The Kashf al-mahjúb: The oldest Persian treatise on SúfiismHujviri, ‘Ali ibn ‘Usman
Islamic
The Kashf al-mahjúb: The oldest Persian treatise on Súfiism
Hujviri, ‘Ali ibn ‘Usman
Sufism -- Early works to 1800
yasbiqu himmatuhu khaṭwatahu_, “The Ṣúfí is he whose thought keeps pace
with his foot,” i.e. he is entirely present: his soul is where his body
is, and his body where his soul is, and his soul where his foot is, and
his foot where his soul is. This is the sign of presence without
absence. Others say, on the contrary: “He is absent from himself and
present with God.” It is not so: he is present with himself and present
with God. The expression denotes perfect union (_jam` al-jam`_), because
there can be no absence from self so long as one regards one’s self;
when self-regard has ceased, there is presence (with God) without
absence. In this particular sense the saying closely resembles that of
Shiblí: _Al-Ṣúfí lá yará fi ´l-dárayn ma`a ´lláh ghayra ´lláh_, “The
Ṣúfí is he that sees nothing except God in the two worlds.” In short,
human existence is “other”, and when a man does not see “other” he does
not see himself; and becomes totally void of self, whether “self” is
affirmed or denied. And Junayd says: _Al-taṣawwuf mabniyy^{un} `alá
thamán khiṣál al-sakhá wa ´l-riḍá wa ´l-ṣabr wa ´l-ishárat wa ´l-ghurbat
wa-labs al-ṣúf wa ´l-siyáḥat wa ´l-faqr amma ´l-sakhá fa-li-Ibráhím
wa-amma ´l-riḍá fa-li-Ismá`íl wa-amma ´l-ṣabr fa-li-Ayyúb wa-amma
´l-ishárat fa-li-Zakariyyá wa-amma ´l-ghurbat fa-li-Yaḥyá wa-amma labs
al-ṣúf fa-li-Músá wa-amma ´l-siyáḥat fa-li-`Ísá wa-amma ´l-faqr
fa-li-Muḥammad ṣalla ´lláhu `alayhi wa-sallama wa-`alayhim ajma`ín_,
“Ṣúfiism is founded on eight qualities exemplified in eight Apostles:
the generosity of Abraham, who sacrificed his son; the acquiescence of
Ishmael, who submitted to the command of God and gave up his dear life;
the patience of Job, who patiently endured the affliction of worms and
the jealousy of the Merciful; the symbolism of Zacharias, to whom God
said, ‘_Thou shalt not speak unto men for three days save by signs_’
(Kor. iii, 36), and again to the same effect, ‘_When he called upon his
Lord with a secret invocation_’ (Kor. xix, 2); the strangerhood of John,
who was a stranger in his own country and an alien to his own kin
amongst whom he lived; the pilgrimhood of Jesus, who was so detached
therein from worldly things that he kept only a cup and a comb—the cup
he threw away when he saw a man drinking water in the palms of his
hands, and the comb likewise when he saw another man using his fingers
instead of a toothpick; the wearing of wool by Moses, whose garment was
woollen; and the poverty of Muḥammad, to whom God Almighty sent the key
of all the treasures that are upon the face of the earth, saying: ‘Lay
no trouble on thyself, but procure every luxury by means of these
treasures;’ and he answered: ‘O Lord, I desire them not; keep me one day
full-fed and one day hungry.’” These are very excellent principles of
conduct.
Footnote 38:
So J. The Lahore edition has Ibn al-Jalálí, I. Ibn al-Jullábí. See
Chapter X, No. 34.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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