The One-minutes Sufi-II.pmd - Jaico Publishing House

Published by Jaico Publishing HouseA-2 Jash Chambers, 7-A Sir Phirozshah Mehta RoadFort, Mumbai - 400 001jaicopub@jaicobooks.comwww.jaicobooks.com© Azim JamalPublished in arrangement withAzim Jamal10151 Gilmore CrescentRichmond, BC, V6X 1X1, CanadaTHE ONE-MINUTE SUFIISBN 81-7992-517-XFirst Jaico Impression: 2006Seventh Jaico Impression (Revised & Reformatted Edition): 2012No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized inany form or by any means, electronic ormechanical including photocopying, recording or by anyinformation storage and retrieval system,without permission in writing from the publishers.Printed byRepro India LimitedPlot No. 50/2, T.T.C. MIDC Industrial AreaMahape, Navi Mumbai - 400 710

Praise for Azim Jamal’s BooksSEVEN STEPS TO LASTING HAPPINESS“Azim’s Seven Steps to Lasting Happiness is a practicaland inspiring book. Everyone will benefit fromreading it.”—Deepak Chopra,# 1 International best-seller“Seven Steps is an honest, practical, and inspiringbook that touches the essence of living. A valuableguide for people seeking balance, harmony, andlasting happiness.”—Robin Sharma,International best-selling author ofThe Monk who Sold His Ferrari

VITHE ONE MINUTE SUFI“Seven Steps is a beautifully written book that isbound to make a difference and touch many lives.”—John Kehoe,Author of the international best-seller Mind Power“Seven Steps is a refreshingly clear, compassionate,and user-friendly handbook by a consummate teamplayer who walks his talk. Every page provides a tool,a jewel, and a blessing for the reader.”—Jo Ann Janson,Author of Define Yourself and Discover Your DestinyBUSINESS, BALANCE & BEYOND“This book shows you how to define your truepurpose, increase your effectiveness and live a richerlife – in every area.”—Brian TracyAuthor of Earn What You’re Really Worth“An authentic piece of work. Everyone will benefitfrom reading this book.”—Robin Sharma,#1 International best-selling author ofThe Leader Who Had No Title“To become truly successful, one must discover theideal balance between personal and professionalhappiness. Azim taps into the core fundamentals that

PRAISE FOR AZIM JAMAL’S BOOKSVIIwill help you to travel the journey from success tosignificance in this insightful and thought-provokingbook.”—Dr. Nido Qubein,President, High Point University,Chairman, Great Harvest Bread Co.“Balance is possibly the most elusive (and perhapsmost necessary) aspect of a busy life; balancebetween one’s priorities often falls victim to ashortage of time; balance between commerce and thegood earth often disappears in the rush for spoils.Azim assures us this need not be so, and he does itconvincingly and with a philosophy that meritsattention.”—Rick Antonson,President, CEO, Tourism Vancouver“Congruent, practical and inspiring! Make it a giftfor all.”—Salim Khoja,CEO of Power Within and best-sellingauthor of Passion for Life“Azim Jamal is one of the best people I’ve ever met.This is a heartfelt book about how you can live abigger life.”—Harvey McKinnon,Co-author of the International best-sellerThe Power of Giving

VIIITHE ONE MINUTE SUFITHE POWER OF GIVING(co-authored with Harvey McKinnon)“Extremely impressive...very inspiring”—Dr. Wayne DyerBest-selling author of The Power of Intention“The Power of Giving is a must-read. Profit fromreading it. Give it to everyone you love.”—Jack Canfield,Author of the best-seller The Success Principles (TM) andCo-author of the “Chicken Soup for the Soul” series“We’ve needed a book like this for a long time. Nowit’s your turn to help. Buy it, share it, download, buya copy for a friend. This book could changeeverything.”—Seth Godin,Author of Unleashing the Ideavirus, Purple Cow“What a wonderful book! Most books I want togobble up in one or a couple of sittings. But this oneis so rich, each page so loaded with treasure, I wantto dip into it and drink a sip at a time, over and over.A book to cherish.”—John David Mann,Co-author of The Go-Giver

PRAISE FOR AZIM JAMAL’S BOOKSIX“Those who refresh others are themselves refreshed,and with this news we can all join a chorus and singpraises for this inspiring book!”—Stephen Post,Author of Why Good Things Happen to Good PeopleTHE CORPORATE SUFI“The Corporate Sufi is an enlightening, down-toearthand valuable work. Azim reflects the beautyand power of Sufi principles in a corporate setting.”— Robin Sharma,Author of the # 1 international best-seller ofThe Monk Who Sold His Ferrari“The principles of leadership remain constant, nomatter what our culture. In The Corporate Sufi I lovethe clear concept of The Sufi as the constant Seeker,always part of his culture, but never bound by rigidstructures or rules that can stifle initiative. Like anytrue leader he looks first within himself for thosequalities before trying to lead others.”—Peter Urs Bender,Author of national best-sellerLeadership from Within“Truly amazing. I am most impressed by the simpleand practical manner in which you have expressedsome of the most profound philosophical issues. I

XTHE ONE MINUTE SUFIam now moving into the reflective phase before Iread this great and life changing book for the secondtime. Terrific stuff. Once again thank you foropening my eyes to more possibilities.”—Francis O’KelloChairman, Barclay’s Bank and Serena Hotels, KenyaLIFE BALANCE THE SUFI WAY(co-authored with Nido Qubein)“We can choose to balance our lives; and thepractical information in this book will helpenormously.”—Ken Blanchard,Co-author The One-Minute Manager and The Secret“Your ability to achieve balance among thecompeting aspects of your life is the key to health,happiness and long life. This book shows you how.”—Brian Tracy,International best-seller“Kudos to Nido and Azim. In a world where peopleoften feel out of balance, Nido and Azim bring arefreshing and powerful shot of ‘CAN DO!’ fromtheir own remarkable experience and from thetimeless wisdom of both the East and the West. Thisbook is both insightful and practical – a great readfor anyone who wants to live a balanced life of

PRAISE FOR AZIM JAMAL’S BOOKSXIcontribution and meaning.”—Roger and Rebecca Merrill,Co-authors of Life Matters: Creating a Dynamic Balanceof Work, Family, Time, and Money and (with Stephen R.Covey) First Things First“This is not a “need to read” book – this, for allprofessionals around the world, is a MUST readbook!”—Scott McKain,Vice Chairman of Obsidian Enterprises andAuthor of What Customers REALLY Want“Balance & the power of Choice – two of the keys forthe life we all want. Nido and Azim are here to coachyou. All you have to do is begin this book – NOW.”—W. Mitchell,Author of It’s Not What Happens to You, It’s What YouDo about It“If you want pure water be careful to determine itssource. If you want pure wisdom do the same. I haveknown Nido Qubein and Azim Jamal for many yearsand their lives are examples of wise living. They aregenerous, successful, compassionate, and learned.They have attained the success-dreams we all admireand yet have sustained the rewarding and peacefullife others sacrifice. Take their guidance to heart.Both you and your heart will be happier.”—Jim Cathcart,Author of The Acorn Principle and Relationship Selling

XIITHE ONE MINUTE SUFI“Life balance is the perpetual challenge of our time.If you need a little more balance and enjoyment inyour life, Nido and Azim have written a book thatwill help you achieve both. Read their book andenrich your journey.”—Mark Sanborn,Speaker and author of The Fred Factor: HowPassion in Your Work and Life Can Make the OrdinaryExtraordinary“Our lives are running faster and fuller than any timein human history. Can you really combine work,family, community, friends, health, career, investmentsand play – without being completely overwhelmed?The answer is a resounding “YES!” and thekeys to make it happen are right now in your hands.Life Balance the Sufi Way is the master guide toenjoying it all.”—Ron Kaufman,Best-selling author of UP Your Service! ®

I dedicate this book to my children, Sahar andTawfiq, who are the Sufis in my life.

AcknowledgmentsI gratefully acknowledge, and express deepappreciation to, the many wonderful people whoassisted me as I wrote this book. Without your help,I could never have completed it. Thank you!

A Sufi is an instrument or vessel – he takes fromGod with one hand and gives with another.

ContentsIntroduction 1One Knowing God 9Two Understanding Death 23Three Igniting Our Spirituality 45Four Finding Our Purpose 67Five Embracing an Inside-Out Approach 81Six Making a Difference 99Seven Having Faith in the Unknown 113Eight Persevering 127Nine Keeping Perspective 137Ten Balancing Our Lives 149Eleven Embracing Life-Long Learning 167Twelve Making the Journey Our Destiny 175Thirteen Transforming Our Lives 187Revisiting the Sufi Principles 195Bibliography 198

There are many paths to the peak of a mountain,but the view from the top is always the same.

I N T R O D U C T I O NThe Historical and TraditionalConnections of SufismTHE WORD SUFI IS DERIVED FROM THE ARABICword soof, which literally means wool, referring tothe material from which the simple robes of the earlyMuslim mystics were made.Sufism refers to the mystical traditions of Islam. Itis the living spirit of the Islamic tradition. Sufism isbuilt on islam (submission) and iman (faith). A Sufiis one who sets himself or herself on the path of selfpurificationleading to enlightenment and unionwith God. He is a seeker in search of his trueidentity. 1A Sufi lives in the moment and adapts to thechanging world around him without compromisingthe essence of his beliefs. He is a child of themoment. There are different forms of expressions inSufism, but the essence remains intact. The engagingverses of Sufi giants Ibn Arabi and Rumi, the love1 To facilitate ease of reading, I have used the pronoun he to includeboth genders.

2 THE ONE MINUTE SUFIecstasies of the early Sufi mystic Rabiah, the toweringvoice of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, and the prayerdances of the whirling dervishes are all expressionsof Sufism.Many people contend that to follow the Sufi pathone must endorse Islam. Yet clearly, once you reachyour destination, the path is no longer an issue. Inother words, there are many ways to get to the truth.It is like many people climbing the same mountainalong different roads, but the view from the peak isthe same.Rumi gives an example of a few blind peopletrying to examine an elephant by sense of touchalone. Each thinks one part of the elephant is thewhole and experiences it in a manner slightlydifferent from reality. For one person, the elephant isa pillar (leg), for another it is a fan (ear), and foranother it is a rope (tail). Yet they are all touching thesame elephant. Similarly, there are many ways to seekthe same truth.Martin Lings, in his book What is Sufism?, explainsthat all mysticism is equally universal in the greatersense that they lead to the One Truth, just like theradii of a circle all reach the center no matter wherethey begin from the circle. However, he says that ifyou do not follow one radius to its completion, thenyou may not reach the center.As the Sufi Shaykh ad-Darqawi says, “A man whotries to find water by digging a little here and a little

INTRODUCTION 3there will die of thirst.” So, although there are manyways to the truth, it is important to follow a path toits completion. We can pluck flowers from othertraditions as long as we are not jumping back andforth from one path to another.Considering a Broader Aspect of SufismAlthough Sufism traditionally has its origin in Islam,it has influenced many thinkers and philosophers.Idries Shah, in his book The Sufis, has outlined pastSufi influence on St. Francis of Assisi, theTroubadours, St. Augustine, the Rosicrucians,Maimonides, the Jewish Kabbalah, and a host ofother medieval and modern religious movements.Sufism is thus a bridge between east and west.Jalaludin Rumi, the 12th-century Sufi master,describes a Sufi in his poem:What is the solution, O Moslems: for I do notknow myself. Neither Christian, Jew,Zoroastrian or Moslem am I;I am not an easterner or a westerner, or ofland or sea;Not of nature or of heaven; not of India,China, Bulgaria, Saqsin.Not of the Iraqs, nor of the land of Khorasan.My place is placelessness; my sign is of nosign.

4 THE ONE MINUTE SUFII have no body or life; for I am of the life oflife. I have put away duality;I have seen the two worlds as one.I desire one, I know one, I see one, I call one.Rumi is describing a stage where he hastranscended all forms of spiritual realization —which is very different from a merely theoreticalunderstanding of spirituality. The final stage a Sufireaches is oneness with God, which comes when theego has disappeared. Rumi says, “The mother of allidols is your own ego.” We have all heard sayings suchas, “Seek and you will find” and “Knock and you willenter.” Nevertheless, the question remains: How doesone knock? Sufism shows us the art of knocking thatleads to the door of ultimate realization.Who Is a Sufi?A Sufi is interested in the essence, not the form. Helooks at what is inside, not outside. A human beinghas an outward appearance — how we look, theclothes we wear, the car we drive, the house we livein, and the money we have. To the Sufi they matterlittle. It is what is inside a person, his character andspirit that interest the Sufi. To the Sufi, the exotericoutward forms of an individual are an illusion; thereality lies in that which is esoteric, the inner part.The Sufi can be a man or a woman, young or old,black or white, a professional or a homemaker.

INTRODUCTION 5Labels do not matter to a Sufi.The Sufi is grounded in ethical principles. Heknows that these principles connect him to his core.He knows that, no matter how much change there isaround him, the ethical principles are changeless.Principles provide an anchor for the Sufi. The questof the Sufi is to listen to his conscience and to followit in both good and trying times. The Sufi knows thathe can never get lost if he follows the true or straightpath.The Sufi is a person of timelessness andplacelessness, living in the world but not of theworld. While he is a mystic, he is not a hermit livingon a mountain somewhere. Rather, he lives abalanced life, avoiding excessive materialism andstriving for spirituality at his core. A Sufi views hisrole in this life as that of an instrument or vesselthrough which he takes with one hand and gives withanother. He goes with the flow, living in the momentbut without losing sight of his vision.My Interpretation of and Approach to SufismSufism is a varied tradition with a long and inspiringhistory. Its practices and doctrines are richly layered,and understanding them in their depths is a lifetime’swork. I cannot explore this tradition in its fullnesshere, nor is it my purpose. I am neither a scholar nora historian. For me, the Sufi is a symbol for a stance

6 THE ONE MINUTE SUFItoward life, and a perspective about values that wecan all learn from and use in our daily lives. Sufismrepresents an ideal of how we can all maintain aspiritual and ethical center while still pursuing ourworldly goals. It is this ideal that I want to explore inthis book.By citing Sufi poems and anecdotes, I elaborate onall these qualities of the Sufi in this book. The focusis on the message, rather than its origin. So if amessage conveyed reflects Sufi thinking, I haveincluded it as a Sufi message, irrespective of itsorigin. I have plucked the flowers of truth fromwherever they come. The Sufi quotes in this book aremostly translated from different languages.These quotes have been taken from the worksmentioned in the Bibliography at the end of thebook.As our lives become busier and faster, we oftendon’t have time to nourish our souls. The One-Minute Sufi provides small doses of inspirational Sufiprinciples, allowing us to reflect on them as we goabout our daily business. These principles canchange the course of an entire day — and, gradually,our destiny.A key message of the book is that it is not howmuch we read that matters, but what we do withwhat we read that does. It is through reflection thatchange takes place. Consequently, the book isdesigned in such a way that you read a chapter a day,

8 THE ONE MINUTE SUFI Be in the moment and learn from everyexperience and every encounter Make a difference each day to others and toyourself Go to sleep at night eager to wake up, lookingforward to another great day and having noregrets if you never wake upEnjoy!Azim JamalVancouver, British Columbia

C H A P T E RONEKnowing GodThe Mystery of GodEverything Is a SignpostLeading to God

God is all and all is God. Everything is a signpostto the Oneness of God.

GOD IS THE GREATEST MYSTERY OF ALL THEmysteries. Philosophers, scientists, and artists havepondered His mystery and existence since thebeginning of time, trying to find and understandGod.God is beyond knowing and not knowing. He isbeyond form and essence. He is beyond matter andspirit. He is beyond being and not being. No wordsare adequate to describe Him.Where do we begin to describe something that isbeyond description? When we have exhausted alldescriptions, we have not even started to describeGod. The reason for this is that we can only describethat which we know. God, however, is beyond ourlimited understanding and no words are adequate todescribe Him. Thus, the Sufis say it is the experience

KNOWING GOD 13of God that brings wisdom — an experience that wecan be blessed with, but that we are unable to sharein words because there is seemingly no form inwhich the experience can be expressed. We can createpoetry or music to express our love for God, but wefind ourselves attempting to fathom the sun with theunderstanding of the lamp.In this chapter we look at the following oneminuteSufi concepts: The Mystery of God Everything Is a Signpost Leading to God

KNOWING GOD 15The Mystery of GodGod is the mystery of all the mysteries.— Sufi SayingGOD IS INCOMPARABLE AND UNEQUALLED.He is complete, pure, and self-existent. He transcendshuman comprehension. He is beyond this universe.Nevertheless, God is imminent, so close by, as closeas our human heart. Thus, God is at once so far awayand so close. If we seek within, we will find theMaster of all masters; if we seek far away, the Masterwill be far away.God is independent of us, whereas we aredependent on Him. God is infinite, boundless, andendless. He has always existed and will always exist.He is faultless. To define God as superhuman orsupernatural is inadequate, because His descriptionis beyond words or imagination.God is known by some through His attributes —merciful, generous, maintainer, and sustainer. To

16 THE ONE MINUTE SUFIreally know God, however, we have to know Him inHis essence. He is the Soul of all souls. He is beyondall attributes and qualities. This kind of knowingonly comes through direct spiritual experience.Philosophers, atheists, and others may affirm orrefute the existence of God, but as long as they donot deny the very existence of their own being, theycontinue to testify to their belief in God.All creations of God have their own spiritualrelationship with Him. The all-powerful God is notconfined by any one religion or belief. Sufis say, Theways to God are as many as the breaths of humanbeings. God speaks through all genuine religions,manifesting Himself in different ways appropriate toeach seeker.God was the first, and He will be the last. He isapparent, and He is hidden. He is the ultimateCreator of all things — past, present, and future. Godis the mystery of all the mysteries.

KNOWING GOD 17ONE-MINUTE EXERCISEWrite down your reflections on this Sufi concept

KNOWING GOD 19Everything Is a SignpostLeading to GodEverything is a signpost to the Oneness of God.— Ahmed Lmn Ata’allahTHE SUN NEVER FAILS TO PERFORM ITSfunction; the moon is never late. The seasons comeand go, never failing to arrive. A child growsphysically, mentally, and spiritually. The whole ofcreation evolves. No two moments are entirely alike.All that exists is a sign of God. For Sufis, this sign isthe innate ability of the soul to perceive the presenceof God in all things. As Muhamed Ibn Wasi says,“I’ve never seen a single thing without seeing Godin it.”People often ask: Where is God? The response isthat God is all and all is God. God is in the bark of adog; the buzz of a bee; the silence of a tree; in thestillness of the log; the hug of a mother; the smile ofa child; the color of a flower; the singing of the birds.Everything is a signpost to the Oneness of God.

20 THE ONE MINUTE SUFIImagine if God had never created anything? Wewould never have seen life — love, sunrises, sunsets,struggles, pain, gain, sorrow, joy. His creation blessesus to see His beauty in nature — the ocean, sun,moon, stars, birds, and mankind. What absolutemagic! Ibn Arabi says, “Divine mercy that gives riseto the universe is existence itself. The very act ofbringing things into existence is an act of gentlenessand kindness.”Creation provides for everything humans want. Itprovides for all human needs. God is most beneficentand most merciful. His arms are always open to usall. Rumi beautifully says:Come, come whoever you are,Wanderer, worshipper, lover of leaving,Ours is not a caravan of despair,Come even if you have broken yourVow a thousand times,Come, come again, come.This poem symbolizes God’s mercy.Contemplate creation and marvel at its beauty,majesty, and complexity. When we ponder thenatural world, we get a glimpse of the true wonder ofcreation. We begin to understand the beauty andwisdom of the universe and it’s Creator.

KNOWING GOD 21ONE-MINUTE EXERCISEWrite down your reflections on this Sufi concept