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HEYTHROP COLLEGE
UNIVERSITY OF LONDON

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Student ID Number 080414
Degree/Diploma Title ABRAHAMIC RELIGIONS - B.A. (HONS)
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Module Code AR306
Module Title Spirituality and Mysticism in the Abrahamic Faiths
Essay/Dissertation/
Project Title
Hasidism and Sufism: Spirituality in Judaism and Islam



Word Count 4387

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2































Arabic Characters




b
t
th gh
j f
q
kh k
d l
dh m
r n
z h
s w
sh y








Long Vowels



a
u
i

Hasidism and Sfism: Spirituality in Judaism and Islam





List of Transliterations
Short Vowels
3

Hasidism and Sufism: Spirituality in Judaism and Islam

Introduction

In an era when media and politics over-shadow relations between Muslims and
Jews, maybe there is a solution spirituality. I will initiate by defining fism and
asidism, alongside the definition process I will analyse and contrast between
the two. Thereafter, I will focus my attention on the Pr (sheikh) / Tsaddik and
murd / asidim, and examine their centrality in both spiritualities using Arabic,
Persian and Urdu poetry. I will examine the notion of the Tsaddik through four
channels as approached by Rachel Elior. I will conclude by briefly analysing
individuals, Abraham Maimonides and Bar, who in the medieval period were
inclined towards Islamic mysticism - taawwuf. And alongside the medieval, I will
also look at similar examples in the contemporary modern period Pr Inyat
Khan and Rabbi Zalman Shalomi.

Defining fism and asidism

Jonathan Brown and Martin Lings simply explain Sfism as: the the art of
knocking on the door of the divine.
1
Brown further quotes a famous Sfi saint
Ab Bakr al-Shibl as describing Sufism as, comforting the heart with the fan of
purity, clothing the mind with the cloak of faithfulness, acquiring generosity and
rejoicing in meeting God.
2
Pr Dhul-Fiqr of the Naqshband arqat (order)
illustrates how one is to acquire taawwuf, he quotes Hasan al-Basr, hum ne
taawwuf ql wa ql se nah balke tark-e-lazzt se skh we acquired taawwuf
not through argumentation and debate, but by casting aside materialistic and
worldly desires.
3
Junaid al-Baghdd once said in a poem:

1
Brown, J. A. C. (2009). Hadith: Muhammads Legacy in the Medieval and Modern World. (p.
184).
2
ibid.
3
Ahmad, Z. F. (2003). Majlis-e-Faqr (

), Vol. 1. (p. 196)

4

4

A Sf is he: who dons al-uf (woollen clothing) with the purity of heart
who holds firmly to the arq (path) of the chosen one
(Muammad)
5

who leaves behind and transcends the world
if not, then a kf
6
dog is superior to the uf.

I believe fism is very similar to asidism in the way that it initiated and
transformed into diverse number of uruq (pl. of arqh paths). For instance the
chishti arqa, despite claiming silsila to the Prophet, is named after the place in
contemporary Afghanistan called Chisht, and similar reasons for other arqas.
However, when defining and analysing asidism, Rachel Elior presents four
factors that umbrella all the asidic groups: (1) A relationship to the Baal Shem
Tov; (2) Tsadik and community; (3) Being and nothingness; and (4) The asidic
congregation.
7


I will focus my attention on the second and fourth points. It is evident that if the
tsadik is viewed so highly, then the master and founder of this spiritual path is
bound to be central. The second notion, Tsadik and community, will be dealt with
in depth and throughout the essay. But, in simple words Elior assesses, The
tsadik links the terrestrial world of his followers with the supernal worlds the link
between the tsadik and his followers is intimate, based on charismatic leadership
of the community in a spirit of holiness. All members are of the community are
equal in their relationship to the tsadik, which fosters a strong sense of
brotherhood.
8
The third, being (Yesh) and nothingness (Ayin) is a asidic idea
of the unity and meeting of opposites. Elior elaborates as, this two-way process
takes place continuously from the ayin to the yesh and from the yesh to the ayin:

4
ibid.
5
In all instances of a Muslims speech and traditional writings the phrase Peace Be Upon Him
(PBUH) ( ) is followed by the name of the Prophet, but in this article I intend the
phrase, hence on the understanding that it is intended and assumed no disrespect is intended.
6
Kf refers to the resident of Kfa
7
Elior, R. (2008). The Mystical Origins of Hasidism. (pp. 2-4)
8
ibid., (p. 2)
5
every limited element strives to expand, to divest itself of corporeality, and to
return to its abstract source, and every abstract element strives to contract, to
clothe itself, and to be revealed in its limited expression.
9
This notion is similar
to Muhammad Iqbals idea of the Prophet Muhammad and his ascent to the
source, he believes, Muhammad of Arabia ascended the highest Heaven and
returned. I swear by God that if I had reached that point, I should never have
returned.
10
Finally, the asidic congregation is similar to the second notion, but
I view it as a result of the powerful bond between the tsadik and the follower. As
Elior stresses that there was a relation from both channels, tsadik was the sole
channel of divine mercy and sustenance for his followers[on the other hand]
the tsadik also depended on the recognition and support of his followers.
11
In
the fism of the sub-continent, the masters at times stress the importance of
murqaba (meditation) of the master despite it being repudiated by the ulema.
Similar to this is the incident of Junaid al-Baghdd and his murds who claimed
to have walked on water by calling the name of their master, Oh Junaid instead
of Oh Allah: and once they said, Oh Allah they began to sink. Interestingly,
Junaid explained, You are trying to reach Allah and yet you havent even
reached Junaid!.
12
However it is tales of these kind that the wahhb and
orthodox Islamic mind is forced to reject fism, and at times in its entirety.

The Pr (master) and the murd (follower) | The Tsaddik and the Hasidim

I believe, in both spiritual paths within Judaism and Islam, the relationship
between the master and follower is central. The utmost significance in this
relation is the deeper and real experience of the holy letters: in ufism the sheikh
is seen as someone who has attained a higher status; he has survived

9
Elior, R. (No date). Chapter: The Infinity of Meaning embedded in the Sacred Text, p. 39.
Accessed online [08.05.2011]: http://members.ngfp.org/Courses/Elior/EliorNave_Mil-Ch2.pdf
10
Iqbal, M. (2008). The Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam. (p. 124) Iqbal, here has
quoted a mystic from Gangoh, pointing towards the difference between the experience between
the Prophet and a mystic.
11
Elior, R. (2008). The Mystical Origins of Hasidism. (p. 3)
12
Naqshbandi, A. Three Tales of Sufi Wisdom.
Accessed online [09.05.2011]: http://www.chowk.com/Views/Three-Tales-Of-Sufi-Wisdom
6
temptation and reached the maqm (station) where he now stands. However,
now he must pass his experience of reaching that maqm to his murds and the
silsila of the previous sheikhs must continue till the Last Day. I will later look at
the difference between the master in fism and asidism the silsila. The
sheikh in ufism provides the murd with esoteric knowledge, which is believed by
the uf to be such ilm ladunn that cannot be acquired through extensive study.
The story of Rms conversion to ufism is an interesting one, in which a
contrast between ilm al-kasab (acquired knowledge) and ilm-e-ladunn / kashf
(spiritual esoteric knowledge) is given:
One day Mawlana Rumi was sitting with his students and disciples near a pond
which was in the middle of his garden giving them a lesson in one of the Islamic
intellectual sciences. The Mawlana was surrounded by a large pile of
handwritten books and scrolls and was teaching from them when suddenly a
strange fellow approached him and, smiling, pointed to the pile of books and
asked, What is this?
Taking the man to be a wandering dervish and illiterate, Rumi smiled and said,
This is something which you do not know! [exoteric knowledge].
Still smiling, the dervish picked up the pile of books and threw them into the
pond. Rumi was horrified and cried out, You ignorant fellow! What have you
done? You have ruined all my precious books!
The dervish continued to smile and, nonchalantly approaching the pond and
putting his hand into the water, retrieved all the books. Amazingly, all the books
instantly became dry and as good as new!
Astonished at this charismatic miracle Rumi cried out, What is this?
This is something which you do not know! [referring here to esoteric
knowledge]. answered Shams of Tabriz.
13

Subsequent to Jall al-Dn Rms struggles through the maqmt (stations) he
said what is now quoted by fs throughout the arqa in Persian:

_

. , -- " . .:- "

_

.:

.
14


13
Accessed online [07.05.2011]: http://www.chowk.com/Views/Three-Tales-Of-Sufi-Wisdom also
in Urdu: Rm, J. (2009). ikyt-e-Rm ( .: . ). Trans. by Sufi Asif Mahmood.
14
Rm, J. (2009). ikyt-e-Rm (. .:). Trans. by Sufi Asif Mahmood. (p. 21)
7
Mevlaw could never have become the Maula (Master) of Rm,
till he became the slave
15
of Shams Tabrez
However, even for the famous jurist of Islam, al-Shfi, the acquiring of exoteric
knowledge depended upon a spiritual state of taqw and tark al-ma. Imm al-
Shfi once complained to his teacher regarding his weakness in memory and
expressed this incident in a poem:

16

I complained to [my teacher / my sheikh] Waq regarding the weakness of my memory.
He prescribed for me the abstinence from sins. For indeed al-ilm [sacred knowledge] is
a nr (light) from my Lord. And the light of Allah is not given to a sinner.

Interestingly, when Thnw was asked the definition of a f, he replied with
determination, . .` lim b amal - A scholar, who implements his
knowledge.
17
Hence, it is bringing to life the letters of the sacred texts and
becoming the embodiment of the sacred knowledge that is the spiritual aim of
Islamic spirituality. Iqbal expresses this notion in his poem, of how a mumin
(believer) is not the one who merely recites the sacred text, but is in reality the
sacred text.
. . _ .
! : , ` > ..:.
- . - -:.
18
! ,

. , . `

, ,

15
Slave here refers to murd (follower).
16
Thnw, A. A. (1425H) . Tufa al-Ulem : ...-.

.: ::,. : .- - (p. 41)

17
ibid., (p. 159)
18
Iqbal, M. arb-e-kalm ( ,): The Rod of Moses. Accessed online [08.05.2011]:
http://www.allamaiqbal.com/
(search under prose works, arb-e-kalm.)
8
With Gabriel trusted and steadfast
this clay-born man has kinship close
a dwelling in some land or clime
for himself Muslim never chose.
This secret yet none has grasped
that a mumin by appearance is a reciter [of the Quran],
But in reality he is the Quran.
19


There is a similar approach to the Pr of asidism, and his relation to his asidim.
As the rabbi of Rizhyn once said,
Just as the holy letters of the alphabet are voiceless without the vowel signs,
and the vowel signs cannot stand without the letters, so zaddikim and asidim
are bound up with one another. The zaddikim are the letters and the asidim
who journey to them are the vowel signs. The asidim need the zaddik, but he
has just as much need of them. Through them he can be uplifted. Because of
them he can sink God forbid! They carry his voice, they sow his work in the
world
20

But, the reason for the asidims need to go to the tsaddik I believe is similar to
the f idea, of reaching the ultimate source, the reality of God and the tsaddik is
the intermediary for that. Rabbi Mordecai elaborated the need for the asidim to
come to the tsaddikim, which is homogeneous to the f idea of transferring
ishq (Love) from fn (the mortal) to bq (the immortal). He once said, people
go to the tsaddikim for many different reasons. One goes to the tsaddik to learn
how to pray with fear and love; another to acquire strength to study the Torah for
its own sake. Still another goes because he wants to mount to a higher rung of
spiritual life, and so on. But none of these things should be the true purpose of
going, for each of them can be attained, and then it is no longer necessary to toil
for it. The only, the true purpose, should be to seek the reality of God. No
bounds are set to this, and it has no end.
21

Rbiah Bariyyah, a famous female f of her era, emotionally expressed the
very notion:
O my Lord, if I worship you from fear of hell, burn me in hell.

19
ibid., (search under prose works, translation of arb-e-kalm)
20
Buber, M. (1991). Tales of the Hasidim. (p. 54)
21
ibid., (p. 164)
9
If I worship you in hope of Paradise, bar me from its gates.
But if I worship you for yourself alone,
grant me then the beauty of your Face.
22


However, I believe, the most significant contrasting difference between the
tsaddik and the pr is the silsila (the chain of narrators), which the fis believe
leads back to the Prophet himself. An idea which, I believe is influenced by
principles of adth tradition likewise shiite belief of connecting the imams to the
genealogy of the Prophet. But at times these silsilas seem to be problematic
when one finds unauthentic sources in the chain of transmission. For instance,
when figures like Khidr
23
are mentioned in the chain they become dubious. I
present an example of a silsila of my own f lineage, where one could see how
the methodology used in ufism are assumed to be taught down the ages from
the Messenger himself, but alongside that I will point towards a problem within
the silsila:
Hazrat Mufti Moosa Badat Khalifah of > Hazrat Mufti Mahmood Hasan Gangohi (died
1417 AH) > Shaikhul Hadith Maulana Zakaria Kandhelvi (died 1402 AH) > Hazrat
Maulana Khalil Ahmed Saharanpuri (died 1346 AH) > Qutbul Alam Maulana Rashid
Ahmed Gangohi (died 1323 AH) > []
24
Khwaajah Fuzail bin Ayaaz (died187 AH) >
Khwaajah Abdul Waahid bin Zaid (died176 AH) > Hazrat Hasan al-Basri (died110 AH)
> AMMERUL MUMINEEN SAYYIDINA HAZRAT ALI radiyallahu anhu (died 40 AH) >
SAYYIDINA MUHAMMAD RASULULLAH [The Messenger of Allah] Sallallahu alaihi
wasallam (died 11 AH).
25


22
Rbiah Baris (717-801) fism. [Accessed online 27.04.2011]:
http://www.poetry-chaikhana.com/R/RabiaBasriAl/OmyLordifIwo.htm
23
There are a multitude of interpretations as to who Khir. Encyclopaedia of the Quran (vol. 3)
states that Al-Zamakhshar asserts that Khir lived from the time of Dh l-Qarnayn to that of
Moses; Sayyid Qub sets that tradition aside, calling him only the righteous servant. However,
some f tradtions believe that Khir is still alive and witnessed by some mashikh.
24
I have removed 32 mashikh from the silsila, which could be traced from footnote No. 25
25
Silsila taken from: Badt, M (2003). Nisbat wa Isn aur Aml - e - Qalbiyyah t.
.
.
. . . ,).
Also available online from the English Translation:
Badt, M (2006). An Introduction to the Science of Tasawwuf: A Translation of Nisbat wa Isn
aur Aml - e - Qalbiyyah t.
.
.
... ,) by Khalil Ahmed Kazi.
Accessed online [29.04.2011]:
http://www.islamrocks.com/Islamic-Books/shajarah-spiritualtree.shtml
10
Here the silsila ends at the Prophet through his cousin Ali: the fs from the
chisht arqa claim that their teachings and methods have been acquired through
the time which lead back to the Prophet. So henceforth there is a spiritual
connection between the pr and the murd, which is acquired directly from the
Prophet through this chain. However, towards the end of the silsila we have the
famous Hasan al-Basr acquiring his f teachings from the Prophets cousin Ali,
but it is still debated whether Hasan al-Basri had actually met Ali and heard from
him let alone acquired the complete f arqat.

Within ufism there still lies the question of learning from the other master,
whom one has not pledged an allegiance (baiat) to. Thanwi, interestingly
explains this in his f exegesis of the Quran:
> .'

:. :.,,,
, _ .,

.: _ .,,... _,,_ :. ... __>. >

.
,..

.

26

those who believe in the revelation sent down to you [Muhammad], and in what
was sent before you, those who have firm faith in the hereafter (Quran 1:4). It
will be deduced [from this verse] that belief will be on all mashikh ahl al-aq
(the masters of the true path) just as itiqd (belief) with ones own master,
however ittib (following the f path) is only of ones own sheikh. Just as the
identical command regarding the following of Prophets. It is evident from this
exegesis that the fs, despite their silsilas, have resorted to deducing ul
(principles) of taawwuf from interpretations of the Quran.

The Tsaddik

Rachel Elior has systematically explained the role of the Tsaddik in Hasidism
through four notions; (1) Charisma; (2) Mutual devotion and responsibility; (3)
Embodiment of the divine dialectic; and (4) linking the divine and the material.
Elior explains the notion of Charisma, The Tsadik derives his authority from the

26
Thnw, A. A. (1424H). Bayn al-Qurn (

:
). (p. 4)
11
charisma of divine election, a sense of divinely inspired mission and a
consciousness of revelation through immediate contact with higher worlds.
27

The f sheikh, in this notion, is one with the Tsaddik, but as elaborated earlier
the difference between both in this context would be the silsila, which is believed
to reach back to the Prophet himself. However, there is a distinction between the
function of the ulem and the uf masters, similar to that of the tzaddikim and
the normative rabbis. However, it is clear that both do merge, so there will
certainly be ulem who are also f masters, and this I believe to be the
normative practice now in the Muslim world. For instance the madrasa (Islamic
Seminary) of Bury is famously known for its uf influence on traditional subjects
and methodology. Sf mystic-jurists of the sub-continent, such as Mufti Taq
Uthmn, call for a merging of the sciences of taawwuf and fiqh. However, at
times it is felt that ufism begins to influence jurisprudence and vice versa. But
this is then rebuked by jurists by differentiating the status of taqw (

) and
fatw ( ).

Elior further explains the notion of Mutual devotion and responsibility, The
relationship between the tsaddik and his Hasidim is based on an all-embracing
nexus of spiritual brotherhood and social responsibility.
28
This relationship is
termed hitkasherut vehitkalelut (affiliation and absorption), it could be seen as the
two wheels of the same cycle, as they both need each other for this spiritual
movement on a difficult path. Embodiment of the divine dialectic, Elior
elaborates as, the tsaddik embodies the dialectical tension between
transcendence and sublimation, the process of emanation from nothingness so
as to bring abundance into the world. He moves between different states of
consciousness so as to confront both divine nothingness and physical being.
29

This notion I believe is quite unique to Hasidism.

Lastly the idea of Linking the divine and the material, Elior understands as, the
tsaddik devotes himself simultaneously to God and to the world. In an
attempt to reunite the divine element in the material world with its source in the

27
Elior, R. (2008). The Mystical Origins of Hasidism. (p. 130)
28
ibid.
29
ibid.
12
heavenly world, he strives to elevate the mundane; at the same time he attempts
to draw down the divine abundance from on high for the benefit of the world.
30

This idea is similar to Rms dervish, when he circles in the f dance, with one
hand up towards the divine and the other lowered towards the world: it is where
he takes from the divine and distributes to the world. Further to this point at the
death of Umar ibn Abd al-Azz (Umar II), the Byzantine emperor exclaimed, If a
man subsequent to Jesus Christ had the miracle to bring people back from the
dead, it would have been Umar ibn Abd al-Azz. I dislike the monk, who escapes
from the world and resides in his abode of worship. That monk amazes me, who
kept the material world beneath his feet and even then lived a life of an ascetic
[referring here to Umar II].
31


It is interesting to note all the similarities in the tales; poetry; purposes and above
all the belief in One God; and a belief system that leads back to Prophet
Abraham: surely there must be some inclination of both towards the other.
Recently, when the kosher phone came into the market designed for the needs
of the Hasidim, the Muslim was the first to say, right, I am certainly buying that
for my child.
32
And delightful is what Dr Jonathan Gorsky believes, that despite
differences in theology, the Abrahamic faiths come together in spirituality.
33
In
the medieval period there are many examples of Jews, who were inclined
towards ufism such as Abraham Maimonides who once said,
"Thou art aware of the ways of the ancient saints of Israel, which are not or but
little practiced among our contemporaries, that have now become the practice of
the Sufis of Islam, on account of the iniquities of Israel."
34

Goiten has written an article A Jewish Addict to Sufism focusing on a Jewish
Sf Bar, and a letter from his wife to the Rabbi urging the Jewish community to

30
ibid.
31
Sajjad, Z. A. and Shahabi, I. A (1991). Trkh-e-Millet t. .

.). Vol. 1. (p. 668)

32
Article Is that cell phone Kosher on BBC. Accessed online [10.05.2011]:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/7636021.stm
33
Lecture at Heythrop College.
34
Accessed online [10.05.2011]:
http://www.tomblock.com/11shalom/article_jewishsufi.php#_edn3
13
bring him back from the mountain.
35
Similarly Pr Inyat Khn has also confirmed
the idea of Abraham Maimonides by giving form to an innovative arqa called the
Inyat-Maimn arqat, and also once stated,
The Sufi is an Israelite, especially in his study and mastery of the different
names of God. The miraculous powers of Moses can also be found in the lives of
the Sufis both past and present. In fact the Sufi is the master of the Hebrew
mysticism; the divine voice heard by Moses on Mount Sinai in the past is audible
to many a Sufi today.
36

Also in contemporary times Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi too has spent time
in the Zwiya with Sf masters in the Holy Land. From an article by Rabbi
Zalman he explains how the Suf master began discussing whether it was kosher
for a non-Muslim to do dhikr. Rabbi Zalman recalls the incident when asked by
the Sfis:
"Why don't you go with your own people?"
I said, "I davened this morning with my own people."... and I'd like to be able to
say dhikr with you."
"Are you a Muslim?"
I say, "La. Ana Mu'min." I'm a believer. I'm not a Muslim, I'm a believer.
"What do you believe in?"
And I say, "Ash-hadu." I bear witness. "La illaha ill Allah al-ahad." There is no G-d
but G-d, and that G-d is one.
[subsequent to being asked what sharah he follows]
"Then why not follow the Shariya of Islam?"
I say, "Because it is not fitting, it isn't 'Adab [respectful],' it's not fitting for a son to
go in paths different than his father. So I come from the ban Yitzhak and ban
Yakub and not from the ban Ismail, and so I have to follow the Shariya of my
parents."
"What about arqat?"
So we were talking about the higher levels of the Sufi. I said, "With that, I'm with
you at one."

35
Goitein, S. D. (1953). A Jewish Addict to Sufism: In the Time of the Nagid David II
Maimonides. The Jewish Quarterly Review, (pp. 37-49)
36
Cited from article, Inayati-Maimuni Tariqat of Sufi Hasidim | The Desert Fellowship of the
Message
Accessed online [10.05.2011]:
http://www.zimbio.com/Judaism/articles/144/Inayati+Maimuni+Tariqat+Sufi+Hasidim+Desert
14
Then somebody gives a kick on the side and says, "Ask him! Ask him! What
about rasuliyat [prophethood]?" What has he got to say about Muhammed? Ah,
they got me, ah!
So I say, "Ash-hadu." I bear witness. "La illaha il Allah, wa Muhammed rasul
Allah." There is no G-d but Allah. And Muhammed is His messenger.
So they say to me, "Then you're a Muslim!"
And I say, "La. Ana Yahudi." No, I'm a Jew.
"Then how could you say, how could you say such a thing?"
So I said, "Allow me to go back with you in your history. There was Ismail
[Ishmael], the son of Ibrahim ha-lililai, Abraham the friend of G-d. Ismail - his
children - Ismail still had the Tawd - the knowledge of the oneness of G-d, but
his children fell into the dark ages, into the jhiliyya, into the unknowing. And so,
they had lost their way to the oneness of G-d. So, Ya rahim, Ya rahman, the
merciful, the compassionate, sent out a messenger to the children of Ismail to
bring them back to Tawd - to the oneness . I believe that he was a true
messenger."
The Imam said, "I don't want to talk anymore. I want to say dhikr with this man!"
And they brought in the drums, and we start to say dhikr.
37


It seems that at the end of this essay one possibly could conclude that there is
light at the end of the tunnel when relations between Judaism and Islam are
approached through spirituality and mysticism. I initiated by defining the two
spiritualities and in the process compared and contrasted the two through diverse
tales and poems. I then analysed, what I believed to be the most significant
aspect of fism and asidism, the role of the Sheikh and Tsaddik. I found that
the outlook of both notions very similar, but the only real difference was the silsila
in Sfism. I thereafter analysed medieval and the continuation up to the modern
period of a merge between both spiritualities within Judaism and Islam.



37
For full article refer to:
Reb Zalman Among the Sufis. Transcribed by Reuven Goldfarb with the assistance of Eliyahu
(Khaled) McLean.
Excerpt from an audio tape of the Farbrengen with Rabbis Zalman Schachter-Shalomi at the
Hillel Foundation, Berkeley, California, March 19, 1994. Rabbi Schachter-Shalomi is speaking.
Accessed online [18.04.2011]: http://www.sufi-tariqah.de/tarchiv/rebzalman.html
15


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