The Most Beautiful Names of God: Divine Remembrance and The Sufi Tradition
In recent decades there has been increased access to the public rituals of Sufism; whether Mevlevi sema ceremonies or public dhikrs, or even western style Sufi music ‘concerts,’ bringing greater attention to this communal ritual event. This attention has increased awareness of dhikr ceremonies, both within and outside the Islamic world, at the same time clarifying and perhaps obscuring the mission and purpose of Sufism. In some instances, public dhikr ceremonies have been misunderstood to be forms of artistic expression, sparking some critics within the Islamic community to condemn the practice. However, most of the time when guided by a true sheikh and experienced by a sincere seeker, or even observed by a newcomer, these ritual events are understood to be powerful and galvanizing ritual events based upon centuries of spiritual technology. Technologies which subtly communicate through non-verbal signs the essence of the Sufi message: the oneness of Divine Reality and our personal connectedness within this oneness. Thus, in Qu’ran one is reminded that through the practice of remembrance of God, or dhikr, we are in fact remembered: "O son of Adam, the one who wishes to perceive Me, seeks Me; the one who seeks Me, finds Me; the one who finds Me, serves Me. Only the one who serves Me, truly remembers Me and praises Me. Then I remember him too and I become his Beloved."

A Drop from the Ocean: Mevlana Jelaluddin Rumi and Sufi Path
Many have come to know Sufism through the poems of the Twelfth century poet Mevlana Jelaluddin Rumi, who was born in Balkh in present day Afghanistan in the year A.H. 604/ 1207 C.E. His poems exemplify an understanding of the Sufi path towards God as well as the body of esoteric knowledge and practices associated with this path. The best image to describe Sufism is that of a river, snaking its way through history, touching along its way different cultures and societies, accepting and rejecting attributes and practices as it flows. As such an ambiguous category of religious experience, there is much debate about its origins, practices and prescriptions, amongst both its practitioners and those attempting to define it.

Are You Praying on My Team
When he reaches adulthood, perhaps my son will find a world free of religious persecution, a world where there isn't someone insisting his or her perception of God is better than his.

Hajj Season for Those who Stay Home
By Pamela K. Taylor Did you hear that Hajj is starting today? Probably that’s the last you’ll hear of it, too, unless you tune in to al-Jazeera or there’s a catastrophic loss of life, in which case every mass media...

Ode to the Last Mountain
Tonight while watching the fire on the mountain Hafiz tapped my shoulder And asked in silken English, "Do you have wine?"

Hosay: Caribbean Cultural Expression of a Shi’ite Heritage
"Hosay" Watercolor by Victoria Trestrail By Asad Rizvi Shi’ite Islam, like many religions, has taken on distinctly indigenous forms in the different lands that it has spread. The practices of “popular Shiism” are where the differences are most pronounced....

How I lost my Religion in the Holy Lands
Elen Ghulam My husband told me a funny story that happened to his friend the hydrologist; let’s call him Jim (not his real name). Jim and another person were doing research on a certain river in BC. The river...

Explore
I want to explore the woman as a concept, not just a body.

A ‘Hindu’ Disciple on his ‘Muslim’ Sufi Master
Some people ask me, "You were born in a Hindu family, then why do you live in a dargah and eat and sleep with Muslims?" But I tell them that just as the sun shines on every-body and the winds blow across every one's fields, so also the same God has created and looks after every human being.

All One: A Multi-Faith Night to Remember
Canadians came out in numbers—youth, middle aged people and seniors; Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, Buddhists and Jews; atheists and agnostics—some out of curiosity, others half informed and some totally unaware, with no clue about what was going to take place—to be perfectly honest, neither did I.

Oh Allah
you are in me i am in you but what does that mean?

Myth Over History: Jesus and the Development of Afterlife Beliefs in the Abrahamic Traditions
The unfortunate fact is that we are conditioned to think of religion in terms of orthodoxy, and thus we perceive a problem whenever we cannot find that orthodoxy. But the fact that the Qur'an asserts the identity of the messages of all prophets means that the Qur'an is not interested in asserting any kind of historical orthodoxy. Rather, the Qur'an is interested in asserting a continuity of the Judeo-Christian-Muslim traditions regardless of the lack of historical orthodoxy on afterlife.

A 'Creative Actualization' of the Qur'an: Is It Possible?
Is the Qur'an amenable to “creative actualization” or re-interpretation? Which Muslims might feel free to embellish or re-write Qur’anic passages to better reflect their own struggle with text and tradition? Are there any historical antecedents for such practices?

Why America Needs Rumi
Perhaps it is somewhat surprising then that one of America’s most widely read and best selling poets has been a devout Muslim mystic born eight centuries ago in Afghanistan – Maulana Jelaluddin Rumi.

Eyes
Eye contact is a strange phenomenon, handled differently in different cultures and potentially carrying all kinds of contradictory implications.

On Belief and Disbelief: The True Meaning of Idolatry
Though the western scriptures tell us not to bow to statues, is this necessarily the most common or dangerous form of idolatry?

Faith is Not a Formula
Walking away that night I was left with only one impression--that I am going to hell.

Jeddah to Mecca
As we bowed down in sajdah, a couple of cats appeared in front of us. One of them came in front of my wife. Then something unexplainable happened: as I got up from my sajdah, I saw the cat stretching its forelegs and bowing down in sajdah also! We couldn’t believe our eyes. By the time we completed our two rakats, shivering, the cats had disappeared.

When the call comes: A pilgrim’s progress
By Hasan Zillur Rahim About 2.5 million Muslims from around the world - 45 percent of them women – will be congregating in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, this month to perform the hajj, the once-in-a-lifetime obligation for believers. Over 10,000...

Are Black Dogs Permissible?
Whether we like it or not, many of us live with a black dog. It stays with us, barking at us around the clock, keeping us awake and causing maximum disturbance in our daily lives.

El Halim, Most Kind
View larger image God will not call you to account for thoughtlessness in your oaths, but for the intention in your hearts, and (S)He is Most Forgiving, Most Kind. (Qur'an 2:225) By Ümit Akdemir, 6/6/03 Ümit Akdemir is an...

Nur
The Waterwheel Stay together, friends. Don't scatter and sleep. Our friendship is made of being awake. (Jelaluddin Rumi) Photo by E. Aton, 5/94 Hagia Sofia (Ayasofya) Interior, Istanbul...