"Sufis
care for spreading brotherhood and sisterhood in the
community. Each person is a human being worthy of
love."
Shaykh Hisham Kabbani
"Sufis
care for spreading brotherhood and sisterhood in the
community. Each person is a human being worthy of
love." |
|
|
By Joseph Roberts Cultural Facilitator Nadia Serry
Shaykh Hisham Kabbani is the leader of the Naqshbandi Sufi Order in North America. Since his arrival in San Francisco in 1991, he has established twenty-three Sufi Centers in Canada and the United States. His efforts are directed at bringing the diverse spectrum of religions and spiritual paths into harmony and accord, in recognition of humanity’s responsibility as caretakers of this fragile planet and of one another.
Though jailed and beaten numerous times as a youth for his attempts to spread his message of universal peace and love, today, Shaykh Hisham Kabbani has millions of followers worldwide and centers on every continent.
Common Ground: From where does the term "Sufism" come and how it is related to Islam?
Shaykh Hisham Kabbani: In the time of the Prophet Muhammed, the word for Sufism was "Tazkiyatul Nafs": purification of the soul. One hundred twenty years later, the word was changed to "Al Tasawuf", or "Sufism". The term "Sufism" comes from four different Arabic sources. The first is "Ahlu Al suffah": the people of the bench. During the time of the Prophet, there were many people attracted to him who were trying to achieve spiritual advancement. The Prophet used to meet with them in the evenings. After he left, his followers would stay behind, sitting until morning on benches in the mosque located near his house, trying to recite and memorize what he had told him during the day. The second source is "Safa": very clear, like crystal, and transparent, like water. The third source is "Sufatul Kafa": the bath sponge. "Sufa" means sponge, and describes the soft heart of a Sufi. The fourth source is "Sufi," meaning wook, after the robes worn by followers who went to caves for seclusion to connect themselves with their Lord....
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"Look
around this room. You will find people from may countries
gathered together in harmony and peace." Photo by Abdel Sabour Roulty. |