Asfar: Definition and Meaning 🌍
Comprehensive Definition
Asfar (Arabic: أسفار, sing. safar) is a term in Sufi Islam that denotes the spiritual journey of the novice, encompassing various stages or divisions that lead to complete spiritual realization and mystical experience. One of the primary frameworks for understanding these journeys is the fourfold journey:
- Journey from Creation to the Truth (min al-khalq ilal-haqq): The traveller begins by seeking truth, moving away from the illusions of everyday life.
- Journey with the Truth in the Truth (bil-haqq fil-haqq): The seeker further perfects their soul, deepening their relationship with the Divine.
- Journey from the Truth to Creation with the Truth (min al-haqq ilal-khalq bil-haqq): The traveller returns to the world, embodying the truth they have realized.
- Journey with the Truth in Creation (bil-haqq fil-khalq): The enlightened traveller uses their gained wisdom to guide others and integrate into everyday existence.
Etymology
The term “Asfar” is derived from the Arabic root s-f-r (س-ف-ر), meaning “to travel” or “to journey”. In this context, it metaphorically represents the soul’s voyage through stages of growth and enlightenment.
Background and Historical Facts
The framework of the fourfold journey has been articulated by many classical Sufi scholars, including Ibn ‘Arabi (1165–1240), a prominent Sufi mystic who detailed these stages in his profound writings on spiritual wayfaring.
Cultural Differences and Similarities
While the concept of a spiritual journey exists in various religious traditions, Asfar in Sufi Islam uniquely emphasizes a structured, cyclical process of realization where the journey always returns to the world of creation but at a higher level of understanding. This resonates with similar mystical traditions in Christianity (e.g., the stages of the mystical union in Christian mysticism) and Buddhism (e.g., the Noble Eightfold Path towards Enlightenment).
Synonyms, Antonyms, and Related Terms
- Synonyms: Spiritual Journey, Mystical Path, Suluk (سلوك)
- Antonyms: Worldliness, Materialism
- Related Terms:
- Suluk: The journey or pathway in Sufism
- Tariqa (طريقه): A Sufi path or order, the method of spiritual practice
- Irfan (عِرفان): Gnosis or deep spiritual insight
Exciting Facts
- The concept of the fourfold journey has deep parallels in Hermeticism, an ancient esoteric tradition which influenced many Islamic thinkers, blending the truths of philosophy, spirituality, and alchemy.
- Sufis often use poetry, particularly by poets like Rumi and Hafez, to symbolize and narrate these spiritual journeys.
Quotations from Notable Writers
“The mystic is not a man who sees peculiar things, but he is a man who sees everything in a peculiar light.” – G.K. Chesterton.
References and Suggested Literature
- Ibn ‘Arabi. “The Meccan Revelations” (Al-Futuhat al-Makkiyya).
- “The Conference of the Birds” by Farid ud-Din Attar, illustrating mystical journey through allegory.
- “Mystical Dimensions of Islam” by Annemarie Schimmel - detailed insight on Sufi thought and practices.
Quizzes
Inspirational Farewell:
May your own journeys—both physical and spiritual—lead you toward the ultimate truths of your existence. The paths you walk are sacred, blending the mundane with the divine in ways only your heart can interpret.
Farid al-Hakim 2023-10-03
