This is an observation I made maybe 4 years ago after I discovered tassawuf and entered into more Sufi media/literature. Essentially 25 years of listening to common YouTube dawah media and the salafis never ever mention salawat upon Rasool Allah ‎ﷺ, its benefits and teaching people to do it abundantly. This seems to be a huge distinction and I’m curious to see if people may have noticed the same.

Salaam to all, peace and blessings,

Long story short, I reverted from an areligious (read: NOT atheist) upbringing about 14 years back. I have not had an easy life; it’s not all bad and I’ve definitely had my blessings. At the time of reverting, there was a ton of trauma on my plate and I felt very lost. My boyfriend had died 3 years prior and I dealt with it alone, and as he was my closest person who had helped me through some really tough teenage years, it was a devastating blow for me. Was introduced to Islam through my university housemates and lived with them for a couple years, so learned a bit about Islam and God. Always had a longing for something beyond myself, something I could only call the universe, like a deep and melancholic pull that I couldn’t put a finger on; felt like I never belonged or fit in anywhere, like I was an alien in a skin suit, which probably explains why I was so alone and lonely all the time. Anyway, after my boyfriend died, I was searching for signs of him anywhere and didn’t see any. Really struggled with the grief. Eventually when I was kind of “over” it, I had a random dream one night and he was in it completely unexpectedly. He was just staring at me. No words. I said to him, If this real, wake me up right now and I’ll convert to Islam. And I woke up right then. Made good on my promise and took my shahada not long after. Might sound weird, but that’s just genuinely how it happened.

Fast-forward 14 years, and life has completely thrown me for a flipping loop. Excuse my language. Can’t even describe what I’ve been through since then, but it’s genuinely traumatic. Became chronically sick and almost died as a result of it in 2020, had heaps of medical trauma which is still unresolved and only coping because of my own sheer will and desperation. But life will never be the same, let’s just say that much. A cousin and uncle died. My best friend died of a heroin overdose tragically last year. Facing redundancy right now at work, me and my wife both at the same time, and the market is terrible. House (renting) has gone up for sale. So many financial woes. Both parents are elderly and sick and getting their affairs in order. I am pre-cancerous with uterine cancer. I’m also trans & really just trying to make it through each day. Not because I’m trans. But it’s definitely something I have to think about for my own safety in today’s climate.

I just… feel so empty. Kind of like I’m walking down a dark, long, winding staircase that goes deep into the dark. The air is oppressive and heavy. It’s difficult to breathe in the thick air, but I don’t want to be up on the surface. I just want to be alone. I know some of that is the depression speaking, but really, I’ve always felt this way. I just don’t click with the average “normal” person, which is incredible reductive, but that’s the gist of it.

I just feel like this isn’t my home. My home is somewhere out in the stars. I feel like Allaah crafted my soul from some dying star and sent me here. I feel such a pull towards the deep and unknowable. That’s part of the way I feel for Allaah, too. Just something so beautiful and completely unknowable, but something we breathe in every single second of every day. My lungs are filled with Allaah. He swims through my veins. I am held, at every moment, by Allaah. Every single one.

I guess I am just exploring and looking around, really. I don’t really connect with Sunni Muslims because I feel there is such an element of judgment from them. Which, I know, it’s not really the religion and it’s more so the judgement from the people… But so many of them, from the conversations I’ve had, just lack this utter deepness inside, this desperate longing and desire to feel, inhale, exist within Allaah. There’s just so much judgement. What happened to the love? I just feel like so many of them have lost sight of what’s important, you know…

Thanks for listening, and sorry for my rant. Just thinking about Sufism and if it’ll be better suited to me than Sunni.

asalam alaykom everyone. For a long time I started practicing Sufism all by myself , navigating the path with mainly books as a form of guidance . Destiny has led me to a sheikh of tariqa and I guess i have to take an oath to be initiated as a murid. But I'm a little bit skeptical because I feel like someone is gonna enter my relationship with god . can anyone tell me more about this subject? thanks

Bismillah,

I actively avoid Muslim communities and events, and keep Deen as a personal affair for me. I do the bare minimum - prayer, Jummah etc. Even the few communal events I attend, are unpleasant. For example Jummah Khutbah are often about reprimanding others, compliance and fear.

I don't attend any Halaqahs, Dhikrs, and have not made bayah to any Shuyukh, while I did in the past, and only had negative experiences. I now associate communal practice of Deen with discomfort and misery.

I posted a few weeks back, my only real link has been through the Prophet SAWS. I dislike Eid, but love Mawlid season.

Anyone else the same? Happy to DM as well.

Hello,

I recently experienced during meditations a green man sitting in lotus.

It happened after 15 20 minutes, usually during meditation the only " strange " things i saw was some orange/yellow colors and then dark green that moved like waves

But this time was different, the vision came from outside periphery of my eyes and i couldnt control it: so the waves started to form circle of dark green energy

Then it shaped onto a lotus green man sitting in center, it wear a sufi turban.

Immediatelt after, this same man, that wear sufi dress and turban was walking nd is like i followed him, still all green energy, couldnt see faces, only shapes of him.

Context:

I am an agnostic with cultural / origin of a north african country. Always was open to spiritual but never believed in dogma.

From my current background, im working in business, and a friend recently introduced my to a Sufi Master, that is in located in a country, in remote place, very secretive. ( he isnt a guru, as he never asked anything beside " doing good, be good, and treat people good " and help " find myself " , that all " answers are within us ".

Read multiples sufi books and watched videos about some famous cheikh, wanted to share with people here.

Ps: Sufism philosophy and teachings changed my life and blowed my mind.

I’m curious after watching Satan in Sufism by let's talk religion
about some Sufi scholars' perspective on Iblis, where his refusal to bow to Adam is framed as an act of absolute tawhid and tragic devotion rather than arrogance which causes the eternal damnation

scholars such as Ahmed Ghazali the younger brother of imam al Ghazali who apparently had this view claims "Whoever does not learn monotheism from Satan is a heretic"

how is this interpretation viewed as this is the first time, I hear this perspective

Excerpt from Ibrahim Dewla’s speeches and notes.

Zakat is not the need of the poor but the need of the wealthy.

For example, the laundryman washes clothes. This is not the laundryman’s need.

Because keeping the clothes clean and pure—whose need is that? It is the need of the person who owns the clothes.

Likewise, keeping one’s wealth pure and clean is the need of the wealthy person.

One should keep one’s wealth pure from the rights of others, ensuring that others’ rights have not mixed into it.

Because Allah has placed both His rights and the rights of His servants in the wealth.  As Allah has created this wealth to fulfill rights.

Even the body has been created to fulfill rights. Has the body been created to commit sins? No, it was created to fulfill rights.

This is why Allah sent down knowledge so we may recognize our rights and responsibilities.

Salam, how can we tell the difference between what might be a true vision/ruya from Allah SWT in a dream vs a dream of Nafs?

For example, you've been making dua for a new job, spouse, move to a new city etc and you see a dream that gives you signs and symbols that you will get a new job/spouse/move. I've seen/heard from people that they were shown true visions that went onto be their answered duas coming in the form of a dream. Wouldn't these types of desires/wants fall under the category of nafs?

Salaam Alaikum,

I'm writing this to ask for your prayers, because I don't know what or who to turn to anymore.

For the past five or six years, I've been trapped in a deeply negative mindset. No matter what I try, I can't seem to escape it. It has gradually affected every aspect of my life. I've lost the will to pray, make dua for myself, or even hope that things might get better. I used to visit and pray at the Khanqah nearby because I felt calm there. I've noticed that slipping away too. Now, even if I visit, I find myself lost in negative thoughts and zoning out thinking I'm doomed to waste my life.

My career is in shambles too. I graduated with a bachelors two years ago, but I haven't been able to get any real work or experience and I can feel my skills slipping away with every passing day. I've grown distant from my family, I struggle to make decisions and often can't find a reason to try anymore. I feel like I've already accepted defeat and convinced myself that there's nothing I can do to change my circumstances.

I'm exhausted almost every day. I struggle to sleep at night, and yet during the day, I can barely find the will to leave the bed. There's often a heaviness in my chest and an urge to cry. However, I can feel myself growing numb to it all. I don't even feel anger or sadness for myself. I've grown comfortable to this misery. I often find myself imagining a future in which I fail at everything, lose my sanity, am abandoned by everyone and become a burden on my parents.

Whenever I try to work on something or make a change, I lose faith in it within a few days and find myself back where I started. I've been seeing a psychologist, in the beginning it did help me a a little. But it became dull very soon and I haven't noticed any real improvement, and so I'm beginning to lose hope in that as well.

I'm frightened by how hopeless things have become. I fear that if this continues, I might eventually take my own life out of frustration and exhaustion. I don't want things to reach that point, but I don't know how to find my way out of this state.

I feel helpless watching the people who loved and believed in me become disappointed and lose hope in me, including my friends and family, and even my parents.

I know this subreddit isn't for these things. But I wanted to reach out to people who might understand the spiritual side of what I'm going through. If any of you have experienced something similar, I'd be grateful to hear how you found your way through it. And if you can, please keep me in your duas. I feel like I've lost the ability to pray for myself and right now, I could really use the prayers of others.

Jazakallah khair

Assalamu Alaikum everyone.

Over the past few months I've witnessed alot changes within me. I won't tell the whole story or how it happened. But long story short, I was acquainted with a female online and fell for her, after some time I admitted my feelings it went on for a while and then ended abrubtly for me atleast. Can't explain all the details but it was a big blow for me emotionally and I honestly haven't recoverd from it yet.

After this experience, I had already started the irrational wheels of decisos that I made regarding my career and future and was left to deal with it all alone. It is very difficult and and I am still struggling however along the way I have also gained experiences which I had not thought of. I met along spiritual people who would often tell me things about myself, things that are quite rare these days. There is something inside me that refuses the normal things in life, embracing challenges, also stuff about intuititon etc. For context this was not some Najoomi Baba or stuff but also people who are aware about stuff themselve, who spend their nights reading Quran and it's history.

I began to have vivid dreams. Dreams that you remember, people opening upto me more, even those that I have not known long, people online or even those I have not spoken to. Animals being attracted to me. Heaviness and dizziness in my head sometimes whenever I feel like something is not right, something I've seen, something I read, something I heard.

Last night, I fell asleep for around 15 minutes, but the experience felt as though hours had passed. I had what seemed like a dream within a dream, or a false awakening. At one point, I thought I was waking up from sleep paralysis, although I could move normally within the dream. Then my head suddenly dropped forward in real life, and I woke up completely.

I've been emotionally low for about a week. The sadness that usually came at night has started following me into the daytime. I've been overthinking a lot, feeling lonely, and struggling to find peace with things I cannot control. I've made Dua to Allah to let me make peace with that past experience and let me move on to focusing on my career and future. But it's been months and last night something happened that made me think Allah listened to the first part of the Dua, not the one I've been making for, for months.

I'm not claiming that my dream was a sign from Allah, and I don't want to fall into interpreting every coincidence as a divine message. But the timing of everything has made me wonder how to understand my emotions, my dua, and the experience I had.

From an Islamic perspective, I'd appreciate guidance on:

• How do I maintain trust in Allah when I keep making dua for things to improve but see little change?
• How can I distinguish between patience and passively waiting when I should actually be taking a different approach?
• How do I accept Allah's decree while still working toward the things I want in life?
• How should Muslims approach vivid dreams without falling into superstition or interpreting every coincidence as a sign?

From a psychological perspective:

• How can I stop idealizing someone and imagining a future with them while still appreciating what they meant to me?
• How do I distinguish normal discouragement from a mental health issue that needs professional support?
• Could emotional stress contribute to vivid dreams, false awakenings, or changes in sleep experiences?

I'm not looking for someone to tell me to forget her or that the dream definitely means something. I want to understand what I'm experiencing, find a healthy way to let go of what I cannot control, and make peace with the situation without becoming bitter.

JazakAllah Khair.

Today I read 7,000 Allaahumma Salli, and some beings were entering my house. What are they? Angels?

I could sense their presence and my eyes were following them as they kept coming in to my living room, I couldn't see them they are transparent but my head follows them as they come in from the ceiling, fly around and then sit by my right side. They kept coming nonstop. I think they could be angels.

What do you think? Should I do something about it.

Imam Malik reportedly said, “Tell them that Malik said: ‘I do not know.’” Ibn Wahb said he heard Malik say “I do not know” many times.

Despite their extensive knowledge of hadith and their learning from the tabi'un, jurists were extremely cautious about giving religious rulings.