Sufi Perspective on World Peace and Harmony

By Kaniz Fatma, New Age Islam 4 May 2024 Restoring Sufi Teachings On Peace, Harmony, And Moral Values Is Essential Main Points 1. Islam promotes peace and security for all creatures of Allah, not just believers and Muslims. 2. The Sufi teachings are broad and embrace all parts of humanity, regardless of religion and nation, regarding peace and brotherhood. 3. Sufis emphasize inner spirituality through meditation and reflection, aiming for spiritual enlightenment and a closer relationship with God. 4. The Quran and hadiths frequently mention the virtues and lofty qualities of saints and Sufis, as well as good morals and character. ----- Islam promotes peace and security, extending it to all creatures of Allah, not just believers and Muslims, as stated in the Quran: “And if any one of the polytheists seeks your protection, then grant him protection so that he may hear the words of Allah. Then deliver him to his place of safety. That is because they are people who do not know.” (9:6) Islam is derived from the word "Salam," which means peace, while "Iman" is derived from the word "Aman," which indicates tranquilly and peace. Allah sent the last Prophet and said that his blessed soul was full of mercy for all the worlds. All facets of our dear Prophet's existence are embraced by the colours of kindness, compassion, and peace. If we wish to prosper both here on Earth and in the afterlife, we also need to possess the attributes of safety, tranquilly, charity, and empathy in order to flourish throughout this trying period. Those who follow the peace teachings of Islam succeed in establishing a close relationship with Allah Almighty, who then considers them to be one of His friends (Awliya Allah). To put it another way, people who become friends with Allah become a source of peace and comfort in addition to finding peace for themselves. As a result, the rain of peace and comfort continues to fall on people who are near and related to them. This demonstrates how the values of peace and security that the saints and Sufis uphold can also change the situations of people. The Sufis have made important and appreciated contributions to the propagation of Islam and moral values and the maintenance of peace and security. In times of despair, they have also provided the Muslim Ummah with a ray of hope. No thinker or reformer of any century can ignore the teachings these Sufis and other noble individuals have to teach us about humanism and humanization. Instead of being biased, their teachings are broad and embrace all parts of humanity, regardless of religion and nation. Sufis Are The True Ambassadors Of Peace In these turbulent times, it is necessary to light the lamp of the Sufi teachings. The identity and approach of Sufis are self-denial, equality, simplicity, peace, and love. The wisdom of all the Sufis who instilled morals and values of humanity in society's members and maintained the framework of equality, tolerance, peace, brotherhood, and respect for one another is vast and highly appreciated. These are Allah's servants, His friends, who maintain closeness to Him. Hazrat Khwaja Burhanuddin Naqshband, the founder of the Naqshbandi tradition, offers the image of an oyster in the sea that waits its whole life for a drop of mercy. Even if the ocean is full of water and its boundaries are not determined by it, it lives a hopeful existence for the sake of that drop of mercy and never looks about; it waits only for that drop of mercy, which it obtains to produce the pearl. Similarly, the Sufis pass into the world of wisdom with patience and find ease and satisfaction. Sufis emphasize the importance of inner spirituality through meditation and reflection, aiming for spiritual enlightenment and a closer relationship with God. Sufis use methods like silent meditation and repeating holy words and divine names to achieve this. They emphasize self-control and discipline to overcome worldly cravings and purify the soul. They believe that spiritual purity and a closer relationship with God can be achieved by letting go of worldly possessions and egotistical wants. These practices foster a deep love and devotion for God and the universe. Sufism is a distinct way of life that accepts individuals of various racial, religious, and cultural backgrounds. Sufism encourages acceptance of all people without questioning the faith, origins, relationships, or race of another. According to Sufis, a person lacking justice, conscience, honesty, truth, patience, understanding of their state, and faith in God cannot find or teach these qualities to others. To establish peace, one must change their thoughts and qualities within themselves, focusing on the hunger, pain, and difficulties felt by others. To achieve peace, one must strive for inner patience, contentment, and trust in God. By imbibing God's qualities and acquiring God's state, one can know peace, leading to peace in every life and making life on earth heaven on earth. Bawa Muhaiyaddeen, a renowned Sufi sheikh, says, “One who has not found peace within himself will forever be giving speeches about peace. This world is a pulpit upon which man preaches, and there is no end to this talk! For millions of years, man has been speaking this way, but he has not come forward to first find peace within himself. There is no use in making speeches. Man must acquire the qualities of God and live in that state. Only then can he speak of peace; only then can he speak the speech of God and dispense the justice of God's kingdom. The people who have come to rule the world should think about this. Every man should think about it. Peace can only be found in the heart. Good qualities, wisdom, and clarity must provide that explanation within each heart. Man will only know peace when he brings God's justice and His qualities into himself. Therefore, before we speak of peace, let us try to acquire God's words within ourselves. Let us find tranquilly within ourselves. If we can do that, our speech will be fruitful. Then the whole world will be at peace. Man must find peace, tranquillity, happiness, unity, love, and every good quality within his own life, within his own innermost heart. Only a person who does that can understand the difficulties, the pain, and the misery of others. A man of wisdom will know this, understand it, and rectify his own mistakes. Then he can help others.” [Islam and World Peace: Explanations of a Sufi, Chapter on Peace] By promoting a mindset of love, peace, and security, the Sufis altered the course of millions of lives. Extremism, terrorism, and intolerance have nothing to do with Islam. Islam, the religion of Sufis, promotes safety and tranquillity. By their duty, the Sufis bestowed upon the populace inner purity and love, as well as the treasure of self-sacrifice. Sufis have traditionally preached tolerance and love. Primarily, the Khanqahi system served as a means of instruction and direction, encouraging calm, harmony, and acceptance throughout the community. This technique allowed many Sufis to spread love among people; as a result, people were appreciative and attracted to Islam from other religions. In the same vein, they also founded training and education facilities for women. Though the ideals of today's culture are increasingly materialistic, the Sufis' message of peace has the power to reorient us towards spirituality. Virtue of Saints and Sufis in the light of the Quran and Hadith The Holy Quran and hadiths make frequent mention of the virtues and lofty qualities of saints and Sufis, as well as good morals and character. Here are a few virtues to consider: Allah says in the Quran: “There will certainly be no fear for the close servants of Allah, nor will they grieve. They are those who are faithful and are mindful of Him." (10:62-63) Put differently, the Sufis and saints of Allah possess the virtue of being fearless and unwavering in their advocacy for peace and harmony, as well as their abstention from persecution. This explains why they guide God's creatures away from the world's storms of persecution and oppression and onto a path that is moderate and balanced. The Sufis split up with those who deviated from this path and caused issues for other living things. In another verse, Allah says, The [true] servants of the Most Compassionate are those who walk on the earth humbly, and when the foolish address them improperly, they only respond with peace.” (25:63) Sufis are those who advocate for peace, love, and tolerance and who deem torture and violence banned in Islam. They receive instruction from this Quranic verse: “Those who persecute the believing men and women and then do not repent will certainly suffer the punishment of Hell and the torment of burning.” (85:10) Saints and Sufis are referred to as the wealth of virtue by the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). The Prophet (peace be upon him) is reported to have said, “Verily, among men, there are persons who become the keys to goodness and the locks of evil. And among men, there are people who become the locks of goodness and the keys to evil. Lucky to those whom Allah put in their hands the key to goodness, and woe to those whom Allah put in their hands the key to evil.” [Sunan Ibn Maja, Chapter “The Key to Goodness," Hadith 237, classified as a good hadith] The human spirit of kindness is also a lovely idea for world peace. Great Sufis and saints are those who care about humanity. They appear to be attempting to establish a link between humanity and the presence of God Almighty in light of this compassionate attitude. Because when one adopts this mindset, corruption and sedition are eliminated, and peace is born. Hazrat Adam and Hazrat Hawwa are the parents of all humans. Despite their differences in religions, cultures, races, origins, and nations, all humans are nonetheless related to one another. The Sufi discourses are largely focused on the idea that all humans, as one family, must grow in brotherhood, harmony, and peace. Their teachings have the potential to transform modern society into a paradise and restore moral qualities that have been eroding. Restoring Sufi teachings on peace, harmony, and moral values is therefore essential. ----- Kaniz Fatma is a classic Islamic scholar and a regular columnist for New Age Islam. 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