Sufism or taṣawwuf

practitioner of this tradition is generally known as a ṣūfī (صُوفِيّ).
Classical Sufi scholars have defined Sufism as "a science whose
objective is the reparation of the heart and turning it away from all
else but God". [ 4 ] Alternatively, in the words of the Darqawi Sufi
teacher
Ahmad ibn Ajiba , "a science through which one can know how to travel
into the presence of the Divine , purify one's inner self from filth,
and beautify it with a variety of praiseworthy traits". [ 5 ]
Classical Sufis were characterised by their attachment to dhikr (a
practice of repeating the names of God) and asceticism . Sufism gained
adherents among a number of Muslims as a reaction against the
worldliness of the early Umayyad Caliphate (661-750 CE [ 6 ] ). Sufis
have spanned several continents and cultures over a millennium, at
first expressed through Arabic, then through Persian, Turkish and a
dozen other languages. [ 7 ] "Orders" ( ṭuruq ), which are either
Sunnī or Shī'ī or mixed [ 8 ] in doctrine, trace many of theiroriginal
precepts from the Islamic Prophet Muhammad through his cousin 'Alī ,
with thenotable exception of the Naqshbandi who trace their origins
through the first Caliph , Abu Bakr . [ 9 ] Other exclusive schools of
Sufism describe themselves as distinctly Sufi. [ 10 ] Modern Sufis
often perform dhikr
after the conclusion of prayers. [ 11 ]
Some mainstream scholars of Islam define sufism as simply the name for
the inner or esoteric dimension of Islam. [ 1 ] René Guénon in
Insights into Islamic Esoterism and Taoism (Sophia Perennis 2003)
contended that Sufism was the esoteric aspect of Islam supported and
complemented by exoteric practices and Islamic law. However,
accordingto Idries Shah , the Sufi philosophy is universal in nature,
its roots predating the rise of Islam and the other modern-day
religions, save for perhaps
Buddhism and Jainism ; likewise,some Muslims consider Sufism outside
the sphere of Islam. [ 1 ] [ 12 ]

Ruling on eating fromthe husband's ill-gotten gains

Question
I have two sisters; the husband of one of them works as a driver at a
bank while the other works in the maintenance department at a hotel
that serves wine. My two sistersrefrain from eating from the money of
their husbands. Is the work of their husbands, and their gains,
unlawful? Do they (my sisters) have the right to do so? If yes, is it
permissible for me to give them some of my money from Zakaah
(obligatory charity) to eat from?
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, the Lord of the worlds. I testify
that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad
, is His Slaveand Messenger.
First of all, we would like to thank your sisters for their keenness
to free their liability and eat from lawfully earned sustenance. The
earnings ofthese two husbands are ill-gotten gains. The one who works
as a driver at a bank is worse than the other one as Riba (usury)
isworse than intoxicants andthe driver carries the Riba-based
contracts and other things and takes his salary from the bank in
return for doing this. As for the other man who works at the
maintenance department of a hotel that serves intoxicants, his gain is
suspected and he will bear a sin as his work is part of preparing this
place.
To conclude, these two jobs are counted among the ill-gotten gains.
Allaah The Almighty Says (what means):
· {O you who have believed,eat from the good things which We have
provided for you} [Quran 2:172]
· {and makes lawful for them the good things and prohibits for them
the evil} [Quran 7:157]
They are also cooperating in sin and aggression. Allaah The Almighty
Says (what means): {but do not cooperate in sin and aggression.}
[Quran 5:2]
We should all fear Allaah asmuch as we can. Allaah TheAlmighty Says
(what means): {And whoever fears Allaah - He will make for him a way
out} [Quran 65:2]
In fact, the one who sincerely seeks lawfully earned sustenance will
be guided by Allaah The Almighty to find it.
If they do not accept the advice and continue with their work, and
your sistersneed money to buy food and the like, you might paythem
what is sufficient for them from the Zakaah that is due on your
property.
Allaah Knows best/

Her husband forces her to live in the same house with his brother

Question
My question is my husbandis forcing me to stay with his married
brother ,I had told him about the hadiths mentioning that "brother in
law is death" living together may cause many problems,but he doesnt
seems to listen,he says thatI just have to maintain my Hijab thats
all.Wht can I do?since his wife is also a nonmehram to him that will
be a probs.As a muslimwomen I dont get my rights from my husband,he
doesnt agrees to the rights of women in Islam.Please advise.
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify
that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad
, is His slaveand Messenger.
It is your right as a wife to get a separate accommodation where
youwould be safe from any harm and where you would not be embarrassed.
Besides, it is not permissible for you to obeyyour husband in dwelling
with your brother-in-law inthe same house whose amenities are not
separate,where his brother could see you (without Hijaab) orbe in
seclusion with you, orwhere there is any other matter that might lead
to temptation.
Even if we presume that you can take the necessary measures to avoid
these prohibitions and always wear Hijaab, then this may cause much
hardship to you. So, your husband has no right to oblige you to live
in such a situation. For more benefit, please refer to Fatwa 84608 .
Based on this, it is permissible for the wife to ask for divorce as a
way of repelling harm off herself ifher husband does not provide her
with an accommodation that is Islamically acceptable.
There is no doubt that yourhusband is also obliged to abide by the
Islamic conditions in dealing with the wife of his brother as she is a
non-Mahram to him. Therefore, we warn against being lenient in such
kind of dealings within one family as this is one of the major reasons
ofcorruption. The Hadeeth that is mentioned in the question which
reads 'the male in-law is death itself' is the best evidence in this
regard. The text of the Hadeeth is as follows: Uqbah Ibn 'Aamer
narrated that the Prophet said: " Beware of entering upon women"; a
man from the Ansaar asked: 'O Messenger of Allaah, what do you say
about the male in-law (the woman's husband's male relative like his
brother, uncle, cousin, etc.)?' He replied: "He is death itself (i.e.
his seclusion with her is as serious and dangerousas death) . "
[Bukhaari and Muslim] For more benefit, please refer to Fatwa 154373 .
As regards what you mentioned about your husband that he does not
agree with the women's rights in Islam, then this needs more
clarification [aswe do not know exactly what you mean] For general
information in this regard, please refer to Fataawa 81205 and 88304 .
Allaah Knows best./

A ‘New Look’ for the Spirit

'New look' is a widespread term today. It is mainly concerned with the
outward appearance and how to change it.
However, it seldom refers to deeds and actions whichenable both the
woman and the man to create a new look for their lives by viewing life
from a new perspective. Renewing the appearance is desirable and
important; however, it should be done in a positive way. We need a new
look for the spirit first to cast splendor and light on the outward
appearance.
Actors' Innovation
Marwah Muhammad Ahmad, a translator, says, "Change is a basic feature
in man's life, for permanence is only for Allaah The Exalted. Hence,
man always tries to make changes in his life, including his
appearance. Change of appearance has usually been known as 'fashion',
which differs fromone year to another. Today,however, a new name and
style of change, which is called the 'New Look', has emerged. It was
originally invented by actors and artists. It seems to express their
desire to combat boredom and renew their youth, as they say. To them,
this New Look means a change in the color of hair and hairstyle, the
color of complexion as well as the style of dressing." She further
said, "Nowadays, the youth are afflicted with blind imitation and seek
to have a new character through the New Look that is restricted to
external change. I do not know howthe external change can have a
significant effect on life. It is the internal change that lasts and
is more beneficial. Hence, the concept of a New Look should be viewed
differently in a way that makes the change related, for example, to
one's lifestyle and way of treating others."
Saamiyah Sayyid, a working woman, says, "TheNew Look has spread widely
among artists recently. There is an artist who is over sixty years old
but looks as if he were onlytwenty. This is, of course, only in his
appearance as the organs of the body experience no renovation, for
Allaah The Exalted wants man to experience that stage, and this is the
norm of life. Man should enjoy every stage of his lifewithin the
limits of what Allaah The Almighty destined for him of childhood,
youth and old age."
The Need for Renewal
Sawsan Bahaa', a BA in Instantaneous Translation, says that the
definition of 'New Look' is to have a new appearance. In this context,
renewing one's appearance is desirable and preferred from time to
time.
As mankind is keen on possessing new things, he is also happy to renew
and change his feelings from sadness to happiness and to experience
different feelings when shifting fromone stage of life to another. It
is like his feelingwhenever he undergoes a new experience, meets new
people or visits new places. Thus, renewal is considered a permanent
and necessary need for every person to drive him/her forward.
However,some people may exaggerate in seeking a new look or a new
appearance. The desire for renewal may prompt one to seek an
eye-catching appearance even if this appearance contradicts the
general taste or customs ofthe society or even the teachings of one's
religion.
This reveals the importanceof caution and wisdom when choosing new
things to avoid the diminution of one's credit of esteem and
admiration in people's eyes, which might be caused by an unrestrained
pursuit of new things. Caution and wisdom also help one maintain the
features which distinguish his character. Therefore, there must be
balance between one's desire and what he has to achieve of the noble
objectives which please him when he fulfills them.
Heba Salaah, a university lecturer, confirms that the New Look is a
widespread phenomenon that focuses on one's outward appearance, and
that is why scholars of religion must be consulted first whether this
is lawful or not before changing one's shape and appearance.
'Ula 'Abdul-Ghani 'Ali, a government employee, says, "There is
something that has a close meaning tothe New Look; which is changing
one's features by having cosmetic surgery which gives the person a new
appearance and features like changing the size of the nose or the
mouth. The other, more distant, meaning of the New Look refers to the
person's direction towards new thought that springs from the person
himself as he wants to change his character with respect to his views
and principles in life. Sometimes, one's views change when he leaves
his place of residence and meets new people with whom he did not deal
before. One may experience some crises which polish his character and
make it stronger and firmer.
"However, many people donot prefer to make outward changes in their
appearance. They prefer to keep the appearance with which Allaah The
Almighty created them. Also, it is difficult to change the character
of some people regardless of the external effects to which they are
exposed."