Fana (Sufism)
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Fanaa (Arabic: فناء fanāʾ ) is the Sufi Islamic term signifying “passing away,” that is, passing away from worldly reality and being made subsistent in divine reality.[1] It is the Islamic term for "passing away" or "annihilation" (of the self).[2] Fana means "to die before one dies" and represents a breaking down of the individual ego and a recognition of the fundamental unity of God, creation, and the individual self.[2] Persons having entered this enlightened state obtain awareness of the intrinsic unity (tawhid) between Allah and all that exists, including the individual's mind. It is coupled conceptually with baqaa, subsistence, which is the state of pure consciousness of and abidance in God.[3]
Muslim scholars insist that despite similarities to the Hindu concept of samadhi, the concept of Fana is rooted in the Islamic teachings.
References
- ^ BAQĀʾ WA FANĀʾ- Enclyclopedia Iranica, http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/baqa-wa-fana-sufi-term-signifying-subsistence-and-passing-away
- ^ a b Harmless, William. Mystics. New York: Oxford University Press, 2008
- ^ "Fana in Sufism". Britannica.
FURTHER READING:
- Chopra, R. M., SUFISM (Origin,Growth,Eclipse,Resurgence), 2016, Anuradha Prakashan, New Delhi. ISBN 978-93-85083-52-5.