Hazrat Mir Muhammad Ismail (ra) — Page 38
38 Nothing explains true Islamic Mysticism ( Taṣawwuf ) better than this amazing couplet of the Messiah as. Through the ages, Ṣūfī s , scholars and writers, have attempted to define and explain Taṣawwuf , but such an eloquent and succinct definitio n of " Taṣawwuf " is seldom to be found. The soul and spirit of all concepts in Islam is "Allah" - the one true God - and the prime objective, in the life of a Ṣūfī is to attain the nearness of God, to gain an insight into His attributes and to establish a bond with Him. A Ṣūfī , thus, is focused more on the spirit of Religion than on its outward form. It would be incorrect to assume that the Ṣūfī does not indulge in the study of Religion, even more incorrect to assume that the Ṣūfī is not mindful of God's c ommandments, and it would be atrocious to suggest that a Ṣūfī is somehow deficient in practice and deed. These are misconceptions that have found their way into the religious thinking of Muslims, and they certainly need to be addressed. The true Ṣūfī , not only has deep insight into Religion, but also displays a conduct that matches his insight. His thoughts and deeds stand out because they perpetually orbit the Love of God, and it is this state of his that distinguishes him as a Ṣūfī. Ḥaḍrat Mir Muhammad Is mail says in a poem of his: Better than any quantum of knowledge or deed Is t he single teardrop of love, shed by the adorer's eye - [ Bukhār - e - Dil ] The expression Masih , the Arabic for "Messiah", is derived from masa h a , which signifies, to touch or anoint.