Mysticism, spirituality, soul – these words represent a reality beyond and above our mere earthly existence. Every religion, I suppose, have their mystics: Zen of Buddhism, Christian mysticism, and Sufism in Islam. What this wing of religion offers is an elevated form of union with God for otherwise very ordinary men. While God blessed his prophets with divine revelations and guidelines, these mystics rise up to attain God’s distinct favors through their selfless worship and eloquent understanding of what ‘man’ was made for.
Yet not everyone is capable enough, both intentionally and divinely to start off on the separating journey of mysticism; it requires courage with a life of constant journey and devotion in sight, a dissolution of the very self itself.
I always found Sufism, the mysticism within Islam, both admirable and confusing. Admirable because Sufism at its core is a message of peace, of brotherhood; not of apathy and conceit, as one might argue, but of inclusive love, like that of kind teacher towards all his/her pupils. Yet confusing nonetheless, since Sufism is inherently difficult to define and equally hard to follow as a result. Why do Sufis talk about wine all the time? How come they not live regular lives? Is celibacy must in Sufism? Or, what is Sufism after all?
Both my inquisition about this wing of Islam and my keenness to get to know what it might really be brought me to this book. Just one off the track information here: this book is one of the few gifts that I received from someone else; I wish she reads this review. While I may not have all my questions answered after reading this book, I do however have demonstrative and suggestive answers to questions asked about Sufism.
Dehlvi’s book is a pure, kind, inclusive, and illuminating book on the subject of Sufism, which by talking about Sufism doesn’t try to explain as much as it tries to portray it. Sadia Dehlvi herself is a Sufi disciple just like her family rooting back to her great grandfathers. Coming from Delhi, India, one of most Sufi replete cities, Dehlvi is much associated and informed about Sufism as a culture and set of orders while being in one herself.
Her book offers a clean, devoted, and philosophy-free elementary knowledge about the origins and continuing orders of Sufism. In this most decorated book that I have ever read (with names of Allah and verses from Quran), Dehlvi starts off with her case that Sufism indeed is originated from Islam and has everything to do with it. She even claims that all spirituality comes religion. She then explains in very plain prose how Sufism formed from early disciples of Prophet Muhammad pbuh, and how God’s last prophet is the ideals of all Sufis. After talking a bit about the conflict within Islam between Sufism and Traditionalism, Dehlvi delves into the extensive text of numerous Sufi orders and their founding Sufis.
Filled with anecdotal miracles from different Sufis and poems and sayings, Dehlvi’s book is a celebration of Sufism – more so than being an explanation of it. This book isn’t explanatory of what Sufism is, since to be a Sufi you have to act and live like one, but rather an admiration and essence of this tradition that is Islam’s heart.
Ratings: 4/5 **** May 1, 2021_