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The Search for Truth: The Life &Teaching Methods of the Indian Sufi Shaykh Maulvi Muhammad Saeed Khan
Providing insight into life and teachings of Hazrat Maulvi Mohammed Sa'id Khan, this chronicle supplements a selection of his instructions, letters, and discourses with explanatory and contextual writings from the author—Khan's student of more than 30 years. Presented as a tribute to Khan’s life, this journal also acts as a treatise on the teaching and practice of Sufism by the Shayks and an explanation of their methodology.
- GenresIndia
176 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2010
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December 29, 2017
This book is tribute to the life of Hazrat Muhammad Sa’id Khan - a Sufi teacher of the Naqshbandiyya-Mujadidiyya order - that includes his biography as well a selection of his teachings, writings and personal correspondence. Hazrat was an important sage whose teachings spread from India throughout the world and continue to be propagated today by the institute that he founded.
It was interesting to me to read of his intellectual origins; before becoming a Sufi he was a student of Western philosophy and was deeply knowledgeable about the foundations of contemporary ideologies. He even aspired at one time to become a journalist, before becoming disillusioned with that field as an avenue to finding genuine truths. His account of the materialist beliefs of most of his generation in India reminded me of Muhammad Asad’s reflections on growing up in Vienna, which was surprising to me but also made his later commitment to Sufism more impressive.
Much of the book deals with familiar subjects of Sufi literature like annihilation of the egoic self and shattering the veils of illusion that prevent perception of the divine reality. There is also a prolonged explanation of the different subtle centers of consciousness and their meanings and positions. It was interesting to note how high a value that he placed on constructively synthesizing materialist and spiritual values. He hoped that it would be the young generation that would be able to reconcile these two perspectives on the world for the benefit of humanity as a whole.
Hazrat died in 2006, after a lifetime of service spreading the spiritual values of Islam and founding an institute that continues to function around the world for this purpose. It would be hard to capture in a short review a single part of his writing that is most valuable. But I found the following passage about the importance of moral guidance to be memorable:
“An individual’s unformed morals and instincts need to be woven into an integrated personality. This personality needs to be engaged in the service of higher human values and taken to the exalted status of a moral personality. Probably the most precious pearl in the treasures of the universe is a moral human beings. Even the angels are envious of such a being. The Creator of the Universe takes pride in this marvel.”
It was interesting to me to read of his intellectual origins; before becoming a Sufi he was a student of Western philosophy and was deeply knowledgeable about the foundations of contemporary ideologies. He even aspired at one time to become a journalist, before becoming disillusioned with that field as an avenue to finding genuine truths. His account of the materialist beliefs of most of his generation in India reminded me of Muhammad Asad’s reflections on growing up in Vienna, which was surprising to me but also made his later commitment to Sufism more impressive.
Much of the book deals with familiar subjects of Sufi literature like annihilation of the egoic self and shattering the veils of illusion that prevent perception of the divine reality. There is also a prolonged explanation of the different subtle centers of consciousness and their meanings and positions. It was interesting to note how high a value that he placed on constructively synthesizing materialist and spiritual values. He hoped that it would be the young generation that would be able to reconcile these two perspectives on the world for the benefit of humanity as a whole.
Hazrat died in 2006, after a lifetime of service spreading the spiritual values of Islam and founding an institute that continues to function around the world for this purpose. It would be hard to capture in a short review a single part of his writing that is most valuable. But I found the following passage about the importance of moral guidance to be memorable:
“An individual’s unformed morals and instincts need to be woven into an integrated personality. This personality needs to be engaged in the service of higher human values and taken to the exalted status of a moral personality. Probably the most precious pearl in the treasures of the universe is a moral human beings. Even the angels are envious of such a being. The Creator of the Universe takes pride in this marvel.”
Displaying 1 of 1 review