By Anna Abbott - St. Helena Star - St. Helena, CA, USA
Thursday, June 15, 2006
Tucked within the Vaca Range, there lies a peaceful Sufi spiritual center run by the Shadhiliyya order. It overlooks a valley below, shaded by trees with a natural spring running through it, dappled with olive trees, cacti, rosebushes, and California poppies. The place smells of cinnamon.
Its rooms are decorated with the calligraphy of Arabic prayers -- one room has a rug depicting the mosque in Mecca. In the kitchen smelling of herbs, spices, and various teas there are many vegetarian cookbooks, including a "Sacred Heart Medical Diet" posted on the wall. Women wear veils or kerchiefs on their heads depending on their comfort. Schedules list the five times of prayer during the day.
Dr. Ibrahim Jaffe, M.D., is the retreat center's muqqadam (spiritual teacher). The retreat center is the result of a long spiritual journey.
Jaffe said that he was brought up Jewish. He explored Tantric Buddhism, Hinduism, and homeopathy.
He observed, "Following several years of healing, I developed heart disease from the stress of working with so many people." Seeking a cure, he went to Jerusalem where he met a Sufi master.
After he completed his training in 1997, his guide, Sidi Muhammad Al Jamal, requested that he take his teachings to the U.S. Jaffe started centers, including ones in the cities of Portland, Ore., Maui, Los Angeles, Santa Fe, and Chicago/Detroit.
Explaining his Sufi faith, Jaffe said, "There are many forms of Sufism in the world today. Sufism does, however, originate from the Prophet Muhammad and from the Prophet Abraham in the Bible. Each taught about the inner realities of love, peace and unity that occur when one surrenders to God and undergoes a life of purification. Islamic Sufism continues to keep its ties with the religion of Islam, however it is in truth the inner esoteric teachings of unity. Today many Muslims do not accept Sufism as a true faith of Islam. However, Sufis would say that they carry the real understanding of love and sweetness that is the true Islam."
Salih Cotten, who works at the center said, "We consider ourselves Muslims in the true sense of the words." Unlike other Muslims, the Sufis "do drumming, join hands, and repeat the different names of God." There are also women teachers, who are absent from more conservative forms of Islam. In contrast to other mosques, the Sufi men and women pray together, with the women standing behind the men. Cotten said that this signifies the men protecting the women and the women strengthening the men.
Like other Muslims, the Sufis abstain from pork and shellfish. Cotten said, "We tend to be a healing order. We focus on health and wellness. We provide for vegetarians and vegans."
Cotten explained, "We're not evangelical, we encourage people to taste it.
People drawn to this way are called beloveds."
Ra'uf Hayes, who has been at the center for three months, was "looking for guidance to God." He helps with maintenance and gardening. Sumayah Houston, who has been there for three months as well, came from the East Coast. She said, "There were lots of events leading to this path. I was ready to have God in my life; Allah provided the way. I wanted to explore what spirituality meant. I found the path two months before graduating from college studying journalism."
Commenting on the center, Houston said, "There's sensitivity to what's around you," and added, "There's a nice Sufi community in St. Helena and Angwin."
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
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Wednesday, November 08, 2006
Sufi center offers spiritual retreat in Pope Canyon
By Anna Abbott - St. Helena Star - St. Helena, CA, USA
Thursday, June 15, 2006
Tucked within the Vaca Range, there lies a peaceful Sufi spiritual center run by the Shadhiliyya order. It overlooks a valley below, shaded by trees with a natural spring running through it, dappled with olive trees, cacti, rosebushes, and California poppies. The place smells of cinnamon.
Its rooms are decorated with the calligraphy of Arabic prayers -- one room has a rug depicting the mosque in Mecca. In the kitchen smelling of herbs, spices, and various teas there are many vegetarian cookbooks, including a "Sacred Heart Medical Diet" posted on the wall. Women wear veils or kerchiefs on their heads depending on their comfort. Schedules list the five times of prayer during the day.
Dr. Ibrahim Jaffe, M.D., is the retreat center's muqqadam (spiritual teacher). The retreat center is the result of a long spiritual journey.
Jaffe said that he was brought up Jewish. He explored Tantric Buddhism, Hinduism, and homeopathy.
He observed, "Following several years of healing, I developed heart disease from the stress of working with so many people." Seeking a cure, he went to Jerusalem where he met a Sufi master.
After he completed his training in 1997, his guide, Sidi Muhammad Al Jamal, requested that he take his teachings to the U.S. Jaffe started centers, including ones in the cities of Portland, Ore., Maui, Los Angeles, Santa Fe, and Chicago/Detroit.
Explaining his Sufi faith, Jaffe said, "There are many forms of Sufism in the world today. Sufism does, however, originate from the Prophet Muhammad and from the Prophet Abraham in the Bible. Each taught about the inner realities of love, peace and unity that occur when one surrenders to God and undergoes a life of purification. Islamic Sufism continues to keep its ties with the religion of Islam, however it is in truth the inner esoteric teachings of unity. Today many Muslims do not accept Sufism as a true faith of Islam. However, Sufis would say that they carry the real understanding of love and sweetness that is the true Islam."
Salih Cotten, who works at the center said, "We consider ourselves Muslims in the true sense of the words." Unlike other Muslims, the Sufis "do drumming, join hands, and repeat the different names of God." There are also women teachers, who are absent from more conservative forms of Islam. In contrast to other mosques, the Sufi men and women pray together, with the women standing behind the men. Cotten said that this signifies the men protecting the women and the women strengthening the men.
Like other Muslims, the Sufis abstain from pork and shellfish. Cotten said, "We tend to be a healing order. We focus on health and wellness. We provide for vegetarians and vegans."
Cotten explained, "We're not evangelical, we encourage people to taste it.
People drawn to this way are called beloveds."
Ra'uf Hayes, who has been at the center for three months, was "looking for guidance to God." He helps with maintenance and gardening. Sumayah Houston, who has been there for three months as well, came from the East Coast. She said, "There were lots of events leading to this path. I was ready to have God in my life; Allah provided the way. I wanted to explore what spirituality meant. I found the path two months before graduating from college studying journalism."
Commenting on the center, Houston said, "There's sensitivity to what's around you," and added, "There's a nice Sufi community in St. Helena and Angwin."
Thursday, June 15, 2006
Tucked within the Vaca Range, there lies a peaceful Sufi spiritual center run by the Shadhiliyya order. It overlooks a valley below, shaded by trees with a natural spring running through it, dappled with olive trees, cacti, rosebushes, and California poppies. The place smells of cinnamon.
Its rooms are decorated with the calligraphy of Arabic prayers -- one room has a rug depicting the mosque in Mecca. In the kitchen smelling of herbs, spices, and various teas there are many vegetarian cookbooks, including a "Sacred Heart Medical Diet" posted on the wall. Women wear veils or kerchiefs on their heads depending on their comfort. Schedules list the five times of prayer during the day.
Dr. Ibrahim Jaffe, M.D., is the retreat center's muqqadam (spiritual teacher). The retreat center is the result of a long spiritual journey.
Jaffe said that he was brought up Jewish. He explored Tantric Buddhism, Hinduism, and homeopathy.
He observed, "Following several years of healing, I developed heart disease from the stress of working with so many people." Seeking a cure, he went to Jerusalem where he met a Sufi master.
After he completed his training in 1997, his guide, Sidi Muhammad Al Jamal, requested that he take his teachings to the U.S. Jaffe started centers, including ones in the cities of Portland, Ore., Maui, Los Angeles, Santa Fe, and Chicago/Detroit.
Explaining his Sufi faith, Jaffe said, "There are many forms of Sufism in the world today. Sufism does, however, originate from the Prophet Muhammad and from the Prophet Abraham in the Bible. Each taught about the inner realities of love, peace and unity that occur when one surrenders to God and undergoes a life of purification. Islamic Sufism continues to keep its ties with the religion of Islam, however it is in truth the inner esoteric teachings of unity. Today many Muslims do not accept Sufism as a true faith of Islam. However, Sufis would say that they carry the real understanding of love and sweetness that is the true Islam."
Salih Cotten, who works at the center said, "We consider ourselves Muslims in the true sense of the words." Unlike other Muslims, the Sufis "do drumming, join hands, and repeat the different names of God." There are also women teachers, who are absent from more conservative forms of Islam. In contrast to other mosques, the Sufi men and women pray together, with the women standing behind the men. Cotten said that this signifies the men protecting the women and the women strengthening the men.
Like other Muslims, the Sufis abstain from pork and shellfish. Cotten said, "We tend to be a healing order. We focus on health and wellness. We provide for vegetarians and vegans."
Cotten explained, "We're not evangelical, we encourage people to taste it.
People drawn to this way are called beloveds."
Ra'uf Hayes, who has been at the center for three months, was "looking for guidance to God." He helps with maintenance and gardening. Sumayah Houston, who has been there for three months as well, came from the East Coast. She said, "There were lots of events leading to this path. I was ready to have God in my life; Allah provided the way. I wanted to explore what spirituality meant. I found the path two months before graduating from college studying journalism."
Commenting on the center, Houston said, "There's sensitivity to what's around you," and added, "There's a nice Sufi community in St. Helena and Angwin."
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