“Awal Akher aap nu janah, main naa dujah hoow puchanah”
I am starting, I am ending, I dont recogornized another one.
These sufi talk about ultimate by themselves. Some times I feel, these sufis are just rebelion of Orthodox.
Sufi comes from the word suf. Means vail, hiding something. I think it is some kind of adoption of pre islamic religions under the vail.
According to my understanding, Sufisim and spiritualism is two different things. And here I am going to share my own understanding of sufisim without mixing with spiritualism.
The sufi order follow four stages. The terms also used in Islam shiraya law. They did not belongs to shira law. The words are copied from Arabic language that reason feel that these are Islamic term. I dont know any one who covers these four stages. Let me explain, possible you did not agree about these things.
First one is Sharia. Kindly dont confuse with Islamic sharia law. Here Sharia means, the rules, written rules, either made by guru, Peer or any previous sufi. Whom, you are following. Every sufi school of thought have some rule. I dont know either these are written or not, but these rules exist. If you join any sect, You have to fully follow them.
Then comes second stage. when we strictly follow or obey rules. After practicing, we found some experiences, mind start to asking questions. Is there any other way, Can we do things differently, These results can be achieve little better way. At that time sufi starts to change rules. he start to deviate from sharia or instruction left by seniors. That stage called Tariqa. means way. My own way. Its is rebellious stage.
Then comes third stage. Haqiqa. When we start to follow our own way, our experiences shares insights, why those rules were made by seniors, which we had follow in first step. What are the reasons behind them. What were experience seniors had. That is called reality. Also at that time sufi also start to realized that what he learned from his own tariqa, his own way. What are the results.
When sufi covers this stage, when he realized the limitation of laws written by elders, and what is out come he got from his own experiences. He start to make some conclusion, mixture of laws written by his elders and his own experience. That stage called marifat. Marifat meaning is understanding.
Very interestingly when sufi is at Marifat stage. He started to make written law. That his own Disciples started to follow.
These are stages, which any sufi have to pass through. Who covers the whole four. I think most of stopped at tariqat.
With my own understanding, There is many ways, other than what we are following. He can only follow any one. But all path leads to same truth. Its not our right to say wrong to others paths. We have to just focus on our own path.