SIDI Receives Some DREADFUL Reviews on the Internet!

Here are some reviews I selected from some online bulletin boards.

A Vision of the Bleak Aftermath of
Sidi's Sociopathology

Although, to be sure, the fact they are usually anonymous - which might encourage more honest, also  calls for a certain degree of caution as per the veracity of the claims, the same themes emerge over and over and build a damning collective picture of a cynical, exploitative program--rife with profiteering and abuse.

  Even I, who spent countless hours in Sidi's home in Jerusalem with his seemingly-typical Palestinian family, can hardly believe the depravity of his behaviors. 

Similarly, I think many of the European fuqara, as well as my ex-wife, were blinded by the fact that the abuses weren't as prevalent in the early years, before Sidi began to travel to the US.

They had built their lives around Sidi's earlier, more traditional persona, and perhaps not witnessing his behaviors outside of the more-constrained Palestinian milleau.  

It's a not-infrequent Headline Story  -- "Eastern 'Guru' falls prey to American Temptations!"  

Contact with wealthy, gullible Western followers, eager for a 'savior',  has proven deadly for even the most highly-regarded Spiritual Masters.

The list of American-based, disgraced gurus/Spiritual 'Guides' is long. Perhaps the mere fact of celebrity and people begging to be told what to do so they can FEEL BETTER is just too much of a temptation.

Once Sidi showed up in the US, he had access to an unlimited audience of curious,  lost American souls. And he was completely unencumbered by local Islamic customs, such as the separation of men and women at dhikrs, prayers, and other gatherings.

What fooled me was Sidi's consistent and, to all appearances sincere belief that  he was acting on God's behalf --even when his behavior betrayed a darker, carnal, financially exploitative side.  

I mean, this guy was a metaphysician and poet -- complete with a highly sophisticated Sufi cosmology and epistomology.  I don't read Arabic enough to read his texts  in the original language, but in English translation they are quite beautiful and seemingly advanced.

Maybe understanding the 'why' of it isn't as important as the fact that it, the Downfall--REALLY WAS FOR REAL.  

Sidi REALLY DID cynically abuse people for sex and for money. 

For shame. Oh wait, I forgot. Let's blame it on the Zionists! They ruined EVERYTHING!!

This first internet entry really breaks my heart:

AnonymousOctober 23, 2022 at 1:07 AM

I was drawn into this group by a trusted friend at a vulnerable time of transition in my life. The whole coercion of someone declaring they are your spiritual father is deeply manipulative. I was involved from 2004-2012.
My interest in theology gave me the autonomy to participate from an academic perspective but I always found the leadership to be disingenuous. I saw psychological and spiritual abuse and unfortunately my daughter's safety was compromised.
She has not recovered from the ptsd she encountered and when we called Sidi and his helper about life being threatened by someone from his group, they both laughed.
I experienced years of trauma bonding with him because he convinced me he was my "father". So sad that these narcissistic abusers would target sincere seekers who have histories of trauma from childhood.
His inner circle were fully aware of his transgressions and I can say I witnessed them looking brainwashed at times.
Hurts my heart to think the beautiful teachings of Tasawwuf (purification of the heart) were used to gain money sex and power over emotionally orphaned Americans.

Money is never suppose to be asked for if a person wants to learn about the deepest truth of the Quran.

Charity is only required if the student is consciously willing and able.

Compulsion is never allowed in Islam.

Ex-teacher:

"The people I met in this organization always had the highest of intentions. We really thought we were in something wonderful, that we were cultivating self-responsibility and awareness, and could never get caught up in something as insidious as a cult. We even had discussions about how this was not a cult, and we were all very aware of what was going on.

But then, the stories began…and I wouldn't find out for years that all of them were true, even though I was one of the ten people in the "innermost circle" of the organization, and one of the highest ranked teachers in the country. In short, Sidi was having sexual relations with his students (while married, both he and his students), he gathered enormous amounts of money from us every year on his visits, and while some was given to charities in Jerusalem" *(see Rense.com: Raiders of the Lost Ark), " he also gave much of it to his sons who lived in the Bay Area (and weren't very financially solvent themselves, I believe).

I don't even know where to begin or end, really - sexual abuse, financial abuse , psychological abuse…there was/is so much lying about everything, it just hurts to think about all the well-intentioned people who have been hoodwinked by Sidi al-Jamal over the years.

I hope this helps, and I hope that anyone who hears about this organization or its communities (for they exist around the USA; West, South, East, and North), or the "Sufi University" can see this group for what it is - nice people, but 99% of them have no idea what they're in, or getting other people into. Good luck, everyone."

Ex-teacher
forum.culteducation.com
a sufi cult page 3

AnonymousDecember 31, 2009 at 3:18 AM

All I am going to state here is my federally protected freedom of speech and is my own opinion.

I left this group a while ago and this whole group is basically a fraud. A sophisticated scam and a pyramid scheme. They lie about what the "donations" are about and Sidi himself lies about the entire money issue too.

Sidi's second hand man is a man who runs a pyramid scheme for a living and one of the products he sold ended up killing people and got shut down. He activily recrouts new people to his pyramid schemes in the community.

Anyone who endorses con men who run pyramid schemes and someone who uses his MD as a way to get people to pay thousands of dollars for his fake "healings" is not a person to be trusted. I realized Sidi himself is a fraud as there is no other rational explaination for his behavior and of those he put in positions of power.

The healing school is nothing more than an indoctornation system for this cult and also the main revenue source. It is nothing but a scam also.

This group is a cult with abusive behavior. They condone the abuse when it is done by their "teachers" and "leaders" and by Sidi and is covered up like in all religious groups.

If those still in the group doubt this, all the evidence is there to see. Go search for "cults" on google and see how many of the characteristics apply.

This group lies about everything and exploits people who are hurting and desperate. Not any different than 99% of all new age healing and spiritual groups as well as most organized religion.

They condone materialism, while pushing their over priced gift where they guage people and justify it by being for "god"

They are hyprocrites and liars and it is a cult that epxloits people for money and in other ways.

The books that sidi is supposed to write that comes out every year is nothing but a sham. They say the same shit which has no meaning in different ways and not so different. The exact same phrases are repeated over and over and these $40 books are nothing but a revenue machine for the group.

All this stuff is out there in the open to see if people want to see it. Go read about cults and see how many apply to this group.

I am glad I got out before I gave them any real money or got more abuse and damage from them. Most of the members and teachers are deeply wounded people who treat others poorly and abuse other people and justify their behavior through "god"

                                                                             -----------------------------------

AnonymousOctober 1, 2011 at 9:36 AM

I went to someone's commitment ceremony in Texas under this religion. I think it was done by Sidi Jamal - he was really old and didn't seem in good health. Anyway, I tend to pick up on energy and be intuitive and I did not want to be in this room with all of these people. I had a bad feeling and felt anxious. When the couple went to be committed by him I was more uncomfortable because they wanted all of us to sit in a circle around the ceremony. I was about 4 feet from who I think was Sidi. As it went on I got more and more uncomfortable and things started to get weird for me. Sounds and voices faded away and my vision dulled and I saw a slow swirling of black smoke around this guy that was just hovering around. I couldn't figure out what I was seeing but felt the hair on my neck start to stand up and began telling myself to calm down and tried to think positive things about my space and 'protect' it from this energy. I looked over at my boyfriend and he looked terrorized. He was white and just looked scared. I held his hand and when it was over,we ran out of there before his sister could even turn around. We literally ran to the car and got out of there as quick as we could. Later, his sister asked what we thought and we didn't know what to say. Shed just gotten committed by this mystical guy she believes in and wants an honest opinion but we couldn't tell her we thought he was a cult leader or worse, a truly evil being....it was scary and I don't know what the black smoke meant but a couple Indian friends said it was very bad and to see it means to get away from a bad spirit. Like I say, I'm not sure what this was all about but I do get feelings or see colors around people sometimes and this was the most negative thing I'd ever experienced.

                                                                                  --------------------------------

AnonymousJanuary 8, 2013 at 9:57 AM

I have followed Sidi's teachings for 9 years now. Sidi's teachings are only about the love, peace, mercy, and justice for all and my experience is that he only wants to give to people. His teachings have helped me in many ways. Sadly, the people who have written on this site don't understand him, but he has helped many, many people all around the world. Sidi's remedies work and are much less expensive than allopathic medicines. I have found that Ibrahim Jaffe cares deeply for people and he has also helped to heal many people of many different illnesses. I have seen many people's lives greatly improved by following Sidi's teachings. If you are reading this blog and are interested, I suggest you find out for yourself what this is about and not blindly believe what is written on this blog.

                                                                         -----------------------------------------

1. 
   AnonymousMarch 12, 2013 at 9:35 PM

   Sidi Muhammad al-Jamal, Ibrahim Jaffe, and the University of Spiritual Healing and Sufism comments
   
   Regarding the previous two commentors, the fact that you are reading and commenting here is an indication you must be having doubts about Sidi al Jamal or Ibrahim Jaffe. Do you always choose your spiritual leaders based on intuition or did you thoroughly research their backgrounds before you made any commitment? Were you aware of adultery allegations? Do not ignore these or other stories you may have heard. A leader having sexual relations with beloveds is never ok, even if you're told it will make you closer to, or be in unity with God, and is an exception from him. Did you ever speak to anyone who is no longer a follower? If not, why? There are many.....who are alive and well.
   In order to gain a better perspective, do a search on the BITE model, Singer's Conditions for Thought Reform, or Lifton's Criteria for Thought Reform and see for yourself how they can apply to this group. You should also search cult warning signs and characteristics of cult leaders. Unfortunately, you've been a victim of very sophisticated mind control techniques. I share the opinion as previously stated above, that the "University of Spiritual Healing and Sufism" is part of a cleverly disguised indoctrination system, also including the "Path of Love" and all the other retreats, etc.. Cults routinely use weekend workshops in order to get people into an unfamiliar environment (often remote) where they can control things such as diet, sleep, privacy, etc., and use various trance induction techniques so that they can subtly take control of a person's mind. Love-bombing is also commonly used. A new name, a new identity, and a new belief system is created. Sadly, most of us are unaware of these covert techniques until it is too late and we are already victims. No one under mind control ever knows they're under mind control!!!! Therefore it can happen to ANYONE, no matter how educated they are. Other good, idealistic and well-intentioned people are also unwittingly deceptively recruited and help fuel the indoctrination machine.
   Leaders who are almost always very charismatic are central in cults. It is very easy for us to be taken advantage of by people like Sidi and Jaffe who have mastered all the tricks of the trade.
   Don't give them another dime and see just how much love, peace, mercy, and justice you receive. You'll most likely discover that the "Love" is conditional---based on your financial contributions. Ask about where the donations to SIDI really go and to see evidence. See if you get a straight answer. Authentic teachers and healthy spiritual groups welcome inquiry and show accountability. They encourage questions and give direct answers. Keep searching and keep questioning. There are many of us out there who have been deeply damaged and victimized. We need to speak up and speak out. Remember, you are not alone.

                                                                                          --------------------------------

Posted by: helpme2times ()

Date: May 31, 2008 11:15PM

About my involvement in the Shadhiliyya (Shadhuli) Sufi order...

In 1998, a good friend told me that he had been having sessions in something called "Sufi healing". He raved about the sessions, said they went very deep and were really helping him.

I trusted this friend and being in a very vulnerable time of my life (my marriage was on the rocks), I decided to try one of these sessions. I arranged for a telephone session with someone trained by Dr. Robert (Ibrahim) Jaffe.

Just as my friend said, the session was very deep. Frankly it was too deep. I felt rather traumatized by the emotional places this healer, a medical doctor, took me to. Which set me up to feel a need for more sessions.

I had a few more sessions and was still hungry for more. So when I learned that there was to be a Sufi healing workshop given by Dr. Jaffe in NYC in late 1998, I made the arrangements and went to it.

Dr. Jaffe told a very moving story of how he'd been a hugely successful "energy healer" with his own school, but then he became quite ill with some sort of heart condition and was supposedly dying. (He claimed he "asked God" how much time he had left and heard the response, "six months.") Jaffe said that he then began putting his affairs in order and was preparing to die. But then a friend approached him and said that he had found a Sufi master whom he thought could help Jaffe. He decided it was worth a shot and so he traveled to Jerusalem to see if Sheikh Sidi Muhammad could help him.

Jaffe said that he was at first unimpressed by Sidi, that the man actually fell asleep in front of him at one point. But then Sidi said to him, "Allah tells me you have six months to live." He further said something to the effect of, "You are dying because you have forgotten how to love yourself the way God loves you." (I cried away when I heard that. It really got to me.)

And so Jaffe suposedly learned how to love himself ala God and was rescued from death's door.

He then shifted from his "energy mastery" approach to one of spiritual healing. He believes that all illness springs from spiritual disconnection. (Not so different from Christian Science.)

The Sufi healing workshop I took involved a lot of deep emotional releasing. I was so opened up that on the final day of the workshop I "took the promise" to be a Sufi in the Shadhiliyya order, even though I barely knew what that meant.

After I took the promise, a member of the group, Hamid, approached me and said that I needed to give some sort of donation to show my commitment to the path. He said that it needed to be a substantial amount. Bizarrely, he told me that there would be an animal sacrifice made on my behalf. I seem to recall giving somewhere around $600, which was no small change to me at the time.

(If I hadn't been flying so high from all the emotionality of the Sufi healing workshop, I would have been much more in touch with valid concerns about the group and probably would have run far and fast away.)

In the group we were urged to adopt Islam as our religion. I took that seriously and set about learning the five-times-a-day prayers, etc. I became extremely straight-laced and wore a scarf on my head as much as possible, since I was told I needed to protect against astral beings. On top of following Islamic practices, we were given a number of Sufi practices, such as chanting in Arabic thousands of times each morning and evening. It was quite time-consuming. And we were often asked to participate in costly events and give sizable donations to the group.

We were told that all sorts of things were "against God". Things like Reiki healing, which I had been involved in for some years. Over time I would learn that homosexuality and eastern religions were also "against God". By then, I had become quite disgusted with all that was being asked of me and I wrote an email to Dr. Jaffe announcing that I was leaving the path.

Jaffe responded months later and threatened that I could become sick and die from something like cancer for leaving. That did not happen. Instead, I discovered some years later that Jaffe's own wife got ill with cancer and died from it.

That is the gist of my involvement with the Shadhiliyya Sufi order. There is a lot of detail that I am leaving out, and a fair amount of it is hard to remember accurately now. I do hope that anyone who comes upon this group and has doubts about it will be helped by doing an internet search and coming upon my story, as well as the story I gave a link to in my first post. I also highly recommend reading Ibn Warraq's "Why I Am Not a Muslim." (No offense to anyone who finds great solace in Islam or any other religion, but I think it is important to know the roots of the religion if one is deciding whether or not to convert to it.)

                                                                      ___________________________

Raiders Of The Lost Ark
By Malcolm Fraser
7-9-2

In the negotiations for peace in the Mid East, there are some stark parameters. The return of the Palestinian refugees, disbanding the Israeli settlements, and withdrawal behind 1967 borders.   Then there is control of East Jerusalem.   In the secular societies of Europe, it is hard to understand that people still believe in their religions enough to commit to armed conflict for the indefinite future. Issues of arable land and water rights are easier to comprehend. That is not the main issue here.   When Sharon made his provocative visit to the Temple Mount two years ago, it stirred up a storm of protest from the Palestinians, leading directly to the violence we see today. For his part, Sharon was rewarded by becoming Prime Minister, expanding the settlements, and being able to link the Mid East to the 'War on Terrorism'. This was surely his agenda from the outset, but given this strategy did have its risks, was there an even more compelling and immediate motivation? Did he achieve his goal?   The religious symbolism of Jerusalem is crucial to both sides. The Temple Mount has the Dome on the Rock mosque. It is also the site of King Solomon's temple. It is an area ruled by the Palestinian council, the Waqf. Underneath the Mount is a site of archeological vandalism. The interior of the Mount has been partially dug out, dumped in trucks and carted away to landfills. This is well documented on the Internet. Researchers have only been able to examine tiny proportion of the debris; they point out the artifacts they find span three thousand years of Jewish history and memory. It is being done to build a mosque underneath the Mount.   On whose orders?   There are a number of areas where Yasser Arafat defers to a quiet and amiable former Jordanian judge, Imam and Sufi teacher called Sheikh Muhammad Sa'id al-Jamal al-Rifa'i, also called Sidi.   Sidi claims to be the head of the Shaduliyyah Order of Sufism, with 15 million members worldwide. American adherents consider him to be The Guide of the Path, a perfect master. In Palestine they don't take this so literally, having closed down a retreat center because of repeated allegations of Sidi's adultery.   He has visited America on several occasions, and raises several hundred thousand dollars each time through various organizations, the Shaduliyya Center, the Shaduliyah Sufi Center, and the Jaffe Institute. The flow of money continues post 9/11, with no accountability.   Set up as nonprofit organizations, money goes to Sidi as the sole beneficiary, which is not legal in America. In Jerusalem, the money goes directly to Sidi, then disappears without trace. The leader of the Jaffe Institute, Dr. Robert 'Ibrahim' Jaffe, has promised an accurate accounting of donations on several occasions over the last four years; even after 9/11 it never materialized. The FBI has been investigating the money trail for several months.   One indication might be that Sidi would make frequent visits to family members in Tul Karm, the local center for the Al-Aqsa Brigade suicide bombers. He reportedly would leave his home in East Jerusalem with large sums of cash in his pocket, including cashed checks and money from American devotees who would send it to him directly, believing it was going to charitable causes. There is no known non-profit bank account to process American donations sent directly to the Holy Land. Perhaps his connections are even better than they appear. In August 2001 Sidi was able to tell people in Austin, TX that: "Allah would send a strong thing to America very soon."   Questioning either Sidi or Dr. Jaffe about the money or adultery elicits responses best described as implausible non-deniability. Sidi does the same when faced with questions about his views on Israelis and the control of East Jerusalem. To his students in the west, he proclaims love and generosity to Israelis. From the pulpit, his sermons contain phrases (translated) like "The Israelis are with the shaytun, they will get what they deserve." In America, in April 1999 he also said, "Get the Israelis out of Jerusalem." When Arafat's men went to ask him about ending the Intifada, his reply (translated) was, "We need to keep the bombers, they are martyrs for their country, I tell him not to stop."   The same thing happened with the excavation. When asked why he was supporting it, he replied that he had stopped it. When invited to see the dumptrucks operating at that very moment, he simply denied it was happening.   Sidi Sheikh Muhammad al Jamal is a significant religious leader behind the Palestinians, and well-funded. As the excavations proceeded, all sorts of rumors flew about the lost Ark of the Covenant being underneath the Mount, having already been rediscovered, or that the Israelis wanted to seize the Mount in order to build the third temple on the site of King Solomon's. The Palestinian plan to build a mosque inside the Mount, also aims to put the Mount beyond negotiation. As a symbol, the Mount exerts a singular attraction for both sides. He who controls East Jerusalem, has a huge psychological advantage in the continuing conflict.   The status quo was disturbed when the Palestinians started the excavations. Sharon's goal with the original march was to stop the digging. In this he succeeded. Can the current status quo last indefinitely? No. The embers will be rekindled at some time. When that happens, American New Age converts will carry on funding their distinctly non-mystical Sufi teacher as he fans the flames. ___     Malcom Fraser M_Fraser@prodigy.net

                                                                  ___________________

AnonymousAugust 26, 2013 at 9:17 AM

This path has been the biggest blessing of my life. Through the practices I have more love, gratitude, self-awareness, social responsibility, joy and contentment than I ever thought possible. Follow the love, fear and pain lead to more fear and pain. I used to blame everything and everyone for my suffering and it kept me a prisoner. When I finally realized that everything that happened "to me" from the "outside" was truly a hidden place inside myself that needed to change. This path is not for the faint of heart. People are people and Allah is Allah. Everyone will make mistakes, who are we to judge, judge yourself and your own actions. It is ok to hate something someone does. The healing happens when you allow them back into your heart, even if they are no longer physically in your life. This keeps the flow of love moving and will heal any illness. Sidi is a human, he has made mistakes and I have personally witnessed him crying for his mistakes and asking Allah for forgiveness. Ibrahim is a human he makes mistakes and likewise I have seen and heard him apologize publicly for his actions. All of you who were hurt, I am truly sorry. I sometimes thank Allah that I found the path in 2006. Although anything that happened in the past can be healed if you are willing to let it go. Allah says in His Quran to the Messenger (SAWS) you are but a messenger. Sidi, Ibrahim and all teachers put themselves out there for all to judge and continue against much criticism and I am grateful. Allow yourself to find out for yourself. God is greater than all of creation, He will not lead you astray. By the way, I was raised Catholic, found the Sufi path and now embrace Islam, however will attend and pray with anyone who loves God/Allah. Make no separation and if separation is what you see, then look to yourself, love yourself. Peace and blessings to you all. oh and I found this site and it intrigued me to hear and see all of this. I heard most of this when I started the path, but I followed my own heart, had my own journey and I encourage all of you to do the same.\

                                                                   _____________________________

Tom Kelleher

Jul 31, 1999, 12:00:00 AM

to

I am new to this newsgroup and its discussions, and claim no expertise
regarding Islam...which in fact is the reason I am posting this question in
the first place. My mother has recently become a follower of a man named
Sidi, a Sufi holy man as I understand, and purely out of concern for her I
am trying to find out a little more about him.

In full his name and title (please forgive if the word "title" is
inappropriate) as I found it at http://www.sufimaster.org/index.htm seems to
be "Shaykh, al-Qutb al-Gawth, Sidi Shaykh Muhammad al-Jamal ar-Rifa'i
as-Shadhuli the Guide of the Shadhdhuliyya path, the sufi path founded by
Shaykh Abu-l-Hasan as-Shadhuli in Egypt in the thirteenth century AD."

My mother has several times in the past become a follower of charismatic
men -- some of whom turned out to be charlatans. I am not accusing Sidi of
being such, and would be happy if she has found a leader worthy of her
devotion. But I am ignorant of him, and would hope to collect here your
thoughts, your praise, or your concerns about the man and his work. My
mother has moved to a poor and struggling commune in nothern California to
join a group of other American Sufis (most are 18 to 25 years old) and as I
understand it, they contribute large amounts of money to Sidi's work and
causes. Again, if his work and causes are sound ones I will only be glad to
hear it. But my mother suffered through 20+ years of crushing debt after
her last brush with a "spiritual leader" and within a year of getting out of
debt announced she was retiring and moving to this commune. The commune
produces no income and seems to survive off the donations of the
members...and the translation of the Sufi name given her by Sidi is
"Generous." Altogether, this frightens me.

Also, at the same time she entered this community word was passed around
excitedly among its members of an offshore investment opportunity. "Invest
$1000 and you are guaranteed to get your money back in 13 weeks. Leave it
in, and every 13 weeks you will make it back again." The members signed up
en masse, and each was also asked by Ibrahim (the commune's local leader) to
invest an additional $1000 with the dividends going to the commune. I read
over the information provided, and it had every trapping of a "Ponzi
Scheme" -- a kind of investment fraud where the early subscribers make huge
profit and then it fizzles out, leaving most people poorer and the original
"schemer" much richer. We warned my mother that this was almost certainly a
Ponzi Scheme, and in time, it fizzled out exactly as predicted. But she
ignored our cautions and warnings saying that Ibrahim and Sidi had "looked"
at the investment psychically (that is the word she used) and deemed it safe
for the coming two years. It fizzled out within five months. These young
people and my mother lost thousands of dollars each. My mother continues to
deny that it could possibly have been a Ponzi Scheme, because it had been
okay'ed by Ibrahim and Sidi.

So my level of concern for her is high. Having no other point of reference
than past family history, I worry that my mother is repeating it. But these
worries may be unwarranted, and again, I would be relieved to hear objective
and unambiguous praise for the man.

Please do not feel I mean in any way to be derogatory or inflammatory
towards the man, the Sufi faith, or Islam. I mean to make no statement here
other than that I love my mother and am concerned for her. Being raised in
America by an Irish Catholic father and a Protestant mother, I am simply out
of my element and trying to gather understanding.

Thank you all in advance,

- Tom

Here's the extensive source of many additional critiques of Sidi and his disciples:

https://forum.culteducation.com/read.php?12,57030,57030#msg-57030

Sidi Sheik Muhammad's FALSE 'Twin Flame' Arranged Marriages

Was Sidi a real 'Sufi Guide'?  

A more relevant question to me is, "Was Sidi even a good Muslim?" 

Sidi's Marriages Sometimes Paired Off Couples
of Questionable Compatibility

He started his career in Palestine as an official in the Jordanian Waqf--the entity responsible for maintaining Islamic buildings and laws in the Occupied West Bank.  He had a parallel side-career as the inheritor of a relatively small branch of the Shadhiliya Sufi Order.

Extraordinary? Yes! He achieved noteriety as a judge and protector of the mosques on the Temple Mount.

His interactions with Westerners were relatively unknown until he retired from his Islamic Judgeship sometime in the 90's

After he came to America, beginning in 1994,  he became known for aggressive donation-seeking--both directly for his own 'expenses' and indirectly for 'widows and orphans' he purported to support. 

He additionally allowed himself to be attached to  pyramid schemes promoted by his followers that were later shut down by law enforcement,  and alternative health products and 'energy healings' with hefty price tags and of dubious value .

He became increasingly infamous for his rumored liaisons with his female followers. While none of these may EVER be directly verified, in this observer's opinion, "where there is smoke, there  is fire".   

In Sidi's case, there was a forest fire's worth of smoke.  

The accusations are just too numerous and frequent to brush off as intentional fictions . 

What IS clear is that he initiated dozens, if not HUNDREDS, of spontaneous 'Spiritual Marriages' among his unmarried followers.  And in such a way as he would NEVER have attempted them locally, with Palestinian Muslims.

This 'Spontaneous Marriage' was never a feature of Islam in general nor Sufism in particular. 

Though as in many religion traditions and  in many traditional cultures, 'arranged marriage' was indeed fully accepted as a practice which assured family support for couple, and usually involved some limited period of courtship so the couple could get to know each other first.

Sidi's marriages were something different. Rarely were any parents or family present. There was seldom any advanced notice. It had a festive, carnival, game show feeling about it.  

There was giddy speculation amongst the womenfolk about who Sidi might match with who. 

 It was kind of like the children's game of 'spin-the-bottle'. Only you didn't just kiss the 'winner'.  You married them. For life.

Or else, you realized later that the basis on which you had agreed to marry a total stranger was faulty. Held together by only you and your new partner's hope that Sidi had some 'advanced Spiritual Criteria' for you marriage.

When in fact, given the high ratio of divorce amongst those marriages, the only conclusion which can be reached is that they were completely a coin toss. Random.

I was given the uncomfortable option of marrying one of Sidi's students within a few days of meeting him. And her.

And when I hesitated, Sidi increased the pressure by insisting we take part in a "Garden of Eden" Re-enactment, complete with sexual intercourse.  

All, of course, for our own spiritual growth.

And while such an experience, and the fear of missing out on what I assummed was the 'Chance of a Lifetime' to become a disciple of some advanced form of Sufism, led me to ultimately marry this person, it was a difficult pairing.

We couldn't get along.  And I couldn't find the spiritual support in Sidi's Teachings that my wife apparently did. Which I did.  Though not directly, unfortunately.  

My partner, who I will call Aisha, was cultic in the extreme--devoting herself to propagating Sidi's teachings and always on the lookout for new 'brothers and sisters' to recruit and bring to him.  We spent every summer at Sidi's house in Jerusalem.

Having given up on Sidi's help, and not feeling strong enough to set forth on another spiritual/psychological course, I ended up surrendering to and being overwhelmed by addictions.

And Aisha divorced me. In 1995.

Sidi  could tell stories and promote his views for hours.  He actually looked a bit like an Old Testament prophet--with a wide red beard and an air of stoic resolve and intensity.

In America, he found willing lieutenants (see A Tale of Two Sidis),  to help publicize and monetize his appearances while promoting their own side-ventures.  Ultimately, Sidi was able to attract 100's of disciples in America during the late 1990s and early 2000's.

He preached an informal, folksy, and frequently charming gospel of 'The Peace and The Love' and coaxed Westerners to adopt Islamic names, dress, and practices, including animal sacrifice.  

 What distinguished his teaching was the formerly unheard-of 'Sudden Spiritual Marriage' process that he invariably pursued with his single disciples.

As time went on, he de-emphasized advanced and elite Sufi states of cultivation and seemed more interested in evangelizing the West with the more common, external Religion of Peace--Islam, actually.

When I met Sidi in 1979 in Jerusalem, he was exceedingly quick to initiate me as his murid (disciple)-- even though I had only arrived at his zawiya (residential study center) a few days earlier, and was perilously close to full-blown alcoholism.

(It's funny, though.  The very act of taking 'initiation' DOES make one feel different. And included with it came a new, Arabic 'spiritual name'.  Right from the beginning, one changes identity, one begins to role play what one THINKS a good Sufi should be doing, at the moment).

However, historically speaking, I think Sidi's pace was rather rushed.

It should have been my first clue that 'all was not right' in the state of Sidi's Order.

I had, at that point, little attraction to either Sufism or Islam.  Though I had studied Islamic history for a couple of quarters and taken a year of Arabic in college,  such 'qualifications' came more from a desire to study one ancient religious tradition intensively than from a personal interest in Islam.  

Personally, I was more inclined towards the mystical sides of Buddhism, Hinduism, and/or Christianity--all of which I had actively practiced at some point.  

In any case, I went along with Sidi's Islamic 'initiation' because of the powerful 'cinematic' quality of the situation --  here I was, at that moment, rather a lonely, depressed, and alcoholic single guy shuffling  thru life without a purpose.

Suddenly, I found myself a new and welcomed member of an international spiritual community on the Mount of Olives near Jerusalem, walking the hills and olive groves that Jesus did. Listening to the periodic braying of donkeys, as well as the majestic Calls to Prayer booming down the Biblical valleys five times per day.

Within a short walk were all the attractions of the Holy Land itself--the Garden of Gethsemane, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the splendid Dome of the Rock, the Wailing Wall.

The environs seemed designed to promote remembrance of a time when God manifested on Earth thru his Prophets. And, especially for Christians, the Prophet/Savior Jesus.

Is it any wonder that I fell under the sway of an Islamic Imam who seemed cut in the mold of one of those Prophetic figures--albeit a more recent version?

Moreover, he was always cordially attentive to all Westerners who came to him.  He built people up with kind words and encouragement.  He was clearly the Supreme Authority of his household, and out in the world people deferred to him, though he didn't seem to be about his own ego, but rather to be in the tiring business of enforcing adherence to  Islamic principles--as well as to ministering to his own fuqara of both Eastern and Western disciples.

Though it was my impression that the Palestinian crew of Sufi disciples diminished over the course of several Intifadas and the re-Islamification in more puritanical terms which took place in Palestine in response.  

Gone were the 'liberated' women I used to see 'shamelessly' going about their affairs in Western dresses. Back came the veils and full-length chadors--more or less as a political statement against rising Zionist expansion and violence.

In any case, a few days after my initiation,  Sidi paired me off with  a single Canadian mother who, with her daughter, was also studying in the zawiya.

His demand that we marry as totally unexpected as it was authoritative and demanding.  And though I felt slightly guilty or ungrateful to say 'no' -- it just didn't feel appropriate to me.

Also, my soon-to-be-partner, whom I'll call here Aisha*, seemed hesitant as well.  

What shocked me even more was what followed:

(Please request access)

After Aisha and I returned to our respective North American countries, we carried with us the question of whether we should follow thru with Sidi's commandment/suggestion that we marry.

Eventually, albeit without considerable uncertainty, we did.

And as a result, our lives were inevitably focused on Sidi/Islam/Sufism, although I still felt internally unconvinced about what my place was within the religion.

I was certainly far from comfortable asserting the superiority of Islam over other faith traditions.  Rather, I clung to the idea that being a 'Sufi' allowed me to 'pass' on acceptance or rejection of 'outside' Islam.  

Particularly concerning such issues as to whether Islam was the 'true religion' of mankind.  As well as the issue of whether the Torah and/or the New Testament had been 'changed' where they expressed ideas not in accordance with the Koran--the actual death and Resurrection of Jesus being perhaps the most important of those.

I tended to validate the Western scholarly opinions which had dominated my limited study of Islam--rather than the pious Islam of Sidi and others; that Muhammad  had the final say about everything, even though Muhammad was illiterate and had limited exposure to Christian and Jewish scriptures and ideas.

Increasingly, I began to notice that Sidi dropped his emphasis on the Sufi path and preached a more standard version of Islam to Americans, while also practicing a few Sufi rituals such as 'dhikr' once 'disciples' had taken his hand.

(This is confirmed in a eulogy Sheik wrote him--congratulating and thanking him for being one of the biggest proselytizers for Islam in America.  It was ironic to me, as Nurideen Durkee was instrumental in the foundation of the Lama Foundation, which notably published the initial version of BE HERE NOW in 1970, by the beloved teacher Ram Dass).  http://greenmountainschool.org/slides/in-memory-of-a-great-shaykh-in-memory-of-a-long-long-friendship/).

In fact, I don't recall very much back-and-forth between Sidi and myself on matters spiritual. He usually came down to the zawiya after coming home from work and having had dinner.  It never occurred to me to ask specific questions.  I just sort of 'basked' in Sidi's aura.  THAT was the point, for me.  And that is about as far as I really went with it.  Other than reading mystical Sufi writers and doing dhikr with Aisha occasionally.  

Sidi Also Married an American Many Decades Younger

I'm sort of embarrassed to recall how little effort I put into the effort.  I didn't care much for the 5x a day prayers, either.  I'm sure all this was a huge disapointment to my Ex.  Thinking back on it, I'm kinda amazed she lasted as long as she did.  It wasn't that I REJECTED Sidi--I still rather liked him and the whole experience of spending our summers at his home in Jerusalem.

Sidi was always trying to marry off single newcomers to his sect almost immediately--as soon as someone of the opposite sex could be found.  It became almost a rite of passage.

Although the external pretext for it was that the proposed partnership was part of the 'work' of honing one's ego by virtue of daily living with a marriage partner, in reality there was an expectation that this was one's 'soul mate'. 

In my view,  these were tools to keep the new partners focused on the one personality factor they DID share--that of being Sidi's disciples.  It kept them dependent on HIM. 

He was lampooned, even by some of his own family, for shamelessly foisting himself off on female Western disciples--although it should be said no named former disciple has been willing to come forward on this account.

Returning to my own experience, I can absolutely testify  that Sidi took the unusual step of encouraged me and his Canadian disciple 'Aisha' to marry just days after we'd met and, failing that, to have sex with each other in the same room as him.  And that that sexual contact took place several nights in a row.

This was a breach of morality that had no parallel in Islam OR Sufism.  At the time, we interpreted it as a kind of 'accelerated' spiritual teaching' that Sidi, with his presumed Higher Authority as a Sufi Guide of the Highest Degree was allowed to generate.

As time went on, and the fissures between Aisha and me grew and the hoped-for Spiritual Transformation based on our marriage did NOT take place, my suspicions grew that Sidi was operating more as a free-lance, rogue, and morally bankrupt human being than as a representative of any religious tradition.

Moreover, the person I married, at his recommendation, did so, I believe, not out of any special love for me but as an agent of Sidi's to assist in my transformation into an elevated, transformational Beloved for her with whom we would complete some ultimate Work with each other.

The false sense of intimacy with each other that Sidi created thru suddenly sexualizing our relationship was, upon later reflection, a brutal invasion of our individual psychologies.

I believe Sidi used the 'tool' of marriage to cement individuals as adherents to him and/or to Islam.  It stands to reason that if two people that knew nothing about each other suddenly found themselves married off--then they would devote their time to the one characteristic they shared--membership in Sidi's fuqara.

Aisha initially chaffed at living an 'ordinary' married life with me in California.  She was more comfortable with Sidi in Jerusalem than ANYWHERE in the West.  I'm not sure she really wanted to marry me, or anybody.  But as someone who was wildly committed to Sidi's way, she could hardly refuse him on this point.

Moreover, when she DID leave me, it was after Sidi had given initiation to a man named Ali, who later showed up in the house I shared with my Aisha under the guise of a mere 'follower',  but who nonetheless surreptitiously advised and comforted my former wife as she divorced me and moved away with our two young children.

(I had my own troubles with fidelity, at the time, as well.  We weren't very good at communicating as a couple.  Rather, Aisha always referred EVERYTHING to Sidi.  I'm not sure whether divorcing me was something he actually allowed her to do, or something he appeared to oppose in public but cared little about in private).

None of which Sidi seemed to care to forbid, despite my desperate pleadings, and despite his reputation as a 'Divorce Court Judge' famous for keeping marriages together, at least in Palestine.  Sidi did not publicly demand that Ali stop 'dating' my wife.

It was a mystery to me why.  Until I finally came to the conclusion that, by this point, Sidi had personally abandoned most of his Islamic scruples when it suited his other goals.

And, in the end, though it exactly as heavy toll on me, and I believe our mutual children as well, there was little point in continuing a marriage where one of us wanted ONLY to act as Sidi's publisher and promoter as the primary focus of her life.  And, as I believe, in a cultic attachment to Sidi as a manifestation of God Himself.

Aisha preferred the certainty and superiority of her mostly-solitary (delusional?) spiritual life to the vagaries of human relationships.  And, as the poverty of her choices of partners (myself, at the time we met, included), indicated, she was more interested in changing other people to fit the mold of her idealized, desired future companions than take on the risk of vulnerable, equal human relationships.

Sidi chose mainly to focus on a vague 'Universal Peace and Love' teaching.  Along with donation-seeking, endorsing spurious 'energy healings', promoting pyramid schemes and marrying total strangers who had recently taken initiation with him.

IMHO, Sidi gave up whether moral authority he may have had as a judge in Islamic Palestine, and joined up in a well-worn tradition of American Charlatanry.

Only this time, it wasn't 'Snake Oil' or 'Salvation' that was for sale.  It was an Arabized cult of 'Peace and Love' that was driven by Sidi's personality, and the excitement of his presumed Spokesmanship for Allah, and the common adoption of Islamic accoutrement, especially dress.

In another case I personally was in the center of, Sidi collected 'zakat' (2.5% Wealth Tax) from a New Mexican couple.  The tax, $10,000, appeared almost immediately to be transferred to one of Sidi's close relatives to buy an interest into a gas station in Northern California.  

The couple found out about this and were incensed.  Sidi apparently denied it--yet the money appeared.  I happened to look up what the Shari'a law is on this question, and in NO CASE is this tax, which is to be intended for the 'poor' to be given to relatives of the collector.

Hence, here was an obvious case of Sidi's corruption.

Beyond that, he collected untold THOUSANDS of DOLLARS from his Western Disciples for various reasons and causes, many of them for 'widows and orphans' back home.  Yet, to my knowledge, tax exempt status was never sought for any of these donations.  

Or, indeed, was any written accounting of ANY of the money collected by Sidi given to any agency-American, Palestinian or other.

Why not?  Tax exempt status likely would have calmed any concerns on the part of benefactors as to who the ultimate benefactors of Sidi's collections were?  The tax deductions generated from these generations might have allowed the benefactors to GIVE MORE!

Tax Deductible status is not impossible to obtain for Palestinian Children, or at least wasn't until very recently. The Middle Eastern Children's Fund has a long-term charitable impact in the area.

If he REALLY wanted to help Middle Eastern Children, Sidi could have avoided making HIMSELF the MIDDLEMAN!!

More likely, Sidi handed off most of the money collected to his relatives already established in the US. Perhaps with the rationale that they were 'the poor' and therefore worthy of the donations from wealthy Americans.

When he died,  His Holiness required multiple days of care in the ICU of Marin General Hospital.  I'm sure such care was well in the neighborhood of six figures. (I visited him personally there. Although he was comatose at that point.  

I'm quite sure none of his followers saw fit to pick up the tab for his care. Just as I'm sure he paid no taxes on the income he received from his followers.  But Allah knows best.

It seems to me, if anyone in Sidi's group takes his or her Islam seriously, it is incumbent on them to speak out, or else to admit their own Islam or Sufism to be mistaken or flawed.

What will it be, Brothers and Sisters?  Is this person a TRUE REPRESENTATIVE of ISLAM?  Who never repented of his violations of the chastity of the women he influenced,  or seduced, or (politely) offered to other males?

I'd be more than willing to print any 'comment' below in defense of Sidi on these accounts.

                                                                         ------ 

*Although we were all given actual Arabic initiatory names, in this blog I've used pseudonyms for the main characters. I'm 'Yunis', my former wife is 'Aisha', my younger daughter is Zooey, older daughter is Theresa, and my Son is Ibrahim. 

*The Shandilya Order is one of the largest in the Sufi World, with millions of disciples from Pakistan to Morocco.  There are many different lineages within the Order, and there is no centralized authority or 'Grand Sheikh' -- the breathless assertions of many of Sidi's followers to the contrary.

Meeting Sidi In Jerusalem - I Get A New Identity - Everything Happens So FAST!

 

In  1979, I sat on a bluff on the Mount of Olives, overlooking the Dome of the Rock.

This stunning mosque is the third holiest in Islam.  Abutting it is theWailing or Western Wall, all that remained of the Temple, the center of Jewish life, which the Romans destroyed in 67 AD   The Wall is considered the holiest place for Jews to pray.

I mostly felt sad and lonely, and probably a little drunk. During the last two to three weeks of traveling across Europe alone, I developed a fondness for wine. In my heart, I knew I was relying on it too much.

 

Jerusalem was the last city on the journey.  It is the site of essential events from the three Abrahamic religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. 

For New Age seekers, it is an attractive site because of thitsenergy' -—e faith and hope of generations of holy people.

Not necessarily because one is an adherent, in a traditional sense, of any of the three.

I came across some interesting sites--like the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, where Jesus was supposedly entombed.  

I appreciated seeing such wonderful places, but a vaguely imagined hope for some exceptional revelatory spiritual experience in Jerusalem apparently would not happen.  

I view myself as a lifelong spiritual seeker.  I came of age on the San Francisco Mid-Peninsula in the Sixties, which was a hotbed of the counter-culture.  I had experimented often and, for the most part happily, with psychedelics.

 

I also frequently attended concerts of the great bands of the era, including the Grateful Dead and Jefferson Airplane.

Those carefree times are difficult to imagine today.  We young people thought we were going to change the world.  In the meantime, we'd get VERY HIGH on LIFE and other substances, including LSD, shared joints, and communal jugs of wine. 

We trusted every kid with long hair!  Once, somebody started throwing unknown pills into the audience at a rock concert.  I instantly grabbed and swallowed one.

The Carefree 1960s

It threw me into an unsettling, dissociative blackout for several hours.  But it never occurred to me that I was naive to trust a total stranger who offered free drugs at a concert.  I thought maybe my own head wasn't in the right place.  (I later understood that I had taken Angel Dust or PCP ,  powerful and unpredictable animal tranquilizer.)

Ecstatic Chanting with the 'Hare Krishna' Movement

I approached spirituality with the same abandon. While this led me to at least ONE serious group—that of a branch of Chinese Zen Buddhism—it also led me down some blind alleys, like the three months I spent as a shaved-head, traveling monk in the Hare Krishna Movement.

I majored in Religious Studies in college, hoping to understand how to achieve a permanent spiritual state or understanding. 

I also took a year-long course in Arabic, which would give me insights into an ancient religion and an up-and-coming part of the world.  (I had briefly visited Morroco and found Arabic script beautiful and fascinating.)

 

So, I had previously been willing to join any spiritual group that came my way. At the time, I didn't see them as cults; I believed they were just out-of-the-way places where I could significantly change myself with minimal effort—just through sincerity or force of intention. Or maybe just good luck finding a 'Guru'.

I guess I was kind of looking for "God In A Pill." Or at least a spiritual experience I could wrest out of the Universe reasonably immediately.  

I had not grasped the idea that spiritual growth requires long-term, focused effort on the part of the individual seeker.  

NOT from just encountering and attaching myself to the most charismatic spiritual personalities!

Or, perhaps better, a convenient way of accessing the same bliss and wisdom that all the drugs and culture of the Sixties seemed to hint was available.  Only to do it on a permanent and relatively safe basis.

Little did I know that a significant spiritual drama was about to begin here in Jerusalem.  Once it began, it would prove almost impossible to escape.

.

A friendly Palestinian youth approached me   We chatted about this and that, finally talking about religion—which interested him a lot!

He suggested he take me to meet a Sufi Sheikh in the town if I wanted to.  I readily agreed, and we were off.

At this time, before the first Intifada, a tall Western person walking into a Palestinian area faced little danger.  The only exception might have been from pebbles thrown by small, smiling children, mistaking me for an Israeli Settler.

So, following him, I took the majestic view of the distant desert.   And, beyond it, the Dead Sea.  Somewhere over there was Jericho, which claimed to be 'The Oldest City in the World.'

Walking Down Mount
 of Olives Main Street

 I suddenly heard a loud call to prayer broadcast from a nearby mosque. The recording was age-old, scratchy, and totally endearing in its humility. It broke into my train of thought, reminding me to remember God or Allah.

I was brought halfway down the steep street to a nondescript stone house.  We knocked, and a couple of Western ladies with scarves answered and welcomed us in.  Their names were Maryam and Aisha.

I understood from them that they were students of the Sheikh, who lived upstairs on the top floor. 

Little did I know that, within a few weeks, one of the two would be my wife.

A few minutes later, the man who would largely determine the course of the rest of my life from then on came through the squeaky metal door. 

He was a stocky, muscled, middle-aged gentleman with a well-maintained beard.  His presence radiated wisdom, warmth, and authority, instantly winning my respect and curiosity.

Sidi Sheikh Muhammad Al-Jamal

He reminded me of an Old Testament prophet!

He shook my hand and politely asked me to sit down. 

I don't remember our first words,  but I remember feeling overwhelmed by the exotic unfamiliarity of the situation.  Here I was, a relative nobody, suddenly talking to a most-impressive Muslim Holyman!

It seemed like a break in the continuity of my thus-far unsatisfying reality, and perhaps a doorway into a new Reality. 

This guy was the Real Deal!  An Old Testament Prophet SUDDENLY come to LIFE.  And right here in the Holiest City of the Western World! 

 I was within a mile or two from the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus reportedly prayed in the final hours of his life.

Five times a day, competing  Calls to Prayer from local mosques blared out over the landscape.

Exotic, it was indeed!  I suddenly began to feel myself being drawn into it--whatever 'It' was.

The Zawiya.  I took this photo around 1980 on a breezy afternoon.  Summer afternoons were delightfully cool, though, at 2500 ft. elevation, the heat wasn't often a problem.

After a short talk, the Sheikh suggested I return the nnext day  Walking back to the hotel, I felt embraced by a palpable sense of the Sacred being nearby, walking alongside me.  

The stones in the area were so white that they were luminous in the moonlight- particularly THAT night!

I wasn't alone in the Universe as I had felt just hours before.  And, as I had often thought in the Sixties, amazing things were suddenly happening to me in an onrush! 

Suddenly, everybody in the world seemed kind and welcoming to me!  I was thrilled and looking forward to tomorrow!  The sky was the limit!

 

The next day, I returned to the house where I had met the Sheik.  The Western women called it the zawiya, or 'sufi center' in Arabic.  I was given a binder with typewritten copies of Skeikh's 'Subjects,' which earlier students had translated, typed, and left behind. 

This gave them the cachet of 'rare manuscripts' seen by only a select few. 

 

                       In our spiral notebooks, we carefully copied each subject by hand until we finished the entire collection and then started again at the beginning.

These poetic, flowery utterances were of great beauty.  They brought to life a new dimension of spirituality for me.  Though I had studied Islam before, I had read little about Sufism.

They spoke of the relationship between Man and God in an entirely new way.  As a kind of spiritual romance--sometimes tragically in separation, in other times in glorious union.

And I was pleased with this 'easy,' almost subliminal way of studying, which one could pick up or put down as needed.  The object was to imbibe the words rather than rationally dissect them.  I imagined I was growing wiser every time I completed one.  And my new 'sisters' were lovely and supportive.

After my first full day of studying in the zawiya, the Sheikh came down from his house above and offered another informal talk. 

(I'm not sure if it was that night or another, but I changed my hotel from the YMCA in the Old City to one on top of the Mount of Olives.  And after a few nights on top of the Mountain, I moved directed down into the zawiya.)

 Frequently, these talks began with a quick rehash of his day at the Islamic Court or some other public place.

  

Clearly, he was a person of some weight in the local Islamic ulema or clergy. 

 Yet, rather than repeating spiritual truisms, Sidi seemed to truly feel he was walking next to God throughout the day.  

I think this palpable sense of God's proximity was something he carried throughout his life, and it made people notice and usually respect him.  He seemed to enjoy being with people all day long   He never 'retreated' to private quarters for a rest.  He was available 24/7 to any and all who came.

On the other hand, he seemed incapable of admitting any errors.  Perhaps he was never held accountable for any. People defer to him in person but then go ahead and do whatever they wanted behind his back.

On Fridays, he sometimes preached at the Dome of the Rock Mosque and was a judge in the Islamic court.  This gave me a lot of faith in his integrity.  I could hardly imagine him being a fake or a phony and still managing to deliver THE weekly sermon at the Third Holiest Mosque in Islam!

I also learned something about being an Islamic Sufi,  including the ablutions before the five daily prayers and the Qur'anic verses necessary to complete them.

I enjoyed taking a break during the day to pray with other people—in my case, just the other two women.

I wasn't that impressed with the language of the prayers themselves. They were mostly about blessing Ibrahim, Mohammed, and other prophets. 

I wasn't sure why I needed to seek so many blessings for the departed  Prophets, who were mostly the same ones as in Judaism and Christianity.  Weren't they ALREADY in Heaven with Allah?

 I liked the parts of the prayer where there were prostrations—they were similar to those I performed in my earlier Buddhist context as well. They always made me feel more humble.

I especially enjoyed learning how to perform the Dhikr, or 'Remembrance' services, once or twice weekly.  These services were an opportunity to build social bonds, worship God, and experience primordial ecstasy.

The process was simple.  W  stood in a circle and chanted rhythmically for perhaps 30-60 minutes, usually nodding the end left-right-left in unison.

 We used familiar Arabic phrases such as  the name "Allah", or "There's no God but God", or "Please forgive me, God."

A typical Sufi Dhikr

Another 'Zikr', as practiced in Egypt

   A Chechen Women's Dhikr

Beautiful Introduction to Sufi Practices In Pakistan

This one describes how South Asian Sufi Shrines allow women to participate in religious life.

An Ensemble of Western Qawalli Musicians explain their music and motivations.  Lovely!

This devotional practice is not found in 'regular Islam'; it was particular to Sufism. It can be rigid orloose, depending on the country and the Order.

Sufism is more widespread than one would think.  300 million identify as Sufis out of 1.6 billion Muslims worldwide.

Depending on the order, people often experienced an ecstatic transport to another realm after a given Dhikr had been on for a while.

 

Usually, in larger groups, someone was appointed to keep the chanting and swaying of bodies within social norms and gently restrain anyone who seemed to be spinning out into "too much ecstasy."

In virtually all traditional groups, worshippers were separated by sex.

In Palestine, where I was, I had never heard of a woman's Dhikr.  However, Western women and men participated freely in Sidi's zawiya (meeting place).

Congregational singing induces a trance-like state almost in itself.  Nothing inspires a sense of unity and togetherness like it.

For some reason, we human animals love to get into a circle, sing, and dance.  You find it everywhere, from remote jungle tribes to Turkish Sufi 'Turners'.

In the aftermath of a vigorous Dhikr, which can and often does go on for hours, there is a sudden inner quiet—a feeling of great peace and reverence.

-

Another group of practices was called 'Halwa' or 'Retreat'.  These involved hours of quietly spoken, sung, or internally vocalized recitation of "Allah," "La Illa Il-Allah," or "Astafir Allah."

Nobody could beat Aisha in completing the set of recitations once she began. She never quit early. I could stay up for the Dhikr, but I didn't experience the needed results to stay up much of the night with the longer seated recitations.

After a few days of spending all day in the zawiya and doing these practices, Sidi called me up one evening and, with a serious look, offered me the opportunity to take the bayat or promise to join the Sufi Order with him as my Sheikh.

He promised that if I did this, I would experience God's proximity in a way that nothing in my prior experience could have prepared me for.

 (((Had I been given time to think about it, I might have thought back to that concert where I readily accepted 'free' drugs and what the strange and unexpected consequences had been.

Instead, I readily agreed without really knowing how to perform the daily prayers, the ablutions beforehand, or much else, and I was given the name Yunus.

I forgot the old adage, "If it seems too good to be true, it probably IS!"

I was hooked. 

And honestly, though I don't know much about the Traditional bayat, or 'Promise/Initiation' between Master and Disciple in a Sufi order, I doubt it is dispensed as casually as Sidi seems to have done.

I imagine a rather long 'novice' period during which both parties have time to ponder the other's character, the time and place, etc.

But Allah knows best!

_______________________________________

Tony Kent, one of Sidi's Western disciples, created a pertinent documentary about Sidi. It's a bit fawning (Duh), but I love the segments featuring my friend, Maryam Tyrell. She was Sidi's long-term English student and one of the two women living in the zawiya when I arrived.  She 'got' Sidi's 'message' or perhaps found her own 'Truth of a Sufi' alongside it.

(PLEASE REMEMBER TO PRESS THE 'OLDER POSTS' BUTTON at the bottom of this page to KEEP THE CONTINUITY!)