07-10-2004, 09:57 AM
Asalaamu alaikum,
MashaAllah those sites were helpful to you. All praise is to Him.
I might quickly touch upon your query about Tasawwuf being "elitist". It is nothing like that. The people who are guided are merely those who sincerely ask Allah (SWT) for guidance.
One thing about Tasawwuf, and perhaps this is where the impression of some sort of clique exists, is that the scholars of tasawwuf teach their students the adab of keeping the news to themselves.
It is more to prevent sowing any seeds of discontent between believers. It is a form of protection. Let me give you a typical scenario - one Sufi talks endlessly of how wonderful their shaykh is. Another believer may begin to doubt the knowledge of his shaykh, begin to believe that perhaps his own shaykh is not good enough.
If one sincerely asks Allah through istikarah they will find a shaykh who "suits" them. No one shaykh is for every believer.
Again, I am pressed for time but I can type more or even give you more links that may touch upon this.
-spider (actually ukhti!)