صِفْهُ لِي يَا مَنْ رَأَيْتَ الحِبَّ لَيْلاًصِفْهُ لِي يَا مَنْ رَأَيْتَ الحِبَّ Describe him to me, O you who beheld the Beloved by night,"-Sheikh Dr.Mahmoud Al-Hamoud-Arabic with English Subtitles-OCC-October 26,2026"

 YouTube Video:

https://youtu.be/AdlZIQ3yAUE?si=CDecUkhz69G3GCij

“Describe him to me, O you who beheld the Beloved by night, Verily, my eyes, my heart, my soul, yearn to behold that beauty.” A heartfelt plea of longing for the Prophet ﷺ, perfect in form and character, whose radiant face captivated all the worlds. 

*** Very Emotional & Luminous Praise of our Beloved Prophet ﷺ *** Beautifully recited by Sheikh Hamoud, his group and a young student.Thanks to OCC for English Subtitles

Poet:Shaykh Jad Abu Ghay (الشيخ جاد أبو غاي) is a contemporary Egyptian Sufi scholar, poet, and prominent religious figure based in Upper Egypt. He is best known for his devotion to Prophetic praise (Madih Nabawi) and his spiritual lectures focused on Islamic ethics, love for the Prophet Muhammadﷺ, and the household of the Prophet ﷺ (Ahl al-Bayt)

Reciter:Sheikh Dr. Mahmoud Fayyad Al-Hamoud is a prominent contemporary Syrian Qur'an reciter (qari), Islamic nasheed vocalist (munshid), media researcher, and scholar based in Damascus, Syria. He is widely known for leading traditional gathering circles of spiritual remembrance (dhikr) and prophetic praise (madih) at historic locations in Damascus. He hosts a well-known weekly evening assembly every Thursday at the historic Lala Pasha Mosque on Baghdad Street in Damascus. These gatherings draw large audiences for Islamic lectures, prayer, and rhythmic chanting of classical poems like the Burdah.
Nour Al-Yaqeen Foundation: He supervises the Nour Al-Yaqeen International Foundation, an organization through which he directs youth religious teams, coordinates spiritual gatherings, and organizes Umrah pilgrimage trips to Mecca and Medina.

OCC: Description: Organisation of Culture and Character is a charity that intends to tackle society's views through the correct application of traditional Islamic teachings applied to modern day concerns and issues. We are uplifting the community by reconnecting to the Prophetic Way. OCC is a community-led initiative run by core staff and a committed network of volunteers. We are based in Luton, Bedfordshire. We've been facilitating Islamic learning and the practise of Prophetic traditions since 2020.

Lyrics: Arabic with English Translation:Qasida Collection

https://www.qasidacollection.com/qasida/Xin1unkwv8oCg9yZMyKN

صِفْهُ لِي يَا مَنْ رَأَيْتَ الحِبَّ لَيْلاً
Describe Him to Me, O You Who Saw the Beloved in the Night
الشَيخ جَادْ اَبُوغَايShaykh Jad Abu Ghay

صِفْهُ لِي يَا مَنْ رَأَيْتَ الحِبَّ لَيْلاً
إِنَّ عَيْنِي تَشْتَهِي ذَاكَ الجَمَالَا
ṣifhu lī yā man ra’aytal ḥibba laylan
inna ʿaynī tashtahī dhākal jamālā
Describe him to me, O you who saw the Beloved in the night,
For my eyes long to behold that beauty
صِفْ جَمِيلاً كَامِلاً خَلَقاً وَخُلُقاً
مِنْ جَمَالِ الذَّاتِ قَدْ حَازَ الكَمَالَا
ṣif jamīlan kāmilan khalaqan wakhuluqan
min jamālidh dhāti qad ḥāzal kamālā
Describe one who is beautiful and perfect in creation and character
From the essence of beauty, he has attained perfection
صِفْ مَلِيحًا طَرْفُهُ أَسْبَى العَوَالِمْ
صِفْ وَجِيهاً وَجْهُهُ حَازَ الكَمَالَا
ṣif malīḥan ṭarfuhu asbal ʿawālim
ṣif wajīhan wajhuhu ḥāzal kamālā
Describe a graceful one whose glance captivates worlds,
Describe a noble one whose face possesses perfection
صِفْهُ لِي يَا مَنْ رَأَيْتَ الحِبَّ لَيْلاً
إِنَّ عَيْنِي تَشْتَهِي ذَاكَ الجَمَالَا
ṣifhu lī yā man ra’aytal ḥibba laylan
inna ʿaynī tashtahī dhākal jamālā
Describe him to me, O you who saw the Beloved in the night,
For my eyes long to behold that beauty
صِفْهُ لِي بِالسُّنْدُسِيَّةِ حِينَ يَبْدُو
كَامِلَ الأَوْصَافِ قَدْ مَلَكَ الدَّلَالَا
ṣifhu lī bis sundusiyyati ḥīna yabdū
kāmilal awṣāfi qad malakad dalālā
Describe him to me in silken splendor when he appears,
Perfect in every trait, the very master of allure
صِفْ عُيُونَ الهَاشِمِي صِفْ لِي المُحْيَّا
صِفْ لِي ثَغْراً بِابْتِسَامَتِهِ تَلَالَا
ṣif ʿuyūnal hāshimī ṣif līl muḥyyā
ṣif lī thaghran bib tisāmatihi talālā
Describe to me the eyes of the Hashimite—describe to me his radiance,
Describe to me a mouth whose smile radiated light
صِفْهُ لِي يَا مَنْ رَأَيْتَ الحِبَّ لَيْلاً
إِنَّ عَيْنِي تَشْتَهِي ذَاكَ الجَمَالَا
ṣifhu lī yā man ra’aytal ḥibba laylan
inna ʿaynī tashtahī dhākal jamālā
Describe him to me, O you who saw the Beloved in the night,
For my eyes long to behold that beauty
صِفْ جَمِيلاً أَكْحَلاً مِنْ غَيْرِ كُحْلٍ
أَدْعَجَاً عَيْنَاهُ تُنْسِيكَ الغَزَالَا
ṣif jamīlan akḥalan min ghayri kuḥlin
adʿajāan ʿaynāhu tunsīkal ghazālā
Describe a beauty whose eyes are naturally dark-lined without kohl,
A deep-dark beautiful eyed one whose gaze makes you forget the gazelle
صِفْ غَضُوضَ الطَّرْفِ بَسَّامَ المُحَيَّا
أَنْجَلاً تُنْسِيكَ طَلْعَتُهُ الهِلَالَا
ṣif ghaḍūḍaṭ ṭarfi bassāmal muḥayyā
anjalan tunsīka ṭalʿatuhul hilālā
Describe the gentle-eyed, bright-faced one,
The wide-eyed, whose appearance makes you forget the crescent moon
صِفْهُ لِي يَا مَنْ رَأَيْتَ الحِبَّ لَيْلاً
إِنَّ عَيْنِي تَشْتَهِي ذَاكَ الجَمَالَا
ṣifhu lī yā man ra’aytal ḥibba laylan
inna ʿaynī tashtahī dhākal jamālā
Describe him to me, O you who saw the Beloved in the night,
For my eyes long to behold that beauty
صِفْ جَمِيلَ القَدِّ وَرْدِيَّ الوِجَانَا
صِفْ مَلِيحاً حُسْنُهُ فَاقَ الخَيَالَا
ṣif jamīlal qaddi wardiyyal wijānā
ṣif malīḥan ḥusnuhu fāqal khayālā
Describe the elegance of his stature, the rose-tint of his cheeks,
Describe the handsome one whose beauty surpasses imagination
صِفْ بِهِ عُنُقاً مُنِيراً كَوْكَبِيّاً
صِفْ جَمِيلاً نُورُهُ فِي الكَوْنِ لَالَا
ṣif bihi ʿunuqan munīran kawkabiyyan
ṣif jamīlan nūruhu fīl kawni lālā
Describe his luminous neck like a shining star,
Describe the beautiful one whose light in the universe gleams like pearls
صِفْهُ لِي يَا مَنْ رَأَيْتَ الحِبَّ لَيْلاً
إِنَّ عَيْنِي تَشْتَهِي ذَاكَ الجَمَالَا
ṣifhu lī yā man ra’aytal ḥibba laylan
inna ʿaynī tashtahī dhākal jamālā
Describe him to me, O you who saw the Beloved in the night,
For my eyes long to behold that beauty
صِفْ وَضِيءَ الوَجْهِ دُرِّيَ المُحْيَّا
صِفْ مَلِيكَ الحُسْنِ وَاَنْشُدْهُ الوِصَالَا
ṣif waḍī’al wajhi durriyal muḥyyā
ṣif malīkal ḥusni waanshudhul wiṣālā
Describe the brightness of his face, a radiant pearl,
Describe the king of beauty and recite to him longing’s song
صِفْ أَزْجَ الحَاجِبِ الأَسْنَانَ أَشْنَب
صِفْ أَسِيلَ الخَدِّ صِفْ عَذْبَ المَقَالَا
ṣif azjal ḥājibil asnāna ashnab
ṣif asīlal khaddi ṣif ʿadhbal maqālā
Describe his arched brows, his shining white teeth,
Describe his smooth cheeks and his sweet, gentle speech
صِفْهُ لِي يَا مَنْ رَأَيْتَ الحِبَّ لَيْلاً
إِنَّ عَيْنِي تَشْتَهِي ذَاكَ الجَمَالَا
ṣifhu lī yā man ra’aytal ḥibba laylan
inna ʿaynī tashtahī dhākal jamālā
Describe him to me, O you who saw the Beloved in the night,
For my eyes long to behold that beauty
صِفْ ضَلِيعَ الفَمِّ بَرَّاقَ الثَّنَايَا
صِفْ نَدَى الرَّاحِ مِنْهُ الغَيْثُ سَالَا
ṣif ḍalīʿal fammi barrāqath thanāyā
ṣif nadar rāḥi minhul ghaythu sālā
Describe his well-shaped mouth and sparkling incisors,
Describe the dew of his palms from which the rain flowed forth
صِفْ طَوِيلَ الهُدْبِ صِفْ أَنْفاً كَسِيْفٍ
صِفْ أَزَجَ الحَاجِبَيْنِ بِهَا اتِّصَالَا
ṣif ṭawīlal hudbi ṣif anfan kasiyfin
ṣif azajal ḥājibayni bihat tiṣālā
Describe his long lashes, describe a nose like a drawn sword,
Describe the arched brows meeting in perfect harmony
صِفْهُ لِي يَا مَنْ رَأَيْتَ الحِبَّ لَيْلاً
إِنَّ عَيْنِي تَشْتَهِي ذَاكَ الجَمَالَا
ṣifhu lī yā man ra’aytal ḥibba laylan
inna ʿaynī tashtahī dhākal jamālā
Describe him to me, O you who saw the Beloved in the night,
For my eyes long to behold that beauty
صِفْ نَبِيّاً قَدْ أَتَى مِنْ قَبْلِ آدَم
جَلَّ مَنْ سَوَّاهُ لَيْسَ لَهُ مِثَالَا
ṣif nabiyyan qad atā min qabli ādam
jalla man sawwāhu laysa lahu mithālā
Describe a Prophet who came before Adam,
Exalted is the One who fashioned him—none resembles him
أَبْصَرَتْ عَيْنَاكَ طَلْعَةَ مُصْطَفَانَا
قُلْ بِرَبِّكَ كَيْفَ أَدْرَكْتَ الوِصَالَا
abṣarat ʿaynāka ṭalʿata muṣṭafānā
qul birabbika kayfa adraktal wiṣālā
Did your eyes behold the visage of our Chosen One?
Tell me—by your Lord—how did you attain that union?
صِفْهُ لِي يَا مَنْ رَأَيْتَ الحِبَّ لَيْلاً
إِنَّ عَيْنِي تَشْتَهِي ذَاكَ الجَمَالَا
ṣifhu lī yā man ra’aytal ḥibba laylan
inna ʿaynī tashtahī dhākal jamālā
Describe him to me, O you who saw the Beloved in the night,
For my eyes long to behold that beauty
كَمْ أُنَادِي يَا أَبَا الزَّهْرَاءِ أَقْبِلْ
كَمْ أُنَادِي يَا أَبَا الزَّهْرَا تَعَالَى
kam unādī yā abaz zahrā’i aqbil
kam unādī yā abaz zahrā taʿālā
How often I call, “O Father of Zahra, come!”
How often I call, “O Father of Zahra, draw near!”
صِحْتُ وَاشْوَقَاهُ وَجْداً يَا حَبِيبِي
إِنَّ عَيْنِي تَشْتَهِي ذَاكَ الجَمَالَا
ṣiḥtu wash waqāhu wajdan yā ḥabībī
inna ʿaynī tashtahī dhākal jamālā
I cried out: “Oh, how intense my longing, O my Beloved!”
For indeed, my eyes yearn for that beauty!

Article: Description of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ -Muslim Hands,UK *** Excellent

https://muslimhands.org.uk/islamic-resources/the-description-of-the-prophet-muhammad-from-hadith
The Prophet's ﷺ statements, actions and description are detailed throughout the Qur'an and Sunnah.

لَقَدْ جَآءَكُمْ رَسُولٌۭ مِّنْ أَنفُسِكُمْ عَزِيزٌ عَلَيْهِ مَا عَنِتُّمْ حَرِيصٌ عَلَيْكُم بِٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ رَءُوفٌۭ رَّحِيمٌۭ

'There has certainly come to you a Messenger from among yourselves. Grievous to him is what you suffer; [he is] concerned over you [i.e., your guidance] and to the believers is kind and merciful.' [Qur'an, 9:128]
In this blog, we will explore the description of the Prophet ﷺ as narrated by three people who saw him in person: Umm Ma’bad, Ali ibn Abu Talib and Hind ibn Abu Halah (ra).

End-of-Life Care in the Islamic Moral Tradition | Dr. Mohammed Ghaly: Centre for Islamic Knowledge:Oct 23, 2026

 YouTube Video:

https://youtu.be/zGwOMGKLzw4?si=LJRbziQqhuxdA0po

Modern biomedical technologies have profoundly transformed end-of-life care, enabling interventions that can sustain bodily functions, alleviate suffering, and prolong the dying process. These developments raise difficult moral questions: When does treatment preserve life, and when does it merely prolong dying? How should the relief of suffering, the limits of medicine, and the spiritual significance of death inform decisions about care? In this CIK Talk, Dr. Mohammed Ghaly draws on his edited volume, End-of-Life Care, Dying and Death in the Islamic Moral Tradition (Brill, 2022), to examine these questions through interdisciplinary perspectives rooted in Islamic scholarship. He focuses on two central ethical dilemmas: withholding or withdrawing life-sustaining treatments, and forgoing artificial nutrition and hydration. Presenting differing scholarly positions, he explores how religious scholars and medical professionals assess medical futility, potential benefits and harms, and the distinction between allowing death to take its course and actively ending a life. The presentation is followed by a discussion with Dr. Safaruk Chowdhury and audience questions addressing brain death, palliative care, the meaning of pain and suffering, and the psychological burdens faced by families making difficult decisions. Throughout, the conversation considers how Islamic moral reasoning can bring medical expertise into dialogue with compassion, religious responsibility, and an understanding of death as a transition to meeting Allah.

Mohammed Ghaly is Professor of Islam and Biomedical Ethics at the Research Centre for Islamic Legislation & Ethics (CILE), Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU). Besides his many refereed publications, Ghaly is the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Islamic Ethics (Brill).

CIK Talk: Dr. Mohammed Ghaly:End-of-Life Care, Dying and Death in the Islamic Moral Tradition:Center for Islamic Knowledge.

https://www.cikedu.org/end-of-life-care-in-the-islamic-moral-tradition.html

Amazon:End-of-Life Care, Dying and Death in the Islamic Moral Tradition: أخلاق العناية في الإسلام: الرعاية الصحية عند نهاية العمر والاحتضار والموت (Studies in Islamic Ethics, 4) (Arabic Edition):Dr. Mohammed Ghaly

https://www.amazon.com/Dying-Islamic-Tradition-Studies-Ethics/dp/9004459405?ref_=ast_author_mpb

Modern biomedical technologies managed to revolutionise the End-of-Life Care (EoLC) in many aspects. The dying process can now be “engineered” by managing the accompanying physical symptoms or by “prolonging/hastening” death itself. Such interventions questioned and problematised long-established understandings of key moral concepts, such as good life, quality of life, pain, suffering, good death, appropriate death, dying well, etc. This volume examines how multifaceted EoLC moral questions can be addressed from interdisciplinary perspectives within the Islamic tradition.
Contributors
Amir Abbas Alizamani, Beate Anam, Hamed Arezaei, Asma Asadi, Pieter Coppens, Hans Daiber, Khalid Elzamzamy, Mohammed Ghaly, Hadil Lababidi, Shahaboddin Mahdavi, Aasim Padela, Rafaqat Rashid and Ayman Shabana.

Article PDF: End-of-Life Care in the Islamic Moral Tradition | Dr. Mohammed Ghaly: Manara Qatar Research Repository

https://manara.qnl.qa/articles/chapter/Introduction_i_End-of-Life_Care_in_the_Islamic_Moral_Tradition_i_/29554004/1

James D. Frankel: Islam in China, Confucianism & Liu Zhi | EP 172: Kianistan with Tafhim Kiani -Oct 27, 2026

 YouTube Video:

https://youtu.be/5USq8kUkj1w?si=GLiKnvZPBVioPu0Y

In Episode 172 of the Kianistan Podcast, host Tafhim Kiani speaks with James D. Frankel, Associate Professor of Cultural and Religious Studies at The Chinese University of Hong Kong and Director of its Centre for the Study of Islamic Culture. They explore how Islam developed within Chinese civilization and how Muslim scholars reconciled Islamic teachings with Confucian philosophy and Chinese intellectual traditions. The discussion focuses on Liu Zhi, the influential Chinese Muslim scholar behind Rectifying God's Name, the Han Kitab literary tradition, the history of Muslims in China, and the Mongol and Ming dynasties. They also examine Chinese Muslim identity, Islamic scholarship, religious integration, and why Islam became deeply rooted in Chinese society without relying on large-scale missionary activity. ABOUT JAMES D. FRANKEL James D. Frankel is an academic specializing in Islam in China, Chinese Muslim history and Islamic culture. He is the author of Rectifying God's Name, a study of the eighteenth-century Chinese Muslim scholar Liu Zhi. FOLLOW JAMES D. FRANKEL Website: https://www.jamesdfrankel.com/about Amazon — Books by James: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/... Support the Kianistan Podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/tafhimkianz What You'll Discover in This Episode How Islam first reached China through trade
Who Liu Zhi was and why his scholarship matters
The Han Kitab tradition of Chinese Islamic literature
How Muslim scholars reconciled Islam with Confucian thought
Muslims' roles during the Mongol and Ming dynasties
Arabic, Persian and classical Chinese in Islamic scholarship
Chinese Muslim identity, integration and discrimination
Islamic ritual and the limits of religious acceptance
Why Islam integrated differently from Christianity in China
James Frankel's research and books on Islam in China

Chapters : 00:00 Introduction — Islam in China 01:27 Liu Zhi: The Chinese Muslim Scholar 05:20 Islamic Scholarship in China 07:39 What Is the Han Kitab? 10:47 How Islam Reached China 13:21 Muslims Under Mongol Rule 17:25 The Ming Dynasty & Chinese Muslim Identity 21:00 Confucianism & Islamic Philosophy 29:00 Liu Zhi's Contribution to Islamic Thought 38:00 Chinese Muslim Literature & Scholarship 45:00 Liu Zhi's Books & Islamic Teachings 49:49 Did Chinese Scholars Accept Islam? 54:01 Islam, Christianity & Religious Integration 58:15 James Frankel's Books & Final Thoughts

Amazon:Islam in China (Islam in Series):by James Frankel (Author)

https://www.amazon.com/Islam-China-James-Frankel-ebook/dp/B094MGQRT9?ref_=ast_author_dp&th=1&psc=1

In China there are up to 25 million Muslims living in the country, representing over 1200 years of Chinese-Islamic relations. However, little is known about the historical and contemporary geopolitical relations between China and the Muslim world, or the situation for the diverse groups of Muslims living in China today.
In this book, James Frankel studies the rich and dynamic history of Muslims in China from the Tang dynasty (618-907) to the present day. He shows that Muslims in China remain an internally diverse population separated geographically, ethnically, linguistically, economically, educationally, and along sectarian and kinship lines. But despite having its own local flavours and accents, Islam in China is recognisable as the same religious tradition practiced by approximately 1.8 billion Muslims worldwide and Muslims in China are inextricably part of society, living alongside other minorities and amongst the great Han Chinese majority.
Tracing 1200 years of history, this book shows that Muslim communities in China have undergone tremendous change, touched by the forces of Chinese history, the development of Islamic traditions outside China, and geopolitics. In highlighting the paradoxical situation in which Chinese Muslims have found themselves - living as both insiders and outsiders to Chinese society and state - the book examines why after so many centuries of habitation and naturalisation, Muslims in China are still stigmatized by their perceived alien origins. The book follows the 'yin and yang' of compatibility and difference and the connections and ruptures between two great civilisations.

James D. Frankel, Ph.D., a native New Yorker, holds his bachelor's degree in East Asian studies and doctorate in religion from Columbia University in New York City. His expertise is in the history of Islam in China, a field that draws upon and informs his scholarly interests in the comparative history of ideas, and religious and cultural syncretism. As a member of the faculty of religion at the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Dr. Frankel teaches courses in comparative religion, Islam, and mysticism. He has lived in China and traveled extensively in Asia and Europe for research and to meet with fellow scholars and religious leaders of Muslim minority communities. Rectifying God's Name is his first book.

Amazon:Rectifying God’s Name: Liu Zhi’s Confucian Translation of Monotheism and Islamic Law by James D. Frankel (Author)
https://www.amazon.com/Rectifying-Gods-Name-Translation-Monotheism/dp/0824834747?ref_=ast_author_dp

Islam first arrived in China more than 1,200 years ago, but for more than a millennium it was perceived as a foreign presence. The restoration of native Chinese rule by the Ming dynasty (1368–1644), after nearly a century of Mongol domination, helped transform Chinese intellectual discourse on ideological, social, political, religious, and ethnic identity. This led to the creation of a burgeoning network of Sinicized Muslim scholars who wrote about Islam in classical Chinese and developed a body of literature known as the Han Kitab. Rectifying God’s Name examines the life and work of one of the most important of the Qing Chinese Muslim literati, Liu Zhi (ca. 1660–ca. 1730), and places his writings in their historical, cultural, social, and religio-philosophical context. His Tianfang danli (Ritual law of Islam) represents the most systematic and sophisticated attempt within the Han Kitab corpus to harmonize Islam with Chinese thought.
The volume begins by situating Liu Zhi in the historical development of the Chinese Muslim intellectual tradition, examining his sources and influences as well as his legacy. Delving into the contents of Liu Zhi’s work, it focuses on his use of specific Chinese terms and concepts, their origins and meanings in Chinese thought, and their correspondence to Islamic principles. A close examination of the Tianfang dianli reveals Liu Zhi’s specific usage of the concept of Ritual as a common foundation of both Confucian morality and social order and Islamic piety. The challenge of expressing such concepts in a context devoid of any clear monotheistic principle tested the limits of his scholarship and linguistic finesse. Liu Zhi's theological discussion in the Tianfang dianli engages not only the ancient Confucian tradition, but also Daoism, Buddhism, and even non-Chinese traditions. His methodology reveals an erudite and cosmopolitan scholar who synthesized diverse influences, from Sufism to Neo-Confucianism, and possibly even Jesuit and Jewish sources, into a body of work that was both steeped in tradition and, yet, exceedingly original, epitomizing the phenomenon of Chinese Muslim simultaneity.
A compelling and multidimensional study, Rectifying God’s Name will be eagerly welcomed by interested readers of Chinese and Islamic religious and social history, as well as students and scholars of comparative religion.

Has the Qur’an been faithfully preserved from the time of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ to the text Muslims recite today?:Dr.Ali Ataie-Blogging Theology- Oct 26.2026

Youtube Video: 

https://youtu.be/PtjtPVVUmm8?si=3rY3NYWXMOeN9X4Y

Presentation Slides: Slides for “Is the Qur’an Preserved?” https://bit.ly/3OpCtpg 

Has the Qur’an been faithfully preserved from the time of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ to the text Muslims recite today? In this detailed presentation, Dr. Ali Ataie examines the historical, textual, and manuscript evidence surrounding the preservation of the Qur’an. Drawing on Qur’anic studies, hadith, manuscript evidence, the history of the qirāʾāt, and comparative textual criticism, he addresses many of the most common questions and objections raised about the transmission of the Qur’anic text. The discussion explores the earliest attestation of the Qur’an, first-century Hijri manuscripts, the seven aḥruf, the qirāʾāt, companion codices, the collection of the Qur’an under ʿUthmān ibn ʿAffān رضي الله عنه, and the relationship between oral and written transmission. Dr. Ataie also examines difficult and frequently cited topics such as the codex of Ibn Masʿūd, the reported codex of Ubayy ibn Kaʿb, variant readings, abandoned recitations, the Ṣanʿāʾ palimpsest, the canonical reciters and transmitters, and the criteria Muslim scholars used to distinguish authorized from unauthorized readings. A major theme throughout the presentation is the difference between textual variation and textual corruption. Dr. Ataie places Qur’anic transmission alongside the textual history of the Bible and explains why the existence of recognized readings does not necessarily undermine the Muslim claim that the Qur’an has been reliably preserved. The presentation also engages the arguments of Orientalist scholars and Christian polemicists, including discussions surrounding modern manuscript criticism and claims such as the famous report that “a goat ate the Qur’an.” For anyone interested in the history of the Qur’an, early Islamic manuscripts, qirāʾāt, aḥruf, Qur’anic preservation, textual criticism, or Muslim-Christian dialogue, this is a wide-ranging and important presentation. This video was originally published on June 25, 2022, on the Blogging Theology YouTube channel, hosted by Br. Paul Williams. I would like to offer a special and sincere thank you to Br. Paul Williams for graciously allowing me to host this presentation on my own channel. I am deeply grateful for his generosity and for the important work he has done through Blogging Theology, creating a platform for serious, long-form discussions on Islam, Christianity, biblical studies, Qur’anic studies, theology, history, and comparative religion. Br. Paul has consistently provided space for difficult and technical subjects to be explored with depth and intellectual seriousness, and I greatly appreciate his willingness to allow this presentation to be shared here as well. Please be sure to support Br. Paul Williams and the Blogging Theology YouTube channel and explore their extensive collection of lectures, interviews, and scholarly conversations. 

Topics Covered: The presentation includes discussion of: Early attestation of the Qur’an Qur’anic manuscripts from the first Islamic century The seven aḥruf The canonical qirāʾāt Companion codices and textual traditions The ʿUthmānic codex committee The concept of the “Prophetic Archetype” Ibn Masʿūd’s codex Ubayy ibn Kaʿb and the reported additional sūrahs The Ṣanʿāʾ palimpsest Authorized and unauthorized recitations Manuscript and skeletal-text variation Hadith reports concerning preservation The “goat ate the Qur’an” report Modern Orientalist and Christian polemical claims Daniel Brubaker’s work on Qur’anic manuscripts 

Dr. Ali Ataie is a scholar of biblical hermeneutics, sacred languages, comparative theology, Qur’anic studies, and comparative religion. His work frequently engages the Qur’an, the Bible, early Christianity, Islamic theology, textual criticism, and the historical transmission of scripture.

Amazon:The Perfect Guide to the Sciences of the Qu'ran: Al-Itqan Fi 'ulum Al-Qur'an (Great Books of Islamic Civilization) amazon.com
by Imam Jalal Al-Suyuti (Author), Osman A Al-Bili (Editor), Hamid Algar (Translator), Michael Schub (Translator), Ayman Abdel Haleem (Translator)

Imam Jalal-al-Din al-Suyuti (849-911 AH / 1445-1505 AD) was born, lived, and was buried in Cairo. The ascription 'al-Suyuti' is a reference to Asyut, a town in Upper Egypt from which his family hailed. Known as the 'son of books' from the numerous books he studied and referred to in his works, he could equally be called the 'father of books' because of the many books he produced. From his early years, al-Suyuti devoted his life to learning, reading, writing, and teaching - holding notable positions in the city of Cairo at a time when it was the center of Islamic learning par excellence. He was an outstanding scholar, second to none in the field of Qur'anic Sciences ('Ulum Al-Qur'an) in which he produced many well-known works. However, being the all-round scholar that he was, his contributions covered almost all the fields of Arabic, the Qur'an, the Traditions (hadith), and history. His works were of such superb quality that they earned him the respect of his generation and the generations that followed, up to the present day. Most important of these, in the field of Qur'anic Sciences, was his Al-Itqan. Al-Itqan is perhaps the most outstanding work of its kind in the field of Qur'anic Sciences. Exhaustive in its sources and its subjects, thoughtfully and lucidly written, the work is also well arranged. Readers will be taken by the depth, breadth, scope, and mastery of the author while noting how much Muslim scholars have devoted to the study of the Qur'an and how varied and diverse were the fields in which those studies were made. The work found its way to many circles both near and far in the Islamic world. The translation presented here is of a publication of four volumes published in 1387 AH (1967 AD). Now in paperback, this book is the translation of the first volume. It is a must to the specialist of Qur'anic Studies and is highly recommended to the initiate

Imam Jalal-Al-Din Al-Suyuti (849 - 911 AH / 1445 - 1505 AD) was born, lived and was buried in Cairo. The ascription 'Al-Suyuti' is a reference to Asyut, a town in Upper Egypt from which his family hailed. Known as the 'son of books' from the numerous books he studied and referred to in his works, he could equally be called the 'father of books' because of the many books he produced.

Muhammad Abdel Haleem was born in Egypt, and learned the Qur'an by heart from childhood. He is Professor of Arabic and Islamic Studies at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. He is the Editor of the Journal of Qur'anic Studies.

Amazon:The History Of The Quranic Text: From Revelation To Compilation by Muhammad Mustafa Al-Azami (2005-08-02)
by Muhammad Mustafa al-ʿAzami (Author)

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01K3HN1G4?lv=shuf&channelId=500&plpRedirect=mhFallback

With full colour images, meticulously annotated and researched, The History of the Qur’anic Text provides unique insights into the Qur’an’s immaculate preservation throughout its history, covering such topics as how divine revelations were received, Prophet Muhammad’s role in teaching and disseminating these verses, the text’s compilation under his guidance and the setting of its final shape shortly after his death. It also looks at the origins of Arabic, its palaeography and orthography, the so-called Mushaf of Ibn Mas‘ud, and the strict methodology employed in assembling textual fragments. This scholarly work provides an essential basis for sincere study of the Qur’an at a time when mis-representation of Islam’s Holy Book has become all too common.The author also investigates the histories of the Old and New Testaments, relying entirely on Judeo-Christian sources, and by so doing the book attains an absolutely epic scope. Through this the author makes a sophisticated and passionate case for questioning the aims of Western scholarship towards Islam’s Holy Book and illustrates convincingly that such research, motivated by more than mere curiosity, has no scientific bearing on the Qur’an’s integrity. A truly monumental effort, an indispensable tool for Muslims and non-Muslims alike, this work presents a cogent and powerful argument for the Qur’an’s unique inviolability and will serve as a cornerstone addition to any personal library and Islamic curriculum.

Article:How the Qur'an Was Preserved During the Prophet's ﷺ Time: Mechanisms of Oral and Written Transmission
How did the Prophet ﷺ and his companions transmit the Quran orally and textually so that its message would be preserved for all of time?: Shaykh Yousef Wahb- Yaqeen Institute-December 5, 2022

https://yaqeeninstitute.org/read/paper/how-the-quran-was-preserved-during-the-prophets-time-mechanisms-of-oral-and-written-transmission

Nasheed with English Subtitles:‏هُوَ النُورُ يَهْدِي الْحَائِرِينَ ضِيَاؤُهُ He Is The Light Whose Illumination Guides The Bewildered ﷺ ::Habib Ali Bin Muhammad Al-Habshi(ra)-OCC-Oct1,2024

 YouTube Video:

https://youtu.be/2-Xwk7uv_-g?si=vhV4A5pu9Nh21rLE

He is the Light that Guides ﷺ - Habīb 'Ali b. Muhammad b. Husayn al-Habashi هو النور يهدي الحائرين ضياؤه - للحبيب علي بن محمد بن حسين الحبشي Selected verses from one of the most famous odes of the great cardinal pole of prophetic love, the noble Imām of Hadramawt, Habīb 'Ali bin Muhammad bin Husayn al-Habashi Bā 'Alawi al-Husayni (رضي الله عنه) that will stir passion and longing for the Beloved of Allah ﷺ. Recited in the presence of Habīb 'Umar b. Hafīḍh and other scholars and the righteous, during the annual Burdah recitation in Rabī' al-Awwal 1445AH in the blessed city of Tarīm, Hadramawt, Yemen.

Qasida Collection::‏هُوَ النُورُ يَهْدِي الْحَائِرِينَ ضِيَاؤُهُ He Is The Light Whose Illumination Guides The Bewildered ﷺ 

https://www.qasidacollection.com/qasida/p2LdaA97RFG0DzsKfPcy

‏هُوَ النُورُ يَهْدِي الْحَائِرِينَ ضِيَاؤُهُ
وَفِي ٱلْحَشْرِ ظِلُّ ٱلْمُرْسَلِينَ لِوَاؤُهُ

huwan nūru yahdīl ḥā’irīna ḍiyāuhu
wafīl ḥashri ẓillul mursalīna liwāuhu
He is the light that guides the confused with its radiance
And on the Day of Gathering, the shade of the messengers is his banner
تَلَقَّى مِنَ ٱلْغَيْبِ ٱلْمُجَرَّدِ حِكْمَةً
بِهَا أَمْطَرَتْ فِي ٱلْخَافِقَيْنِ سَمَاؤُهُ
talaqqā minal ghaybil mujarradi ḥikmatan
bihā amṭarat fīl khāfiqayni samāuhu
He received from the unseen a wisdom
With it, his sky rained upon the two horizons
وَمَشْهُودُ أَهْلِ ٱلْحَقِّ مِنْهُ لَطَائِفٌ
تُخَبِّرُ أَنَّ ٱلْمَجْدَ وَٱلشَّأْوَ شَأْوُهُ
wamashhūdu ahlil ḥaqqi minhu laṭā’ifun
tukhabbiru annal majda wash sha’wa sha’wuhu
And the witnessed truth from him are subtleties
That tell that glory and ambition are his ambition
فَلِلَّهِ مَا لِلْعَيْنِ مِنْ مَشْهَدِ ٱجْتِلَى
يَعِزُّ عَلَى أَهْلِ ٱلْحِجَابِ ٱجْتِلَاؤُهُ
falillahi mā lilʿayni min mashhadij tilā
yaʿizzu ʿalā ahlil ḥijābij tilāuhu
For God, what the eye witnesses is a scene
Difficult for those veiled to perceive
أَيَا نَازِحًا عَنِّي وَمَسْكَنُهُ ٱلْحَشَا
أَجِبْ مَنْ مَلَا كُلَّ ٱلنَّوَاحِي نِدَاؤُهُ
ayā nāziḥan ʿannī wamaskanuhul ḥashā
ajib man malā kullan nawāḥī nidāuhu
O you who are distant from me, yet his dwelling is in my heart
Answer the one whose call fills all directions
أَجِبْ مَنْ تَوَلَّاهُ ٱلْهَوَى فِيكَ وَٱمْضِ فِي
فُؤَادِيَ مَا يَهْوالْ هَوَ وَيَشَاؤُهُ
ajib man tawallāhul hawā fīka waāmḍi fī
fuādiya mā yahwāl hawa wayashāuhu
Answer the one whom passion has taken over in you and proceed
In my heart whatever love desires and wishes
بَنَى ٱلْحُبُّ فِي وَسْطِ ٱلْفُؤَادِ مَنَازِلًا
فَلِلَّهِ بَانٍ فَاقَ صُنْعًا بِنَاؤُهُ
banal ḥubbu fī wasṭil fuādi manāzilan
falillahi bānin fāqa ṣunʿan bināuhu
Love has built in the midst of the heart dwellings
So for God, a builder whose construction surpasses in craftsmanship
بِحُكْمِ ٱلْوَلَا جَرَّدْتُ قَصْدِي وَحَبَّذَا
مَوَالٍ أَرَاحَ ٱلْقَلْبَ مِنْهُ وَلَاؤُهُ
biḥukmil walā jarradtu qaṣdī waḥabbadhā
mawālin arāḥal qalba minhu walāuhu
By the rule of loyalty, I have stripped my intention, and how delightful
Are the allies whose loyalty has comforted the heart
مَرِضْتُ فَكَانَ ٱلذِّكْرُ بُرْاءً لِعِلَّتِي
فَيَ حَبَّذَا ذِكْرَا لِقَلْبِي شِفَاؤُهُ
mariḍtu fakānadh dhikru burā’an liʿillatī
faya ḥabbadhā dhikrā liqalbī shifāuhu
I fell ill, and remembrance was a cure for my ailment
So how delightful is the remembrance that heals my heart
إِذَا عَلِمَ العُشَّاقُ دَاءِ فَقُلْ لَهُمْ
فَإِنَّ لِقَى أَحْبَابِ قَلْبِي دَوَاؤُهُ
idhā ʿalimal ʿushshāqu dā’i faqul lahum
fa inna liqā aḥbābi qalbī dawāuhu
If the lovers knew the ailment, tell them
For meeting the beloveds of my heart is its remedy
أَيَا رَاحِلًا بَلِّغْ حَبِيبِي رِسَالَةً
بِحَرْفِ مِنَ الأَشْوَاقِ يَحْلُو هِجَاؤُهُ
ayā rāḥilan balligh ḥabībī risālatan
biḥarfi minal ashwāqi yaḥlū hijāuhu
O traveler, convey a message to my beloved
With a letter of longing that sweetens its spelling
وَهَيْهَاتَ أَنْ يَلْقَى الْعَذُولُ إِلَى الْحَشَا
سَبِيلًا سَوَاءٌ مَدْحُهُ وَهِجَاؤُهُ
wahayhāta an yalqal ʿadhūlu ilal ḥashā
sabīlan sawā’un madḥuhu wahijāuhu
And far be it that the critic finds a way to the heart
Whether in praise or criticism
فُؤَادِي بِخَيْرِ الْمُرْسَلِينَ مُوَلَّعٌ
وَأَشْرَفُ مَا يَحْلُو لِسَمْعِي ثَنَاؤُهُ
fuādī bikhayril mursalīna muwallaʿun
wa ashrafu mā yaḥlū lisamʿī thanāuhu
My heart is enamored with the best of messengers
And the most honorable thing that pleases my ear is his praise
رَقَى فِي الْعُلَى وَالْمَجْدِ أَشْرَفَ رُتْبَةٍ
بِمَبْدَاهُ حَارَ الْخَلْقُ كَيْفَ انْتِهَاؤُهُ
raqā fīl ʿulā wal majdi ashrafa rutbatin
bimabdāhu ḥāral khalqu kayfan tihāuhu
He ascended in the heights and glory to the most noble rank
In his origin, creation wondered how his end would be
أَيَا سَيِّدِي قَلْبِي بِحُبِّكَ بَاؤِحٌ
وَطَرْفِيَ بَعْدَ الدَّمْعِ تَجْرِي دِمَاؤُهُ
ayā sayyidī qalbī biḥubbika bāiḥun
waṭarfiya baʿdad damʿi tajrī dimāuhu
O my master, my heart is exposed with your love
And my eyes, after tears, flow with blood
إِذَا رُمْتُ كَتْمَ الحُبِّ زَادَتْ صَبَابَتِي
فَسِيَّانِ عِنْدِي بَثُّهُ وَخَفَاؤُهُ
idhā rumtu katmal ḥubbi zādat ṣabābatī
fasiyyāni ʿindī baththuhu wakhafāuhu
If I sought to hide love, my yearning increased
So it is the same to me whether it is revealed or concealed
أَجِبْ يَا حَبِيبَ الْقَلْبِ دَعْوَةَ شَيِّقٍ
شَكَا لَفْحَ نَارٍ قَدْ حَوَتْهَا حَشَاؤُهُ
ajib yā ḥabībal qalbi daʿwata shayyiqin
shakā lafḥa nārin qad ḥawathā ḥashāuhu
Answer, O beloved of the heart, the call of the longing one
Who complained of the burning fire that his heart contained
وَمُرْطَيْفَكَ الْمَيْمُونَ فِي غَفْلَةِ الْعِدَا
يَمُرُّ بِطَرْفٍ زَادَ فِيكَ بُكَاؤُهُ
wamurṭayfakal maymūna fī ghaflatil ʿidā
yamurru biṭarfin zāda fīka bukāuhu
And command your blessed glance in the heedlessness of enemies
To pass with a look that increased your weeping
لِيَ ٱللَّهُ مِنْ حُبٍّ تَعَسَّرَ وَصْفُهُ
وَلِلَّهِ أَمْرِي وَٱلْقَضَاءُ قَضَاؤُهُ
liyal lahu min ḥubbin taʿassara waṣfuhu
walillahi amrī wal qaḍā’u qaḍāuhu
By God, from a love whose description is difficult
And to God belongs my affair, and the decree is His decree
فَيَـٰرَبِّ شَرِّفْنِي بِرُؤْيَةِ سَيِّدِي
وَأَجْلِ صَدَى ٱلْقَلْبِ ٱلْكَثِيرِ صَدَاؤُهُ
fayārabbi sharrifnī biru’yati sayyidī
wa ajli ṣadal qalbil kathīri ṣadāuhu
O Lord, honor me with the vision of my master
And clear the echo of the heart, which has much resonance
وَبَلِّغْ عَلِيًّ مَا يَرُومُ مِنَ ٱلْلِّقَا
بِأَشْرَفِ عَبْدٍ جُلُّ قَصْدِي لِقَاؤُهُ
waballigh ʿaliyyan mā yarūmu minal lliqā
bi ashrafi ʿabdin jullu qaṣdī liqāuhu
And grant Ali what he desires from the meeting
With the most honorable servant, my ultimate aim is his meeting
عَلَيْهِ صَلَاةُ ٱللَّهِ مَاهَبَّتِ ٱلصَّبَا
وَمَا أَطْرَبَ ٱلْحَادِي فَطَابَ حُدَاؤُهُ
ʿalayhi ṣalātul lahi māhabbatiṣ ṣabā
wamā aṭrabal ḥādī faṭāba ḥudāuhu
Upon him be God's prayers as long as the east wind blows
And as long as the singer's song delights and his melody pleases
مَعَ ٱلْآلِ وَلْاَ صْحَابِ مَا قَالَ مُنْشِدٌ
هُوَ ٱلنُّورُ يَهْدِي ٱلْحَائِرِينَ ضِيَاؤُهُ
maʿal āli wala ṣḥābi mā qāla munshidun
huwan nūru yahdīl ḥā’irīna ḍiyāuhu
With the family and companions, as long as a singer says
He is the light that guides the confused with its radiance

What Tasawwuf(Sufism) Really Is: The 10 Traits of Its People | Shaykh Yahya Rhodus-Reza-Sep 12, 2026

 YouTube Video:

https://youtu.be/pQQx6TYh2lg?si=KgmfObQ-_7I5mv37

Shaykh Yahya Rhodus teaches Sufism: Its Essence and the Traits of Its People by al-Habib ʿUmar bin Hafiz — a full seminar on what tasawwuf actually is, and the ten traits that mark the people who live it. The book defines tasawwuf as acting with excellence (ihsan) on what Allah says in His Book and on the tongue of His Messenger ﷺ, and embodying those qualities experientially — not merely believing them, but rising through the degrees of certainty until they become lived reality. A believer knows Allah is the Provider; the one who has realised it doesn't panic when the job goes. Shaykh Yahya works through all ten traits, then takes questions from the audience. 

What is covered: Setting the ground: Why the word tasawwuf carries weight, and the difference between being a Muslim, a mu'min, and a muhsin. Four definitions of tasawwuf from the book. The degrees of certainty, and why belief and realisation are not the same thing — a believer knows Allah is the Provider; the one who has realised it doesn't panic when the job goes. Who is actually called a Sufi, and the three ranks: the one who has arrived, the one still travelling, and the one who believes in the path and loves its people. Along the way, why the Qur'an was revealed at all, what religious maturity looks like in practice — knowing which question to ask whom — and a personal reflection on his mother's passing and the gap between what Islam is and what people assume it is. 

The ten traits: Knowledge of the Book and the Sunnah:

the foundation; nothing is built without it. Includes a practical goal for daily Qur'an recitation, and why knowledge without action is meaningless. 

Concern for the attributes and actions of the heart:

The heart is what is weighed, and why its actions can outweigh years of outward worship. What it means to adorn the heart, and what disfigures it. 

Sincerity (ikhlas): 

Purifying intention of every trace of others, the way honey is drawn out of the comb. 

Truthfulness (sidq:)

Giving the whole of yourself to whatever is in front of you, and its six ascending levels. 

Humility of heart:

Not holding yourself above anyone, and what humility is not. 

Recognising the people of honour and uprooting envy: 

Why envy destroys families and communities, and the practice that removes it. 

Remembering Allah abundantly:Presence and perseverance as the two pillars of dhikr. 

Conveying with excellence and leaving discourteous argument: 

Why online quarrels are not how anyone builds their religion. 

Responding to evil with goodness: including what it costs to insist on your rights, and why letting go takes time and sometimes help. 

Love of Allah and preferring Him over all else: the station everything else leads to. 

Audience questions: Making duʿa for the guidance of non-Muslims. Caring for a parent in cognitive decline without breaking yourself. The difference between working on the ego and hating yourself. Why knowledge doesn't always become action. Familiarity with scholars and forgetting their rank. Advice for the munshid. How to respond when people hostile to Islam suffer setbacks. Dhikr of the tongue versus dhikr of the heart. Advice for those who struggle with Arabic pronunciation. 

About the teacher: Shaykh Yahya Rhodus Founding Director of Al-Maqasid seminary in Pennsylvania. He studied with Murabit al-Hajj in Mauritania and at Dar al-Mustafa in Tarim under Habib ʿUmar bin Hafiz. https://www.almaqasid.org/seminary-in... 

About the author: al-Habib ʿUmar bin Hafiz: Founder of Dar al-Mustafa in Tarim, Hadramawt, and one of the leading scholars of the Baʿalawi tradition. https://muwasala.org/2012/06/05/habib... Original recording credit and thanks to MCC East Bay (Muslim Community Center)

Mecca Books: Sufism: Its Essence & the Traits of its People-Umar ibn Hafiz (Author),Amjad Tarsin(Translator)  https://www.meccabooks.com/products/sufism-its-essence-the-traits-of-its-people?srsltid=AU7gw4WZdAwhjDmJCbeWTDSgR2HK8O575MPkKzW0hIltYtUIrFzGJduB 

Sufism (Tasawwuf), the path of spiritual purification, is the essence of Islam. Ironically, misunderstandings regarding it remain prevalent. This book's Author,Habib Umar bin Hafiz is a living Master of both the inward and outward sciences of Islam. With clarity and authority, he succinctly provides a definitive understanding of Sufism and the ten most important traits of its true people. 

Any claims that contradict these qualities have no authentic connection to Sufism. May Allah magnify its benefit for the author, reader, scribe, listener, and the entire Ummah of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). 

Contents: 

First Trait: Knowledge of the Book & the Sunna 

Second Trait: Their Concern with the Attributes and Actions of the Heart 

Third Trait: Sincerity 

Fourth Trait: Trueness 

Fifth Trait: Humility of Heart 

Sixth Trait: Recognizing the People of Honor & Eliminating Envy 

Seventh Trait: Remembering Allah Abundantly 

Eighth Trait: Conveying with Excellence & Eliminating Discourteous Argumentation 

Ninth Trait: Responding to Evil with Goodness 

Tenth Trait: Love of Allah & Preferring Him Over All Else

Question: The term Sufism (misnomer) was introduced by which Orientalist and when?

Answar:Source:Google AI:

The term Sufism (originally appearing as Sufiism) was coined in English around 1817 by Western scholars and Orientalists associated with the Asiatic Society and colonial administration in India, rather than being attributed to a single individual. [1, 2, 3]

Origins and ContextTimeframe: The neologism emerged in the late 18th to early 19th century (recorded in English as Sufiism in 1817 and later refined to Sufism by 1836). [1]

Early Figures: Pioneer British Orientalists like Sir William Jones (1746–1794) and later German scholars like F.A. D. Tholuck (who wrote Ssufismus in 1821) helped popularize the academic study of the tradition. [1, 2]
Concept vs. Tradition: While practitioners historically used the Arabic term taṣawwuf to describe their spiritual path, European Orientalists applied the -ism suffix to categorize it as an intellectual doctrine or standalone "mysticism" separate from mainstream Islamic practice. [1, 2, 3]

Taṣawwuf vs. Sufism: The Concept and the Category:

The divergence between the indigenous term and the Western neologism reflects two very different ways of understanding Islamic spirituality. [1]Taṣawwuf: This is an Arabic verbal noun that literally translates to "the process of becoming a Sufi" or "dressing in wool" (ṣūf). Within Islamic civilization, it is considered an internal, organic dimension of the Islamic faith. It is treated not as an isolated ideology, but as the practical realization of Ihsān (spiritual excellence or doing what is beautiful), operating side-by-side with Imān (faith) and Islām (ritual practice). [1, 2]
"Sufism": By attaching the Enlightenment-era "-ism" suffix, European academics artificially isolated these spiritual practices into a distinct, bounded "system" or philosophy. This shift reframed a living, multi-layered spiritual method into an abstract intellectual doctrine that could be studied independently of the daily religious life of Muslims. [1, 2, 3]

How Early Orientalist Views Shaped Modern Study
The early Western academic approach to taṣawwuf was heavily shaped by the colonial and cultural biases of the 18th and 19th centuries: [1]The Thesis of "Foreign Origin": Because many early Orientalists held deeply negative stereotypes about mainstream Islam—viewing it as inherently legalistic, stagnant, or "sterile"—they found it difficult to believe that profound mystical poetry and philosophy could blossom from within the faith. As a result, scholars like Sir William Jones argued that Sufism must have emerged from outside influences, such as Hindu Vedanta, Buddhist meditation, Christian monasticism, or ancient Greek Neo-Platonism. [1, 2, 3]

The Divide-and-Conquer Categorization: This scholarship created a sharp, manufactured dichotomy between the "good, tolerant, poetic Sufi" and the "bad, rigid orthodox Muslim". While colonial administrations eagerly cataloged and translated the humanistic poetry of Hafez or Rumi, they simultaneously viewed the actual, living Sufi political networks and brotherhoods (tariqas) with suspicion, seeing them as centers for potential anti-colonial resistance. [1, 2]

Impact on the Modern Field: For generations, Western academia inherited this flawed framework, often analyzing Sufi texts completely divorced from Islamic law (sharia) and theology. It was only in the mid-to-late 20th century that modern historians and scholars—such as Carl Ernst and Nile Green—successfully dismantled these older theories, definitively proving that historical Sufism and orthodox Islam were inextricably intertwined and mutually reinforcing. [1, 2, 3, 4]
Taṣawwuf vs. Sufism: The Concept and the Category

Post-Salafism: Is Salafism Beginning to Fragment? | Dr Besnik Sinani: Blogging Theology- Oct 3, 2026

 YouTube Video:

https://youtu.be/IbiGM6R-JaE?si=-DYlu31omOyktxTk

The Wahhabi Roots of Saudi Nationalism and the Persistence of Religious Nationalism: https://themaydan.com/2024/03/the-wah... Konak Institute: https://www.konak.org/besnik-sinani-bio  / besnik-sinani-067992353

Article:The Wahhabi Roots of Saudi Nationalism and the Persistence of Religious Nationalism
By Besnik Sinani // March 13, 2024- Maydan:An online publication of the AbuSulayman Center for Global Islamic Studies at George Mason University

Full Article:https://themaydan.com/2024/03/the-wahhabi-roots-of-saudi-nationalism-and-the-persistence-of-religious-nationalism/

"In January, 2022, Saudi Arabia announced that the following month, on February 22nd, 2022, the kingdom would begin celebrating a new national holiday. This celebration, termed “Founding Day,” pushed back the inception of the nation almost three decades prior to the fateful meeting in 1744 between Muhammad Ibn Saud, the then head of the small Saudi clan, and Muhammad Ibn Abd al-Wahhab, the religious reformer convinced that most Muslims had become idol-worshipers. The new celebration presents an alternative account, which removes the Wahhabis from the founding narrative of the nation, a further indication that nationalism is replacing Wahhabism as the legitimizing ideology of the kingdom. This observation reflects the history of ideological tension between nationalism and Wahhabism. Has that relationship, however, always been confrontational?
Nationalist ideology was long considered irrelevant in Saudi Arabia, due to seemingly two opposing forces, the country’s tribal fragmentation, which precluded a sense of national unity, and to the prominence of religion, which promoted a sense of brotherhood that transcended national boundaries. Saudi ulama have regarded nationalism as an expression of atheism. In the midst of the Cold War, Saudi Arabia spearheaded an ideological battle against Arab Nationalism, and King Faysal (d. 1975), aided by the ulama, emerged as the celebrated leader of a competing form of mobilization, known as Pan-Islamism. When King Abdullah (d. 2015) first recognized the Saudi National Day in 2005, and later declared it a National Holiday, he did so against the verdict of the ulama. In this context, the state promoted nationalism in an attempt to curb the power of religion in society. Taking place in the backdrop of the Islamist opposition movement of the 1990s, known as the Sahwa, the celebration of the National Day, together with major educational and cultural projects were part of a larger state policy aimed at what Rosie Bsheer has depicted as a de-centering of religion from the public sphere and from its historical role as the ideological backbone of the kingdom. The contemporary state promotion of nationalism aims to dramatically reduce the role of religion, and bring the focus of loyalty to the Royal Family, especially the Crown Prince, MBS.

Besnik Sinani is the author of the forthcoming monograph “Sufism in Saudi Arabia Since 1979: the Politics of Orthodoxy in Contemporary Islam” to be published by Brill in 2024. He is an AIWG fellow at the Center for Muslim Theology, Tübingen University. A version of this article was first presented in “The Religious Dimensions of Nationalism” Conference, at the Cini Foundation in Venice in 2021.

PhD Thesis PDF: The Future of Sufism in Saudi Arabia Under Salafi–Sufi Polemics and Vision 2030’s Adoption of Wasaṭiyya: Khalid S. Al Nassar MA ,Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of PhD Theology and Religious Studies School of Critical Studies College of Arts University of Glasgow 

https://theses.gla.ac.uk/85207/4/2025alnassarphd.pdf

ABSTRACT: In the aftermath of the poor reputation acquired by the government-supported Salafi establishment as the principal source of political Islam’s fundamentalist ideology behind Islamic terrorism, the Saudi government was compelled to rethink its internal socioreligious policies and imposition of the austere Salafism on the heterogenous Saudi society. Societal pluralism was promoted when different groups within society, Sufis, Shīʿa and liberal modernists, were all invited to participate in national dialogue forums. These forums were precursors to major socioreligious reform, as expressed in the country’s Vision 2030. Pluralism is sought in the controversial Qurʾanic concept of wasaṭiyya (middle way), hoping to provide a solid Islamic foundation for the unprecedented socioreligious change of attitude. Wasaṭiyya would achieve two premises, as advanced in this thesis. First, it would instil an intraIslamic and societal pluralism within the heterogeneous composition of Saudi society. Second, it would promote public acceptance of harmonious coexistence across cultural and religious worlds. The prevailing Salafi establishment’s definition of wasaṭiyya is not conducive to fulfilling the two premises mentioned above. Instead, this thesis proposes that an alternative Sufi-defined wasaṭiyya, grounded in taṣawwuf’s two principles of sulūk (behaviour; conduct) and akhlāq (ethics), would better fulfil the two premises. Yet, in a country known for its deeprooted Salafi abhorrence of taṣawwuf (Sufism), Sufism’s approach to wasaṭiyya cannot be addressed outside the context of the Salafi‒Sufi polemical relationship. Through a review of the literature and multimedia sources, a comparative analysis was conducted, and Salafi‒Sufi refutations and counter-refutations were identified. The research revealed that the Sufi interpretation of wasaṭiyya was inclusive, promoting pluralistic intraIslamic and a disposition towards modernist schools of thought. Taṣawwuf’s wasaṭiyya underlines a new comprehensive approach to an Islamic philosophy for life that naturally fulfils the two premises of the socioreligious-cum-political aspect of Vision 2030. Although the state of taṣawwuf in Saudi Arabia is far from widely accepted, government-supported intellectual efforts and official public media programmes about taṣawwuf target the country’s intelligentsia. This highlights the intellectual acknowledgement of true Sufism, in contrast to pseudo-Sufism, as essential to Islamic ethics. Consequently, this thesis advocates including Sufism’s two principles, sulūk and aklāq, in the country’s religious education system.

Article:In Saudi Arabia, a Resurgence of Sufism: Faiza Saleh Ambah:Special to The Washington Post-May 2, 2006
https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/01/AR2006050101380.html

"Salman al-Odah, the country's most popular puritanical cleric, who was jailed in the 1990s for opposing the presence of U.S. troops in the kingdom, accepted an invitation to visit Sufi cleric Abdallah Fadaaq's mawlid and lesson last week. The scene at Fadaaq's house was an obvious sign of conciliation.Al-Odah sat with his hands neatly folded in his lap, wearing a red-and-white checkered headdress and clear wraparound glasses and sporting the short scraggly beard that indicates a conservative. Fadaaq, who at 39 is emerging as the new symbol of Hejazi Sufism, wore the white turban, the white overcoat and shawl typical of Sufis, wooden prayer beads resting on his lap. "It's true that there are differences between the way people practice their faith in this country, and this is an indication that people are using their minds and thinking, which is a good thing," Fadaaq said. "But what we should concentrate on are the expanses that bring us together, like the prophet. We must take advantage of what we have in common."

Article:Visiting H.E. Al-Sayyid Abdallah Fadaaq, the highest ranking Sufi cleric of Arabia:Sayyid Ahmed Amiruddin Wordpress
https://ahmedamiruddin.wordpress.com/2010/07/22/visiting-h-e-al-sayyid-abdallah-fadaaq-the-chief-sufi-cleric-of-arabia/

Al-Sayyid Abdallah Fadaaq is the leading Sufi cleric of the Hijaz and the cheif of the Husayni line of the Prophet Muhammad’s (peace and blessings be upon him) descendents in the Hijaz. Al-Sayyid Abdullah comes from a family of Islamic scholars from Makkah Al Mukkaramah. His grandfather was amongst the leading scholars of the Hijaz during the Ottoman and Hashemite era and served as Imam at the Grand Mosque of Makkah. Differences arising with the current Wahabi regime forced him to leave teaching at the Grand Mosque in Makkah like his ancestors, to teach privately from his home in Jeddah. Shaykh Abdullah has authored many books and regularly appears in the Arab media and was a close student of the late Sufi scholar and sage of Arabia; Imam Al-Sayyid Muhammad ibn Alawi Al-Maliki Makki (rah).
Al-Sayyid Abdullah Fadaaq invited Sayyid Ahmed Amiruddin, a Deputy of Shaykh Mehmet Nazim Adil al-Haqqani, to his home during his Hijaz tour.