An Invitation

Sufism and science are striving for the same destination. Science wants to know: How did the universe come into being and what is its nature? Is there any Creator? What is He like? Where is He? How is He related to the universe? How is He related to man? Is it possible for man to approach Him? Sufism has found the answers and invites the scientists to come and have that knowledge.

Islamic Sufism is many centuries ahead of modern science. This can be born out by the fact, among numerous others, that Umar the second Caliph of the Prophet, while addressing a Friday congregation in Madina, shouted, "Ya Sariah-al-Jabal." (O Sariah capture the hill!) The army commander, Sariah, fighting a battle at Nihawand in Iran heard his voice, captured the hill and won the battle. This shows Umar could see the situation at several thousand miles away and make his voice heard by the army commander without the aid of telephone or wireless which were not known in those days.

But man is a limited being. His position in the universe is infinitesimally small. The astronomers tell us the farthest star of our solar system, known as Millets, is at the distance of several thousand light years from the earth. (The speed of the light is one hundred and eighty six thousand miles per second, and a light year is the distance covered by light in one year's travel). They also tell us that there are millions of suns and solar systems like ours in the universe. Now what is the position of our planet in this vast universe? It cannot be more than a speck. What can the position of man be in this speck? Not even a dot or drop in the ocean! Now this dot or drop is out to explore and unearth the realities secrets and wonders of the universe. Not only that, he is out to know its Creator as well! Can that be possible?

Yes, it is possible only if he is prepared to utilise the spark of light in himself, which when set ablaze, works like a spaceship which carries him far beyond the limits of time and space into the blissful domains of Divine Proximity, Divine Presence and Divine Union. Here man is endowed with Divine Attributes of power and knowledge, knows the secrets of Creation and is able to see the whole universe as a speck lying before him. Not only that, he is made to visit the eighteen thousand subtle unseen worlds which the great Sufis of Islam give tidings of in their accounts of Sair-fi-Allah (Journey in God), Sair-bi-Allah (Journey by God) and Sair-ma-Allah (Journey with God). Science, therefore, would do well to seek the assistance of Sufism to fathom the otherwise unfathomable depths of Divine Secrets and secrets of Creation.