Paul Salahuddin Armstrong, Founder and Director of Wulfruna Sufi Association
Support us:
Site Index
-
Join 84 other subscribers
Social Networks
Twitter feed: @wulfrunasufi
Tweets by wulfrunasufiFind us on Facebook
Disclaimer: External Links
Links to external, or third party websites, are provided solely for visitors' convenience. Links taken to other sites are done so at your own risk and Wulfruna Sufi Association accepts no liability for any linked sites or their content. When you access an external website, keep in mind that Wulfruna Sufi Association has no control over its content.
Any link from the Wulfruna Sufi Association website to an external website does not imply or mean that Wulfruna Sufi Association endorses or accepts any responsibility for the content or the use of such website. Wulfruna Sufi Association does not give any representation regarding the quality, safety, suitability, or reliability of any external websites or any of the content or materials contained in them. It is important for users to take necessary precautions, especially to ensure appropriate safety from viruses, worms, Trojan horses and other potentially destructive items.
When visiting external websites, users should review those websites' privacy policies and other terms of use to learn more about, what, why and how they collect and use any personally identifiable information.
My Visitor Map
Website Stats
- 298,314 hits
Copyright Notice:
© Wulfruna Sufi Association and/or the authors of contributed content. Unauthorised use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from the author(s) is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that the text is not edited for any reason without express and written permission from the author(s) and full and clear credit is given to the author(s), with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
The Allegory of the Cave
In memory of Ms Benazir Bhutto
We are very sad, and sorry to learn of the tragic murder of Ms Benazir Bhutto. This cold blooded act is a tragedy not only for Pakistan, but for all humanity. Those who resort to this type of atrocity are of the worst kind. They cannot win through peaceful dialogue or civilised politics, so resort to the most barbaric means to further their agenda…
We offer our heartfelt condolences to Ms Bhutto’s family, friends and the people of Pakistan. We hope and pray the good people of Pakistan will not be halted in their efforts to bring about peace, justice, and progress in their country due to terrorists. May Ms Bhutto rest in peace, and her sacrifice not be forgotten.
Merry Christmas!
From everyone at Wulfruna Sufi Association;
We wish our Christian brothers and sisters,
Merry Christmas! Seasons Greetings!
And Best Wishes for the New Year!
Happy Eid!
Everyone at Wulfruna Sufi Association wishes all our readers Happy Eid!
Eid Al-Adha (Festival of the Sacrifice) is celebrated at the close of the Hajj pilgrimage. On Eid Al Adha, Muslims remember the story of the prophet Abraham as related in the Holy Qur’an. Abraham saw in a vision God wanted him to sacrifice his beloved son, Ishmael. To show his willingness to obey God, Abraham prepared to sacrifice his son…
“Then when (the son) reached (the age of) (serious) work with him, he said: ‘O my son! I see in vision that I offer thee in sacrifice: Now see what is thy view!’ (The son) said: ‘O my father! Do as thou art commanded: Thou will find me if Allah so wills one practicing Patience and Constancy!’
So when they had both submitted their wills (to Allah), and He had laid him prostrate on his forehead (for sacrifice). We called out to him ‘O Abraham!’
‘Thou hast already fulfilled the vision!’ – thus indeed do We reward those who do right. For this was obviously a trial – And We ransomed him with a momentous sacrifice: And We left (this blessing) for him among generations (to come) in later times: ‘Peace and salutation to Abraham!’ Thus indeed do We reward those who do right. For he was one of Our believing Servants.” Holy Qur’an [37:102-111]
Abraham is an important prophet in Judaism and Christianity as well as Islam. This account is also found in the Holy Bible. The account found in the Bible is almost identical, but names Isaac as the son who was taken to be sacrificed, whereas Muslims believe it was Ishmael. Some people get stuck on this difference. However, if we look beyond this detail, the message is the same. Abraham believed God asked him to sacrifice his only son to prove his faith. Abraham was very faithful and prepared to do this. But at the last minute, God stopped him and gave him a sheep to sacrifice instead.
“…God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, ‘Here I am.’ He said, ‘Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you.’ So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him and Isaac his son; and he split wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him.” Genesis [22:1-3]
“Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, ‘My father!’ And he said, ‘Here I am, my son.’ And he said, ‘Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?’ Abraham said, ‘God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.’ So the two of them walked on together. Then they came to the place of which God had told him; and Abraham built the altar there and arranged the wood, and bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood.
Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, ‘Abraham, Abraham!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’ He said, ‘Do not stretch out your hand against the lad, and do nothing to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.” Then Abraham raised his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him a ram caught in the thicket by his horns; and Abraham went and took the ram and offered him up for a burnt offering in the place of his son.
Abraham called the name of that place The LORD Will Provide, as it is said to this day, ‘In the mount of the LORD it will be provided.’ Then the angel of the LORD called to Abraham a second time from heaven, and said, ‘By Myself I have sworn, declares the LORD, because you have done this thing and have not withheld your son, your only son, indeed I will greatly bless you, and I will greatly multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your seed shall possess the gate of their enemies. ‘In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.” Genesis [22:7-18]
Muslims still carry out this tradition of sacrificing a sheep in memory of Abraham. But it’s important to remember that God doesn’t really need us to sacrifice animals. Neither the flesh or blood reaches him. It is the intention in our heart to please our Lord, we will be rewarded according to our sincerity…
“It is not their meat nor their blood, that reaches Allah: it is your piety that reaches Him: He has thus made them subject to you, that ye may glorify Allah for His Guidance to you and proclaim the Good News to all who do right.” Holy Qur’an [22:37]
The lesson in Abraham’s story, is we should be prepared to make sacrifices for our Lord. Sacrificing sheep on Eid is supposed to make us think. In Islamic tradition we distribute the meat to the poor. We should be more considerate towards others, especially those less well off than ourselves. We shouldn’t just sacrifice an animal on Eid and think “thats it!”.
Self sacrifice, making time for others, donating to worthy causes are a tradition in Judaism, Christianity, Islam and indeed most religious traditions. We shouldn’t see this as a burden, but gladly do that which is within our means to benefit others. If we do this for our Lord, we will be richly rewarded, both within this life and in the next.
“The parable of those who spend their substance in the way of Allah is that of a grain of corn: it groweth seven ears, and each ear hath a hundred grains. Allah giveth manifold increase to whom He pleaseth: And Allah careth for all, and He knoweth all things” Holy Qur’an [2:261]
All quotes from the Holy Qur’an use Abdullah Yusuf Ali’s English translation. While all the quotes from the Holy Bible are taken from the NASB.
Eid Prayer at Jamia Mosque Bilal
There will be two Jamaats for both men and women held at Jamia Mosque Bilal, Wolverhampton, on Thursday 20th December 2007, insh’Allah.
1st Jamaat 9:00am Imam Hafiz Iftikhar Hussain Sahib Naqshbandi
2nd Jamaat 10:30am Imam Maulana Sahib Zaada Muhammed Zahir Ud-din Sahib
Food Festival and Eid Mela 2007
Nissa Women’s Association
warmly invite all sisters to
Food Festival & Eid Mela 2007
Saturday 29th December 2007,
10:30am – 5:00pm
Dunstall Hill Community Centre, Dunstall Avenue, Wolverhampton. WV6 0NH.
Free Admission
For further information phone: 01902 313033 / 560039
Supported by Sahara Centre. A fundraising event.
Only for women and children.
So Easy To Understand And Practice!
The Great Integrity is so easy to understand, and so easy to practice. Yet it is not understood. Nor is it practiced.
It is not understood because people’s heads are filled with 10,000 trivia and rationalizations, leaving no space for anything else.
It is not practiced because people are kept busy, though bored with the 10,000 corruptions and miseries that leave no time for the Three Treasures.
The Great Integrity is so ancient, as old as the universe itself! How can we expect people to remember it after so many millenia of repression?
That is why sages dress in rags while they wear the Three Treasures deep inside their hearts.
Tao Te Ching, Verse 70. Written by Lao Tzu, translated by Ralph Alan Dale.
Tales of Hakuin
Is that so?
Hakuin was praised by his neighbours as one living a pure life. A beautiful Japanese girl whose parents owned a food store lived near him. Suddenly, without any warning, her parents discovered she was with child. This made her parents angry. She would not confess who the man was, but after much harassment at last named Hakuin.
In great anger the parents went to the master. “Is that so?” was all he would say.
After the child was born it was brought to Hakuin. By this time he had lost his reputation, which did not trouble him, but he took very good care of the child. He obtained milk from his neighbours and everything else he needed. A year later the girl-mother could stand it no longer. She told her parents the truth – the real father of the child was a young man who worked in the fishmarket.
The mother and father of the girl at once went to Hakuin to ask forgiveness, to apologize at length, and to get the child back.
Hakuin was willing. In yielding the child, all he said was: “Is that so?”
The Gates of Paradise
A soldier came to Hakuin and asked “Is there really a paradise and a hell?”
“Who are you?” inquired Hakuin.
“I am a samurai,” the warrior replied.
“You, a samurai!” exclaimed Hakuin. “What kind of ruler would have you as his guard? Your face looks like that of a beggar!”
The soldier became so angry that he began to draw his sword, but Hakuin continued. “So you have a sword! Your weapon is probably as dull as your head!”
As the soldier drew his sword Hakuin remarked “Here open the gates of hell!”
At these words, the samurai, perceiving the discipline of the master, sheathed his sword and bowed.
“Here open the gates of paradise,” said Hakuin.
From ‘Zen Flesh, Zen Bones’ compiled by Paul Reps and Nyogen Senzaki.
Jesus’ Miracle of the Clay Sparrows
Then Allah will ask: “O Jesus son of Mary ! Recall my favor upon you and to your mother, how I strengthened you with the Holy Spirit, so you could speak to the people in cradle and in old age, how I taught you the Book, Wisdom, the Torah and the Gospel. How you were able to make the figure of a bird out of a clay, by My permission, how you breathed into it and changed it into a real bird, by My permission. How you could heal the born-blind and the lepers by My permission. How you could bring the dead body back to life by My permission. How I protected you from the violence of the Children of Israel when you came to them with clear signs and the unbelievers among them said: ‘This is nothing but a clear sorcery.'” Holy Qur’an [5:110]
As recounted in this beautiful account from the Holy Qur’an, Jesus performed many Miracles with God’s blessing. Jesus only performed these miracles as signs from God for people of faith and understanding. Even in the Bible, Jesus never claimed to perform these miracles by himself.
“…it is rather by means of God’s power I drive out demons,…” Luke [11:20]
“I can do nothing on my own authority;…” John [5:30]
God’s power was working through Jesus in these miracles, to demonstrate something of the majesty of God, and that Jesus was His prophet. By this means many people were guided, but unfortunately there were others who made false accusations at Jesus and wouldn’t even accept the miracles they witnessed by themselves!
“…and the unbelievers among them said: ‘This is nothing but a clear sorcery.'” Holy Qur’an [5:110]
But miracles were not unique to Jesus, indeed God worked miracles through many of His prophets. One of the most famous of them was Moses. God performed many miracles through Moses to force the Pharaoh to free the people of Israel, but also as signs for the Hebrews, and even the Egyptians of Moses’ prophethood.
One amazing miracle of Jesus which didn’t make it into the Bible, is found in The Infancy Gospel of Thomas, as well as in the Holy Qur’an. These recall of when Jesus was still a child, creating small birds from clay and bringing them to life.
“When this child Jesus was five years old, he was playing by the ford of a stream; and he gathered the flowing waters into pools and made them immediately pure. These things he ordered simply by speaking a word. He then made some soft mud and fashioned twelve sparrows from it. It was the Sabbath when he did this. A number of other children were also playing with him.
But when a certain Jew saw what Jesus had done while playing on the Sabbath, he left right away and reported it to his father, Joseph, ‘Look, your child at the stream has taken mud and formed twelve sparrows. He has profaned the Sabbath!’
When Joseph came to the place and saw what had happened he cried out to him, ‘Why are you doing what is forbidden on the Sabbath? But Jesus clapped his hands and cried to the sparrows, ‘Be gone!’ And the sparrows took flight and went off, chirping. When the Jews saw this they were amazed; and they went away and reported it to their leaders what they had seen Jesus do.” The Infancy Gospel of Thomas [2:1-5]
Judge Not, Lest Ye Be Judged!
“Do ye not see that Allah has subjected to your (use) all things in the heavens and on earth, and has made His bounties flow to you in exceeding measure, (both) seen and unseen?
Yet there are among men those who dispute about Allah, without knowledge and without guidance and without a Book to enlighten them!” Holy Qur’an [31:20]
The general guideline in Islamic religious law is everything is lawful (halal) except that which has been specifically forbidden (haram). As for the small number of things which are not proscribed in Islamic teachings, these are for very good reasons, as in the well known cases of pork and alcohol. Both of these have been shown by modern medical science to be bad for human consumption. Many non-Muslims who care about their health don’t eat much pork and watch how much they drink. God hasn’t forbidden anything which is good for us, and who knows us better than our Creator?
But unfortunately some Muslims belonging to extreme sects such as Wahabi’s and Deobandi’s have taken it upon themselves to police other Muslims. In many cases they pick on people who are not doing anything wrong. Even if they were, we should be careful about judging others unless we wish God’s judgement to fall harder on us. Ultimately we all have to answer to our Creator. As Jesus famously said:
“Do not judge lest you be judged yourselves. For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it shall be measured to you. And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly enough to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.” Matthew [7:1-5]
Wulfruna Sufi Association 