AMONG THE DERVISHES
Author: Rashid Shaz
Gone are the days when we used to dis- cern the angle from the Qutb (pole) to the ecliptic of the sun. Back then, we felt in control with each revolution of night and day. Now, we find ourselves ensnared by Qutb and Abdal (saints and sages), subject to the relentless march of time. Spiritualists have so capti- vated our exploratory minds that we turned away from the Quran’s call to discovery, instead embracing mukashifah (spiritual unveiling) and mujahidah (earnest striving) as our pursuits. Under the guise of religion, a per- sistent illusion has pursued us. Consequently, we have failed to sustain our prominence among the nations in the real world.
A Until the average Muslim realizes that the prevalent mani- festations of religious life, the customs of swearing fealty to spiritualists, and their purported miracles are not Islam but rather robust arrangements against it; until there is a collective rest- lessness for the reclamation of Prophet Muhammad’s mes- sage, how can we set the stage for a new dawn?