THE KEY TO SALVATION – A SUFI MANUAL OF INVOCATION pdf

The key to salvation – A Sufi manual of invocation

THE KEY TO SALVATION – A SUFI MANUAL OF INVOCATION  

Book Introduction

It is unfortunate but understandable that Islam has remained something of a mystery to most Westerners since it is viewed as a religion completely beyond the pale or the Judeo-Christian ethos.

However, what 13 astonishing and somewhat ironic 13 that Sufism is likewise a mystery to most Muslims who view it as some kind of innovation or even deviation bordering on heresy. Comments to the erect that Sufis do not believe in the necessity of saying the five daily prayers or following the Shari’an attest to the ignorance of the average believer.

This is due in part to the perceived dichotomy between esoteric and exoteric Islam, the interior life of prayer versus the exterior ritual prayers, the content versus the form. Even Shaykh Ibn “Ata’allan, the author of the Miftah al- alah wa Misbah al-Arwah was not totally immune Iron a certain measure or prejudice, as will be seen.

His resulting change or heart led me to take great pains when discussing tasawwuf to indicate the solid basis for it within the traditional framework of Islam, to show its complementarity with exoteric Islam, and its unique ability to provide a deeper and richer spiritual life for believers.

The magnitude of Ibn ‘ata’Allah’s contribution to elucidating the principles and practices of Sufi, especially the Shadhili order is incalculable, is the number of lives he touched and transformed by his own and through his writings down to the present. Not only was a realized spiritual paster but also an expert in Maliki fiqh. In fact, he was learned in the Shari’ah well before the tariqa.

His books reveal a rare intellect, at once logical, analytical,  He is a credit to both perceptive, intuitive, and compassionate. No doubt, were more dimensions of Islam, the formal and the mystical.

Muslims aware of his works and ideas, they would see Sufism for what it really is the spiritual and contemplative dimension of Islam that observes not just the Law but the spirit of the law.

 Biographical Sketch Taj ad-Din Abu ‘l-Fadi Ahmad b. Muḥamoad b. ‘Abd al-Karl. o. ‘ata’ Allah al-Iskandari al-Jughand ash-Shadhiil,’ known simply as Ibn ‘Ata’ Al!án, was born in Alexandria, Egypt, as his nisbah indicates, about the middle or the seventh/thirteenth century.

His family was renowned His Māliki scholars from the Banu judhão tribe, originally from Arabia. grandfather, ‘Abd al-Karim (d. 61271216) had distinguished himself as an expert in fiqh, usul (principles of Jurisprudence), and Arabic, having studied under the famous Abu’l-Hasan al-Abyiri. He has written several books, among which were al-Bayan wa’t-Tagrid fi Saart at-Tandhi, Hukh- tasar at-Tahdhib, and Mukhtasar al-Murazzal, and had been very hostile to Sufism. 2

On the other hand, Ibn ‘aţă’Allah’s father Muhammad (death date unknown) seems to have been of a different wind, and although a faqih, he was also the disciple of the great Sufi shaykh Abu ‘ 1 -Hasan ash-Shādhill (593-656/1197-1258), the founder of the shādh111 order.

As a youth, Ibn ‘Ağa’Allāh received a traditional Islamic education in such disciplines as Qur’ānic recitation, hadith, tafsir, gran- mar, uşdı, philosophy, belles-lettres, and of course right under some of the best and most illustrious teachers or Alexandria, in addition, no While not all or doubt to the instruction given him by his own family.

his teachers are known, the most important ones include the following: