Hazrat Mir Muhammad Ismail (ra) — Page 37
37 attitudes. As already stated, in the terminology of Islamic Mysticism, a mystic or someone who treads the path of Taṣawwuf is known as a Ṣūfī. All schoo ls of Taṣawwuf in Islam agree on one fundamental principle, which is that " Taṣawwuf " is primarily an attitude, in which the "Love of God" is what dominates the believer's devotion and deeds. The Ṣūfī 's concepts, attitude, worship and actions, all , are over shadowed by his love for God. If viewed from this particular vantage point, the greatest Ṣūfī of any given era would, undoubtedly, be the prophet of that age. Unfortunately, with the passage of time, just as other aspects of Religion suffered decline, so did Taṣawwuf. And just as all other aspects of Religion needed revival and reform, so did Taṣawwuf. It was to this end, that God had sent Ahmad as the Messiah. The true celestial spirit of Islamic Mysticism was revived along with all other elements of the R eligion of Islam. The Messianic aura of the Messiah rekindled the love of God in the hearts of his Companions, and those among them, who were naturally inclined towards Taṣawwuf , were as though, lifted to new heights. A new brand of true Ṣūfī s had surfaced , who took upon themselves the task of tread ing the path of L ove - the love of God. The disciple learns from his mentor, and the Companions learned the secrets of Mysticism too, from the Promised Messiah as. The Promised Messiah as says in a poem of his: " N o route to God, is shorter than the route of love This path has led seekers across many a thorny vale " - [ Durr - e - Thamīn ]