Poetry and Sacred Music Festival

By Hamed Ross, *Poetry and Sacred Music Festival, Mar 16-18* - International Association of Sufism - Novato, CA, USA; Saturday, February 25, 2012

Songs of the Soul 2012:
Poetry and Sacred Music Festival

March 16-18, 2012, Embassy Suites, San Rafael, CA

The International Association of Sufism (IAS) is pleased to announce "Songs of the Soul"
2012 Poetry & Sacred Music Festival.

Join us for a weekend of celebrating poetry, music, and heart-centered conversation.

More info and Registration: http://ias.org/
Pre-register by March 10 and save.

With:

Coleman Barks,
featured Saturday March 17, 4 pm
($20 if registered by March 10th)

Nahid Angha, Ph. D., International Association of Sufism

Albert Flynn DeSilver, Marin County’s very first poet laureate

Renée Owen, award-winning poet, accompanied with singer-songwriter Brian Foster

Shahjada Seyed Saifuddin Maizbhandari from Bangladesh

Sheikha Azima Lila Forest

Musa Muhaiyaddeen

Albert Tenaya, a descendant of Yosemite Valley’s Chief Tenaya

Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee Ph.D

Sonia Leon Gilbert

Professor (Murshida) Stephanie Nuria Sabato

Shahid Athar, MD

John Fox

Sharon Mijares, Ph. D.

Daniel Abdal-Hayy Moore

Nevit Ergin, MD

Nick Yiangou

Professor Abdullahi El-Okene from Nigeria, Tijaniyya Sufi Order

David Katz, MD

Dr. Ali Kianfar

Reverend Canon Charles P. Gibbs

Tamam Kahn

Pir Shabda Kahn

Taneen Sufi Music Ensemble
Kervan Ensemble, Sacred Music of Turkish origin
Ya Elah: Jewish Sacred Music
Qawali Music with Riffat Sultana

More info and Registration: http://ias.org/
Pre-register by March 10 and save.

Sufism and Indian Mysticism

By W. Rorrkychand Singh, *Book on Sufism and Indian Mysticism Released* - International Business Times - UK/India; Friday, February 24, 2012

Book on Sufism and Indian Mysticism Released

The Vice President of India Hamid Ansari released a book titled "Sufism and Indian Mysticism" edited by Prof. Akhtarul Wasey and Farhat Ehsas (Farhatullah Khan) at a function in New Delhi.

The Vice President said that Sufism in Islamic tradition has for centuries been a source of inner peace, spiritual awakening and enlightenment for millions of human beings.

It has also been a matter of debate among scholars regarding the questions related to its origin, nature and external manifestations, he added.

He applauded the editors of the book for bringing out views of renowned scholars and experts on different aspects of Islamic Sufism and Indian Mysticism.

This volume, which has 29 well-researched papers, seeks to present a wide spectrum of perspectives and in-depth studies on different aspects of Islamic Sufism and Indian Mysticism and their interface that has manifested itself through the history of Islam's interaction with India, spread over a time-frame of more than a millennium.

The contributions in this volume are made by some of the most renowned scholars and experts in the fields of philosophy, Islamic, studies, comparative religions, psychology, sociology, history and journalism.

Picture: The Vice President, Hamid Ansari releases a book titled “Sufism and Indian Mysticism,” edited by Prof. Akhtarul Wasey and Farhat Ehsas, in New Delhi on Feb. 23, 2012. Photo: PIB.

Many Spoke in Favor

By Elisabeth Nardi, *Sufism sanctuary proposal draws passionate debate during all-day hearing in Walnut Creek* - Contra Costa Times / Mercury News - San Jose, CA, USA; Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Sufism sanctuary proposal draws passionate debate during all-day hearing in Walnut Creek

Walnut Creek: A hotly disputed proposal to build a 66,000-square-foot church near Walnut Creek drew accusations of everything from a secret agenda to build a convention center to religious discrimination during an emotional, all-day hearing Tuesday that again pitted neighbor against neighbor.

More than 700 people packed the Lesher Center for the Arts on Tuesday for the special Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors meeting to consider the Sufism Reoriented sanctuary.

Supervisors heard hours of public testimony but made no decision whether the 350-member religious group can build its church just outside Walnut Creek city limits.

The Sufism Reoriented hearing will resume Feb. 29, again at the Lesher Center.

The proposed building -- two-thirds of which would be underground -- would house a worship hall, classrooms, offices, a bookstore, a cafe and skylights on 3 acres in a small unincorporated neighborhood known as Saranap.

The debate has been intensifying in recent months, including four public meetings that preceded approval by the county Planning Commission in November.

Opponents said Tuesday their concerns have nothing to do with religion, but others argued that is precisely what this fight is about.

"The NIMBYism and stall tactics have been well demonstrated today," said Saranap resident Mary Dunne Rose. Sufis, she said, have a "right to religious freedom."

But opponents countered that the building is much too big and its effects have not been adequately studied, said Stuart Flashman, attorney for the Saranap Homeowners Organization. While Sufism Reoriented can afford a big building, it doesn't mean the group should be allowed to build it, he said.

"Just because you want a Mercedes doesn't mean you can't drive a Ford," Flashman said.

Sufis say they need the space for things such as a rehearsal area for their chorus, office space for their spiritual leader and a place to store sacred materials.

"Should we set aside our most sacred religious practices because a few people don't like the idea that we will be using space they will never need to see?" said Sufi Gary Conner.

Religion is also an issue because of the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act, said Sandy Skaggs, lawyer for Sufism Reoriented. The federal law protects churches from burdensome restrictions, and Skaggs argued that any changes to the size or design of the sanctuary would violate that law.

"We are very prepared to defend this in court," he said.

Many non-Sufis also spoke in favor of the sanctuary, saying it will be beautiful, and championing the Sufis for their neighborhood school and community service.

But some opponents continued to argue that a secret Sufi agenda is the only reasonable explanation for why they need so much space.

Opponents pointed to the 43 planned toilets as proof that the Sufis are trying to build a convention center.

Others criticized the design, a large central rotunda dome encircled by 12 smaller domes. Allen Anthony, a Saranap resident, said it will look like storage tanks or an oil refinery in his neighborhood and that only Sufis will want to live there.

The design reflects sacred religious figures and represents their faith, said Carol Weyland Conner, the murshida, or spiritual leader, of the church.

Sufism Reoriented follows the teachings of Meher Baba, and the faithful believe in a core of divine love at the heart of all spiritual systems.

Supervisors did not talk much Tuesday about their concerns or give opinions. But they had questions on issues, including parking, which will be discussed at the Feb. 29 hearing.

The Sufis' plan calls for 71 parking spaces for the sanctuary. Because of the Sufis' pledge to walk and carpool as much as possible to the center, the county had required fewer parking spaces than normally requested for a project this size.

Contra Costa County Supervisor John Gioia, of Richmond, said the parking plan is based on the Sufis saying they will keep their congregation roughly the same size. "That's a big assumption," he said.

Picture: People fill a theater at the Lesher Center for the Arts in Walnut Creek, Calif., on Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2012, as the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors gather to hear both sides in a fight over a proposed 60,000-square-foot Sufi sanctuary in the Saranap area. Photo: Dan Rosenstrauch/Staff.

إِنَّا لِلّهِ وَإِنَّـا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعونَ

Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji`un; Qur'an 2:156
'Surely we belong to Allah and to Him shall we return'

Shekhe Azam Syed Maulana Izhar Ashraf died in Mumbai

Chief Patron of All Indian Ulama and Mashaikh Board (AIUMB) and a great Sufi Islamic Scholar of International repute, Shaykh E Azam Hazrat Sayyedinah Syed Muhammed Izhar Ashraf Ashrafi Jilani Alayhir Rahmah, the eldest son of Sarkar E Kalan Has passed away at 11:45 pm on the Wednesday 22nd February 2012.

His Namaz e Janaza [Funeral prayers] was lead by his elder son and President of Board Hazrat Syed Mehmood Ashraf Kichochawi Al Jilani on 24th Feb 2012 at Kichocha Shareef Ambedkar Nagar U.P. in the presence of thousands of Shaikhs, Ulemas and Murideen.

Hazrat Syed Izhar Mian was getting treatment in Ismailia Hospital in Mumbai and he took his last breathe there.

[Visit the AIUMB website.]

Unknown Hunger

By Saumya Bhatia, *Music and reform from behind bars* - The Asian Age - India; Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Music and reform from behind bars

It was an unusual evening in the Central Jail, Kot Bhalwal in Jammu recently, where the four desolate corners of the prison came alive with the mellifluous sound of the santoor and Sufi qalams.

SaMaPa Alaap 2012 [the premium classical, Sufi and folk music festival of Jammu and Kashmir] was an attempt to make the lives of the jail inmates just a bit easier with the soothing strains of classical music.

At the function, legendary santoor maestro Pandit Bhajan Sopori enthralled inmates and police personnel alike, and joining him was Sufi diva Ragini Rainu, who mesmerised the audience with her soulful renditions. He was accompanied on tabla by Sarit Das and tanpura by Poushali Dutta.

The function was a testament to the fact that music knows no boundaries and doesn’t distinguish between its listeners. Not only did Pandit Sopori perform, he also made the inmates and staff sing along with him. It was a rare sight to behold at the first ever concert inside the Central Jail, as the music struck a chord with the inmates, who were visibly overwhelmed, acknowledging their hitherto unknown hunger for music.

SaMaPa intends to take it beyond just a function for the inmates, and there are plans to impart training in musical instruments to inmates.

“I am always interested in playing for a cause like this. It’s all about whom I am playing for. The programme here was organised with a motive to provide emotional support to the prisoners and to help them psychologically with music therapy in an effort to make them better human beings,” Pandit Sopori said.

The maestro interacted with the inmates as well during the function. “I am sure some of you know how to write. It will be good to see you express yourself through poetry, ghazals or whichever medium you like,” he told them. He requested the police staff in the jail to allot the inmates some free time, which would allow them to devote time to writing.

“You can send your write-ups to me. We can improvise on it if necessary and I can compose it into a song, which will be known by your name. Let this be your gateway to expressing yourself and pave the way for a sound foundation for your future,” he told the enthralled prisoners.

For Rajni Sehgal, senior superintendent, Central Jail, Kot Bhalwal, it was a proud moment when the convicts’ band performed at the concert.

“Most of the inmates here are militants, and some are from across the border. But music has brought them together,” she said. Has she ever been fearful of them? No, she says.

“I am one among them. If I have to die at their hands, nobody can stop it? But I am really happy to see all of them engaged in some kind of activity or another — be it embroidery or cooking or the music band. It is gratifying to see them put their hearts into it.”

Also speaking on the occasion was Naveen Agarwal, IPS, DG Prisons, who termed the concert a major breakthrough by SaMaPa and stressed on the need for such creative avenues to help inmates express themselves through writing and even learning music instruments.

He said, “Music is the best medium to reach the soul of a person. One of the reasons for this concert was to provide mental peace to the prisoners, which would help in reforming them. It will also help relieve some of the tension that they face everyday from being inside a prison.”

Interestingly, Pandit Sopori went to the prison the very next day after the concert and sat with prisoners while they sang and played instruments.

When Rajni asked how many of them want to learn the tabla, guitar or santoor, several hands went up!

Pandit Sopori later shared, “We want to seek affiliation with a university so that these prisoners can get a degree and manage to get secure jobs once they’re out of the prison. I hope the Jammu and Kashmir government extends help so that the inmates can stand on their own feet. After all, what is a life that’s not lived for others?”

[Click here to an article about the SaMaPa Alaap 2012]

Well-being, Autonomy, Responsibility

By Tariq Ramadan, *Contemporary Muslims are in need of spirituality* - Gulf News - Dubai, UAE; Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Contemporary Muslims are in need of spirituality: Islamic societies are bereft of serenity, coherence and peace. The time has come for a religious emancipation

As far as Islam is concerned, it must be noted that Arab and Muslim majority societies are seriously lacking in spirituality. There is not a deficit of “religion” but of spiritual life. It can be encountered among Islamists, as well as among secularists and ordinary citizens.

Religion refers to the framework, to the structure of ritual, to the rights and obligations of believers and, as such, lies at the heart of social and political debate. In the classical Islamic tradition, framework, reference and practices can — like all religions and spiritual traditions — be best seen in the light of their relation to meaning (here, to the Divine), to a conception of life and death, to the life of the heart and mind.

Contemporary Islamic discourse has, however, too often lost its substance, which is that of meaning, of understanding ultimate goals and the state of the heart. Increasingly, it has been reduced to reactivity, preoccupied with the moral protection of the faithful, based on the reiteration of norms, rituals and, above all, prohibitions. But spirituality is not faith without religion; it is the quest for meaning and peace of heart as the essence of religion.

Viewed in this light, Muslim majority societies are profoundly bereft of serenity, coherence and peace. The time has come for a spiritual and religious emancipation.

The decline of Islamic civilisation, followed by colonialism, has left its mark, as has the experience of political and cultural resistance. The way in which religion, and the Islamic reference, are understood was gradually adapted to the requirements of resistance: for both traditional Muslim scholars (ulama) and Islamist movements (which often began with mystical aspirations) moral norms, rules pertaining to food, dress and strict observance of ritual have come increasingly to the fore as means of self-assertion, in direct proportion to the danger of cultural colonialism and alienation perceived and experienced in Arab societies.

Caught up in political resistance, Islamist movements have gradually focused their attention on questions of a formal nature, setting aside the spiritual core of religious practice. Between the rhetoric of traditional religious authorities and institutions, and that of the Islamists, whether narrowly rigorous in outlook or hypnotized by political liberation, ordinary citizens are offered few answers to their spiritual pursuit of meaning, faith, the heart and peace.

A yawning void has opened up; mystical (Sufi) movements have re-emerged, some of them respectful of norms, some fraudulent, in what is often an approximate answer to popular aspirations. The Sufi movements or circles are diverse, and often provide a kind of exile from worldly affairs, in contrast to ritualistic traditionalism or to Islamist activism. Focus upon yourself, they urge; upon your heart and inner peace; stay far away from pointless social and political controversy.

A specific feature of mystical circles is that they bring together — though in physically separate groups — educated elites in quest of meaning as well as ordinary citizens, including the poorest, who feel a need for reassurance that verges on superstition. Their teachings are, more often than not, general and idealistic, far removed from the complexities of reality; politically, they sometimes voice passive or explicit support for ruling regimes, even dictatorships.

Furthermore, a substantial number of Sufi circles yield to the double temptation of the cult of the personality of the shaikh or guide (murshid) and the infantilisation of the initiates (murîd): the latter may be highly educated, hold high rank in the social hierarchy, yet at the same time place their hearts, minds and even their lives in the hands of a guide who, it is claimed, represents the ultimate path to fulfillment.

This culture of disempowerment strangely echoes the fashions of the day: a combination of withdrawal from the world and living in a kind of existential confusion between emotional outpouring (the spectacle of effusiveness towards and reverence for Sufi elders can be disturbing, disquieting and dangerous) and a demanding spiritual initiation. Such initiation should be liberating, open the door to autonomy through mastery of the ego and lead to coherence between the private and public life. But what emerge instead are parallel lives: a so-called Sufi spirituality allied to egocentric, greedy, self-interested and occasionally immoral social and political behavior. Arab elites and middle classes find such behavior to their advantage, as do socially fragile sectors of the population.

Between the overbearing ritualism of official religious institutions and the obsessive politicisation of Islamist leaders the thirst for meaning, which finds its expression in cultural and religious references, seeks for ways to express itself.

Mysticism sometimes provides the solution. But careful thought should be given to the real-life impact of such phenomena as they relate to the crisis of spirituality and therefore of religion. In every case, the teachings propounded do not encourage the autonomy, well-being and confidence of human beings in their everyday individual and social lives.

In their formalism and concentration upon norms, the traditional institutions that represent or teach Islam reproduce a double culture of prohibition and guilt. The religious reference is transformed into a mirror in which the believers are called upon to judge themselves for their own deficiencies: such rhetoric can generate nothing more than unease. The Islamist approach, which seeks to free society from foreign influence, has in the long run brought forth a culture of reaction, differentiation and frequently of judgment: who is a Muslim, what is Islamic legitimacy, etc. It sometimes casts itself as victim; even in the way it asserts itself against the opposition. Social and political activism prevails over spiritual considerations; the struggle for power has sometimes eclipsed the quest for meaning.

By way of response to this void, the majority of mystical movements and circles have called upon their initiates to direct their attention inwards, towards themselves, their hearts, their worship and their inner peace. Around them has arisen a culture of isolation, social and political passivity and loss of responsibility, as though spirituality were somehow necessarily opposed to action.

Still, it must be noted that a large number of Sufi circles do speak out on social and political issues, and actually encourage their followers to speak out on social and political matters, and to become actively involved in society. Between the culture of prohibition and guilt and that of reaction and victimisation, between abandonment of responsibility and isolationism, what options remain for the Arab world to reconcile itself to its cultural, religious and spiritual heritage? What must be done to propound a culture of well-being, autonomy and responsibility?

There is a need to rediscover and reclaim the spirituality that permeates Eastern cultures, and that lies at the heart of the Jewish, Christian and Islamic traditions, a consideration that today’s social and political uprisings can ill afford to neglect. For there can be no viable democracy, no pluralism in any society without the well-being of individuals, the citizens and the religious communities.

Tariq Ramadan is professor of Contemporary Islamic Studies in the Faculty of Oriental Studies at Oxford University and a visiting professor at the Faculty of Islamic Studies in Qatar. He is the author of Islam and the Arab Awakening.

Picture: Illustration by Ramachandra Babu/Gulf News

A Thought-provoking Work

By Mumtaz Ahmad Numani, *Sufis in India* - Greater Kashmir - Srinagar, India; Monday, February 13, 2012

Sufis in India: Qadiri Order received a wider acceptance in the valley of Kashmir

Based on her doctoral dissertation submitted to the Department of History, AMU, Aligarh, the present book is a wonderful study of the 16th and 18thc Sufis of the Qadiri order in India.

Bilgrami accepts the notion that every mystic concept derives its strength from the following two precepts:
1) The faith and conviction that there is one Reality behind this phenomenal world and that (2) man is a part of that Reality, direct communion with ultimate Reality is possible through a deep devotion to it.

Thus she, as many, too defines Sufism as: a tendency directed towards the realization of Divine love, a mode of thinking and feeling based on inward purification and Divine contemplation. To further she motivates us that, this kind of intuition enables a person to exercise his/her emotional and spiritual faculties.

Bilgrami also draws our attention to look at the controversy and misunderstanding that is about the origin of Islamic mysticism. Different scholars, as she writes, have attributed its rise and growth to different foreign influences on Islam. But she clearly shows her understanding with Massignon and Nicholson, [the two outstanding scholars of modern age], who have pointed out that, only the teachings of ‘Quran’ and ‘ Hadith’ form the real basis of Sufism in Islam.

Bilgrami’s work comprises five chapters that weave together an incisive textual analysis of Persian and Urdu sources, short readings on biographical sketches of the Qadiri Sufis in India and fieldwork, all that shows her extended effort to keep her Doctoral dissertation in good accuracy without oversimplifying the matter.

In her Doctoral dissertation, Bilgrami purposefully addresses one particular subject of Sufism, that is, the history of Qadiri order in India [During 16th and 18thc]. More than this, Bilgrami also shows her typical comprehension of the different Sufi Silsilahs other than Qadiri. To add it more, she has been finalizing that the three characteristics which distinguish Qadiri Sufis from the Sufis of other Orders were: (1) Religious orthodoxy, (2) Urbanism and (3) Distinct Arab character.

In the very Introduction, Bilgrami introduces us with the source material she has used for her Doctoral dissertation. According to her, the literature produced on Qadiri Silsilah, can be divided into three categories: (a) Biographical accounts of the Saints, (b) works on mystic Ideologies and Practices, and(c) Poetical works.

Chapter 1 introduces us with the biographical accounts of the earliest Sufis who played their selfless role in promoting and establishing the Qadiri Order in India. The Order, we go on now, know that, sprung from the Khanwada Tartawsiyya, and it traces its origin to ‘Abdu’l-Qadir Jilani, who is also called Hasanu’l-Husayni, on account of his descent, on his mother’s side Husayn and on his father’s side from Hasan, Muhammad’s grandsons.

Jilan was a district south of the Caspian Sea, where ‘Abdu’l-Qadir was born in 1078 A.D. At the age of eighteen he went to Baghdad and became a disciple of Abu-Sa’id Mubarak Mukharrami. Abdu’l-Qadir lived in Baghdad till he died in 1166 A.D. He had been given more than 99 titles, the chief and the best are: Pir-i-Piran [or Chief of the Saints], Pir-i-Dastgir [or The Saint my helper], Ghawsu’l-A’Zam [or The Great Refuge] and Mahbub-i-Subhani [or The Beloved of Allah]. Thus, as Bilgrami says, he had been projected by his admirers as a superman possessing miraculous powers and a great source of blessings for those who wished success in their mundane affairs, and of inspiration to those who yearned for communion with Allah.

Bilgrami shifts our attention to bring us know that, in India, the life story of Delhi Sultanate and the History of Chishti and Suharwardi Silsilah run parallel.

It is surprising [to know] that these two Salasil declined almost simultaneously with the disintegration of Delhi Sultanate. Thus she too, as other, admits that the fifteenth century can be fixed as the date of Introduction of the Qadiri Silsilah in India. But as we, she too is disappointed to express that, due to the paucity of authentic information, it is difficult to determine as to who was the original founder of this Silsilah in India. The names of Saiyid Ahmad Baghdadi, Shah Nimatullah Wali, Saiyid Yusufuddin and Saiyid Muhammad Ghaus, are mentioned by most of the writers’ writes she. Despite this, she verily accepts that, in Northern India, the Qadiri Silsilah was organised by Makhdum Muhammad Ghaus [the founder of Uchch Branch of Qadiri Silsilah], and in South, the Silsilah spread through the Multani branch whose founder was Shaikh Ibrahim Multani, the son of Shaikh Fatullah.

Chapter 2 develops a well detailed account of the Qadiri Silsilah in Deccan, which Bilgrami does mention, [that] was the first and the earlier centre of the Qadiri Silsilah in India. Like 1st, this Chapter too, contains the biographical sketches of the Sufis of Qadiri Silsilah who lived and worked in various parts of the Deccan.

Chapter 3rd and 4th produces a good detailed account of the Qadiri Silsilah in Sind, Punjab, Delhi, Agra, Malwa and Gujarat. The biographies of Qadiri Sufis who established themselves in these places throw light on their proselytizing activities and the progress of the Silsilah in their respective regions.

Chapter 5 is a devout of completely devoted to the teachings and attitude of the Qadiri Sufis in general in India and particularly in Kashmir.

Islam in Kashmir was introduced by Muslim missionaries and Sufis. Its Sufi roots are syncretic, reaching back not only to the Prophet of Islam but to the ancient rishis and the Buddhist tradition that preceded them. The truth is that, even if, the Qadiri Order descended late in Kashmir, yet in short time, it was able to establish its profound roots as according to Bilgrami, no other Silsilah could do it in the valley of Kashmir.

In other words, she moves with the notion that, Qadiri Order received a wider acceptance in the valley of Kashmir. And, it won’t be incorrect to say, Mughals were fond of visiting Kashmir. We had Shahjahan, Dara Shukoh, Jahan Ara and several courtiers of the Imperial court who were deeply devoted to the famous Qadiri Sufi Mulla Shah in Kashmir, writes she.

It is reported in Nuskha-i- Ahwal-i Shahi says Bilgrami, Dara Shukoh and Jahan Ara, erected a Mosque, a Khanqah and a residential school of Sufism for their spiritual mentor and maser, known as Mulla Shah Badakhshi, in Kashmir.

This Chapter shows a special attention of what Bilgrami is giving the biographical sketches of the Sufis of Qadiri Order who lived in different parts of Kashmir between sixteenth and eighteenth centuries. The teachings of the Qadiri Sufis were based on some fundamental doctrines and concepts of religion, which constitute the whole structure of Islamic mysticism, like: Wahdat (Divine Unity), Ruyat (Beautific vision), Shariat (Law), Tariqat (Path), Haqiqat (Truth), Iman (Faith) and Ishq (Love).

The Sufis of Qadiri Silsilah ardently followed the doctrine of Wahdat-ul-Wujud (Unity of Being), which Bilgrami writes, forms the core and kernel of Islamic mysticism.

In India, the attitude of the Sufis toward the State differed not only from Silsilah to Silsilah, but also from Sufi to Sufi. In this changing motion, the Qadiri Sufis could not go on developing a constant attitude towards the state and rulers of the day. Some of them maintained the accuracy of their founder [of the Order] by keeping aloof from the court politics and did not accept any financial help from the rulers, and depended solely for their livelihood on Futuh (Unasked for charity).

In view of this background, Bilgrami divides the Sufis of the Qadiri Silsilah into two broad categories: (1) one set of Qadiri Sufis remained aloof from din and noise of materialistic world and spent their time in devotion and prayers. And (2) the other set received favours from the kings and officers and maintained cordial relations with them.

In conclusion, Bilgrami is sure to put that, in the eighteenth century, even if the Mughal Empire started declining, yet the Qadiri Silsilah continued to flourish and played an important role in stabilizing the society. She argues that, the Sufis of this Order infused a new spirit of harmony and mutual understanding among the discordant elements of the society and worked for reducing social and religious differences.

My criticism, if at all, is only that, though the contents of the book reveals to have only five chapters, but in reality, the book comprises seven separate full chapters besides conclusion, which perhaps, I assume is partly an error of miscalculation and partly is something misleading...? Perhaps, Bilgrami also escapes to mention in detail about the founder [Abdu’l-Qadir Jilani] of Qadiri Order, what I suppose: is needed to be reproduced at length.

And my handful appreciation is that, at the end of each chapter, we do have a long detailed list of foot notes, not only this, at the end, a powerful bibliography is in itself a sign of making this work an indispensable starting point for further study of the Qadiri Order in India. Though, the overall text is written in lucid language, yet, indeed it is more pioneering.

Briefing it, needless to say that, in India, the literature on Sufism of this [Qadiri] Order is richer and more textured as a result of this thought-provoking work.

Mumtaz Ahmad Numani is Research scholar, A.M.U., Aligarh, India. Email: mumtaz_numani08@rediffmail.com

Author: Fatima Zehra Bilgrami
*History of the Qadiri Order in India [During 16th & 18thc]*
Publisher: Idarah-i Adabiyat-i Delli, 2005 - Religion - 398 pages

Hope for Peace

By Jaskiran Kapoor, *Ustad Eltaf Hussain Sarahang bridges Afghanistan and the rest of the world with his soulful voice* - The Indian Express / Kabul Express - India; Monday, February 13, 2012

Ustad Eltaf Hussain Sarahang bridges Afghanistan and the rest of the world with his soulful voice

The year was 2009. A grey haired, bespectacled man found himself making a journey back home. It had been 20 years since he had last seen his country, Kabul. Twenty years of living in India and then the US, yearning for his “sar-zameen”, Ustad Eltaf Hussain Sarahang prayed for peace, for visiting his land one more time and breathe in its air, walk its cobbled streets and relive old memories.

“War has torn apart a city that was once the cradle of civilization, where the arts and music flourished in the court of King Zahir Shah. The theatre, the poets, writers, singers and artists filled Kabul and its many colourful soirees with rich words and soulful music. It was a glorious life, which is scarred, wounded and lost to many now,” narrates Eltaf, who was also the royal musician in the Afghan King’s court back then.

In the city for a concert as part of Pracheen Kala Kendra’s monthly Baithak Programme, this renowned vocalist of the Patiala Gharana from Afghanistan, considers himself a link, a bridge between the old and new, the present and ancient Indo-Afghan cultural heritage.

“Now that there is hope of peace, many people are coming back to Afghanistan and bringing with them a new culture, a new wave of thought,” says Eltaf, welcoming this change, one that’s progressive and yet rooted in Afghani traditions.

A man of learning, Hussain belongs to a lineage of great musicians. His grandfather was Ustad Ghulam Hussain Sarahang, and his guru was his father, Sartaj-e-Mausiqui, Ustad Mohammed Hussain Sarahang. On his own, Ustad Eltaf Hussain is a musical expert on the Sufi thought, particularly of the renowned Sufi poet, Abdul Qadir Bedil.

“Sufism is a difficult path and not all can walk it,” he says, adding how it should not be tampered with and retained as it is, simple and sincere.

Like Kabul, Eltaf shares his second home, India. “It was India, its people who gave us shelter when we were in trouble,” he recalls his days in Mumbai, when he was here on a music scholarship, and made friends with Raj Kapoor, Dilip Kumar, Shabana Azmi, Mithun Chakraborty and with city’s ML Koser, the director of Pracheen Kala Kendra.

Back in Kabul, he was Director of the Urdu Service of Kabul Radio, teaching music at the Kabul University, learning Hindi, singing at concerts etc. It was in the ‘80s, after being enlisted in the Afghan army, that he sustained serious injuries, putting a halt to his music career for several years. The dark days, however, continue to haunt him and his family.

“The world made a monster of Afghanistan. Any activity and the blame would come on us,” he says and adds how they are still eyed with suspicion in the US.

“Politics is based on lies, and politicians are liars,” he makes a strong comment, and chooses to leave all that behind and move on with his wife and seven children, in a new life, now in Toronto, Canada.

“In the last couple of years, I have been visiting Kabul, and will continue to do so.”

He is now training his son, Yama Sarahang, who is following in his father’s footsteps. “I will go to Kabul, whenever I’m ready with my music,” says Yama.

[Picture: Portrait of Mohammed Zahir Shah (d. 2007), the last King of Afghanistan. Photo: Wiki.]

Deep Respect

By Ali Khan, *India's sacred spaces are tapestries of culture* - The Guardian - London, UK; Thursday, February 9, 2012

India's sacred spaces are tapestries of culture: Shrines can serve as unique 'binding' social institutions, bringing people of different faiths together not out of toleration but respect

Dargah or religious shrines are one of the most precious legacies of Indian and indeed Islamic history. Most of the dargahs in India are the shrines of Sufi saints but many are also replicas of the shrines of the prophet's family. In India, like in many other parts of the world, it is fashionable to talk of the "composite culture" or "implicit secularism" of the various faiths present in India, a visit to any of these shrines tells a very different story. One such set of shrines is in Hussain Tekri, a sleepy town near Jaora in Madhya Pradesh.

In the 19th century after an alleged miracle, the Nawab of Jaora commissioned the building of the dargahs, which are approximate architectural replicas of the shrines of the prophet's cousin and son-in-law Ali, Ali's wife Fatima, his daughter Zainab, his sons Hussain and Abbas and his grand-daughter Sakina. The original shrines are located in Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Syria. Today Hussain Tekri is a thriving spiritual centre that provides solace and relief for the droves of people who visit it every year. The shrines are particularly renowned as they are visited not only by Shias and Sunnis but also by people from other faiths from all over India. Many people believe that visiting these shrines can cure those with mental illnesses. Of course, the reluctance in some societies to accept mental illness as anything other than a spiritual malady is another discussion, but what is clear is that these shrines provide a space in which mentally unwell people are at least acknowledged and not just hidden away.

I decided to drive from Udaipur in Rajasthan to Jaora in Madhya Pradesh with a Hindu family who wanted to visit the shrine. They had already visited Ajmer Sharif, the shrine of a 13th-century Sufi mystic in Rajasthan, which still attracts hundreds of thousands of people a year. One of the men confided in me that his prayers had been answered by the ghareeb navaaz, or the helper of the poor. The younger boys had just finished their morning puja or prayers under the cascading roots of a banyan tree and were adorned with bright-red tilaks, the red marks that many devout Hindus put on their foreheads. The tilak is placed at the Ajna Chakra or the space between the two eyebrows, which is meant to represent the mind's eye.

Upon arriving the boys announced that they did not have anything to cover their heads and so we bought some white skull-caps, which the vendor proudly announced were made in China. The shrines are all built within a large area and, as with any religious centre, a large number of shops and cafes have sprung up around the area. Strikingly, however, the shops and restaurants were not only run by Muslims but there were also Hindu shopkeepers, distinct because of the posters that adorned their shops. The shrines themselves were buzzing with activity and were covered with a hazy swirl of incense smoke. The shrine of Abbas in particular was full of people who had chained themselves to a railing or had bound their feet together while patiently waiting for Abbas to intercede on their behalf to God. Others swayed to and fro uttering gibberish while their relatives prayed fervently for their mental health. Yet others were lying outside the shrines covered in mud from the neighbouring fields, hoping that this would cure them of their afflictions.

Of course, there are many Muslims, both Shia and Sunni, and indeed Hindus, who would take issue with the practices of those who visit the shrines, and it is not the aim of this article to discuss whether these practices are indeed permissible according to classical doctrines. However, what is important is that the many people who travel to these shrines do identify themselves as rooted in a particular religious tradition. The day I was there I met Kshatriyas of the warrior caste from Rajasthan, Sunnis from Lucknow, Shias from Bombay and tribal animists from Gujarat. Although the shrines are associated with figures that are mistakenly often only associated with the Shia religious traditions they are run and managed by Sunnis who belong to various Sufi orders.

What struck me in particular was that the throngs of people from various religions who were visiting the shrine that day were not exhibiting the kind of "secularism" that is so often the subject of intellectual debate. Rather they approached the shrines while being very much rooted in their own faith. It was not by compromising some aspect of their religion that they went to the shrine but rather their rootedness in a certain tradition necessitated the respect of the other pilgrims from a different faiths. Instead of speaking of a composite or syncretic culture, then, which implies that some aspects of the traditions are lost or compromised in their fusion, it is better to speak of Indian society as a tapestry; each distinctive thread has its own unique colour and the various colours unite to provide a profound and vibrant whole without compromising on the essence of the other colours.

Shrines, then, serve as unique "binding" social institutions that provide a "sacred" space in which people can come together and pray while often being surrounded by people of a different tradition. The harmony, which results, is not because of toleration; a word that implies a certain amount of negativity as one only tolerates that which is bearable. Rather it is because of the deep respect that people have for their own faith and therefore necessarily also have for those from a different faith.

Today many groups within most religions insist that their particular interpretation is the only true path and often institutions like these shrines are the target of their vitriolic rhetoric and violent actions. Indeed there have even been attacks on such shrines. In today's increasingly violent world, it is crucial to preserve these "sacred spaces", which seamlessly unite people from such different backgrounds and faiths.

Picture: Sufi Muslims gather at the shrine of the saint Nizam-Ud-Din Chishti. Photo: David Levene / The Guardian

We Need Prayers

By Rafiu Oriyomi, *Prophet’s Birthday Solaces Nigeria Muslims* - On Islam / Islam Online - Doha, Qatar - Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Abuja: As their country is ravaged by deadly unrest, Nigeria’s Muslims have marked the birth of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessing be upon him) with prayers for peace in Africa’s most populous nation.

“We mark this occasion of the birthday of Prophet Muhammad with mixed feelings,” Professor Lakin Akintola, a prominent Muslim rights activist, told OnIslam.net.

“While we thank Almighty Allah for enabling many Nigerians to witness the occasion, we are filled with sadness at the thought of avoidable loss of lives through indiscriminate bombing and shooting of innocent Nigerians.”

Muslims around the world marked the Prophet’s birthday earlier this week.

But the occasion was celebrated by Nigerian Muslims with mixed feelings of joy and sorrow as the country is rocked by attacks by the militant group Boko Haram.

“We are in despair over the senseless killing of Nigerians by fellow Nigerians and the sacrilegious invasion of churches,” said Akintola.

“We cannot be celebrating while fellow Nigerians are weeping over their dead and maimed.

“We therefore mourn with our mourning brothers and sisters wherever the bereaved may be. We pray that Allah will give all the affected families the strength to bear their losses.”

Marking the occasion, Nigerian authorities declared Monday, February 6, a national holiday.

President Goodluck Jonathan called on Muslims to pray for enduring peace, progress and stability in the country, a call echoed by Nigerian Muslim leaders.

“This year's Mauludul-Nabiyyi calls for sober reflections. It calls for prayers for our dear country,” Akintola said.

“Nigeria today is at the crossroads. The foundation of this country is shaking. We are now exactly where we were in 1967.

“We need prayers more than anything else to escape a bloody interregnum as witnessed between 1967 and 1971. Nigeria is living between two wars. We therefore urge all religious groups to pray for peace and tranquility.”

The Nigeria Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs, the country’s highest Muslim body, also echoed a similar call.

“As we mark the birthday of the Prophet of Allah, it bears stating here that he stood for human liberation and non-discrimination irrespective of class, race and creed,” Dr. Abdul-Lateef Adegbite, the NSCIA scribe, said.

“We therefore must unite against the inhuman and purely anti-Islam violent campaign of Boko Haram which hides under Islam to perpetrate violence.”

“As is now clear, the group is fighting for God knows what as it presses ahead its monstrous campaign that spares nobody, including Muslims. So we call on our brothers and sisters nationwide to join government to route Boko Haram.”

Carnivals

Sufi groups in Nigeria, however, are gearing up to hold carnival-like celebrations to mark the Prophet’s birthday.

Two leading Sufi groups, the Tijaniyyah and Quadiriyah Brotherhoods, have announced February 18 to flag off this year’s grand celebrations.

The annual Maulid “presents a yearly opportunity for Muslims to reflect on the essence of the Holy Prophet, especially the mercy that his birth brought to the world, and his mission which is Islam,” Khaleefah Hadi Muhammad Awwal, son to the late revered Tijanniyah leader Sheikh Muhammad Awwal, told OnIslam.net.

“For us Sufis, Maulid is not a bid’ah (innovation). If we celebrate lesser human beings and commemorate national days, why won’t we celebrate the birth, life and time of the Prophet of Allah who brought guidance and blessings to humanity?”

Nigerian Sufis commence their celebrations of the Prophet’s birthday with the recitation of the Burdah nabiyy (a poem that praises the Prophet by well-known Imam Busayri) and Taniyah (another poem by Senegalese Muslim scholar Sheikh Ibrahim Niyas) at the dawn of every days of Rabiul-Awwal (the 3rd month of Islamic calendar).

The recitation ends at the close of the Prophet’s month.

Such celebrations sometimes involve group wears (cloths), known in local parlance as aso ebi, by members of the respective brotherhoods.

The Maulid celebrations are often criticized by some Nigerian Muslim groups as The Muslim Congress (TMC) as evil innovation.

The highpoint of the events always feature different lecture sessions centering on the life and times of the Prophet and contemporary issues affecting Muslims, Qur’anic competitions and Dhikri sessions.

Prominent politicians sometimes attend the Sufi celebrations to shore up their image ahead the next poll.

“This year it would be 45 years that we, Quadiriyah Abeokuta branch in Southern Nigeria, an offshoot of the Kano headquarters, have been marking the Prophet’s birthday,” said Khaleefah Abdurahman Al-Bashir, from the Quadiriyah Brotherhood.

“We are taking the celebration to the next level. In that sense, we have secured land to build schools and hospital as a way of contributing to the society. That was the spirit of the Holy Prophet.

“Also, a subcommittee of the Annual Maulid has been mandated to visit some motherless babies’ homes to show affection and the love of Islam. We are also visiting prisons and remand centers.”

Picture: Nigerian Muslims marked the Prophet's birthday with prayers for peace in their violence-ravaged country. Photo: File photo.

Made in Pakistan

By Jill Valley-Orlando, *Caravanserai Brings “Made in Pakistan” to American Audiences* - Knight Vision International - Scarborough, ME, USA; Monday, February 6, 2012

Caravanserai Brings “Made in Pakistan” to American Audiences

World-renowned documentary producer and director Ayesha Khan continues her nation-wide five city tour to present her award winning film, Made in Pakistan.

Ms. Khan’s film residency is part of Caravanserai: A place where cultures meet, a groundbreaking artistic and cultural exchange program presented by Arts Midwest, the nonprofit Regional Arts Organization (RAO) serving America’s upper Midwest.

Caravanserai is funded by a one million dollar grant from the Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art (DDFIA) Building Bridges program.

During her US tour filmmaker Ayesha Khan will screen and discuss her insightful and surprising documentary film Made in Pakistan which follows the lives of four young, middle-class Pakistanis during Pervez Musharraf’s state of emergency in 2007.

Winner of the Audience Choice Award for Best Documentary at the South Asian International Film Festival in New York, Made in Pakistan is a riveting glimpse into life in Pakistan—a country where politics, fashion, religion, debate and tradition intermingle.

Programming for Caravanserai began in October 2011 with a tour of Qawal Najmuddin Saifuddin & Brothers and percussion masters Tari Khan Ensemble.

Following the film residencies for Ayesha Khan and Made in Pakistan, Caravanserai will continue with concerts by celebrated contemporary folk singers Arif Lohar and Arooj Aftab.

Click here to the Calendar of Events.

A Key Attraction

By Nivi Shrivastava, *Sufi comics draw on spiritual tales* - The Asian Age - India; Saturday, February 4, 2012

Sufi comics draw on spiritual tales

The Second edition of Comic Con India will be held at Dilli Haat from Feb 17-19, and book lovers will get a chance to check out exciting new books and comics. One of the key attractions this year are the Sufi Comics that already have a strong fan following on the Internet.

“It started as an experiment when we first posted an online edition of the Sufi comic strip,” reveals Mohammed Ali Vakil, the co-author of the book.

He says, “My brother and I grew up in Dubai, and we attended a madrasa in the evenings. There stories and anecdotes from the holy Quran were narrated to us to teach us moral values and virtues like charity, honour and respect. For sometime we maintained a personal blog and shared these stories. Later, we made them into web comics and surprisingly got a lot of positive reviews for it. People who wanted to learn about the religion find it very useful. We did the art work and now we have already got offers to translate it into other international languages like German, Russian and French.”

The Bengaluru-based Vakil brothers are full-time property developers, but they find time to design and plan the comics.

Co-author Mohammed Arif Vakil says, “These comics have excerpts from the Quran and we selected other popular stories and characters to reach out to a wider audience. The first book has 40 Sufi comic stories and it is also available in iPad and as web comics. The present comics are in black and white, but the next edition will be in colour. We have the coloured web edition also and it is amazing how word of mouth has already popularised the Sufi comics among readers.”

A lot of people are also intrigued by the idea of Sufi Comics that illustrate the spiritual truths in the teachings of Islam.

Salman Mirza, a student at DU, feels it is a great idea. He says, “It is a good idea and I feel a lot of people will be interested in reading about the popular stories that tell us about the history and religious aspect of Islam. I have seen the web version of the Sufi comics and I found them really informative.”

Mohit Singh, a student at DSAC, also thinks that comic versions of religious stories are a great idea to promote moral values among children.

He says, “I think Sufi comics are a good option for people who want to know more about Islamic culture. A lot of children as well as adults, who can’t understand or read the Quran, will find this simpler version an easier option to gain a better understanding of the basic tenets of the religion.”

Heading to Lefka

By Staff Reporter, *Revered Turkish Cypriot religious leader ailing* Cyprus Mail - Nicosia, Cyprus; Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Revered Turkish Cypriot religious leader ailing

Hundreds of followers gathered outside the commune of Turkish Cypriot Sufi mystic Sheikh Nazim Kibrisli in Lefka yesterday after a sudden decline in the religious leader’s health Monday night.

Nazim, 89, leads the Naqshbandi Haqqani Sufi Islamic order that boasts hundreds of thousands of followers worldwide. He claims to be the direct descendent of the 11th century Sufi saint Abdul Qadir Jilani and 13th century mystical poet Jalauddin Rumi.

According to reports, doctors were called to Nazim’s dergah, or religious commune, after an embolism in one of his lungs caused him breathing difficulties. Despite efforts to move him to hospital on Monday night, the still-conscious Sheikh refused to go. Doctors are believed to be at his side.

Last night, well-wishers from around the world were said to be heading to Lefka to join prayers for the Sheikh’s wellbeing.

Despite his international appeal, Nazim has been widely shunned by the staunchly secular Turkish Cypriot community. Since the 1950s he has been barred from preaching in mosques in Cyprus. However, to his international audience he is revered as a saint.

It is unclear who will succeed him as leader of the Naqshbandi order.

[Picture from Sufilive, the Official Media Library of Mawlana Shaykh Nazim Adil al-Haqqani and the Naqshbandi-Haqqani Sufi Order.]

You Can't Stop It

By Tom Heneghan, *Libyan Sufis mark Prophet's birthday despite tension* - Reuters Africa - Tripoli, Libya; Saturday, February 4, 2012

Libyan Sufis staged a joyous parade through the heart of Tripoli on Saturday to mark the Prophet Mohammad's birthday, defying radical Salafi Muslims pressuring them to scrap the centuries-old tradition.

Chanting hymns to the beat of drums and cymbals, marchers choked the narrow alleys of the walled old town to celebrate the feast of Mawlid, a favorite event for the pious Sufis whose spirituality is an integral part of North African Islam.

The celebrations were the first since the fall last August of Muammar Gaddafi, who kept religion under firm control during his 42-year dictatorship, and went ahead despite concerns that hardliners might attack the marchers as heretics.

The tension between the traditional Sufis and the Salafis, a group influenced by Saudi Wahhabis and other ultra-conservative foreign Islamists, has become a key divide in Libyan politics as parties begin to form to contest free elections in June.

"We fought the tyrant (Gaddafi) because he was a dictator and we don't want anyone like him to govern us again," said biology teacher Mohammad Aref. "We are the majority."

Emhemed Elashhab, the sheikh (Islamic scholar) at one Islamic school where marchers assembled, said there were fewer than 2,000 violent Islamists in Libya. "All normal people are against their ideas," he said.

EITHER BATS OR THIEVES

Sufism, a mystical strain among both Sunnis and Shi'ites, dates back to Islam's early days. Apart from the standard prayers, Sufi devotions include singing hymns, chanting the names of God or dancing to heighten awareness of the divine.

Sufis also build shrines to revered holy men and scholars and make pilgrimages to them. Hardline Islamists consider these practices grave sins that must be stopped, by force if needed.

One night last month, extremists bulldozed through a wall of an old cemetery in the eastern city of Benghazi, destroyed its tombs and carried off 29 bodies of respected sages and scholars. They also demolished a nearby Sufi school.

"The extremists have taken advantage of the lack of order," said Jamel Abdul Muhi, a Sufi in Tripoli. "Those who work in the dark are either bats or thieves. They are cowards."

In Benghazi, hundreds of Sufis marched to a main square flanked by 30 armed militiamen for security. Jumaa Mohammad Al-Sharif, an Islamic school teacher, said the procession was also a protest against last month's grave desecrations.

"We caught some people who destroyed the zawiya (Islamic school) and disrespected the graves and handed them over to the authorities, but we were surprised when we later learned they had been released," he said.

Hisham Krekshi, deputy chairman of the Tripoli Local Council, expressed satisfaction the march was taking place peacefully despite concerns about reprisals from hardliners, who spread pamphlets in recent days urging people to shun the event.

"This has been around for 14 centuries, you can't stop it," he said in one of the main souks, where the gold traders and cloth merchants had shut their shops for the day.

INCENSE AND ALMOND MILK

Festivities in Tripoli began with Sufi devotions in traditional Islamic schools in the old town. At Zawiya Kabira, the largest one, men chanted rounds of rousing hymns in an incense-filled room while other distributed almond milk and biscuits to those outside.

Boys lit firecrackers as lines of men danced out of the school and down the alleys, with women watching from balconies and doorways as the procession passed.

"Beloved Prophet of God, be the enemy of all His enemies," was one of the slogans they chanted in Sufi-style repetition.

At one point, marchers spilled out onto Martyrs Square, the old Green Square where Gaddafi used to address his supporters.

Najat Al-Mughrabi, waiting with other women at a corner to watch their sons march by, said she was not afraid of the extremists. "They couldn't do anything before (under Gaddafi), how can they do anything now?" she asked.

Even if the Mawlid holiday passes without incident, Sufi leaders say they remain concerned because many post-Gaddafi religious officials have Salafi leanings and have been appointing like-minded imams to mosques around the country.

Salafi preaching is also widespread on Libyan television and radio, they say, which raises concerns among Sufis that they are being outflanked by a new and more political form of Islam.

(For more on faith and ethics, see the Reuters religion blog Faithworld.)

(Additional reporting by Marie-Louise Gumuchian and Taha Zargoun in Tripoli and Mohammad Al-Tommy in Benghazi.)

Al-Mawlid Special Sweets

By Zuliekha Abdul Raziq, *Al-Mawlid al-Nabawi’ (the Prophet’s birthday) .. Revival of Spirits and Hearts* - Sudan Vision - Khartoum, Sudan; Saturday, February 4th, 2012

One of the largest gatherings in Sudan is the annual celebration of ‘al-Mawlid al-Nabawi’ (the Prophet’s birthday).

The ‘Mawlid’ in Sudan is commemorated in a festive ambience and involves ‘zikir’, ‘madih’, drumming sessions and other forms of performances.

The open-air venues are decorated with lights, floors are furnished with prayer rugs and Sufi flags are positioned all around the area. From children who enjoy the assorted sweets and candy in the shapes of brides and knights in horses, to adults who sip sweet tea and engage in the Sufi ceremonials, to travelers, tourists and photographers who attend to experience the local religious carnival, the ‘Mawlid’ is attended by people from all ages, orders and ethnicities.

The ‘Mawlid’ even welcomes non-Sufis, who are often present in large numbers. The richer members of the community donate food, and the less fortunate mingle with the rest, enjoy free meals, juice and tea, and join in the chants.

While each Sufi order has its own distinct style, all are, to an extent, similar in terms of their impeccable hospitality, generosity and provoking a mood of spiritual joyousness among the masses.

There’s a common belief in Sudan, “If a family does not have at least one Sufi member, it’s not Sudanese.” This may indubitably be the case, granted that Sudan has more Sufi Muslims than any other country in the world, and the number is expanding. Sufism is noticeably entrenched in the Sudanese community, and many think of it as a way of life.

‘Zikir’ (exercises of remembrance) and ‘madih nabawi’ (poems in praise of the Prophet) are often heard on the streets, in public buses and taxis, in shops and restaurants, and on local radio stations and television channels.

‘Zikir’ and other Sufi practices form part of the weekly Sufi rituals which bring together Sufis from all walks of life, regardless of class and other differences.

Al-Mawlid is accompanied by preparations in the market as the commercial movement flourish during the days of the celebrations and even after that. The demand on local and imported candies increases and the families express keenness to buy Al-Mawlid special sweets and candies to their kids.

Several families in Khartoum State are famous in manufacturing Al-Mawlid special sweets, such as Sayed Makki, Arman, Al-Sir Al-Maghrabi, Yousif Al-Faki and others.

Sudan Vision met with Uncle Mirghani Musa Mohammed who is specialized in Al-Mawlid sweets manufacturing and in particular Al-Mawlid Bride and the horses.

He explained how he inherited the job from his grandfathers adding that the manufacturing is very expensive due to the hikes in the prices of sugar.

[Click on the title to the original article with more pictures (ed.)]

Part of the Same Spirit

By Nancy Pasternack, *Yuba-Sutter spaghetti dinners benefit those in need* - Appeal Democrat - CA, USA; Monday, January 23, 2012

They weren't intended to coincide. But two spaghetti dinner events scheduled for Feb. 11 are intended to benefit the area's homeless and needy.

An annual dinner sponsored by the Yuba City Kiwanis will raise money for Hands of Hope, which provides resources for local homeless families.

The Kiwanis club dinner is the fourth such fundraising effort for Hands of Hope. Last year's dinner raised more than $3,000, according to Gennis Zeller, who is helping coordinate the event.

And a Tierra Buena couple with ties to the Yuba City Islamic Center have organized an event through St. John's Episcopal Church to feed the homeless that same night in Marysville.

Victor Krambo said the two events have the same goal of reaching out to the poor. He hopes the free hot meal in Marysville will become a monthly event.

"Our interest in doing this comes from our faith," he said of his ties to Islam, and to Sufism, the Muslim sect to which he and his wife, Rahma Krambo, belong.

But the Feb. 11 event is intended as an interfaith effort, Krambo said.

"All religious traditions encourage charity, and looking after the poor," he said. "It's not any different for a Christian or Jewish or Buddhist person. We are our brother's keeper and are responsible for each other as human beings."

The mosque in Yuba City does not have a state-certified commercial kitchen, which is necessary to cook large-scale meals for public consumption. So Krambo and a handful of his friends are collaborating with members of the Episcopal Church at Eighth and D streets, he said.

Krambo and his wife are active community volunteers, and their work includes involvement with Hands of Hope.

"It's part of the same spirit," said Victor Krambo. "We have to find ways to give our time, our wealth, and our compassion."

Some of the clients who seek services from Hands of Hope, he said, are not so different from the presently well-clothed and fed.

"You've got people living in their cars now who had a nice house five years ago. Some don't have extended families to help them," Krambo said.

"You have people in the river bottoms because they don't have good credit," he said. "It's easy to be judgmental, and I can kick dirt and spit with the best of them, but we don't know the whole story behind somebody's life."

[Visit Hands of Hope.
Picture from the Islamic Center of Yuba City website.]

Turned into a Shoe Market

By Staff Reporter, *Revealed: Anarkali shops illegally built on saint’s property* - The Nation - Pakistan; Wednesday, February 1st, 2012

Revealed: Anarkali shops illegally built on saint’s property

The representatives of an organisation working for conservation of heritage have revealed that the original property belonging to Hazrat Mian Mir, a famous Sufi saint who resided in Lahore, was located in Anarkali Bazaar.

“The property has now been turned into a shoe market,” they said at a press conference held at Lahore Press Club on Tuesday.

Lohkot Cultural and Heritage Society Chairman Rao Javid Iqbal, Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee Chairman Sardar Sham Singh, Pandit Lal Khokar, Faqir Saifuddin, Hajid Ronaq Ali and others demanded that the Punjab Government constitute a committee to investigate the issue and retrieve the saint’s land from the illegal occupants.

Showing documental proof to the journalists regarding the custody of the property by Hazrat Mian Mir (RA), they said that they would move a court if the provincial government did not pay any attention towards this serious issue. According to them, about 12 shops on the right side of the entry point to the Anakali Bazaar were built illegally on the saint’s property.

Till 1950s, they said, there were a mosque, a Chillagah, a worship place, and a well where the Sufi saint used to pray. Later on, they added, all these signs disappeared. The revenue record clearly narrated the shifting of the property from Mian Mir (RA) to the current owners, they added.

Meanwhile, Punjab Minister for Auqaf Haji Ehsanuddin Qureshi on Tuesday inaugurated the 388th annual Urs celebrations of Sufi saint Hazrat Mian Mir Sahib (RA). The Minister along with others laid chaddar on the shrine of Sufi saint and offered dua for the prosperity, development and peace in the country.

Addressing after the inauguration, the Minister said that the government was paying special attention to the provision of best facilities to the devotees and to look after the shrines. He said that Auqaf Department is spending money collected at the shrines on the welfare of deserving people and the devotees.

The Minister said that strict security arrangements with 300 security personal have been made and no one would be allowed to enter the shrine without proper checking. Qureshi said that Ulema and mushaikh should create tolerance among the masses by promoting teachings of the saints in the society.

He said that in the present situation, brotherhood can be maintained among various segments of the society by promoting teachings of Sufis and saints.

Director General, Director Administration and Manager Auqaf besides Ulema and a large number of people were also present on the occasion.

It Is In The Music

By Nick McGregor, *British axeman Richard Thompson turns it up a notch* - StAugustine.com 7 Surf-Drift - Saint Augustine, FL, USA; Tuesdy, January 31, 2012

British axeman Richard Thompson turns it up a notch: Performer and his Electric Trio come to Ponte Vedra Concert Hall on Feb. 2

Although guitar legend Richard Thompson is well-known for his groundbreaking folk career, his current tour finds the 62-year-old London singer/songwriter performing with his Electric Trio.

Of course, Thompson has always had a keen flair for the unexpected, making his name with pioneering Brit-folk outfit Fairport Convention in the late '60s before abruptly quitting the group in 1971. Thompson then married his frequent musical collaborator Linda Peters in 1972 and put their relationship on full public view with hit albums I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight, Hokey Pokey, and Pour Down Like Silver. But by 1975, the couple had withdrawn from the public eye to join a Sufi Islam commune.

In the mid-'80s, Thompson further shocked his British compatriots by moving to California, where he ignited a successful solo career that’s always enjoyed cult status with hardcore folk fans, music critics and guitar nerds alike. By the early 2000s, Thompson had shed his major-label past to go it alone as an independent artist marketing and selling his own albums, which actually increased his profile and sales. And in 2006, Thompson took a Playboy Magazine request for a “Best Songs of the Millennium” list seriously, coming up with his 1,000 Years of Popular Music CD and tour.

Drift caught up with the effusive Thompson to talk about Celtic influences, Beyonce, the Queen of England and the real meaning of Islam.

Drift: Your past tours have often been themed, Richard. Is there any such plan on the current tour with your Electric Trio?

Richard Thompson: Hopefully we’ll be playing some new material we haven’t done before, some selections off the last album, and then a whole bunch of stuff going back through the years. Back through the decades, actually — help!

Drift: You’ve been playing music for nearly 50 years. What first sparked your interest in the guitar?

RT: The guitar was a popular instrument when I was a small kid in the ‘50s, and I wanted one but no one took me seriously. I saw Eddie Cochran and Buddy Holly and on TV looking very cool with guitar, and I finally got one when I was 11 years old. I first played in an instrumental band doing The Ventures kind of stuff, then I was in a school band for a few years, and then at 18 I turned professional in the psychedelic clubs around London.

Drift: Your first big band, Fairport Convention, is considered one of the most seminal British bands in folk history. Did you realize at the time that you were redefining the music?

RT: Starting to play more British-style music was a deliberate policy — something that we did think about and were conscious of. We were also aware that what we were doing was quite different. Revolutionary, really. And I still subscribe to that style — the hybrid of rock ‘n’ roll and Celtic and English traditional forms.

Drift: Growing up in London, where did those decidedly rural influences come from?

RT: I think my music does have a slightly different slant, with a strong Celtic influence. That’s the stuff I grew up listening to in a traditional Scottish family, so it’s in the mix somewhere.

Drift: Do you find it hard to find 45 years after beginning your musical career to still find songwriting inspiration?

RT: No, because I’m not in a crowded field. If I were a country artist I’d think, ”Oh my God, I only have three chords and topics!” Broken hearts, honky-tonks, and C, F, and G. How many combinations can there be, and how many songwriters are there in Nashville, and how many songs do they each write in the year? It must be hundreds of thousands, and many of them probably sound remarkable similar [laughs]. There are a few great ones, I’m sure, but I’m in a much less crowded field, where there are only so many people with the interests that I have. It’s actually kind of a wide-open field, and I keep thinking of things that other people haven’t tried before — and that I haven’t tried before. So I’m always finding inspiration.

Drift: When you created the 1000 Years of Popular Music CD and tour you certainly went a ways back to find inspiration — all the way back to 1068, actually. Is it challenging to adapt music that old for modern tastes?

RT: It’s definitely tough — really impossible. But the attempt that we make at is not bad considering that other people haven’t been able to do it any better. If you take somebody who specializes in classical music, they couldn’t do popular music. And if you take somebody that specializes in early music, well, past the 1600s they start to founder [laughs]. I think we do not a bad job of taking a huge range of styles and turning it into an interesting experience. And I hate to say it, but it is educational, and eye opening sometimes, even for us doing the research because we stumble across these really beautiful songs that get lost as time marches on and fashions change. Go back to the 17th or 18th century and there are these wonderful things just waiting to be dusted off.

Drift: When you created the 1000 Years of Popular Music CD and tour you certainly went a ways back to find inspiration — all the way back to 1068, actually. Is it challenging to adapt music that old for modern tastes?

RT: It’s definitely tough — really impossible. But the attempt that we make at is not bad considering that other people haven’t been able to do it any better. If you take somebody who specializes in classical music, they couldn’t do popular music. And if you take somebody that specializes in early music, well, past the 1600s they start to founder [laughs]. I think we do not a bad job of taking a huge range of styles and turning it into an interesting experience. And I hate to say it, but it is educational, and eye opening sometimes, even for us doing the research because we stumble across these really beautiful songs that get lost as time marches on and fashions change. Go back to the 17th or 18th century and there are these wonderful things just waiting to be dusted off.

Drift: And I assume some of those songs come from the grand American folk tradition, right?

RT: Yes, we do some American folk songs because we don’t want our American audiences to feel left out or neglected. Of course American folk forms are based on European forms that became customized to the America, lifestyle and landscape. And the American musical genius starts to appear around the turn of the last century with things like jazz, a wonderful American art form.

Drift: You moved to the U.S. in the mid-'80s. What prompted your relocation, and do you miss Britain?

RT: Well, I married an American and it seemed a more logical place to live at the time. If you can stay out of prison, it’s a remarkable easy country to live in, as long as you stay on the right side of the law. I do miss the UK, but I get back at least once a year, which is probably enough. The thing I don’t miss is the weather from October to April — sometimes October to September.

Drift: You’ve been a devout Sufi Muslim since the ‘70s. How has that affected your music, and what are your thoughts on the misconceptions of Islam around the world?

RT: Whatever you believe in informs everything that you do really, so it is in there somewhere in the music. It’s not on the surface, but the morality is underlying the music I should imagine. And what the Western world sees of Islam is radical Islam and nuts like Al Qaeda, who as far as I’m concerned are so far outside of and beyond Islam. Islam is supposed to be about balance, generosity, and mercy; violence is really supposed to be the absolute last resort. Islam means peace for heaven’s sake, so let’s have some, please.

Drift: You’ve won scores of awards over the course of your career. Do any stand out more than others?

RT: Well last year I got an OBE from the Queen of England, which is about two degrees below knighthood on the pecking order but fantastic all the same. I also received a doctorate from Aberdeen University, so call me Dr. Thompson. That sounds good.

Drift: For most of your career you recorded for major labels, but over the last decade you’ve been a devoted independent artist. Does that allow you more freedom?

RT: I get a lot more freedom to make the records that I want to make. There are no other opinions; I don’t have to listen to record execs justifying their jobs. The musical landscape has totally changed in the last 20 years, and record labels are irrelevant to most people now. Unless you’re Beyoncé or something, they don’t really serve a purpose, so I think it’s all about small, independent labels and marketing music in different ways. I mean, crikey, in another five years everything could be free anyway. We could see the end of the CD very soon.

Drift: For you, and for folk music as a whole, it seems like touring and the live performance has always been more important.

RT: I’ve always seen performing as the focus of what I do and recordings as an adjunct. I’m glad people come to concerts, because for me the greatest thrill is playing in front of an audience. I mentioned Beyonce rather flippantly, but she puts on a good show with the lights and the dancing and the music, making a whole tapestry of things that to some people is the pinnacle of entertainment. But I’m more in a field where it’s one person with a guitar — a much more intimate thing that still works I hope.

Drift: You toured through St. Augustine last year. Do you always get a good response in Florida?

RT: We usually have really good experiences in Florida, and I enjoyed the show in St. Augustine last year at the Gamble Rogers Festival. It was fantastic and really nice; that festival is all about stories, because Gamble was a great storyteller. I always enjoy St. Augustine as a place to visit as well.

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Richard Thompson Electric Trio performs with Sam Pacetti on Thursday, Feb. 2 at Ponte Vedra Concert Hall, 1050 A1A North, Ponte Vedra Beach. Tickets range from $39.50 to $52.50 for reserved seating. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the show starts at 8 p.m. For more info, go to www.PVConcertHall.com or call 209-0399.

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For free Richard Thompson audio downloads, click here.

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Picture: Richard Thompson. Photo: Ron Sleznak.

A Libya of Diversity

By Tom Heneghan, *Freed from Gaddafi, Libyan Sufis face violent Islamists* - Reuters Africa - Tripoli, Libya; Wednesday, February 1st, 2012

Tripoli: Freed from Muammar Gaddafi's 42-year dictatorship, Libya's Sufi Muslims find themselves under renewed pressure from violent Islamists who have been attacking them and their beliefs as heretical.

The desecration of graves belonging to Sufi saints and sages in recent months have put the peaceful Sufis on the defensive, prompting some to post armed guards at their mosques and lodges to ward off hardline thugs.

But the birthday of Islam's Prophet Mohammad, one of the highpoints in the Sufi calendar, is on Saturday and Libyan Sufis are determined to take their traditional processions through the streets to show they will not be cowed.

At a meeting of Sufi scholars to plan the celebrations, Sheikh Adl Al-Aref Al-Hadad said even being driven out of his zawiyah (Islamic school) late last year by Islamists known as Salafis would not deter him from marching.

"I'm worried but I'm not afraid," said Al-Hadad, whose Tripoli school was stormed by armed men who burned its library, destroyed office equipment and dug up graves of sages buried there. They turned the school into a Salafi mosque.

On January 13, extremists crashed a bulldozer through the walls of the old cemetery in the eastern city of Benghazi, destroyed its tombs and carried off 29 bodies of respected sages and scholars. They also demolished a nearby Sufi school.

Sheikh Khaled Mohammad Saidan, whose Dargut Pasha Mosque faces Tripoli's port, said most Islamists in post-Gaddafi Libya disagreed with Sufis, but peacefully. "But there are no police around and you never know what some people might do," he added.

PIETY OR IDOLATRY?

Sufi lodges from around Tripoli will march on Saturday through narrow alleys of the walled old town, waving flags and chanting poems in praise of Mohammad to the beat of cymbals, drums and tambourines.

To the puritanical Salafis, these practices amount to bida (innovation) and shirk (idolatry), both grave sins that must be stopped, by force if necessary.

Sufism, a mystical strain in both Sunni and Shi'ite Islam, dates back to the early days of the faith. Apart from their prayers, Sufi devotions include singing hymns, chanting the names of God or dancing to heighten awareness of the divine.

Revered saints, scholars and holy people are buried in shrines and some are honoured with annual pilgrimages. While many Islamic scholars say this is admissible, puritanical schools of Islam such as Saudi Arabia's Wahhabis or the Afghan Taliban consider it heretical.

As pious and peaceful believers, Sufis have been easy targets for violent Islamists seeking political power. The Pakistani Taliban have attacked Sufi shrines and mosques there in recent years and Salafi attacks on Sufis broke out last year after Egypt's protesters toppled President Hosni Mubarak.

GADDAFI'S BIZARRE ISLAM

Gaddafi had a bizarre and fickle relationship with Islam, using it when it boosted his authority but suppressing it whenever faith seemed to be the first step towards dissent. At one point in the 1980s, anyone going to morning prayers in a mosque risked arrest as a religious extremist.

The dictator denied there was a split between Sunnis and Shi'ites. He blew hot and cold on the Prophet's birthday event known as Mawlid, sometimes limiting it in Libya but leading mass celebrations in African cities in his self-appointed role as a pan-African and pan-Islamic leader.

Traditional religious schools were shut and religious education was reduced to a few basics about Islam and heavy emphasis on memorising the Koran.

Gaddafi even abolished the Dar al Ifta, the central authority for issuing religious rulings or fatwas, and Libya offered no such advice to its Muslims from 1978 until the office was restored after rebels chased him from power last August.

"He did everything but give people carpets and say pray to him rather than Allah," one imam remarked.

All this undermined Libya's traditional Islam, a balanced Sunni version with Sufi influences. Some Muslims began looking abroad for inspiration, especially to Saudi Arabia, and brought back a more austere Islam that mixed up the religious landscape.

"Nobody knows anymore what they are," said Sufi theologian Aref Ali Nayed when asked what the majority was in Libyan Islam. "We have 42 years of Gaddafi to thank for that."

OUTFLANKED POLITICALLY

Libya's Sufis also worry they are being outflanked politically. Many new religious officials have Salafi leanings, they say, and are appointing Salafi imams to mosques vacated by pro-Gaddafi preachers. Salafi preaching is now widespread on Libyan television and radio, they say.

Salafis have also begun denouncing traditional imams to the authorities, prompting them to be replaced by hardliners. "About half the imams here have been replaced by Salafis," said one imam at a large Tripoli mosque where Salafis in the congregation are campaigning against celebrating Mawlid.

Political parties are starting to form, including the Muslim Brotherhood. Libyan Salafis have not yet announced if they plan to launch a party and contest elections, as in Egypt.

Sheikh Mohammad Jafari, whose mosque is pockmarked from the fighting over Gaddafi's Bab Al-Azizaya compound just across the street, said Sufis had to stand up for their beliefs.

"Sufis uphold the values of love and brotherhood," he said. "We believe in dialogue and difference of opinions. We want to build a Libya of diversity."

The First Drop of Rain

By Sher Alam Shinwari, *Perspective: Spiritual homecoming* - Dawn.Com - Karachi, Pakistan; Sunday, January 29, 2012

According to popular belief, the great mystic poet Rahman Baba was born in the early 17th century during the time of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb Alamgir and he received-religious education from Mullah Yousaf in Kohat, but made the village of Bahadar Kalay in the outskirts of Peshawar his permanent abode.

Unfortunately, a major portion of Raman Baba’s life remains shrouded in mystery with researchers yet to discover its many hidden aspects.

Entertainment-starved Peshawariites watched the play seeped in spiritualism, philosophy and humility, based on the life of the Sufi poet who for centuries has continued to inspire generations of Pakhtuns.

With a cast of 30-plus playing out different major and minor roles, the play opened with a few college students glorifying their favourite rock stars during a photo exhibition. A fakir baba (holy man) draws their attention to a local hero who reigns over souls and not just the hearts and minds of men. The story goes in flashback mode to show Abdur Rahman, a child putting forth intelligent questions to his father, Abdul Sattar, regarding the jirga and other social customs of the Pakhtuns. The bright, sensitive child grows up to become a religious scholar well-aware of his environment.

For centuries, Rahman Baba was treated as an ascetic but progressive critics discovered in him a mystic revloutionary and social reformer who not only challenged the power and pelf of his rival landlord cousins, Aziz Khan and Shamroz Khan, but also decried Mughal pride. He bequeathed his own land to poor widows and orphans on the basis of poetic references found in his diwan.

Although the three-hour play was free of glitches, a few criticised the plot for laying too much stress on religiosity of the Sufi mystic. The universal message of Rahman Baba was played out by a befitting set, stage lighting, sound effects and veteran histrionics by seasoned stage and TV actors such as Iftikhar Qaiser, Umar Daraz, Javed Babar, Ishrat Abbas, Said Rahman Sheno, Zahida Tunha, Meena Shams, Riaz Akhtar, Uazir Sherpao, Salim Shauq, Obaid and Kalim Khan.

In an exclusive chat with Images on Sunday, play director Ajab Gul said, “The play has a mega cast due to it being a mega project. I took it as a challenge with all the shortcomings of theatrical architectonics. I dared to stage a classic play based on the message of a well-loved Sufi mystic of the Pakhtuns, and surprisingly the audience who are totally unaware of the traditions of theatre were spellbound and quite responsive.”

Actor Iftikhar Qaiser who played Rahman Baba said, “It was not only a character, it was a soul-stirring experience. Abaseen Yousafzai, the scriptwriter, treated it very differently.”

The Afghan Consul-General in Peshawar, Syed Mohammad Ibrahimkhel, and the Afghan Envoy to European Union, Kamal Gul, were among the audience. The latter came all the way from Brussels, Belgium, to watch the play and hopes to take the play to Kabul after consulting the Afghan Federal Culture Minister, Makhdoom Raheen. “I told the Afghan envoy that it could be made possible after taking it up with Pakistan’s culture ministry, if is done it will help in cementing cultural ties between the two countries,” Gul said. It will soon be available on DVD with English dubbing and subtitles.

The play also raises questions regarding the misquotation of Rahman Baba’s couplets on public transport, thereby pointing to poor knowledge by a university professor who takes a group of students to the shrine of the Sufi poet encroached upon by drug addicts, thereby inviting the wrath of militants who blew up a part of it in March 2009. The play comes to an end with the transformation of Palvasha, a carefree young Pakhtun girl, as she marries Jamal who is a great admirer of Rahman Baba.

In Jamal is represented the sentiments of present-day Pakhtuns who believe explosions cannot destroy the vision of everlasting peace and tolerance because the same lives on in our hearts. The KPK Minister for Information and Culture Mian Iftikhar Hussain said on the occasion that Rahman Baba was just the first drop of rain which will hopefully be followed by a heavy downpour of plays focusing on prominent heroes of the soil in order to promote peace and defeat militancy.

Rahman Baba is directed by Ajab Gul and written by Abaseen Yousafzai