Sufism: A Short Introduction By William Chittick

Discussion:
Sufism, A Short Introduction By William C. Chittick, This is the introductory book by one of the foremost scholars Sufism in the West. This increases the growing number of books on tasawwuf. It is written as an introduction for those students, people who have little or no knowledge of Sufism. The book provides a very easy and truthful picture of the subject. Since there is so much interest in as well as confusion about Sufi beliefs and practices in the West, the present book is particularly significant and commendable for it’s veritable.
A unique feature of the book is the presentation of Sufism as an important part of Islam. By way of carefully expressed as well as hints and references, Chittick reminds the modern students of
He had to pure his soul. In this book there is a term Tazkiya, which means to purify and increase. Here, at this point one not has to just purify his heart, soul but also to increase his purification in all the other things which are necessary for purifications of his soul, change the mind set up, see the World from an eye which a normal person does not see and to believe that he has to submit himself to the God. God has created everything in this world.
Buley Shah describing the purification of the heart:
Sir te topi niyat khoti, ki lera sir topi dhar ke
Tasbi phiri te dil na phiriya, ki lera tasbi hath barh ke
Chiley kitey per Rab na miliya, ki lena chiliya war ke
Buley Shah jhag bina doodh nai jamdey, bhavey laal hovey karh karh ke.
Living and non-living both. But why is that he only command Tazkiya from humans not to angels or animals? The answer which Chittic gave was tremendous. He answered by a Persian proverb Surah Yassin chapter 36 of the Quran, which has always been a source of having a special power and blessing.
“A donkey’s nafs is profoundly different from a human Nafs, because if you recite the Quran into a human Ear it may do some good but donkey will never stop being a stupid.” Here is an Arabian proverb:
“A donkey load of Holy books is still a donkey”.
The never ending dance of Sufism, he mention in his book begins with the Rumi
For this understanding it is said “No god but God”. Means there is no one except God to whom we have to return, we have to preach, we have to fulfill His demands which are related to religion and humanity. In Sufism “All is He” if in one sense when it is more true that “None or He”. Here the writer lightens the existence of God. That all are living and non-living creatures are made by God, all those belongs to God. There is God and all things are God which are made by Him or there is no God. Between these two sentences nothing lies between