Keriann Lekoski
M2 Written Assignment
The middle east is made up of various different religions. Each religion has various sects
within them. Just a few of the sects that Islam can be broken down into are Sunni, Shi’a,
Ahmadiyya, and Sufism. Then there are the sects within the religion of Christianity. Armenian
Orthodox is the biggest and most common branch within the middle east. Other branches consist
of Maronite, Chaldean, Melkites, etc. Each has their similarities and their differences.
The Armenian Orthodox Church holds St. Mary in the highest of regards. They have
bestowed upon her several titles to honor her name. Some of these names consist of the “Gate to
Heaven'', the “Mother of the Light”, the “Bearer of God of all” and so on. A large part of the
Armentian Orthodox religion consists of hymns, also known as sharagans, to honor the saints of
whom they look towards. Saints can not be worshiped, only honored. The only one who is to be
worshiped is God himself. St. Mary is best known for being the first of the people to be able to
connect believers to God before she had her son, Jesus Christ. Intercession is granted to those
who have reached the highest point of sainthood such as St. Mary and St. John the Baptist, who
played key roles in Jesus’s mission and life while they were still on earth. Each person to have
reached the title of sainthood had devoted their lives as a witness to the existence of Jesus Christ.
(Arzoumanian, 2007)
The Armenian Orthodox believes in the existence of the Holy Trinity. It consists of three
different people, the father, the son, and the holy spirit, all unified as one being. Though God is
of one entity, his existence can be broken down into three sectors. “The father” which is to
represent God himself, “God’s word” represented in the form of his son, Jesus Christ, and
“God’s breath” which is brought upon his people through the holy spirit. The true happening of
the Holy Trinity was witnessed by John the Baptist. It took place in the event of Jesus’ baptism.
Jesus, who is the son, had been in the water while he received the holy spirit which came down
from above him. The fathers voice, God, was then heard proclaiming Jesus as his son.
(Arzoumanian, 2007)
The Armenian Orthodox Churches can also be referred to as “Monophysite churches”.
This is because the Armenians did not agree with a belief declared by the Council of Chalcedon,
resulting in them removing themselves from the following of the universal church. The
Armenians believed that God was one entity that had “united natures”. The Council of
Chalcedon was declaring that the Trinity was made up of three different people, and as one, were
God. The Armenians declared that they would remain loyal to their belief that God is of one
entity. (Arzoumanian, 2007)
Jesus was sent to earth from God, his father, to save the world from original sin by
reconnecting those who had sinned with the holy father. He was able to complete his mission by
accepting his crucifixion and having his blood of innocence shed to erase all of the sins for the
entirety of mankind. In scriptures it is said that Jesus was able to achieve redemption for all of
mankind through the “price of his blood”. Through his salvation, Jesus was remembered for
being a prophet, a high priest and the king. As a prophet, he showed humanity who God was and
introduced them to a new path to follow. As high priest, he was able to connect man and God,
decreasing the distance between them. As the king, he brought God’s kingdom down to earth.
(Arzoumanian, 2007)
Through God’s experience himself, followers of Sufism desire to discover the truth
about divine love and knowledge. Their main goal in life is to be able to be as close to God as
possible. They do not desire worldly things such as being up to date with the latest trends or
seeking praise for what they own. They live for the purification of the soul and to understand the
mysterious ways of God. In attempts to become closer to God, followers of Sufism seek out
tariqa, otherwise known as spiritual learning. Followers take part in chanting sessions as well as
meditation in order to open their heart to God. (Schimmel, History 2019)
They also follow the five pillars of islam. They are monotheistic, believing that Allah is
their God and Mohammed was sent as his messenger. They make sure to declare their faith to
Allah aloud, also known as Shahada. They also make sure that they pray five times a day, known
as Salat, as well as give to charity (zakat) and fast during Ramadan during the day hours or
known as Sawm. It is required for followers to make a journey to Mecca at least once in their
lifetime, known as the Hajj Pilgrimage. This is a journey that is very physically demanding and
is supposed to clear all of one's past sins and start new with God. During this time, they hope to
be able to deepen their faith. (Winter, 2017) (“Global Connections.Religion.”)
One of the most well known types of spiritual learning is in the Mevlevi Order. In this
event, the practice of dhikr is performed. Dhikr is when the followers recite divine verses as well
as the name of Allah. This is performed through a musical ceremony and dance. They are then
referred to as “Whirling Dervishes”. These practices can be different depending on the religious
order. The performances can be done by oneself or with several other people. Some may choose
to have a quiet performance, others may wish for them to be loud. (Winter, 2017)
Followers of Sufism try to reach a state called fana, which is supposed to be a vast,
overwhelming feeling of Divine Love; and only lasts for a short period of time. Another
important state for followers to reach is one known as baqa, which is when one feels a sense of
completion in what is known as “human in-dwelling with God” which lasts for an extended
period of time. To them, it is believed that the soul and the body are two separate entities. The
soul is not connected to the body, but to God, and is known as blasphemous. (Hays, 2018)
Within the Sufism religion, there is a branch called mysticism, which is the thought that
being united with God can be possible if one surrenders themselves to him. Some mystics that
were of a more advanced level were granted with the possibility to perform miracles or, karāmāt,
except those that did not give man the power to imitate them, also known as muʿjizāt. Among
these are things such as leaving food for those who need it anonymously, receiving intel on
matters of the heart, the ability of being in more than one place at once, or providing help for
disciples. Many saints within the Sufism religion detered people from performing said miracles
for fear that it would stray them off on the wrong path of what their religion truly meant.
(Schimell, Sufi thought and practice 2019)
There are quite a few similarities and differences between Armenian Othodox and
Sufism. Both religions are monotheistic, but the Orthodox believe in God and the body of Christ,
whereas the Sufism religion believes in the God of Allah and the prophet Mohammed. They both
have a book of worship, but the Orthodox have the holy bible that consists of the new and old
testament, while Sufism has the book of Qur’an. Allah does not have a consort, nor any children.
God has his son Jesus Christ, who was also a prophet. Allah had Mohammed as his prophet to
spread his holy word. Both God and Allah are forgiving of all sin, except there is just one thing
that Allah will never forgive, which is the belief in any other God other than himself.
(Afsaruddin, 2020) Both religions believe in angels and saints. Each shares a belief in certain
saints such as Abraham and Moses, but Sufism considers Jesus only a saint, as where Orthodox
believe him to be the son of God. (“Global Connections. Religion.)
There have been some pretty significant influences each religion has had on each other
throughout history. The fact that they do believe in quite a few of the same saints, shows how
Sufism incorporated the saints of Christianity into their religion. Sufism had actually
incorporated quite a bit of Christianity during its development. When Mohammed went to spread
the word of Allah that he’d received from the archangel Gabriel, he’d traveled to mostly Arab
pagan and christian communities. During this time, the Muslim and Christian communities
became close and in the end, had resulted in leaving its influence in Sufisims development. The
fact that Sufism has the belief that they were able to connect with Allah through him comes from
Christianity as well. Christians have several prophets that they were able to connect with God
through. In mainstream Islam, they do not believe in prohets, because they believe that everyone
is equal in the eyes of God; no one person is special. They also carry a shrine to one of the
prophets that mainstream Islam does not acknolwedge. (Nizamie, Katshu, Uvais, 2013)
Some of Sufisms beliefs and practices are developed from different cultures. Followers in
Persia developed a type of music known as qawwali that had originated from South Asia. The
performances of the whirling dervish dances came from Turkey. Over the years throughout
history, Sufism began to change to fit its new liberal state, and began to eliminate the strict rules
of Islamic institutions. There is also the fact that mysticism does not exist in the West, but mostly
resides in the East. They follow the laws of the five pillars as well as those who follow the
mainstream practices of Islam. It has changed drastically over the years, and continues to be
influenced by what is around them to this day. (Milani, 2012)
The Aremenian Orthodox and the religion of Sufisim are alike in many ways, but have
their subtle differences that make each their own. They both believe in one god which is a divine
entity, they both believe in prophets, and they both believe in the unification between them and
their god. Their stories are just a little different from one another. I’ve learned so much more
about both religions and hope to be able to continue to expand my knowledge on religions in the
middle east.
Works Cited
Afsaruddin, A. (2020, April 30). Allah. Encyclopedia Britannica.
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Allah
Global connections . Religion. (n.d.). Retrieved June 20, 2021, from
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/globalconnections/mideast/themes/religion/index.html
Hays, J. (2018, September). SUFISM and SUFI history and beliefs. Retrieved June 20, 2021,
from http://factsanddetails.com/world/cat55/sub394/item1437.html#chapter-5
Nizamie, S. H., Katshu, M. Z., & Uvais, N. A. (2013). Sufism and mental health. Indian
journal of psychiatry, 55(Suppl 2), S215–S223. https://doi.org/10.4103/0019-5545.105535
Milani, M. (2012). The cultural products of global Sufism. In C. M. Cusack & A. Norman
(Eds.), Handbook of New Religions and Cultural Production
Schimell, A. (2019, November 20). Sufi thought and practice. Retrieved June 20, 2021, from
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Sufism/Sufi-thought-and-practice
Schimmel, A. (2019, November 20). History. Retrieved June 20, 2021, from
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Sufism/History
Smith, L. (2003, January 23). Will Sufism be the new It religion? Retrieved June 20, 2021,
from https://slate.com/culture/2003/01/will-sufism-be-the-new-it-religion.html
Specia, M. (2017, November 24). Who are Sufi Muslims and Why do some extremists hate
them? Retrieved June 20, 2021, from
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/24/world/middleeast/sufi-muslim-explainer.html
Winter, C. (2017, November 25). Sufi Islam: What you need to KNOW. Retrieved June 20,
2021, from https://www.dw.com/en/sufi-islam-what-you-need-to-know/a-41532401