al-Junayd on Tasawwuf

Junayd al-Baghdadi, one of the most important early masters of Sufism, explains tasawwuf in the following manner:
‘Sufism means that God makes you die to yourself and makes you alive in Him.  It is to purify the heart from the recurrence of creaturely temptations, to say farewell to all the natural inclinations, to subdue the qualities [...]

The trials of life

Mere lip profession of Faith is not enough. It must be tried and tested in the real turmoil of life. The test will be applied in all kinds of circumstances, in individual life and in relation to the environment around us to see whether we can strive constantly and put the Lord above self. Much [...]

Knowledge without Action (Ibn ‘Ataa’ Illaah)

From the writings of Ibn ‘Ataa’ Illaah, rahimahullaah:
“Someone who acquires knowledge in order to gain this world and to achieve status therein may be likened to someone who picks up excrement with a sapphire spoon. How noble the means, and how ignoble the end sought! Similarly, someone who spends forty or fifty years in the [...]

The reality of the Sufi

The reality and essence of the Sufi is a person of knowledge, who has acted upon that knowledge in the manner of ikhlaas (sincerity). For the knowledge of tasawwuf is nothing more than the deep knowledge of the path that leads one to act with ikhlaas in all what one does.
Had the scholar acted upon [...]

The Alchemy of Happiness – al-Ghazali

KNOW, O beloved,
that man was not created in jest or at random,
but marvelously made and for some great end.
Although he is not from everlasting,
yet he lives for ever;
and though his body is mean and earthly,
yet his spirit is lofty and divine.
When in the crucible of abstinence
he is purged from carnal passions
he attains to the highest,
and [...]

Repel the thought…

 Ibn Al Qayyim (rahimahullaah) wrote: “Repel the thought, for if you don’t, it becomes an idea. So repel the idea, for if you don’t it will become a desire. So fight against that (desire), for if you don’t, it will become a determination and a passion. And if you don’t repel that, it will become an [...]

Five Barriers

Ibn al-Qayyim (rahimahullaah) said:
“…The heart’s safety and soundness cannot be perfected, absolutely, until it is secure from five things:
(1) From shirk which nullifies tawheed
(2) From innovation which opposes the Sunnah
(3) From a desire/lust that opposes the command (of Allaah)
(4) From Heedlessness that contradicts remembrance (of Him)
(5) From a desire that nullifies purity [...]

Why we don’t have visions of Rasoolullaah (saws)…

Compliments of: http://damascusdreams.wordpress.com/ 
A Persian poet relates the story of a young man who was devoted to worship and who sincerely loved the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wa salam). This young man wished to see the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wa salam) in his dreams. But, night after night, even though he prayed and hoped for it, he [...]

Qabd and Bast

“Observe the qualities of expansion and contraction
in the fingers of your hand:
surely after the closing of the fist comes the opening.
If the fingers were always closed or always opened,
the owner would be crippled.
Your movement is governed by these two qualities:
They are as necessary to you
as two wings are to a bird”
~ Rumi ~

Thinking of studying overseas?

This is required reading: http://damascusdreams.wordpress.com/2007/05/11/the-reality-of-the-experience/