Reference no: EM133713682
Assignment:
Reflection on Sufi teaching Discussion Topic According to the Sufi tradition, Islam is merely a shell that ultimately must be cast off if one is to experience direct knowledge of God. From this mystical perspective, religions can only point to God. Ultimately even the shariah is inapplicable to the quest for experiential union with God. Thus, the famous Sufi poet, Rumi, once said, "Love the pitcher less and the water more.
Or consider this poem by Rumi:
Soul of this world,
no life, nor world remain,
no beautiful women and men longing,
only this ancient love
circling the holy black stone of nothing,
where the lover is the love,
the horizon, and everything within it.
What do you think Rumi meant by these expressions that I have included? What is the ancient love? What is the holy black stone of nothing? Discuss the radical implications of Sufism. Why would the traditional ulama feel threatened by Sufi teaching?