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Sufism

 

            "Sufism, is the notion of possessing nothing and being possessed by nothing," (Waines, p.138), is the basis of Farid Ud-Din Attar's The Conference of the Birds. Just as a Sufi is in search of God, the birds are on a Path to find the Simorgh. In order to reach the Simorgh they must complete the seven valleys, which is a metaphor to the steps on the Way (Tariqa) of Sufism. The Path begins with repentance, which requires one to give up one's will and take on the will of God. One must also reject traditional dualism, which is the idea that God is not just light or not just good and understand that God is everything. Next, one needs to destroy the Self and understand Unity. "Through this step one reaches a state of where all temptations are overcome, then you are free to perform the next step, Love," (Waines, p.137). Love in this sense is a vision of God, a "painful, humiliating love" as mentioned by professor Aslan. A love never returned because one will surrender their love to the beloved. Finally, one reaches Fana, which is a state of spiritual intoxication and one realizes that everything is one and contains divine Unity. As seen in the video, I am a Sufi I am a Muslim, in this state one can loose control. The best time to die for a Sufi is during this feeling of ecstasy, since they are closest to God. Through his poetry, Attar expresses to men/women Tariqa, by focusing on the necessity of destroying the Self and the importance of passionate love. This is comparable to the hoopoe that acts as the birds Sheikh, and guides them through the Valleys to reach the Simorge.
             Repentence requires one to drop one's own will and enter the will of God, so that one becomes entirely devoted to God, (Waines, p.143). In the story of the The king who stopped at the prison gates, the hoopoe explains the need to sacrifice your will to the first bird who accepts his leadership. The king realizes that his prisoners show obedience as they fallow his commands through good and ill and submit to him, (Davis, p.


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