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Nader Angha
With the popularization of Sufism in the United States, it is possible to lose sight of the profound and vital tradition that this discipline embodies. Bill Moyers in one of his programs said that Rumi was the most widely read poet in the U.S. How many of those who read Rumi truly know how Rumi, the twelfth century theologian, became the renowned Sufi whose state of ecstasy was represented as the "whirling dance" that is so popular in the West? In the Sufi tradition, esoteric knowledge transmitted by the Muhammad to Ali, Uwais al-Qarni, and Salman the Persian has been handed down through an unbroken chain of Sufi masters to the present time. It is the master who chooses the student who has the gift and talent to be entrusted with this sacred knowledge. The student is trained unceasingly by the master until such time that the student is ready to be appointed as the successor (Khalifa).
Birth
Molana Salaheddin Ali Nader Shah Angha, also known as Hazrat Pir, is the 42nd Sufi in this continuous succession of Sufi masters dating back 1,500 years to the time of Muhammad. The Pir was born in Tehran, Iran, on Sunday noon, the September 30 1945, which also coincided with one of the most holiest days for Muslims, Eid ul-Adha, which celebrates the Hajj. His spiritual journey began in childhood, when special signs were seen in him. For eleven years, he was under the tutelage of his grandfather, who was the 40th Sufi master of the Oveyssi School.
Training
Nader Angha's training continued under the guidance of his father, Molana Shah Maghsoud Sadegh Angha, the 41st Sufi master of the Oveyssi School. His works reflect not only his knowledge of the sacred, but also his facility in the sciences, including physics, astrophysics, nuclear physics, physical chemistry, and biochemistry. He also operated his own astronomy laboratory near Tehran. At the age of 23, he wrote:
"My soul is in harmony with the forces commanding the galaxies and those commanding the atoms."
About Nader Angha in Poems
Father Angha's love, trust, and respect for his son was so great that he spoke of him with unbounded tenderness in his numerous books, including, Serr-ol Hajar, Hamase-ye Hayat, Masnavi Shahed va Mashhood, Seyr-al Sa'er va Teyr al-Nader, Al-Rasa'el, and Principles of Faghr and Sufism. In his book Ghazaliat, he writes:
Absolute, devastating submission of hearts, is it?
Or, the soul's sweet suscitation, temptation exquisite?
Dark eyes' drunken gaze-
Or narcissus' starry bloom: day's
Glory, or the Beloved's glance at the night's summit?
Or, is it the abundant, bountiful harvest:
Flowing fields of lily-buds, bed of flowers? Or, beautifully manifest
The Beloved's attributes, or none
But the serene setting sun?
Or, the elegant symmetry, majestic stature of cypress-
root through crest?
Is it a jar of sugar, or, really, the mouth carrying
Sweet words? Water of Life? Rows of teeth, or set string
Of pearls within oyster
Shells lustrous; or better
Still, the celebrated gems of which the legends sing?
Each night, from the deep, penetrating, melancholy, desolation,
From the plaintive, forlorn state of my heart-a sublimation
Takes place, and my blood
Makes musk from mere mud;
And then, there is a tearful deluge in my eyes-
or is it the surging ocean?
It is Molana's soul, at home
With his words, most spellbinding
When he said: it is the heavenly dome,
Of Nader-'Tis Nader Angha of whom I speak.
In the above verse, when mentioning "Molana", Professor Angha is alluding to a poem that Rumi wrote about Hazrat Pir. In the Sufi tradition, Sufi masters are known to have the spiritual expansiveness to behold future events even though they may be many centuries ahead. The following are a few verses from Rumi's poem about Hazrat Pir written in his Divan-e Shams-e Tabriz*:
The most exquisite fragrance of Paradise's garden and of spring
The love of the Beloved, creativity of Creation, and enlivener of the soul.
This fragrance from which all this planet became intoxicated,
Issued not from the earth, but from the highest heavens.
The stars above question, "What is this brilliant sun?"
The fish in the sea say, "What cataclysimic event is this?"
The shining Sun has illuminated all faces as radiant orbs,
The lustrous moon's envy is this brilliant Sun's light.
His beauteous face was longingly awaited since Joseph's* time,
What greatness! What goodness! The angels are in awe!
What Divine Guide is this? Bearer of wine from the Fountain of Life is He,
The mysterious Mount's summit and most precious, and Nader Angha is He.
Inflamed in quest of Him are both the East and the West,
This light of vision is the light of Molana's soul.
What hides you? Speak the truth, hide not the evident,
The might of God and our king, His warrior is He.
Peace of both spheres, protector of both worlds is He,
Bearer of woes, guardian of tomorrows is He.
This inflamed world now turns, whirling in awe,
God! What love is this? What grace is this?
What song is this that beckons all hearts?
I tell you then, the Jewel of God's Sea is He.
In the late 1950's a respected Egyptian scholar, Seyed Mohammad Abul-Majd visited Professor Angha in Tehran. Moved by the presence of the young child (Hazrat Pir), he wrote:
O' Angha, there are flowers in your blessed home;
Among them, there is a cleansed branch, Nader.
His father's lineage goes back to the Prophet's family;
He is the core of an expansive light.
O' Nader, to you, hear comes a bearer of news;
* that to find someone like you is indeed rare.
Appointment of succession
Hazrat Pir's mother, Mah-Talat Etemad Moghadam, writes the following about her son in her book "From The Prophet Mohammad To The Great Sufi Mir Ghotbeddin Mohammad", which traces the unbroken succession of the Sufi masters in the Oveyssi Order: "In the year one thousand, three hundred and forty-nine S.H. 4, 1970, in one of the guiding sessions held in the presence of Hazrat Shah Maghsoud, with the attendance of a great number of devotees; and with the confirmation of Benevolent Allah, he was blessed by receiving the Robe of Faqr from the hand of his father. Hazrat Shah Maghsoud, with a speech, handed over his Robe to him."*
From the date of his appointment by the hand of his beloved father, Nader Angha assumed his responsibilities in carrying on the duties entrusted to him, which included the design and supervision of the construction of the magnificent Sufi Center in Sufi-Abad of Karaj (close to Tehran). In 1979, when he moved to the United States with his father, he began to execute his father's wish to expand the sacred teachings to a wider audience. Through his deep commitment to his father's wish, the Sufi Order which he leads now has over 500,000 students who attend centers located throughout North America, Europe, Australia Asia and Africa.
Nader Angha's knowledge is not limited to the esoteric disciplines and sacred sciences (science of letters and numbers, alchemy, etc.), but expands to other disciplines, including: physics, mathematics, astronomy, astrophysics, quantum mechanics, biophysics, philosophy, poetry, and architecture. His insight, receptivity, and meticulous mind have won the respect of scholars and scientists around the world. He has delivered lectures at many of the leading universities in the West, and at other scientific and educational institutions. His discourses focus on presenting the depth of the spirituality in Islam, its scientific richness, and its relevance for contemporary life. It is his conviction that unless each person's inherent goodness, talents, and abilities are developed, one cannot know the meaning of stability, security, freedom and human dignity.
Publications
Nader Angha's more than 50 books include works of prose and poetry - Peace, The Secret Word, The Approaching Promise, Masnavi Ravayeh, Theory "I", Expansion and Contraction Within Being (Dahm), Whispering Moments: Inspirations, Revelation (Elham) The Fragrance of Sufism, Sufism, Sufism and Peace, Sufism and Knowledge, Sufism and Islam, Sufism and Faith, and Sufism: A Bridge Between Religions.
Applied sciences in Sufism
Sufism, as taught by Nader Angha, is applying the knowledge of the sacred in tangible forms that represent the creative power of the soul. An example of this is a shrine near Novato, California, which was designed by Angha as a memorial to his cherished father. In accordance with the science of letters and numbers (the science of jafr), when the numbers relating to the dimensions of the building are converted to letters, the name of his father is obtained. Moreover, the shape of the roof structure represents "Allah" (Arabic: الله) with all sides of the roof joining to form a pointed summit to represent the unification of the human being with God, signifying that God can be known in the heavens--the heart, the pure elevated state of the human being.
Entering through the large gates of this abode of worship, is like entering an inspiring realm. Evoking the mild fragrance of a rose garden--the smooth, seemingly transparent black marble floor, the mirror mosaic ceiling reflecting the lovely display of flowers, the walls ornamented with exquisite Islamic arts and crafts, carved and painted stucco with mirror inserts, mosaic tiles with gold and mirror inserts, elaborate metal work, and calligraphy--the building encloses the visitor in an atmosphere of harmony and serenity. Surrounded by so much beauty, one is moved to hear the inner call of silence and peace.
Sufism, as taught by Nader Angha, is a method and a way that shows human beings how to discover the eternity that lies within them, so that they may know the truth of their being, and thus live in harmony and peace with themselves and with others. Nader Angha says in his book Peace:
"... there is another way of action and belief--one not bound to custom, tradition, race, personal or social ideologies, yet capable of changing the course of human destiny."
References
- Molana Jalaleddin Balkhi Rumi Divan-e Shams-e Tabriz (Tehran: Javidan Publications), 1360, * p. 241.
- Reference is made to Joseph, the favorite son of Jacob who was thrown in a well by his envious brothers and later sold as a slave to the Egyptians. Known for his unequalled beauty, he became the symbol of beauty in Sufi literature.
- For further reading on the appointment of Hazrat Pir, Molana Salaheddin Ali Nader Angha, as 42nd master of Maktab Tarighat Oveyssi Shahmaghsoudi by his father, Molana al-Moazam Hazrat Shah Maghsoud Sadegh angha, "Pir Oveyssi", as well as his succession, please refer to the following books:
1. From the Prophet Mohammad to the Great Sufi master Mir Ghotbeddin Mohammad This book has been written by Hazrat Pir's mother, Mah-Talat Etemad Moghadam and edited by Hazrat Pir's sister, Nahid Angha. This book was published in 1982 and is available through Maktab Tarighat Oveyssi Shahmaghsoudi (M.T.O) Publication Center. (p.217)
ISBN 0910736-00X
Library of Congress Catalog Number: 82-83277
2. Oveys-e Gharani and His School - the History of the Robe From the Beginning of Islam Until the Present Time. Kianfar, Dr. Gh-Ali. Baldwin Park: Yuin University Publications, 1983. (pp.222-224)
Library of Congress Call Number: BP188.5.K59
ISBN 915649-00-4
Library of Congress Catalog Number: 83-91021
3. Majmou'e Assar Farsieh Ahmad Ghazzali (Aref Motevafa 520 Hejri Ghamari). Mojahed, Ahmad. Tehran: Entesharat-e Daneshgah-e Tehran, 1370. (p.193)
External links
"Nader Angha"