introduction to my thesis
Hey all,
I am working on my thesis and have just finished the core of my introduction.
Feedback would be welcome.
Die Before You Die, is the central philosophical and theological axium within Sufism, the mystical heart of the Islamic faith. The phrase comes to us from antiquity, having its roots in both the Qur’an and the sayings of the prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Some believe that this phrase is the mystical understanding of Islam’s essential theological assertion: La Illaha Illah (there is nothing, but there is God). For this reason, both phrases Die Before You Die and its parent phrase La Illaha Illah, are at the very core of spiritual development in Sufism.
In its most basic form, the practices of Sufi spiritual development consist of the student, under the guidance of a qualified teacher, adopting certain sacred chants or mantras or movements. The chants contain particular combinations of the Divine Qualities (or names) of God. These Divine Qualities are invoked into the heart of the student, when he or she uses the chant faithfuly and in combination with other individual or communal practices given by the teacher. The newly invoked Divine Qualities will create a crisis for the student, one which can only be solved when he or she releases certain aspects his or her limited self. We can call this process the death of the limited and opening to the unlimited. Wc can also calling this making room for God. Once the limited is released, the student will be able to more freely access these Divine Qualities directly. They will be his or her compainion, friend or inner guide on the quest for union with God. At this point, the process begins again with a new mantra, containing different Divine Qualties and sparking a new crisis.
In this way, the Sufi student goes though a continual process of awakening, dying and awakening again. The old self is given up to the new self until nothing but God remains.
I am working on my thesis and have just finished the core of my introduction.
Feedback would be welcome.
Die Before You Die, is the central philosophical and theological axium within Sufism, the mystical heart of the Islamic faith. The phrase comes to us from antiquity, having its roots in both the Qur’an and the sayings of the prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Some believe that this phrase is the mystical understanding of Islam’s essential theological assertion: La Illaha Illah (there is nothing, but there is God). For this reason, both phrases Die Before You Die and its parent phrase La Illaha Illah, are at the very core of spiritual development in Sufism.
In its most basic form, the practices of Sufi spiritual development consist of the student, under the guidance of a qualified teacher, adopting certain sacred chants or mantras or movements. The chants contain particular combinations of the Divine Qualities (or names) of God. These Divine Qualities are invoked into the heart of the student, when he or she uses the chant faithfuly and in combination with other individual or communal practices given by the teacher. The newly invoked Divine Qualities will create a crisis for the student, one which can only be solved when he or she releases certain aspects his or her limited self. We can call this process the death of the limited and opening to the unlimited. Wc can also calling this making room for God. Once the limited is released, the student will be able to more freely access these Divine Qualities directly. They will be his or her compainion, friend or inner guide on the quest for union with God. At this point, the process begins again with a new mantra, containing different Divine Qualties and sparking a new crisis.
In this way, the Sufi student goes though a continual process of awakening, dying and awakening again. The old self is given up to the new self until nothing but God remains.