SUFISM REVIVED IBD

Sinopse

In this compilation of spiritual discourses (sing. mudhÄükara), Shaykh Mohamed Faouzi al-Karkari offers a Sufi commentary on the functions, degrees and implications of prophethood (nubÅ«wa), messengerhood (risÄüla), and sainthood (wilÄüya). Major themes include the identification of the Prophet Muhammad with 'the supreme intellect' (al-Ê¿aql al-akbar), the manifestation of the all-encompassing Muhammadan Reality through the different prophetic figures, the notion of prophetic inerrancy (Ê¿iá¹úma), the doctrine of the Perfect Man (al-insÄün al-kÄümil), and the universality of the Muá¸Ñammadan nation.In his discussion on sainthood, the Shaykh offers a commentary on the Path to God as expressed in the well-known Holy Tradition (á¸ÑadÄ«th qudsÄ«), narrated in á¹óaá¸ÑÄ«á¸Ñ BukhÄürÄ«, in which God proclaims: 'Whoever aggresses against one of My friends, I declare war on them...My servant continues to draw near unto Me with supererogatory devotions until I love him, and when I love him, I am his hearing by which he hears, his sight by which he sees, his hand by which he clutches, and his foot by which he walks. If he asks of Me, I will surely give him, and if he seeks refuge in Me, I will surely give him refuge.'áThroughout these discourses, the Shaykh offers practical advice for seekers regarding the complementarity between the exoteric Law (sharÄ«Ê¿a) and esoteric Truth (á¸ÑaqÄ«qa), the love of the Prophet and his descendents, and the attainment of unmediated knowledge of God (maÊ¿rifa). Special emphasis is placed by the Shaykh on the seekerâÇÖs visions (mushÄühadÄüt) of GodâÇÖs Light, recognizing the traces of the Divine Names in creation, and how to derive knowledge of God from oneâÇÖs spiritual experiences.