What is God? A Sufi Perspective
In this installment of the the Spiritual Roundtable Bobbie Harlow Combe, a writer and Prineville resident shares what Allah means to her.
Introduction by Cole Goodwin
Welcome to the The Spiritual Roundtable, an interfaith roundtable featuring a diverse range of spiritual belief systems in the Gorge Community.
Each week, spiritual leaders and learners will share their take on some of humanity's biggest questions, starting with: What does your spirituality mean to you? And ramping up into discussions about the nature of existence, the soul, the divine, and of course…a question as old as time itself: why are we here?
Roundtable writings will be published each Saturday and Sunday morning of the month.
Now take a deep breath… Meditate for a moment…And when you’re ready…keep reading to explore one of the many diverse faiths, belief systems, and philosophies that exist in our communities.
This Month's Question: What is God (collective consciousness, deities, the divine, the beloved, the source, the sacred, the mother, the father, the world, the one power)? How can we have a relationship with this power? What does this power want/need/desire?
Why this question was chosen: This question asks us to examine the basic principles and values that guide our Spirituality and expand our understanding of the many paths one can walk to live a Spiritual life.
About Bobbie Harlow Combe
This past March, I moved with my husband from Tygh Valley, OR to take up residence in Prineville, OR. Most of my 72 years I’ve been on a spiritual journey beginning as a child, attending churches throughout my youth and adult life, that eventually led to the Shadhiliyya Sufi path in 2001. What is Sufism? Sufism is a spiritual teaching that leads to Oneness or Unity with God’s Presence. The meaning of the word Sufism is “to purify one’s heart”.
A Sufi Perspective
by Bobbie Harlow Combe
Allah, the One Mighty All-encompassing Love, is neither masculine nor feminine. As much as It has a divine masculine side, so It has an awe-inspiring feminine aspect. The references for this article often refer to Allah as He. Out of integrity and respect I have preserved the masculine in the quoted references.
What is God? How does one answer this question when Its vastness is all encompassing, incomprehensible, with no beginning or ending, having no constraints by time or space, an unfathomable mystery? I approach this question from my experience of walking the path of Sufi Mysticism.
The second chapter of the Quran, Sura al-Baqarah, Ayat al-Kursi, verses 238-255, offers a description of Allah.
Allah—there is no deity save Him, the Ever-Living, the Self-Subsistent Fount of All Being. Neither slumber overtakes Him, nor sleep. He is all that is in the heavens and all that is on earth. Who is there that could intercede with Him, unless it be by His leave? He knows all that lies open before men and all that is hidden from them, whereas they cannot attain aught of His knowledge save that which He wills [them to attain.] His eternal power overspreads the heavens and the earth and their upholding wearies Him not. And he alone is truly exalted, tremendous.
The ancient, sacred Arabic name Allah corresponds to the name God. The name Allah opens a doorway into the Divine Reality of the One and the experience of “what is God.”
The best way for me to know Allah is to experience what occurs within my heart when reciting this holy Name while focusing on my spiritual heart (this practice is called Remembrance).
(Remembrance can also be done with any sacred name for God, including the name God. Names such as the Aramaic name Alaha, used by Jesus, Yaweh, Elohim, Om, and others. The “ah” sound resonates in the heart area and helps to open the heart.)
The sounds that make up the name Allah carry light, vibration and tone that radiate serenity, sublimity, and mystery while transmitting Qualities of Oneness and Unity to my heart.
I may also choose to refer to Allah as the One, the Source, the Divine. Over time, referring to Allah as the Beloved came naturally.
What does Allah want? Allah wants to be known.
My Sufi guide Sidi wrote in Music of the Soul, “As Allah has said, ‘I was a hidden treasure that desired to be known. So I manifested all the creation to reveal the essence of the deep secret knowing of Myself. He who I created to reveal the treasure carries within himself this treasure, but he must explode the mountain of his existence to discover the treasure which is hidden within.’”
This treasure within my deep heart is the Divine Essence which includes the Divine Qualities of Allah. In “exploding the mountain of our existence”, that is, letting go of my beliefs, worldly attachments, egoic identity, I may discover this treasure.
How can I have a relationship with this One Mighty All-Encompassing Love”?
Allah’s Prophets of the Abrahamic tradition and other spiritual saints and guides have laid out signposts, directions, and guidance to show the way to experiencing, embracing, and embodying this Divine Essence. Love and longing for the One grows stronger over time through my spiritual practices. In this process, my human attributes are transformed by Allah into the Divine’s Qualities, whereby I come to know my true self and know Allah, for there is only One Essence. A Sufi saying is “To know yourself is to know your Lord”.”
This journey also includes my relationship with others, with all creation. “In relationship to others, God says, ‘Be My reflection in everything that you do. I have given you Myself and you can see Me in every human being. Give anyone love and mercy, if that is what he wants, and know you are giving it to Me.’ When you find the love, you find yourself. The secret of God is in the love.”
How do I sustain this relationship with the Divine while maintaining my practice of Remembrance along with other spiritual practices? For me it is a matter of continually returning my attention to the One and turning away from the distractions of this world. (Similarly Jesus said, quoting 1 John 2:15, “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world.”)
The word for heart in Arabic is qalb, or compass, that is either pointed toward the world or toward the One. A Compassionate way has been provided for me to turn back my heart and attention to the One.
To return, I first need to catch myself when my attention has been drawn in by the many forms of worldly distraction. With love and compassion I acknowledge what I am experiencing. Next, if possible, I allow myself to feel the sadness that comes with experiencing separation from the Divine. I allow my longing and prayer to restore my connection. Sometimes I am immediately in touch with my regret for turning away, and my heart’s longing to return. At other times it takes reciting, silently or out loud, the Divine Qualities that transmit Love, Forgiveness and Mercy.
Some Forgiveness Qualities in Arabic have a form of the root that means “a substance bees make that the Arabs used to fill in the cracks of a dried-out, old leather water skin, so that it no longer leaks.” As my heart softens with the recitation of these Qualities, it can hold the Light and Love that brings me back over and over into the Presence of my Beloved. This experience is inevitably accompanied by immense Gratitude and Peace. It is from this place I continue my journey.
Through uncovering and realizing the Divine Qualities, my relationship with the Divine develops. “Neither My heavens nor My earth can contain Me. Only the heart of My faithful servant contains Me.” reads Physicians of the Heart, A Sufi View of the Ninety-Nine Names of Allah.
There are an infinite number of Divine Qualities, addressing every circumstance and need. In my Sufi tradition we work with ninety-nine. I recite these Qualities as part of my Remembrance practice.
To increase my knowledge of the Divine, I find it important to hear the Divine’s voice, to witness the Divine in all, and to receive Divine Guidance. To help me with this, I have found it essential for me to recite and seek understanding of the Divine Qualities As-Sami’ – The One who hears, the All-Hearing, the Listener; Al-Basir – The All-Seeing, the One who sees everything; and Al-Alim – The Omniscient, the absolute Owner of wisdom.
Another beautiful name is Al-Waliy, The Protective Friend, the close One. “Allah is the intimate friend of those human beings who live in surrender to Him.” said Rosina-Fawzia Al-Rawi, in Divine Names The 99 Healing Names of the One Love. To know Allah, that is the objective of this Journey of Love.
““And when the journey to God comes to an end, comes the beginning of the infinite journey in God.”
”
Shadhiliyya Sufi Resources:
Institute of Spiritual Healing: https://instituteofspiritualhealing.com/what-is-sufism/
University of Sufism, https://sufiuniversity.org/
Shadhiliyya Sufi Communities, https://suficommunities.org/
PNW Sufi Newsletter: To subscribe, email Bobbie at bjharlowcombe@gmail.com
Want to contribute to the Spiritual Roundtable? Read this first.
The Roundtable Mission and Vision
The goal of these roundtable writings is to:
Bring the spiritual community together.
Share ideas that elevate the human spirit.
Elevate the conversation around the spirit.
Embrace what is universal to all, while honoring what is special about each spirituality.
Center inclusivity and equity.
Promote our collective enlightenment.
Nurture civility and friendship between those with diverse belief systems in the Gorge.
Engage readers and spiritual seekers.
The Spiritual Roundtable IS NOT…
This is not a place for arguing about dogma.
This is not a place for ‘hating on’ or putting other belief systems down.
This is not a place for excluding, discriminating, or promoting fear or violence towards other people based on their race, color, ethnicity, beliefs, faith, gender, sexuality, ability.
This is not a place for hatred.
This is not a place for fear.
The Spiritual Roundtable IS..
This IS a place for hope.
This IS a place for joy.
This IS a place for comfort.
This IS a place for big questions.
This IS a place for learning.
This IS a place for sharing.
This IS a place for caring.
This IS a place for sharing what is special about your beliefs.
CCC News reserves the right to not publish any content that breaks with our mission, vision and values.
If you are interested in being included in the roundtable please email cole@columbiacommunityconnection.com
How does your Spirituality impact others? A Sufi Perspective
In this installment of the the Spiritual Roundtable Bobbie Harlow Combe, a writer and Prineville resident shares how practicing Sufiism can impact those around you.
Introduction by Cole Goodwin
Welcome to the The Spiritual Roundtable, an interfaith roundtable featuring a diverse range of spiritual belief systems in the Gorge Community.
Each week, spiritual leaders and learners will share their take on some of humanity's biggest questions, starting with: What does your spirituality mean to you? And ramping up into discussions about the nature of existence, the soul, the divine, and of course…a question as old as time itself: why are we here?
Roundtable writings will be published each Saturday and Sunday morning of the month.
Now take a deep breath… Meditate for a moment…And when you’re ready…keep reading to explore one of the many diverse faiths, belief systems, and philosophies that exist in our communities.
This Month's Question: How does your spirituality impact those around you? How does your spirituality encourage healthy relationships with other people, animals, and the earth? What is love? How can we be more loving?
Why this question was chosen: This question asks us to examine the basic principles and values that guide our Spirituality and expand our understanding of the many paths one can walk to live a Spiritual life.
About Bobbie Harlow Combe
This past March, I moved with my husband from Tygh Valley, OR to take up residence in Prineville, OR. Most of my 72 years I’ve been on a spiritual journey beginning as a child, attending churches throughout my youth and adult life, that eventually led to the Shadhiliyya Sufi path in 2001. What is Sufism? Sufism is a spiritual teaching that leads to Oneness or Unity with God’s Presence. The meaning of the word Sufism is “to purify one’s heart”.
A Sufi Perspective
by Bobbie Harlow Combe
Bismi’llah ir-rahman ir-rahim
In the Name of Allah, the Merciful, the Compassionate
SUFISM, A JOURNEY OF LOVE
Guide Sidi wrote—
“Stand inside the doorway of love all the time. Do not go left and right, or to any side. Know that you are not lost if you remember the name of God all the time, inside or outside.”
“The heart must be very clean for Allah’s love. You cannot reach the secret of the love if you do not change every quality to be like the qualities of your Beloved.”
“Love everything because when you love all things, you are loving God.”
(Note: This is the third of three articles written on Sufism.)
Sufism is a journey of Love, a love affair with the Beloved, Allah. A yearning for this Love of the Beloved
leads to Oneness or Unity with God’s Presence. The transformation along the way is far reaching and priceless.
My husband is also on the Sufi Path. I came to our marriage, second for both of us, aware of my lifelong strategy of being “nice” to feel safe. I had not yet experienced a breakthrough that would allow me to be in touch with what was true for me, much less be able to speak it. In response to my niceness and accompanying inauthenticity, my husband’s not-so-nice behaviors began to show up, leading to declining self-esteem, lack of trust, and unhappiness for us both in our marriage.
I thought about leaving the marriage, but when I went to my heart with the idea, there was no Light. It is a Sufi practice to go to one’s heart seeking Divine Guidance. For me, an experience of increased Light and a sensation of heart expansion is a yes, decreased Light and contraction is a no, both often accompanied by an insight. Guidance was clear, this was my chance to work through this old issue within the marriage.
In Sufism, the world is a mirror for me to see myself more clearly, if willing. I began to see that my inauthentic “nice” behaviors were a big part of what was going on in my marriage as well as in my other relationships. I continued the practice of Remembrance, turning to the Divine for support by reciting the Divine Name, Allah (One Mighty All-Encompassing Love), and the Divine Qualities of Mercy and Compassion into my spiritual heart and into places where I felt emotional pain. Relief and guidance consistently came time and again.
My husband and I continued our varied Sufi practices supported by therapy. We also relied upon a mutual practice we came to call “holding feet” that guides us in our relationship. When a need arises to communicate with each other regarding something significant, we sit on the opposite ends of the couch with our feet in each other’s lap while looking into each other’s eyes. We say the Fatiha, The Opener, followed by a prayer, allowing our hearts to connect and create a container of love, trust, and safety. We then express our question, concern or request followed by each of us going to our heart seeking and waiting for Divine Guidance and sharing what we receive. This process can go several rounds.
Several months of intense emotional discomfort went by. Then, unexpectedly, I found myself for the first time in my life blurting out my truth with clarity during our communications and standing firm in my Divine guidance. My delivery wasn’t perfect and continued to improve. We kept “walking” in the Sufi way, our love and trust deepening. As I changed, so did he. Our relationship blossomed and continues to do so.
Finding my voice along with self-acceptance and love also had a positive effect on the relationships with my three children. Over time, as I became less defensive and reactive, mutual trust developed. I became a better listener, letting go of my agenda and communicating with greater authenticity. I reflect to them the Divine Qualities I experience inside myself (as I am a mirror for them as they are for me). Today, I feel immense gratitude for the quality relationships I have with my children and the resource I have become for them. They have taken up some of the Sufi practices for themselves.
The impact my Sufi practices have on others, even strangers, amazes me. Several years ago we were traveling by bus in Turkey. A handsome young man sat across the aisle from us and although we did not speak Turkish and he spoke only a little English, my husband moved across the aisle and struck up a conversation with him. As it was difficult to follow their conversation, I pulled out and started to read a paperback novel I had with me, Snow by Orpha Pumak. Little did I know this was a highly controversial book in Turkey. The young man noticed what I was reading. Refusing to look at me he turned to my husband emphatically requesting that he tell me to stop reading the book because it was a bad influence. Overhearing the commotion, I paused, looked at them, and began to seethe with anger. I was already struggling with the cultural differences I was encountering on our trip.
That evening I said to my husband that I was not coming to bed until I found peace in my heart. I sat in Remembrance into the night. At some point I experienced my heart opening and filling with compassion for this young man and the ways his culture had formed him and his behaviors. Likewise, I found compassion for myself and my reactions. I sat in this space overflowing with compassion until I was overcome with a deep sense of peace. The remainder of my trip was amazing. A shopkeeper came out of his shop to give me a gift. An Imam (a leader in a Muslim community) gave me a set of prayer beads from Mecca. Women in the mosque surrounded me with smiling faces, lovingly assisting me with my scarf. Inn keepers were gracious and connecting, referring us to relatives at our next place of stay. It became a magical trip.
These types of transformative occurrences are not uncommon. I’ve had them with my sister, friends, and strangers in many situations. Transformation is not limited to human relationships. On this journey of love, I find it easy to fall into communion with the many aspects of our physical world, experiencing the Oneness of All.
La ilaha illa’llah, there is no deity except the One Mighty All-Encompassing Love.
“Your task is not to seek for love,
but merely to seek and find
all the barriers within yourself
that you have built against it.”
― Rumi
Shadhiliyya Sufi Resources:
Institute of Spiritual Healing: https://instituteofspiritualhealing.com/what-is-sufism/
University of Sufism, https://sufiuniversity.org/
Shadhiliyya Sufi Communities, https://suficommunities.org/
PNW Sufi Newsletter: To subscribe, email Bobbie at bjharlowcombe@gmail.com
Want to contribute to the Spiritual Roundtable? Read this first.
The Roundtable Mission and Vision
The goal of these roundtable writings is to:
Bring the spiritual community together.
Share ideas that elevate the human spirit.
Elevate the conversation around the spirit.
Embrace what is universal to all, while honoring what is special about each spirituality.
Center inclusivity and equity.
Promote our collective enlightenment.
Nurture civility and friendship between those with diverse belief systems in the Gorge.
Engage readers and spiritual seekers.
The Spiritual Roundtable IS NOT…
This is not a place for arguing about dogma.
This is not a place for ‘hating on’ or putting other belief systems down.
This is not a place for excluding, discriminating, or promoting fear or violence towards other people based on their race, color, ethnicity, beliefs, faith, gender, sexuality, ability.
This is not a place for hatred.
This is not a place for fear.
The Spiritual Roundtable IS..
This IS a place for hope.
This IS a place for joy.
This IS a place for comfort.
This IS a place for big questions.
This IS a place for learning.
This IS a place for sharing.
This IS a place for caring.
This IS a place for sharing what is special about your beliefs.
CCC News reserves the right to not publish any content that breaks with our mission, vision and values.
If you are interested in being included in the roundtable please email cole@columbiacommunityconnection.com
How do you Practice your Spirituality? A Sufi Perspective
In this installment of the the Spiritual Roundtable Bobbie Harlow Combe, a writer and Prineville resident shares the core tenants of Sufisism and how she practices her Spirituality.
Introduction by Cole Goodwin
Welcome to the The Spiritual Roundtable, an interfaith roundtable featuring a diverse range of spiritual belief systems in the Gorge Community.
Each week, spiritual leaders and learners will share their take on some of humanity's biggest questions, starting with: What does your spirituality mean to you? And ramping up into discussions about the nature of existence, the soul, the divine, and of course…a question as old as time itself: why are we here?
Roundtable writings will be published each Saturday and Sunday morning of the month.
Now take a deep breath… Meditate for a moment…And when you’re ready…keep reading to explore one of the many diverse faiths, belief systems, and philosophies that exist in our communities.
This Month's Question: What is your belief systems basic belief structure? What are some of the major celebrations or rites of passage? What are some of the core beliefs and major practices?
Why this question was chosen: This question asks us to examine the basic principles and values that guide our Spirituality and expand our understanding of the many paths one can walk to live a Spiritual life.
About Bobbie Harlow Combe
This past March, I moved with my husband from Tygh Valley, OR to take up residence in Prineville, OR. Most of my 72 years I’ve been on a spiritual journey beginning as a child, attending churches throughout my youth and adult life, that eventually led to the Shadhiliyya Sufi path in 2001. What is Sufism? Sufism is a spiritual teaching that leads to Oneness or Unity with God’s Presence. The meaning of the word Sufism is “to purify one’s heart”.
A Sufi Perspective
by Bobbie Harlow Combe
Bismi’llah ir-rahman ir-rahim
In the Name of Allah, the Merciful, the Compassionate
For some, Sufism may evoke the image of whirling dervishes or remembrance of beautiful verse from well-known Sufi poets such as Rumi and Hafiz. I may have read a Rumi poem, but I had no idea about Sufism when I came upon it twenty years ago.
In America there are at least 17 Sufi orders and hundreds worldwide, attracting people from all walks of life. Each order has its own distinct practices depending on its lineage, geographical and cultural roots, guides, and teachers. Most orders have at least one Sufi guide, one who has traveled far along the path, who’s role is to spiritually guide and verbally instruct the disciple on the Sufi path. I am privileged to have as my Sufi guide Shaykh Muhammad Sa’id al-Jamal ar-Rifa’I, affectionately called Sidi.
In 2001, I unexpectedly crossed paths with my soon-to-be Sufi guide. He beckoned me without a word, revealed to me a glimpse of where I would be heading, opened the door and I entered. Little did I know what I would be asked to give up.
Surrender is an oft heard word in Sufism. As a follower of Sufism, in my journey towards the One, I am asked to surrender everything. Surrender is a process of emptying myself of beliefs, identity, memories, concerns, emotions, thoughts, …; completely trusting in the One. Surrender is to bring acceptance and love, over and over, to whatever arises in my consciousness from moment to moment, acknowledging it is from the One and returns to the One, thus setting me free.
“The word Sufism means to purify one’s heart” with “the goal of living closely with God and to live in the eternal experience of this Oneness … Sufism is a spiritual teaching that leads to Oneness or Unity with God’s Presence” says the Institute of Spiritual Healing.
Rosina-Fawzia al-Rawi writes “The core of Sufism is to allow us human beings to discover the Divine that we carry in our heart and take us to that which is sacred, thus transforming the world of manifestations into a place filled with the living experience of the Divine.”
I was immediately attracted to Sufism’s basic tenant that there is no deity but the ONE; no one, no thing exists outside of the One. I was familiar with the expression “we are all connected”, but I did not understand its deeper meaning until I entered this path: Every person and thing are from the Divine Essence of the One All-Encompassing Love -- everything is sacred, holy, and connected.
Sufism is a form of Islamic mysticism, yet it transcends religion. “There are as many paths to God as there are people,” is a well-known Sufi saying. My beloved guide Sidi wrote, “When you find the love, you find yourself. The secret is in the love. You are the love, not another. Everything is in the love, and everyone needs the love…this love knows no differences. If the Muslims, Jews, Christians, and the people of any other religion, knew their religion well, there would only be one religion, the religion of love, and peace and mercy.”
Sufism’s roots go back to and beyond the Prophet Abraham of the Bible. The belief is that Prophets were sent to humanity by God to turn the peoples’ hearts back toward the One, including the last Prophet, Muhammad. Sufism also acknowledges Jesus as a Prophet of God, that he was born of a virgin as recorded in the holy Quran. My relationship with both Jesus and the Prophet Muhammad, may God’s peace and blessings be upon them, continues to become richer and more meaningful.
My Sufi path is with the Shadhiliyya Sufi world-wide order. It is an order that places emphasis on “spiritual healing”. (Sufi whirling is not one of our practices.) It was the spiritual healing that attracted me to a workshop where ancient Sufi healing practices were taught.
I follow a well-worn Sufi path that has been preserved for centuries. Along this path are guideposts, the four “Stations of the Way” representing the four layers of the heart: Ego/Personality, Heart, Soul, and Secret. Within each layer are seven stations. Each station contains guidance and instructions for clearing the coverings over the heart that keep me in separation from All, the One.
Purifying the heart has many healing benefits. It is not a replacement for medical healing. This purification, or washing of the heart, involves a practice called Remembrance, reaching out to Divine support and guidance, surrendering to the Love, Compassion, and Wisdom of the One Love.
In application, Remembrance can be reciting the Name of the One and Names of the Divine Qualities (e.g., Love, Mercy, Strength, Protection), silently or out loud, with focus on one’s spiritual heart. I recite these names in Arabic, which is one of the sacred languages that carry specific qualities of tone, vibration and divine light. I allow my heart to be “washed” of meanings, beliefs, and experiences that can create doubt, confusion, sadness, pain, . . . This recitation also reveals the beautiful Divine Qualities I carry within.
Sidi wrote, “When anyone wants to live with God, he must wash with the holy water of truth. Each time he washes, he returns himself to be his real self, but he must open his heart and his ear, to be washed in the water that takes him from this earth and this body to the world of the soul and the heart of God—to the light.”
I am humbled by this effort to communicate some knowledge of Sufism in a few words. May I receive forgiveness for any errors. I am also honored by this privilege and acknowledge that only the surface has been scratched.
“And when the journey to God comes to an end, comes the beginning of the infinite journey in God.” -Igbal
Want to contribute to the Spiritual Roundtable? Read this first.
The Roundtable Mission and Vision
The goal of these roundtable writings is to:
Bring the spiritual community together.
Share ideas that elevate the human spirit.
Elevate the conversation around the spirit.
Embrace what is universal to all, while honoring what is special about each spirituality.
Center inclusivity and equity.
Promote our collective enlightenment.
Nurture civility and friendship between those with diverse belief systems in the Gorge.
Engage readers and spiritual seekers.
The Spiritual Roundtable IS NOT…
This is not a place for arguing about dogma.
This is not a place for ‘hating on’ or putting other belief systems down.
This is not a place for excluding, discriminating, or promoting fear or violence towards other people based on their race, color, ethnicity, beliefs, faith, gender, sexuality, ability.
This is not a place for hatred.
This is not a place for fear.
The Spiritual Roundtable IS..
This IS a place for hope.
This IS a place for joy.
This IS a place for comfort.
This IS a place for big questions.
This IS a place for learning.
This IS a place for sharing.
This IS a place for caring.
This IS a place for sharing what is special about your beliefs.
CCC News reserves the right to not publish any content that breaks with our mission, vision and values.
If you are interested in being included in the roundtable please email cole@columbiacommunityconnection.com
