Islamic Mysticism compares the human soul to a moth,
drawn to unite with the flame of Divine Love.

Unlike radical Islam, Sufism (Islamic mysticism) is not primarily focused upon external rituals, nor upon achieving political dominance and social control. Its purpose is to reunite the individual soul with God.

 

God is the Light of the heavens and the earth;

the likeness of His Light is as a niche

wherein is a lamp

(the lamp in a glass,

the glass as it were a glittering star)

kindled from a Blessed Tree,

an olive that is neither of the East nor of the West

whose oil well nigh would shine, even if no fire

touched it;

Light upon light;

God guides to His Light whom He will.

~ ayat al-nur, al-Quran, 24:35

(the "Light Verse")

 

اللَّهُ نُورُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ مَثَلُ نُورِهِ كَمِشْكَاةٍ فِيهَا مِصْبَاحٌ الْمِصْبَاحُ فِي زُجَاجَةٍ الزُّجَاجَةُ كَأَنَّهَا كَوْكَبٌ دُرِّيٌّ يُوقَدُ مِن شَجَرَةٍ مُّبَارَكَةٍ زَيْتُونِةٍ لَّا شَرْقِيَّةٍ وَلَا غَرْبِيَّةٍ يَكَادُ زَيْتُهَا يُضِيءُ وَلَوْ لَمْ تَمْسَسْهُ نَارٌ نُّورٌ عَلَى نُورٍ يَهْدِي اللَّهُ لِنُورِهِ مَن يَشَاءُ وَيَضْرِبُ اللَّهُ الْأَمْثَالَ لِلنَّاسِ وَاللَّهُ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمٌ

 


 

 "The real light is God, and the name 'light' for everything else is sheer metaphor, without reality."

~ Abu Hamid Muhammad
  al-Ghazali, 11th century
  philosopher and mystic
"Don't you know that the light of the sun is the reflection of the Sun beyond the veil?"

~ Jalal al-din Rumi, 13th
  century mystic, poet and
  Sufi master

 

 "Thou art a shadow in love with the sun; the sun comes... and the shadow is quickly extinguished."

~ Jalal al-din Rumi
"God has seventy veils of light and darkness; were He to lift them, the august glories of His face would burn up everyone whose eyesight perceived Him."

          ~ the Prophet Muhammad (SAW)

 

"And the result (of my life) is not more than these three words: I burnt, and burnt, and burnt."

~ Jalal al-din Rumi

You are dawn; I am a candle

Glowing in solitude to you.

Smile, and lo my vital spirit is yours.

~ Hafez, 14th Century
poet and mystic
   
< Islamic Mysticism and Tolerance

 

Printer Friendly Version of This Page