View from the Pew
A look inside Hawaii's houses of worshipBy Mary Adamski
People kneeling in prayer, foreheads to the mat, is an image of Muslim religious practice familiar to anyone with access to public media. In the past seven months, Americans have tuned in to a variety of sources in an effort to understand Islam and sort out teachings from terrorist acts. Gaining oneness with
God is Sufism’s goalFor the three dozen people gathered at recent evening lecture in Waikiki, the message drawn from Islamic scriptures was as distant as possible from the public face of Islam today, the ritualized prayer as well as the power and politics of the Middle East. It was all about love and mystery.
"God does not fit anywhere but the human heart," the Honolulu audience was told. "The heart is the locus of remembrance of God."
"In the Quran ... we have not only do's and don'ts for human beings, it is a very deep mirror for human beings," said the teacher. "Some see religion as a set of principles. ... Not everyone sees their religion as a path of transformation," she said.
The very fact that the teacher was a woman demonstrated that Sufism, the tradition of Islamic mysticism, is outside the male-led mainstream of Muslim prayer and practice. Sheika Amina Teslima al-Jerrahi, the head of the Halveti Jerrahi Sufi Order in Mexico City, comes to Hawaii frequently to teach and lead retreats for the Halveti Jerrahi Sufi Order of Honolulu.
Two-thirds of the audience at Amina's lecture at Paki Hale were newcomers, reflecting the fact that "Islam is fashionable now," said local leader Siddiq. "People come to learn about Islam and learn something about themselves."
Anyone with a previous encounter with a meditative tradition or practice knew there wouldn't be some quickly learned formula to jot down and take home. Rather than trying to figure out "how to," the best advice is, "Just do it."
Amina, whose quick, hearty laugh and humorous asides revealed a businesslike, modern woman under that traditional Muslim veil and robe, told the seekers as much.
"You receive the knowledge from within, rather than with just words," she answered a question.
She gave the group a basic lesson, starting with deep breathing to still themselves. While exhaling, think "Laillaha," which translates, "There is nothing."
While inhaling, think "... ila llah," which translates, "but God." After at least 10 minutes of the silent exercise, even the worst fidgeters had settled down to a refreshing state of rest.
Amina was the first woman to be designated a teacher in this particular lineage, according to her advance publicity. The leader of the Jerrahi order's American center in New York also is a woman.
"They are the two principal guides in this tariqua (path). It is most unusual that both are women," said Siddiq, a carpenter who does business under his English name but who identifies himself with the Arabic name he took when he committed to Sufism more than 20 years ago. No one in the local Sufi society was born into a Muslim family, and some still belong to other faiths while embracing this meditative path.
While the Sufi practice of inner devotions and goal of oneness with God is rooted in the earliest period of Islam, "the open heart doesn't set well with fundamentalists," Siddiq said. "Sufism is a vessel for freedom for people, a great liberation. You are all heading for the same One."
The Jerrahi order was founded 300 years ago in Turkey and was brought to America in the early 1980s. Its spread can be credited to an early convert, American Lex Hixon, who took the name Sheik Nur and who "was able to translate Sufism in such a way that not only did the meaning, but also the power carried through. A lot of translations end up being literal. He illumined understanding of the subtleties," said Siddiq.
Amina stressed that even coming from different belief systems wouldn't block people from getting into Sufism. "There are many hearts receiving many lessons," she said. "I use the example of stained glass. We see the different colors, but you know the light behind them is One."
In a situation faced by anyone professing Islam these days, she was confronted by a man in front row center who wanted an answer about Muslim terrorists and "how did the teaching get so turned around?"
Amina responded: "I perceive that religion can serve practically any purpose for a limited agenda. Any religions are used in a power play. It is the most superficial use of religion.
"Islam is a religion rooted in absolute mercy. The teaching of Islam is, respond to violence with peace," she told the small audience.
Sufi meditative practice is not a solitary mountaintop experience, Amina told them. "The human race was made to be a spiritual community. As they share their relationship with God, there is an alchemy that goes on."
The Honolulu branch holds a weekly prayer ceremony at 7:30 p.m. Thursdays at its center, 1224 Punahou St. Seekers are welcome.
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Mary Adamski covers religion for the Star-Bulletin.
Email her at madamski@starbulletin.com.
