At the Tomb of Salim Chisti, Fatehpu Sikri, Agra
People tie threads and make vows to the Sufi saint Salim Chisti. The practice is a little controversial as many people find it contradictory to Islamic teachings where the path to God is undeterred by saints, angels or prophets. If you need God, pray to him directly. No medium is required for your message to get across.
I strongly agree with that, however I don't agree with how people discount Sufism because of this. What they don't realize is that Sufism is the essence of Islam. Many people are Muslims today only because of the peaceful way Sufi saints preached the core teachings of Islam. Their lives inspire thousands of people, from all religions and their tombs are some of the few places where absolutely anyone is allowed entry.
4 comments:
That's stunning Aamina!
love the photo. :)
Nice!
A beautiful photo.
Not to get into a long theological discussion, but I think it's important to remember that simple categories of logic break down when discussing God. Comparable philosophical objections can be made against the very institution of prayer (if God is omniscient he doesn't need to be sent petitions and if He's just, why would prayers affect His judgment--His mercy is either deserved or not, regardless of who petitions). Then there's the whole Predestination/Free Will question--why even bother to pray to God when He already knows what's going to happen? He's already decided, right? You're stuck with paradoxes no matter what. It's the human condition.
If Allah is indeed a personal and loving god, it isn't much of a leap to imagine that a request--a "good word", if you will--from those of higher spiritual station--His beloved--could carry special weight.
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