Foreword: What Is Sufism?
(The nature of the Sufi path)
Sufism is the path of Divine friendship. It seeks to bring about the realization that the Divine presence is very close—both to the seeker and to creation as a whole. Instead of focusing solely on the self, the Sufi path aims to negate the self and focus on friendship with the Divine. The people who have pursued this path have witnessed the love of the Divine unfold in their lives and surroundings.
The heart is not touched by words. It is touched by the one who utters them.
Be one of the few that say, “I seek You beyond any blessing.”
Your search begins when you form a plan. Your journey begins when you learn that there is no plan.
Sometimes you call out to Him. This is prayer. Sometimes He calls out to you. This is gnosis.
The goals of this world will always have obstacles if your goal is the world.
Introduction
(The soul’s eternal nature and the stakes of this life)
Where can I go to fill this chalice? To whom do I go to mend this soul? To cleanse this being of sadness and malice? How do I reach the ultimate goal?
He said: “Spirituality comes from the soul. The soul, compared to this physical life, experiences neither birth nor death. The life of our physical body is a dress we wear that can change at any time, but the soul is forever and eternal.” Their bodies froze in shock as their hearts jumped for joy. They felt an ineffable weight behind these words, and they instinctively knew that this was exactly what they had been seeking all this time.
Whatever strength we can give to our soul in this life is the state our soul will remain in for eternity. Many people have come before us, and they, too, had to move on from this world. Many will come after us, and they, too, will have to leave. In the end, the soul is what remains forever.