With the growing Sufi problem in the community, the World Federation of Khoja Shia Ithnasheri Communities took this matter to the Maraja in Najaf; and today published a short report detailing the guidelines from the Maraja against the deviant forms of Mysticism.
The source for this material is the World Federation Website – see:
http://www.world-federation.org/…/_Syed_Sistani_other_Maraje.htm
An archive of this page has been stored and can be found here in Adobe Acrobat PDF Format
Ayatullah al-Udhma Sayyed Ali Al-Husseini Al-Sistani(HA)
Agha was briefed on the growing trend of our community students who travel to the Hawza and focus their studies towards Irfan. Upon their return they seem to possess some distinct appearances, behaviours and attitudes. The community at large is not used to this and feel concerned about the development of these students.
- Agha devoted a significant amount of time to this question and it was an area he was clearly concerned about.
- Agha confirmed that he was aware of the variety of trends and practices that exist in Qum. He knew that Mysticism is sometimes studied over and above the traditional Hawza subjects. Agha stated that he was not against the study of supplementary subjects in the Hawza, including Mysticism, but stressed the importance of learning the numerous critiques of mystical approaches as well, as this would give a balanced view of the realities of Islam.
- Agha summarised three approaches to the presentation of the education in Qum:
- The rational approach which does not delve into mystical principles, for example the approach of Ayatullah Ja’far Subhani
- The approach where a number of disciplines, for example Fiqh, Philosophy, Mysticism, Hadith, Tafsir etc. are fused together, for example the approach of Ayatullah Jawadi Amoli
- The Mystical approach where the ‘hidden’ (Batin) elements are over-emphasised
Agha concluded that the first two approaches are acceptable in his view. The third approach however was where Agha advised caution and described them as ‘deviated’. He mentioned his observations of some Sufi orders that eventually deviated from the core fundamentals of Islam. He warned that an over-emphasis on mystical principles may lead to multiple pathways and incorrect interpretations within Islam and such a result is not in line with the teachings of the Ahl al-Bayt (as).
- Agha urged a closer connection with his offices and trustworthy Ulama in Qum so that the students of our community do not become misguided with questionable teachers and practices.
- Agha concluded that aspects of spirituality, as taught by the Ahl al-Bayt (as), are adequate for the refinement of the soul and he felt there is no need to introduce Mysticism as a separate subject to other Islamic disciplines.
- Agha also mentioned that Khums should not be utilised for support of any extreme or deviant Mystical practices.
Ayatullah al-Udhma Hafiz Bashir al-Najafi(HA)
On the subject of studying Mysticism, he stated that it is a necessity for the student to have mastered the other Islamic sciences, especially Fiqh, before entering into such areas. He explained that there were several avenues in achieving the recognition (ma’rifa) of Allah; one is through the mastery of Ilm al-Kalam (Aqaid). The other is through being an expert in Fiqh. Ayatullah Bashir concluded that it is only when one masters all Islamic sciences that he can dwell into understanding the science of Mysticism.
He specifically highlighted the example of Imam Khumayni: he was a Faqih and a scholar in all Islamic sciences and only then delved into the subject of Mysticism. He warned that students who study Mysticism at early stages of their Hawza studies are likely to be lost and to deviate. He was hence against the teaching of Mysticism in the mainstream Hawza curriculum, particularly for students whose basics were not strong enough.
Ayatullah al-Udhma Ishaq Fayyaz(HA)
T
he subject of the study of Mysticism was also discussed. Ayatullah Fayyaz stated that he was not in favour of Mysticism being taught in the mainstream Hawza curriculum, feeling that this may lead students towards incorrect Sufi-type tendencies. He concluded by mentioning that the Prophet’s (saw) biggest challenge in Medina was against baseless Mystical practices.
