Sufi Reverberations: What's In A Name

This episode explores some basic considerations concerning the nature of the Sufi path. Included is a discussion involving the Names of Divinity as well as an account of spiritual abuse at the hands of an alleged Sufi shaykh.

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The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is once reported to have said: “There are 71 sects among Jews, and only one of them is correct. There are 72 sects among Christians, and only one of them is correct. There are 73 sects among Muslims, and only one of them is correct.” Presumably, something of a similar nature could be voiced concerning: Buddhism, Taoism, Hinduism, many kinds of indigenous systems of belief, as well as in relation to various modalities of the so-called mystery schools.

We all want to think that whatever path we are on is the right one. However I’m not going to try to claim that my spiritual journey just happens to be fully compliant with the correct one alluded to in the foregoing.

I have tried hard to search for the truth, but Allah knows best what the reality of my situation is. Nonetheless, I can say with certainty that whatever my shortcomings might still be – and I am sure that they are many -- my life is better than it otherwise would have been and become had it continued on the path I was on prior to becoming initiated, by the Grace of Allah, through my first shaykh.

On the other hand, as the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) has been reported to indicate: “The movements of nafs are more difficult to detect than the movements of a black ant on a smooth rock in the dead of night.” How much does one miss concerning the truth as a result of the machinations of nafs which through a network of desires, negative emotions, problematic motivations, and impulsive, ill-considered intentions constantly creates a variety of emotional, psychological, conceptual, social, and spiritual blind-spots, if not existential sink holes?

Plus, let’s add to the contributions of an individual’s nafs, the forces of dunya (which is the chaos generated by the manner in which the complex dynamics of our collective nafs interact with one another to generate a dysfunctional society) and, then, mix those dynamics with the constant entreaties of the shaytans that are urging human beings to pursue what is not in our best interests. Nafs, dunya, and shaytans are an unholy alliance constantly seeking to induce us to pursue things other than the truth concerning the essential nature of our relationship with Being, and if we are honest with ourselves, there are all too many times when we take a whipping from that alliance.

Even if we are fortunate enough, by the Grace of Allah, to win more of the foregoing battles than we lose, it has been said that the sins of the elect are the virtues of those who are less spiritually endowed. As a result, even if we believe we are doing well, this belief might only be because we have become intoxicated with a spiritual orientation which is nothing more than something which reverberates and resonates with the sins of the elect. 

The foregoing consideration reminds one of the account that is associated with the life of Hazrat Ra’ bia (may Allah be pleased with her) who was reported to have been walking with a Sufi of some accomplishment on the side of a hill overlooking Basra. The latter individual looked upon the city below them and remarked that most of the people of that city did not keep their fasts or observe their prayers. 

The man went on to indicate that he had never missed a fast or prayer in his life. Hazrat Ra’bia (may Allah be pleased with her) is reported to have given the man a hard look and said: “Thy existence is a sin with which none other can compare.”

There are those who maintain that the Sufi path is a sort of technology which entails a methodology which, if followed, leads to spiritual realization concerning, among other things, essential identity. Hazrat Bayazid Bistami (may Allah be pleased with him) indicates otherwise when he is reported to have said: “The Thing we tell of can never be found by seeking, but only seekers find it,” indicating that the sine qua none of the Sufi path is God’s Grace, for as the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is reported to have said: “Many are those among you who fast and, yet, gain nothing from it except hunger and thirst, and many are those who pray throughout the night and, yet, gain, nothing from it except wakefulness.” Presumably, one might add that there are many who give zakat but acquire nothing but a lessening of their bank account, or who go on Hajj and gain nothing but a trip, or who utter shahadah and gain only the sound of their own voice. 

Irrespective of what one’s efforts might be, God is under no obligation to grant one spiritual realization. We are completely dependent on God’s Mercy for, as the Qur’an indicates: “O people, you are the poor towards God, and God is the Independent and Praiseworthy.” (35:15)

Whatever our rizq (or provision) might be, it is from Allah. We should be grateful for what comes to us, including the desire to seek the truth and worship the truths that are disclosed to us … whether these truths be simple or profound, and whether these truths come via ease or hardship.

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is reported to have said: “All people are doomed to perish except those of action, and all people of action will perish except for the sincere, and the sincere are at great risk.” As the Qur’an reminds us: “We offered the trust to the heavens and the earth and the mountains, but they refused to bear it, being afraid thereof, and man accepted to bear it. He is, indeed, extremely oppressive and ignorant.” (33:72)  Again from the Qur’an: “And surely we shall test you with some fear and hunger and loss of wealth and lives and crops, but give glad tidings to the steadfast, who say when misfortune strikes them: surely to Allah we belong and to Allah we are returning.” (2: 155-156). Claims to sincerity will always be tested.

There are many people today – both within the Muslim and Christian communities – who talk about human beings having been created in the image of God. One should ask what the nature of an “image” is for it is neither God, nor other than God. 

In one Hadith Qudsi – that is words which are uttered through the mouth of the Prophet, but which are said to be the words of God rather than those of a man and, yet, what is said does not constitute revelation – the following statement is reported to have been said: “In the beginning, I was alone, and I am now as I was in the beginning.” In another Hadith Qudsi, the following words were reported to have been said: “I am Ahmad without meem (m).“ In other words, God is Ahad. 

Reflect on the foregoing. God is saying that God was alone in the beginning, and God is now as God was in the beginning. God is Ahad – the One, the Singular, the Only, the Alone.

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is said to have cautioned people to: “Reflect upon all things but reflect not on God’s Essence.” The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is also reported to have said: “I have been given all the Names and have been sent to perfect good behavior.” 

We can reflect on the Names – that is, we can reflect on all of the different levels of manifestation that are made possible by the way in which Nur, Divine Light, is defracted through the prism of the Names of Allah -- but we cannot reflect on the Essence or Dhat of God. The image of God is to be found in the Names and not in the Divine Essence for although in essence we human beings might be Divine, we are not Divinity in Essence. Indeed, as the Qur’an indicates: “God appointed for you stars that you might be guided in the darkness of the land and the sea.” (6:97) The Qur’an also states: “And God taught Adam all of the Names, then, showed them to the angels, saying: Inform me of the names of these, if ye are truthful. They said: Be glorified! We have no knowledge saving that which Thou hast taught us. Lo! Thou, only Thou, art the Knower, The Wise. God said: O Adam! Inform them of their names. God said: Did I not tell you that I know the secret of the heavens and the earth?” (2:31-33). 

The Names of Divinity give active expression to the Divine Presence. Nonetheless, one cannot reduce the latter to the former, for if this were the case – that is, if the Names and Essence were identical -- then, to reflect on the Names (which is encouraged by God throughout the Qur’an) would be forbidden since, as stipulated earlier, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is reported to have said that one should not reflect on the Divine Essence.

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is reported to have said: “All of the Revealed Books are contained in the Qur’an. And, the meaning of the Qur’an is contained within Surah al-Fatihah. And, the meaning of Surah al-Fatiha is contained in Bismillah ir Rahman ir Raheem, and the meaning of Bismillah ir Rahman ir Raheem is contained in Bimillah, and the meaning of Bismillah is contained in the dot beneath bey (b).” Look for the image that gives expression to the fitra or essential nature of human beings in the dot beneath bey in Bismillah. Names are Names, but Essence is beyond all Names even as Names give testimony to the Presence of Essence or Dhat.

Earlier in this commentary, reference was made to my first shaykh. I have had two shaykhs – the first one was authentic and the second individual was a spiritual charlatan, and while the second “guide” might have been an imposter, nonetheless, he taught me some valuable lessons.

When my first shaykh passed away in 1988 I knew that I needed more guidance, and I knew that such an understanding of my unfinished spiritual condition was a sincere assessment of my condition. However, as indicated previously, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) has indicated that “the sincere are at great risk.” Part of that risk is that one’s intentions will be rigorously tested.

Although, by the Grace of Allah, this unworthy individual had been permitted to spend considerable time in the company of a true saint of the 20th century and, thereby, had been provided with numerous opportunities to serve God through him, nonetheless, following the passing away of my guide, I was prepared to start all over again if I were to be fortunate enough to find another shaykh. There were no expectations on my part that I would be entitled to be given some sort of spiritual intimacy with another shaykh as had been the case with my first spiritual guide. I was just ready to learn whatever I could.

After several false starts, my life was brought into contact with someone who – on the surface – seemed to be a genuine shaykh. That individual could quote a seemingly endless litany of appropriate Hadiths and Quranic passages at the time that circumstances appeared to call for such words, and, as well, he could speak authoritatively on the history of the Sufi tradition and offer an endless stream of anecdotes that brought different dimensions of the spiritual journey to the attention of those who listened to him. I report the foregoing in the manner that I have because I had been listening to my first shaykh for nearly sixteen years and could see how what the second shaykh was saying reflected – at least on the surface -- what the first shaykh had been saying, but words are like icebergs which have a small, visible portion that is rooted in a reality that lies beneath the surface and is capable of giving surface words an impetus that is a function of the properties and qualities of the kind of reality which lies beneath the surface of spoken words.

The second shaykh was charismatic, had a great sense of humor, and was very approachable. On a number of occasions, I witnessed the way the second shaykh was able to induce fundamentalist oriented individuals to alter their approach to Islam, and this transformation often took place within a matter of hours, if not sooner. 

At a certain point, after having had the opportunity to listen to the second shaykh, ask him questions, and watch how he interacted with a wide variety of individuals under an array of circumstances, I sought initiation. Upon being initiated – and none of what follows had so much as been hinted to me prior to initiation – I was made a shaykh and informed about an important role that I was to serve in the West – a role that my new shaykh had been instructed about – allegedly -- by his own shaykh a number of years previously. 

I began to give talks, initiate mureeds, and undertake different tasks that I was being assigned by my second shaykh in Canada, the United States, and England. There were other presumptive shaykhs in North America with whom I came in contact that appeared to acknowledge that my second shaykh was the real deal. 

However, to make a longer story much shorter, after about a decade of service, I was exposed to incontrovertible evidence that the second shaykh who was referred to as Baba, or spiritual father, was engaged in an array of unacceptable behaviors which were destroying people’s lives – including my own life. Among other things, the individual was a sexual predator.

Some people who hear the foregoing might ask: “Well, if your first shaykh was authentic and a saint, why didn’t he step in and help you in some way.” In truth, such help was extended to me several times. Once was in the form of a dream in which my first shaykh came to me and told me that I was travelling in the wrong, spiritual direction. 

However, while I was quite prepared to accept the idea that I was making mistakes and needed to do some sort of course correction, I chose to ask the wrong person about what the dream might mean in specific terms. In other words, I went to the second, physically living shaykh and mentioned the dream in which my previous shaykh had indicated that I was journeying in the wrong direction, and, of course, the individual to whom I told the dream was a master of spinning things and spin he did. As I reflect upon that incident and, by the Grace of Allah, having gained some emotional distance from that time, the irony of that set of circumstances has not been lost on me. 

In addition, prior to the foregoing incident and before I came into contact with the individual who would turn out to be a spiritual charlatan, I also had been given another warning by my first shaykh – the one who had passed away. More specifically, there was a Sufi gathering that was taking place and at that gathering someone else who had been a mureed of my first shaykh indicated to me that he had had a dream in which our shaykh had instructed him to tell me to look out for two wolves. 

I subsequently came in contact with a number of individuals who turned out to have the qualities of a wolf. Consequently, I had a little difficulty distinguishing between the wheat and the chaff when it came to identifying which of the people I met were the two wolves to which my first shaykh was trying to draw my attention. As a result, by the time I came into the company of the second shaykh, I thought – incorrectly – that I already had been exposed to, and managed to free myself from, individuals who seemed to fit the description of the sort of individuals about which my shaykh had warned me in the dream of a friend that had been conveyed to me.

Notwithstanding the foregoing missteps, and despite being a little slow on the uptake with respect to the understanding that was necessary to realize some of the truth of what was transpiring, I did come across the evidence that was needed to break free from the second, alleged shaykh -- the spiritual charlatan. Moreover, without going into details, the realization has gradually dawned on me over time that the spiritual charlatan had been trying to destroy me and my life for quite some time, including doing things behind my back that were intended to isolate me from my family and friends.

Although there have been many truths that, gradually, have surfaced as a result of those ten years in the spiritual desert, the learning process has been soaked with considerable pain. However, life is not just about the jamali names of Divinity – the names of ease, bounty, beauty, and mercy, because whether one likes it or not, life is also about being exposed to the jalali names as well – the names of rigor, severity, and hardship.

The aforementioned spiritual charlatan induced many people to lose their faith. Yet, irrespective of whatever role spiritual charlatans play in the lives of people, the choice of what one does with the events that come into one’s  life – whether on refers to them as being “good” or “bad” -- always belongs to the individual.

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is reported to have said: “Knowledge is of two kinds: Formal knowledge which does not go beyond verbal profession. It is the evidence of God against those people who profess such knowledge, and according to it, God will judge them; and, genuine knowledge, which is deep rooted in the heart – this is the knowledge which is most useful.” 

God has provided me with bits of genuine knowledge that were derived from the time I spent in the company of a real shaykh. God also has instilled genuine knowledge in me that arose, like a phoenix, from the ashes of my relationship with the false shaykh.

The Qur’an informs us that: “If Allah were to take humankind to task for their wrong-doing, God would not leave hereon a living creature, but God reprieveth them to an appointed term.” (16:61) I have tried to learn as much as I can about the nature of my own wrong-doing in the time that has been reprieved to me by God, and both of the aforementioned shaykhs, each in his own inimical way, has helped me to become aware of my mistakes and, slowly, with the help of Allah, I have sought to move in the direction of seeking to realize my fitra and away from ceding my agency to the influence of nafs, dunya, shaytans, and a false shaykh.

Back in the late 1960s, early 1970s, I remember coming across a book and a set of records by Baba Ram Das who, previously, had gone under the name: Richard Alpert. He, along with Timothy Leary, had been professors of psychology at Harvard when I was there, and during that time they both were fired from their jobs for experimenting with psilocybin as well as a few other consciousness-bending substances. A few years later Alpert wrote a book, accompanied by a set of records, called: Be Here, Now. 

I had listened to the recordings and was quite moved by them, and, as a result, began to explore various mystical ideas and practices. My journey traversed a different path than his did, but, I tend to think that we both have been trying to move in the general direction of essential truths.

The series of words: “Be Here, Now” trips so easily off the lips, and, yet, to really understand what it is to “Be” and what the nature of the “Here” and the “Now” are, is profoundly difficult. The depth of the significance of that statement runs into the Unseen, for, as the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is reported to have said: “Truly, the Qur’an has an outward and an inward dimension, and so on up to seven dimensions,” and, therefore, to properly understand what is entailed by the notion of “Be Here, Now,” from a Sufi perspective, one would need to travel to the most inward dimension – the seventh level -- of the Qur’an … and, maybe, beyond.

As the Qur’an indicates: “… if all of the trees in the earth were pens, and the sea, with seven more seas to help it (were ink), the words of Allah could not be exhausted.” (31:27) Or, approached in another way, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is reported to have said: “God has seventy thousands veils of light and darkness; were they to be removed, the Glories of God’s face would burn away everything perceived by the sight of God’s creatures.” 

We spend our lives sailing through the mysteries of those seventy thousand veils. We try to learn the intricacies of spiritual navigation that will enable us to find the way back to our essential selves and the truth of the nature of our relationship to the One Who has thrown us into the many currents of life. 

At the beginning of this commentary, I referred to the Prophetic saying that includes the stipulation that: “there are 73 sects among Muslims, and only one of them is correct”. The considerations put forth throughout the present commentary allude to why there are so many paths that might be followed which will lead toward, or to, one of the 72 incorrect sects, and, how although the one correct way might be steeped in considerable mystery, yet, nonetheless, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) confirmed its reality when he is reported to have said: “There are hidden gems of knowledge unknown to all but those who know Allah. If they are spoken of, none denies them except those arrogant toward Allah.”

My first shaykh knew of such gems but was very guarded in his speech concerning them. My second shaykh – the spiritual fraud – did not know such gems but tried to speak as if he did, and, as a result, was thoroughly ensconced in one of the 72 incorrect ways of engaging Islam.

The present podcast will be my last in the Sufi Reverberations series – at least for the foreseeable future. I started these presentations not because I was a shaykh but because I wanted to share whatever I could that might offer a form of remembrance and support for whomever might happen onto the presentations while travelling through the darkness which is growing all about us. Indeed, as the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is reported to have said: “Verily, God doth not take away knowledge from the hands of Divine servants, but taketh it by taking away the learned, so that when no learned people remain, the ignorant will be placed at the head of affairs. Causes will be submitted to their decision, and they will pass sentence without knowledge, and they will err themselves, and lead others into error.” These are the times in which we live.

For those who are interested, I have written more than forty books on an array of topics, ranging from: Medicine, to: Evolution, the Sufi path, 9/11, spiritual abuse, Sam Harris, Tolstoy, Islam, shari’ah, education, quantum mechanics, cosmology, religion, constitutional issues, philosophy, psychology, sovereignty, and more. The books are all free for the taking and can be found at: https://billwhitehouse.com/press.htm . No e-mail addresses will be required, nor will donations be asked for. Take what you like and leave the rest.

If books are not your thing, then, there are some videos that might be of interest to you. These can be found at: https://billwhitehouse.com/video.htm -- the last two videos on the page might have the most value.

As-Salaam-u-‘alaykum and khuda hafiz.