Growing popularity of Sufism in Iran

Growing popularity of Sufism in Iran

Roxana Saberi
BBC News Tehran

The lights are dimmed in a home in northern Tehran. The men, women and teenagers gathered in the large living room close their eyes and rock back and forth to the beat of live music.

As the tambourine and drums beat louder and faster, some members of the group climb to their feet. They begin to swirl slowly in circles and raise their hands to the ceiling. A few fall into trances.

"You can somehow touch relaxation," says 22-year-old Mahsa, who believes that music and dance can provide a direct route to Allah.

"It's a very good sensation, and you think your soul is flying, that somehow you're not in your body."

These Iranians consider themselves Shia Muslims, as do most Iranians, and look to the first Shia Imam, Ali, as a spiritual guide.

But they also call themselves Sufis.

Sufis believe that at the core of all religions lies the same truth and that God is the only reality behind all forms of existence.

Continue to read:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4907406.stm

 

word to that

 

Yea....I think taking Shrooms would do the job better...

Just my $.02

 

Taking shrooms may be one way, not better. At least sufism requires some mental discipline and practice. Not that easy is bad, but easy is less rewarding.

 

well if they wanted to change religion out of islam they would be killed , to me being a sufi isnt that much better than being a shia muslim .

 

well sufi's do drugs i.e. smoke weed, do shrooms, etc. Basically everything a normal american citizen does but just with an islamic mind state.

 

No they don't!
Not all of em...
Sufism is not one thing,
there's persian and shamanic sufi orders, and ones that follow khan or rumi,
there's sufi that can still be a 'good' muslim too...
Drugs is not something the sufi do...
it is used to get closer to god in some sufi orders,
but others actually don't want anything to do with it...

 

well from what ive heard they do, my point was basically that they're still muslims enjoying the finer things in life and by not having dogma's placed upon them, which would be no marijuana, psycolibin, etc they are more free to get closer to the god. Notice how in the original post they refer to themselves as "Shia Muslims" and also Sufi's. being the larger concentrated group, Shia being the better sect IMO.
I'm pretty sure they don't drink alcohol though.

 

I believe I've seen another aspect of sufism. The state that the sufis put themselves into enables them to stab things through/into their bodies with minimal or no blood loss at all.

Sufis, I believe they were.

 

i studied sufism and have lived in a sufi community.
we walked on hot coals with no drugs.
thats as far as we go, cuz we are against 'showing off'.
so it's not what i've heard it's what i've been through.
i know some do use weed at certain rituals, but are not allowed smoking it 24/7 for fun.
though alot of orders are against smoking, because:
'why do you need weed to get closer to god in a certain ritual, while all the other days you can get just as close to god without?'
sufism is often put in a bad spot by other religions because they here the stories about drugs etc, while that are just a few sufi orders doing drugs.
alcohol is indeed not permitted at all.