Blogger Irving Karchmar of Darvish is a poet, writer, and editor as well as a darvish of the Nimatullahi Sufi Order since 1992. He is also the author of Master of the Jinn.
- For those who are not familiar with your blog, Darvish, could you give a brief summary of it?
The word darvish, which is a Persian pronunciation of dervish, means one who has been initiated into a Sufi order, and so the Darvish blog deals with spiritual matters on the Sufi path of Love. It also has poetry, Sufi exercises, true teaching stories, and lessons from every mystical path.
- How does the Darvish blog reach out to the Muslim community abroad?
Darvish has readers all over the world, and exchanges links with Muslim bloggers in almost every Muslim country. It is a very active community.
- What are you doing to conquer prejudice and stereotypes about Muslims?
The only way to conquer prejudices and stereotypes is with love and with the truth. In expressing the real heart of Islam through the stories and poems and lesson of Sufism, we attempt to show that Muslims are no different than members of any of the religions of the book, that is, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. They all worship and believe in one God, though each has a different name for Him, and they all believe in the same values of treating your neighbor as you would wish to be treated, as well as kindness, generosity, charity, forgiveness, and love of family and friends.
- What sort of news or information do you share on your blog to help foster a sense of solidarity for the Muslim community?
Darvish is not a news blog, and rarely political, but it does attempt through the stories, poems and sayings of Sufi masters both past and present, and the traditions and hadiths of the Prophet (peace be unto him), to help foster the inner tradition of Islam, the hospitality and courtesy and manners, called the adab, which are an integral part of Muslim family and community life.
- How does your blog interact with other religious/nonreligious blogs or online organizations?
We interact through the blogroll, by reading each others blogs and commenting on them if appropriate.
- How many readers/supporters follow your blog?
Darvish receives between 250-350 hits per day, and much more during Muslim holy days, such as the fasting month of Ramadan.
7. Does your blog ever promote community involvement or participation in the Islamic communities of your readers?
Not as a rule, but Darvish does support a few particular organizations, such as the Roshni Center in the Northwest frontier region of Pakistan, which promotes education and work for the women there, and Possible Dreams International, which was begun by an Australian medical doctor to help fight HIV/Aids in Swaziland, Africa.
Dr. Laurence Brown is the author of The Eighth Scroll and many other thrillers. For more information, visit: http://www.EighthScroll.com
Salaam and Thank you, Dr. Brown
Ya Haqq!
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You’re blogging has really come on when I look back over previous posts. Actually I arrived here from a forum on an unrelated topic. Worth surfing sometimes. Thanks.
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Isn’t sufism a kind of sect? Please correct me if im wrong. And if the answer is yes, than aren’t sects forbidden in islam?
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Sufism is not islam and has nothing to do with Islam. Sufism is same as budhism, hinduism and New age. they preach good things like purafying the soul, however this just outward act to make the muslims feel at ease. most sufi shykhs practice magic, contact the jinn and worship them, they blieve humans can get to a point where they no longer worship, i know this one sufi shykh who doesn’t pray, when i asked him why he said, god said “And worship your Lord until there comes to you the (yaqeen)certainty.
[Soorah al-Hijr 015:099]
and told me he reach the yaqeen or certainty point, but in the Verse Allah is talking about Death, and this is the Case in all the Tafseer books.
if you don’t blieve me look how Kabbani a big sufi shykh is showing how to contact the jinn in his website.
http://www.nurmuhammad.com/Meditation/Mainmeditationmuraqabah.htm
Remember one just have to give his free will and open the door for the jinn to appear or to come to him. they talk about meeting with shykh jailani who died 700yrs ago how he came to them and give them hidden secret knowlege. which you must become a blind follower or Mureed to recieve this knowlege.
no wonder why the kuffars love the sufis because the have the same religion. sufis are heratics who practice bid’a and shirk. in my country sufis pray to saints, put their hopes in other than Allah such as amulets. and they love the “Burdah” a peom book full of kuffr and shirk, more than the Quran.
sorry for my english
my Allah keep all us on the straight path, surly satan at every turn calling to hellfire.
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