'Oldest' Quran ( Koran) fragments found in Birmingham University

Carbon dating suggests that the Quran, or at least portions of it, may actually be older than the Prophet Muhammad himself.

If the findings are proved true, it could rewrite early Islamic history and shed doubt on the "heavenly" origins of the holy text.

Scholars now believe that a copy Quran held by the Birmingham Library was actually written sometime between A.D. 545 and 568, while the Prophet Muhammad was believed to have been born in A.D. 570 and to have died in 632. The copy of the widely used holy text held by the library is known for being one of the oldest in the world.

Scholars came to this conclusion after researchers carbon dated a small piece of parchment from the Islamic holy book. The carbon dating, which is considered to be extremely accurate, suggests that the Quran may have actually been written before Muhammad was alive, or during the early years of his childhood.

The Quran held by the Birmingham Library is believed to be the oldest known copy in the world. It should be noted, however, that the documents held at the library are not a complete copy of the holy text, instead containing text only for suras (chapters) 18 to 20.

If the carbon dating analysis proves to be accurate, it would raise serious questions as to the origin of the Islamic holy book. It should be noted, however, that the dating was conducted only on the parchment, rather than the ink, so it is possible that the Quran was simply written on old paper.

The Quran was not officially written down until 653 AD, under the orders of the Caliph Uthman, though it is believed that partial written scripts of the Quran were in circulation beforehand. Before the Quran was inked onto paper it was passed along orally, with some devout believers choosing to memorize the entire text by heart.

Some scholars believe, however, that Muhammad did not receive the Quran from heaven, as he claimed during his lifetime, but instead collected texts and scripts that fit his political agenda.

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பிரித்தானியாவில் கண்டுபிடிக்கப்பட்ட குரான் உலகில் மிகவும் பழமையானது என்றும் முகமது நபிகள் காலத்துக்கு முன்பாகவே எழுத்தப்பட்டது என்றும் தெரிவிக்கப்பட்டுள்ள சம்பவம் சர்ச்சையை ஏற்படுத்தியுள்ளது.

பிரித்தானியாவின் பெர்மிங்கம்(Birmingham) பகுதியில் பழமையான குரானின் படிமங்கள் கடந்த மாதம் கிடைத்தன.

இந்த படிமங்கள் விலங்குகளின் தோல்களில் எழுதப்பட்டிருந்தது.

இதையடுத்து இந்த படிமங்களின் காலத்தை கணக்கிட்ட ஆக்ஸ்வோர்ட் பல்கலைக்கழகத்தின் வல்லுனர்கள், இது தான் உலகிலேயே பழமையாக குரான் என்று தெரிவித்துள்ளனர்.

முகமது நபிகளின் காலம் கிபி 570-632 என்றும் குரான் கிபி 610-632ஆம் காலகட்டத்தில் எழுதப்பட்டது என்று கூறப்படுகிறது.

ஆனால் விலங்குகளின் தோலில் எழுதப்பட்டிருந்த இந்த குரான் கிபி 568- 645 காலகட்டத்தை சேர்ந்தது என்று நம்பப்படுகிறது.

மேலும் இதில் முகமது நபிகள் பற்றிய குறிப்புகள் இருக்கக்கூடும் என்றும் ஆராய்ச்சியாளர்கள் தெரிவித்துள்ளனர்.

இது தொடர்பாக கெயித் ஸ்மால் என்ற ஆராய்ச்சியாளர் கூறியதாவது, முன்பு இருந்த வாசகங்களையே முகமது நபிகள் மக்களுக்கு கூறியுள்ளனர் என்று தெரிவித்துள்ளார்.

மேலும் தற்போதைய குரானின் உள்ள எழுத்துகளே இதில் இடம்பெற்றுள்ளதாகவும் சில எழுத்துகள் மட்டுமே மாற்றம் அடைந்துள்ளது.

ஆராய்ச்சியாளர்களின் இந்த முடிவு பலத்த சர்ச்சையை ஏற்படுத்தியுள்ளது.

திரு குர்ஆன் எப்படி எங்கே அருளப்பட்டது என்பதை பாருங்கள்

நான் முஸ்லிம் இல்லை என்னை அவ்வாறு அழைக்க வேண்டாம்(முழுக்கட்டுரை)

தஸ்லிமா நஸ்ரின் அண்மையில் தி ஹிந்து(The Hindhu) ஆங்கில நாளிதளின் செய்தியாளர் சுவோஜித் பக்ஸியிக்கு வழங்கியிருந்த பேட்டி சர்வதேச அரங்கில் பலரது கவனத்தையும் ஈர்த்திருந்ததோடு, சர்வதேச ஊடகங்களிலும் பாரிய வாதிப் பிரதிவாதங்களைத் தோற்றுவித்து வருகின்றமையும் யாவரும் அறிந்ததே. குறித்த பேட்டியில் தஸ்லிமா நஸ்ரின், நாத்திகரான படுகொலை செய்யப்பட்ட அவிஜித் ராய் பற்றியும் பலதரப்பட்ட கருத்துக்களை முன்வைத்திருந்தார்.

தஸ்லிமா நஸ்ரின் என்பவர் யார்?
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தஸ்லிமா நஸ்ரின் வங்க தேசத்தைச் சேர்ந்த பெண் எழுத்தாளர்களில் ஒருவராவார். 1994ஆம் ஆண்டு முதல் தான் எழுதிய லஜ்ஜா என்ற நாவலுக்காக இஸ்லாமிய அடிப்படைவாதிகளால் தொடர்ந்தேர்ச்சையான அச்சுறுத்தளுக்காளாகி வருகிறார். லஜ்ஜா என்பதன் தமிழ் பதம் அவமானம் என்பதாகும். இந்நூலில் இஸ்லாமிய ஷரீஆவுக்கு முரணான பல விடயங்களை குறிப்பிட்டு எழுதியிருந்தமையே இவ்வச்சுறுத்தலுக்கான முக்கிய காரணமாக கருதப்படுகிறது. இதனால் தனது குடியுரிமையை இழந்து சொந்த தேசத்தை விட்டு நாடுகடத்தப்பட்டார். குறிப்பிட்ட 20 வருடங்களில் இந்தியா, அமெரிக்கா, ஐரோப்பா உள்ளிட்ட நாடுகளில் குடிபெயர்ந்து வாழ்ந்து வருகிறார். வங்க தேசத்தின் இஸ்லாமிய பெண் சமூகத்தைச் சேர்ந்த பெண் எழுத்தாளரான தஸ்லிமா நஸ்ரின் இஸ்லாத்துக்கு மாற்றமான இழிநிலை கருத்துக்களை தனது நூலில் குறிப்பிட்டு எழுதியமையாலேயே இந்த நிலைக்கு ஆளாக்கப்பட்டுள்ளார்.

எழுத்தாளர் அவிஜித் ராய் என்பவர் யார்?
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இவரும் தஸ்லிமா நஸ்ரினைப் போன்று வங்கதேச எழுத்தாளரே. கடந்த பெப்ரவரி மாதம் தனது சொந்த நாட்டில் நடைபெற்ற புத்தகக் கண்காட்சியொன்றுக்கு சென்ற வேளை இனம் தெரியாத குறிப்பிட்ட குழுவினரால் படுகொலை செய்யப்பட்டார். இவரும் இஸ்லாத்துக்கு முரணான கருத்துக்களை தெரிவித்து வந்த நிலையிலேயே இவ்வாறு சுட்டுக் கொள்ளப்பட்டிருந்தார்.

எழுத்தாளர் அவிஜித் ராய் 'இஸ்லாமியர்கள் தீவிரவாதம் மிக்கவர்கள்' என்ற ஒற்றைக் கோட்பாட்டில் தனது நாத்திக கருத்துக்களை தொடர்ந்தேர்ச்சையாக தனது வலைப்பூவில் எழுதி வந்தவர் என்பதோடு நாத்திகர்களின் எழுத்துக்களை பெரும்பாலான பத்திரிகைகள் புறக்கணிப்பதைத் தொடர்ந்து இவர் முக்த்- மோனா என்ற வலைப் பூவை ஏற்படுத்தினார். அதில் அனைத்து மதம் உட்பட, குறிப்பாக இஸ்லாம் மார்கத்தின் மத கோட்பாடுகள் குறித்து பல்வேறு பட்ட கேள்விகளை எழுப்பினார். அந்த வலைத்தளத்தில் பதிலளிக்கவும் இடம் அமைத்துக் கொடுக்கப்பட்டிருந்தது. அதில் அளிக்கப்பட்ட சகல பதில்களையும் ஒன்றினைத்து புத்தகங்களாகவும் வெளியிட்டிருந்தார்.

அவிஜித் ராய் ஒரு அறிவியல் எழுத்தாளர், சிந்தனையாளர், நாத்திகவாதி மற்றும் பகுத்தறிவை மாத்திரம் கொண்ட சிந்தனைகளைக் கொண்டவராக அறிப்பட்டிருந்தார். அவிஜித் ராய் அனைத்து விடயங்களையும் விவாதங்கள் மற்றும் அணுகுமுறையுடனும் தீர்வுகாண முற்பட்டார்.
இவரது படுகொலையை அடுத்தே இவர் பற்றிய அதிக பட்ச கருத்துக்களை தஸ்லிமா நஸ்ரின் தெரித்திருந்திருந்தார்.

வங்கதேசம் மொழி அடிப்படையான நாடா அல்லது மத அடிப்படையிலான நாடா?
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தஸ்லிமா நஸ்ரின் தி ஹிந்து (The Hindhu) ஆங்கில நாளிதளின் செய்தியாளர் சுவோஜித் பக்ஸியிக்கு வழங்கியிருந்த பேட்டியில் பல்வேறு பட்ட கருத்துக்களை தெரிவித்திருந்தார். 1980 ஆம் ஆண்டு காலப்பகுதியில் ஜெனரல் ஹூஸைன் முஹமது எர்ஷத் தலைமையிலான ஆட்சியின் போது வங்க தேசத்தை இஸ்லாமிய நாடாக பிரகடனம் செய்வதற்காக மத சார்பற்ற அரசியலமைப்பு சட்டம் கைவிடப்பட்டது.

தொடர்ந்து இஸ்லாமிய கலாசாரத்துக்கு மக்கள் தங்களை முழுமையாக மாற்றம் செய்து கொண்டிருந்தனர். அரசியலமைப்பு சட்டம் கைவிடப்பட முன் பெண்கள் புர்கா அணிவது அரிதாகவே இருந்தது. அந்த சமூகத்தின் சூழ்நிலை இப்போது முழுமையாக மாற்றமடைந்து விட்டது. பெண்கள் புர்கா அணிவதை அவர்கள் அவர்களுக்குப் பாதுகாப்பானதாகவே கருதுகிறார்கள்.

தஸ்லிமா நஸ்ரின் இந்த யாப்பு மாற்ற விடயத்தில் தெரிவித்த கருத்தின் பிரகாரம், அப்போது நான் எழுதிய நாத்திக சிந்தனைக் கருத்துக்கள் பத்திரிகைகளில் பிரபல்யமாக வெளியிடப்பட்டன. இப்போது அந்த நிலை இல்லை. புறக்கணிப்பு நிலையே மிஞ்சியிருக்கிறது. கருத்துச் சுதந்திரம் என்பது இப்போது அந்நிய சொல்லாகி விட்டது எனக் குறிப்பிட்ட பேட்டியில் தெரிவித்துள்ளார்.

மட்டுமன்றி, 1994 இல் தான் வங்க தேசத்தை விட்டு வெளியேற்றப்பட்ட போது ஒட்டு மொத்த சமூகமும் அமைதியாக இருந்தது. அப்போதே அவர்கள் குரல் எழுப்பியிருந்தால் இப்போது அவிஜித் ராய் போன்ற எழுத்தாளரை நாம் இழந்திருக்க மாட்டோம் எனவும் குறிப்பிட்டுள்ளார்.

வங்கதேசம் மத ரீதியான நாடா மொழி ரீதியான நாடா என்பதுதான் இப்போதைய பிரச்சினை. 1952 வரை வங்காள இஸ்லாமியர்கள், கிறிஸ்தவர்கள், இந்துக்கள், புத்த மதத்தினர் என அனைவரது விருப்பமும் தங்களது மொழி வங்காளமாக இருக்க வேண்டும் என்பதுதானே தவிர, உருது மொழிக்கு விருப்பம் கொள்ளவில்லை. பாகிஸ்தான் இராணுவத்துடன் சேர்ந்து எங்களது சுதந்திரத்துக்கு முட்டுக்கட்டையிட்டவர்களே தற்போது வங்கதேசத்தை இஸ்லாமியமயமாக்குகின்றனர். மதசார்பற்ற கல்வியே இந்த சமூகத்திற்கு தேவையே தவிர மதரஸாக்களின் போதனைகள் அல்ல. மதபிரிவினைவாதிகளின் இருப்பிடமாக வங்கதேசம் மாறுவதை நாம் ஒரு போதும் அனுமதிக்கக்கூடாது என்றார்.
உண்மையில் சொல்லப் போனால் மதரீதியான போதணைகளே மனிதனை இன்று வளப்படுத்திக் கொண்டிருக்கிறது. சீரான பாதையில் வழி நடாத்திக் கொண்டிருக்கிறது. இதில் மாற்றுக் கருத்தாடல்களுக்கு இடமில்லை. 1400 வருடங்களுக்கு முன்பே அல்குர்ஆனில் தெட்டத் தெளிவாக குறிப்பிடப்பட்டுள்ள பல விடயங்கள் இன்றைக்கு படிப்படியாக கண்டு பிடிக்கப்பட்டு அல்குர்ஆன் கூறியுள்ள விடயங்கள் அத்தனையும் உண்மை என்பதை நிரூபணம் செய்யும் வகையில் அமைந்திருக்கிறது. அதற்கு ஏகப்பட்ட அத்தாட்சிகளும் சான்றுகளும் இவ்வுலகில் பரந்Nது கிடக்கின்றன.

நான் ஒரு முஸ்லிம் இல்லை
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தஸ்லிமா நஸ்ரின் வங்க தேசத்தின் இஸ்லாமிய பெண் சமூகத்தைச் சேர்ந்த எழுத்தாளர்களில் ஒருவராவார். தஸ்லிமா நஸ்ரினின் எழுத்துக்களில் இஸ்லாம் மார்க்கம் மேற்கத்திய சிந்தனையுடன் அமைந்திருப்பதாகவே பார்க்கப்படுகிறது. இது குறித்து தி ஹிந்து பத்திரிகையின் செய்தியாளர், உங்களுடைய எழத்துக்களில் இஸ்லாமியம் மேற்கத்திய சிந்தனை அடிப்படையில் இருப்பதாகவே பார்க்கப்படுகிறதே? இதற்காக மேற்கத்திய நாடுகள் உங்களுக்கு அழுத்தம் தருகிறதா என வினாத் தொடுத்தார்.

அதற்கு தஸ்லிமா நஸ்ரின் பின்வருமாறே பதிலளித்தார்.
இஸ்லாமியர்களுக்கு சுயசிந்தனை இருக்கக் கூடாதா? இஸ்லாமியத்தை அந்த மதத்தைச் சேர்ந்தவர்களே எதிர்க்கக் கூடாதா? மதத்தை விமர்சனம் செய்வதற்கு முஸ்லிம் அல்லாத அறிவு ஜீவிகள்தான் தகுதி படைத்தவர்களா? இதுவே முஸ்லிம்களுக்கு எதிரான ஒரு கூற்று என பதிலளித்துள்ளார்.
நான் அனைத்து மதங்களையும் எதிர்க்கிறேன். குஜராத்தில் இஸ்லாமியர்கள் கொள்ளப்பட்ட போதும் எதிர்த்தேன். இந்து மத சாமியார்களையும் எதிர்த்தேன். வங்கதேசத்தில் இந்துக்கள் மீது அடக்குமுறை நடந்த போதும் எதிர்த்தேன். கிறிஸ்தவர்கள் மீது பாகிஸ்தானில் தாக்குதல் நடாத்தப்பட்ட போதும் எதிர்த்தேன். 'பீகே', 'வாட்டர்', 'தி லாஸ்ட் டெம்டேஷன் ஆஃப் க்ரைஸ்ட்' போன்ற படங்களின் எதிர்ப்பையும் எதிர்த்தேன்.

அரசுதான் அடிப்படைவாதத்தை வலுப்படுத்துகிறது. மத வெறியர்கள் மீது நடவடிக்கை எடுக்காமல் என் மீது நடவடிக்கை எடுக்கிறது. அரசுதான் வீணாக என் மீது குறி வைக்கிறது என்று தஸ்லிமா நஸ்ரின் குறித்த பேட்டியில் இவற்றை தனது கருத்தாக முன்வைத்துள்ளார். மேலும், என்னை முஸ்லிம் என்று அழைக்காதீர்கள். நான் ஒரு முஸ்லிம் இல்லை. நான் ஒரு நாத்திகர் என்று குறிப்பிட்டுள்ளார்.

இஸ்லாமிய தீவிரவாதிகளை நியாயப்படுத்தினால் வங்கதேசம் மிகப்பெரிய அழிவை சந்திக்கும். இப்போது இருக்கும் நிலையில், இந்தப் பிரச்சினை தீரப் போவதாகத் தெரியவில்லை. எதிர்காலத்திலும் மென்மேலும் அதிகரிக்கும் என்றே தோன்றுகிறது எனத் தெரிவித்துள்ளார்.

எது எவ்வாறாயினும் தஸ்லிமா நஸ்ரின் எழுதிய லஜ்ஜா என்ற நாவல் இன்றும் கூட பல்வேறுபட்ட அதிர்வலைகளைத் தோற்றுவித்த வண்ணமே உள்ளது. அவரது எழுத்துக்கள் ஷரீஆவுக்குப் பொறுத்தமற்றதொன்றாகவே பார்க்கப்படுகிறது. லஜ்ஜா என்ற நாவல் பங்களாதேஷிலும், அதைத் தொடர்ந்து இலங்கையிலும் தடை செய்யப்பட்டது. இலங்கையின் பெண்ணிலைவாதி குமாரி ஜெயவர்தன இந்நாவலின் தடை நீக்கப்பட வேண்டும் என தெரிவித்திருந்தமையும் இங்கு சுட்டிக் காட்டத்தக்க ஒன்றாகும்.

இந்நாவலின் வருகையைத் தொடர்ந்து தஸ்லிமா நஸ்ரின் கொலை அச்சுறுத்தலுக்குள்ளாக்கப்பட்டார். இதைத் தொடர்ந்து சல்மான் ருஷ்டி, சுமித்சக்கரவத்தி, குந்தர் கிராஸ், முல்க்ராஜ் ஆனந்த், மரியா வர்கஸ் லோஸா போன்றோர் தஸ்லிமா நஸ்ரினுக்கு ஆதரவாகக் குரல் கொடுத்தனர். இவர்கள் தஸ்லிமா நஸ்ரினுக்கெதிரான கொலை மிரட்டலைக் கண்டித்த போதிலும் ஆஸ்கர் அலி என்ஜினியர் போன்ற இடதுசாரி இஸ்லாமியக் கோட்பாளர்கள், படைப்பாளி எனும் அளவில் தஸ்லிமாவின் இந்நாவல் குறித்த விமர்சனப் பார்வையை நிராகரிக்கவே செய்கிறார்கள்.

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நசார் இஜாஸ்
27.03.2015

முகலாய மன்னர்கள் செய்த சேவைகள்

முகலாய மன்னர்கள் இந்தியாவை 800 வருடங்கள் ஆட்சி செய்தாலும் அவர்களின் சில தீமையான விஷயங்களை பெரிது படுத்தி
ஒட்டுமொத பாரசீக மன்னர்களையும் புறக்கணிப்பது சரியாகாது
அதே போன்று இந்தியாவிற்கு இந்த மன்னர்கள் செய்த சேவைகள்
இன்றும்கூட எந்த ஆட்சியையும் தர முடியவில்லை எனபது தான் நிதர்சன உண்மை
உதாரணமாக துண்டு துண்டாக இருந்த சமஸ்தானங்களை ஒன்றுபடுத்தியது
அதேபோன்று எங்கோ டெல்லியில் உக்கர்ந்துகொண்டு தமிழகத்தில் உள்ள குக்கிராமத்தையும் எப்படி ஆட்சி செய்ய முடியும் என்று யோசித்த அந்த மன்னர்கள்
உருவாக்கியதுதான் பஞ்சாயத்து .
அதே போன்று இந்தியா முழுவதும் முதன்முதலில் சாலைகள் அமைத்ததுமுகலாய மன்னன் செர்ஷா
இவருக்கு மற்றொரு புனைபேர் மாவீரன் செர்ஷா இவர்தான் இந்தியா முழுவதும் தாரினால் ஆனா சாலைகளை போட்டு தந்தார் .
இன்னும் ஏராளம் இவரைப்பற்றி சொல்லிக்கொண்டே போகலாம் பின்வரும் பதிவில் பார்க்கலாம்
இப்படி இந்த மன்னர்களை ஒட்டுமொத்தமாக இந்தியா புறக்கணிக்க முடியாது
வேதனை இப்பொழுது இவர்களின் சாதனைகள் வரலாற்றில் அளிக்க பட்டுக்கொண்டு இருகின்றன
மற்றும் இவர்களை ஹிந்து மதத்திற்கு எதிரானவர்கள் என்ற ஒரு மாயையை உருவாக்குகின்றனற் உண்மை அதுவல்ல
பாரசீகத்தில் இருந்து படையெடுத்து வந்த முதல் மன்னரையே அடித்து ஓட விட்டு இருக்க வேண்டுமே நம் இந்திய முன்னோர்கள்
800 வருடங்கள் ஆட்சியை ஒப்படைத்தார்கள் என்றால் அவர்க;லின் மக்கள் நலன் ஆட்சிதானே காரணம்
சரி இந்த பதிவின் நாயகன் தாரா சிக்கோ இவரை பற்றி பாப்போம்
மார்ச் 20, 1615 – 30, 1659 முகலாயப் பேரரசன்
உலகில் 7 அதிசயங்கள் இருப்பது என்றால் அதில் ஓன்று தாஜ்மஹால்
இந்தியாவை இந்த விஷயத்தில் உலகின் வரலாற்று ஆய்வாளர்கள் வியக்கும் வகையில் இந்தியாவிற்கு பெருமையை ஏற்படுத்திய ஷாஜகானுக்கும்
மும்தாஜ் மகாலுக்கும் பிறந்த மூத்த மகனும்,
முடிக்குரிய இளவரசரும் இவரே .
இவர் செய்த காரியம் என்ன தெரியுமா ?
, இந்து மதத்திற்கும், இஸ்லாம் மதத்திற்குமிடையே
உள்ள பொதுத்தன்மையை காண மிகுந்த முயற்சி மேற்கொண்டார்.
இந்த முயற்சியின் விளைவாக, இஸ்லாமிய அறிஞர்கள் படிப்பதற்கென்று, சமஸ்கிருத உபநிஷத்துகளை பாரசீகத்திற்கு மொழிப்பெயர்த்தார்.
பாரசீக மொழியில் ஹிந்துக்களின் புனித வேதங்களில் ஒன்றான உபநிஷங்களை மொளிபெயர்தவர் வரலாற்றில் இவர் மட்டுமே
மற்ற பாகங்களில் ஏற்கனவே சனாதன தர்மம்[ஸ்வாமி விவேகானந்தர்கூற்றுப்படி] ஹிந்துமதம் பரவி இருந்தாலும்கூட
பாரசீகத்திற்கு ஹிந்து மதத்தை பற்றிய அறிவை இந்த மொழிபெயர்க்கப்பட்ட நூட்கள வாயிலாக அறிந்து கொண்டனர் பாரசீக மக்கள்
அவரது மிகவுமறிந்த படைப்பான மஜ்ம-உல்-பஹ்ரெயின் (இரு பெருங்கடல்களின் சங்கமம்), சூஃபியிசத்திற்கும், இந்து மதத்தின் ஒரு தெய்வ கோட்பாட்டிற்குமிடையே உள்ள பொதுத்தன்மையை காண முயன்றுள்ளது.
இதுபோன்று இவர் அரசவையில் அனைவருக்கும் சமஉரிமை தந்தது
மற்றும் ஒன்றாக உணவு அருந்தியது
என்று இவரின் வரலாற்றை ஆராய்ந்தாள் அறிந்து கொள்ளலாம்
தாரா ஷிகோவின் படைப்புகளின் மீதான அவரது அடையாளங்களை அழிக்க முயற்சிகள் மேற்கொள்ளப்பட்டாலும்,
எல்லா படைப்புகளும் அழிக்கப்படவில்லை.

CONCEPT OF GOD IN ISLAM

Atheists believe that God most probably does not exist or they believe that there are no evidences for existence of God. I say to those atheist that if you say that there is no evidence for existence of God, i would ask them what is the defination of God. If i say that pen does not exist i should first know the definition of pen.
Similary when atheists say that God does not exist i would ask them what would they think God to be,how do they define God.
The concept of God in islam is a logical and rational concept,. We believe that an all powerful God exist who is the creator of heavens and the earth or the universe,or all worlds beside universe,if those world exists, we say Allah is RabbilAlameen lord of all worlds or universe.
The most concise definition of God is found in Quran,the word of Allah according to muslims.
The Most Concise Definition of God

"Say: He is Allah,

The One and Only.

"Allah, the Eternal, Absolute.

"He begets not, nor is He begotten.

And there is none like unto Him."

[Al-Qur’an 112:1-4]
This chapter of Quran we call it touchstone of theology. Any claimant of divinity should pass this definition of God and we will accept them as our God.
The atheist usually mocks the theist that they can say that maybe pink panther is God,or white elephant or spaghetty monster is god. No they are not because they cannot fit in the four line definition of God given about.
"No vision can grasp Him

But His grasp is over

All vision: He is

Above all comprehension,

Yet is acquainted with all things."

[Al-Qur'an 6:103]
According to this verse the moment you draw mental picture of any claimant of god,that that claimant is not God,whether that be pink panther or spaghetty monster.
"There is nothing whatever like unto Him."[Al-Qur'an 42:11]
The moment you compare God with anybody or anything,then the claimant is not God. Even if you say that god is million times more powerful than most powerful man on this planet,even then it is false god,because you cannot compare God to any of His creation,in other words God is unlike His creation.
"There is nothing

Whatever like unto Him,

And He is the One

That hears and sees (all things)."

[Al-Qur’an 42:11]

Hearing and seeing are human faculties. However, when attributed to the Divine Being they are without comparison, in their perfection, unlike when associated with humans who require ears, eyes, etc. and who are limited in their sight and hearing in terms of space, time, capacity, etc
For more details on concept of God in islam you can read this
http://www.irf.net/islam.html
So when we muslims talk about God we have this definition in mind. I think this is the most logical definition of God,and i challenge to show me concept of God which is more logical than that islam's.
Now the atheists,most of them have an habit to play double game. When we talk about concept of God they ask what is the proof that God exists when we talk about existence of God they ask how do you know that your concept of God is true.
Regarding existence of God, i have showed there is no reason to prove that God exist,here's why 

By what name do we call God? The Muslims prefer calling the Supreme Creator, Allah, instead of by the English word ‘God’. The Arabic word, ‘Allah’, is pure and unique, unlike the English word ‘God’, which can be played around with. If you add ‘s’ to the word God, it becomes ‘Gods’, that is the plural of God. Allah is one and singular, there is no plural of Allah. If you add ‘dess’ to the word God, it becomes ‘Goddess’ that is a female God. There is nothing like male Allah or female Allah. Allah has no gender. If you add the word ‘father’ to ‘God’ it becomes ‘God-father’. God-father means someone who is a guardian. There is no word like ‘Allah-Abba’ or ‘Allah-father’. If you add the word ‘mother’ to ‘God’, it becomes ‘God-mother’. There is nothing like ‘Allah-Ammi’, or ‘Allah-mother’ in Islam. Allah is a unique word. If you prefix tin before the word God, it becomes tin-God i.e., fake God. Allah is a unique word, which does not conjure up any mental picture nor can it be played around with. Therefore the Muslims prefer using the Arabic word ‘Allah’ for the Almighty. Sometimes, however, while speaking to the non-Muslims we may have to use the inappropriate word God, for Allah. Since the intended audience of this article is general in nature, consisting of both Muslims as well as non-Muslims, I have used the word God instead of Allah in several places in this article. God does not become a human being: God does not take human form: Some may argue that God does not become a human being but only takes a human form. If God only takes a human form but does not become a human being, He should not possess any human qualities. We know that all the ‘God-men’, have human qualities and failings. They have all the human needs such as the need to eat, sleep, etc. The worship of God in human form is therefore a logical fallacy and should be abhorred in all its forms and manifestations. That is the reason why the Qur’an speaks against all forms of anthropomorphism. The Glorious Qur’an says in the following verse: "There is nothing whatever like unto Him."                     [Al-Qur’an 42:11] God does not perform ungodly acts: The attributes of Almighty God preclude any evil since God is the source of justice, mercy and truth. God can never be thought of as doing an ungodly act. Hence we cannot imagine God telling a lie, being unjust, making a mistake, forgetting things, or having any such human failings. Similarly God can do injustice if He chooses to, but He will never do it because being unjust is an ungodly act. The Qur’an says: "Allah is never unjust In the least degree." [Al-Qur’an 4:40] God can be unjust if He chooses to be so, but the moment God does injustice, He ceases to be God. God does not make mistakes God can make mistakes if He wants to, but He does not make mistakes because making a mistake is an ungodly act. The Qur’an says: "…my Lord never errs."   [Holy Qur’an 20:52] The moment God makes a mistake, he ceases to be God. God does not forget God can forget if He wants to. But God does not forget anything because forgetting is an ungodly act, which reeks of human limitations and failings. The Qur’an says: "…my Lord never errs, nor forgets." [Al-Qur’an 20:52] God only performs Godly acts: The Islamic concept of God is that God has power over all things. The Qur’an says in several places (Al -Qur’an 2:106; 2:109; 2:284; 3:29; 16:77; and 35:1): "For verily Allah has power over all things" Further, the Glorious Qur’an says: "Allah is the doer of all that He intends." [Al-Qur’an 85:16] We must keep in mind that Allah intends only Godly acts and not ungodly acts. PHILOSOPHY OF ANTHROPOMORPHISM Many religions at some point believe, directly or indirectly, in the philosophy of anthropomorphism i.e. God becoming a human. Their contention is that Almighty God is so pure and holy that He is unaware of the hardships, shortcomings and feelings of human beings. In order to set the rules for human beings, He came down to earth as a human. This deceptive logic has fooled countless millions through the ages. Let us now analyze this argument and see if it stands to reason. The Creator prepares the instruction manual: Suppose I manufacture a video cassette recorder (VCR). Do I have to become a VCR to know what is good or what is bad for the VCR? What do I do? I write an instruction manual: "In order to watch a video cassette, insert the cassette and press the play button. In order to stop, press the stop button. If you want to fast forward press the FF button. Do not drop it from a height or it will get damaged. Do not immerse it in water or it will get spoilt". I write an instruction manual that lists the various do’s and don’ts for the machine. Holy Qur’an is the instruction manual for the human being: Similarly, our Lord and Creator Allah (swt) need not take human form to know what is good or bad for the human being. He chooses to reveal the instruction manual. The last and final instruction manual of the human beings is the Glorious Qur’an. The ‘dos’ and ‘don’ts’ for the human beings are mentioned in the Qur’an. If you allow me to compare human beings with machines, I would say humans are more complicated than the most complex machines in the world. Even the most advanced computers, which are extremely complex, are pale in comparison to the myriad physical, psychological, genetic and social factors that affect individual and collective human life. The more advanced the machine, greater is the need for its instruction manual. By the same logic, don’t human beings require an instruction manual by which to govern their own lives? Allah chooses Messengers: Allah (swt) need not come down personally for giving the instruction manual. He chooses a man amongst men to deliver the message and communicates with him at a higher level through the medium of revelations. Such chosen men are called messengers and prophets of God. Some people are ‘blind’ and ‘deaf’: Despite the absurdity of the philosophy of anthropomorphism, followers of many religions believe in and preach it to others. Is it not an insult to human intelligence and to the Creator who gave us this intelligence? Such people are truly ‘deaf’ and ‘blind’ despite the faculty of hearing and sight given to them by Allah. The Qur’an says: "Deaf, dumb, and blind, They will not return (to the path)."            [Al-Qur’an 2:18] The Bible gives a similar message in the Gospel of Matthew: "Seeing they see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand."                  [The Bible, Matthew 13:13] A similar message is also given in the Hindu Scriptures in the Rigveda. "There maybe someone who sees the words and yet indeed does not see them; may be another one who hears these words but indeed does not hear them." 1                    [Rigveda 10:71:4] All these scriptures are telling their readers that though the things are made so clear yet many people divert away from the truth. Attributes of God: To Allah belong the most beautiful names: The Qur’an says: "Say: Call upon Allah, or Call upon Rahman: By whatever name you call Upon Him, (it is well): For to Him belong The Most Beautiful Names."           [Al-Qur’an 17:110] A similar message regarding the beautiful names of Allah (swt) is repeated in the Qur’an in Surah Al-A’raf (7:180), in Surah Taha (20:8) and in Surah Al-Hashr (59:24). The Qur’an gives no less than ninety-nine different attributes to Almighty Allah. The Qur’an refers to Allah as Ar-Rahman (Most Gracious), Ar-Raheem (Most Merciful) and Al-Hakeem (All Wise) among many other names. You can call Allah by any name but that name should be beautiful and should not conjure up a mental picture. Each attribute of God is unique and possessed by Him alone: Not only does God possess unique attributes, but also each attribute of Almighty God is sufficient to identify Him. I shall clarify this point in detail. Let us take an example of a famous personality, say Neil Armstrong. Neil Armstrong is an astronaut. The attribute of being an astronaut possessed by Neil Armstrong is correct but not unique to Neil Armstrong alone. So when one asks, who is an astronaut? The answer is, there are hundreds of people in the world who are astronauts. Neil Armstrong is an American. The attribute of being American possessed by Neil Armstrong is correct but not sufficient to identify him. So when one asks, who is an American? The answer is, there are millions of people who are American. To identify the person uniquely we must look for a unique attribute possessed by none except that person. For example, Neil Armstrong was the first human to set foot on the moon. So when one asks, who was the first man to set foot on the moon, the answer is only one, i.e. Neil Armstrong. Similarly the attribute of Almighty God should be unique. If I say God is the constructor of buildings, it is possible and true, but it is not unique. Thousands of people can construct a building. But each attribute of Allah is unique and points to none but Allah. For example, God is the creator of the universe. If someone asks who is the creator of the universe, the answer is only one, i.e. Almighty God is the Ultimate Creator. Similarly, following are some of the many unique attributes possessed by none other than the Creator of the universe, Almighty Allah: "Ar-Raheem", the Most Merciful "Ar-Rahman", the Most Gracious "Al-Hakeem", the Most Wise So when one asks, "Who is ‘Ar-Raheem’, (the Most Merciful)?", there can only be one answer: "Almighty Allah". One attribute of God should not contradict with other attributes: Besides the attribute being unique, it should not contradict other attributes. To continue with the earlier example, suppose somebody says that Neil Armstrong is an American astronaut who was the first human to set foot on the moon and was an Indian. The attribute possessed by Neil Armstrong of being the first man to set foot on the moon, is correct. But its associated quality of being an Indian, is false. Similarly if someone says that God is the Creator of the Universe and has one head, two hands, two feet, etc., the attribute (Creator of the Universe) is correct but the associated quality (in the form of human being) is wrong and false. All attributes should point to the one and same God: Since there is only one God, all the attributes should point to one and the same God. To say that Neil Armstrong was an American astronaut who first set foot on the moon, but he was born in 1971 is wrong. Both these unique qualities belong to one and the same person, i.e. Neil Armstrong. Similarly to say that the Creator of the universe is one God and the Cherisher is another God is absurd because God possesses all these attributes combined together. Unity of God: Some polytheists argue by saying that the existence of more than one God is not illogical. Let us point out to them that if there were more than one God, they would dispute with one another, each god trying to fulfill his will against the will of the other gods. This can be seen in the mythology of the polytheistic and pantheistic religions. If a ‘God’ is defeated or unable to defeat the others, he is surely not the one true God. Also popular among polytheistic religions is the idea of many Gods, each having different responsibilities. Each one would be responsible for a part of man’s existence e.g. a Sun-God, a Rain-God, etc. This indicates that one ‘God’ is incompetent of certain acts and moreover he is also ignorant of the other Gods’ powers, duties, functions and responsibilities. There cannot be an ignorant and incapable God. If there were more than one God it would surely lead to confusion, disorder, chaos and destruction in the universe. But the universe is in complete harmony. The Glorious Qur’an says: "If there were, in the heavens And the earth, other gods Besides Allah, there would Have been confusion in both! But glory to Allah, The Lord of the Throne: (High is He) above What they attribute to Him!"               [Al-Qur’an 21:22] If there were more than one God, they would have taken away what they created. The Qur’an says: "No son did Allah beget, Nor is there any god Along with Him: (if there were Many gods), behold, each god Would have taken away What he had created, And some would have Lorded it over others! Glory to Allah! (He is free) From the (sort of) things They attribute to Him!" [Al-Qur’an 23:91] Thus the existence of one True, Unique, Supreme, Almighty God, is the only logical concept of God. TAWHEED: Definition and Categories: Islam believes in ‘Tawheed’ which is not merely monotheism i.e. belief in one God, but much more. Tawheed literally means ‘unification’ i.e. ‘asserting oneness’ and is derived from the Arabic verb ‘Wahhada’ which means to unite, unify or consolidate. Tawheed can be divided into three categories. 1. Tawheed ar-Ruboobeeyah 2. Tawheed al-Asmaa-was-Sifaat 3. Tawheed al-Ibaadah. A. Tawheed ar-Ruboobeeyah (maintaining the unity of Lordship) The first category is ‘Tawheed ar-Ruboobeeyah’. ‘Ruboobeeyah’ is derived from the root verb "Rabb" meaning Lord, Sustainer and Cherisher. Therefore ‘Tawheed-ar-Ruboobeeyah’ means maintaining the unity of Lordship. This category is based on the fundamental concept that Allah (swt) alone caused all things to exist when there was nothing. He created or originated all that exists out of nothing. He alone is the sole Creator, Cherisher, and Sustainer of the complete universe and all between it, without any need from it or for it. B. Tawheed al-Asmaa was-Sifaat (maintaining the unity of Allah’s name and attributes): The second category is ‘Tawheed al Asmaa was Sifaat’ which means maintaining the unity of Allah’s name and attributes. This category is divided into five aspects: (i)   Allah should be referred to as described by Him and His Prophet Allah must be referred to according to the manner in which He and His prophet have described Him without explaining His names and attributes by giving them meanings other than their obvious meanings. (ii)   Allah must be referred to as He has referred to Himself Allah must be referred to without giving Him any new names or attributes. For example Allah may not be given the name Al-Ghaadib (the Angry One), despite the fact that He has said that He gets angry, because neither Allah nor His messenger have used this name. (iii)   Allah is referred to without giving Him the attributes of His creation In a reference to God, we should strictly abstain from giving Him the attributes of those whom He has created. For instance in the Bible, God is portrayed as repenting for His bad thoughts in the same way as humans do when they realise their errors. This is completely against the principle of Tawheed. God does not commit any mistakes or errors and therefore never needs to repent. The key principle when dealing with Allah’s attributes is given in the Qur’an in Surah Ash-Shura: "There is nothing Whatever like unto Him, And He is the One That hears and sees (all things)."         [Al-Qur’an 42:11] Hearing and seeing are human faculties. However, when attributed to the Divine Being they are without comparison, in their perfection, unlike when associated with humans who require ears, eyes, etc. and who are limited in their sight and hearing in terms of space, time, capacity, etc. (iv)   God’s creation should not be given any of His attributes To refer to a human with the attribute of God is also against the principle of Tawheed. For example, referring to a person as one who has no beginning or end (eternal). (v)   Allah’s name cannot be given to His creatures Some Divine names in the indefinite form, like ‘Raoof’ or ‘Raheem’ are permissible names for men as Allah has used them for Prophets; but ‘Ar-Raoof’ (the Most Pious) and Ar-Raheem (the most Merciful) can only be used if prefixed by ‘Abd’ meaning ‘slave of’ or ‘servant of’ i.e. ’Abdur-Raoof’ or ‘Abdur-Raheem’. Similarly ‘Abdur-Rasool’ (slave of the Messenger) or ‘Abdun-Nabee’ (slave of the Prophet) are forbidden. C. Tawheed al-Ibaadah (maintaining the unity of worship): (i)   Definition and meaning of ‘Ibadaah’: ‘Tawheed al-Ibaadah’ means maintaining the unity of worship or ‘Ibaadah’. Ibaadah is derived from Arabic word ‘Abd’ meaning slave or servant. Thus Ibaadahmeans servitude and worship. (ii)   All three categories to be followed simultaneously. Only believing in the first two categories of Tawheed without implementing Tawheed-al-Ibaadah is useless. The Qur’an gives the examples of ‘Mushrikeens’ (idolaters) of the Prophet’s time who confirmed the first two aspects of Tawheed. It is mentioned in the Qur’an: "Say: ‘Who is it that Sustains you (in life) From the sky and from the earth? Or who is it that Has power over hearing And sight? And who Is it that brings out The living from the dead And the dead from the living? And who is it that Rules and regulates all affairs?’ They will soon say, ‘Allah’. Say, ‘Will you not then Show piety (to Him)?’ "             [Al-Qur’an 10:31] A similar example is repeated in Surah Zukhruf of the Glorious Qur’an: "If thou ask them, Who Created them, they will Certainly say, ‘Allah’: how Then are they deluded Away (from the Truth)?"             [Al-Qur’an 43:87] The pagan Meccans knew that Allah (swt) was their Creator, Sustainer, Lord and Master. Yet they were not Muslims because they also worshipped other gods besides Allah. Allah (swt) categorised them as ‘Kuffaar’ (disbelievers) and ‘Mushrikeen’ (idol worshippers and those who associate partners with God). "And most of them Believe not in Allah Without associating (others As partners) with Him!"                [Al-Qur’an 12:106] Thus ‘Tawheed al-Ibaadah’ i.e. maintaining the unity of worship is the most important aspect of Tawheed. Allah (swt) alone deserves worship and He alone can grant benefit to man for his worship. SHIRK:   A.   Definition:The omission of any of the above mentioned categories of  tawheed or deficiency in the fulfillment of any criteria of  Tawheed is referred to as 'shirk'.(Please note that the Arabic word 'Shirk' has the same sound as in the English word 'ship' and not as in the English word 'shirk',which means 'to evade' ‘Shirk’ literally means sharing or associating partners. In Islamic terms it means associating partners with Allah and is equivalent to idolatry. B.   Shirk is the greatest sin that Allah will never forgive: The Qur’an describes the greatest sin in Surah Al-Nisa’: "Allah forgives not That partners should be set up With Him; but He forgives Anything else, to whom He pleases; to set up Partners with Allah Is to devise a sin Most heinous indeed."        [Al-Qur’an 4:48] The same message is repeated in Surah Al-Nisa’: "Allah forgives not (The sin of) joining other gods With Him; but He forgives Whom He pleases other sins Than this: one who joins Other gods with Allah, Has strayed far, far away (From the Right)."           [Al-Qur’an 4:116] C.   Shirk leads to hell fire: The Qur’an says in Surah Ma’idah: "They do blaspheme who say: ‘Allah is Christ the son Of Mary.’ But said Christ: ‘O Children of Israel! Worship Allah, my Lord And your Lord’. Whoever joins other gods with Allah – Allah will forbid him the Garden, and the Fire Will be his abode. There will for the wrongdoers Be no one to help."                 [Al-Qur’an 5:72] D.   Worship and Obedience to none but Allah: The Qur’an mentions in Surah Ali-’Imran: Say: "O people of the Book! Come To common terms As between us and you: That we worship none but Allah; That we associate no partners with Him; That we erect not, from among ourselves, Lords and patrons other than Allah." If then they turn back, Say ye: "Bear witness that we (at least) Are Muslims (bowing to Allah’s Will)."               [Al-Qur’an 3:64] The Glorious Qur’an says: "And if all the trees on earth were pens And the Ocean (were ink), with seven Oceans behind it To add to its (supply), yet would not the Words Of Allah be exhausted (In the writing): for Allah Is Exalted in power, Full of Wisdom."                           [Al-Qur’an 31:27] Our analysis of Concept of God in various Religion shows that monotheism is an integral part of every major religion of the world. However, it is unfortunate that some adherents of these religions violate the teachings of their own scriptures and have set up partners to Almighty God. An analysis of the scriptures of various religions, reveals that all scriptures exhort mankind to believe in, and submit to One God. All these scriptures condemn the association of partners to God, or the worship of God in the form of images. The Glorious Qur’an says: "O men! Here is A parable set forth! Listen to it! Those On whom, besides Allah, You call, cannot create (Even) a fly, if they all Met together for the purpose! And if the fly should snatch Away anything from them, They would have no power To release it from the fly. Feeble are those who petition And those whom they petition!"              [Al-Qur’an 22:73] The basis of religion is the acceptance of Divine guidance. A rejection of this guidance has serious implications for society. While we have made great strides in science and technology, true peace still eludes us. All ‘isms’ have failed to provide the much vaunted deliverance. The scriptures of all major religions exhort mankind to follow that which is good and eschew that which is evil. All scriptures remind mankind that good will not go unrewarded and evil will not go unpunished! The question we need to address is, which of these scriptures provides us with the correct ‘instruction manual’ that we need to regulate our individual and collective lives? I hope and pray that Allah guides all of us towards the Truth (Aameen).

What is Sufism?

What is Sufism? 

Concise answer
The lexical root of 'tasawwuf' is variously traced to sūf "wool", referring to the simple wool-made cloaks the early Muslim ascetics wore and who claimed to purify their inner self from filth and stay away from worldly attractions, thus engaging in so-called spiritual self-reconstruction. This Sufi way of thinking was further developed over the history by different sects that added more and more features and traits to it. Sufi teachings cannot be accepted thoroughly or rejected outright because their doctrines are a combination of correct religious behaviors and incorrect innovations originating in their tastes. Unfortunately, this incorrect combination has led some people who intend to practice the first part in accordance with the Quran and Sunnah (prophetic tradition) to be erroneously accused by some credulous and naive people of being dervish or Sufi. One of those great people who have been accused of being a dervish is Imam Khomeini – may his soul rest in peace. As a matter of fact, if we go through his writings and words and examine them meticulously, we will come to the conclusion that Imam Khomeini (r.a) criticized innovative and ostentatious Sufi practices as much as he stressed on self-reconstruction and spiritual purification. Although Imam Khomeini (r.a.) is counted as a gnostic ('arif), he cannot be considered a Sufi in its most well-known sense.

SUFISM: ITS ORIGINS

SUFISM: ITS ORIGINS

Courtesy: Al-Haramain Foundation

The word Sufi is most likely to be derived from the Arabic word "soof", meaning wool. This is because of the Sufi habit of wearing woolen coats, a designation of their initiation into the Sufi order. The early Sufi orders considered the wearing of this coat as an imitation of Isa bin Maryam (Jesus). In reply to this, Ibn Taymiyyah said: "There are a people who have chosen and preferred the wearing of woolen clothes, claiming that they want to resemble al-Maseeh ibn Maryam. But the way of our Prophet is more beloved to us, and the Prophet (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam.s) used to wear cotton and other garments."1

Sufism is known as "Islamic Mysticism," in which Muslims seek to find divine love and knowledge through direct personal experience of God2. Mysticism is defined as the experience of mystical union or direct communion with ultimate reality, and the belief that direct knowledge of God, spiritual truth, or ultimate reality can be attained through subjective experience (as intuition or insight)3 Both the terms Sufi and Sufism and Sufi beliefs have no basis from the traditional Islamic sources of the Qur'an and Sunnah, a fact even admitted by themselves. Rather, Sufism is in essence a conglomerate consisting of extracts from a multitude of other religions with which Sufi's interacted.

During the primary stages of Sufism, Sufis were characterised by their particular attachment to zikr (remembrance of Allah) and asceticism (seclusion), as well as the beginning of innovated practices to 'aid' in the religious practices. Yet even at the early stage of Sufism, before their involvement in innovated rituals and structured orders, the scholars warned the masses of the extremity of Sufi practices. Imam Al-Shafi' had the opinion that "If a person exercised Sufism (Tasawafa) at the beginning of the day, he doesn't come at Zuhur except an idiot". Imam Malik and Ahmad bin Hanbal also shared similar ideas on this new movement which emanated from Basrah, Iraq. Although it began as a move towards excessive Ibaadah, such practices were doomed to lead to corruption, since their basis did not come from authentic religious doctrines, but rather from exaggerated human emotions. Sufism as an organised movement arose among pious Muslims as a reaction against the worldliness of the early Umayyad period (AD 661-750)4. The Sufis exploited the chaotic state of affairs that existed during the fifth and sixth centuries A.H. and invited people to follow their way, alleging that the remedy to this chaos was conformity to the guidance of their order's Sheikhs. Dar al-Hikmah was established during the reign of Khalifah Ma'moon, where he invited the scholars of the Romans and Greeks to meet with the Muslims and 'discuss' their respective positions. This provided the perfect breeding ground for the synthesis between Islam and Pagan theology, to produce the Sufism of the like of Ibn Arabi.

The Mixing Pot

With the demise of the Companions and their successors, the door became open for the distortion of Islamic Principles. The enemies of Islam had already burrowed deep into the ranks of Muslims and rapidly caused Fitnah through their spreading of forged hadith and subsequently created new sects such as the Khawaarij and Mu'tazilah. Sufism gained its breeding ground during this period, whereby it gained its support from the Dynastic Rulers, who had deviated from Islam to the extent whereby magic was used as entertainment in their courts, even though magic is considered as Kufr in Islam.5 During this period, Sufism developed its Shi'a flavour, indeed the roots of contemporary Sufism have been traced back to Shi'a origins (see later). Sufi ideology and thinking flourished during the times of the likes of Muhyiddin Ibn Arabi, Jalal Ad Din Rumi, and Imam Ghazali. Their translation of Greek philosophical works into Arabic during the third Islamic century left an indelible mark on many aspects of Sufism, resulting in Greek pantheism becoming an integral part of Sufi doctrine. Pagan practices such as Saint worshipping, the use of magic and holding venerance towards their Sheikh overtook the Orthodox practices of Islam and had little resemblance to the Islam left by our Prophet (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam). By examining the mystic doctrines of Christianity, Hinduism, Taoism and other religions, it becomes clear how closer Sufism is to these religions than to Islam. In fact, Sufism is never characterised under "Islam" in any system of catalogue, but rather under 'Mysticism'. Sharda highlights these unsurprising similarities by stating that: "After the fall of Muslim orthodoxy from power at the centre of India for about a century, due to the invasion of Timur, the Sufi became free from the control of the Muslim orthodoxy and consorted with Hindu saints, who influenced them to an amazing extent. The Sufi adopted Monism and wifely devotion from the Vaishnava Vedantic school and Bhakti and Yogic practices from the Vaishnava Vedantic school. By that time, the popularity of the Vedantic pantheism among the Sufis had reached its zenith."6

The following comparison demonstrates the non-coincidental similarity that Sufism shares with other religions:

Concept of validity of all religions

The Sufi doctrine of all religions being acceptable before Allah is derived from the Mystical beliefs of other religions, and not Islam, for Allah says: "Truly, the religion in the Sight of Allah is Islam..." [2: 19]. Take for example the Buddhists: "No Buddhist who understands the Buddha's teaching thinks that other religions are wrong... All religions acknowledge that man's present state is unsatisfactory. All teach an ethics that includes love, kindness, patience, generosity and social responsibility and all accept the existence of some form of Absolute." The Sufis also believe the same: "Allah does not distinguish between the non-believer and the Faasiq (wrong doer) or between a believer and a Muslim. In fact they are all equal to Him... Allah does not distinguish between a Kaffir or a hypocrite or between a saint and a Prophet."7 In al-Fusoos, Ibn Arabi leaves no doubt as to his conviction in the unity of all religions: "Beware of restricting yourself to one particular religion and disbelieving in everything else, so that great good would be missed by you, indeed you would miss attainment of knowledge of the affair in the form he is following. Rather be ready to accept all forms of belief. This is because Allah is higher and greater than to be comprehended by one belief to the exclusion of others. Rather all are correct, and everyone who is correct receives award, and everyone who is rewarded is fortunate, and everyone who is fortunate is one with Whom He is pleased."8

Union with the Creator

Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'aala is completely distinct from His Creation. He neither resembles His Creation, nor is He enclosed by it. Sufis however, with their deviant doctrine of Wahdat ul Wujood, believe contrary to this. Ibn Arabi, the Sufi scholar with whom which the concept of Wahdat ul Wujood is rightly attributed, asserted that since Allah's Attributes were manifested in His creation, to worship His creation is similar to worshipping Him: "So the person with complete understanding is he who sees every object of worship to be a manifestation of the truth contained therein, for which it is worshipped. Therefore they call it a god, along with its particular name, whether it is a rock, or a tree, or an animal, or a person, or a star, or an angel."9 This is how far the Sufis deviated because of their reliance on Greek and Eastern philosophy, rather than the Qur'an and Sunnah. To them God is not Allah Alone with whom no one else shares in His Dominion, but rather everything we see around us, and ultimately our own selves! Glory to Allah, who Stated "There is nothing like unto Him, and He is the All-Hearer, the All-Seer" [42: 11].

Looking at where Sufism derived its understanding from, we find the same ingrained beliefs: "When you live in the wisdom home, you'll no longer find a barrier between "I" and "you," "this" and "that," "inside" and "outside;" you'll have come, finally, to your true home, the state of non-duality."10 "Finally, the experience of realisation matures sufficiently that the [spiritual aspirant] may rightly utter the startling assertion, 'I am Shiva' (a Hindu deity)".11 "When I am in that darkness I do not remember anything about anything human, or the God-man.. I see all and I see nothing. As what I have spoken of withdraws and stays with me, I see the God-man.. and he sometimes says to me: 'You are I and I am you'".12

Corruption of Tawheed in Allaah's Attributes

Sufis totally deny all of Allah's Attributes, such as His Face, His Hands, His Istawaa etc, using metaphorical meanings to explain His Attributes. Although the Companions and Tabi'een believed in them without any resemblance to His creation, the Sufi's deem His Attributes to be a part of His creation. Ibn Arabi went as far as to say that he saw Allah during one of his ecstatic trances, in the shape of a young blond boy sitting on a Throne! (see Bezels of Wisdom, London 1980). Other Sufi Gnostics followed suit in Ibn Arabi's trail: "In the writings of Ibn al-Arabi and Ibn al-Farid, eternal beauty is symbolised through female beauty; in Indo-Muslim popular mystical songs the soul is the loving wife, God the longed-for husband." 13 Incorporation of Music in Rituals Music of all forms is forbidden by the majority of scholars, and remains attached to forbidden practices such as drinking, fornication and parties. However, after the Muslim conquest of the Deccan under Malik Kafur (c. 1310), a large number of Hindu musicians were taken with the royal armies and settled in the North. The acceptance of the Sufi doctrines, in which music was an accepted means to the realisation of God, enabled Muslim rulers and noblemen to extend their patronage to this art.14 At the courts of the Mughal emperors Akbar, Jahangir, and Shah Jahan, music flourished on a grand scale, and Sufi Dervishes used music as a means to enter ecstatic trances. Allah's Messenger (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) said in a lengthy hadith concerning the appearance of vile acts, "...when singing-girls and stringed instruments make their appearance, wines are drunk, and the last members of this people curse the first ones, look at that time for a violent wind, an earthquake, being swallowed up by the earth, metamorphosis, pelting rain, and signs following one another like bits of a necklace falling one after the other when its string is cut." [Tirmidhi ].

The deception of Sufism is brought to full light by looking at the lives of their esteemed leaders, the Sheikhs of whom which they place full trust in heir knowledge and obey their every command, and by contrasting the Orthodox Islamic teachings against the Sufi alternative.

Sufi Sheikhs: Role Models or Deviants?

Bayazid Tayfur al-Bistami

Bayazid is considered to be "of the six bright stars in the firmament of the Prophet (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam)"15, and a link in the Golden Chain of the Naqshibandi Tariqah. Yet his life reeks of Shirin all aspects. Bayazid al-Bistami was the first one to spread the reality of Annihilation (Fana'), whereby the Mystic becomes fully absorbed to the point of becoming unaware of himself or the objects around him. Every existing thing seems to vanish, and he feels free of every barrier that could stand in the way of his viewing the Remembered One. In one of these states, Bayazid cried out: "Praise to Me, for My greatest Glory!" Yet this concept is to be found nowhere in the Qur'an, nor Sunnah, nor in the behaviour in the Salaf us Saalih. Bistami's belief in the Unity of all religions became apparent when asked the question: "How does Islam view other religions?" His reply was "All are vehicles and a path to God's Divine Presence." Was this the Message of Tawheed which the Prophet (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) practised and was followed by the Sahaabah? He attributed the believers to be the same as the disbelievers themselves, who Allah describes as being worse than cattle (Surah 7, verse 179) and dogs; the same disbelievers who the Prophet (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) stated he had been commanded to fight till they testified that there was no deity but Allah. The whole life of Bayazid is rife with such contradiction to Eeman. From a young age, he left his mother stating to her that he could not serve Allah and his mother at the same time.16 When walking through the streets, he once called out "I am God; why do you not worship me?" He spent his time sitting with his head resting between his knees, one of his companions stating he did so for thirty years. But strangest of all was his obedience to a dog he once came across. The dog had apparently become upset at Bayazid's attempt to avoid him, to which the dog spoke to him and scolded him. So Bayazid pleaded "O dog, you are so enlightened, live with me for some time."17

Ibn Arabi

During the late 12th and early 13th centuries, under the influence of speculative mysticism, Ibn al-Arabi produced a system that created a complete chasm between the law and Sufism. In societies, such as Islamic India, that had a strong pre-Islamic heritage of mysticism, this chasm became much wider.18 Muhyiddin Ibn Arabi holds perhaps the highest position amongst all Sufi Schools, and was pivotal in the permanent split between Islam and Sufism. He claimed to have received direct orders from the Prophet (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) himself, including a book of completely new hadith never seen or heard of before. Prior to his receiving 'revelation', Ibn Arabi was well known to attend nightly parties in Seville. During one of these nights, he heard a voice (his drunk inner self?) calling to him, "O Muhammad, it was not for this that you were created". He fled in fear to a cemetery, where he claims to have met, and received instruction from, Jesus, Moses and Muhammad, peace be upon them all. From his books, innumerable forged sayings attributed to the Prophet (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) have been used, to the extent that countless of Muslims consider these to be real. The following are quotes from Ibn Arabi:

"The man of wisdom will never allow himself to be caught up in any one form or belief, because he is wise unto himself".19

"All that is left to us by tradition (Hadith) is mere words. It is up to us to find out what they mean"20. (This reflects his alliance with Baatini (inner) meanings and interpretations)

"He (Ibn Rushd) thanked God that in his own time he had seen someone (Ibn Arabi) who had entered into the retreat ignorant and had come out like this (knowledge of inner meanings)- without study, discussion, investigation or reading"21

Junaid

Junaid was the fourth head of the Safavid order who sought to transform the spiritual strength of the order into political power. What may be unknown to his followers however was his policies of military adventurism combined with Shi'a and Sufi piety.22 His son, Haydar, himself established the Safavid dynasty and the Twelver Shi'a Islam in Iran came under his grandson, Isma'il I. He was said to have blown a fatal breath at his slave-girl, to which he argued that she was ruining his forty years of spiritual practices.23 This so-called 'Saint', a supposed friend of Allah, made the following remarks: "I saw a thief who was being gibbeted. I bowed to him... for being true to the profession he followed." "He who fears Allah never smiles". "One moments forgetfulness of the Lord ruins a thousands years worship". Mansur al-Hallaj Mansur is renowned for his claim "Ana-l-Haq" (I am the Truth), for which he was executed for apostasy. Yet he is still revered by Sufis even though he abandoned all the laws governing Tawheed. He was said to have lived in one cloak for a full twenty years, along with a scorpion inside. He stood bare-footed and bare-headed for one year at the same spot in Makkah. During his prayers, he would say "O Lord! You are the guide of those who are passing through the Valley of Bewilderment. If I am a heretic, enlarge my heresy." He also said "I denied your religion (Islam) and denial is obligatory on me, although that is hideous to Muslims."24

Abu Yazid

Abu Yazid once prayed one Juma'a prayer in 24,000 different places. He told the religious authorities in one place: "I was praying in 12,000 different houses of worship today." They asked: "How?" He said, "By the power of the Lord Almighty. If you don't believe me, send people around to ask." They sat and waited until messengers returned saying that he was seen in so many places. Abu Yazid said later: "I was afraid to say 24,000, so I only said 12,000." So Abu Yazid clearly lied, when he could have simply not mentioned anything in the first place.

Are these truly the ones who we are told to receive the knowledge of our religion from? Do these men reflect the teachings of Islam? A man who left obedience to his mother, to the obedience of a dog? Are we supposed to follow men who receive revelation in a cemetery after spending the night at a party? Or a man who kills his slave girl for 'disturbing' his worship? To us, Islam calls smiling a charity, not a deviation from Allah's Pleasure. Islam forbids prostration to anyone but Allah. The Prophet (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) used to make du'a seeking Allah's guidance, not begging for heresy. And Islam teaches us truthfulness, not lies.

Evidence Against their teachings: their beliefs and practices

Position of the Sheikh and Wali

The Sheikh or Wali is given a similar standing as that of a Catholic Saint, or the Dalai Lama himself. Complete obedience is enforced on his followers, and any questions are deemed as a betrayal of trust: "The seeker must submit to the will of the Sheikh and to obey him in all his orders and advice, because the Sheikh has more experience and more knowledge in Haqiqat, in Tariqat and in Shari'ah," and "he must agree with the opinion of his Sheikh completely, as the patient agrees with the physician".25 Yet Muslims believe that any single act of worship must be substantiated by the Qur'an and Sunnah only. Allah the Exalted says:"Say (to them), 'Produce your proof if you are truthful'." [2: 111], and the Prophet (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) said "The created is not to be obeyed over the Creator." The Sheikh is given the standing of a deity in Sufism. Attributes which belong to Allah, are also assigned to their Sheikhs. They seek help from them, whether they are dead or 10,000km away. They believe that their sheikhs know everything their students are thinking, and that they converse with the Prophet (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) on a regular basis (in reality).

Distortion of the concepts of Dhikr, hadith, Qur'an

Since the Qur'an and Saheeh Hadith cannot be changed, the Sufi's have reverted to Ta'weel, a method of changing the apparent meaning of the verse or hadith to have a hidden one. This provided them with sufficient lee-way to support any concept they desired, by simply stating that the verse/hadith had an inner meaning which only the Sheikh himself could know. In the Bezels of Wisdom, Ibn Arabi presents certain aspects of what he terms "Divine Wisdom," as he conceives it. But Ibn al-Arabi interprets the relevant verses of Surat Noah in the most outrageous fashion, since he suggests meanings diametrically opposed to those accepted by all Muslim scholars. He interprets the "wrongdoer," "infidels," and "sinners" in Surat Noah as 'saints and Gnostics' drowning and burning not in the torment of Hell, but rather in the flames and water of knowledge of God. Ibn Arabi regarded the idols worshipped by Noah's people as divine deities. Allah condemned their deed saying: "And they (Noah's people) said, 'Do not abandon your gods, neither Wad, Suwa', Yaghooth, Ya'ooq nor Nasr'. "[71: 23] On which Ibn Arabi commented: "If they (Noah's people) had abandoned them, they would have become ignorant of the Reality ... for in every object of worship there is a reflection of Reality, whether it be recognised or not."

The act of making Zikr in circles and jumping/moving frantically is also totally unfounded. Zikr in the true Arabic sense means "Remembrance of Allah." The Prophet's (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) method, which Muslims agree to be the best and only acceptable one, of zikr consisted in reciting Qur'an, discussing religion with his companions, and making Tasbeeh on his hands. Yet the act of sitting in circles and loudly or silently chanting "Allah, Allah" was never practised by the Prophet (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) nor the Salaf, and all hadith which state that the Prophet (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) did so (such as when he supposedly went into a room, told the companions to lift up their hands and chant "La Ilaha Illa Allah" ) are unanimously agreed upon to be forged. Ibn Taymiyyah stated that this practice opened the door to Shaytaan, whereby the Shaytaan would enter the gathering (since they were involved in innovation) and take the form of a pious person. He also stated that the recital of "Allah, Allah" was forbidden, as it was never declared to be a form of Dhikr, and has no attached word to complete it (such as Allahu Akbar, Subhaan Allah).26 The stories also of Khidr and his meeting with the 'Awliyaa', the 40 Abdaal's who are always on the Earth and can be at any place in the wink of an eye, are derived from Jewish and Christian legends, not Islamic traditions.

Innovation

Imam Malik remarked: "That which was not religion at the time of the Messenger and his companions, may Allah be pleased with them all, is never to be religion today. He who introduces a Bid'ah (innovation) in the religion of Islam and deems it a good thing, claims by so doing that Muhammad (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam.s) betrayed the Message." The Sufis are to be found indulging in and spending an enormous amount of resources defending innovated practices, declaring them to be "good innovations." These include celebrating the death of the Prophet (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam.s) (a practice adopted from the reign of Fatamids, who began this innovation in order to seek the pleasure of the masses), reading Qur'an over the dead and seeking blessings form them, and the building of extravagant mosques (even though our Prophet (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam.s) forbade this. Anas reports that the Messenger of Allah said:"The Hour will not come to pass until the people vie with each other in (building) the mosques." [Ahmad, Abu Dawud, anNasa'i, Ibn Majah] ).

Why they still survive Emotional attachment

The Sufi's have become such an integral part of the lives of so many Muslims that Muslims are finding it difficult to accept that the Sufi path is wrong, and accuse anyone who pinpoints the errors of Sufism as an extremist or a follower of some 'deviant' sect. Sufism calls to human emotions rather than intellect and Islamic evidence. For example, poetry and music were the most popular form during the past hundreds of years, whereby "Sufi ideas permeated the hearts of all those who hearkened to poetry."27 Today, Sufism is followed by masses of people who desire to leave behind the complexities of this world, instead of building the ability to challenge it. Sufism provides the perfect escape, where its followers can meditate instead of thinking about the other Muslims who are suffering, let alone help them. Similarity with pagan beliefs Sufism is so similar to other religions, and as we noted earlier very tolerant of them, that a change to Sufism does not involve a complete change of life, as Islam requires. So Buddhists, Sikhs, Taoists and mystic Jews and Christians looking for an easy alternative find solace in Sufism which perhaps only adds another dimension to their previous way of life, rather than uprooting it and starting afresh Simplicity Ibnul-Jawzee says in Talbees Iblees: "Sufism is a way whose beginning was complete avoidance of the affairs of worldly life, then those who attached themselves to it became lax in allowing singing and dancing. Therefore the seekers of the hereafter from the common people became attracted to them due to the avoidance of the worldly life which they manifested, and the seekers after this world were also attracted to them due to the life of ease and frivolity which they were seen to live." Sufism offers its followers a life carefree from fighting (Jihad), politics, the initiative to seek knowledge and teach it, the work of Da'wah, and allows a person to indulge in worldly activities such as music, magic, and other prohibited acts.

The leader of the Naqshibandi Tareeqa in America, was quoted in the media as saying the following: "You have to be both material and spiritual. Sufis can give people joy in their spiritual life. Well, Madonna is giving people a kind of joy in their material life... You cannot say she is wrong. Sufis don't object and criticise - they are accepting everything. That's why, when my children are looking at Madonna on MTV, I say, 'Let me come and look also!'" Support from the governments Any group which manages to gain the support of an anti-Islamic Government must be suspicious. During the reign of the tyrant Mustafa Kemal, under whose leadership thousands of scholars were executed and Islamic practices banned, special permission was granted by the Turkish government in 1954 allowing the Mawlawi dervishes of Konya to perform their ritual dances. In fact, they have become a regular attraction nowadays, performing around the world along with their Turkish Mystical Music State Ensemble. 28 The Sheikh of the Naqshibandi's of America has greeted and received praises from the President of America Bill Clinton himself. And why shouldn't he, since the 'Islam' he portrays is one of pacifism and unity with the Kuffar.

Twisting of evidence

Since the Qur'an and Hadith are readily available, and cannot be changed, the Sufis have resorted to another trick used by other Mystics:

Ta'weel, or changing the apparent meaning of a verse or hadith to a secret inner one which only a certified Sheikh could explain! They also rely on providing the mass with forged hadith, such as the one stating the beseeching of Adam (alaihi salaam) in the name of Muhammad when he sinned; the stories of Khidr; the rising of the Prophet (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) from his grave so a person could kiss his hand and so on. Because of the lack of knowledge the general mass possess on the knowledge of Hadith and Aqeedah, they believe what they are told, and pass on the stories to other generations, becoming distorted even more along the way. Another smart tactic is to attribute forged sayings in support of the Sufi's from the righteous scholars. For example, Ibn Taymiyyah is attributed to have been a member of the Qadiri order and had been initiated, and spoken great words on Bistami and his likes. Yet Ibn Taymiyyah spent the majority of his life fighting against the teachings of Sufism, was imprisoned because of them, and bluntly stated "...Ibn Arabi who wrote "Al-Fousous," and other slandering atheists such as Ibn Sab'een and his like. They even witness that they are simultaneously the worshipers and the ones being worshiped."

The Damage to the Ummah

• Sufis distracted the Muslims from the teachings of the Qur'an and Sunnah towards the servitude of the Sheikh. Muslims thus became alienated from the teachings of Islam, and possessed no protection from the innovations and trappings of the deviant sects. Teachings such as "He (the follower) must not look to any other than his Sheikh" did nothing to cement the community. Rather, it sent the ball rolling for the wars between the various Mathabs, which culminated in fighting, rejection of each other faiths, and praying at different stations in Makkah itself.
• The Sufi's have left a lasting impression on the image of Islam, portraying it as one of peace and apolitical, and anyone who contravenes this is an impostor and considered an extremist. By relying on forged hadith such as the 'bigger Jihad is Jihad'ul Nafs (i.e. struggle against the self)' and its like, Muslims have been made to believe that work and family is the greatest Jihad, rather than establishing Allah's religion on Earth though the use of the sword.
• The Sufi influence undoubtedly contributed greatly to the decline of the Ottoman Empire. The pacifist views they spread, the lack of Shari'ah knowledge, and their befriending of the disbelievers, made sure that no one would oppose the vast changes being made to the Ottoman Laws. By 1880, the Tanzimat period was in full force, where Shari'ah was replaced by European Laws (except in limited circumstances such as in Hadd punishments), yet little opposition was heard29. Whilst the masses were busy in the construction of extravagant mosques and spinning around in circles, the Ottoman Empire was overtaken by Masons and eventually torn to parts. Conclusion Sufism was doomed to destruction from when it first emerged, because of its deviation from the teachings of the Qur'an and Sunnah. The small excess, the little innovation, led to the snowball effect, such that it emerged as a movement for well-meant increased Ibaadah and Zuhd, to Kufr and Innovation.

In truth, Islam is sufficient for us, and it is only Shaytaan who wishes to turn us away from our religion, to make us exceed the limits, and fall into his trap. The only sure way to avoid this is to grasp tightly onto what was left to us by our beloved Prophet (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam), the Qur'an and Sunnah, as understood and believed and acted upon by the best people to have lived: the Salaf us Saalih, the Companions and those who followed their footsteps.

- Br. Yusuf Hijazi

1 Al Fataawa 11/7
2 Encyclopaedia Britannica
3 Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary
4 Encyclopaedia Britannica
5 The Fundamentals of Tawheed, Abu Ameenah Bilal Phillips
6 S. R. Sharda, Sufi Thought
7 The Naqshbandi Way, pp 12,16
8 Ibn Arabi, al-Fusoos, p.191
9 Hadhihi Hiyas-Soofiyah, p.38
10 The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying, p.77
11 The Triadic Heart of Shiva, pp 183-4
12 Angela of Foligno: Complete Works, pp 181-2
13 Encyclopaedia Britannica
14 ibid.
15 Naqshibandi Way
16 Memoirs of the Saints, translated by Dr. Bankley Behari
17 ibid.
18 Encyclopaedia Britannica
19 An unpublished poem from Ibn Arabi's 'Diwan', translated by Dr Austin
20 Stephen Hirtenstein's paper Muhyiddin Ibn Arabi: The Treasure of Compassion
21 Sufis of Andalusia, transl. by R. W. J. Austin, p.23
22 Encyclopaedia Britannica
23 Memoirs of the Saints, p.108
24 ibid.
25 Naqshibandi Way
26 Sheikhul Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, Majmoo' al Fatawaah
27 Encyclopaedia Britannica
28 They recently came to perform in Australia, charging $30 per head. Only the elite went to watch this 90 minute theatrical display.
29 The Islamic World, New Jersey 1991