Originally published in Sufi Journal Issue 7 (Autumn 1990)
Text of a Speech by Dr. Javad Nurbakhsh, Previous Master of the Nimatullahi Order, to a Sufi Gathering
The Sufi Path (tariqat) is the preparatory course for becoming a Sufi. Whoever becomes a ‘Sufi’ in name, should not think that he or she has become one in fact.
The Sufi swims in the sea of Unity. The Path is the way whereby the Sufi travels from himself to the edge of this sea. At the beginning of the Path the Sufi worships thousands of idols, being a true polytheist. The Master of the Path helps the Sufi journey to the edge of the sea, rids him of his idols, demolishes them and turns the Sufi into a unitarian (mowahhed). The remembrance (dhekr) and the spiritual states and stations are all measures for breaking the Sufi’s idols. Revelations and visions constitute God’s favour towards the cleansing of the idols from the Sufi’s heart. It is in this context that Shebli said, “Sufism is all idolatry,” and Rowaïm declared, “The Sufi does not experience state or station, for he has passed beyond states and stations.”
When, with God’s favour and the Master’s help, the Sufi reaches the edge of the sea, the Master of the Path, through the grace of his friendship with God, removes the garment of egocentricity from his body, releasing him to enter the sea of God’s Attributes and Essence. It is at this point that the Sufi is truly a Sufi and the beginning of Sufism is at this moment. Where true Sufism begins, there is no longer disciple or master, neither way nor wayfarer.
A so-called master who cannot guide a traveler to the edge of the sea of annihilation, has no choice but to divert the disciple’s attention from God to himself by the display of miraculous powers, the recitation of pointless incantations, the unauthorized prescription of dhekr, and the exposition of nonsensical doctrines about the Sufi way. He only increases the idols worshiped by the disciple, reinforcing his idolatry. One can only take refuge in God from the deceit practiced and the traps set by imposters who pretend to be spiritual guides.
So, now that you have outwardly entered the circle of those who follow the Path, you must be aware that in order to attain the station of a true Sufi, you have a long way ahead of you, and at every moment you are in danger of losing your way.
It is impossible to traverse this Path without God’s grace and that of His friends. Do not consider yourself a Sufi; rather, it would be better for you to say that you have simply registered for a preparatory course in Sufism, that you are undertaking a series of examinations, hoping that one day you will be worthy of becoming a Sufi. As Rumi puts it:
Said the speaker, “There is no darvish in the world;
And if there were, he would be non-existent.
He would exist by virtue of the fact that his essence remained,
But his attributes became non-existent in those of God.
He would be non-existent in the sense of the candle’s flame
In the presence of the sun, though he would exist in the truest sense.
The essence of the flame exists, so that if
You should touch cotton to it, it would be burned by the fire.
In form it does not exist, for it gives you no light;
The sun has annihilated its attributive form.”