AKI ADN Kronos International - Rome, ItalyThursday, February 21, 2008
Sufi Muslims focus on Islam in Rome
The Sufi Muslim order of Burhaniya has organised a series of meetings in the Italian capital of Rome entitled "L'Oriente in Occidente" (The East in the West).
The meetings will be held twice a month until April and are expected to explore the central theme of "The great figures of Sufi Islam, friends of God, saints for love".
Sufism is Islamic mysticism. Sufis believe in a mystical path to God through prayer, dance and music.The next meeting to take place in Rome on Saturday will be held in the "zawiya", a meeting and prayer area, for the Sufi brotherhood in the Italian capital [see the address and program (in Italian) at the end of the article].
"The idea of meeting in the zawiya was born three years ago with the intention of better using the available space in our Tariqa (brotherhood) in Rome," said Abdul Ghafur Franco Grassi, the "murshid" or spiritual guide for the Burhaniya Sufi order in an interview with Adnkronos International (AKI).
"We thought that this could be a useful way to begin conversations that will shed light on how Islam, the true Islam, often unknown, exists in the West; hence the title, The East in the West," Grassi told AKI.
"For the second series of meetings, [which were held last year], we added a subheading: The invisible reality: the roads to Sufism." For the third series this year, Grassi said that the focus would be on the great figure in Sufism."We hope that this year we can let people know the more spiritual aspects, and the more acceptable aspects also in the West, of Islam - the way of the heart or knowledge," he said.
The complete name of the sufi order is Tariqa Burhaniya Disuqiya Shadhuliy and it was founded in the 13th century in Egypt by the Sufi saint Sayydina Ibrahim Dusuqi, nephew of the Imam Abu Hasan Shadhili.
In 1900 the movement was revitalised by the Sudanese Sheikh Muhammad Uthman Al-Burhani, the grandfather of the current leader Sheikh Muhammad. The order is based in the Sudanese capital Khartoum, where it has a grand mosque.
The movement is said to have developed from Sudan to Egypt and claims to have millions of followers in the Middle East, Europe and North America. In Europe it is said to be very popular particularly in Germany, where there are many centres, including its main hub in Hamburg.
The order has existed in Italy since the 1980s. The largest community, made up of about 40 people, most of whom are Italian, is located in Rome.
III° ciclo d’incontri l'Oriente in Occidente 2008
Roma 19 gennaio ~ 26 aprile 2008
Le grandi figure del Sufismo: amici di Dio, santi per amore
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Sabato 15 marzo 2008-ore 18 Conversazione su Rumi, santo, poeta, maestro. Relatore: Adnane Mokrani
Sabato 19 aprile 2008-ore 18 Attualità della Tradizione: lo Shaykh algerino Ahmad al-‘Alawi. Relatore: Carmela Crescenti
Sabato 26 aprile 2008-ore 18 Al-Hujwiri [m. 1072, Lahore], il primo santo patrono musulmano del subcontinente indiano. Relatore: Fabrizio Speziale
Ingresso libero – Nella zawya, un luogo di preghiera, si osserva l’uso di togliersi le scarpe
Sede degli incontri: Zawya della Tarīqah Burhanīya, Roma, Viale di Valle Aurelia 112 (Metro Valle Aurelia)
Segreteria organizzativaTelefono e fax +39 06.3293318 mobile +39 3476530117
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