Maktab Tarighat Oveyssi Shahmaghsoudi
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[edit] History
Maktab Tarighat Oveyssi Shahmaghsoudi (School of Islamic Sufism) traces its roots through an unbroken lineage of successive Sufi masters extending back to the Islamic prophet Muhammad, Ali, and Oveys Gharani (Arabic: أويس القرني Uwais al-Qarni), who lived in Yemen at the time of Muhammad. Ali represents the essence of the teachings of the School of Islamic Sufism. He was not only the closest companion of Muhammad, but had also received and cognized the teachings of Muhammad inwardly. Oveys on the other hand, had received the teachings of Islam inwardly through his heart, and lived by the principles taught by him although he had never physically met Muhammad.
At times Muhammad would say of him. "I feel the breath of the Merciful, coming to me from Yemen." Shortly before Muhammad died, he directed Omar (second Caliph) and Ali (the first Imam of the Shi'a) to take his cloak for Oveys. According to Hujwiri¹, Attar Niyshabpouri², and Sheikh Mohammad Ghader Bagheri³, the first recipient of Mohammad’s Cloak was Oveys Gharani.
In so doing, Muhammad confirmed the method of heart to heart communication through which Oveys had received the essence of Islam. The method of the passing of the Cloak represents two significant elements in the teachings of Muhammad which constitute the method of instruction of the School of Islamic Sufism--cognition must take place inwardly, and cognition must be confirmed--as it was in the case of Oveys, and Ali.
In the famous book of poetry, “Masnavi”, by Jalaleddin Rumi, the following is said by Mohammad about Oveys Gharani:
"The Prophet Mohammad says that the breeze brings O’men!
The divine perfume from Yemen.
The scent of Ramin comes from Oveys
The fragrance of God from Oveys.
Oveys’ heavenly perfume from God,
Overjoyed the heart of the Prophet of God.
Forsaking his mortal being willingly
That earthly (Oveys) become heavenly."4
Oveys Gharani says, “Keep watch over thy heart”, (Arabic: عليك بقلبك) "Alayka bi-Ghalbik". The method of the passing of the Cloak represents two significant elements in the teachings of the Holy Prophet which constitute the method of instruction of the School of Islamic Sufism--cognition must take place inwardly, and cognition must be confirmed--as it was in the case of Oveys, and Ali ibn Abu Talib.
Since that time, the cloak and the method of receiving knowledge through the heart, symbolizing the highest level of divine illumination, and conferring honor, recognition and respect on the recipient, has been handed down through an unbroken succession of Sufi masters. This significant act creates the only hierarchy within the School of Islamic Sufism. The designated Sufi Master, called the Pir, is the essence of the Sufi Way.
During the time of Jalaleddin Ali Mir Abolfazl Angha, the 39th master of the Oveyssi order, a significant event took place in the history of Sufism. In addition to receiving the leadership of the Oveyssi order from Pir, Abdolghader Jahromi, Jalaleddin Ali Mir Abolfazl Angha was given the succession to the Nimatullahi, Nourbakhshi, and Maroufi orders by Hazrat Agha Mohammad Jassebi, as well as the Zahabieh order by Hazrat Seyyed Hossein Dezfuli.[1]
The present Pir, Molana Salaheddin Ali Nader Shah Angha, was officially appointed as the forty-second Sufi Master in the unbroken chain of transmission on September 4, 1970, when the cloak of Muhammad (called the Robe of Faghr) was bestowed upon him by his father.
Shah Maghsoud Sadegh Angha in Hamaseh Hayat (Epic of Life) states:
“The Cloak of Oveyssi Faghr* we hold, and we announce,
The Faghr status we manifest is that utter richness”
The son, grandson, and great-grandson of previous Pirs, Salaheddin Ali Nader Shah Angha's spiritual training naturally began at birth. The Pir has written more than fifty works in prose and poetry. He continues his great-grandfather's tradition of presenting the ancient truth of Sufism into scientific language.
[edit] M.T.O. Shahmaghsoudi
Maktab Tarighat Oveyssi Shahmaghsoudi, School of Islamic Sufism®, traces its lineage back Muhammad, Ali, and Oveys Gharani (Uways al- Qarani), Muhammad’s devoted follower from Yemen, in whose honor the school is named. An unbroken succession of 42 Masters from Gharani to the present master, Salaheddin Ali Nader Shah Angha, are listed in the genealogy of the Oveyssi School below. Persia was the base for the masters of the school, who traditionally taught a handful of carefully selected students, for most of its 1,400 years of history. However, Pir Molana Shah Maghsoud Sadegh Angha determined to open the doors of Sufism, for the first time in history, to all who sincerely wished to learn, and began to do so.
The Oveyssi School began as a force in the US in 1979, when the Pir, Molana al-Moazam Shah Maghsoud Sadegh Angha and his son and successor, Salaheddin Ali Nader Shah Angha, moved from Sufi-Abad, outside Tehran, Iran, to California. At first, small sessions were held in private homes. In 1981, Molana Shah Maghsoud Sadegh Angha passed on, and Salaheddin Ali Nader Angha, designated in writing and at a public ceremony on September 4, 1970 as the next Pir, became head of the School. Pir Nader Angha had attended high school, college and graduate school in the U.S., studying mathematics and physics. He has continued the work, begun by his great-grandfather, of translating the traditional terminology of Sufism into the language of science. Under his leadership the school has grown rapidly, and he now supervises more than 500,000 students worldwide. Maktab Tarighat Oveyssi Shahmaghsoudi (M.T.O. Shahmaghsoudi) is incorporated in the U.S. and Europe as a non-profit educational and religious organization.
For 1,400 years the masters have taught students not to be followers, but to be masters of their own lives through self-knowledge. The quest for knowledge and for eternity is universal. For those whom the quest for the ultimate reality is the most important goal in life, and who do not give up their search until they discover the answer, are generally regarded as mystics. While mysticism is typically associated with mystery and the unknown, it's a mystery to those who have not had the experience. However, for those who have had the experience, it is a reality.
The mystical experience is usually associated with a sense of liberation, freedom, ecstasy, unity, contentment, abundance, compassion, knowledge, joy and love.
Each year new centers are opened all around the world. Maktab Tarighat Oveyssi Shahmaghsoudi (M.T.O. Shahmaghsoudi) Centers now exist in more than 20 countries. In the USA, 16 states have a center and most major U.S. cities, including Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, Chicago, Miami, Orlando, Tampa, New York, Minneapolis, St. Louis, Sacramento, Denver, Salt Lake City, Columbus, Albuquerque, Plainsboro, San Diego, Atlanta, Virginia Beach, Portland, Seattle, Phoenix, and Washington, D.C., plus 9 centers in the San Francisco Bay area and 8 centers in Los Angeles and suburbs. The newest and largest Sufi Centers are located in Falls Church, Virginia and Frisco, Texas. The Falls Church center, outside Washington, DC., seats 1,100 people under the central dome. Designed by the Pir, design is based on the traditional science of letters and numbers (Jafr), representing metaphysical truths in physical form.
The Memorial Building for Molana Shah Maghsoud Sadegh Angha, constructed in 1982 in Novato, CA, whose design is also based on the science of letters and numbers, is one of the few examples of Sufi architecture in the west, incorporating many traditional arts and crafts rarely seen in the United States. It is visited by thousands annually.
Many Maktab Tarighat Oveyssi Shahmaghsoudi (M.T.O. Shahmaghsoudi) students are of Persian descent, but students come also from diverse religious, ethnic, geographical and cultural backgrounds, and the proportion of non-Persian students is steadily increasing. In fact, Sufism fills a spiritual need , most dramatically epitomized in the popularity of Rumi’s poetry. Students, particularly new students, tend to be young and well-educated. The vast majority of students have or are attaining college degrees, and a substantial number have graduate degrees as well.
[edit] Activities
Salaheddin Ali Nader Shah Angha emphasizes self-study, but also supervises the numerous ongoing activities of the School and its students.
[edit] Khaneghah
“Khaneghah” or “Khaneh-gah”, literally means the “House of Present Time.”
“Gah” represents that real or true moment in which a person is present. In Sufism, that is the moment of presence that one needs to continuously reach and prolong, both inwardly and outwardly.
The Rules and Behavior in Khaneghah:
Khaneghah has its own rules and conditions. Social norms and dominant social rules have no value in the Khaneghah.
Upon arrival to Khaneghah, one takes off his or her shoes and leaves it outside. This action represents that leaving behind all worldly belongings, attachments, and unuseful thoughts. While at Khaneghah, the goal is for the seeker to attend to his or her spiritual self with complete concentration and presence.
The person attending Khaneghah wears a simple, all white outfit, with no pattern. This represents that the seeker (student) has left the transient patterns behind to discover a deeper level of his being. He is not just reflecting the predominant trends of society. His outfit is white; his goal is to be pure. His outward and inward calmness saves him from distractions and leads him to tranquillity and peace within.
Once entering Khaneghah, silence is strictly observed. This provides the basic foundation to free the seeker from thoughts and concentrate on the self. The Khaneghah is established in this manner to hopefully provide the seeker with a suitable environment for practicing the principles that will enable him to free himself from his instabilities and desires. Thus, the true personality of the salek is gradually developed so he or she can maintain and expand his or her state of balance, peace, and tranquillity into all aspects of their everyday life.
The inside of each Khaneghah is very organized. The structure of all Khaneghah's around the world are the same. All of the students are facing the throne of the Pir, called the "Jaay-gah". Men and Women sit apart from each other, on the ground, in organized rows, yet in the same hall. The "Jaay-gah" consists of the pictures of the masters, a verse from the Qur'an, and the present Pir's throne surrounded by fresh flower arrangements. The throne consists of a dark purple colored cushion for the backrest, sometimes embroidered with intricate designs and symbols of the school. The seat cushion is a white or creme colored sheepskin rug. The sheepskin rug is representative of the Pir having shed his earthly skin. The Pir sits on sheepskin, representing his detachment from the carnal soul, the body, the world, and so on. Above the Pir's throne are the encased portraits of the three previous masters; Jalaleddin Ali Mir Abolfazl on the left, Mir Ghotbeddin Mohammad on the right, and the central image of Shah Maghsoud Sadegh Angha illuminated in blue. Above the images is a verse of the Qur'an, (Noor Ch 24:35):
"God is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The parable of His light is as if there were a niche and within it a lamp: The lamp enclosed in glass: The glass as it were a brilliant star: Lit from a blessed tree, an olive, neither of the east nor of the west, whose oil is well-nigh luminous, though fire scarce touched it: Light upon Light! God doth guide whom He will to His light: God doth set forth parables for men: and God doth know all things."
Each Khaneghah always has at least one traditional session either weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly depending on the center. These sessions are open to the public and taught in Persian, with simultaneous translation provided via wireless headsets. Hazrat Pir’s teaching is based on the Qur'an. The session includes a lecture or question and answer period, poetry reading, a reading from the Qur'an, prayers, and the Sufi Zekr. In larger cities, there is also a session taught in the language of the country: English, French and so on including all the above elements.
Webcasts of the lectures of Pir, Nader Angha are live on the internet every Sunday at 10:00 AM Central. Translated webcasts are also provided. A link to the live webcast is also provided at the bottom of the page.
Today, more modern Khaneghahs are being built around the world. In 2000, M.T.O. built an indepedent standing Khaneghah outside Washington D.C., in Falls Church, VA. The significance of this Khaneghah is that it was the first independent standing Khaneghah outside a "Muslim nation." The building is architecurally built as an eight-pointed star, with a central dome. On the top of all the domes is the name of God in Arabic; Allah (Arabic: ألله). Both inside and outside of the building is adorned with Islamic art, intricate wood work, plaster-work, stucco, iron gates, marble and granite floors to the more detailed paintings, mirror inserts, and Islamic calligraphy. The surroundings of the building is like a garden, filled with flowers, trees such as the italian cypress and magnolia, and sounds of running waters and fountains. The interior of the main hall is formed in an amphitheatre style with the "Jaay-gah" in the front.
Since then, M.T.O. Shahmaghsoudi has opened two more independent Khaneghahs. September 30, 2005 marked the opening of the more modern, eclectic, and slightly art-deco style Khaneghah in Frisco, TX (a suburb of Dallas). A unique factor of this Khaneghah is its central dome. It is made of glass and is lit from the interior at night-time. The dome can be seen miles away in the city. The newest center is located in Reseda, CA (a suburb of Los Angeles) and is more classically designed, this time in a more old-European style. In the new Khaneghah's, the cloak's of the previous Pir's are also encased in the "Jaay-gah" . To view interior and exterior pictures of the Khaneghahs: M.T.O. Centers (Khaneghah)
Following the Qur'anic injunction: Let there be no compulsion in religion: Truth stands out clear from error” (2:256), conversion to Islam is neither suggested nor required.
On special occasions, special services are held. During the Gulf War, a special peace service was held near Edwards Air Force Base in California and beamed by satellite to Europe. Five thousand people attended. An extraordinary invitational session marked the Grand Opening of the Khaneghah in Falls Church, VA on November 17, 2000.
[edit] The role of women
In a departure from tradition, almost half of the instructors for Maktab Tarighat Oveyssi Shahmaghsoudi (M.T.O. Shahmaghsoudi) are women, and all Tamarkoz (Sufi Meditation) instructors except one are women. Under the supervision of the Pir, women instructors lead the zekr, recite the Qur'an, and teach at public sessions with numerous men in the audience. Many of the books recently published by Maktab Tarighat Oveyssi Shahmaghsoudi (M.T.O. Shahmaghsoudi) are written by women authors.
[edit] Publishing
Maktab Tarighat Oveyssi Shahmaghsoudi (M.T.O. Shahmaghsoudi) has its own printing and publications centers and publishes two to four Sufi books a year, as well as a semi-annual journal and numerous booklets and brochures. General printing services are also provided to the public.
[edit] Public events
Salaheddin Ali Nader Shah Angha has been an invited guest lecturer at major universities in the Western world, including the Sorbonne, the University of Hamburg, American University and the University of Wisconsin.
Speakers from Maktab Tarighat Oveyssi Shahmaghsoudi (M.T.O. Shahmaghsoudi) frequently present lectures on Sufism and on Islam to public schools, community colleges and universities.
For four years, Maktab Tarighat Oveyssi Shahmaghsoudi (M.T.O. Shahmaghsoudi) has been holding Sufi Celebrations at a number of universities, including Southern Methodist University (SMU), Rice University, Stanford, UC, Davis and UC, Berkeley, with audiences of 350 to 3,000. Infused with sounds of both traditional and modern music, the Celebrations feature the Shahmaghsoudi Sufi Zekr Choir, singing in Persian, and also singing translations in English, Spanish, Hindi and Swahili, varying by location. Traditional musical instruments are showcased. Sufi philosophy, poetry readings, slides of arts and crafts, demonstrations of Movazeneh (Meditative Movement similar to yoga) and a Meditation are presented.
[edit] Geneaology
2- Salman Farsi
3- Habib-ibn Salim Ra'i
4- Soltan Ebrahim Adham
5- Abu Ali Shaqiq Balkhi
6- Sheikh Abu Torab Nakhshabi
7- Sheikh Abi Amro Istakhri
8- Abu Ja'far Hazza
9- Sheikh Kabir Abu Abdollah Mohammad-ibn Khafif Shirazi
10- Sheikh Hossein Akkar
11- Sheikh Morshed Abu-Isshaq Shahriar Kazerouni
12- Khatib Abolfath Abdolkarim
13- Ali-ibn Hassan Basri
14- Serajeddin Abolfath Mahmoud-ibn Mahmoudi Sabouni Beyzavi
15- Sheikh Abu Abdollah Rouzbehan Baghli Shirazi
16- Sheikh Najmeddin Tamat-al Kobra Khivaghi
17- Sheikh Ali Lala Ghaznavi
18- Sheikh Ahmad Zaker Jowzeghani
19- Noureddin Abdolrahman Esfarayeni
20- Sheikh Alaoddowleh Semnani
21- Mahmoud Mazdaghani
22- Amir Seyyed Ali Hamedani
23- Sheikh Ahmad Khatlani
24- Seyyed Mohammad Abdollah Ghatifi al-Hasavi Nourbakhsh
25- Shah Ghassem Feyzbakhsh
26- Hossein Abarghoui Janbakhsh
27- Darvish Malek Ali Joveyni
28- Darvish Ali Sodeyri
29- Darvish Kamaleddin Sodeyri
30- Darvish Mohammad Mozaheb Karandehi (Pir Palandouz)
31- Mir Mohammad Mo'men Sodeyri Sabzevari
32- Mir Mohammad Taghi Shahi Mashhadi
33- Mir Mozaffar Ali
34- Mir Mohammad Ali
35- Seyyed Shamseddin Mohammad
36- Seyyed Abdolvahab Naini
37- Haj Mohammad Hassan Kouzekanani
38- Agha Abdolghader Jahromi
39- Jalaleddin Ali Mir Abolfazl Angha
40- Mir Ghotbeddin Mohammad Angha
41- Shah Maghsoud Mohammad Sadegh Angha
42- Salaheddin Ali Nader Shah Angha
[edit] References
Maktab Tarighat Oveyssi Shahmaghsoudi (School of Islamic Sufism) Official Website, 2006
- 1. Hujwiri , Kashf al-Mahjub, (Tehran, Tahoori Publications, 1979)
- 2. Attar, Sheikh Farid al-din, Tazkerat al-Olia, (Tehran, Amir Kabir Publications, 1964)
- 3. Baghiri Namini, Sheikh Mohammaad Ghadeer, Aghtab Oveyssi, (Tehran, Amin Pubications. 1973)
- 4. Jalaleddin Rumi, Masnavi, (Persian edition, 1925, Sepehr Publication) p. 716, line 1826
Islamic Sufism Genealogy, November 2004, Tehran University Publications
[edit] Links
- Maktab Tarighat Oveyssi Shahmaghsoudi (School of Islamic Sufism) Official Website
- Salaheddin Ali Nader Shah Angha - Live Webcast
- M.T.O. College
- M.T.O. Holistic Health Center
- M.T.O. Printing
- M.T.O. Publications
- M.T.O. Sufi Association
- M.T.O. Tamarkoz (Meditation)
- Sufi Psychology Association
- Islamic Sufism Genealogy, November 2004, Tehran University Publications
