Nimatullahi Sufi Center Houston

What is Sufism

“The practice of Sufism is the intention to go towards the Truth by means of love and devotion. This is called the tariqat, the spiritual path or way towards God.

“Only by the light of the spiritual path and the mystic way can the Truth be discovered. In order for one to truly witness the perfection of the Absolute, one must see with one’s inner being, which perceives the whole of Reality. This witnessing happens only when one loses one’s (partial) existence in the whole.” (Excerpted from The Path by Dr. Javad Nurbakhsh)

Divine Love

“The first time I read Rumi’s story of Moses and the Shepherd, I was struck by the fact that the shepherd was much closer to God than Moses even though the shepherd’s conception of God was not even remotely plausible.

“Years later, when I revisited this story, it appeared to me that Rumi had unravelled a deep mystery of divine love: in order to love God, one does not need to have a correct conception or description of God; what is required is a burning heart. “(Excerpted from a discourse by Dr. Alireza Nurbakhsh)

Caring for Others

“Altruism, as developed by early Khorasanian Sufis and practiced by Persian Sufis for centuries down to the present day, advocates that Sufis—indeed all human beings—should serve God by remaining in society and helping and serving others. It stands in stark contrast with the Sufi tradition that was developed in Baghdad by Junaid (d. 910) and his followers, which advocated the practice of renunciation and withdrawal from society as the central tenet of Sufism.” (Excerpted from a discourse by Dr. Alireza Nurbakhsh)