Sufism & Its Effects On Islamic Culture Essay Example for Free

Sufism Its Effects On Islamic Culture EssaySufism is the pilgrimage and the realization of truth, and a Sufi, is the seeker of truth (Janghda, 144). therefore, in order to understand the lives of Sufis and their contri saveion to Islam, one mustiness first comprehend the import of Sufism. Sufism is the spiritual practice by which one can achieve supreme spiritual gratification. The term Sufism has been derived from dis same words, such as Safa which means pure and Saff which means high in rank (All About Religion). All these meanings have one thing in common which is also probable by the looks of a Sufi, uniqueness. That Sufis do non fit the general perception of a man or woman, they were people who gave up the worlds material belongings and its luxuries to explore the inner self. peerless must live in the world, not be of the world, Jamal ad-Din al-Rumi. Love is the basis of Sufism, like almost of the religions of this world and the core objective of Sufism is to find the oneness. A Sufi must realize that God exists everywhere, as the creator and the creation. Tasawwuf is a practice in Sufism in which one purifies oneself by the remembrance and obedience of God.It is the thoroughgoing(a) detachment from the worldly issues and devoting your mind, body and reason to God. This practice is similar to conventional Islamic practices such as zikr and prayer. Thus to achieve a status of a Sufi, one must go through some levels, such as killing your ego, brea exponent away from the material wants and loving everything, as all is created by God. Sufism has no boundaries as it a spiritual religion it seeks truth through divinity and not sections. instead of mentors or preachers who have learned about religion through people, a Sufi seeks his own answers.There atomic number 18 no value of favoritism and preference, all creations are equal. Sufism is not just a religion, it is a way of thinking and a lifestyle, and thus one must be open-minded, tolerant and humble to scratching the journey. Without these traits one cannot achieve spiritual enlightenment. Therefore, most of the surface known Sufis that have passed have known to not conform to the society they reside in, providing knowledge about Islamic mysticism to their people through poems, stories and various texts which are still enchanting and informing people till this day (Arbery, 15).Farid ud-Din atar was a similar mystic, born in the city of Nishapur in Iran and also buried in a tomb in Nishapur (The Free Dictionary). Although he lived over centuries ago but some of atars works are still read and appreciated even now. His name Attar, meant herbalist who was also his profession, as he was a well-known medic. He would see hundreds of patients daily, prescribing herbal medicines that he himself prepared to his patients. In his days of youth, he travelled comprehensively through Egypt, Damascus and even performed pilgrimage at Mecca in search for wisdom.After a long journe y, Attar came back to his hometown and embarked on his Sufi journey. During this time, Attar wrote tremendous texts but his most well known is Maqamat-e Toyur (The Conference of the Birds). Attars ability to look beyond the texts and find a deeper meaning in not just readings but in every daily doings made him a better author and poet, his teachings and poems still are relevant for that alone reason. Attar passed away in centenarian age, even though the details of his death are weary but a traditional baloney does narrate the demise of Attar.In this folk tale, Attar had been made a prisoner by the Mongolian when they invaded Nishapur. During that time, an unknown person came to the Mongol king and offered a thousand pieces of silver in turn of Attars freedom. When Attar hear this, he recommended the king to not take such a ransom, and the king did just that in greed. Later, another man came to the emperor and offered him a bundle of straws in exchange of Attars freedom, to which Attar advised the king to take the offer, as that is what he was worth.When the Mongol king heard this, he decapitated Attar in anger (Arbery, 74). The authenticity of this tale is not important but the message it has is very valuable. It shows that a man of such knowledge of religion, mysticism and medicine, thought of himself as completely worthy of a bundle of straws rather than thousand pieces of silver. Therefore, a Sufi must be self-less to wee the truth. The truth is that the body of a person is just a shell, in which the soul resides, a soul that mirrors God. Even if you kill the body, which is of no value, the soul will live on forever.