The True Mehdi Issue 03 - March | Page 4

SPOTLIGHT SPOTLIGHT CONTEMPORARY SUFIS EXPOSED Are you being deceived by a fake Sufi? In this issue of The True Mehdi, we give you His Divine Eminence Gohar Shahi’s revolutionary formula that will not only help you to determine whether the person in front of you is a true Sufi, but it will also allow you to recognise yourself and test your fate. W e’ve already analysed in previous editions of this magazine the essentiality of spirituality in religion - how, without spirituality, the practice of a religion can never take you to God or allow you to reach your full potential. In Islam, the spiritual aspect is known as Sufism. Historically, Sufis preached tolerance and love; they were the ones who extended their friendship to non-Muslims and blessed all who came to them in search for God. They fostered understanding between Muslims and non-Muslims. It is so unfortunate that in recent years, many people around the 4 THE TRUE MEHDI • ISSUE 03 • MAR 2017 world were deceived by those falsely claiming to be Sufi Masters. There have even been rumours about ‘Sufi’ militants - Islamist terrorists disguised as Sufis whose sole purpose is to defame Sufism. The world seems to be heading towards an era in which humanity is being increasingly divided. It has become more important than ever for the average person to have the ability to distinguish a true Sufi from a false one. THE ETYMOLOGY OF SUFISM: The word ‘Sufi’ is thought to originate from the Arabic word, ‘safa’, which means ‘purity’. Another theory is that ‘Sufi’ evolved from ‘Ashab-e-Suffah (People of the Bench)’ which was the title given to the ascetics of Prophet Mohammad’s own time. The Ashab-e-Suffah are regarded as the first Sufis. They were a group of people who abandoned their worldly lives in order to dedicate their days to the loud invocation of God’s name (Dhikr) in The Prophet’s Mosque (Masjid-e-Nabawi). They would spend a majority of their time seated on a bench engaged in this practice, hence they were dubbed ‘People of the Bench’. Their love for Prophet Mohammad and his teachings have been a major inspiration for the seekers of the spiritual path who succeeded them. THE TRUE MEHDI • ISSUE 03 • MAR 2017 5