Bawa Mohiyuddin's Mystical Teachings on Peace and Harmony – Part 1

Muhammad Raheem Bawa Mohiyuddin was a great Sufi of the last century. Born in Sri Lanka and settled later in Philadelphia, US, he has taught about world peace and real reality of life in his esoteric teachings . He says humanity should first look within itself to discover the peace and harmony it seeks. By Kaniz Fatma, New Age Islam 9 October 2023 Main Points: 1. Muhammad Raheem Bawa Muhaiyaddeen, a Sri Lankan-American Sufi mystic, gained fame in the US for his spiritual Islamic teachings, lectures, songs, and artwork. 2. Bawa Muhaiyaddin's teachings emphasize peace and harmony between earth and heavens, arguing humans have lost virtues leading to destruction. 3. Faith in one God is essential for justice, peace, and wisdom, and understanding sacred texts requires deep inner meaning, regular practice, and inner peace. 4. Sufi Bawa’s teachings advocate for justice and compassion in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine, urging followers to promote peace through patience, unity, and compassion. ------- The 52nd anniversary of the Bawa Muhaiyaddeen Fellowship has been observed from October 6 to October 9, 2023. A couple of months ago, I read the book “Islam and World Peace - Explanations of a Sufi: by M. R. Bawa Muhaiyaddeen” and luckily, I recently got the opportunity to write a series of articles on his spiritual discourses on peace, harmony, mysticism, and the reality of relation of a man with our God. Muhammad Raheem Bawa Muhaiyaddeen (d. 1986), a Sri Lankan Origin American Sufi mystic and teacher is recognised for his spiritual Islamic teachings, lectures, songs, and artwork. He came to the US from Sri Lanka in 1971, won a great number of followers, and created the Bawa Muhaiyaddeen Fellowship in Philadelphia. Being such a well-known Sufi, Baba Mohayiaddin's mystical teachings have guided many of his devotees to enlighten their hearts and find the treasure that is hidden within themselves. That treasure holds the three most sought-after and precious things in life—unconditional love, perpetual youth, and unchangeable truth—which everyone seeks but few ever find. Those who wish to attain this treasure must first read the mystical works of Great Sufis such as Sheikh Abdul Qadir Jilani, Sheikh Ibn Arabi, Imam Ghazali, and Bawa Muhaiyaddin etc. We will highlight Bawa Muhaiyaddin's teachings, which are esoteric, mystical, and peaceful thoughts, on this special occasion. His vision of peace is really simple—it conveys the sense that the earth is a platform from which man speaks, and this talk never ends. Man has spoken about peace for thousands of years but he has never first looked within himself to discover it. Speaking about Islam and World Peace, Baba Bawa Muhaiyaddin highlights the harmony between the heavens and earth, as well as the sun, moon, stars, and wind. However, man, who lives on earth, has lost this peace and harmony. According to him, a man talks about establishing peace, but then disrupts it and sets out to rule the world. He expresses his wonder and this is the common state of a man. Discovering the reality of the present situation of common people, Bawa Muhaiyaddin states that Man has abandoned God, truth, peace, conscience, honesty, justice, and compassion in the contemporary day, which has resulted in the loss of these virtues and paved the way for devastation. Man wants to destroy the planet and the lives of others, but the earth and the skies can never be destroyed. Only man will be destroyed, and with all the means he has discovered, he will ultimately destroy himself. Such discourses of Bawa Muhaiyaddin compel us to think about the real cause of the problem in the present century. According to him, the present century has seen significant destruction due to human actions, altering “the concept of God, who is truth,” and debasing “the meaning of man, who is wisdom and beauty”. To achieve peace, individuals must rediscover their true selves and change their present selves. Sufi Bawa also asserts that in order to bring peace to others, one must first experience peace within, as compassion, oneness, and love are necessary for bringing peace to the world. Sufi Bawa rightly says that acquiring justice, conscience, honesty, truth, patience, understanding one's state, strengthening faith in God, and acquiring such good qualities within oneself is crucial for finding them in others and teaching others. He gives a wonderful example that a person who has a water bag full of holes is unable to quench the thirst of others since they are unable to mend their own bag in order to fill another's; therefore, developing these traits within oneself is crucial. Sufi Bawa suggests how one can achieve peace; one must change their thoughts and qualities and overcome selfishness. This involves separating from personal desires for praise and sensual pleasures, treating all lives as their own, and feeling others' pain and difficulties. Seeking inner patience, contentment, and trust in God can lead to peace in every life, making life on earth a paradise. A person without inner peace will continue to speak about peace, as Sufi Bawa says “This world is a pulpit upon which man preaches, and there is no end to this talk! For thousands of years man has been speaking this way, but he has not come forward to first find peace within himself. There is no use in making speeches. Man must acquire the qualities of God and live in that state. Only then can he speak of peace, only then can he speak the speech of God and dispense the justice of God's kingdom.” Peace is vital for world rulers and humans, requiring good qualities, wisdom, and clarity. Individuals must embody God's justice and qualities for fruitful speech and world peace. Sufi Bawa encourages rulers and citizens to seek peace in their hearts through good qualities, wisdom, and clarity. Realizing peace requires bringing God's justice and qualities into oneself. To achieve peace, individuals should acquire God's words and find tranquillity within themselves, resulting in fruitful speech and a peaceful world. For there to be justice and peace in the world, faith in God is essential. There is only one teaching—the treasure of God—across all religions. God's attributes, deeds, conduct, grace, patience, and compassion are necessary for a community that believes in one God. No distinctions based on race, religion, or caste hinder people from experiencing God's mercy, justice, wisdom, truth, and peace. Deep inner meaning, regular practice, justice, compassion, peace, and togetherness are necessary for understanding the Qur'an and other sacred texts. Having God's attributes, knowledge, and deeds allows one to communicate with themselves directly, which brings inner peace and tranquillity. The readers can understand these words in more detail under the title Peace Can Only Be Found in God’ from the speech of Sufi Bawa. Israel and Palestine have recently been engaged in combat. This situation has existed for a long period of time. Innocent lives are the biggest target of this fighting. Sufi Bawa warns his followers under the heading "Jerusalem" that if we can live with justice and compassion, then the laws of truth will dominate, and patience, unity, and compassion will all endure forever. He advises his disciples to consider this, work together, and establish peace in this sacred city of Jerusalem. (Continued) ----- Kaniz Fatma is a classic Islamic scholar and a regular columnist for New Age Islam. URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-personalities/raheem-bawa-sufi-peace-harmony-life-part-1/d/130858 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism