Islamic revelation, according to Seyyed Hossein Nasr. Both emerged as philosophies during the 9th and 10th centuries.

<p class="MsoNormal">Yannis claims that during the time of Alexander the Great, a Hellenistic substructure emerged that informed the development of mystical Judaism and Christianity. Sufis clearly shared in this interchange of knowledge.

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<p class="MsoNormal">[VOCAB] Kalam – theological argumentation.

<p class="MsoNormal">[VOCAB] Usul al-fiqh – logic that determines fundamentals of Islamic law.

<p class="MsoNormal"> More on Syncretism

<p class="MsoNormal">Yannis stresses that Sufism wasn’t simply an eclectic form of mysticism, or an “unselected collection of random beliefs and practices.” That is, he claims that Sufism, at least in its classical form, wasn’t a syncretic religious movement, which by definition, would aim to reconcile disparate or contradictory beliefs and fuse them together. Rather, Sufism from the outset was populated by folks seeking a high degree of doctrinal integrity.

<p class="MsoNormal">Sufism has never lost its scriptural grounding in the Qur’an.

<p class="MsoNormal">The “formalist,” traditionalist position is that a non-Moslem Sufi is a contradiction in terms. Islam offers a more complete revelation that supersedes formerly valid religions. According to this traditional approach, Sufism is a purely Islamic phenomenon – plus, it must remain as such in order to retain its authenticity.

<p class="MsoNormal">This approach – of situating Sufism with traditional mainstream Islam, offers the advantage of protecting Sufism from attack by modern relativism (denies validity of revelation) and fanatical fundamentalism (negates esotericism).

<p class="MsoNormal">Yannis says it’s doubtful that there’s any singular truth regarding Sufism. There are various versions and visions of Sufism – and of Islam as well – each one suitable for different audiences with varying spiritual capacities.

<p class="MsoNormal">Rumi: “There are some of God’s servants who approach God via the Koran. There are others – the more elite – who come from God only to find the Koran here [where, in the heart?] and realize it is God who sent it.”

<p class="MsoNormal"> Oy, another controversy?

<p class="MsoNormal">There is a major longstanding controversy among Sufis regarding the role of Sharia (law) in the life of the practitioner, that is, to what extent does law relate to Tariqa (the path)? The positions on this question range rather widely among Sufi teachers and scholars, going from total strict adherence to law, to approaches that one might regard as liberal and flexible.

<p class="MsoNormal">Yannis claims that Islam is a “nomocentric” religion, quoting Fazlur Rahman who states that the Koran is interested primarily in “producing the right moral attitude for human action,” i.e. embrace the right hashkafa (philosophy, as related in Jewish terms –D.E.) so you’ll apply halacha (law) in the right manner.

<p class="MsoNormal">Yannis further claims that Sharia, which could be defined as “the broad way” has become confused with the “fundamental foundations of law” – usul al-fiqh – resulting over recent centuries in a severely restricted – doctrinaire – approach by what’s become increasingly a professional class of “ulama,” literally defined as “knowledgeable ones,” but regarded roughly as clerics.

<p class="MsoNormal">Sounds a lot like the post-haskalah reaction of established Judaism in that a situation evolved to where we today have established Orthodoxy locked in battle with “dissenting” movements (sometimes themselves emanating from the liberal wing of Orthodoxy itself) challenging its hegemony. –D.E.

<p class="MsoNormal"> So what is the role of Sharia in the world of a Sufi?

<p class="MsoNormal">Historically, Sufi masters and mystics have ranged from relating to law ambivalently, to embracing it strictly, reflecting a wide gamut of approaches from what could be termed Orthodox to heretical.

<p class="MsoNormal">Ibn al-Arabi had written that the Fuqah (legalists) had placed restrictions on what Sharia actually allowed, a trend he regarded as a grave calamity.

<p class="MsoNormal">It is (was?) an accepted principle in Islam that Sharia should not stand in the way of Tariqa, and that conversely, Tariqa shouldn’t violate the framework of Sharia; and thus equilibrium should prevail in Islamic society. Yannis agrees with those who acknowledge that history didn’t turn out this way .. at least not yet.

<p class="MsoNormal">The battle between the orthodox and heterodox interpretations of Sufism has existed throughout the history of Islam. This conflict existed during Sufism’s formative period (9th – 12th centuries) and has resurfaced in the modern era (19th century to the present).

<p class="MsoNormal">[VOCAB] Tariq al-Walaya: the Sufi Way; Tariq al-Nubuwwa: the Prophetic Way.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:36.0pt">Are these one and the same? – Sheikh Ahmed Sirhindi, early 17th century. His answer was that this depended on the extent to which a Sufi was conforming with Islamic law.

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(Ch. 3)
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(Ch. 4)
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(Ch. 5)
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