sufism, suluk & spirituality

February 24, 2020

Guardians of Sacred Knowledge & Spiritual Growth

The core of this article centres on Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali’s discussion about the hadith that describes the three kinds of heart in respect to knowledge and guidance. Ibn Rajab also gives us a window into how revealed knowledge has been safeguarded for us – both its content and its meanings – throughout the ages, by Continue reading

knowledge & learning, orthodoxy & ahl al-sunnah, sufism, suluk & spirituality

authentic knowledge of Islam, how islamic knowledge is preserved and authentically transmitted, how knowledge of Islam is preserved, Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali explaining authentic Islam, Islamic orthodoxy is in following the trustworthy ones, status of the Companions in Islam, three types of heart in terms of knowledge and guidance
February 12, 2020

The Soul of Islam is a Vigilant and Mindful Heart

Revelation tells us that muraqabah, vigilance of Allah, is one of the sublimest spiritual stations. We are told too that habituating our heart to such vigilance requires training the heart gradually and step-by-step. Masters of the heart instruct us to accustom ourselves to being mindful and shy of Allah, even if it be for short periods at a time Continue reading

consider Islam, heart matters, short read, sufism, suluk & spirituality

being mindful of Allah, cultivating a mindful heart, divine vigilance, God is closer to us than our jugular vein, heart of Islam, muraqabah, spiritual vigilance, the soul of Islam is muraqabah, vigilance of God
December 28, 2019

Are We Becoming Bored of God?

THIS IS AN OBSERVATION that may be limited to my tiny window of experience; and it is something I’ve been aware of since the early 1990s. Which is that we Muslims are ready and eager to read stuff about the nitty gritty points of fiqh and shari’ah law, yet as soon as discussing the actual Lawgiver Continue reading

contemporary concerns, knowledge & learning, sufism, suluk & spirituality

al-Hasan al-Basri on being bored of worship, getting bored of God, God fatigue, how spiritual boredom shows itself, how to deepen knowledge of God, Islam on life’s true joy, knowledge and the three types of people, ma’rifah as knowledge internalised and experienced, spiritual boredom
December 25, 2019

The Law, the Path, the Reality

SCHOLARS AGREE THAT the actions of religion may be divided into two broad areas: the outward actions of the limbs, and the inward actions or states of the heart. Some describe the outward actions as shara’i‘a’l-islam – “the laws of islam” and the inner as haqa’iq al-iman – “the realities of faith”. Other scholars describe Continue reading

sufism, suluk & spirituality

Haqiqah is to worship God as though spiritually seeing Him, iman islam ihsan, shari’ah tariqah haqiqah, the outer and inner dimensions of Islam, truly knowing Allah
December 16, 2019

Worldly Detachment & the Path of God’s Love

Crack-consumerism is the collective substance abuse that we as a nation now partake in. The remedy for this greed, avarice, hyper consumption and predatoriness is the forgotten Islamic virtue of zuhd – ‘renunciation’ or ‘worldly detachment.’ Speaking of such detachment, Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal said: ‘Zuhd is of three degrees. Firstly, to shun the forbidden; Continue reading

heart matters, short read, sufism, suluk & spirituality

guarding against the forbidden is great pillar of spiritual practice, how not to be consumed by consumerism?, Imam Ahmad and Zuhd, practical zuhd in our daily life, Shaykh Jalil Ahmad Akhoon and avoiding the haram, three degrees of zuhd, three levels of worldly detachment
April 30, 2019

A Brief Word On Sufis, Sufism & Spiritual Wayfaring

Far from being foreign to Islam, sufism – the science of spiritual excellence (‘ilm al-ihsan) and purification of the soul (tazkiyat al-nafs) – is a central aspect of the religion. In fact, it is its very core or heart. This is especially true when such sufism reflects the spirit of the early traditionalists or ahl Continue reading

correctives & clarifications, heart matters, salafism reconsidered, short read, sufism, suluk & spirituality

al-Dhahabi on sufism, balanced approach to tasawwuf, Ibn Taymiyyah on sufis and sufism, orthodox sufism, place of sufism in Islam, reality of sufism
October 22, 2018

Sincerity: Is Our Motive Purely for God, or for Others Too?

The Qur’an says: And they have been ordered no more than this: to worship God sincerely, devoting religion purely to Him. [98:5] According to Imam al-Raghib al-Asbahani, sincerity or ikhlas requires the heart ‘to be emptied of all else besides God.’1 This emptying is never that simple, for it involves struggling against the lower self so as to Continue reading

sufism, suluk & spirituality

al-Raghib al-Asbahani, definition of ikhlas, how to grow in sincerity, Imam al-Qushayri, sincerity in Islam, spirituality in Islam
May 8, 2018

Satan’s Deceit, Adam’s Slip & the Tree of Immortality

This read starts with the question: Does it matter how one sins? To answer it, it explores the deeper layers of the story of Adam, Satan and the divine command to not eat from the Tree of Immortality, in order to understand why it is that at the end of the story Adam is bathed Continue reading

heart matters, prophetology, qur’an, tafsir, tadabbur, short read, sirah & sacred history, sufism, suluk & spirituality

Are God’s prophets infallible?, It’s not just the sin but the way that you sin it, story of Adam and Iblis, story of Adam and Satan, Sufyan ibn ‘Uyaynah on sins, The Prophet Adam’s love for God, true lovers of God, Why did Adam eat from the Tree of Life?
May 4, 2018

The Content of Good Character

In this talk, Shaykh Surkheel (aka Abu Aaliyah) explores the most comprehensive verse in the Qur’an, as it relates to the core character of a believer. He then looks at three scholarly wisdoms which, taken collectively, sum-up the content of character for a Muslim. The first of them is Imam al-Zarnuji’s words: “The best knowledge Continue reading

ethics & morals, sufism, suluk & spirituality

adab and akhlaq in Islam, al-Zarnuji on good character, ‘Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani on good character, character of a believer, cultivating good character, Muslim character, the Muslim personality, Yahya b. Mu‘adh al-Razi
March 19, 2018

Deepening Our Love for Allah’s Beloved ﷺ

Filmed in the warm and friendly setting of Chapters Coffee Corner, Goodmayes; London, this short talk discusses how a believer may nurture and deepen his or her love for the Prophet ﷺ. The video can be viewed here. Continue reading

prophetology, sufism, suluk & spirituality

deepening our connection to the Prophet ﷺ, growing in love of Allah and His Prophet, love of the Prophet Muhammad

About Me

My name is Surkheel Sharif (aka Abu Aaliyah). Born and raised in London, England, I began my more formal, but gradual studies of the Islamic sciences around the late 1980s (just a few years after having quit my degree in Astrophysics). I also gained an MA in Islamic Studies from Birkbeck College, University of London, in 2009.

I’ve translated a few Islamic works from Arabic into English; one of them, a short text on Muslim spirituality, called The Exquisite Pearl (2000). I have also authored a few books, including: More Fish Please & the Earth’s Complaint (2011); Fussing Over the 15th of Sha’ban & the Golden Rule of Differing (2011); A Muslim’s Guide to Modernity (2025); and Salafism Reconsidered (forthcoming)

I am the founder and current Director of the Jawziyyah Institute (est. 1999): a non-profit organisation dedicated to cultivating an Islam true to its time-honoured tradition, relevant to its current context, and of benefit to wider society.