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Sufism
By
Debbie Ellison
“Let
the sun of Thy divine spirit rise
from my heart, that morning may break
out of the darkness of life.”
These words by Hazrat Inayat Khan,
founder of the Sufi Order,
embody a central principle of Sufism,
awakening to the light within and
to the abundance of life, both individually
and collectively.
The
Sufi Order is an esoteric, interfaith
school, guiding its practitioners
on a journey of transformation and
self-realization. Founded by Hazrat
Inayat Khan in 1910, it is presently
directed by his son, Pir Vilayat
Inayat Khan, and grandson, Pir
Zia Khan. It is a heart-centered,
universal approach to spiritual growth
with no adherence to prescribed ritual
or dogma. Although the Sufi Order
is not linked with any one religion,
it derives from the Chistia Order,
an Islamic Sufi Order out of India.
Jacob
Kabb, Director and Representative
of the Sufi Order of Atlanta, has
been a Sufi for over 25 years. Kabb
is a Sufi teacher, spiritual counselor,
retreat guide, healing conductor,
and charag (clergy). An excitement
and dedication are apparent as he
talks about Sufism. “It's
very important what you''re looking
for. If you're looking for the
light in each tradition, yo''ll
find it because it's there. It's
easy to find the negative. Try to
find the positive.”
The
Sufi Order of Atlanta is open to all
and offers ongoing classes, personal
retreats, healing and worship services,
and seminars with visiting Sufi teachers.
Sufism
emphasizes the divinity in all human
beings, the sacred oneness of all
life, and respect for all religious
traditions. Sufis strive for liberation
through self-realization, detachment,
and staying in the present moment.
Students come from all religions and
are encouraged to retain their own
belief systems. Kabb says that through
his involvement in Sufism and his
teachers' encouragement, he actually
deepened his connection to his birth
religion, Judaism.
The
Heart and Wings symbolizes the Sufi
Order. The star in the middle of the
illuminated heart is the essence of
a person, indicating that there is
light and illumination in each person.
The wings symbolize detachment and
objectivity.
The
word Sufi is derived from the Arabic
word Suf meaning wool; Sufi mystics
wore wool in the desert. It also means
purity. “It's a level of
achievement spiritually, a level of
being a pure being,” Kabb explains.
He says the union with the divine
is expressed through a metaphor of
God as the Beloved. “God is everything
and recognized by many names and forms,
Mother, Father, Guide, Teacher, Goddess,
Brother, Sister, Prophet, Saint. We
have a phrase, 'la ilaha illa
'llah, there is no God but God.'
And that could be applied to every
religion.”
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