From tariqas-digest-approval@europe.std.com Sun Aug 25 12:19:13 1996 Date: Sun, 18 Aug 1996 16:17:10 -0400 (EDT) From: tariqas-digest-approval@europe.std.com Reply-To: tariqas-digest@world.std.com To: tariqas-digest@world.std.com Subject: tariqas-digest V1 #107 tariqas-digest Sunday, 18 August 1996 Volume 01 : Number 107 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: gmtn@mail.comet.net (Green Mountain School) Date: Sat, 17 Aug 1996 21:37:42 -0500 Subject: 3 is 4 as-salaamu 'alaykum, please note that answer to carol woodsong part 3 sent on 17 aug 06:58 pm is actually part four. i am sure this is confusing and i would repost but it just uses up space whcih i know that some people pay for. if any one wants a re-post contact me privately. thank you A. N. Durkee Green Mountain ------------------------------ From: gmtn@mail.comet.net (Green Mountain School) Date: Sat, 17 Aug 1996 21:41:12 -0500 Subject: small school for ellen as-salaamu alaykum, ellen wrote, >Thank you for your reply. It gives a window into the workings of a small >school, of which there are others besides the one of which you are a >member. It also emphasizes the importance of a living teacher rather than >trying to rely on books to get "it." you have come close to the truth. we are indeed a small school. it is incorporated under the name, "light of the hearts' or tanwiru-l-qulub." it is sometimes called a society for the illumination of hearts and tranquillity of being." the emphasis is on individual realisation for if you do not get it who will. the shaykh is the mirror thru which we have seen out true selves and who sets out our various tasks or duties in the world and helps us in our fulfilling the duty that we have been set and, most importantly can correct us when we lose the way or confuse the way. dusts us off and winds us up and sends us off again. some schools see that their shaykh is the qutb which of course he is (for why else would one study with a master) but in our school we help others to see that they are the qutb. this is the transmission. you are the key to eternity. whole as in hole as in holy only when you find that hole in the fabric of time and space thru which you escape, emerge, merge, melt of however it is that you do it to experience ecstatic eternity, radiant glowing love, absolute serentity and joy have you any thing like freedom in this world. it does not matter that i know how to get outside or inside of time and space it matters if you do. to put in in a somewhat buddhist perspective, my enlightenment is only incidentally of any use to you unless you too are enlightened. only when i am is life real. to see one self as one is. to see my self as i am. to be me my self as i am as it is. to be in absolute harmony with everything that is and is not. to know the way and follow it knowing how to follow it. this small school teach this simple thing. so important to know "how" for if you know "how" then you can proceed, unburdened, unhindered. no show business. simple life. operable any where. any time. works for all members of the family - young to old. no one has to be left out. all can play. all can pray. five times a day. can the corn. pass the worms. cut bait or fish. bow down head to creator. recognise reality. every day. rain or shine. lay it down. the head on the ground. nothing left. all gone. bye bye. we have done this from before the beginning of time. we are worshippers. it is our nature. we rise before dawn. we stop in the midst of the day. we observe the passing of the light, the setting of the sun, the coming of the night and in the depths of that night you will find us standing, kneeing, sitting, in prostration with our heads laid down and down and down and the heart lifted up and up and up and what it is and what is not and no more me and no more you. simple acts easy to do. what is their depth? only this...endless bliss..mercy...light...peace only Allah knows the true depths of the love that is entering the world this second. wa salaam A. N. Durkee Green Mountain ------------------------------ From: AbilKhayr@taconic.net Date: Sun, 18 Aug 96 08:55:16 Subject: RE: Ibn Ata'Illah's Book of Wisdom Paulist Press will not be reprinting their edition of the above title before January at the earliest. Does anyone know of a publisher with an edition currently available? - ------------------------------------- Blessings, AbilKhayr AbilKhayr@taconic.net 8/18/96 8:55:16 AM - ------------------------------------- ------------------------------ From: frank gaude Date: Sun, 18 Aug 1996 06:34:44 -0700 Subject: RUMI 528 WHO IS THIS EXISTENCE who puts sadness in your heart who is this soul who sweetens your grief as soon as you crawl the one who first frightens you with deadly snakes before opening the treasure vault who changes a monster to an angel a sorrow to happiness who gives the blind wisdom and inner sight who changes darkness to light thistles to flowers who sheds the sins of the sinful like autumn leaves and puts guilt in the heart of its own enemies who makes them repent and in silence says amen and whose amen brings inner happiness and soulful delight who changes bitter thoughts to lightness and joyous zeal bestows fire and makes you leap with unknown joy the fire that can make a hero from a desperate heart who is this existence who is this tell me who ghazal number 528, translated January 18, 1992, by Nader Khalili tanzen ------------------------------ From: Steve H Rose Date: Sun, 18 Aug 1996 11:00:13 -0400 (EDT) Subject: Ruh (fwd) From: Joshi Subject: Ruh Resent-Date: Sat, 17 Aug 1996 08:06:56 +0800 (SST) Resent-From: Imaan Shivani Joshi Resent-To: tariqas@world.std.com Resent-Message-Id: as salaamu 'alaikum "Spend less time seeking water and acquire thirst! Then water will gush from above and below." [Jalaluddin Rumi] "Like a man who tries to find water by digging a little here and a little there and who will die of thirst; whereas a man who digs deep in one spot, trusting in the Lord and relying on Him, will find water; he will drink and give others to drink." [Al Darqawi] Pain comes from seeing how arrogant you have been, and pain brings you out of that conceit. [Rumi] "If I should will something that my Lord does not will for me, I should then be guitly of unbelief."-- Rabi'a al Adawiyya. O God, You called, and we were slow. Alas! alas! what we did we did in poor judgement. ------------------------------ From: Steve H Rose Date: Sun, 18 Aug 1996 11:20:37 -0400 (EDT) Subject: Limits (fwd) Date: Sat, 17 Aug 1996 21:07:36 +0800 Message-Id: <199608171307.VAA17551@leonis.nus.sg> X-Sender: sci30342@leonis.nus.sg X-Mailer: Windows Eudora Light Version 1.5.2 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" To: tariqas@world.std.com, sci30342@nus.sg From: Imaan Shivani Joshi Subject: Limits as salaamu 'alaikum Shaykh 'Abdullah Ansari: "Know friend! Human sorrow springs from three things: To want before it is due; To want more than the destined share; And to want for oneself what belongs to others." Shaykh Rumi: You study artifacts and think you know the Maker. Sometimes there is noone to talk to; you must just set out on your own. Let your eyes weep with the wanting. "If I should will something that my Lord does not will for me, I should then be guitly of unbelief."-- Rabi'a al Adawiyya. O God, You called, and we were slow. Alas! alas! what we did we did in poor judgement. ------------------------------ From: Steve H Rose Date: Sun, 18 Aug 1996 11:22:20 -0400 (EDT) Subject: Rabi'a (fwd) Date: Sat, 17 Aug 1996 21:11:15 +0800 Message-Id: <199608171311.VAA24243@leonis.nus.sg> X-Sender: sci30342@leonis.nus.sg X-Mailer: Windows Eudora Light Version 1.5.2 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" To: sci30342@nus.sg, med30077@nus.sg, tariqas@world.std.com From: Imaan Shivani Joshi Subject: Rabi'a as salaamu 'alaikum When proposed to, rabi'a replied thus: Renunciation of this world means peace, while desire for it brings sorrow. Curb your desires and control yourself and do not let others control you, but let them share your inheritance and the anxiety of the age. As for yourself, give your mind to the day of feath; but as for me, God can give me all you offer and even double it. It does not please me to be distracted from Him for a single moment. So farewell. "If I should will something that my Lord does not will for me, I should then be guitly of unbelief."-- Rabi'a al Adawiyya. O God, You called, and we were slow. Alas! alas! what we did we did in poor judgement. ------------------------------ From: Steve H Rose Date: Sun, 18 Aug 1996 11:52:56 -0400 (EDT) Subject: Re: Not so friendly Assalamu alaikum. On Sat, 17 Aug 1996, Michael Moore wrote: > Dear brother maarof > > maarof wrote: > > > > > > Dear Habib, > > > > Your are staying in the "strongest" country on this planet. It's "natural" > > for you, I guess, not to be afraid of the "others" -- aliens from outer > > space or not. Maybe your country has formed a pact with the "ET superpowers"? > > The rest of the world, might never know... > > > > I am in a small country -- weak in militarily and technology -- and the > > view from here is: your country is not so friendly or compassionate as > > it tries to potray... smiling and holding a big stick at the same time. > > Not a posture of peace, is it? > > > > salam > > maarof > > We must ask, what do we mean by 'your country'. Do we mean the thousands > of people who work towards humanitarian aid. Do we mean my Grandma? > Do we mean the thousands of American Muslems? the Jews? the Christians? > How about the millions who just struggle to go to work day to day > and raise children and pay taxes. Perhaps we mean the millions of > blacks or latinos or orientals? Maybe we mean the American Military > or the Government policies which are made by the eleit few. > > You see, all of this is 'my country' but only a small portion of this > is the part that is 'not so friendly'. I am an American who is > smiling and reaching out a hand to all peoples of the world. I am > not reaching down my hand and I am not reaching up my hand > (except to allah swt :-) > > My wish is that all the people of the world will see the real enemy > as 'thirst for power over this world'. Now some people in governments > examplify this satanic thirst but there are others in governments > and perhaps even in military branches who are fighting fire with > fire. They are protecting and their jihad is a holy one. But it > is sometimes difficult to know which is which or indeed if there > are any at all. > > If we could see this then the real American people could hold > the hands of the real Iraqui people and the Jewish people > could take the hands of the Palestinean Muslem people. > Not the power mongers, standing behind flags of nations > or the religious pretenders who justify their hatred behind > behind the names of their gods. > > Well maarof, I know that I am not telling you anything that > you don't already know and I expect that you agree with me. > Maybe I just need to pray that I can learn to accept that > people may not always like me; justified or otherwise. I am trying to be directed in this message as to what to say, and feel that I should say something. I am concerned about the lack of honest self-examination many Americans have about our country. While it is true that there are many points of view in the United States, it is also true that, as a country, we do a lot of things in the world and to the world including: Using up MUCH more than our share of the world's natural resources Supporting dictatorships and torture in many countries in the world when it is in the interests of multinational corporations Intervening at times to stop other dictatorships when they get too far "out of line" (these interventions at times may be partly humanitarian, but are almost always far too late to do much good -- and are often shows of unilateral military force rather than collaborative efforts with international peace-keeping agencies such as the U.N.) Contributing countless millions of dollars to charities that we personally support Contributing a large share to the support of international agencies such as the United Nations when we want to, and then totally dropping this support when we don't want to or feel we are not in control It is my opinion that much of this behavior is caused by a culture which is arrogantly self-righteous about how wonderful it is, and woefully ignorantly of what it really is. People in other countries have a very different perspective on us -- just talk to a few Canadians in depth about the U.S., and it will be clear that our next door neighbors don't think we are quite as wonderful as we think we are. All that being said, it is my experience that other countries and cultures, in general, are probably as hypocritical and viscious as we are. China's atrocities in Tibet and repression of internal dissent are horrible. And lest Muslims think that we are all such wonderful people who are the victims of persecution, I invite you to learn something about what the Muslims in control of Sudan are doing to the non-Muslim peoples of Southern Sudan. Insh'Allah, I will include in a separate message a list of websites as a starting point in case some Muslims on this list are open to doing some "self-examination" about this situation. Yours, Habib Rose ------------------------------ From: Steve H Rose Date: Sun, 18 Aug 1996 12:19:51 -0400 (EDT) Subject: Websites on Southern Sudan Assalamu alaikum. For anyone who is interested in information on the situation in Southern Sudan, the following is a list of websites as starting points. I have two good friends who are refugees from the Southern Sudan, and they have told me their experiences of terrible treatment at the hands of Muslims in control of that country. Insh'Allah, this thread will not turn into an opportunity for Muslim-bashing or for bashing of any other people. Certainly in many places in the world (including Bosnia, many places in the former Soviet Union etc.), Muslims are the victims of oppression. However, it may be useful for some of us, insh'Allah, to look at a situation where "we" are doing something wrong. I was told of a Hadith to the effect of: When your brother is the victim of oppression, you help him by fighting with him against the oppression. But, when your brother is the oppressor, you help him by helping him to stop being the oppressor. If someone is familiar with this Hadith, and insh'Allah, could share it, it would be appreciated. The following were selected from a search at www.altavista.digital.com on "southern sudan": http://webzone1.co.uk/www/sudan/resource.htm http://www.unicef.org/features/feat162.htm http://www.wavefront.com/~homelands/sudan/sudan.html http://www.usis.usemb.se/human/sudan.htm http://www.isp.acad.umn.edu/RSC/Issues/Spring96/sudan http://www.heinemann.co.uk/oxfam/oxabout/africa/sudan.html Yours, Habib Rose ------------------------------ From: Faraz Fareed Rabbani Date: Sun, 18 Aug 1996 13:15:13 -0400 (EDT) Subject: Re: Websites on Southern Sudan Salams to all... I run the African News and Information mailing list (AFRICA-N) with several thousand subscribers... one of the most noteworthy things about Southern Sudan is the amount of anti-government propaganda that Church groups spread... They are virulently against the Islamic government and spread a lot of exaggerations, biased information, and even lies and stereotypes to further *their* own cause... Anyone objective would admit to you that more Southern Sudanese have been killed by fellow Southerners in in-fighting between splinter factions than by the government troops... Not to say that the government is by any means innocent there, but we should be wary of who we take information from; as Muslims, we should never form negative impressions of fellow Muslims without: 1) giving them the benefit of the doubt ("Make 70 excuses for your brother"); 2) verifying the information; 3) asking "them" for their side of the story... Wallahu A`lam. Innahu `Aleemun Hakeem. Wassalam, Faraz Rabbani > For anyone who is interested in information on the situation in Southern > Sudan, the following is a list of websites as starting points. I have two > good friends who are refugees from the Southern Sudan, and they have told > me their experiences of terrible treatment at the hands of Muslims in > control of that country. Insh'Allah, this thread will not turn into an > opportunity for Muslim-bashing or for bashing of any other people. > Certainly in many places in the world (including Bosnia, many places in > the former Soviet Union etc.), Muslims are the victims of oppression. > However, it may be useful for some of us, insh'Allah, to look at a > situation where "we" are doing something wrong. > > I was told of a Hadith to the effect of: > > When your brother is the victim of oppression, you help him by fighting > with him against the oppression. But, when your brother is the oppressor,t > you help him by helping him to stop being the oppressor. > > If someone is familiar with this Hadith, and insh'Allah, could share it, > it would be appreciated. > > The following were selected from a search at www.altavista.digital.com on > "southern sudan": > > http://webzone1.co.uk/www/sudan/resource.htm > http://www.unicef.org/features/feat162.htm > http://www.wavefront.com/~homelands/sudan/sudan.html > http://www.usis.usemb.se/human/sudan.htm > http://www.isp.acad.umn.edu/RSC/Issues/Spring96/sudan > http://www.heinemann.co.uk/oxfam/oxabout/africa/sudan.html > > Yours, > > Habib Rose > > ------------------------------ From: Steve H Rose Date: Sun, 18 Aug 1996 14:33:38 -0400 (EDT) Subject: Re: answer to carol woodsong part 3 (fwd) Date: Sun, 18 Aug 1996 07:35:06 +0800 Message-Id: <199608172335.HAA27834@leonis.nus.sg> X-Sender: sci30342@leonis.nus.sg X-Mailer: Windows Eudora Light Version 1.5.2 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" To: tariqas@europe.std.com From: Imaan Shivani Joshi Subject: Re: answer to carol woodsong part 3 > >all of this is trying to answer the question > okay. I've been warned not >to do this... but i'm throwing caution to the wind these days! ... >I am one of the 'unknowledgable'. I wish to see Truth. I wish to do God's >Will. I have absolutely no undersatanding of Islam -- but i do have an >intense desire to "surrender to Allah".... TELL ME how to do that!" > as salaamu 'alaikum Br Me Too! I do too:-) I am absolutely ...lost when it comes to this, my heart knows only one thing; that I wish to surrender; I too came to islam like some pple you desribed. I grew up in a land that hates muslim, and while I began the search for a religion, a way of life 9 years ago, I nere found it in any religion I looked in, and the only religion I did NOT look in, Islam. Somehowm thru a series of events[ and there is no coincedence] I became very ill in my second year of Uni, during exams, and needed surgery. My parents hauled me to India, and there, ...I was visiting temples with my cousin; the pain was so bad I had trouble walking, and could not stand still; I had to sit, even for 5 seconds. Them there was a masjid nearby, and I thought, what the heck, why not, and asked him to take me there as well...and the mmt I enetred the courtyard, I felt the pain go! The moment I enetred the masjid, I felt a sense of welcom that I have never felt in another religious building. Call it what you will; it started me on the road to islam. The adzan is just so beautiful; recently another sister was guided to Islam. She told me " how can anyone read te Qur'an and not believe?" another Br came to Uni at out muslim fair, to look for ways to combat us; he wanted to e a christian preacher; he got to talking with us, and two days later, he accepted the shahada. Masha'Allah, there is no coincidence. But now, I am not content with just bare Islam. I want more, I yearn for more, desire and crave it; life has paled in significance to that wich I yearn for, but cannot put words to. How do I do that in a land where tasawwuf is rare, and shaykhs, any shaykh , are hard to come by? > "If I should will something that my Lord does not will for me, I should then be guitly of unbelief."-- Rabi'a al Adawiyya. O God, You called, and we were slow. Alas! alas! what we did we did in poor judgement. ------------------------------ From: Steve H Rose Date: Sun, 18 Aug 1996 14:37:33 -0400 (EDT) Subject: Limit (fwd) Date: Sun, 18 Aug 1996 19:21:34 +0800 Message-Id: <199608181121.TAA13759@leonis.nus.sg> X-Sender: sci30342@leonis.nus.sg X-Mailer: Windows Eudora Light Version 1.5.2 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" To: sci30342@nus.sg, tariqas@world.std.com From: Imaan Shivani Joshi Subject: Limit as salaamu 'alaikum "Glory be to Him, who has not made any sign leading to His saints save as a sign leading to Himself, and who has joined no one to them except him whom God wants to join to Himself."[Shaykh Ibn 'Ata'Illah--Hikam] Prayer is a contemplation and a secret call exchanged between Allah and His servant. Only in appearance is this a choice made by the individual; in truth the choice is made for him, the way indicated by unmistakeable signs and the matter concluded without too much fuss. [Gai Eaton, King of the Castle.] wa 'alaikum salaam wa raHmatullahe wa barakatu:-) Imaan "If I should will something that my Lord does not will for me, I should then be guitly of unbelief."-- Rabi'a al Adawiyya. O God, You called, and we were slow. Alas! alas! what we did we did in poor judgement. ------------------------------ From: Steve H Rose Date: Sun, 18 Aug 1996 14:38:46 -0400 (EDT) Subject: RE: Ibn Ata'Illah's Book of Wisdom (fwd) Date: Sun, 18 Aug 1996 22:13:37 +0800 Message-Id: <199608181413.WAA22145@leonis.nus.sg> X-Sender: sci30342@leonis.nus.sg X-Mailer: Windows Eudora Light Version 1.5.2 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" To: tariqas@europe.std.com From: Imaan Shivani Joshi Subject: RE: Ibn Ata'Illah's Book of Wisdom At 08:55 18/08/96, you wrote: >Paulist Press will not be reprinting their edition of the above title >before January at the earliest. Does anyone know of a publisher with an >edition currently available? > I also would like to know, I think from what little I have read of it, that it is a good book[ this is Hikam that we are talking abt, no?] so pls, if anyone knows, pls let me know too:-)Shukran "If I should will something that my Lord does not will for me, I should then be guitly of unbelief."-- Rabi'a al Adawiyya. O God, You called, and we were slow. Alas! alas! what we did we did in poor judgement. ------------------------------ From: Steve H Rose Date: Sun, 18 Aug 1996 14:40:29 -0400 (EDT) Subject: Limits (fwd) Date: Sun, 18 Aug 1996 23:49:11 +0800 Message-Id: <199608181549.XAA02944@leonis.nus.sg> X-Sender: sci30342@leonis.nus.sg X-Mailer: Windows Eudora Light Version 1.5.2 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" To: tariqas@world.std.com, sci30342@nus.sg From: Imaan Shivani Joshi Subject: Limits as salaamu 'alaikum I am sorry to be bothering all of you again, by my heart is in turmoil, and doing this gives me some measure of peace. Fakhruddin 'Iraqi: I am unworthy of you, but--accept me, and take me for good or ill.What can I do? I am what I am. Jalaluddin Rumi Oh witness without imperfection, the spirit dances because of you! Oh you have intoxicated our head--From us to you--Allah's Peace! Wine bubbles for your sake, the cane's sugar frows up out of you! But oh, you are sweeter than both--From us to you --Allah's Peace! Shams of Allah's Tabrizi! In perfumery you are both musk and ambergris--From us to you--Allah's Peace! Fakhruddin 'Iraqi "On the reason for the lover's movement and seeking and his advance forever and ever.": "This music will never fade nor the dance wind down till the end of Eternity, for what we desire is Infinite." The lover whispers, As I opened my eyes, I saw your face; I heard your voice as I listened. So he is caught in this ceaseless and invisible dance, our lover though to look at him you would think him calm enough. You shall see the mountains that you supposed fixed passing by like clouds. How could he be still when every atom of the universe prods him to move? Each atom a word, each word a name, eacg Name with a tongue, each tongue speaking...and the lover with an ear for every utterance." @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ "If I should will something that my Lord does not will for me, I should then be guitly of unbelief."-- Rabi'a al Adawiyya. O God, You called, and we were slow. Alas! alas! what we did we did in poor judgement. ------------------------------ From: Steve H Rose Date: Sun, 18 Aug 1996 14:54:38 -0400 (EDT) Subject: Re: Websites on Southern Sudan Assalamu alaikum. On Sun, 18 Aug 1996, Faraz Fareed Rabbani wrote: > Salams to all... > > I run the African News and Information mailing list (AFRICA-N) with > several thousand subscribers... one of the most noteworthy things > about Southern Sudan is the amount of anti-government propaganda that > Church groups spread... They are virulently against the Islamic > government and spread a lot of exaggerations, biased information, and > even lies and stereotypes to further *their* own cause... > > Anyone objective would admit to you that more Southern Sudanese have > been killed by fellow Southerners in in-fighting between splinter > factions than by the government troops... > > Not to say that the government is by any means innocent there, but we > should be wary of who we take information from; as Muslims, we should > never form negative impressions of fellow Muslims without: 1) giving > them the benefit of the doubt ("Make 70 excuses for your brother"); 2) > verifying the information; 3) asking "them" for their side of the > story... > > Wallahu A`lam. Innahu `Aleemun Hakeem. > > Wassalam, Faraz Rabbani [snip] > > http://webzone1.co.uk/www/sudan/resource.htm > > http://www.unicef.org/features/feat162.htm > > http://www.wavefront.com/~homelands/sudan/sudan.html > > http://www.usis.usemb.se/human/sudan.htm > > http://www.isp.acad.umn.edu/RSC/Issues/Spring96/sudan > > http://www.heinemann.co.uk/oxfam/oxabout/africa/sudan.html This list of sites includes the United Nations Children's Emergency Fund, OxFam (an organization devoted to food relief), and a university, as well as some sources that might or might not provide biased information (Wavefront is apparently a Christian organization, and USIS is the United States Information Service). I intentionally provided pointers to websites provided by a number of different types of organizations. It is my understanding that The Greater Jihad is the fight against our own egos. It is much easier to get defensive than seek out the truth. Have you yourself talked with people from the Southern Sudan to get their point of view? I have several friends from the Southern Sudan. Insh'Allah, one of them may be willing to share his experiences with tariqas. Would you be interested in and open to that type of information? Yours, Habib Rose ------------------------------ From: Faraz Fareed Rabbani Date: Sun, 18 Aug 1996 16:17:04 -0400 (EDT) Subject: Re: Websites on Southern Sudan > > several thousand subscribers... one of the most noteworthy things > > about Southern Sudan is the amount of anti-government propaganda that > > Church groups spread... They are virulently against the Islamic > > government and spread a lot of exaggerations, biased information, and > > even lies and stereotypes to further *their* own cause... > > It is my understanding that The Greater Jihad is the fight against our own > egos. It is much easier to get defensive than seek out the truth. Have > you yourself talked with people from the Southern Sudan to get their point > of view? I have several friends from the Southern Sudan. Insh'Allah, one > of them may be willing to share his experiences with tariqas. Would you > be interested in and open to that type of information? Walaykum assalam, Though jihad-an-nafs is jihad al akbar, the scholars agree that the jihad fi sabeel Allah praised in much of the Qur'an is qital... Jihad is an ongoing process to submit our selves and our worlds to their Creator. I am neither Sudanese nor affiliated with it; I have dealt with people working in Sudan (missionaries, etc) and am aware of many of their arguments... WaAllahu A`lam. Wassalam, Faraz. ------------------------------ End of tariqas-digest V1 #107 *****************************