Rumi introduced himself, saying:
I am neither Christian nor Jew,
Neither Persian nor Muslim.
I am neither the East nor West,
Neither from land nor from water.
He refuted the allegation that he could be confined to any particular faith or shackles of time and space.
Rumi's entire exalted philosophy is not only the kernel of Sufism but also the essence of humanity . In fact, Rumi's magnanimous philosophy is the template for Sufism and a panacea to all conflicts and confrontations. Rumi is like an infinitely large umbrella covering all we have and beyond. There's a constant conflict of numerous dissenting views leading to bad-blood and unrest in the world. Instead of challenging the ideas in a sane and civilised manner, we challenge the individuals. We seem to have lost the sanity to accept others' viewpoints and sanctity to defend theirs other than ours. What could be the solution to tackle the growing indifferences among people, communities, religions, races and nations? Sufism gave a unique philosophy to the world, which Professor Hamilton Gibb defined as 'mystic egalitarianism.' As the very name suggests, this exalted philosophy, propounded by the Sufis, respects and accommodates all views and ideas without being judgmental.
The problem with humans is that we're all more or less tendentious and prejudiced. We tend to form an opinion at the drop of a hat and start behaving accordingly in order to justify our opinion. We also tend to look at the perceived negative side of anything. Man's mind has several options and possibilities. And because of this quality, we perceive truth in myriad ways. Sufis understood this theory in an all-encompassing fashion; therefore, they simply threw away the word 'insistence' from their parlance. The universality and all-embracing nature of the Sufis' syncretism is immeasurable. Once we imbibe the spirit of it to the hilt, our outlook gets broadened, and heart becomes so munificent that it accepts all. The acceptance of Sufi way of life also teaches us to look at everything with compassion and positivism.
The uniqueness of Sufism can be understood by the fact that it's called, "The epitome of mankind and the crowning glory of humanity." Today, there're so many sects and all are fighting to prove that their respective sect has the divine right to enter the kingdom of heaven. Jami says, "Whether or not one goes to heaven or hell is doubtful, but the world can be turned into heaven by accepting that everyone's right from his or her angle." The moment we realize that other person could also be right, all the differences disappear. Let there be no unanimity on thoughts and views, but there can be universal acceptance of everyone's perception of truth. Gandhiji unwittingly followed the tenets of Sufism and therefore didn't harbour even an iota of ill-will against the English. Sufism is not only the acceptance of all ideas, it's also the assertion of every individual's freedom of expression and worship. It's worthwhile to state that Sufism is basically a part of Islamic faith, yet it does approve of believing sects and sub-sects within its fold, not as kufr (sacrilege), but as a mark of respect to other so-called manifestations of truth. And there's no condescending element in accepting others' interpretations. Life's so complex that it has the possibility for even your opponent to be right at times. Whether you're an atheist or a believer, you're welcome in its generous fold. Who're fully-evolved and brimful of compassion as well as understanding for all, are actually Sufis. Sufism aims at transforming the entire humanity into an exalted and elevated species, bereft of bitterness and rancour. Mankind is like a mosaic, where every belief has a place to fit in, thanks to it. In a nutshell, Sufism is a concept that accommodates the whole universe and can save the world from being degenerated into an abattoir of intolerance, hatred and bloodshed. It encapsulates collective empathy and universal bonhomie. Follow it to make the world a more desirable place to live in. Sufism can change our belligerent world from the core.
Authored by: Sumit Paul
I am neither Christian nor Jew,
Neither Persian nor Muslim.
I am neither the East nor West,
Neither from land nor from water.
He refuted the allegation that he could be confined to any particular faith or shackles of time and space.
Rumi's entire exalted philosophy is not only the kernel of Sufism but also the essence of humanity . In fact, Rumi's magnanimous philosophy is the template for Sufism and a panacea to all conflicts and confrontations. Rumi is like an infinitely large umbrella covering all we have and beyond. There's a constant conflict of numerous dissenting views leading to bad-blood and unrest in the world. Instead of challenging the ideas in a sane and civilised manner, we challenge the individuals. We seem to have lost the sanity to accept others' viewpoints and sanctity to defend theirs other than ours. What could be the solution to tackle the growing indifferences among people, communities, religions, races and nations? Sufism gave a unique philosophy to the world, which Professor Hamilton Gibb defined as 'mystic egalitarianism.' As the very name suggests, this exalted philosophy, propounded by the Sufis, respects and accommodates all views and ideas without being judgmental.
The problem with humans is that we're all more or less tendentious and prejudiced. We tend to form an opinion at the drop of a hat and start behaving accordingly in order to justify our opinion. We also tend to look at the perceived negative side of anything. Man's mind has several options and possibilities. And because of this quality, we perceive truth in myriad ways. Sufis understood this theory in an all-encompassing fashion; therefore, they simply threw away the word 'insistence' from their parlance. The universality and all-embracing nature of the Sufis' syncretism is immeasurable. Once we imbibe the spirit of it to the hilt, our outlook gets broadened, and heart becomes so munificent that it accepts all. The acceptance of Sufi way of life also teaches us to look at everything with compassion and positivism.
The uniqueness of Sufism can be understood by the fact that it's called, "The epitome of mankind and the crowning glory of humanity." Today, there're so many sects and all are fighting to prove that their respective sect has the divine right to enter the kingdom of heaven. Jami says, "Whether or not one goes to heaven or hell is doubtful, but the world can be turned into heaven by accepting that everyone's right from his or her angle." The moment we realize that other person could also be right, all the differences disappear. Let there be no unanimity on thoughts and views, but there can be universal acceptance of everyone's perception of truth. Gandhiji unwittingly followed the tenets of Sufism and therefore didn't harbour even an iota of ill-will against the English. Sufism is not only the acceptance of all ideas, it's also the assertion of every individual's freedom of expression and worship. It's worthwhile to state that Sufism is basically a part of Islamic faith, yet it does approve of believing sects and sub-sects within its fold, not as kufr (sacrilege), but as a mark of respect to other so-called manifestations of truth. And there's no condescending element in accepting others' interpretations. Life's so complex that it has the possibility for even your opponent to be right at times. Whether you're an atheist or a believer, you're welcome in its generous fold. Who're fully-evolved and brimful of compassion as well as understanding for all, are actually Sufis. Sufism aims at transforming the entire humanity into an exalted and elevated species, bereft of bitterness and rancour. Mankind is like a mosaic, where every belief has a place to fit in, thanks to it. In a nutshell, Sufism is a concept that accommodates the whole universe and can save the world from being degenerated into an abattoir of intolerance, hatred and bloodshed. It encapsulates collective empathy and universal bonhomie. Follow it to make the world a more desirable place to live in. Sufism can change our belligerent world from the core.
Authored by: Sumit Paul
