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Newsweek Letters to the Editor
May 15, 2000

I want to thank you for the excellent article on miracles. It is both timely and appropriate in the midst of the new spiritual awareness that Americans are experiencing at the juncture of the millenniums. As a Muslim, I particularly want to mention that the bold coverage of Sheik Hisham Kabbani, representing the Islamic Naqshbandi Sufi tradition of hundreds of years, was very much appreciated. Indeed, Sufis are playing a major role in shaping the lives of millions of Muslims. They are attracting new converts into the religion all around the world, with their peaceful message of love and tolerance, as opposed to the extremist fundamentalist approach more often noted by the media. Your positive portrayal of Islamic spirituality alongside the other major world faiths will surely contribute toward building much-needed bridges between Muslims and the Western mind.

Zeeshan Ali
Austin, Texas

Spirituality, Saints and Miracles: Making Mainstream Headlines

In a special feature on the topic of miracles, Newsweek magazine news executives contacted ISCA offices in Washington, asking many questions about spirituality, sainthood and other related issues. We thank Newsweek for its recognition of traditional Islamic practices and scholarship. Below are excerpts from their article on the subject, entitled, “What Miracles Mean.”

“Woven into the history of the world's religions, miracles are more about faith than fact. In 'The Book of Miracles,' NEWSWEEK's Kenneth L. Woodward explains why so many people believe the unbelievable.

Hisham Muhammad Kabbani is a Sufi saint, a sheik in the Naqshbandi Order of Islam, which traces its lineage back to the Prophet Muhammad. Now 55 and head of the order in North America, he has an M.D. from Louvain University in Belgium. He relates a miracle story that occurred in 1971, when his own spiritual master, Sheik Muhammad Nazim al-Haqqani, made a rare and unexpected visit to Kabbani's home in Lebanon.

"He said to me, 'I have received an inspiration from a chain of our grandmasters that your father is going to die tonight at 7 p.m.' I asked, 'How do you know this? My father is old but in good health.' He said, 'It is through our essence and the spiritual connection that has been passed over thousands of years.' It was
5 in the evening and he told me to call the family together and not to tell my father. At five minutes before 7, my master came to my father's room. My father told the sheik that he was in pain and his heart was failing. When the clock was ringing at 7, my father passed away."

….Islamic theology distinguishes sharply between the miracles (mu'jiza) that God's prophets could perform and the karama, or wonders worked by later Muslim mystics and saints. Islam means "submission" to Allah; Sufi mystics who submit their minds and bodies in total prayer achieve a level of spiritual knowledge that produces karama. Thus Sufi spiritual masters can intuit disasters, read the needs of souls and help the sick.

….The Qur'an itself speaks of friends of God (awliya' Allah), and over the centuries Muslims have singled out certain figures for devotion, including Muhammad's favorite daughter, Fatimah….Pious Muslims venerate their saints, cherish their relics, invoke their protection and look to them for blessings.”

Heather Won Tesoriero contributed to this portion of the Newsweek article. To view the entire article, please see www.newsweek.com, May 1, 2000 edition.