Finding Spiritual Healing and World Peace in these Troubled Times

Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim

THE SUFI APPROACH TO ISLAM

Finding Spiritual Healing and World Peace in these Troubled Times

Ali Ansari ********

The Sufi Approach to Islam

Ali Ansari 2/76 Surrenderworks.com

5/7/2009

© 2009 Ali Ansari

Carbondale, Illinois www.surrenderworks.com



5/7/2009

THE SUFI APPROACH TO ISLAM FINDING SPIRITUAL HEALING AND WORLD PEACE

IN THESE TROUBLED TIMES

Introduction

Islam and Modern Psychology (Soul Psychology and the Emergence of the Authentic Self)

An Interview

Sufism and the Human Situation

Understanding Current Events and the Roots of Suicide

The Purpose of Struggle is to End Struggle

Understanding the Sufi Tradition of "The Sunrise in the West"

The Sufi Approach to Islam, Spiritual Healing and World Peace

Islam Made Easy (Islam for Dummies?)

The Future is Peace - Elements of Spiritual Psychology

The Psychology of Islam in Context of World Events

More Important than Learning

The Way to World Peace

Remembrance of God Alleviates Insanity:

The Principles of Psychotherapeutics in Islam

Acceptance of Surrender

The Importance of Eliminating Reaction

The Purpose of Death is Realization

The Road to Wisdom

The Importance of Active Affirmation and Confession of Faith in Maintaining Health and Vitality



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INTRODUCTION This book will take you straight to heaven, for that is, indeed, our reality. Life everlasting is not a difficult attainment. In fact it is not an attainment at all, it is simply the reality. It is not a choice we can make to accept or refuse. It is guaranteed by the very nature of our creation. We can however, choose to believe it, or not. And we will then behave accordingly. We can either accept it or reject it but we cannot and will not change it. Such is the fundamental statement of all religions and it is good news to some and bad news to others, depending simply upon the point of view you choose to accept. The only real differences between people are in their points of view, their opinions, but not in fact. From the standpoint of Spiritual Psychology, know one (yourself), and you know them all. This is why it is so often said that the prime directive, so to speak, of life is to "Know Thyself", or "Physician, heal thyself". Since differences of opinion are based solely upon personal viewpoint, it is relatively easy, if one can find a moment of dispassion, to shift one's viewpoint to the "other side", if for no other reason but to see what it looks like from there. That's how common ground is found, and agreements are made. We are different in ego, or personal self-assessment, but not in heart. Life is a long opportunity for us to learn to see things differently, from "both" sides, and to be able to shift at will from a material (personal) to a spiritual (generic) viewpoint. If things are not working well from one viewpoint, we mustn't feel trapped by that viewpoint, we must find in ourselves the freedom to view things differently, providing ourselves thereby with more choices. I would like to point out what both sides looks like, so that you, should you be of an exploring nature, may find in yourself that moment of dispassion and shift, however temporarily, with the purpose of seeing and feeling the basis for eternal health. The main and most commonly accepted viewpoint is that of those who are desperately attached to their egoic and illusory self, and the lesser is that of those who are willing, even eager to let it go. There are those who are eager to develop only their minds, in a sense of desperation based on competitiveness, impatience, survival and fear for provision, and those who are eager to develop their hearts, finding them to be more reliable, trustworthy and full of resource. We might refer to them as the people of ego attachment and the people of ego detachment. When dealing in matters of belief, we might also classify this difference as between those who can look forward to death and what follows, and those who fear it; or those who trust in God for love and providence, and those who fear for it. However, for both, Islam, the message of eternal life and how to live with it, comes as good news, as the "bearer of glad tidings". In it is confirmed that which is true of the religions that have come before it, and added knowledge of certainty and new revelations of use and value. The purpose of Divine revelation is to assuage the fears of the fearful and confirm the trust of the realized. Healing is the conversion factor at work, actively converting fear into assurance, ignorance into knowledge.



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Ego attachment manifests in two distinct ways, both having to do with religion. They are religious fanaticism and religious aversion, both protecting an illusion from discovery, and both having to do with hidden, but unnecessary, feelings of guilt. Both attachment and aversion are from fear - fear of loss, fear of losing what is perceived to be had or attained (with hard work, or not), and fear of losing the sense of self upon which our "survival" depends - the "haver", or the defender, as it were. But in the true knowledge of self and God there is yet a greater reward. The difference between ego and soul quality is not always easily distinguished since one is a reflection of the other and comes from it. This unclarity is the basis for most of the misunderstanding in religion and psychotherapy. For without the added discernment of the actually realized (spiritual masters, et al), it is very difficult to distinguish between ego and soul quality. But it is the salvation of this soul quality that is the purpose of religions and spiritual paths, not the salvation of the ego, which will quite successfully attempt to usurp the position of the soul, or true-self, as ruler of the heart/body complex. The ego will surely perish in the great awakening. Such is the promise of all religions for it is indeed the fact. The ego is a temporary loan, a functional fabrication, a pseudo-self, self-created to serve us for a duration of time in mortal existence, and is not to be taken seriously, as in given the full power of authority. It is the mistake of assuming the veil to be the reality in spite of our nagging conscience (nafs al-lawamma) that is the cause of all problems, physical, emotional, religious and societal. Clearly distinguishing between ego and soul-quality is the meat of the work of all real spiritual paths, teachers, healing therapies and religions. And Islam is no different. Without connection to its heart and soul, as reflected in the living presence of the Prophet and his family (Ahli bait), "Islam" becomes "merely" a religion, devoid of spirit, and a mere imitation. Like the ego, it becomes an "attempt" to replicate the reality. And that's where the people of any religion have gone wrong, and entered into separation. When the ego attempts to usurp the position of the soul, not only can it not succeed, but it knows that it is wrong and therefore needs to be excessively assertive in its claim to rightness. This results in oppression, of self and others, in the name of religion. So religion can be either self-repressive or spiritually liberating, and the choice is always up to the believer. This all-necessary recognition of the truth of real Surrender can only be gained (in Islam) from the Prophet himself in person, or in the person of his family (realized descendants) or their honored and realized representatives, who are often referred to as Khalifas, and are still and mostly to be found among the Sufis. It is they who are cleared, with permission from the Prophet through a chain of authorization, to teach, and to accept and verify the Surrender of the truly dedicated and sincere. And it is these sincere students who are the real teachers and who do the real service to Al-llah!, religion and humanity. Such is the "secret" of the famed "permission to teach" that is honored and respected in most transmission schools. And this is the Surrender (Islam) that is the central focal-point for the people of discovery and liberation. The rest are not considered wrong, simply choosing, for a variety of reasons, to prefer incompleteness in their education.



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Full and recognized realization is the necessary goal and the manifest success. This is the "Salvation" of the soul that is so highly misunderstood. Rabi`a al Adawiyyah, Al-llah!'s Grace upon her, one of the great Sufi saints of all time, said when overhearing a pious and obedient Muslim's claim to sanctity for having been born into a pious family and knowing for certain that he had never committed a major or minor sin according to the technical definitions of such in all the religious books, "Your very existence is a sin greater than any other". For he had clearly not attained the true point of his religion, which was his spiritual freedom from the bonds of his mortal existence and his true service to The One (Al-llah!). This spiritual education is imperative. Self-realization and the quest for it is the answer to the problems incurred by the dilemmas of life. Self-realization is the point of life and the right choice. Recognize and honor God, and God will recognize and honor you. It's that simple. Know One-ness, (Al-llah!) intimately and immediately. Use all religions and spiritual paths. Benefit from their teachings to realize the truth of your situation, before your life wastes away in front of your very eyes.

ISLAM AND MODERN PSYCHOLOGY Soulful Psychology and the Emergence of the Authentic Self

Soulful Psychology, as I call it, is "The Work". It is the actual practice of assisting in the emergence of personal soul and soul qualities into conscious manifestation. It is the work of "spiritual midwifery", if you will, for the emergence of the "Authentic Self", and is being practiced by all who have discovered it. They have concluded, in the course of their own involvement with it, that it is the most important work there is, and the doing of this work becomes their contribution to the healing of humanity and to the bringing of relief to the suffering. I define the word "psychology" as "knowledge of self", or "knowledge of the soul". Psyche to me means Soul. All of the supposedly "unknown" and investigated regions of the Self, no mater how classified or labeled, are still parts of the self and not something other. They may be clarified and understood, even dissolved and integrated, but they are not entities that can be "gotten rid of", so to speak. They are still parts of the Self. And if one investigates sufficiently into the nature and unity of creation, one can easily reach the conclusion that there is only Self, that everything is 'attached', so to speak, to everything else. And this is where the absolute monist concludes that "all is God, therefore I too am God, All is me." And this is true, as far as it goes. But this is also simply science and scientific investigation. In reality, there is nothing mystical about it at all. It is simply the "Human Situation". When all is known, the question still remains, "What to do?" This Work manifests in a variety of different ways, each according to the discovery path of the individual practitioner. I would like to bring to the fore the voluminous work done in this field by the great soul psychologists of the "pre-modern" Islamic civilizations, an era which we now call medieval history (although referring thereby mostly to European civilization). Nevertheless, it was at this time that the sciences of discovery and human potential were at the heights of glory in the neighboring "Islamic" world. However, rather than create a master work of referenced materials, which I'm sure is already done and easily found, I will prefer to allude only to the



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names and teachings of a few of the more noted masters of the age, and draw upon my own experience in study and discovery, to present to you my understandings and conclusions. These conclusions offer hope, and lead to a new era of dominance of Soul and Soul qualities over the fearful and reactive efforts of the frightened and traumatized "reactive" self, often referred to as the ego, or the artificial, or "replacement" self. These conclusions also lead to an understanding of the true meaning and purpose of Islam. This understanding will allow for its study, acceptance and implementation in the struggle for social equilibrium, peace and harmony. There is no doubt that Muslims have a great deal to offer to a groping and exploratory infant nation such as the United States. The time has come to put an end to the fear and ignorance that has kept us from benefiting from other cultures and religions. The Spiritual revolution has come and gone, and we are now quite aware of our spiritual nature. There remains but one persisting enigma. And that is - the meaning of Islam and the intention of the Muslim people. I believe that by writing this work, I can clarify that intention for both the Muslims and the "Western" people. And in the course of that, shed some light on the problems of both. And show how, by working together, we can bring a lasting unity and peace to the world. Coming from the standpoint of a devoted American Muslim and over 30-year believer and student-practitioner of the Islamic "Science of Self" known as Sufism, I have learned to rely upon and trust the principles of spiritual development and human and social sanity as taught in the classical Islamic way. I have found them successful in every way. So it is easy for me to realize the significance, importance and necessity for the advocacy of this "Work". I will not enter into a long list of human ailments all of which are more than well-known to any educated reader. Suffice it to say that never before in the history of the world has the hope of humanity sunk so low while in their desperation, self-deceiving world-marketers seek ever new ways to point out that we are at its heyday. I will assume that the need and necessity for the work of perpetuating spiritual evolution is obvious to the reader, and leave it at that. Not only is the work of true self-realization necessary for the assured happiness and "salvation" of each individual, training in the work itself will most certainly become a huge industry in the world of self-help, recovery, personal healing, medicine, psychology and psychotherapy. This work of which I speak is the heart of Islam and the meat of the Sufi way. And although the "work" of self-realization is by no means the exclusive property of Sufism, Islam or any other "way", it is interesting that Sufism pays its focused attention to the problem of resolving the "Human Situation". Sufism is at its very core the study and practice of the Psychology of the Soul, and well within the understanding of the average Muslim or Western seeker. In predicting the growth of this industry, I am of course assuming the survival of both the species and the souls of great teachers, as well as the desire for true education on the part of sincere students. I am not in the least disparaging of the enormous work done in the field of psychology and healing by the great souls of our time, most of whom are alive (thank God) and teaching as we speak. Their work is the foundation of the truly indigenous spiritual culture of Western civilization in the English language. I only wish to contribute my part. It will stand on its own merits, I am sure. All souls are, by their very nature, great. And deep within the heart of each one of us we can recognize and acknowledge that secret. However, it is only the ability to openly accept that



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greatness and make it effective that keeps us truly humble. It’s for lack of knowing how to manifest the reality of our truth that outward pride and pretense appear to be necessary. And the only thing that holds us back from manifesting our greatness, and living rich and fulfilling lives, is fear. Fear is instilled. It is not innate. Fear is created by fearful people who use their energies to further an environment that encourages fear and punishes courage and bravery. That's why fearful people believe it to be exceptionally courageous and brave to live a rich and authentic life. Reaching to connect with our innate freedom from fear is the BlessingWay and the path to manifesting our inner greatness. The Sufi way of life provides an arena for full spiritual emergence. It literally insists upon it, considering it not only a goal but also a requirement for progress. That is why Sufism is famous for its spiritual guidance. Firstly, it works, and that is visible in the presence of the masters and their students. Secondly, it provides an historically proven pattern for success which is evident in the traditions of Islamic science, literature, poetry, agriculture, architecture and psychology, and thirdly, it provides encouraging, affirming and developing authentic spiritual teachings and daily practices, the source of which can be relied upon and trusted. So, rather than discouraging the emergence of soulful truth in your daily life, as does the basically accepted common denominator of the egoic 'provision and fear-oriented' mentality, in the Sufi way, spiritual maturity and conscious, aware soul-inhabitation are considered to be the requisites for true success. The challenge is then, rather than fabricating a more fanciful and alluring illusion, to free ourselves from the residing influence of our history of fabricating alluring illusions, and thereby learn to recognize, trust, honor and speak from a truth that is inarguably our own, and from the very essence of our souls. It is the magnetic attraction of this quality of authenticity that stimulates faith and trust, engenders confidence and increases prosperity. One who is true to himself will cause no harm to others. Nowadays, in a society in desperate need of help, just about everyone who has, through hard work and diligence, discovered the secret of self and authenticity, is making a great deal of money by teaching it to others. It's not the acquisition of money that is being noted here. That indicates only that there is an urgent and increasing demand for the teaching of authenticity. What is of note is this: that an integral part of the richness and fullness of the authentic life is doing the "work" of passing it along in the increasingly best way possible. In this way, seekers and teachers are rapidly contributing to the evolution of humanity. In my opinion the single most popular and easily comprehended 'definition' for this work is the one coined early on by Mahatma Paramhansa Yogananda. He is the master who introduced the work as "self-realization". Think of that. He established the Self-Realization Fellowship in the forties or fifties. It is still going and very strong. Gurdjieff was the first, I believe, to simply refer to it as "The Work". It was named "The Fourth Way", by his students, but I'm not sure he actually referred to it as such. He emphasized it as self-remembering, and called it the essence of health and awareness. He devised a variety of methods to impress upon the students the importance of the practice. There are many schools and definitions of this work, started by masters both east and west, and I will likely name a few and their teachers, in the course of offering a view of the scope, history and importance of this work. Not all spiritual practices actually define themselves as oriented



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toward the goal of "Salvation" or "the Emergence of the Authentic Self", but most of them originated as a result of the teachings of a truly realized person. In any case, all real masters teach from their experience. It is in actuality, the only way that authenticity can be taught, or it would no longer be authentic. How we learned, and what we learn from it, is what we teach. And now I want to pass on to you, to add to your personal arsenal of wealth and knowledge, and to confirm that you are on the right path, the keys and essentials of self-understanding from the ancient, yet modern, science of Sufism. In keeping with its well-known reputation for being the "Path of Love", and the "Way of the Heart", Sufism is also entitled to be called "The Islamic Science of Spiritual Psychology". In Islamic psychology, a true understanding of the science of self is considered to be essential for both worldly and spiritual success. Sufism is the honored and accepted way of reaching self-realization in the light of Qur`anic teachings and the revealed practices of Muhammad, the most recent and final prophet of the true way to the world. And there is only one religion. It is the religion of healing the heart from the heart, with the Peace, Love, Mercy and Justice from the Divine. Believing in love and acting according to your belief is religion. And that religion has nothing to do with language, or dogmas void of true understanding or meaning. It is well known that the One True God looks not unto the outward works of men but to the inner worth. And if we honor our inner worth, we are honoring God, and ourselves. And if we dishonor it, we are dishonoring only ourselves. This true understanding of self, and passing it on, is the essence, the point, and the reality of religion itself. It is the 'work', and the way of the Sufi.

AN INTERVIEW Q. What do you mean when you say "we really choose our own time to emerge"? A. Even though all souls are manifest on this plane right now, each will carefully pick its own path through the maze of the life it was born into, and will emerge only when it is ready and has determined that it is both safe and correct to do so. That is one reason why we have so few emerged souls on the planet at the time. It's been tested and determined to be, by and large, an unsafe place for truth and soul quality. One of the purposes of the Sufi way, similar to the hearts of all emerged souls, is to create an environment in which such emergence is expected. The perceived need for such an environment is also the root 'spiritual' motivation in the drive for material security and stability, without which it is doubly difficult for the true human or "soul" qualities to emerge. The birth of children more or less 'forces' the qualities of compassion and love to come out of us, and that is why we love them so much. They are a chance for us to re-experience the love of ourselves as little children. But the contemporary battle is now between time for love, and the struggle for financial 'survival'. So the children suffer and deem the world an unsafe place for their soulful emergence, and now in anger seek to destroy that which they recognize as a prison, maybe even as the prison of their parents. But this was not always the case and need not be even now. In the West, as a more correct belief system is discovered through trial and error (the "scientific" approach of exploration and



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experimentation), more and more souls will be "coming out" of hiding and taking their rightful places in the legions of right, religious and spiritual-minded people, past and present. This is my definition of religion, the "re-legioning", or re-aligning of popular focus - pointing in the right direction - telling it like it is. A good religion will have all of the requisite qualities to provide for the safety, reform and 'realignment' of human energy that is necessary to contribute to a proper environment for the emergence of the true human, or "soul" qualities of peace, mercy, wisdom and justice for all. This emergence, in some cultures, is considered simply "maturation", and in others, assumed at birth. Take a look into world history and at the incredible civilizations built upon the peace established by the religion of Islam. You will see world environments in which the magnificent qualities of peace and soulful patience emerged in the form of unsurpassed achievement in the fields of architecture, agriculture, hygiene, etiquette, medicine, philosophy, psychology, literature, poetry, art and calligraphy, to mention only a few. And all of this without the oil cartels and the frenetic waste of human energy and resources. Where are the socially accessible benefits of these qualities being manifested now? Only within small, well defined, "experimental" spiritual communities. But creating a world-wide arena for the manifestation of these qualities is exactly the purpose of the Islamic revelation.

Q. How is it that the "Islamic revelation", as you call it, creates the environment for the manifestation of these deeply human "soul" qualities? A. Islam brings to us, humanity, a certain knowledge of the true qualities of God, a sense of divine certainty that answers all questions, and upon which personal lives and civilizations can be built. For example, the concept of eternity breeds patience, with oneself and with others. The concepts of Grace, Mercy and Forgiveness breed lack of fear and anxiety, the concept of Unity breeds co-operation, the concept of personal responsibility for the soul allows for freedom from the need for less benevolently inclined spiritual, religious or even secular controls, basically from unwitting manipulation by others. The concept of salvation, that God did not create to punish, offers peace of mind. This knowledge is that "salvation" and eternity are gifts, and cannot be earned, to be appreciated and maintained through gratitude and remembrance.

Q. What is the "key to salvation" in Islam? A. Salvation and spiritual liberation are the same thing, the saving of the soul. The only difference is that Salvation is considered to be in the "afterlife" or Hereafter, and spiritual liberation, or the "realization" of salvation, is considered to be attainable while still in this world. In Sufism, which is the study of this reality and the essence of Islam, spiritual liberation and salvation may be attained by recognizing our identity with True Love. I hasten to add that this is not easy, because it implies recognizing and transcending all loves that are false - not the true, ultimate love. This recognition and identification with the True Love is one of the essential "personalized" meanings, well documented in Islamic psychology, to be gained from the phrase "la ilaha illa 'llah" (no god but The One), and the discipline of coming to truly understand its meaning. There is no love but True Love - the True Love, in this case, being the love of Al-llah!, the Compassionate, the Merciful, the very Source and Author of all true love.



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In Islam and Sufism, this recognition is aided by the teachings of true love for the Prophet and his family. He himself is reported to have said, "I ask nothing from you except that you love my family". It doesn't take long for a student of Islam, under Sufi tutelage, to realize why true love for the Prophet and his family is due, and the reflection and self-affirmation that one receives from this endeavor is more than satisfying. Islam categorically states that Muhammad was the last and final prophet. Sufis derive from their investigation of the revealed facts that he (Muhammad) is the "Qutub of the Universe" or, the central soul, the very reason why Al-llah! created, sustains and will bring to a close, this Universe as a whole. There have been volumes and eulogies written in praise of Muhammad, whose name in fact means the Most Praiseworthy. As stated in Qur`an, Al-llah! Himself as well as His angels, sends His blessings upon the Prophet, and the believers are encouraged to do the same. It is stated that when a believer asks for Al-llah!'s blessings upon the Prophet and his family, that the Prophet and his family, from their places in the unseen, return the request by asking for Al-llah!'s blessings upon the believer. There’s genuine empathy, and communion. Muhammad asked of us nothing but to love him and his family. How do we go about loving him and his family? Simply by bearing witness to the truth of the message of the Existence and Unity (one-ness) of God (Al-llah!) and the prophethood of Muhammad. In Islam, recognition of and honoring the truth of this message is the key to "salvation", or the liberation of true "Soul" qualities. So love for Muhammad and his family is the key to the liberation of all the unseen virtues of the human soul. This is the reason why the Sufis are so unrivaled in their exuberant praises of God, and why their writings and poetry are so exhilarating, because they represent the heights of liberation attainable by the human soul, and resonate with that potential within our selves.

Q. What does it mean when you say (in other writings) "The Death in Al-llah! is the Life in Him", or "Die before you die"? A. "Die before you die" is a statement attributed to the prophet himself. It is the quintessential statement of the 'method' for knowing God and has been used in Sufi practices for ages. Being a "child of the bomb", meaning being born in an atomic age where a very real and total annihilation, to the point of the complete evaporation of all the physical qualities which give me form and life and make me human and present, is possible, has afforded me a dramatic and "first-hand" opportunity to imagine such annihilation. And then to imagine what would be left. And there is a subtle sense of immortality that with a little patience and training can be picked up on. According to the masters, this is the only thing that is really "real" about us, and we can really only barely perceive it, although it is rich, strong and powerful. It is spoken of much in Sufism and referred to as the "true" self, or soul. And that's only from the physiological standpoint. Also, from the psychological standpoint of the ego, all must perish, except that which will not. This is stated in other ways in other traditions. The Buddhists see it and say it, as do the Taoists and Vedantists, the "Gnostics" (in the revealed religions of Christianity, Judaism and Islam) and modern "soul" psychologists focusing on the emergence of the "Authentic Self" as the point of life. This is a major movement in personal and social life, as well as in healing, and all resistances to it are futile and seem to end in tragedy.



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However, from the standpoint of the emerged self, as also stated in religions and spiritual paths, nothing perishes, for the soul, manifesting as true Self by the will of its Source, is immortal, by the very nature of its Divine createdness and its sustenance in and by Divine Will. When we surrender to THAT, we automatically release hold of our "mortal" concerns, and trust, and the heart is immediately enlivened and the body leaps for joy. We are in actuality letting go of our "mortality", and surrendering to our "immortality", as it were. It is much the same as when we sleep. There are traditions within some Buddhist teachings that compare the "awakened" being to being as "asleep" to the world of illusion. The tarot shows him in the referred form, i.e. as he is seen by "normal" people, as the "fool on the hill", impractical, a mere dreamer. But modern research is proving it to be quite another case indeed. A wonderful book has been written on this subject by Robert Rabbin called "Invisible Leadership". (robrabbin.com) A willingness to "let go" of your "mortality", your "mortal" concerns, and surrender to life itself, will show you that life is not at all dependent upon you and your efforts to ward off your fears. Life has a benevolence all its own that can only be experienced by letting it. Continued practice coupled with a spiritual discipline can lead to one’s complete liberation.

Q. What, to your thinking, is the significance of these "troubled times"? A. Soul is very persistent. It is truly our benefactor and will only allow us so much foolhardiness before it starts to manifest in seriously "troubling" ways. Kids think of themselves "in trouble" when parents intervene. This is the theme of my own breakthrough discoveries in "soul psychology", and the key to my personal liberation. (Journey to the Soul of Truth – The Original Essays) It's only when we are able to accept and investigate the motivations behind the parts of ourselves that we have learned to think of as "negative", and investigate the causes of such thinking, that we come to realize the nature of our true self, or soul, and its qualities, its own motivation and its means of expression. It's important to listen to and understand the roots of our "No!" as well as our "Yes!", and to understand what it is exactly that we are saying "Yes!" and "No!" to. This is a form of healing that comes from and leads to spiritual liberation. It is currently on the vanguard of the movements in health and medicine, from commercially viable treatments of lesser quality to the absolutely non-profitable methods of self-responsibility and self-education led by the spiritual and energy healers, as well as at the leading edge of truly investigative psychologists and psychiatrists. Spiritual liberation has proven to be the root guidance and motivation of all the healing arts, for when the mind and body/heart are truly synchronous and free of the enslaving ideologies and incorrect belief systems, all choices become available and true health has a chance to dominate. There is no doubt that spiritual liberation and education is not just desirable, but altogether necessary. But liberation is from what? Only our fears! And the Sufis maintain that a true knowledge of Islam would go a long way toward ameliorating our fears and dispelling our doubts. It might be that our greatest collective fear at the moment is Islam. Of everything that we are getting from and seeing in the media there is only one true statement: "That is not the real Islam".

Q. So what is Islam, and what are we afraid of?



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A. My point exactly. I might answer that by saying that we are afraid of our fears, and that Islam (true Surrender) is a means of facing them. Knowledge is always a liberation ("the Truth shall set you free"), and the purpose of knowledge is to liberate us from ignorance. And what true knowledge of Islam do we have in the West? As long as we are ignorant, we can be manipulated by fear. But what if we had nothing to be afraid of? What then? Can anybody in the West explain why Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world? I can. It's simply because it is supposed to be. It was created to capture and hold our interest, and it has done a very good job. So what is the truth of Islam? As an accepted religion, it is the most recent and final manifestation of Divine will and knowledge to come to us through a long line of accepted prophets. It is becoming increasingly obvious what certain Islamic Scholars have been saying all along - "Islam IS the Issue". We are more motivated and governed by our ignorance and fear of Islam than we would like to think, but what IS Islam? It's nothing, really. By that I mean that it can be for most of us nothing greater than a simple shift in understanding. For example, accepting the word "Al-llah!" as the Arabic name for God is one increasingly popular thing we can do. Just say it and you will see that it immediately shifts the energy and releases the tensions of a perceived incompatibility. The word "Islam" means "Surrender!" It is the command form of the root Arabic word for "Peace". It means, in a commanding way, to "Be peaceful!" It is a direct and clearly stated message of our truth and reality from God, and has been accepted as such by fourteen hundred years of human society and approximately a fifth of today's world population. Understanding Islam to mean the simple Surrender that most of us do or attempt to do even in the bustle of our daily lives is another of the simple shifts in understanding. Everyone practices Islam in one form or another, and all religions teach it as Surrender to Divine will, or giving up the fight within ourselves. We practice it in our daily lives so much that we don't even notice it any more. Each of us has a part of us that is Muslim. Another part of the shift is understanding the word "Muslim" to mean simply "Surrendered", "Surrendering" or just "giving it up" to Divine Will. Often referred to in western Spirituality as "Letting God do it", or just "letting go". That is Surrender, and that's the meaning of "Islam", to surrender it to God. This is the very Surrender that is the root and beginning of all successful healing. It is the release of duality and the acceptance of Unity. Islam has nothing to do with surrendering to the will of "another". Al-llah! honors and respects the soul's rebellion against oppression, knowing it to be a necessary part of its innate quest for the freedom to learn to express itself clearly. Surrendering our souls to the will of "another" is a way based upon fear, submission and obedience instilled in us by some form of dominating father figures. But that is not from the Love, Gratitude and Freewill Service offered by a truly liberated and self-responsible soul. For each individual, in the personal life of each soul, there is no possibility of some "other", there IS only the One true God (called "Al-llah!" in Arabic), and it is to this LOVE that we are responsible, and to no other authority. Free will is not negotiable. And it's everything. Asking "What is Islam, is like asking, "What is God?" Islam is also a way of life for people who are surrendered to their existence in God, who wish to take responsibility for their lives and are concerned about the safety of their souls. It is becoming increasingly necessary that the public be offered authentic information concerning the practicalities of Islam, and its goals, means and purposes. So I am offering a book, a website and a series of articles, and inviting questions from the readership as fuel for more dissertations on the true meanings of



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Islam, the reasons for its historical and contemporary benefit to human society, and the personal application of its tenets in the pathway of spiritual liberation, know as Sufism.

Q. Why do we in the West, not choose Islam? A. Common sense. Not only are people drawn to the familiar, they are also averse to the strange. And if we do not know about something, only a few of us will find the time, the interest, or the urgency, to go exploring. The rest of us will stay at home and wait for it to be delivered in the evening news. But Islam is now in the evening news, and every evening, also. So people want to know what it is. And in the Sufi view, it is inevitable that the future, if there is one, will be in Islam in its most liberal and all inclusive sense, i.e. Surrender to Peace and the way of Peace. So if that's the future, why not practice it now?

Q. What do you mean, "in its most liberal and all-inclusive sense". A. Well it's a cinch that if totalitarianism is to exist as the dominant form of society on the planet, it will certainly not be "Islamic" totalitarianism, for there is in fact no such thing and the very concept is objectionable to Al-llah! Himself. Al-llah! is the liberator, not the enslaver. And totalitarianism in any form is objectionable to the human spirit and eventually will be eradicated, but religions and unity will endure forever for they are endearing to the human heart, and from and about Al-llah!, the Divine, and Peace, Love, Mercy and Justice for all. This is true in all religions and Oriental philosophies. So they are concepts and movements that will endure, and totalitarianism, and especially Islamic totalitarianism, is not. But there are today many terrified people who believe themselves free and liberated by their religion, but who also believe that it is their religious duty to inflict their religion upon others with punishment as a consequence. This is true of fundamentalism in all beliefs. It is a result of having their religion and their salvation inflicted upon them, and believing it to be in their own best interests. In other words, they were never free or liberated spiritually to make their own choices and believe that what happened to them is "for their own good" and from the benevolent will of God. They are therefore willing, even eager, to pass it on to others in like manner. It becomes the duty and privilege of enlightened people the world over to learn the true principles of Islamic Social Liberation and point out the salient and forgotten points of this religion to the world, Muslims included. This effort toward world peace will satisfy all involved. It will illumine the truths of the faith to the world at large, and correct the errors of reasoning and education to the frustrated Muslims who feel that war is the only way to get their point across. Everyone is thinking of war as the means to peace. "Win first. Then we can be at peace." Defeat the enemy is a valid strategy, but the enemy is raging within us and unless the effort is expended to discover the peace and truth within us, it will never reign in the world. For the world is an exact reflection of how we see ourselves in it.

Q. What would you consider to be, in a word, a major identifiable problem in western thinking. A. Competitiveness. And Impatience. Not competition, for there are competitions that are healthy and stimulating, but competitiveness is a pervasive, yet easily identifiable manifestation of deep chronic concern. Competitiveness keeps people from making and taking their own time.



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It keeps them always making comparison to see if their outward lives are keeping up with someone else's. And the major 'sub'-conscious cause of this is what I call "fighting with ghosts", or setting ourselves up to be just like or better than, or not at all like, someone who is not there, and mainly, but not always, one or another of our parents. It is considered to be a manifestation of unhealthy self-concern and the antithesis of Surrender. And Surrender is now known to be the key to personal prosperity and social success. Undoing the residual effects of competitiveness is the healing work of the Sufis in Islam. Soothing the frightened nerves and welcoming the newcomers into the gardens of peace and prosperity is the manifestation of world-famous Islamic hospitality. It is the work of liberating the soul from the shackles of its acquired fears. Self-realization is the process of totally finishing individuation, or the realization and manifestation of your own divine entity-ship. It is a complete separation from all sub-conscious attachments, thereby ending the powers they have over you and freeing your true reality and personal resources to accomplish your true mission on earth, whatever that may be. In other words, it is the annihilation of the ego.

Q. What do you mean by "Real Islam Exists only in the hearts of Sufi Masters"? A. If people only knew that there is nothing to fear, there would be no fear and there would be no people to be manipulated by fear, nor would there be any fearful people to be doing the manipulation. Now wouldn't that be "Heaven on Earth"? The thing about Sufi masters is that they know this. And how do they know this? Through study and practice of the Sufi way - understanding Islam (Surrender) in the light of Reality, rather than in the light of personality. Identifying and transcending personality for the very purpose of understanding Reality. And this Reality is mentioned over and over again in Qur`an, but always in terms of "Would that you knew it". "Al Haaqah! Wa maa al Haaqah." "Wa maa adraka maa al Haaqah." "The Reality! And what is the Reality?" "And what will convey to you what this Reality is?" So even though it may not be immediately obvious, it is knowable, and the way to knowing is the purpose and the goal of the guided practice of the religion of Islam. But I say guided, because if the intention is lost, or deferred to the afterlife, then the practices become only exercises in belief. But the people of fear, both the manipulators and the manipulated, are very attached to their fears and object strenuously to any teaching that their fears do not, in reality, exist. But the truth is, in Reality, they do not exist. And should the people of truth simply lie down and surrender to the fears of the fearful? Of course not. So the struggle for knowledge of truth continues. The struggle against our fears, which is the struggle to overcome them and know the Reality and the Truth of Al-llah!, is the Greatest Jihad. It is incumbent upon us all from the cradle to the grave. All struggles, greater and lesser, are struggles against oppression, and the greatest and most important of these is the struggle against self-oppression, or the struggle for self- or spiritual liberation. It is attainable. Al-llah! would not give us an impossible obligation. And it is the people who are doing the work of liberation who are the real Sufis. And whoever is practicing Surrender to the Real is a Muslim. It matters not where they live or what language they speak.

Q. Why do you consider Self-liberation to be the primary obligation?



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A. It's the only true way to know God, and that's what He created us for - to know Him. To know first hand His love, peace, mercy and forgiveness. It's in the Hadith Qudsi1 where Al-llah! said "I was alone and I wanted to be known, so I created." It's also in the Hadith of the Prophet where he said after returning from a successful defensive battle, "We have left the lesser struggle to resume the greater struggle". Liberation from the limiting confines of ourselves is clearly stated to be the Jihad Al-Akbar, or Greater Jihad, and is of equal or greater importance to us than the lesser one of staving off enemies. But they are related, for they both relate to the subduing of enemies, outer and inner. The difference with the inner work, and the quality that makes it the "Greater" Jihad, is that it is with us all the time while the struggle in self-defense will come and go. Another quality that makes it the "Greater" Jihad is that the fears that we carry within our selves are much harder to identify, much more hidden, and to each person much scarier. They are also sociologically more dangerous, since they have a tendency to express themselves and erupt pathologically, which is what we are witnessing all over the world in various manifestations. People actually grow very attached to their fears and will reject vehemently any idea of the possibility or desirability of letting them go. This is the very reason for the fundamentalist reaction, common from a large segment of Muslims, to the concept of Sufism and Spiritual Healing. They will use elemental denial, claiming that it does not exist, or is not a part of the Islam that they were taught and adhere to, to dismiss and reject it.

The Spiritual Roots of Hidden Hypocrisy For all the beliefs and opinions, incorrect or otherwise, that they may have about spiritual healing, the most significant and over-riding effect of the fundamentalist belief and education is that ‘the Work' will not be done. They will claim happiness and contentment with Al-llah!, while in fact they are still living in fear of the real self-love that they are receiving from their souls in spite of themselves, and are quite dedicated to repressing it. It is a form of self-repression in the name of self-control and discipline. And they will call this discipline the Jihad al-Akbar. So what can we do? Qur`an, even though pointing out and confirming the distinction, does not argue with these people. Al-llah! calls them the "people of the right hand" and wishes them peace. And with that they are happy. They are content with themselves while abiding in the "Unique Mistake" of believing the Veil to be the Reality. Such is the attitude of the majority of the Muslims today toward Sufism and the work of Spiritual Healing and Purification, which is the meaning of the word "Tasawwuf" from which the word ‘Sufism’ derives. But still, in not doing the work and in not completing their education in Islam at the hands of the true Sufi masters who represent the inward realities of Islam from the Prophet and his spiritual descendants, they do not only a disservice to themselves but to the actual face of Islam itself. For each person will represent Islam to the degree of his knowledge. And since the outward practices of Islam are so simple to learn and can go to some pretty deep levels, each of the Muslims is more than pleased with himself and very ready to step into the role of teacher. This gives, for the most part, a very dogmatic, fundamentalist and doctrinarian view of Islam which is palatable to only the few westerners looking for a religious escape that says all they have to do is this now, and they will attain heaven later. But even a cursory glance at the psychology of this situation

1 First person speech of God transmitted by the prophet. Similar to Qur`an but not included it it.



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will show that the "Heaven" that this seeker seeks is simply the freedom to be, an escape from some perceived form of persecution, most always, by now, self-imposed. Herein lies the secret of the hidden polytheism and hypocrisy that is mentioned so often in Qur`an and Sufi texts. If you started by running from your father, and are now running from yourself, and you are telling yourself, convinced in your mind and words, that you are running to Al-llah!, is it not obvious that you are still harboring a hidden form of self within your heart that is still exercising a great deal of control? So is this not an idol in the Ka`aba (the Holy Temple) of your heart? And if that is so, then the work of purifying the heart from all loves but the Love of Al-llah!, is the meaning of "La ilaha illa 'llah", and is indeed our primary obligation. And this is exactly the "Islamic" definition of the work of western spiritual psychology. It is purifying the heart from delusion and compulsion to dis-cover the Soul, or True and Authentic Self. And it is the key to all success (falah).

Q. What do you mean when you say that we are only running from Self, Love and God. A. Well, is it not, in the end, only love that we are fighting against? So is it not, in the final analysis, only ourselves, God, and the Immediate Love that we are running from? The end result is that we are not receiving it. So something we are doing is preventing that. If we are indeed responsible for our lives, and I believe everyone will agree with that, then the effects we create are the result of deliberate actions. And if we investigate, we will agree that we have created a very elaborate illusion for the specific purpose of keeping us away from that which we really love. An example of this is easily found by investigating the compensatory rewards of our "self-sacrifice" in enthusiastically accepting false responsibility. We are constantly distracting ourselves from our Self, Love and God by seeking conformity and commonality, and by persisting in the commonly accepted social obsession of materialist objectivity. Even spouses and children are perceived and spoken of as objects. But to get to the point here is simple. Ignoring the distractions and the idea of projecting blame onto material creations, simply take a look at what's being (deliberately) overlooked. Why, Lo and behold, it's what everyone is claiming to be looking for - Self, Love and God. From a Muslim (and human) standpoint, it is only by means of love that we can truly know the Reality of God and fulfill our obligation to be with God and only God at all times. We are attracted to love and repelled by other than love. If we cannot find or live in love, life becomes unbearable and no creativity or artistic expression will arise, as it did in early Islamic civilizations. The result is a barren civilization, into which children are born, bound to seek the love they have come to find, or die.

Q. And again, what is the significance of Islam in this scenario? A. "Islam", in the Sufi view means "Surrender to God", but to what end? How can we really know our surrender except by means of feeling, and feeling what if not the truth and reality of love? It is held that the true love is identified by keeping company with it, and by shunning the company of any lesser love. This is the primary tenet of Islam and is expressed on the tongue by repeatedly saying, "la ilaha illa 'llah" "There is Only One God", or "No love but True Love is real".



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Western-educated Muslims fall easy prey to the limiting and "definitive" qualities of the English language. I've often said that English is an investigative and defining language, inquisitive and growing, but seeking explanation and seeking to provide it within its own limits. Whereas Arabic, as the language of Qur`an, is an explanatory and liberating language. It is the language of Revelation, in which answers are to be found. It is said in Sufi lore that "Arabic is the language of Paradise". When we try to translate "la ilaha illa 'llah" into English, the brevity of the language is intensely self-limiting. "There is no god but The One” does not even begin to explain the deeper meanings of "la ilaha illa 'llah". Literally volumes have been written on this phrase alone since it is the basis and key to all pertinent Islamic theological exposition. This phrase is so meaningful that it is said in other traditions that the words "la ilaha illa 'llah, Muhammadun Rasulullah" were written on the Throne of God before creation came into existence, and that the Throne of God is to be found in the heart of the true believer. Now does that sound like a religious study that can be easily "summed up", in a simple translation, or even worse, dismissed? And, in light of that simple understanding, how pertinent is the real study of the Sufi understandings of the teachings of Islam to the advancement of Western Spiritual Psychology, and to the healing of personal and social wounds, and to the establishment of world peace? The reality of Sufism as the reality of Islam needs to be taken seriously by Muslims and by Western Spiritual Psychology if there is to be a real understanding of the benefits of Islam to western society. It needs to be reopened, studied and owned by the Muslims, for it is their own deeply religious and historical psychological heritage and of infinite value to western psychological understanding. It is the culmination of the spiritual and social education that is so highly praised in Islam. Islam in the West has been trampled on by the materialist aspirations of the Muslims. They are educating their children to be successful in "both worlds", and it is surely the right thing to do. But in accepting what the western world has to offer, they are overlooking the goal of their practices, and the gold-mine of their own ancient and well defined spiritual psychology, now very much in demand in the West due to the degenerative and loveless lifestyle that it generates. Q. Why do you like and stress the word "recognition"? A. Recognition is an interesting word, and its meaning is key to understanding Eastern and Islamic Spiritual teachings. In Arabic, it refers to Wisdom, or that which is "recognized" (by the 'recognizers'). The key word here is "Ma`rifat" or that which is known or recognized - Wisdom. It also applies to the eastern use of the word "discernment", the ability to distinguish one thing from another, but more pertinently, gold from lead, truth from falsehood, and Soul from ego. This 'discernment', or ma`rifat, recognition, is the philosopher's stone, the golden fleece, the cherished chalice, the pearl beyond price, the fount of immortality, the red sulfur, the Midas touch, whatever it is called in any society into which the concept is introduced. It is the product of the quest, and occurs as a result of seeking. As long as Muslims are satisfied in themselves with their knowledge and their lives, they will not, with the exception of a few, enter upon this quest unless encouraged to do so by their parents, friends, relatives or teachers.



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Al-llah! said that if the Divine Revelation were not honored properly by the people to whom it was given, He would take it from them and give it to a people who would. What we see now is a re-emergence of the spiritual truths in and from the West that must be taken seriously and understood by true and sincere and peace-loving Muslims all over the world. Life itself is all about God-realization, and in a spiritual sense, it is only this 'recognition' that is being sought and taught, and it is taught only by pointing out to the student that which is correctly recognized and how to recognize it. When recognition is obtained - or recognized - autonomy (authenticity) is certified and individuation (maturity) is complete. In other words, the student becomes a complete and realized adult. In Arabic, this is the "Rijalu-llah", a real human, literally "two legs", a "Man" - as in person - of Al-llah! (rijal implies standing true - on two feet). In Hebrew, I believe, this is what is referred to as a "Mensch". This process is started in most Sufi circles by giving students the Name of God (Al-llah!) and setting them on the path of the teachings, to discover what they will, and come to their own conclusions. Once that which is to be recognized is recognized, true recognition and its value is also discovered and exercised. But in my opinion, seekers must first be taught to recognize what it is they are looking for. This is the purpose of the self-realization course, the "healing". And even then, it is only when they have exhausted their search, or are in some other way ready and able to appreciate and use the blessing, that they will deem themselves truly responsible, and give themselves permission to "find" it.

Q. Why does the Soul seem to wait until the last moment to emerge? A. Sincere seekers will continue to refrain from entrusting themselves if they find in themselves one remaining iota of irresponsibility, or in any other way deem themselves unready. For they know that it is a pearl of inestimable value, and it is not to be entrusted to the irresponsible. And an exhaustive search will develop a keen awareness of responsibility. So the real search is for the teacher, rather than that for which the seekers think they are searching, otherwise they will continue their search in vain. And when the student is ready, the teacher will emerge. It is only in and from the presence of a teacher that the true can be really recognized. It is not, nor should it be, easy to find what you're looking for. If it were easy, there would be no search. When the seeker is finally exhausted and tired of being a seeker, after he has proven to himself thoroughly his own worthiness and incapacity, having walked completely through the desert of his own emptiness, will he be truly thirsty enough to appreciate the nearness of the water.

SUFISM AND THE HUMAN SITUATION Sufism is not just the spiritual psychology of Islam, it is the finest replication of human psychology to be found anywhere. In it is the inclusion of all that is of value in any and all religions, philosophies, psychologies and spiritual disciplines. Among the topics covered by Sufism to be mentioned in this treatise are its relation to the "Eastern" philosophies and religions of Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism and Zen, and its unifying oneness with Judaism and Christianity, and the many different interpretations of Islam.



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Also covered in this work is the Sufi understanding of the wonderful phenomenon of the "Western Enlightenment Movement", the natural rise of spiritual teachers in the West, and the amazing unification of spiritual philosophies and religions with solid psychological discovery. Also of interest is the shift in consciousness to energy, emotional, divine and spiritual healing as a means to correcting physical distress and even endemic diseases. The healing movement has discovered Soul and Soul healing is in need of knowledge from the Author of Soul, an "owner's manual", so to speak, and the True Sufi way, at its very depth, purports to be exactly that. It is only in this time of need and preparedness through exploration that an exposition such as this might be received and put to its ultimate usefulness. This is the doctrine of liberation by reading, an answer to all the questions. It is an ultimate revelation. It is also an ultimatum. As the Grateful Dead said in their wonderful song Box of Rain, "Believe it if you need it, leave it if you dare." In this work on the Sufi Approach to Islam, I propose to sum up the human situation as reflected by personal experience, study and practice of all world faiths and disciplines, and observation of current and past states of humanity. I will then offer the classical solution of personal responsibility for knowledge of Unity and perfection of understanding and belief. I have no qualms about presenting and dealing with the "ultimate scenarios" such as Armageddon, Doomsday, Judgment Day, Religious threats and promises, Heaven and Hell, etc., and I will not argue that they are not real. The basis of my thesis (the theme of my writing) is not denial, negation and separation, but acceptance, proper context, and understanding the Unity of All That Exists, even the imaginary and illusory. I will therefore show that all of these 'dreaded and dreadful' concepts have their practical place in historical and contemporary situations, and are very real attempts to explain a psychologically provable concept - that mankind is always on the brink of destruction, and pushing the envelope in his attempt to be free of the limitations of life. And that in spite of his 'fear' for the unknown, he continues to explore it in ways that are challenging to his very existence - to self, environment, humanity in general, and especially to "God". That man is both caring and rebellious, and that the underlying motivation for the potential for self-destruction is a discontentment born of a sense of lack or absence, or a sense of incompleteness both of self and of knowledge. In other words, arising from dissatisfaction, a Quest for satisfaction. Even the Quest for the Holy Grail is a manifestation of the desire to drink from it. And what is it that is supposed to occur from this drinking? What satisfaction is it that is being sought? Why, the satisfaction of Self, of course; the ability to lay the driving and tormenting motivations to rest. Is this not also to be found in death? Is the escape from self-torment not also the point of suicide? I will explain how these motivations can be satisfied not only by total self-destruction, but by the quest to experience and know the real - a religious or spiritual shift, or conversion, a psychological, sociological, historical, spiritual and religious introspection - and by accepting the offering of peace from God in a way that promises to set right the wrongs, heal the wounds and deliver a future that will guarantee the longevity of humankind forever. It is no accident that the sociological background for the Star Trek series is one of a long established human peace. How can there be a real human future without it.



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It falls upon one studied in the western psychology of spiritual unknowingness and search - to understand the nature of what's really going on here. This is not a doctrine of repetition of what has been written. It is no mere mental exercise to prove how well one has studied a subject already mastered. This is no less than an original interpretation of events in the light of verifiable science and philosophy, with the goal of presenting the true Islamic viewpoint on all subjects contemporary. This would be nothing less than a shedding of a divine light on the subject. And what is the subject? The subject is that of humanity and the current human situation. The subject is self, soul, heart, and the secret knowledges of God that only the devout and studious may discover. Firstly, the people of the world need to realize that we all need to STOP! STOP! is the place of new beginning. Whatever we are doing, whatever we are thinking, no matter how 'right' and 'well-thought-out' our previous reasoning, just STOP! Just for a moment, or longer still, until peace, happiness and clear-sighted reasoning return to you in the form of a completely joyous and innocent silly grin. Next - Re-evaluate! From the viewpoint attained by a successful STOP!, begin to review your priorities. Is what you are in the process of doing REALLY - 1) what you WANT to be doing? 2) What you NEED to be doing, and 3) the BEST (as in most direct) way to be accomplishing what you really want? Chances are you've found yourself caught in hamster cage, seeking freedom by engaging in the actions of a slave. Next - Believe! Believe that Divine Providence has in store for you the very best of all that you could imagine, and that it is not at all dependent upon your 'being good", or "perfection first", or even ‘ready’. It is quite simply dependent upon your identification of what it is you both want and need, and your inner connection with it in a way that claims it as yours to do with as you choose. And this can be done by exploring the truth of Unity, that there is nothing separate from anything else. This is most easily comprehended by a pure and clarified belief in God. Purifying and clarifying our belief system, our belief in God, is the work of Sufis. It is then upon us to express our understandings, our learnings and realizations, in a way that makes them accessible and understandable to others. Clarification of understanding is a great help to understanding prosperity, and prosperity is what Al-llah! wishes for us, and we wish for ourselves. A humble prosperity, one that is free of the punishment of fear and the crime of greed. A prosperity built not upon violence, selfishness and self-concern, but upon a unified and common faith in Divine Providence and upon charitable, kind-hearted acts. Surrender brings peace. Peace brings an opportunity to contemplate and realize the true unbounded nature of things. Contemplation and realization provide an opportunity to restructure the worldview and re-prioritize values. Eventually this will lead to a self-realization that is the key and the beginning point of a new life in an abundant world. And this understanding is the most sought-after prize in life. Everybody wants it, and has it, but nobody claims it, except those who do. And it's simply because we choose to prioritize our values in the powerful light of a well-contemplated Unity. After the spiritual involution, surrender to the will of Al-llah! will be the only choice. Everything else is rebellion, and are we not sufficiently tired of that? Yes, Al-llah! (Unity) has a Will.



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Oriental philosophy and Buddhism knows of it as the Tao, Dharma, the Buddha Nature, the Way of Life. It is the true meaning of Islam. (Not world domination, which is the attempt of an immature child to force his will on God, Who IS the Controller of the Universe and everything in it.) This will is not only manifestly present in our outward creation but also within our creation as the teaching of a belief system and behavior pattern which is guaranteed to bring the greatest degree of success not just personally, but socially and globally. And it is manifest within ourselves as the motivation for our quest for satisfaction. God (Al-llah!) wants us to be happy, but we must satisfy the standards of holy Justice first. It is not difficult, but we must be free of the harm-causing motivations of fear and greed. This is done by trust, understanding and belief in a revelation from the One in Whom we all believe, and this is the revelation of trust and faith. And this Will is to be taught with and by love and true understanding of the human situation, not with anger, frustration, force, violence or vengeance. Surrender to Life is part of the will, but instead we are surrendered to an illusion of 'survival' and the maintenance of powerful ego validations. Yet we all know that the very meaning of ego is 'pseudo-self', the imposter, the self who would be king, the would-be self. Inherent in its very existence is the implication of a reality underlying it, which it is attempting, with varying degrees of failure, to imitate. But Surrender to Al-llah!, the Unity of God, with a genuine repentance for the harms caused by and in the ignorance of separation, is the key to a totally new beginning, in a life where the past is forgiven, and righteousness and human salvation are as obvious as they are inevitable.

CURRENT EVENTS AND THE ROOTS OF SUICIDE True Islam (Surrender) purports a just world government. History has shown that when this was actualized, the people of other religions were content to pay their humble tribute and accept the just governance of the land. There was never any oppression or policing of others. All this abuse of power that is now occurring in the name of "God" and religion is just that, abuse. It is not in any way the representation of the divine spirit of peace and cooperation engendered by the truly religious way. Many Muslims today are so influenced by their own self concern and autonomy that they persist in insisting that they know all that they need to know and that the rest of life is simply a quest for material and societal wealth and standing. And all the while within this persistence they continue to insist that they are the spiritual people and that it is not them who are indicted by the Holy book where it condemns as foolhardy and destructive the incessant and devoted pursuit of material wealth. Islam is a world faith that promises unity with all other religions, world peace and economic and social equity for all. The fact that it is being mal-practiced by people of understandably selfish motivations simply indicates the lack of understanding of the true nature of self that is supposed to be taught in grammar school but has instead been withheld or altogether forgotten, and often for malevolent purposes. Therefore the atrocities that are being committed by the adult children of religions in general are the result of the withholding of knowledge by the greedy and selfishly motivated. Or simply the assumption of knowing what is necessary and needing no more.



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A quest for world domination for any reason, no matter how "noble" sounding it may be, is nothing more than the attempt of an angry, immature, and dissatisfied child to force his will on, rather than Surrender it to, the One who is the controller of the universe and everything in it. It is "the man who would be God". It is the opposite of Surrender, and brings no lasting success. It will not succeed, and we will always reap the consequences of what we sow. If we make Peace we will get Peace. If we make war, we will get war. And Peace is Heaven. And war is Hell.

THE SPIRITUAL ROOTS OF SUICIDE

The Spiritual Motivations for Self-Destruction There is no separation. The Prophet said that the taking of one life was the killing of all humanity, and the saving of one life was the saving of all humanity. All of humanity is recognized in the self. There is only one Self, and we are all, each and every one of us, that Self. All of humanity is wrapped up in each and every one of us. In killing humanity in the form of one person we are killing ourselves. It is to an investigation of the possible spiritual motivations for such destruction that my thoughts now turn, and I refer here to the misunderstanding of self-loathing that often results in destruction or suicide. Violent destruction is self-destruction, and self-destruction is suicide. Suicide is the manifestation of the desire to destroy all experience of life. It is a form of revenge, pure and simple. It is the reality of a spiritual motivation for this desire to kill ourselves that needs to be investigated, for it is exactly that motivation that is causing destruction and hatred. All destruction is suicide. It is the opposite of creation. It is the self-manifestation expressive of hatred and loathing. Everything we do or say is self-manifestation. It is self-expression. It is a manifestation of self-love or self-hatred, or somewhere in between. If the power of God were not dominant in creation, people would, of their own inherited tendencies, choose to self-destruct at an even more rapid rate than is presently happening. People are not finding what they want here in this world and are choosing of their own volition to check out and move on. Maybe they are believing in a better world on the 'other side'. Maybe they are leaving to cause pain and suffering here.

The Motivation - Loss of Reality - and Suicide as a Means of Search The soul of the child knows the illusion and seeming meaninglessness of this superficial and artificial world in which we see our parents and others so dedicatedly immersed. It finds, in them and it, no sense of validation that it is only an illusion, a game to be played for a duration of time, but not the real life. This causes the sense of a total Loss of Reality, and Suicide becomes a means of search and validation of the truth (of this perception). A simple validation of this truth could be sufficient for a soul to decide to stick around and "wait it out" so to speak. But knowing that the ego is only for the purpose of its own annihilation translates into "the purpose of life is death", and leaves one hopelessly in need of a reality check or at least of one positive statement, tragically to be found only in suicide.

THE PURPOSE OF STRUGGLE IS TO END STRUGGLE



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Jihad means struggle - and the purpose of struggle is to end struggle. God does not need you to struggle for Him. The struggle for Him is the struggle against the fear driven, harm-causing, self-seeking motivations of our lower selves, that part of ourselves that denies God and affirms our desires in all things. Master that and we will be true masters. The popular pastime of the Muslim lower self is steadfastly avowing and affirming that God is "other" than or separate from our selves - somewhere else, so to speak. And this is affirming our lower selves as "other" than Him, which is correct, in a sense, but incorrect in that it is affirming and solidifying the position of the lower self and denying that anything else exists. This is a psychologically and scientifically unsound position which puts a very individualized interpretation on Qur`an and religion, and in this sense is false. "Higher than" or "greater than" is the correct way to express the distinction of God over the soul, but not "other than", for then we would be "other" than He, and there simply is not, nor can there be, any "other". It is true, however, and only in a sense, that our lower selves are other than Him, but they are from us, and we are from Him. But it is not true of our higher selves that they are somehow "other" than He, and that's why "knowing our Selves is knowing God", and why it is an incumbent duty on human beings to know themselves. Not that our true Selves are God Himself, but they are of the Essence of God, and the means to know this Essence. They are through and from the "Command" of God, as it is said in Qur`an. The setting-up of the self as "other" than God is the solidification of the ego as authority. It is that which is to be avoided, and it is not the true Surrender. It is the true "shirk" (polytheism, the association of self - saying "there is God and there is 'me'", when there is only God - as a "partner", in authority - with God), and is, according to teachings, to be avoided at all costs. It is the partnering of self with God for which there can be no forgiveness until it is stopped and the Absolute Oneness of God truly accepted, and this is the true Surrender (Islam). There is no other, since God is totally and completely without partners in anything. The manifest truth of Unity is now very open and well expressed in the English language in science, medicine, theology and philosophy. I appreciate the summary statement made by Peter Young delivered at the Ibn Arabi Society Symposium in Oxford, 1999 in his thesis - "Ibn 'Arabi: Towards a Universal Point of View" - (www.ibnarabisociety.org/pyoung.html), "Existence is an absolute unity and totally present everywhere without division." I highly recommend reading his article. There are as many expressions of this truth as there are people and each person is an expression of this truth, whether they choose to understand it or not, by the mere fact of their existence. God is One. Unity is Whole, not partial. The exclusion of this reality, as taught and practiced by the Sufis as well as Unitarian spiritualists of every faith and denomination, by the people who cling, desperate for salvation, to their convictions based on the fiction that their way is right and other ways wrong, is the cause of the deterioration of the Muslim societies and the degeneration of the 'status' of Islam, in the eyes of the world, from that of a benevolence to humanity. Muslims themselves are often asking, "If we are so right, Lord, and the "chosen" people, why then are we so poor and feeling so powerless?"



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And the answer is simply "If I were to give you power in your present state of understanding, you would wreak havoc on my earth, being not the bringers of peace that you are destined to be as soon as you find it (Me) in yourselves." This is reflected in Qur`an and verified in at least two very well-known Islamic traditions stating roughly that if the people to whom the truth has been given do not treat it right, it will be given to another people, better than they, who will. And that the best of the people of this faith were those closest to the Prophet and that the succeeding generations would deteriorate, except for a few. And that "By over zealous followers my back hath been broken". And these are the people who deny the Reality (Al-llah!) in this life, so ardent is their seeking for the permanence of their own sensory satisfaction in the next. They thoroughly ignore the prophetic mandate to "Die before you die", and the prophetic behavior pattern (sunnah) of "Rahmatun lil Alameen" - "A Mercy unto All the Worlds", and many others of such meaning. They cling tenaciously and with all due religious conviction to the life of their illusions and slam shut the doors of paradise to all others but themselves. It is the same in all fundamentalist beliefs, and no different, obviously, in Islam. The psychological analysis of these 'believers' in their own limited understanding but not in the wisdom of their elders is plainly recognizable in both western and Sufi parlance. And it is in fact their fears of their fathers, which they have conveniently translated into fear of Al-llah!, which they are running from and which keeps them from seeking the counsel of their Sufi elders. For they are actually in mortal fear of being wrong. And the seeking of counsel is the allowing of that possibility. This is not the Islam that the Prophet preached, and it is not, obviously, the way of the Sufi. Fear of being wrong is a denial of the recognition of God's Love and Mercy in all things. It is obviously taught by parents, for it is not from the liberating and liberated teachings of the truly surrendered. It is however, a reflection of the psychological evolution of humanity both individually and en masse, and as such is to be viewed also with compassion and understanding and not with disdain. The only solution to the problem of terrorism is the elimination of terror. Terrorists are terrified. It could be simplistically summed up like this. Muslim children are terrified of the West, and the West is terrified of Islam. The simple solution is to understand Islam in a correct perspective, the perspective of "Spiritual Psychology", or the true "Human Situation". We are all guilty of not being active enough in the search for, discovery and propagation of the “truths” of religion, contenting ourselves with learning the laws of outward behavior and being satisfied with the mere benefits of conformity. We have allowed ourselves to be lulled into self-satisfaction by believing that we have, and are practicing, the “Fundamentals”, and that that is all that is necessary. This is the true fault of "Fundamentalism", the smug self-satisfaction of it. That men and women can sit back and say "See, that's all there is to it", and insist that those who do not share their simplistic "educated" views are wrong, and need to be brought into alignment, even as they were by their simplistic and moralist parents. And now we truly do "owe it to the world" to clean up our act, and get it right once and for all before it is seriously too late.



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There is only one way to the true peace, the true Islam. And that is through understanding and teaching the truth of Self, God, Love and Surrender. If the terrorists were indeed rational Muslims, appeasing them should be very simple. The whole world would be able to totally defuse the terrorist attacks by simply professing its reasoned agreement that there is indeed only one God and that Muhammad is without a doubt one of the prophets. Purportedly all they want is for the rest of the world to Surrender. Unfortunately this is not the truth. Their motivations are deeply personal, having nothing to do with, and deeply camouflaged behind, the teaching of religion. Al-llah! says in Qur`an that if he were to give dominance of the world to a single people they would corrupt it and wreak havoc in the land, and they have already proven themselves incompetent of ruling even their own countries without the aid of terror and forceful coercion. It should by now be self-evident that the whole world believes in God in some way or another and that the enemy is within, and that the struggle for surrender and against unbelief is with oneself. That is the entire tenet of the Arabic term "Jihad al-Akbar", "The Greater Struggle", in a nutshell. But many Muslims have difficulty with this. Motivated by the fear of their fathers and the competitiveness of trying to be even better than they already are, they need the world to be their enemy in order to prove themselves. There is an applicable hadith about the people of religion passing right through its goal as an arrow passes through its target. "By pious zealots my back hath been broken". They slaughter the peace and kill the religion and themselves with the brute force of their raw conviction. If the terrorists were indeed rational Muslims they would not be able to do what it is they are doing. But a malicious interpretation and application of popular religious beliefs, coupled with the grief and despair served by violence and separation from loved ones makes it easy for one to wish for suicide, praying for it and seeking it out in a most malicious and vengeful way. It is this malicious interpretation that can be stopped by Muslims and the world. And this might be started through the unification of Iran and Saudi Arabia, bringing in all Muslim countries involved. But the unification must focus on resolving theological, not territorial or political, differences.



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UNDERSTANDING THE PURPOSE OF SUFISM IN ISLAM There is no way that if Islam were truly understood by Muslims it would not fulfill its role of bringing peace and security to the world. It is important for the unified world Muslims to get their religion straight, once and for all. It IS a religion of Peace, Understanding and Wisdom from God, and not of war, domination and persecution. We do not gain outward worldly peace by making war. Learn from and listen to your Sufi teachers. Sufism is the understanding of true religious and spiritual psychology and is far and wide the most popular and acceptable form of presenting Islam in world History. Ahmed Chishti single-handedly brought Islam and a long era of peace to India. As did many other great Sufi Saints to many other regions of the world at many other times. Know Unity, not division. Seek commonality, not differences. It appears to me that a large segment of the Muslim world has substituted a crazed land-grab for religion. Islam has been turned into a justification for a war based on looting and persecution. Muslims are threatening each other's lives for simply stating opinions and exploring possibilities. And these are a people who hope to take over the world? God forbid, and He does, and for that I give thanks. Persecution is a childish manifestation of the complaint of having been persecuted. The child is always the secret of his parents. If you feel it necessary to persecute, or prosecute, others, it's because you would not have the beliefs you have had you not been persecuted or shamed into believing them. In other words, you have become a "good guy" by making war on the "bad guys". In other words, you are not acting out your "natural" self, you have been taught to suppress that because it's "bad". So you are not acting on the "din-ul-fitr" which means, "the religion of our true nature", you are instead acting upon an artificially imposed way of conformative behavior, and adopting ideas and attitudes based upon an "I'm bad and have to be good" ideology. That is the very basis of the "original sin" syndrome of medieval Christianity, and exactly the thinking that Islam was sent to correct. It is truly "following the ways of our fathers before us", and not following that way of our basic God-given and innocent nature. It is proclaiming our personal innocence (i.e. feeling guilty) by assigning blame on and persecuting others. We must take up the ways of commitment to Peace through commitment to Peace and Surrender, not through commitment to war. The West and the rest of the world are ready. Nobody wants war with Islam. Everybody appreciates the Truth of religion. Why are some Muslims setting such horrible examples as to drive away the very people they claim to wish to convert? If self- and God-realization truly equates to or is the formula for "salvation" and "success in this world and the next", and it most certainly does, and it is, as previously stated, the point and goal of all religions, including Islam, and if the meaning of "Islam" is truly and simply "Surrender to God in the commitment to Peace, directly and forever", then it is easy to see how the prophet Muhammad must have known that and done that. And because he was chosen to be the prophet, the revelation of Qur`an with the worshipful ways for believers to follow was shown to him in that state, just as the Peace and God himself is revealed to us in our Surrender. This makes it very easy to truthfully profess the words of witnessing "required" to proclaim one's acceptance that Surrender is the way to Peace, i.e. Islam. Even if these words are spoken by an unbeliever to save his life, the law of Islam has it that they must be accepted and his life spared. I'm not suggesting that we are "scared" for our lives and



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"need" to profess falsely the words of witnessing. I'm stating simply that it is much easier to see a truth than to invent a falsehood. Muhammad is the Prophet of Islam and therefore one of the prophets of God. Accept him as such or not, that is your choice. But it cannot be denied that he is certainly known to be such by a significant percentage of people who are strongly unified on that point. And that he is the most influential man in history (Time, Forbes?). And that the Sufis and Muslims all over the world continue incessantly to manifest their gratitude to him, for him, and for the gifts revealed through him, and thereby affirm their association with him, or their desire to be associated with him, or to be like him, by asking Al-llah!'s further blessing upon him, even 1400 years after his passing from this material life. That's enough for us to be able to affirm both the truth of his existence, and that he is certainly considered to be a prophet by a huge portion of people everywhere. Why would we want to put energy into denying it? Simply accept it as a reality and move on. We have only our fears to lose, but it is our fears upon which we capitalize in order to perpetuate our way of existence. That's why Surrender is so difficult. For that, we need true knowledge of God - to know that He did not create to punish; to know that He places upon no soul a burden greater than it can bear; to know that He created only in order to be known; to know that our sustenance is promised by Him already and nothing we can do will increase it or decrease it; to know that our concern for provision is the first step of disbelief; to know that He loves and cares for all equally but even more for those who choose to cast their trust on Him, and waits patiently for the rest. But if anyone expects that our Surrender to God and Peace, or our "acceptance" of the oneness of God and the prophethood of Muhammad into our belief structure in any way implies that we will then become gullible and malleable in the hands of their personally motivated land and power grabs, then those people are surely mistaken. Again the now-famous words of the Beatles comes to mind. "And if you want money for people with minds that hate, well, all I can tell you is, brother, you'll have to wait." Again Qur`an tells us exactly how it will be. "Inni salati, wa nusuki wa mamati wa mayahya li llahi Rabbil `Alameen." Loosely paraphrased, it means, "I state emphatically that my worship and my sacrifices, my death and my life, are for Al-llah! alone, the Lord of Creation." A world full of such enlightened (and un-recruited) individuals cannot go wrong.

THE SUFI APPROACH TO TEACHING ISLAM IS THROUGH SPIRITUAL HEALING AND WORLD PEACE

In the Sufi way, Islam means the True Surrender of the body, mind, heart, and soul to Al-llah! alone, and seeing the religious teaching of the Divine way of life as a way of Mercy and a Healing unto all the worlds. Spiritual healing is considered to be the necessary (and much forgotten) art of finding in oneself the divine permission to allow the heart to heal itself from the causes of emotional and physical difficulties. In the Islamic civilization, the science of spiritual healing was a specific focus of the Sufis, and the point of the study and practice of Sufism, or Tasawwuf. It was also considered an obligation, since the spiritual healing of prisoners would lead to their willful conversion and genuine trustworthiness2. It is also worthy of note that, without any doubt, Sufism was the most 2 What an incredible analogy to the heart and soul being captive of the fearful mind.



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influential means of promoting the Islamic revelation in the whole course if Islamic History. Almost all Muslims know that, except for the few who prefer to believe that the only way they will get their way is to dominate others. This attitude, and that is exactly what it is, speaks volumes to the process by which they themselves were taught. This healing can be accomplished by discovering the lurking causes of fear and misunderstanding and bringing them into the present light of God, or by discovering and bringing into current reasoning the absolute truth of Al-llah!, and allowing ourselves to rise to the occasion, or both. Both3 are effective, and in either case the purpose of dispelling the debilitating effects of ignorance is accomplished. We are all captives of our limited knowledge of Islam and what it means to us personally. We are either afraid of it completely, or enslaved by it completely, or somewhere in between. But in reality, Islam is the teaching of an all-inclusive Unity. It embraces all people, learned and ignorant, sick or healthy, frustrated or secure. Why is it that the great Sufi poet Jalaluddin Rumi wrote "Come, come, whoever you are"? In the Islamic civilization, enlightened Muslims, healers, philosophers, theologians, doctors of medicine and students, have unanimously seen the people in the world as simply captives of their own knowledge, however partial, of their selves, their true nature and their purpose on earth and in this life. They all considered the true jihad, the jihad al akbar, or greater struggle, to be the one of realization and self-mastery, through study, practice and education. To remind and be reminded, to liberate and enlighten oneself and others with the teachings of the Divine Revelation. The problem is now that a large segment of Muslims are caught in a similar captivity, that of an "Islamic" ideology, an ideology that sees "us" (Muslims) as right, and "them" ("non-Muslims") as wrong. This is an ideology of duality, not Unity. And such an ideology only leads to conflict. It simply points out differences, and sees confrontation and domination as the only, and correct, means to resolution. But the real point of Islam (Surrender) is to see Unity, the Oneness of God, to unify, and not to separate. It could easily be that the person judged as "unbeliever" could rethink and find himself in the Garden, whereas the self-righteous and self-appointed "judge" could be found incorrect in his judgement and in his limited evaluation of God's Holy Plan, and then find himself in the Fire of grief and woe. If we Muslims simply see ourselves as healers, not warriors, and see Islam as the medicine, not the weapon, and learn to apply it, like all medicines, with a judicious perspective on the nature of the disease, then we will be successful in our endeavors to have the world understand the benefits and healing nature of Islam. So the Sufi approach to Islam and spiritual healing is to know first the Reality, or in Arabic, the Haqiqat, the "Reality" of God, the "Truth of Al-llah!", and from that all else follows. Concepts of relative unimportance will dissolve, incorrect assumptions will disperse, and false responsibilities will be released. In short, limiting belief systems will be re-evaluated and

3 Referred to as Mindfulness Meditation and Schema Therapy by Tara Bennet-Goleman in her book Emotional Alchemy



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dismissed as no longer useful, and functional, liberating realizations will take their place. This transformation is depicted in Qur`an in the phrase, "Truth (reality) hath come and falsehood (illusion) must perish." True Sufis consider this to be the highest obligation, for they know firsthand and have witnessed in themselves and others the powerful transformative effects of real Surrender (Islam) learned at the hand of a qualified teacher. And never in the course of history has there been a greater need for the simple understanding of the Islamic approach to spiritual health, personal happiness and social harmony than now. The pathway to this knowledge of certainty consists of three levels. They are learning, witnessing and knowing, and often the learning is confused with the knowing, but the truly deciding factor is the actual witnessing. Witnessing has three equivalent levels also, and they are hearing, seeing, and knowing. The only real touchstone to absolute certainty is the teacher himself. He can tell you for sure the level of your experience of witnessing. We can easily confuse learning or having learned knowledge with knowing the reality, but the knowing to which we refer is a full-body realization that manifests by the heart speaking the real truth at all times. There are as many ways to know God as there are human hearts.

The Purpose of the Teacher But the "search" is not really for inward knowledge, as is often supposed (even though we will become more aware of it as our confidence increases in the course of it), for the inward knowing is always there, but for the outward reflection/confirmation of the inward knowing. And 'knowledge', in this light, can be defined as "that which confirms" (Ar: Sadaqah - confirmation, a charity from Al-llah!, as is all outward existence), and "that which is in confirmation of" a knowing, something which is already "known". This declassifies much of the presumed corpus of "knowledge" to the realm of mere information. In Reality, that which is being quested is an inner certainty - certitude, by means of a positive and irrefutable outward confirmation. What we truly desire, need and seek above all else is a reflection of our inward sense of worth, the truth of somehow really being real, a validation of the reality of our own personal existence. In other words, a "reality check". The Sufi "way" is nothing but a continuance of the confirmation and support for the knowledge of God's goodness and benevolent intent within you.

On the Need for Self-Affirmation and the Rise of Religious Fundamentalism The absence of a reality check is reflected in the need for self-affirmation. This need for self-affirmation is reflected in the outward clinging to conviction. The need to be convinced is a reflection of the need for certainty. But in many cases the need for it is so great as to disallow any further search after some facsimile is acquired, and there is a myriad of inconsistent convictions to be had. All falsehood is but an inadequate reflection of truth, and must in time perish as a consequence of its very nature. This accounts for the rising phenomenon of religious fundamentalism, and it can also be related to another theme, that of Suicide as a search, and the Loss of Reality.



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There is truth in all falsehood, as falsehood is for the most part but a fictitious, inadequate reflection of truth and must in time dissolve as a consequence of its very nature. The fear of this knowledge of the ultimate dissolution (of falsehood, ego) is the cause for the reasoning that it requires religious struggle to keep it alive.

ISLAM - THE EASY WAY There is a part in each and every one of us that is already deeply surrendered, believing and faithful, already "Muslim", otherwise the statement that Surrender (Islam) is the Way Back to our True Basic Nature (Ad-Din ul-Fitrah), would not be true. Understanding that "Islam" means "Surrender", and that "Surrender" is the return, through the thick of our fabricated lives, to the authentic truths of our innocence and basically adoring nature, makes it very easy to comprehend and put into practice. “Al-Islam" means "The Surrender" (to God), pure and simple. This is the real meaning of Islam, and that's why there is a part of us, a quality of our soul, that is already Muslim (Surrendered). The rest of the work is simply in maintaining the recognition and honoring of that part - our souls - until it's all that's left. This Holy Surrender is facilitated even more by the confirming knowledges delivered through Divine Revelation, that there not only IS Indeed a God, only One, (Arabic: Al-llah!), belief in Whom facilitates trust, which facilitates Surrender, but that this God is without doubt Most Merciful, Forgiving, Caring and Loving for all His creation. ("Harisun `alaikum. Bil Mu`mineenu Ra`ufun Rahim). This message of Truth and Reality was delivered to the point of utter perfection through His prophet, Muhammad. Another article of "being" a Muslim is a simple confession of your realization that there is indeed and ultimately only One True Being, often referred to as “God” (Arabic: Al-llah!) and that Muhammad is indeed at least one of the true prophets/teachers of this message. A deeper understanding of this reality may be acquired later, but this statement of recognition is the lowest common denominator and at least the opener of doors. Stating your recognition or willingness to recognize the obvious is what makes you a Muslim outwardly, and coming to really know and understand it in you heart and act upon it according to your understanding is what distinguishes you, In Islam, as a Mu'min, or a genuine believer. This statement in recognition of the obvious is made in the form of a "witnessing" by simply stating that you are a witness to the truth of "La ilaha illa 'llah, Muhammadun Rasulullah" - that there is only one God and Muhammad is (one of) His true Prophet(s). It need only be said as a simple confession of understanding basically stating that, "I, too, have come to realize the truth of this". It is a basic statement of surrender and equality, and accepted as obvious without question or doubt by all Muslims. In Islam, all faiths are recognized and honored. There are no enemies except those who make enemies. Believers in God are believers in God, no matter what their faith. They are to be protected and demonstrate their assistance to the Muslims in their defense of Peace and the "State of Peace" (Ar. Dar-us-Salam - [Jerusalem]). Denial is to be reasoned with or left alone, but not to be persecuted or oppressed, as long as there is no overt action against the state of Peace.



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THE FUTURE IS PEACE The Future is Peace and Islam means World Peace. It means Surrender to the Will of God, which is "His uninterpreted Reality in all things", It does not mean world domination, or submission (to the will of another, a cleric, critic or megalomaniac teacher, or whatever.) The future is peace but it will not be gained by the power of war. All that the power of war will gain is death, Hellfire, and endless fear and military control with all its concomitant revolts, revolutions and rebellions, sleepless nights with endless fearful watchfulness, and endless terror. If war is Hell, then Peace is Heaven, and Heaven is where Islam (Surrender) comes from and leads to, and what it means. And the choice is always ours, from one moment to the next. If we suddenly discover that we've made a wrong choice, we must be courageous, rethink the placement of our will, and make the right one. Here and now.

ELEMENTS OF SPIRITUAL PSYCHOLOGY - THE REALITY This is a very important chapter. It is a description of the Glorious Reality, al Haaqah, as is mentioned in Quràn. And its purpose is to keep open the door of the Truth of the Sufi Way in spite of a world full of opinions to the contrary. "Lau la kariha al kafirun." In spite of the rejection of those in denial.

On God, Soul, Heart, Nafs, Ego and Personality "Nafs" is the Arabic word for "self". It is a singular word in Arabic, and not plural in English. In other words, there are not many nafs, and no singular "naf". It is One. It means the whole of the individual self, the entire breathing mortality with all of its ramifications. It is your Mecca, the center of your whole world, and as such, it is the "City of Holy Commerce". And it is ruled by the Heart. Nafs is the "doer", the "accomplisher", the means. It will always and faithfully "do", or act out, exactly what is in the heart. It is the Organ of Expression - that the heart may see, feel and know in the outward, itself and what it contains in the inward. Controlling it, purifying it and subduing it is the result of the work of cleaning the Heart. The Heart is the Kaàba, the holy and sacrosanct sacred chamber, the shrine in the middle of the City of Holy Commerce. It was built to be a clean and empty room - that only God may dwell therein. And it must be kept clean and empty. But the tribes of commerce are always wishing to establish their domain in it and they occupy themselves with the incessant struggle to gain control over it. They would each place in it the idol representing their god, their "company logo", so to speak. It is the work of the King (you) to keep the Kaàba clean, for the true God only. For this, the true king must sweep the Kaàba of his heart daily. Al-llah! (God) is the Supreme Love, but there are many lesser loves. Everything that we desire creates a love in our heart for it. That is the job of the tribes of commerce, to create a compelling idea to lure you and attract you into their camp so that they can install the idol of their company logo into your heart. But they can only do this if you have the tendency for it already in your heart and any attraction to their logo will indicate to you that there is still present such a tendency.



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A life in the remembrance of God is the recipe for the cleansing of the heart and keeping it clean. And such is the life that the true Islam, surrender in the Sufi way, is designed to be. So the remembrances of Al-llah!, as practiced by the Sufis, are designed to sweep your heart clean, and replace your old addictions and tendencies with the new and pure. And You are the King. Ego is a false construct. It is our very self-limiting personal, secret, and hidden self-concept with all its agendas, fears, drives, compulsions, expectations, anticipations and complexes. The singularly most defining word for ego is "self-limitation". Because it is created out of fear, by its very nature it does not go far enough to realize the reality of which it is an attempted imitation. This is why it is said that true success is always just beyond your efforts. Also why it is said that the life of the world flees from one who attempts to grasp it but serves and supports the one who turns from it in the service of God. (Hitler and Pharaoh did not think deeply enough before they chose their plans of action. Had they truly completed their tasks of self-realization and self-manifestation, they could have had a near-prophetic influence on the world.) Personality is the mask of the ego. It is the M. O., the Modus Operandi of the ego, the means by which the ego accomplishes its agenda. Soul is the part of us that sees and knows only God. Ego is the part of us that tries, and in doing so imitates what it thinks soul is. Eventually, if not challenged, it comes to believe itself to be the real deal and the only show in town. If allowed, it establishes itself in the position of the soul, and, with cries of victory, will completely dominate the heart. It is not the soul however, and the Qur`an, Sufism and Modern Western Psychology are blatant challenges to this usurped authority, identifying this duplicitous behavior as a mere shadow, an attempted reflection of the Reality. This is called the association of partnership with God, and we are told that persistence in it is the unforgivable sin. This sin can, however, be transformed immediately by repeating the words of affirmation of holy Unity, "La ilaha illa 'llah". But it immediately reappears when the self takes the credit for saying them. This is how it is possible for the people who claim to the religion of unity to not be in it. And because of this, and to justify their claim, they have to "re-invent" or re-interpret the religion, claiming their work to be merely a reiteration of its original purity, necessary due to the corruption of its forebears. But in claiming it, they lose it. And it is well documented that the forbears were not corrupt, but teaching it like it is, to be a means of spiritual transformation of self and society, not a means of granting the cake and eating it too. One might see the similarity, and think that to be also the case of the Sufis, who say and do fundamentally the same thing. But the difference is manifest in their behavior. The former are overly concerned with their mortal selves and their attempts to take over the world in the benevolent name of their religion. They are much concerned with the use of truth and the rhetoric of their religion to defend and further their own personal goals. The harm of this is that it creates separation - separation in themselves in that they see the world as something outside of themselves and inherently either unobtainable or hostile.



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It also creates misunderstanding from within themselves and within the other people of the world. Rather than providing them with the understanding that the world needs in order to solve their problems and resolve their difficulties, they seek to enforce a form of religious discipline and control over others that will in some fashion guarantee the subjection of the rest of the world to them and their however righteous ideas. They see the world as something to be obtained, controlled and dominated. Seeing themselves as somehow perfect, they seek to transform the world to fit into their concept. The latter however, are concerned only with God and the Nature of his Creation and Forgiveness. And they keep thereby always open the doors to the gateway of the religion of Truth and Surrender. The doors are their hearts, the gateway is the true human experience, the religion is Surrender, and Surrender is the way to know God, Self, and Love. The Truth (Dharma) is the way it really is, and Surrender is the recognition of God through the recognition of Soul-self. "Who knows himself, knows his Lord." This is telling it like it is, not like how it ought to be or will be, or isn't or should be.

THE PSYCHOLOGY OF ISLAM IN CONTEXT OF WORLD EVENTS

An Analysis of the Root of Islamic Fundamentalism in the Light of Spiritual Psychology Most people won't even consider looking at Islam as a viable alternative because of how it is portrayed by the rising dominance of the fundamentalist movement. It is in hopes of revealing the higher truths of the Islamic Faith that I feel it necessary to preliminarily explain the fundamentalist mindset in the language of the emerging psychology of spiritual transformation. This language is increasingly coinciding (not coincidentally) with the terms of Spiritual Realization of the Eastern peoples from earlier times - including, for those who have completed their investigation, the mature and functional system of Spiritual Purification developed and cherished by the Muslims themselves (in spite of, for reasons to be explained later, the adamant disavowal of the fundamentalists), called Tasawwuf, or Sufism. The typical fundamentalist definition of tawhid (unity) is based upon a theological adamancy which is fearful, insistent, forceful and dominating, indicating a fearfully convinced mind and a deliberately trapped and unliberated heart from which all sorts of feelings of unwillingness arise, all the more convincing to the mind that the soul is inherently rebellious and bad, and in need of the mind's stern discipline to keep it on the "right path". Needless to say this spiritual repression develops into a projection onto the world that it is a "bad" place in need of discipline enforced by power. Hence the struggle for power. And all in the name of God. But God will never grant power to such a people until they change what is in their hearts. Quite the contrary, He takes away the truth from them and gives it to a people who will do better with, and honor it for reality it holds. The way to real world peace is for the West to understand itself and the problem of ego through its own spiritual development and to accept and understand Islam in that perspective, as I am teaching in these pages, and thereby attain to the true peace and the goal of all religion, including Islam.



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Combining Western Media power with true spiritual teachers and realized Muslim Scholars can then enlighten the world as to the problem, its consequences of self and world destruction, and its solution in the proper understanding of self, spiritual psychology and Islam. This is nothing less than calling the world powers and media to the aid of our spiritual evolution, which is the guarantee of peace and the end of war. Such a plan does not "require" anyone to "become" a Muslim in the older and fearful sense of "submission" to a "Higher" authority, but simply to "realize" and actualize the meaning of the word, that "Islam" means our ordinary, everyday and inescapable "Surrender". It requires only a proper understanding of the nature of the problem of the self and its solution. This is the work of spiritual education carried on by most religions and spiritual paths, particularly Buddhism, new thought Christianity, Sufism and mainstream (not fundamentalist) Islam. All that is required is that people understand the true meaning of the word! They will then recognize that very quality within themselves and realize it as the very source of their health and well being. From that light all understandings will be recognized and the resolution to all problems available. Western media has the resources to re-teach the true meaning of Islam to the World and the Muslim educators may be able to reach their children in time to save their lives from the self-inflicted holocaust of misguided warfare.

"ISLAMIC" TERRORISM IS THE HIDDEN CHILD AND THE SHAME OF THE MUSLIM WORLD

On the front page of the ISIS website it is said "In a theocracy of the type that Islamic fundamentalists wish to establish, sovereignty belongs to god, but in a democracy sovereignty belongs to the people." I'd like to point out that the "god" to whom they claim their sovereignty belongs is the "god" of their minds. It is their own personal god called "the fear of punishment" and is Not the God who is Loving and caring for His creation and everything in it. Just ask them about love and fear and you will see that they have their priorities dramatically reversed. Their "god" is in the spitting image of their fathers - concerned only for their personal safety in this life and their salvation in the next, drilling fearful and "theocratic" behavior into them which they then logically carry to its extreme. They will teach as they have been taught. This is the essence of selfishness, thinly disguised in the cloak of universal altruism, pure and simple. God is His own Sovereign. His Sovereignty need not be "established" by men except in their own hearts. Then we will have a theocracy of luminaries, which is the only reality that matters, and for that we need only to learn true Surrender and teach true Surrender. And that is the pure Islam. Theocratic totalitarianism is not the sovereignty of God. It is paternalistic enforcement and very definitely the sovereignty of men. It is the attempted domination of the world by fearful and repressed minds, no matter what philosophy or religion they purport to be maintaining. It is always in the mindset of a like-minded group of people and is Not the Islam of trusting liberation ("La Iqraha Fi-d-Din") but that of religious slavery. Fundamentalism in any religion or philosophy is good only as far as it goes. It is the learning and teaching of the fundamentals. But "love for the world" has caused them to turn their religion into a philosophy of purely materialistic gain. It's all a big land-grab. Selfish and ego-driven, they have made it into their goal in life to have everyone in creation believe as they do. So naturally,



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when people reject this simplistic and totalitarian resolution to the world's problems, they become the "enemy", and their blood becomes "lawful". But the enemy is still inside of them, and always will be until they look deeper into themselves to find out where they are wrong, which they, out of their own fear, will likely never do. Love of the world has never been the way to attainment. The traditions are very clear about this. The world flees from those who pursue it and serves patiently and lovingly the servants of God. Learning religion does not a true servant make. The garden is not attained through struggle, it is defended by struggle. It must be known that the real "Garden of Al-llah!'s Peace" is for immediate witnessing and way closer than the fruits of war, and that it is our freedom to live in it (and to take our chances with insecurity) that must be defended. Everyone wants to enlist or enforce the aid of others to their own personal causes, most of which turn out to be nothing more than a glorified and self-gratifying land-grab. And I have no problem with that. Fight all you want over your lives and your world. But stop defending your actions in the name of God and religion. For you, with all your book-learned religious justifications are misrepresenting the religion and therefore on the road to a fire of your own making. We must be grateful to Al-llah! for what we have, and use it constructively with patience, and not destructively, by screaming out our personal rage and anger. The world will always reflect to us the image of how we see ourselves in it. "And Al-llah! will not change the "state" of a people until they change what is in their hearts." The "enemies" are the false idols that enter the heart from within and without. If this is not believed, then the struggle becomes for something "outside" the self, "owned" by "others", and can only be "won", if at all, by violence. We must come out of our minds, which are the seats of illusion and look into our hearts where reality and the true "Throne of God" is to be found. It feels safe to say that none of these problems would exist if the religion of Islam were being practiced properly as a system of world enlightenment instead of as a system of world domination. Muslims need to pursue the goal of healing the rift in their community between the lovers of peace and the lovers of war. They need to be strong and educate themselves in the Way of Love and Peace, and stop themselves and their children from using God's Holy religion as a tool for war and personal acquisition. Such behavior will consistently be rewarded by wrath, which they seem to be willing to face. They consider it the price for martyrdom, which is, unfortunately, all that they are praying for. But a deeper investigation shows that it is only their idea of more personal pleasure. And this (mal) practice is being asserted as "the correct way" only by people who see it to their personal advantage to practice it as such. God has warned us severely against the practice and teaching of religion to personal advantage. It is mentioned in many places, all of them indicating that it would certainly lead to a most devastating failure, far worse than that of the most outspoken enemies of religion. We need only refer to current events as an example and proof of that. So when will the "Muslims" get it right? Condemnation and hatred are simply not the right tools to get the job done. Try using Reason, Compassion, Peace and yes, Love, as we are told to do in Qur'an. And we will get these wonderful qualities from the True Faith and Trust in Al-llah!



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Directly. If we do not have these qualities then we do not have a true faith. Qur'an is very clear about knowledge in the mind not being the same as faith in the heart. Enmity to a religion can be resolved by understanding it to be a simple or complex misunderstanding, leading to a sickness in the heart, which can be cured. But using revelation to personal advantage after being clearly warned is a deliberated hypocrisy noticeable to all the world and devastatingly punishable because it is tantamount to abuse of privilege and power, and subverting the cause of God, thereby turning the world away from its own salvation. Hatred begets hatred. And by which other qualities would you be judged? God has promised that He will not change the "state" of a people until they change what is in their hearts. By the very examples of such abusers of religion, even more misunderstanding and rejection is caused, and the people who would come to the aid of humanity through the proper use and understanding of religion are turned away from doing good by it. This is why hypocrisy is condemned in Qur`an much more than simple disbelief. Because it is a "hijacking" and deliberated perversion of the very Truth which is sent to benefit All humanity. It warns clearly against its hypocritical use, and such (mal) practice is therefore an even greater denial of God. So punishment for hypocrisy is even swifter than that of the disbelievers, who are given long lifetimes in hopes of their coming to peace. But if we choose to use the means of peace for war, we will gain instant gratification. Muslims cannot chalk up world opposition to simple ignorance. The world is objecting to something far greater than what is being observed by Muslim myopia. The fear of tyranny is very great, and Islam, in the hands of its current proprietors, is displaying itself to the modern world as being the very theocratic despotism that impoverished fathers inflict upon their would-be or might-be rebellious and innovative sons. And as long as Muslims feel it right and necessary to inflict their 'religion' upon the world and the people in it, they will always meet with strong opposition, even from within their very own numbers. For the soul objects to tyranny. That's why we have so many rebellious souls manifesting themselves. Even the effort to tyrannize others is a manifestation of the soul's effort to reject the tyranny of the invisible father (or god) who is nevertheless always present in the mind of the unliberated child. The child is trying to free himself (seek paradise) by 'outdoing' the father, i.e. becoming an even "bigger and better" tyrant. This is the road to the 'paradise' of freedom from the 'hell' of life under the thumb of the 'religion' of the 'father'. It is only another form of 'escape', and does not and cannot lead to the real garden of peace and joy that Al-llah! has in store for those who would truly seek it (in themselves). One should not teach religion until one has learned it, and truly joined the ranks of the "Men and Women of Al-llah!" in heart and truth, and not just by claim and popularity. It must be ascertained and proven by the people of heart that his intentions have been purified to be truly for Al-llah! alone. The point of Faith in God is the perfection of noble character. Religion should be used for that intention and that intention only. If it is being used otherwise then it is not being used but abused. And to the detractors of the truth in all religions I would say this. It is for the benefit of Muslims and the World to point out that the Islam being "practiced" by the vocal majorities today, is, unfortunately, not the "real" deal. But it must be remembered that even though truth is more



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often used for false reasons, it is nevertheless still truth in essence. It may be noble to boldly criticize the blind mimicry of doctrine and the abuse of religious principles but it is surely throwing the baby out with the bath water to nurture condemnation of the holy truth itself. Not even the western intelligentsia will go along with that. What I think people want, need and are asking for is not this crazed fanaticism from either side - that of fanatical mobs praying for the paradise of their petty mortal pleasures over the dead bodies of their innocent and unsuspecting victims. And also not the rhetoric of the would-be violent reactionaries who know all too well what is wrong but do not know what is right. The healing must come from within. It is the challenge of all of the humanist and "rightly guided" reactionaries to the blatant abuses of religion, to understand the causes and the means to setting it right. We must do this by setting a better example. By finding the right way in the true Love of God, and walking it, teaching it, living it, loving it, and thereby leading others to it and on it.



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MORE IMPORTANT THAN LEARNING

Important to know, beloved, that learning without experience is useless,

like looking at honey without tasting it, like looking at food without eating it.

It will leave you starving in your body, and knowing in your mind

that you are an educated fool. It is time to stop fooling yourself

and get on the Real Path to the Real Knowing.

The key to experience is association! There is no possibility of knowing the real knowing

except by means of association with the real knowers. You may believe this or not, it is your choice.

A small period of time spent

in the company of the real knowers of God, is more valuable to the heart than the lifetime

spent in competitive learning. Such is the secret of truth.

Liberation is being liberated. It is not the same

as simply taking license or claiming liberty. A true spiritual liberation can only be confirmed at the hand of one who has been truly liberated.

The essence of liberation is different in quality and quantity from the essence of freedom or license.

That is the nature of the quest.

You must want and be willing, with all your heart,

and prove it time and again, to spend your life in the company of the "folk",

in order to be deemed an associate.

And this is only necessary that you may prove your sincerity to yourself,

and see yourself worthy of accepting the honor that is your due.

The purpose of keeping company is to learn

how to behave in company.



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'Adab' is appropriate behavior, in one's relationship to Al-llah!,

and thereby to all things.

But learn the adab. The adab of approach,

The adab of permission, The adab of keeping company,

The adab of learning, and The adab of leaving.

The key to success is acceptance! No rejection! 'Kufr' is denial and rejection. Plain and simple.

'Sahbat' means Companionship.

And Companionship is found in the heart. Association of self with best people and highest causes

is your affiliation in heart to the people of purity and truth.

The "pul-sirat" is life itself. What has not been done will soon be.

It is the hearts into which God looks. If He sees ONLY himself there,

then that heart is only He, and is free. There is nothing condemnable in it,

no further work to be done.

If He sees it full of idols, then He knows that they have been deliberately put there,

and are deliberately maintained, and that His Love has been spurned for lesser gods,

and that the self-judgement of that individual is poor, his estimation of God, and self, very low indeed.

Important to know, beloved,

that learning without experience is useless, like looking at honey without tasting it, like looking at food without eating it.

It will leave you starving in your body, and knowing in your mind

that you are an educated fool. It is time to stop fooling yourself

and get on the Real Path to the Real Knowing.

HU!



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THE WAY TO WORLD PEACE Islam is a religion of inward conversion, not outward domination, and without understanding that, it will never succeed as a way of peace on earth. The growth of Islam is dependent upon inward conversion, and not upon world domination. You cannot force the world into submission, as you yourself were forced. Qur`an states clearly the impossibility of this. "La iqraha fid-Din". "There is no compulsion in religion". This means simply that there cannot be any "real" compulsion. Compulsion and "real" are by definition, different. One means "forced", the other means "real". One cannot be "really" compelled. One can only be compelled to fake it. But Al-llah! wants us to know our "real" selves as a means to liberation, gratitude and acceptance. That's Heaven. As long as we stay in our "act", and continue with the charade of fooling ourselves into thinking that we are "fooling" others, we will never admit that our truth is being oppressed and hidden. It is unliberated and therefore not free to make decisions for itself. We are therefore unable to accept God (Al-llah!) with a whole heart. And that is most definitely the hidden hypocrisy of which we are so often warned. It is against the very wishes of your soul to be compelled, and you cannot be "made" to believe. And as long as religion oppresses it will be an enemy to the soul and not a friend. One can also compel oneself to believe that one is sincere, depending upon how important it is to one, but only the actions of the real peacemakers are proof of anything. Conversion has got to be a healing, a benefit, a success, or it is not acceptable to a mature, reasoning human being. It must be a healing that results from one's coming out of the darkness (of anything), into a light of self-understanding. So the success of Islam, and therefore of world peace, is dependent upon proper understanding. Proper understanding leads to a reasoned teaching and acceptance. How can we expect the rest of the world to understand Islam if we ourselves do not, and therefore can not explain it in an "acceptable" manner? Many Muslims prefer to see Islam as a simple ultimatum, in an "accept it or suffer the consequences" sort of way, which is exactly how it was presented to them by their parents and teachers. They "accepted" it under coercion. There was never an argument over its truth, but there was also never a possibility of choice. It was simply a matter of fact. Accept it or suffer the consequences. And many fathers believed, and still do, that God will punish them in the hereafter if they do not punish their children for acts of disobedience, rejection or rebellion, many of which are simply the questioning of an innocent mind. It is the over-simplicity of this "matter-of-fact-ness" that needs to be investigated in the light of Qur`an and Revelation. If you, as a Muslim reader, find yourself believing that this is simply "the way it is", then I ask you to please re-evaluate your estimation of a Kind, Loving and Merciful God, and compare it to how grateful you are that you were 'made' a Muslim. Did you really have a choice? Do you understand that unless you have Surrendered to God, directly with all your heart, that you are not really yet a 'whole' or 'healed' Muslim? How well did your parents manifest that to you? Are you really so sure that you are not in need of further help in understanding the depths of your religion? Well, the western world is certainly in need of such help, wouldn't you agree? And how are you going to assist them in understanding it? The same way your father did? "Believe it if you love me and leave it if you dare"?



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One thing is certain. Most people nowadays won't even consider looking at Islam as a viable alternative because of how it is portrayed by the rising dominance of the fundamentalist movement. These are not liberated, joyous people. They are hell-bent for world domination and this is the simplest understanding of terror and terrorism. Fearful people are a potential threat to everyone, and yet they are not an enemy, but their fear is. How is it that the Arabic word "taqwa", which means "loving reverence and respect", has become translated into "fear"? "Translation" (propagation) of Qur`an, has become the new means of influencing people to the way of fear, war, dominance and "submission", from the way of love, peace, cooperation and Surrender to God directly. What it "means", in English, is what the people will understand. And for the most part, the behavior of fundamentalist propagators and the meanings that they convey are unacceptable to the western investigative minds. Yet they should not be. Qur`an is a revelation to "all the worlds". So something is missing, and it's the higher understandings of the great masters of Surrender to God (Islam) who understood the message in all its depth and glory, and followed the path to its extreme goal of perfect understanding and therefore perfect teaching. And it is they who are, without doubt, the most responsible for spreading the civilization and teachings of the real message of Islam to "all the worlds". It has become an important part of the responsibility of world media to explain that the "war" is not against Islam, showing, to our advantage, that Islam is the religion of peace and that terrorism has no place in any religion. President Bush himself has stated this and made it plain that he does not want to be misconstrued as waging a war on Islam. This "war" is, in his view and in mine, an unfortunate, tragic and inevitable punitive reprisal for outrageously unacceptable behavior. It is a shame that so many of the children of the materialist, and avidly "non-spiritual" "Islam" that is being taught today are so frustrated with their lives that they are lining up to choose suicide, but the children of the West seem to be doing it also. It leads one to remark upon the similarity and wonder why. And it certainly explains why the American populace chooses not to accept Islam as a way of life, even though many of us are in a very deep and reverent state of Surrender. But materialist Islam seems to lead only to further material conquest and death, and they have that already. If Muslims live their lives as materialists, why would westerners want to live their lives as Muslims? So just as the setting aright of the western misunderstanding of Islam is, and has become, a responsibility and the work of western governmental, media and educational institutions, setting aright the misunderstandings of the fearful, fanatical and psychologically immature Muslims is the responsibility of the worldwide Muslim Community. And it can be done. There are enough worldwide resources to bring peace and satisfaction to everyone. If these corrections in education and religious understanding are not done, as they should be, from within and by the Muslim community themselves, then the Muslim community is, as a whole, remiss in its obligation to bring peace and the true meaning of Islam to the rest of the world. The community is then responsible for, and must endure as a whole, the consequential reprisal of ignorant attacks, along with the true perpetrators of the crimes. So to all Muslims I say, "Teach peace, not war".



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The Purpose of Struggle is to End Struggle By definition, the Greater Holy War, or "Jihad al Akbar", is the personal struggle for the sake of God against the reactive nature of the lower worldly and revenge-seeking self. All people of Surrender (the true Muslims) must teach to their children of all ages that the world is a safe place, and that it, the world, is not at war with Islam. It is therefore not the religious responsibility of the holy warriors to be waging their war with the world in general, and teaching their children the same. If we teach war, we will get war. If we teach peace, we will get peace. Similarly, if we teach hatred, we will get hatred, and if we teach love, we will get love. The world is and will always be a reflection of how we see ourselves in it. Karen Armstrong states in her emailed "letter to the world" that Muslims "must reclaim their faith from those who have so violently hijacked it". What this amounts to is the challenge upon the Muslim Community to get our religion (the religion of Unity - the one-ness of God and humanity) unified and right, once and for all. If we do not accept this challenge, and choose instead to insist upon remaining divided among ourselves in our petty differences, personally choosing to continue to ignore the central, unifying and life-transforming principle that Divine revelation espouses so accurately, we will not be successful in our mission to bring personal and social reform through teaching and exemplifying the Peace, Light and Love of God that is Islam to the minds and consciousness of humanity. It is in the true spirit of Surrender (Islam) to reach out toward others with intelligence and understanding. Muslims must now revisit the inner significance of their religion in the light of current events. We must by now understand that war is not the way, and begin the laborious process of re-learning and re-teaching the Divine truth, the "Haqaa-iq", the psychology of spirit and creation, and the joy of converting from war to peace, in the Divine way, which is the true meaning and real message of Islam and all religions. And, we must re-teach it to our angry and now grownup children, who are ravaging the world and committing atrocities of revenge against God, humanity, themselves, their people, their families and their religion. And, as a result of this, it is on the rest of us to be defending the real Islam without them because we cannot justify their outrageous and childish behavior and must spend most of our time decrying it by saying, "This is not Islam." We are so diverted by "putting out the fires" that we cannot focus upon what it really is. Peace is not enough. The war is against our own ignorance of the true nature of God, Self, Love and the Prophetic example. And the knowledge that will cure this ignorance is the insistence of all religions upon a willful surrender to a very possible, necessary and inevitable inner personal transformation and realization. The fundamental and real purpose of Islam, life and religion in general is the conversion of self first, and then others, from fear to love, and the meaning of life from war to peace, through surrendering to the manifest Love, Mercy and Forgiveness of God unto and in us all. Then we will all be following the true example of the holy Prophet Muhammad, upon whom be God's Peace and Blessing, who was sent to us (as stated in Qur`an) as no less than "Rahmatun lil `Alameen", A Mercy unto ALL the Worlds. I ask you, how is the world going to believe this if we Muslims cannot be a demonstration of it? When we carry the Heart-Healing medicine of Peace, Love, Mercy and Forgiveness, which is manifest in a truly surrendered being and the true Islam, we are then in possession of the Sacred



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Knowledge of how to heal the wounds and open the gates of paradise (heaven on earth) for all to enter. And it is for all the worlds and for every living being in it. Then we are ready to teach the true Islam. And until that time we should seek out, support and learn from the true teachers, the authentic spokespeople for the Prophet, who are the truthful ones from his family and their learned and authorized representatives. It is these who are committed to the true Islam through the spread of peace and healing to the thirsting people of the world. For when these gates are closed, there is no longer any meaning to life. If ever the world were ripe for a spiritual turning away from war into peace it is now, that the entire world media attention is turned to Islam and asking the questions and being prepared to receive some real answers. Dear Muslims, and people of Unity of all faiths, call yourselves and your people vigorously to the Peace and the Love of God, not to anger and the love of war. Show the world the true Islam and surround yourselves in paradise with the millions of thankful souls you will save. That is the true way of the Prophets, and the true Peace. Love, Mercy and Forgiveness from Al-llah!, and this is what He wants from you. So stay in the Peace, my Brothers and Sisters, and keep the faith, for Al-llah! is Wise and All-knowing in what He makes. Preach love and forgiveness, not war and hatred, for you shall surely preach what is in your heart. And remember, "Al-llah! will not change the state of a people until they change what is in their hearts."

THE QUEST: GROUNDWORK FOR A HEALTHY CIVILIZATION We're all looking for something and for the most part we're looking for a mirror in which to see our true selves. Not only in psychotherapy but also in health sciences, a solid understanding of the realities of life is considered to be the Groundwork for a Healthy Civilization. What is the groundwork for health? The groundwork for health is Reality and the quest for Reality. If we do not have both feet planted firmly on the ground, we cannot connect with the physically healing energy of wholeness. And by "our feet" I mean our spiritual, or 'real' feet, not the imaginary ones we think we have at the ends of our ankles. Understanding reality and how it works is the absolute basis for health, and since God is the universal common denominator and the only reliable reality we must then have an understanding of God. Throughout the ages of Islamic Civilization on the earth (a portion of history which is thoroughly excluded from most modern education), there were no signs of the myriad diseases and diagnoses that are considered to be 'natural' today. So much is the 'naturalness' of death by disease accepted that we spend our lives preparing to be able to afford it. 'Cure' or 'healing' is considered to be the 'miracle' of 'spontaneous remission', a quite 'unnatural' and 'miraculous' phenomenon. But it is only the Real nature peeking through and somehow finding its way into the enforced illusion. Health is "Divine", isn't it?



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Disease and Death Disease and death are un-dealt-with realities, and yet they are illusions based upon illusions. Disease is the natural consequence of an unnatural lifestyle. But if we insist on insisting upon the unnatural lifestyle as preferable, then disease will continue to insist also, persisting in its resistance to our unnatural lifestyle. So to the degree that we continue to waste our life energy pursuing the transitory fantasy of our dreams, our life energy (and its source) will resist being ignored. And this persistent resistance will eventually wear us down and manifest as what we call disease, i.e. that which is contrary to our will. For we surely do not will ourselves to be ill, or do we? We will then label it as 'unnatural' and try to find a cure, rather than accepting that the disease is the cure. Islam (Surrender) offers the solution to this dilemma by offering a completely new explanation of Reality, which we are then invited to step into. Islam purports to provide not only an explanation but also the solution to the human situation. Purporting itself to be FROM the God who created this situation exactly for the very purpose of manifesting Himself, His Power, Light, Mercy and Might, it claims to be a revelation from Him Who is the Lord, Master and Creator of All the worlds. And thereby the Knower of our situation, and the way out of (or into) it.

People are OK People are OK because their lives are long and their search for satisfaction motivates them. They are all looking for something and for the most part are pretty sure they know what they want and how to go about getting it. People are motivated by their desire for fulfillment. Motivation causes discovery, and discovery brings new information about self, the ultimate discovery. The prime desire is for the cessation of desire but the concept of the cessation of desire is fearful because it is felt that desire is life, and without it there is no life. Desirelessness is death to the desire-motivated thinking, but it might be considered Peace to the wise, and a basis for the beginning of a whole new life in heaven, where everything you desire is provided. In the Transformational Psychology of Surrender, we would substitute our adoration, gratitude and charity for desire. And substituting adoration, gratitude and charity for desire is the foundation of spiritual health, which is the foundation of physical health. When the "Heart" (or core) is healthy, the rest of the being will be, too. And it is in the remembrance of God that the hearts find peace.

Happiness and its many opposites, Sobriety and its many masks In common thought, happiness has many opposites, sadness and most of the other 'negative' emotions and personal associations come to mind. But in the Sufi way happiness, joy and ecstasy have only one opposite, by which they are both attained and anchored, and a very difficult one indeed. That is Sobriety. In the Sufi way, sobriety is a very deep state of being in which all mental concerns are absent, yet the mind is totally present, dissolved and awestruck in the calm quietude of a deeply peaceful and soulful knowing. It is the preferred state of manifestation because from the standpoint of unmoved perception all choices are possible and all things are done.



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The sober perceptive state exists within us but is for the most part unrecognized due to the mental disturbances created by our willingness to believe in and surrender to desire in all its myriad manifestations. And even when it is finally distinguished and recognized, after much deliberation and discipline, it is just as easily ignored, for its value is highly underrated. But for the deep explorers and true gnostics, it is referred to as the "pearl without price", for by it all things are done, all healings are accomplished and all successes are achieved. Yet we choose to obscure this part of our reality, preferring instead to pursue the desire of our minds. And indeed we will credit ourselves and our pursuit with the successes that we encounter, when it is more real to understand that the real successes are those that are in keeping with our soul intent and that the failures that occur happened also because we want them to.

Balance - the Integration of Opposites We are in balance - discovering our integration of opposites. Aspiration is from separation. The ego aspires for greatness because the greatness is already there. Aspiration is for recognition, but it is also a manifestation of separation. It is a constructed, artificial and ersatz 'pseudo' self, searching for it's reality, and then dissolving itself into its reality and allowing its reality, truth, to manifest through it in place of its desires and imaginings. Ego is based upon aspiration. "I'll show (you/me) i.e. prove, or manifest, who I really am." Discontent with the quality of recognition it is receiving, it seeks a higher quality of recognition, eventually discovering that the highest quality of recognition can only be provided by Self. But who is Self and how do we discover it? This is the question addressed by the Sufi Path. How can we help others if we have not helped ourselves? Fortunately this principle applies process by process, so it works out that we can help others to process that which we have gone through in ourselves, but it becomes more difficult to help others see their way through stuff that we have not found our own way through. And it's denial to simply say that what exists or may exist as a problem or block in one person, possibly does not exist as a problem in the other. A problem is a problem.

THE PRINCIPLE OF PSYCHOTHERAPEUTICS IN ISLAM Remembrance of God Alleviates Insanity In Islam (Surrender), the standard of mental perfection is based upon an obvious awareness of truth, and one's ability to manifest it, or "bear witness". A "perfect knowing", if you will. A perfect knowing is manifested by a "perfect representation" of what is known. It is assumed that the "outward" matches and manifests the "inward", i.e. a perfect witnessing (bearing witness) in the outward reflects and is based upon a perfect witnessing in the inward. Apparently different in the outward but similar in the inward are the subjects of mental perfection and sanity. Mental perfection might be thought of as a standard in studies of psychology or psychotherapy, while sanity might be consider to be more a matter of law and legal responsibility. But in Islam they are viewed much the same. Sanity is the basis and bottom line of mental perfection. Now by mental perfection I am not speaking of educational differences. There is no doubt that the more educated one is the more that one will manifest a perfect understanding of the topic. This is not the mentality that I'm referring to. What I am referring to is the innate capacity of each individual to know and understand the truth, and secondarily, what that individual does, in reality, understand. It is more like an evaluation of



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innate intelligence and the choices made concerning its fundamental uses. And the basic assumption is that everyone has it to the level of his or her needs in life. There are, of course, exceptions. Judgement of sanity and mental competence is based largely upon one's manifestation of understanding truth. Sanity, in courts of law, is judged by one's reasoning ability, against the standard of what is considered to be obvious truth, as commonly known and socially present in the accepted Islamic revelation and the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad. Sanity (or guilt), in this light, is judged with the standard of compassion and reason, and the judges are chosen for their ability to discern the deep inner truths at work in all cases. The standard of "obvious truth" has three clearly distinct levels, each with its own lesser gradations. There is the witnessing of truth that is insincere mimicry and there is the witnessing of truth that is sincere mimicry. These are the two that are most common, and they are both of the mind, while the habits of the lower self are only being partially curtailed and are not, in any remarkable way, transformed. Both witnessings are to be taken at face value, and one's sincerity is never to be judged or questioned. Beyond those levels of understanding are the witnessings of the deeply sincere who have begun to genuinely incorporate the reality of their faith into their hearts. Their witnessing takes on the manifestation of the reality in the heart, and not just the coloring of a well-informed mind. More rarely to be encountered are the truly transformed, whose sincerity is manifest in every deed, word, action and moment in their lives. These are the true journeyman professors, the real masters, who have chosen, for the most part, to enter into a walk of life where they will find themselves and their unique talents most useful. These levels might be equated with the classical western educational standards of the Bachelor, the Master, and the Doctor of Philosophy. The bachelor has a license to practice, the apprentice, so to speak. The master has practiced and gained mastery of the subject such that in his profession he takes on apprentices, and his practice thrives. The doctor of philosophy is a master of such experience that he is now a teacher of others, either privately or in an institute of higher learning. So it is in Islam with levels of awareness of truth. Life is a huge university. And even though you may enter into it with a great deal of learning, until the time comes when you have actually graduated from the various schools established, it is very difficult to prove to the discerning mind that you have the requisite knowledge to teach. And yet we have, in this anxious world in which we live, over-enthusiastic under-grads prematurely usurping the positions of the teachers, and trying to set the world straight by enforcing their unenlightened, uneducated and immature understandings of truth upon the rest of the world. God himself revolts at such attempts. Rebellion attracts only rebellion. The Universe rebels against rebellion and we reap only what we sow. So how is it that they have the hope of succeeding? The only hope for a re-introduction of the truth of Islam into the world, and thereby for its "salvation", is from the very West, which has been posed as the great enemy. Nothing in Al-llah!'s creation is not holy and from Him. All people are in the garden, except those who choose not to be, and even they, for as long as they are alive, have the freedom of choice to re-enter the garden by accepting the belief in it, by simply converting their belief system to that which is



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offered by the Sufis in this book. All I'm suggesting is a simple re-surrendering to Al-llah!, the God from which they came, and manifesting the blessing of their existence with love and innocence once again. The understanding of and re-introduction of Godly reality and understanding into the world of Islam from the west is already in action and was predicted by God in the famous hadith of the "Sunrise in the West" - "The last day will not come until the sun has risen in the West". It is simply up to humanity, one individual at a time, to realize that heaven is indeed our reality, that it is confirmed by the Islamic revelation and that the believers in that are the believers in God and the "saved", and that the disbelievers in that are in some level of belief less than fully realized, and looking for help. And that the disbelievers in Peace altogether are the very dogs of war, and that war is Hell and that people choose to go there all the time. In Islam, it is never assumed that the "standard" of "perfection of mind" is attainable only by a few. As a matter of fact, the standard of "perfection" is, in reality, a genuine standard, which is well within the reach of all. Perfection in Islam is not considered to be in the sense of "that which is unattainable", rather in the sense of that which IS attainable, much the same a father would consider the best efforts of a child to be "perfect". Using this "perfect" knowing or awareness as the standard of mental perfection, Islamic psychotherapy simply observes the varying degrees and manifestations of "imperfection", or distance from it and reasons out the appropriate process or practice to bring the student or patient back into the innate level of consciousness wherein perfect awareness resides. It becomes here obvious that a teacher/therapist can only take the student/client as far as he (or she) has himself gone, and this is why it is incumbent upon spiritual leaders to continues their quest for knowledge and deeper learning both for their own benefit and for that of their students. This science has seriously devolved in the last century of Islam. This is a result of the overwhelming popularity of the western economic structure and the financial rewards of western education which most unequivocally demands the capitulation of the esoteric, spiritual and scientific studies of the great, and very successful, Islamic Scholars of Law and Spiritual Psychology. But it is promised that every hundred years there will arise a popular and successful resurgence of this truth, that will suffice until its decline once again. Such a resurgence we are now witnessing and it is for the benefit of everyone to support it and surrender to it. Another testament to the greatness of this science is that it is well known that in the early years of the American Constitution, justices of the Supreme court would refer to Islamic law when left without precedent from their own legal system. And yet another, and even more obvious, is that in the middle of the hopeless mess of western internal medicine, and the spiritual dilemma of western psychology and psychotherapists, the truly caring among the practitioners of these professions (and even successful businesspeople) are turning to eastern philosophies and religious studies for answers. It is only of late (hopefully not too late) that the value of these sciences is being rediscovered by western researchers in need of help. The incredible value of this knowledge is testified to by the tenacity with which the Sufis study, practice, guard and preserve it. There are even religious traditions from the prophet that say when there are no more students and practitioners of this science, the drama of life on earth will be near the end.



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And even though the reluctance to give Islam any credit in the fields of human understanding is great (the "harder" sciences such as architecture and calligraphy being greatly preferred), it is becoming increasingly obvious that Sufism has preserved the truths of spiritual psychology and has something of tremendous value to offer. I have known this all my life and set out at an early age to learn the secrets of the Sufi path and the popular sciences of Tasawwuf which in western language comprises spiritual psychology, law, psychotherapy, healing and therapeutic techniques, and health sciences from every possible aspect. As one might expect, these "branches" as we like to refer to them in the West, are all of the same tree. And they have everything to do with the simplicity of a proper understanding of Islam. And by this I do not mean the modern and popular perversions that voraciously support the quest for material gain. This understanding is of value to both Muslims and westerners, for we are all in reality, exactly the same. There is no difference. In Reality, there is no conflict to resolve. So understanding Reality is the resolution of all conflicts. And Reality is exactly what is dealt with and explained in detail by the Quràn and the Islamic revelation. The three levels of awareness are hearing/speaking, seeing/witnessing and knowing/being. In between hearing and witnessing is believing. It is well known in Islam (and increasingly in western psychology) that we see what we believe, and that the inculcation of a truthful and realistic belief structure is necessary for truth to be known and "seen". In Islam, a perfect witnessing is of Al-llah! and His Prophet, i.e. to know oneself to be in the presence of the Prophet at all times. This is the highest station in Islam and is known and prayed for by Muslims universally. It is considered the peak reward and the beginning place for the Sufis. In this respect, "Sufi" means, "healed". It is only desirable and desired because it is a reality, a fact, awareness of which is a latent and innate potential within every one of us. For the people of separation, this is referred to as a "will be". It is projected into the future in the "life after death" as a paradisiacal state to be hoped for and earned by living a pious and devout life. These are the people of Shariàt, or the "outside" law of Islam. Their job, and the key to their salvation, is the cloaking of themselves in the virtuous qualities and behavior exemplified by the Prophet. They are referred to in the Quràn as "the companions of the right hand" and are to be left in peace, the certainty of their reward is unquestionable. There are among them, however, severely repressed zealots, of whom the Prophet spoke by saying, "by destructive zealotry my back hath been broken". These are they who have not been educated in the secrets of spiritual realities referred to as the Haqaìq, or the elements of the reality of God, Haqiqat. Over-educated in the elements of shariàt, they believe that it is their duty to seek to force the world into conformity with their narrow views and wishes. There is no doubt that they believe themselves to represent the struggle against oppression, and in many cases do, but none of the masters of their faith are encouraging them to wage war, but to learn the realities and to educate themselves and others. So the difference between levels of understanding is one of salvation vs. self-realization, and what must be done for each. Self-realization is the attempt to reach, know and realize our full potential, the knowledges, states and realities promised to us in the after-life now. As sacrilegious as it may sound to those who believe it is impossible, more than mere tastes are available to us. This is one of the subjects of Sufism and has to do with the aspect of healing.



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They are two different but non-exclusive mindsets. Each is to be respected by the other. Islam is nothing if not respect. (ad-din adab, kulluha.) In Islamic law, one is not considered to be of sound mind (and their witness and testimony is not accepted) if one is not a witness to the Unity of God and the prophecy of Muhammad. The truth of this witnessing is a sound and irrefutable revelation from the Lord of the Worlds, to be denied only by the ill or the sick in mind, so obviously the healing must come first. And if we are not healed ourselves, how can it be expected of us that we can heal others. The Sufi way is the pathway of healing coming from and leading to the perfect witnessing of God held by the Prophet and his family and the "ones who are near" (sabiqun). And even the people who have studied and practiced Sufism as a separate study from Islam are under an obligation to Al-llah! to seek proximity to the family of the Prophet. Again, this reality has three levels of awareness - the witnessing by tongue, by sight and by heart. The gnostic path, or the Sufi path, is that of perfect witnessing. Witnessing the truth is sanity; non-witnessing is delusion, or insanity. But again, sanity has three distinct levels. They are: mimicry, which is imitation without understanding but still acceptable, connection (to the sincere and realized), which is indicative of an awareness of one's relative state (of self-doubt) and a willingness to learn, and realization, which is a full body/mind/heart/ awareness of truth. It is the purpose of this school (and Islam) to provide direction toward the completion of awareness, a perfect witnessing and a completed self-realization. In this purpose, this school is in alignment with Al-llah! Himself, and His intent toward humanity in His revealing to the Prophet the religion of Surrender (Islam). The people of outward mimicry hear of the realization of Truth and unjustly judge themselves, and thereby their Creator, as unworthy of such high and lofty stations, whereas Al-llah! Himself has stated the He has created us equally, after one mold, And that He Himself is the sustainer of life and hearts. They claim to judge themselves and others as unable to attain, to apprehend, to comprehend it in this life. But it is really more a manifestation of their unwillingness to let go of their life in this world, which comes from the sickness in their hearts which they attribute to their upbringing ("we saw our fathers practicing such").

Healing the Heart through Direct Realization Many recognize it as a state of the soul but attribute soul and soul quality to the life after death. And indeed, from the perspective of the ego, it is. But were they to take a closer look at the potentials for realization, unity and success offered by the Sufis, who are Muslims inviting to the way of Peace and Healing the Heart through Direct Realization (Gnosis - ma`rifat), they would see that the realization of soul quality in this life is the exact medicine needed and the healing purpose and goal of the religion in which they believe and follow. They relegate realization to a world after death and thereby cling to what they know of the life of this world, calling it reality. Another manifestation of the Unique Mistake, this is a state of being deluded by the world and asserting the delusion to be reality, when Al-llah! is the Only Reality and calls them to Him inexorably, in spite of themselves. They relegate the higher realities to a realm to be hoped for. They are known in Islam to be the people of "Shari`at only". And they believe that the whole of Islam is comprised by their knowledge of it.



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ACCEPTANCE OF SURRENDER THE WAY OF THE TRUE MUSLIM

But in the end we will find that it's only Prayerful Surrender, Deep Peace, Contentment with God and personal satisfaction4 that heals all wounds. And that is the true definition of Islam. And Sufism (Arabic: Tasawwuf- Soul-cleansing, Self-purification) is the result of this True Surrender. The word Islam means nothing less than "A True and Complete Surrender to the Manifest Will of the Divine Creator in us all". You can receive the fullest soul-cleansing and exalting benefit of Sufism (Tasawwuf - which means Soul purification - the root of all healing) only from the acceptance and practice of a pure Islam (True and Complete Surrender to the Manifest Will of the Divine Creator of us all) under the guidance of a truly realized spiritual master. Acceptance of Islam as a belief system necessitates having a clear recognition that the faith and practices of Islam are in fact the revealed truth and way of humility and approach after Surrender. You may take your time to investigate this claim or simply accept it on testimony. And that this faith and practice is in point of fact the latest and most complete of the prophetic revelations. And it is my testimony that the religion of Islam does in fact and truth support and confirm all that is right and true in all the ways that have come before it, and sets right, to the benefit of all, the fallacies, misconceptions and distortions in any and all of the truly spiritual ways of life. It is the positive and assertive way of true Unity, not merely "non-duality". It is only due to this fact that the Sufis have claimed and proven their right to say that they are in the love of the essence of ALL religions, and that their service is to help all seekers along their chosen path of study at the time5. This is the way of the true Muslim. Testimony to your belief in the one-ness of God is the first of the healing pillars in the way of Surrender. And that testimony is an affirmation. Firstly, that you do know to Whom it is that you are surrendering (to the Divine), and why (for the benefit -Arabic: Falah). Al-llah! puts His Truth in His words and we inherit that Truth by saying them. Secondly, that you recognize that this same Surrender is the way acted upon and taught by all of the Prophets, through whom the enduring religions and revelations were revealed. And that in doing so yourself, you are manifesting your drop of and contribution to the prophetic light, fulfilling your mission as a helper and emissary here on earth.

On Remembering the Name It is not required that you refer to the Divine to Whom you are Surrendered as Al-llah!, but you cannot reject that the Divine is referred to and refers to Himself by that Name in His revealed book (Holy Qur`an), and likes that that Name be used. Just try using it. This (that His Pleasure is upon and inherent in this Name) is the reason for the great enthusiasm that people have for the practice of "Dhikr" - Remembrance (chanting) of the Divine Name. The same principle applies wherever the praises of the Divine are sung, in whatever language. In fact, it is said that all the heavens and earth vibrate in praise of the One who Creates, Sustains and Destroys - in Praise of the One is the Love of the Sufis and the Beloved of all lovers. Have you noticed?

4 Radhiyyatan, Mardhiyyah (Qur`an) 5 In my youth, I traveled through the middle east on my way to India and was hosted everywhere and without fail by the Mulsim people.



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It is understood that the Divine is of course without gender but there are no qualms about referring to Him as He because in this case, He (Arabic: HU) is considered to be one of the Names of God, and such is the nature of the languages we use. Try this. Accept the religion of Islam as a fact. Know that it asks nothing from you more than you are willing to give. Look at it any way you want, but look at it - simply for the reason that rejection (of anything) causes doubt and conflict. Accepting belief systems releases their intensity, as well as their benefit. If you are accepting of belief systems, their power over you is neutralized and their benefit becomes available. God, who has you already, wants nothing more from you than what you truly want to offer. And the finest offering you have is your attention. Nothing, yet everything, changes. And you will learn! Look at some of the things promised by Divinity upon Surrender. Complete and utter forgiveness of all sins, both large and small. No one in Islam is ever interested in knowing anything about anything of your past. No embarrassing questions are ever asked. The past is forgotten and forgiven, be it good or bad. Muslims see only the good in you (that your are a believer), and always greater than the degree that they see it in themselves. This forgiveness is palpable. You can feel it and feel safe in it. You are welcomed by Al-llah! into the community of true lovers to partake in the celebration of the life in God's love free of charge. To "come clean" and to benefit yourself and others with your admitted and confessed presence (and confusion) in the garden of Al-llah!, before the throne of Al-llah!, in the grace of the Almighty, and in the company of His people. You are given your Divine Name, which God has always known. It always reflects the manifestation of a Divine Quality in you. You are encourage to use it, thereby inviting others to use it and feel its quality, which surrounds you (and them) with the light of its reality, and dispels illusion (at least for a moment). You are taught (at your choosing and leisure) the esoterics of prayers and practices that serve to develop your awareness, your understanding, your certainty and your self-confidence. I say esoteric because they are taught only to those who have surrendered, and they are known (or cared about) little in the world outside of the Sufis and Muslims. The Prophets all said that the world was divided into two camps, the world of conflict and the world of Peace and Surrender. And so it is with ourselves. You are introduced to the secrets of creation, as revealed by the Author of Creation Himself. Nothing in the way of work or knowledge is expected or demanded of you except your own desire and willingness to deepen your Surrender, for it leads to an open heart, utterly fulfilled and in unity with your true being. At that point Al-llah! Himself reveals to you your very special robe of sanctity and honor, which will preserve the peace and security of your soul forever. And He gives to you the keys to wisdom, the knowledge and the insight that will enable you to manifest His Light in an irresistible way, that others will come to see, and to drink from the wine of love that comes forth from your heart.



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The Attempted Devastation of True Surrender (Islam) and the Nature and Consequences of Denial

But the preservation of truth is on Al-llah!, and it is promised that the last day will not arrive until the Sun has risen in the West, and is that not what we are beholding in this very time? Should the self-proclaimed "Muslims" judge innocence as guilt? How poorly they judge. They judge themselves "righteous" in their "war" against unbelief, when the unbelief that they are fighting against is within themselves. They proclaim themselves 'complete' in, and the protectors of, the true religion, yet they make war on themselves and their own salvation, closing the gates by professing to open them, by belying and desecrating the teachings of the true masters of the religion they profess. They are professors who have not graduated from their own universities, have not received any seals of approval except from and by themselves. No one among the true believing "Sunnis" or the true "Shi`as" or the true "Sufis", or the true people of any religion or path, agrees with or approves of their obvious spiritual immaturity and their fundamentalist, childish and harmful beliefs that they alone are the holders and preservers of the truth. They stand alone, proud and defiant. They are the lost children of Islam, claiming to be the sole owners of it. This tragic usurpation and imitation of the soul-quality by the ego is the story of life. It can be understood and corrected, but recognition of the harm of previous ways must be established in order for the need for repentance (rethinking and changing) to become obvious. That is why the earth was sent to us as a trial and proving grounds - that we may indeed commit atrocities upon her for a limited time, seeing in her the reflections of our misdeeds and misunderstandings. We might then understand the consequences of our outward folly, and surrender ourselves to the one true God with hope and expectation of mercy and forgiveness, which would be a great reward. Being born into Islam does not mean being born into Surrender. The influences of Muslim parents on their children to become "good" Muslims are exactly the same as the influences of any parents anywhere to have their children succeed in the skills of their particular society. So there remains in the soul of the child the desire to manifest, and the sense of rebellion that wants to make the right decisions based upon true experience, and not upon the acquired experience provided by parents, education and society. This is not to say that the acquired experiences are inherently or necessarily bad, just to say that they are not the genuine experience of self, or the true 'knowing' of God. They tend to mask it, to deny it, and seek to replace it. And they are, for the most part, based upon a turning away from, or the suppression of, the urge to experience one's genuine-ness and authenticity. This urge will, however, continue to be 'sub'-consciously present, and will manifest itself in sometimes 'embarrassing' or even anti-social ways. This is the problem with child raising in all societies, and it is in observation of this that the quest for true satisfaction arises and distinguishes the seekers from the satisfied. The seekers, understanding themselves or not, become the agitators and dissenters to a complacent and self-content society, and eventually become either teachers or martyrs. They become the 'negative' to a false 'positive'. True Surrender must be discovered, realized and accepted by each individual through the process of a quest for true self-understanding. This process was, is and has been preserved by them who seek it. And they are those who have heard and follow true guidance. They are not satisfied with the outward life of picking up a book, reading it, and proclaiming themselves knowledgeable.



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They realize that there is and must be more to life than simply learning how to compete, succeed and excel in the outward goals of material acquisition. (Surrendered) Muslims and Sufis point out that Sufism is dedicated to the investigation, fulfillment and preservation of the essential, true and all-important inner obligations of the real Islam. And that that is and should be the goal and objective of all true Muslims, as it is the goal and objective of all true religions and spiritual paths. It is Haram, as in very strictly forbidden and severely and soulfully punishable by Al-llah! and one's true inner self, to make a war of aggression, and particularly upon any people of peace, which includes all true religions and spiritual paths. This is especially true of the war of self-denial and self-rejection that some societies of outwardly observant Muslims are waging in their attempt to keep the religion pure and clean for others. They seek, in the name of their religion, to deny that inward purity and the quest for the inward experience of God have anything to do with Islam. It may be true that there are levels of outward understanding and compliance with outward conformity that can and should be observed by common people in their daily lives. But to deny the proven and accepted inward realities of life and religion is simply to deny the self any opportunity to realize and truly know God. And truly knowing and glorifying God is our primary responsibility. If that is not fulfilled, of what use is the fulfillment of all of the outward observations except for the benefits of conformity, and to be in the good graces of men and society. And that is truly the association of partners with Al-llah! and a carryover of the basic ignorance of tribalism that has led to the degeneration of the lofty teachings of Divine revelation and which that very revelation was sent to correct. The war is really against war, and in the final showdown it is the people of peace against the people of war, and the people of peace are not in attendance. They are instead, attendant upon the Peace and the teachings of peace. This leaves only the people of war to battle it out among themselves, and war is hell. The affirmation of the Sufis is that the inner work of knowing and loving the Lord thy God with all thy body, heart, mind and soul is the sole point and primary obligation of religion. If it is true, then the people of the "outward" Islam who deny and refute this affirmation are understood by Al-llah!, and by the psychologically and spiritually mature believers6 to be still and simply in denial. This is not necessarily a "bad" thing. Many people live long, fairly happy and productive lives in denial of one thing or another. But it is not the quest, and denial is still a serious psychologically observable state, and in Islamic and Spiritual psychology, it is the underlying basis for pathological and sociopathic behaviors of all kinds. Does this lend itself to an understanding of what's happening in the world of Islam today? It is not required of Muslims that they reach the end of the path of peace, only that they set foot firmly upon it. It is, however, absolutely required of all true Muslims that they actively assist and participate in the efforts of peace. Not war. And if Muslims, or any other people, have ideological differences that lead to persecution and slaughter, and act aggressively upon those ideologies, or teach them with the intention of causing someone else to act aggressively upon them, then they are not in the way of Al-llah!, nor in the

"6 Shaheed Allahu annahu la ilaha illa hu, wal malaaikatuh wa ùlul ìlmi, qa'iman bi qist." Quràn - "Al-llah! bears witness there is no God but He, and the angels and the men of true knowledge, established in justice."



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way of any true religion, nor anywhere near in touch with their true selves, and far from the garden to which they aspire. They will be judged by men according to their deeds and by Al-llah! according to what they allowed in their hearts to cause such deeds. And this judgment is, in their convoluted way, exactly what they are hoping and praying for. So they will surely get what they are asking for, but it will not be what they want, for it is not in the way of true Surrender (Islam). And I'm sure that they will have a lot to atone for in wasting their lives in pursuit of compensatory and ego-gratifying power, some parcels of dirt and some material acquisitions at the cost of human lives. These are truly the unfortunate and the deprived, who abused the religion designed to show them and the rest of the world the way to the true home, and used the energies of their lives to pervert the intentions of Al-llah!'s Divine teaching to serve their own petty purposes. And believe me, we do not want to be judged by Al-llah! in that way. Not according to our deeds, but rather according to our love, understanding of religion, and our Surrender, our praise and high estimation of Al-llah! in his creation and in our selves. It is stated in Qur`an quite clearly that none can lay claim to the inheritance of eternal gardens by virtue of self-righteousness, for Al-llah! looks not to the deeds of man but to the heart. It is this very hidden hypocrisy that causes deeds of evil to be done with the best of intentions. And that we have precious few touchstones of true Islam (Surrender) left on the planet. And that the teaching of truth with uncorrected intention is based upon and causing further reaction to the truth, but is not the truth. It is exactly the case with the ego. It is based upon an assumed imitation of truth but is not the genuine article. That's why in the West there is suddenly this important quest for the "Authentic" self. And Islam does and must confirm and support this quest, for it is only as a result of the quest for truth that the true Islam will be discovered. This quest is explained and corroborated by, but not limited to, the book (Qur`an) and the sunnah (prophetic practice). We are not to be judges, saying that all will be right when I see it and say it is. This is the way parents treat children but this behavior cannot be transferred on to the world at large. Understanding this, the world requires an entirely different education, an education in soul, for it is only the soul that can see the world in proper perspective. Soul is the manifestation of noble character. Development of character is time spent with essence, and first this essence must be identified and confirmed by one who has it. This is the importance and the obligation of the Sufi transmission, which originated from the Prophet Muhammad and is carried in the hearts of those who seek it, cherish it and are confirmed in it. This is the obligation and the debt of gratitude of the Muslims to the Sufis. To deny it is to deny your soul its purpose on earth and to remain trapped in the cage of your own illusions, never setting foot in the real world, the world of the inner reality, the world of Al-llah! and his true believers. To deny it is to deny your own reality and truth. The opposite of denial is acceptance. The elimination of internal denial is manifest in self-acceptance, prosperity and the way of peace. The opposite of denial is manifest in a complete and undefended comfort. This is a taste of the promised garden of eternity. Denial in all forms can be eliminated when acceptance is complete of Self, Love and God. The completion of this acceptance is the point of the Sufi work and all courses in self-realization from whatever tradition.



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ON THE IMPORTANCE OF ELIMINATING REACTION

The nature of reaction and the reasons for understanding it Denial is manifested by reaction. We cannot completely accept the Reality of God except through complete surrender and self-acceptance. And we cannot completely accept ourselves without self-understanding. Reaction is a manifestation of denial, or an unwillingness to accept or understand. In order to truly understand ourselves we must first understand the nature and origins of reaction itself and know how we can heal it in others by taking responsibility for it and seeing it in ourselves. Reactions are made obvious to us by observing our responses to other people, since in the final analysis, we are all one people and all reflect in each other either affirming or disowned or misrepresented aspects of ourselves. We like it and are comfortable when we receive a reflection of a part of ourselves of which we approve. We dislike it or are uncomfortable when we receive reflections to the parts of ourselves with which we are still unfamiliar. This dislike manifests in the form of a discomfort and a corrective defensive reaction.

Finding Forgiveness Forgiveness can be found in understanding the explanation that reaction indicates a simple, innocent self-ignorance, and why we react to this ignorance. Reaction indicates that we have obviously not investigated ourselves sufficiently and therefore still harbor doubts and hidden fears.

Why ignorance is one of the worst of our fears We are very intolerant of ourselves, and we are intolerant of ignorance above all things, because in this particular mass belief system of materialism and compensatory acquisition, the mind and the supremacy of mental superiority is very important, and ignorance is the (ego) death, and nobody wants to die. But recognition of ignorance is an act of faith. The agitation of this intolerance is also a good thing, for the alleviation of it is the driving force behind our insatiable quest for knowledge, which in Islamic tradition is a manifestation of a true believer. Traditions say that the quest for knowledge is inherent in the true believer. The underlying belief in this quest being that suffering, personal and social, does have an end, that ignorance, personal and social, can be cured, and that the thirst for knowledge can be quenched. All these are manifestations of the inherent faith within us all and as such are to be encouraged by Muslims and people in general. Al-llah! (God) truly is the solution to all problems and will prove it to all. So Surrender now, not later.

Understanding ignorance and the nature of innocence Understanding the innocence of ignorance leads us to tolerance. We all love the innocence, and it can be found within us all, if we care to look. This is not to say that all ignorance is innocent. There is also the possibility of a great deception in it. Ignorance is often used as a claim, in a reactive defensive deception, simply because of its assumed innate innocence. True innocence is childlike, and this truth can be pretended in an attempt to hide behind it. But underlying even that, there is an ignorance that is of our true innocence. And that exists still within every heart that beats, and it is the work of the individual and of religions and of spiritual paths, to touch that innocence and bring it forward for its just reward of love and a peaceful, beautiful life.



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If we can accept that reaction equals (self-) ignorance, and therefore become more investigative and willing to explore hidden possibilities, we will come to the ability to tolerate ourselves in our discomfort, and thereby get to the goal of conquering our fears. One who has conquered, or is at least tolerant and self-understanding of his fears, is able thereby to help and understand others, and needs no longer use the defensive mechanism of rejection. This is the elimination of denial, which can and should be the goal of, and used by, Muslims and psychologists the world over for the healing of individual and cultural differences through understanding the nature of the self that reacts and the self that truly knows and experiences Divinity.

Q. And what is it again that we are in denial of? A. We are always and only in denial of self, love and God. All three or any one or two. If you are in complete self-acceptance, Divine Love and Divinity will pour through you, in the very deepest way. This is enlightenment and then you have obtained the point and goal of religion and spirituality and need seek no further. If you have not, or find yourself in reaction to this statement or that person in any way, then please continue on your pathway of self-investigation. I wish here to reiterate the popular phrase, "An un-investigated life is not worth living." Denial is the opposite of acceptance. It is the act of negating the effect of an affirmation through disavowing association with any truth in the statement. It is the act of defending oneself from association or affiliation with that which is judged reprehensible - not wanting to share in the supposed guilt or punishment of such erroneous beliefs. It is for the most part, a fear-based reaction and as such, rejecting and deliberately devoid of any compassion or attempt to understand. Denial is an act. It is both physical, in that it tenses the body as though in fear, and the basis of the action of tension is admittedly fear. Ask a denier why he denies and he will always state fear as a base motivation for denial. Or he'll say that he simply doesn’t believe it, and further investigation will reveal a fear-based reason for that too. Denial is an act in the other sense too, that of a play, or a pretense. So denial is also an act of conscious pretense. There accompanies it a deep feeling that "this is the way I gotta be", a sense of urgency as though defending oneself from a blow to the head or body. Look at the word "pretense". At first glance, it obviously derives from pretending or acting, but it actually says, "pre-tense", as in to tense oneself preemptively, which is the primary defensive reaction. A defensive action is always indicative of the presence of some fear. But true Surrender is the release of and the freedom from all fear, as all enlightened masters and millions of other truly surrendered and happy people will tell you. Even the most abjectly poor people on the streets of Bombay and Calcutta will show you that they at least know how to be happy and free of fear.

Q. So can we investigate the nature and origins of fear? A. Sure. Fear is the result of sociological impositions, false responsibilities, dark hands passed over the head of light to interfere with or alter direct experience of the Divine. We'll get to that in another work. The ultimate fear is of death. Even though it is inevitable, we continue to fear it instead of using it as it was originally intended, as a tool for understanding, and for knowing God and our true nature. But I will go on to show how self-understanding will alleviate this fear entirely, but in the way of enlightened living, and not in the way of fear-driven suicides.



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MORE ON THE NATURE OF REALIZATION

The very Purpose of Death is Realization Let me put it another way. Realization is the purpose of death. The realization of which I speak is that of the real life, everlasting in the Bounty, Mercy and Glory of God. How we spend it depends a lot on the choices we make in this life. Realization is more than belief. It is more than just a belief and an understanding in the mind. The believer says "Yes. I realize that." Meaning, "I understand and believe it to be true." But he has not "Realized" it, as in being in full body/mind/heart awareness of it at all times and behaving appropriately. "It has not yet entered completely into his heart".

The Purpose of Life is Realization Once the heart is healed, and the mind is realized, there is no longer any fear of or "need" for death, as an opposite to life. It is only in our self-definition of life, as being that which belongs to us and to which we must cling, that death appears as the ugly and undesirable opposite. To the realized being, the life belonging to Al-llah! has no end, and the death of the body is nothing more than a transition of the soul from one state of being to another. God (Al-llah!) created to be known. Period! His will be done. It is now as it will be. He IS known. By ALL, even those who deny it. Else what purpose denial? Simply to oppose and thereby distinguish through the definition of opposite, what IS! And what is it that they are denying? They are denying that they know already. It is, in reality, only self-denial, and that is why it is so deadly. Because it (denial) sets itself up in direct opposition to God and to the benevolent energies he has arranged for our everlastingness. And if we deny that, we deny ourselves access to it and thereby to the benefit of it, which is nothing less than everlasting felicity, the "gardens of paradise" that are the "promise" of a Worthy and Capable God, in the company of the Best of His Creation. Realization in Arabic (Ma`arifat) shares the same root as recognition (as in to be aware of and honoring), and knowing (as in Gnosis, or the direct realization of God). Life is simply a process of self-realization. The actuality of life is a coming to realize what actually is, and an ongoing freedom of choice to accept it or turn away from it into illusion and its inevitable destiny. But "Resistance is futile". You are, already, "assimilated". So Why NOT Surrender? We are given a long but definite period of time to realize, recognize, honor and take responsibility for ourselves as the glory of life and its creator. Succeeding at that is THE Success. Failing at that is THE failure. And that is both the warning and the invitation of the word "Islam" (which is simply the Divine command and invitation to Surrender"), in a nutshell.

The Origins of Disbelief, War and the Attitudes of Duality Now look at the origins of the attitudes of duality. The feeling of separation leading to the attitudes of duality or dualistic thinking is the basis of the "I'm right, you're wrong" attitude that precedes all wars and acts of retaliatory destruction. This sense of separation, and the understandable and resulting sense of desperation that leads to the need for and clinging to



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materialist acquisition as a way of life, is the exact cause of disbelief and rejection. If we could experience Unity, we would believe. It matters not in what society, Muslim or otherwise. Materialism and our desire for it is what blocks us from the experience and blinds us to our own reality and to the correct belief that frees us and liberates us. Most people believe that spiritual liberation is impossible, and react with disbelief when I insist that it is not and that it is happening all around us. "Well, not to me!" they emphatically state. And I respond, "because you do not want it". And they say, "that's right. I do not want to be free". But spiritual liberation is not the same as licensing the desires to unrestrained indulgence, much as we might like to hope that it is. As long as spiritual fulfillment is viewed in this light, it remains a good thing to be restrained by the limits of behavioral religion. But let's not throw the baby out with the bath water, and totally deny that a true knowledge of God and appropriate behavior are more than compatible, they literally assure one another.

Q. So what is it that we are to believe in and what is it that keeps us from believing in it? A. Believe in God, the death of the ego and the Life in Him, which is often referred to by the people of the outside as the life hereafter, because from the ego point, it must occur after death. This is not to deny that the body must die and that life does go on after the death of the body. It is however to affirm that the ego and the clinging to life out of desperation from the perceived lack of alternative, is the great denier. Not only of the soul's true desire and purpose to manifest completely in the world of existence, but of the claim and experience of the realized masters, most of whom are famous and undisputedly revered Muslim mystic scholars and saints. And they all claim and teach that the reality can and should be known in this life, and that that is the point and essence of the religion of Islam and the true salvation of the soul. Fear of losing keeps us from believing in it. But what is it that we are afraid of losing? Everything. And we cling to everything out of that fear. So our clinging to everything and anything is what keeps us from knowing the reality and thereby believing it. We ask not that you believe in anything that you do not know or have not experienced.

Q. Why is belief important if we already know? A. Belief is a very important thing. Belief in Al-llah! is a tool to know reality and keep an open mind. It is important to teach that others may know it also. We either believe in reality or we believe in falsehood. But we act according to our beliefs. And it's our actions that bring us happiness or grief. Even wrong belief is still belief. And wrong belief can help us to keep believing. But that is what Qur`an and the Divine revelation was sent to correct.

On the Nature of Material Acquisition Material acquisition is the natural response to the frustration arising from the repression and non-support of the inner quest to discover oneself and one's true motivations for earthly inhabitance. Children are 'made' to be either like their parents or like what their parents want and need. They are, for the most part, 'forced' to fill a gap, to be what their parents 'never could be' or to have what their parents never could have. In every case, even in the most liberal of families, they are rarely given what they need in order to grow up as authentic souls on the planet. This is quite



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natural and as it should be, but the time has come to recognize that this trend has become a human disaster, and start to reverse it. Again I emphasize that the knowledge of revelation was sent to correct the malignant tendencies of this nature, and a proper understanding of it will do exactly that. But I stress again that I mean a proper Surrender in the way of the Classical Sufis, who are dedicated to keeping open the gates of heaven by means of truly understanding the teaching of the Divine revelation. Only by experience can the correct interpretations be known. And experience can only be had by those who are dedicated to it and to the people of it. It cannot be represented or 'explained' by the people of learning. And that's again another example of what I mean when I refer to the difference between learning and experience. It is made to appear as though the majority of people choose to believe that materialism is the only goal of life, and that creates a mass belief system which takes on a life of its own and grows in a self-perpetuating and self-expanding manner. And this assumption is popular and easily drawn. It is also easy to assume that English is the language of material success and in a sense prerequisite and mandatory for a true material success. If people believe that, as it seems most of the world does, then the learning of the English language becomes all-important, along with all of its errors in interpretation of the meanings of the words understood with difficulty in the student's original language. So for many, materialist education is taught in the form of the English language. This is not necessary, it has simply happened. The English language can be used to convey accurate spirituality, but it must come from the people of experience, not the people of learning. For the people of learning have nothing new to contribute. They simply learn and repeat. But for the first time in the history of the English language and in the world, we have an increasingly large and growing society of truly experienced and self-realized spiritual people of our own. And we are more than capable of adequately expressing the truth and realities of the mature life experience in the English language. We need no one to teach us that. And these expressions must be taken seriously, as well as the leadership of these people in changing the usage of English words to mean what they say it means and thereby allowing and accepting the evolution of the language and the understanding of the human experience in that language7. So if the experienced unanimously say that the experience is more aptly described with one word than another, who is there to argue with them, and why would one care to bother. The only reason would be out of commitment to conviction and unwillingness to re-investigate conclusions. This dichotomy has its equivalent in Islamic history where it is told that the people of letters would always pay a visit of respect to the known people of heart before publishing any writings on the subject of religion. This was to seek their blessing by confirming that the writing was not only accurate but not inaccurate, causing harm. The "students" would not assume knowledge, but check their work with the recognized real masters. So, I call on you, O warriors who would pretend to be knowing and knowledgeable, you youthful long-beards, self-righteous, intellectual and pious, who manifest your anger at the world and the people in it, and call it your religion. Cease now to speak in the name our beloved Prophet, who brought peace and liberation, not war and oppression, to the earth, who urged us all to wage the

7 This leads us to the argument of linguistic definition which is significant in that it opens the question of the true basis for interpretation of Qur`an.



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holy battle against our compulsive selves to come to the higher knowledge of God within. Bring down upon yourselves, if you choose, the destruction of your enemies, but do it not in the name of God but in the name of your own personal anger. Your speech is only a manifestation of the anger in your hearts for your own feeling of powerlessness to make the changes you want and your lack of understanding of how to do it. For you have been taught incorrectly and therefore lack the true faith, the trust and surrender which was not taught to you, which is the power of the knowledge of conversion, that will change the things you hate into the things you love.

THE ROAD TO WISDOM A deeper understanding of the conversion principle will show to all that world peace is and can be simply a matter of attitude. Firstly, We are ALL Surrendered (i.e. Muslims). This is true in one way or another and it is for us to find the way to understanding and explaining that. Allah says in Qur`an that Jesus was neither Jew nor Christian, but his holy Surrendered (Ar. Muslim) servant. And he (Jesus) himself said that it is not except as little children that we shall enter the kingdom of heaven. Point one: The Prophet stated plainly and clearly that All Children are born in a state of Perfect Trust and Surrender (Ar. Muslim), and that it is their parents, out of their own fears and concerns, who make them into something different. So our innate nature (Surrendered to the will of God - Muslim) is still present, simply lying 'dormant', if you will, in waiting to be awakened. This awakening is now the 'realization' that psychological and healing investigation points to as being the 'shift' that takes place in the beginning of 'spontaneous' remission, or 'miracle' healings. This 'awakening' can occur 'spontaneously' (it is, however, always attributed to the will of God), or be catalyzed by the presence of one who is committed to 'the work' of bringing it out in others. That's why it is "Divine". So in that sense, in the sense that the true surrendered self lies innately within us, awaiting a call, so to speak - Point two: We are ALL Surrendered beings, if to nothing more than our nature in the moment. But our nature changes from moment to moment, which proves that all our natures exist simultaneously within us. We can choose from moment to moment the nature to which we will surrender, if we will only choose to choose, rather than to react. Our natures run from severe fear and paranoia to the extremes of bliss and ecstasy, and either one can rise and take control at seemingly any moment. But it is obvious that the overall feeling of peace, safety and trust in God is the one that prevails in most cases and is most certain to lead to the success of the human race in its struggle to reach its goals of spiritual maturity and peace on earth. Qur`an says of this "Surely it is in the remembrance of God that the hearts find peace." Secondly: It's simply a matter of recognizing the truth of the above points that will lead to an understanding of what Islam really means. The innate surrender in all of us is what the religion is



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calling us to. The innate desire to live in peace and in harmony with others is what is reached and nourished by the inner teaching of this faith. We have no way of judging another being, and that is why peace and patience is the way of Islam. Ghengis Khan, the Mongol 'scourge' of Islam, became Muslim and ruled a vastly successful and peaceful empire. And when the people came to a great saint (Fariduddin Attar?) to beg him to ask God to stop the slaughter of the invasion, he did. But on the third time God asked him why he was interfering, so he stopped and was killed along with the rest of the resisting Muslim populace. It is said in tradition that if the people to whom the religion was given do not do right by it then it will be taken from them and placed in the hands of a people who will. So what do we know about the 'people in power' except that we 'hate' them because they will not give us what we want. But maybe they are refusing to give what we want because of the way we are asking. Threatening and killing and repressing. This is elemental child psychology except for the fact that human lives are being lost at every moment and the repressive behavior in the name of Islam must, and will, be stopped. It is expected from the 'enemy' but horrendous in the name of Islam. So, whom will God punish here, the 'enemy' who is acting simply according to the expectations of his nature, or the false friend, who is behaving atrociously in the name of God's holy faith?

To Muslims: Our Religion - Once and for All ---- The whole of religion and spiritual practices is about conversion - OUR Conversion: From war to Peace From agitation to Surrender From infidel to Faithful From ignorance to Knowledge From doubt to Certainty From scatteredness to Unity From the outer world to the Inner World From the inner world to the Outer World From self to God From fear to Love From asleep to Awake From sickness to Health From poverty to Wealth From scarcity to Abundance From guilt to Innocence From hatred to Forgiveness. And every soul shall surely taste the sting of death. Spirituality appeals to the western people. Religion does not. And this is because of the seeming militancy and war-bringing nature of religions. They seem to be all pitted against one another. Is this so? They are all saying my way is right and all others are wrong. Is this correct? But the true spiritual (often referred to as 'esoteric' by people fixated in left-brained, linear, materialist, scientific thinking) message of Islam is only in the affirmation of, surrender to, and living in, the existence of One God. Which no one who believes in God will deny, and it is in this statement and affirmation of the One-ness and benevolent nature of God that the world of true believers are united.



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It is the purpose of religion not to take over the world for the sake of its followers, but to prepare us all, each and every individual soul, for the inevitable conversion from asleep to awake. It is to prepare us for the taste of the death of our desire body, and the awakening to our immortal souls. It is the termination of our mortal quest for the satisfaction of physical desire, and the realization that God truly is, and truly has created this life as a preparation for something better and more everlasting. And that it matters not should we choose to accept it or not, or believe in it or not, or prepare for it or not, it will happen, and we will awaken from the dream, all in God's time, sooner or later. Wise then are they who choose to accept the influence of religion and surrender to the realization of who they really are in a transcendent blissful reality which is not beyond the perception of the mortal faculties. Both religion and psychology are about change, transformation, and conversion. Divinely revealed religion is psychology, for no one knows His creation better than God Himself, and to Muslims, Islam is the revelation of guidance from God. All of Psychology (as well as magic, or any other power) is about transformation. Because both exist, but in different quantities and degrees of availability, we are all seeking to transform lead into gold, and we would not be seeking it if we did not believe it possible. "Where is our wealth", we are all crying out loud. But the prevailing answers is, "They stole it!" So now there is an enemy over to whom we have given our personal power to change. SAY "ONE"! Unitarians, Taoists, Buddhists, Hindus, Christians, Jews. Pagans. All people are united in the REALITY of (and belief in) the existence, if at all, of only One. Many are in denial and rebellion, but that denial and rebellion is against and therefore also confirming of, Only One True God. One Energy. One. When all the world says only this one word "ONE" enough times, disputes of all kinds will end and harmony will reign in the minds of men.



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THE IMPORTANCE OF ACTIVE AFFIRMATION AND CONFESSION OF FAITH IN MAINTAINING HEALTH AND VITALITY AND INCREASING REALIZATION

HEALTH, TRUTH AND SELF-VALIDATION

Al-llah! Says "When you remember Me, I remember you." The most salubrious thing we can do is to affirm the Truth, Singularity and Unity of God (Haqq, Ahad, Wahid). That's why a firm Knowledge of this Truth is important to us so that we can avoid the affirmations of falsehood. And that's why the Quest for Truth is so important, and why the Qur`an was sent. The most salubrious thing we can do is to be in constant affirmation of the Reality of God within us, because it is God Himself Who is in constant affirmation of His Reality, and He affirms us as His Manifestation. How much healthier can we ask to be? Annihilation of ego and falsehood is through remembrance. It is said that the death blow to the enemy is the love of the friend. Affirmation of God is Affirmation of Truth and even though the ego is in search of its own annihilation, there is a more truthful part of us that will not be annihilated, not even by the 'fires of hell'. And that is the part that we inhabit when all of the illusion is gone. That is the part that we will come to know and understand whether we want to or not. So why should we not want to, if it's truth? And if it is not truth it will disappear upon investigation, like all falsehood does. Falsehood fears and flees from investigation because it does not want to be discovered, because it knows itself well, and feels itself purposeful and with intent, but knows itself to be but a cover-up for pain and fear and absence. This is why only the courageous are on the pathway of self-discovery. These are the reasons why constant connection with a Sufi teacher is so important to the student of self and Islam. because, simply put, the whole truth cannot be written, much less discovered, read, and comprehended in proper order by the students. There is also the element of community leadership. The Sufi Prayer is the affirmation of divine servitude on a regular basis at least five time a day by reaffirming our belief in the Unity and the prophethood of Muhammad, and "we make no distinction between any of the prophets". A constant surrendering to God is a constant affirming of His Reality, and therefore a constant renewal of health. Islam (surrender) brings everything that is good and nothing that is harmful.

THE END AND THE BEGINNING



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THE FLAVOR OF SURRENDER Classical Sufism is such a perfect way. The knowing of surrender is so easy when understood properly. It's reasonably simple. Surrender is the source of harmony, and contention is the root of discord. When one is in contention, one is not in surrender. If you are in contention with your self (which is the case for almost everyone), you are probably in need of help or stuck forever. But if you are fortunate enough to find yourself in contention with a Sufi master, then the problem is resolved by simple surrender. The nature of the `idhn (divine permission) of the Sufi master is such that it is not to be argued with. It is an absolute authority, not based on the correctness of opinion, and completely independent of your approval. If you are beloved, you will not be argued with, but simply forced, by love, into surrender. Surrender implies the attainment of harmony (happiness) through the release of contention, not through the winning of argument. The point of the master is never who's right. The point is always your surrender (happiness) and eventual ability to recognize the difference between its presence and its absence. In surrender, nothing needs to be proven. All things flow easily and naturally. The flavor of surrender to a Sufi master is the flavor of surrender to The Divine. When you are at peace with a Sufi master, you are at peace with Al-llah! And when you are not, you are not.

Surrender brings peace of mind. Peace of mind allows the heart to open.

An open heart unveils the Field of Beauty. And in the Field of Beauty the deep being is free.

The love of the deep being is its solitude with Al-llah! And it welcomes only the company of other deep beings.

Alone but not alone, the deep being is identified by its love.

When the need is lost, and the field of the heart discovered, all the concepts of the imagination disappear,

and there is only that field of truth to be enjoyed. In the field of truth the deep being emerges,

and it is to the deep being that the body truly surrenders.

The deep self is content to abide in the field of truth. It is the true owner of the body, which is often captured by the mind

and its susceptibility to the illusions of ego, the divisive self, the sensor of relationship,

the responder to desires and reactive defense. It is in the surroundings of peace that the student who is willing to give up everything will have the opportunity to discover this true being, the truth of his reality, allowing it to emerge.



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SUFI TRUTHS



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THE GOAL OF ALL RELIGION The Goal of all Religion is the fulfillment of the first commandment, "to know and love the lord thy God with all thy heart, body, mind and soul." Any belief or practice that aids one towards that goal is healing and meritorious, and any that hinders, deleterious and detrimental. This "knowledge" of God is not limited to repetitive hearsay that He exists. Amazing is it and a part of His True Wonder that He could create in such a fashion as to make it possible that He be hidden so well that the question of His existence arises at all. In Qur`an it is said "And if you really want to marvel, marvel that they disbelieve". Nor is this knowledge limited to that of "certainty" in the heart, for it is commanded "with thy heart, body, mind, and soul". This "Knowing" that is required of us is nothing less than full-body realization, complete surrender of mind, heart, limbs and actions to the perpetuation of His service in worship, adoration and praise. It is more than enough to keep a truly faithful slave occupied in all his time. It is nothing less than the "Gnosis" of the Christians, the saintly "Mindful awareness" of the Eastern religions and the "Ma`arifat" of the Muslims. The endless and unending perception of God (Al-llah!) in all things. We are to abandon our earthly pursuits in love and trust of the One Who brought us into this life without our permission and Who will take us out of it without our permission, and Who wants to reveal to us Himself in our trust of Him. Anything less is partial faith. And yes, we are to "tie our camel". But only because camels, like our minds, are prone to wander. This admonition does not mean to pursue the world with all your heart for then there is nothing in your heart but that which you pursue. It means to leave secure that which is in your trust and then turn to God. Security is a means to a goal, and not the endless goal in itself. Security exists. It is one of the qualities of God, and as such can be relied upon. A full Trust in God is the end of the endless pursuit for Security, and the beginning of the fulfillment of the first commandment. A full Surrender and Trusting in Al-llah! (God) is the goal and the beginning, the attainment of the point and purpose of all religion. It is on us to Trust first, to make the Choice, then we will see the proof. In Peace and Love Ali



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FOUR ESSENTIAL TRUTHS I would like to start your initiation into the School of Sufi Studies by bringing to your awareness Four Essential Truths, and request that you study each one well, understand them and embody them before we go any further.

The first Realization of Divine Truth is that DIVINE BENEVOLENCE IS WAY BEYOND ANY OF OUR ABILITIES TO DESCRIBE IT.

The Divine promise is for eternal Love, in one form or another. So Surrender. Relax, and become transformed without fear into your Real self. Know that it is our desire to feel and receive love that is the secret to our human capacity for spiritual transformation. And Divine Love is the blessing of the Divine. Now here are two important tools to help towards a perfect realization. 1. On saying the Holy Name - Al-llah! If you have trouble with saying the Holy Name, Al-llah!, please read this. It might help you to understand why it is important and how easy it is. Al-llah! - the Name: "Al-llah!" is the Arabic word for God. (Arabic is often referred to as the language of Al-llah!). It is the name by which the Divine Creator refers to Himself in the Holy Qur`an. It is called the "Divine Name", and has a singular power reflective of His Uniqueness and Transcendence over all creation. It is, without doubt, a Divinely revealed Name of God, indicative of nothing other than the One Supreme - Conscious, Living, Creating - over Whom there is none, greater than Whom there is none, and other than Whom there is none. This indicated One is the very Truth and Reality of which Abraham, Isaac, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad all spoke, the One in Whom we all believe. This Name indicates The One - Who is the Author and Creator of the divine and inescapable Reality of the Unity of us all, unto Whose Benevolence Surrender is truly due. Sustainer and Cherisher of creation, Wise, Compassionate, and Merciful. Beyond comprehension and known only by His manifest signs. Begetter of none and never begotten. The Lover and the Beloved, of Whom the Sufi poets sing. The heavens and the earth and all that they contain are but tokens of His Divine Power and Love. So say the Name of Al-llah! Often and Much. Certainly no harm has ever come from it, and it promises to deepen your present awareness of the blessing, gratitude and knowledge of God, the Divine Creator whose throne is to be found in the hearts of His true believers. 2. On saying the Name of Reality - HU! If you have trouble referring to God as He, please read this. It will help you to understand the common use of the genderless pronoun. A note on the use of the masculine gender word "HE" as the personal pronoun denoting the existence of a Divine Benevolence: Please realize that there is of course no gender whatsoever to The Divine Reality, either real or implied. The word 'He' is the closest realistic, easy and practical translation for the Arabic word 'HU', which, when used in human context, is the third person pronoun denoting masculine gender. But when it is used in the context of referring to Al-llah!, it is as genderless as the finger that points to the moon. It is, in this case, another one of the Divine Names and Attributes indicating His Existence as "The Divine Cause, both separate from and linked inexorably and inextricably to our own." HU!



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Our second Realization of Divine Truth is that

DIVINE BENEVOLENCE IS THE SOURCE AND FOUNDATION OF ALL THE IMAGINABLE AND UNIMAGINABLE MERCY AND LOVE IN THE UNIVERSES.

On understanding the nature of Divine Love

It is the Promise of The Divine Oneness - That God will never leave anyone and that He loves us equally one and all. That His Mercy is instantly available to anyone who supplicates, and That He always responds to anyone who calls upon Him with His Holy Name. That He is indeed the Beneficent and Merciful Creator of all that exists, His Beneficence is palpable - you can feel it. That He created to be known so that in knowing Him and recognizing His Existence we are fulfilling our service to Him, for which He is Grateful. That we are worthy of the rewards He chooses to bestow upon us and That there is no one to argue with His Mercy for He is the Doer of what He wishes.

Our third Realization of Divine Truth is that

AL-LLAH! IS FAR ABOVE HIS CREATION, UNIQUE, DISTINCT AND SEPARATE FROM IT.

YET HIS CREATION IS NOT SEPARATE FROM HIM, AND IS A MANIFESTATION OF HIS EXISTENCE, AND POINTS TO HIM.

On the distinction between Divine Unity and Divine Uniqueness -

on why we are not God, but not separate from God. The holy meanings of the Arabic words AHAD and SAMAD. In Qur`an it is said: "Say, He is Al-llah!, THE 'AHAD', Al-llah!, THE 'SAMAD'." "AHAD" means "One" in the sense of 'Singular' and 'Unique'. It implies a separation by virtue of a distinct uniqueness. "Although nothing is separate from Him, He is Separate from everything." This is not in the same sense as the word "Wahid", which also means "one", as in “one, two, three”, and from which the word for Unity (“Tawhid”, meaning God as the one-ness and interconnectedness of all), derives. The 'AHAD' of Al-llah! is His Uniqueness. By that we mean that He is without partner, always was and always will be. "He is now as He was." With or without our recognition, He stands alone, in no need of His creation or anything in it. Conscious and Living, "He is now as He was" (before creation). Unique, without partner. He is not His creation, but He is known by it. And His creation is not Him, but it is not separate from Him. He is the Lord and Master of His creation and He is its Support. Unfathomable is He, except that we may know that it is He who is SAMAD, the Supporter of the firmament upon which His Creation, and the Divine palpability of our own Existence, stands. The Will and Power by which He supports His creation is His 'SAMAD'. SAMAD is not the Essence of creation. It is not the sublime tasting that we alone can feel. It is rather His Quality of



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Being that provides the Foundational Support for that which we can feel and know, that allows creation to be.

Our fourth Realization of Divine Truth is that

HE REVEALS HIMSELF TO HIS CREATION THROUGH HIS CREATION, AND HIS GUIDANCE IS MANIFEST FOR ALL WHO CHOOSE TO FOLLOW IT.

On the nature of revelation, and its distinction from self-discovery

The Nature of Revelation is simple. We simply would not know Him if He did not reveal Himself. We would only know ourselves, and as delightful as the realization of ourselves as a manifestation of Divine Oneness is, without Revelation there would be no Divine Guidance in the form of Higher Knowledge. And as prone as human nature (even 'enlightened' human nature) is to corruption, I hate to imagine how even more terrible and tragic the human inhabitation of this planet might become without the availability of Divine Guidance in the form of Higher Knowledge. Besides the huge Spiritual advantage that Divine Guidance is to mankind, how sweet (thank you God) and interesting it is to not have to rely on (only) our (well-honed - or not) instincts or experience to know the subtler natures of what is both 'right' and 'wrong' for us, both 'good' and 'bad' for us to do in the life of this world. And so why shouldn't God manifest Himself in the form of infallible Divine Guidance? He’s manifest in everything else. First of all, God can do, and does, as He Pleases. Secondly, there are many of us who pray for such Guidance and realize full well our own incapacity to get along without it. Divinity guides us through the unknown into gardens we would never have otherwise known. Who is there to prefer that He answer not the prayers of those in need? Show me one who feels not in need of Divine guidance and I will show you one who is. Divinity is manifest in everything whether we choose to see it or not. Even our choice to perceive it as such is a Divine gift, so why not realize it? We're all looking for "the rule book"<smile>, are we not? So…. "Praise be to Al-llah! for the Gift of Surrender, and as a Gift it is Sufficient." (Qur`an) Al-llah! reveals Himself - people discover themselves. So don't seek enlightenment, it's inevitable. But seek preparation. The functioning principle of the Divine revelation is simple - "practice the positive and the negative will have no power." therein lies the Divine foundation for the law of attraction. True spiritual elation is positive, fun, uplifting, and attracts the good. It is your true and permanent nature. It in no way resembles depression. Life is not a burden. So ends the initiatory material. I pray that the blessing in it is sufficient for you. In Peace and Love Ali



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MAKING PEACE WITH GOD - THE ESSENCE IS THE MEANS IS THE GOAL

An Introduction to the Realities of Spiritual Health and Healing in Islam

Defining the Name, the Essence, the Means, and the Goal

Islam = Surrender: The word "Islam", in Arabic grammar, is the command form of the root word "Peace", and means, "Surrender!" Just do it! Realize your Surrender! You can actualize your Surrender by realizing that you are surrendered and joining with the rest of us who realize it too! Real Surrender is to the truth of who you really are, and to the absolute Divinity of your creation. It is the first act of knowing, worship and gratitude and the true doorway to increasing one's direct awareness of Surrender and Divine Will. This does not mean only Surrender in the mind, which is the seat of pride and individuality, differences and separation, but Surrender in and to the heart, which is the seat of Unity and vision, and wherein is to be found the Throne of God, "Al-llah!" There is a direct relationship between awareness (A true Knowledge of the Divine) and Surrender. The more one surrenders, the more one knows, and the more one knows, the more one surrenders. Such is the relationship between the Lover and the Beloved. It is only from the standpoint of this total Surrender to Divine Will that the inspirational, necessary and brilliant nature of the faith and practices of the Islamic revelation will appear clearly. "Sufism" is the English word for the Arabic "Tasawwuf", or "self-purification" (of our inner being). It sums up in a word the principles and practices of the spiritually realized in Islam, and their students, known as murids, or "desiring". Surrendering to a teacher in order to learn, deepen or verify the truth of your Surrender is the ultimate act of sincerity. The early Sufis were the master teachers of the Islamic revelation. They derived their realization and teaching styles through deep study and practice, and by following, to its uppermost goals and ideals, the principles and practices of true belief as taught to them directly by the Prophet Muhammad, sent as a Mercy and a Light unto all the worlds. Spiritual Healing = Divine Hospitality, allowing yourself to be the 'Guest' of God. Knowing and dwelling in the Essence of Divine Love is without a doubt the greatest healing power known to man. The only thing keeping us from receiving the full benefit of that Love is the limitations we impose upon ourselves. Overcoming these limitations becomes our life's desire, known in Arabic as the "Jihad al-Akbar”, or the greater struggle, and it can be won by giving ourselves permission to heal. Qur`an states, "Al-llah! places not upon a soul a burden greater than it can bear". The Sufi way to "Perfect Surrender and Knowing" (Islam) is the "Essence Redelivered" of the ancient, famous and much sought after "Spiritual Alchemy" - that which transforms the lead of our personal heaviness into the gold of our total lightness and complete awakening and realization. "Al-llah!" - The Name: "Al-llah!" is the Arabic word for The One True God. (Arabic is often referred to as the language of Al-llah!). "Al-llah!" is the Name by which the Divine Creator refers to Himself in the Revealed Qur`an. It is called the "Divine Name", and has a singular power reflective of His Uniqueness and Transcendence over all creation. It is, without doubt, a Divinely revealed Name of God, indicative of nothing other than the One Supreme - Conscious,



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Living, Creating,- over Whom there is none, greater than Whom there is none, and other than Whom there is none. This indicated Oneness is the very Truth of which Abraham, Isaac, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad all spoke, the "God" in Whom we all believe. This Name indicates the One Who is the Author and Creator of the Divine and inescapable Reality of the Unity of us all, unto Whose Benevolent Will Surrender is truly due. Sustainer and Cherisher of creation, Wise, Compassionate, and Merciful. Beyond comprehension and known only by His manifest signs. Begetter of none and never begotten. The Lover and the Beloved, of Whom the Sufi poets sing. The heavens and the earth are but tokens of His Divine Power and Love. "Al-llah!" - the Means: In the Sufi way, there are three stages on the way to a perfect realization, a genuine knowing (gnosis), or an absolute certitude. The first stage is "hearing", learning about it by voice or letter. The second stage is "seeing", witnessing it clearly in yourself and others, the third is "knowing", a realization of the reality of it through the direct experience. In practice, it is said that the Name and the Essence are One. So in short, first we hear "Al-llah!", then we say "Al-llah!", and then we will come to know the Essence of "Al-llah!" and ourselves. And finally, we come to know that we are living in the Divine Reality of God. So "Al-llah!" (His Name and His Essence being One), is the Means. Hence we say, "We know Al-llah! only by Al-llah!" "Al-llah!" - the Goal: The goal of Surrender is to know and live in the true reality of God– that we may know and perceive the true Divinity of life with every cell and action. To live in our reality as created - guided, knowing and surrendered to divine will - and to carry none of the illusions of separation and independent selfhood any more at all. Surrender to God is true Spiritual Liberation. It is to be free of the compulsions of our comparative, competitive egoic delusion, and surrendered completely to the reality of our true existence in Al-llah! It is to walk through the veils, to be oblivious to our selves and aware only of our life in God. "Dhikr!" - the Practice: The word "dhikr" cannot be simply translated into English as remembrance, because, like so many of the powerful concepts presented to us by true spiritual realization, the word is but a key to the world of reality behind it. I like to refer to it as "knocking gently at the door of the heart". The great Sufi Master of Morocco, Muhammad ibn al-Habib said in one verse of his famous and beautiful Diwan (Poetry of Love), "Fa dhikru'llahi, huwa shifa`u". For the Dhikr of Al-llah! (meaning in this instance the constant and sincere remembrance of the Name, the Essence, and the Reality of God, in speech, thought and heart) is the Medicine (meaning the all-important aspect and all-essential ingredient for the true spiritual awareness which is the root of all healing). So Remembrance of God is the Medicine. In essence, this means that constant and consistent remembrance, praise and worship of Divinity (Al-llah!), by tongue, mind and heart, in word, thought and action, is the key to opening the heart to the Peace and the Knowing that allows the body to heal in Surrender. The operative word here is Surrender. It is the direct focus on the psycho-physiology (the spiritually healing qualities) of this Surrender to Divine Love that has captured the hearts and interest of spiritual healers and Sufis. The Sufi Path of Surrender (Islam): To assist and support us in this surrendered life, increasing our awareness and keeping us out of harm's way, we have a Divine revelation, from God, to God, which we are encouraged to follow. This prescribed path consists of a life of piety



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and holiness, dedicated to prayer, fasting, alms-giving, travel in the Holy way, and learning and teaching. It begins and ends with a bearing of witness to the existence of God and a belief in the message of all His Prophets. It includes a palpable forgiveness, which triggers a physical release from the clutches of guilt and shame and is the beginning of all healing. It has effective practices for purifying the heart of residuals. These practices are done entirely in surrender and lead, via the struggle to know and dwell in the perfection of God, through the garden of the heart to the Ultimate Abode. This is the singular point and Divine purpose of this religion called "Islam", or "Surrender", and no other. Sufis and the truly devout Muslims worldwide invite you to join them and enrich the garden of your heart by saying the Holy Name and knowing the Essence and Truth of "Al-llah!" through knowing your own Essence and Truth. For those of you who are interested in the community support being offered for your deeper walking and further knowledge of the Sufi way, regular groups and personal sessions are available. I wish to remind you that Divine Peace is found most strongly in the hearts of those who serve it.

"Who trusts in Al-llah! hath taken indeed a mighty handhold." (Qur`an)

In Peace and Love, Ali

THE CALL OF THE ESSENCE IS CALLED IN ARABIC AL-ADHAN

AND IT IS THE MUSLIM CALL TO PRAYER (Islam means "Surrender to Divine Will", and Muslim means Surrendered)

Five times daily from within or atop every mosque in the world, this call has been heard for over 1400 years. It is singularly the most mysterious and alluring call in the human experience. Everyone wants to know what it means. But first, a little prelude. What is Surrender? • Surrender means letting go of force and pretenses and allowing the natural way (the Tao) of

spiritual realization to prevail. • Surrender means recognizing that the Whole is greater than all of us and realizing the futility

and counterproductiveness of struggle. • Surrender means giving up completely and letting God's Will be done. • Surrender means the release of illusion and letting Truth do the teaching. • Surrender is our key to success. • Surrender is essentially what everyone who knows is doing. It is the answer to the questions,

and the solution to the mysteries of those who are still wandering in the wastelands. • "Surrender!" (as in a command, to be obeyed) is the meaning of the word "Islam". It is a

Divine command. Fortunate are they who "hear" it (in their knowing) and "obey" it (in their doing).



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There is a direct relationship between Awareness (true knowledge of the Divine) and Surrender. The more one surrenders, the more one knows, and the more one knows, the more one surrenders. Such is the relationship between the Lover and the Beloved. It is only from the standpoint of this total Surrender to Divine Will that the inspirational, necessary and brilliant nature of the faith and practices of the Islamic revelation will appear clearly. So what is the call to prayer? We are in the year 1415 AH (which means "ano hegira" or "year of the migration"), Most people don't know that there is a Lunar calendar and a Solar calendar. I'd like to explain a bit more about it at a later time. But for the purpose of this writing it means that the annual rite of Hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca, has been performed over 1400 times in the last as many years, and that for over the last 1400 years, all the people who have heard and believed in the final revelation of God to the Prophet Muhammad have taken it upon themselves to build Mosques as houses of worship all over the world, and establish in them the five-times daily worship-form that was revealed as a pillar of faith, guidance, belief and progress on the pathway of life to God. At the appointed times daily in each of these millions of mosques now established all over the world, someone of the believers will climb to the highest point available and call in a beautiful voice to announce to the world that it is now the time for prayer. The call also proclaims that all are urged with welcome to come into this mosque (my heart) to share in the peace and the beauty of this moment of sacred worship. The way of the life of worship is so different from the way of the life of taxation. In spite of all the apparent political and social troubles, life in the Muslim countries has a sense of true freedom and development of spiritual potential that is not always to be found in the "Western" world. In honor of the "Great Faith" of Islam (Surrender), I would like to present to you the true meaning of this call that is being heard somewhere (if you care to listen) all over the world, at every moment in time. I venture to say, just as the English said in the height of their glory that "the sun never sets on the British Empire", that there is never a moment when the Adhan (the call of the Essence) is not being heard. Talk about a shift. Just the sheer volume of people who are listening daily for the call of the muazzin (the caller) is a huge impetus for consciousness shift. This healing, humbling and purifying form of Divine worship is established in every corner of the globe. Don't be bashful. Join in freely. Learn about the revelation and how it has impacted the lives of over a billion and a half living breathing human beings today. These are not gullible people and nobody expects you to be, either, so investigate for your benefit. Why miss out on the most significant experience that life has to offer? Five times daily from within or atop every mosque in the world, this call has been heard for over 1400 years. It is singularly the most mysterious and alluring call in the human experience. Everyone wants to know what it means.

AL-LLAAHU AKBAR, AL-LLAAHU AKBAR, AL-LLAAHU AKBAR, AL-LLAAHU AKBAR

ASH-HADU AN LAA ILAHA ILLA 'LLAAH ASH-HADU AN LAA ILAHA ILLA 'LLAAH



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ASH-HADU ANNA MUHAMMADAN RASULULLAAH ASH-HADU ANNA MUHAMMADAN RASULULLAAH

HAYYA ÀLA-S-SALAAH, HAYYA ÀLA-S-SALAAH

HAYYA ÀLA-L-FALAAH, HAYYA ÀLA-L-FALAAH

AL-LLAAHU AKBAR, AL-LLAAHU AKBAR

LAA ILAHA ILLA 'LLAAH

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AL-LLAAHU AKBAR, AL-LLAAHU AKBAR, AL-LLAAHU AKBAR, AL-LLAAHU AKBAR

"God is greater" "God is greater" "God is greater" "God is greater"

(than anything else that may be distracting you at the moment)

ASH-HADU AN LAA ILAHA ILLA 'LLAAH ASH-HADU AN LAA ILAHA ILLA 'LLAAH

"I bear witness that there is no other god but the One." "I bear witness that there is no other god but the One."

(Who is True)

ASH-HADU ANNA MUHAMMADAN RASULULLAAH ASH-HADU ANNA MUHAMMADAN RASULULLAAH

"I bear witness that Muhammad is the True Messenger of the One." "I bear witness that Muhammad is the True Messenger of the One"

(Messenger of the true Unity)

HAYYA ÀLA-S-SALAAH, HAYYA ÀLA-S-SALAAH "Hasten (Come Alive) to this Worship" "Hasten (Come Alive) to this Worship"

HAYYA ÀLA-L-FALAAH, HAYYA ÀLA-L-FALAAH

"Hasten (Come Alive) to your True Success" "Hasten (Come Alive) to your True Success"

AL-LLAAHU AKBAR, AL-LLAAHU AKBAR

"God is Greater", "God is Greater"

LAA ILAHA ILLA 'LLAAH "There is nothing else (worthy of your attention)

(at this or any moment) except The One (Al-llah!)".

With Peace and Love Ali

WHO AM I?

I have spent my Life of Illusion,

Knowingly in the Presence of Truth.

Aware of the overwhelming Power of Illusion,

Trusting in the overwhelming Power of Truth.

Struggling against and Surrendering to the Illusion,

Struggling against and Surrendering to the Truth.

Never unaware but always forgetful, Eternally Grateful

for all the Reminders. Fortunately (for me), the Divine Smile

of Truth Is Irresistible, winning my heart every time,

and in the end, turning it into a helpless puddle

of Laughter and Joy. Happiness Heals!

And Happiness is in Love with Truth.

These are my "Credentials".

Finding Spiritual Healing and World Peace in these Troubled Times

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