Sufi Islam in Egypt Daily News Egypt, Sarah El Masry / October 21, 2012
Lately, Sufis have been one of the vital cards utilised in
Egyptian parliamentary and presidential elections. Being supportive of
the “civil state” camp and against political Islam added more to the
long list of misconceptions about Sufis. Not only are they depicted as
indulgers in folkloric celebrations, poetic recitals and religious
chants, but also as allies of secularism, a precondition to be bashed by
their rival religious group, the Salafis. Daily News Egypt explores the
meaning of Sufism through the eyes of its adherents, the insightful
explanations of some Sufi sheikhs about the long rivalry against
Wahhabism and the current Sufi involvement in politics.
“The
mawalid [plural of
moulid, birthdates of the prophet’s family and other
awliya'a,
saints] have turned into popular as well as religious celebrations, so
not every person who goes to them is a Sufi,” said Sheikh Mohamed
Mazhar, the leader of the Borhameya order in Egypt.
Two of the major
mawalid that Sufis celebrate annually were
held in the past two weeks. On 18 October, over one million visitors
travelled to Desouk in Kafr El Sheikh governorate to celebrate the
moulid
of sidi Ibrahim El Desouki. On the preceding Thursday another million
visitors from all over Egypt and even from other Islamic countries
flooded Tanta in El Gharbiya governorate to commemorate the
moulid
of Sidi Ahmed El Badawi. The crowds who went there sought not just
blessings, but to recharge themselves spiritually and to be reminded of
the virtues Islam calls for through the remembrance of these righteous
men’s deeds and attitudes.
The
mawalid combine religious rituals such as
dhikr (recitation of the names of Allah and the prophet and some verbal prayers) and
inshad
(an Islamic religious singing that allows minimal musical instruments)
as well as some folkloric traditions such as poetry recitals, singing,
dancing and selling oriental desserts and toys. Sufis originally
celebrated
mawalid for spiritual reasons but over the years the
folkloric traditions grew bigger and to overshadow Sufism’s tenets,
leaving behind an image that Sufism is just a circus for the commoners,
uneducated and poor.
Like other religious communities in Egypt, there is no official
information about the numbers of Sufis, however most estimates
approximates the number of Sufis to around 10 million Egyptians. These
estimates are much dependent on attendance of
mawalid, religious lessons and
dhikr and
inshad sessions. While none of these events are restricted by any means to the disciples of the
turuq (plural of
tariqa, order or path of Sufism), many people can go in and out of a Sufi order which makes it even harder to make a precise estimate.
What it means to be a Sufi
As he sipped his coffee, Ahmed Cherif put aside his colourful rosary
on the table and commenced a passionate discourse about what attracted
him to Sufism.
“I have always admired
inshad and praise sessions because when I lived in Alexandria many of my friends used to hold
dhikr sessions. Also my uncle Sheikh Mazhar guided the Borhameya order, but we never connected on that level,” said Cherif.
After his graduation, he knocked at the door of Sufism.
He continued, “two years ago many things happened to me and I talked
to him [his uncle], attended his lessons and got attached to him. I then
discovered that Sufism was very different from how I perceived it.”
Cherif read about Sufis, their ideas, how Sufism started and he started adhering to the Borhameya order.
“My first perception of Sufism was solely focused on the physical
practices rather than the spiritual ones. I knew there were different
aspects of it for the heart and soul, but I hadn’t thought it over,” he
said.
Cherif’s definition of Sufism crystallised in freeing your baser self
from the shackles of materialism which controls everything. He
elaborated, “today people decide for us what to wear, buy, eat and
drink; we no longer feel spirituality. Even religion is now measured
with material rewards. Do this and you will get a reward from Allah. How
about doing this because you love it or because it’s right?”
He thinks that true followers of Islam should control themselves
because the prophet, peace be upon him (PBUH), was not afraid of Muslims
being infidels, he was afraid of them being tempted by
el donia (worldly desires).
He explained, “you practice self-restraint because many times you
follow your desires to fulfill your ego. However, if you submitted
yourself and emptied the path between you and Allah, then you would
break free from anything that enslaves you.”
He believes that you can learn from reading about something, but
Sufism requires one to act upon its principles to truly experience it.
“We learnt in books on religion to love, respect and to be humble. I
saw that Sufis conform to these values. I saw that differences dissolve
in the order. People from all classes, professions get together and
differences never came up. I felt it was genuine,” said Cherif.
He described the changes he observed in himself. Some trivial things
that used to matter to him were no longer important. Conforming to the
five pillars of the order disciplines the person; eating less to purify
the body, speaking only to say good, limiting sleeping, refraining from
vicious company and keeping
dhikr.
“I thought, it actually works!”
Sufi orders
There are many narratives about the origins of the word Sufi. Some opinions say the name comes from
safaa (purity), mystics wearing
souf (wool), or
el estefaa, being chosen by Allah for their religiosity and sincerity.
Sheikh Mazhar of the Borhameya order explained what Sufism is in his mind.
He said, “Sufism is the
rouh [soul] of Islam. It seeks to help people reaching
ehsan [a level of perfection and certainty in worshiping Allah] because it is based on the principle of purifying the baser self.”
Sheikh Mazhar is a graduate of Cairo University in economics and
political science. His father became the sheikh of the order in 1968. In
1993, the disciples of the order pledged allegiance to him because he
was always accompanying his father and they trusted his knowledge of the
order.
“The ruling principles of any order are to abide by the Quran and the
Sunnah [actions and sayings] of the prophet (PBUH) in our manners,
talks, and actions. The order is really about
istiqama, incorruptibility,” he said.
In Egypt, there are more than 75 Sufi orders. Each was established by
a grand master. The biggest four orders are El Badaweya by sidi Ahmed
El Badawi, El Borhameya El Desoukeya by sidi Ibrahim El Desouki, El
Shazoliya by Sheikh Aboul Hassan Al Shazli, and Al Rifa’eya by Sheikh
Ahmed Al Rifa’i. Other orders such as Al Qenawiya by Sheikh Abdel Rahim
El Qenawi, founded in Qena, Al Naqshabandiya, Al Kaderiya, and Al
Khelwatiya have chapters in Alexandria and the Nile delta.
Sheikh Mazhar explained that the difference between the orders
relates to the spiritual aspect rather than to the creed. In other
words, each order is not a distinct religion in itself. Each order might
follow a different
fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) school, but the leader of the order does not invent a whole new school.
He said, “the methods followed by the grand master with his disciples
differ, but the core ruling principles of Sufism are consistent
throughout the different orders.”
Sheikh Alaa Aboul Azayem of the Al Azmeya order in Cairo agrees with
Sheikh Mazhar. He said, “all the orders are spiritual paths to reach
Allah.”
Sheikh Aboul Azayem gave an example of these minor differences among
the orders saying, “In the Azmeya order we observe praying the five
prayers on time, we have our distinguished
dua’a [verbal prayers], our
mawalid [many of them are common among all orders] and we follow the Malki school of
fiqh.”
Steffen Stelzer, a professor of philosophy at the American University in Cairo and one of the representatives of the
Naqshbandiya
order
in Egypt, thinks the different label for the order are not important.
Instead, he believes the emphasis should be on the core of Sufism.
“There is an old saying that says ‘at the beginning Sufism was a
thing without a name, now it’s a name without a thing,’” he said. “What
interests me is the thing and not the name; the living kernel of
spirituality of any religion. It has been called Sufism in the context
of Islam with the aim of pleasing Allah. If you’re a Christian, Jewish
or whatever, and you’re aim is to please God then you can call that
thing whatever you like. Labels and tags are not important.”
Stelzer’s story with Sufism took an interesting turn from someone who
was not interested in Islam in 1980 to a leader of an order. The secret
was in observing a true embodiment of Islam as a religion.
“People in Egypt knew what is right and what is wrong, but none of
them was inviting. I did not see a true example of Islam. Then, I was
interested in mysticism and I intended to learn about it in Japan
through Zen Buddhism. Before traveling, I was introduced to a Sufi
Sheikh in Turkey. That meeting made the difference and connected me to
Sufism. I did not read about it before, it was the other way around, I
met the person then I started reading about Islam.”
In addition to consistency in principles binding all orders, they emphasise purity and asceticism of the heart.
Sheikh Mazhar clarified that when people associate Sufism with
austerity and asceticism they sometimes miss the point. According to
him, Sufism and Islam in general are against excessive materialism.
However, this does not mean that people should refrain from work. He
said, “the
Sahabah [the prophet’s companions] had their trade
and jobs and the prophet did not ask them to dedicate themselves for
worship only because Islam encourages people to work and be productive.”
Wahhabism, the antithesis of Sufis
Despite the authentic Islamic principles and foundations Sufism is
based upon, as a doctrine it has been criticised heavily by its rival
the Wahhabis (in Egypt Salafis adopt the Wahhabi doctrine).
Historically, since its foundation in the 18
th century in
Najd, the Wahhabi movement, named after Mohamed Abdel Wahhab, adopted an
extreme interpretation of the Hanbali school of
fiqh and sought to purify Islam from all
bid’a (innovations and un-Islamic practices). The Wahhabis were against celebrating
mawalid and consecrating shrines. They believe that by such practices Sufis tarnish the Islamic faith.
Stelzer commented on Wahhabis saying, “you have different ideologies
competing to represent purity. The Wahhabis want to bring back the
simplest forms and that’s what represents purity for them. The desires
to purity have some dangers with them because you think that you’re the
only clean one and that everyone else is dirty.”
On the other hand, Sheikh Mazhar agreed with some of the criticisms
by Salafis and disagreed with others. He agreed that some Sufis are not
good disciples of Sufism. Those disciples sometimes commit mistakes
against Shari’a and in that case Salafis are right to criticise Sufism.
He said, “Ibn Timia [the grand Sheikh who influenced Abdel Wahhab]
distinguished between the early pure forms of Sufism and the later
forms. The former he praised and the latter he criticised. However, he
was criticising with knowledge of the ruling principles. Some critics of
Sufism slam it so hard and generalise the wrong practices they see
without having knowledge of the principle.”
Sheikh Mazhar explained that having
awliya’a and virtuous men is important in Islamic societies.
“If the
awliya’a are not highlighted, then people will think
that Islamic virtues like loyalty, asceticism, honesty are just
theoretical manners restricted to prophets only. Showing them that in
our time there were
awliya’a who practiced these virtues strengthens their belief in religion.”
It seems that Sufi Sheikhs and representatives agree that with time
Sufism developed practices that were and still are tarnishing the
appearance of Sufism.
Sheikh Mazhar added, “some critics have to do with our cultural
practices as Egyptians, like cleanliness of our mosques during the
mawalid.”
Beyond the Salafis’ attempts to demonise Sufis, Sufis have been
looked down upon because they were considered a source of backwardness
and traditionalism in Egyptian society. According to Stelzer, this
portrayal of Sufis dates back to the colonial era and the rivalry
between east and west.
He said, “at a certain historical period in Egypt, resentment started
building towards Sufism by the middle classes because it was thought to
be for common and stupid people. To be able to follow up with
advancement of the west you needed to get rid of the stupid circus
stuff.”
Sufis in politics
Sufis Sheikhs were involved in politics with the old regime through
the Supreme Council of Sufi Orders. Although the council is somewhat
disconnected from Sufi orders and is regarded as a regulatory authority,
its existence curbs the autonomy of Sufi orders from the state. It has
registered about 75 orders, leaving a further 25 unregistered orders
deprived of certain privileges in the public sphere, such as permissions
to use streets for celebrating
mawalid. The purpose of the
council is to advance Sufi rights; however it is hampered due to its
structure and its semi-governmental nature.
The Mausoleum of Al-Hussein in Cairo is a sacred Sufi site. (Photo by Sarah El-Masry)
“Although the council is supposed to serve Sufi communities, it does not represent Sufis really,” said Sheikh Aboul Azayem.
The council is made up of ten members that are elected from the
general assembly of sheikhs of Sufi orders and five representatives
appointed by Al-Azhar (the most prestigious Sunni institute in the
Islamic world), the local authority and the ministries of interior,
culture and interior. Some members of the council are affiliated with
the National Democratic Party and the chairman of the council is elected
by the council and approved by the president.
The current chairman, Sheikh Abdel Hady Al Kasaby, was approved by
ousted President Hosni Mubarak and therefore after the revolution, the
Sufi Reform Front was founded by Sheikh Aboul Azayem to counterbalance
the council. After many attempts at mediation between the front and the
council, a reconciliation took place in January and the current
formation of the council is awaiting new elections next year.
The entry of Salafis into politics in post revolutionary Egypt
induced Sufis to enter politics too. In the wave of polarisation between
Islamist and secular groups that hit Egypt, Sufis were a vital card.
Their great numbers and solid connections attracted political parties to
take advantage of Sufi networks. The secular and “civil” camp aligned
themselves with the Sufis who are naturally opposed to political Islam.
Only a few orders opted to enter the political arena and established a
number of Sufi parties such as the Egyptian Tahrir Party, El Nasr Party
(victory) and Sout El Hurriya Party (sound of freedom). Only the
Egyptian Tahrir acquired legal status as a political party while the
others are still under establishment. The Egyptian Tahrir was founded by
Sheikh Aboul Azayem and the majority of the members of the party are
adherents of Al Azmeya order.
Since it originated in 1930s, Al Azmeya order has been involved in
politics by printing brochures against the British occupation in Egypt,
issuing
fatwas (religious rulings) against selling Palestinian lands to Zionist settlers and publishing books rebuking Wahhabism.
Due to its overt involvement in politics, Al Azmeya order, in
particular, has been criticised by different media outlets. The media
capitalised on the membership of Sheikh Aboul Azayem in the
Iranian-based organization known as the International Academy for the
Approximation between Islamic Sects (IAAIS) and some Islamist fronts
insinuated that Sufis are being infiltrated by Shi’a groups to be used
to spread Shi’a Islam in Egypt.
Sheikh Aboul Azayem commented on the accusations of spreading Shi’a
Islam saying, “Iran is an Islamic power, calling it an infidel only
helps Israel and divide the Islamic nation further.”
He believes that Al-Azhar should play a stronger role in reforming
what Islamists ruin. He said, “Egypt is Al-Azhar. If Al-Azhar is
virtuous, so is Egypt, if Al-Azhar goes off track, so does Egypt,”
referring to the autonomy of Al-Azhar from the state and its
impartiality.
Unlike Sheikh Aboul Azayem, both Sheikh Mazhar and Stelzer think that
Sufis should be out of the political realm and if they are to play a
role in it, it should be to guide those in power towards the true
principles of Islam.
Sheikh Mazhar said, “politics has its own balance of power, is
governed by interests and needs compromises that can endanger some
religious values.”
Stelzer believes in Plato’s statement that the best leader suited to
govern a country is the one who has least inclination to do so, because
anyone who has the inclination to rule is in danger of serving himself
rather than severing the people.
Sufis are not peculiar in their diversity and differences; they are
like any other community. They cannot be considered a monolithic group,
therefore their entry to politics was not a position taken up by all
Sufis in Egypt. The same goes for their mistakes; they should not be
generalised or taken out of the bigger context. It is worthy after the
revolution to tear down the misconceptions about such a big constituent
of society to grant the different communities the freedom they need in
Egypt’s new era.
Posts
