Yashruti Lodge in Akko
Visited what will soon become the Yashruti World Center here in Akko. An amazing effort is going in to building this complex of buildings to serve as a center for this Sufi branch of the larger Shadhili Order. The love that is going into the construction of this Yashruti Zawiyah (Lodge) is reflected in the exquisite architectural design and craftsmanship that quietly shouts to the sky with its blue domed roof. So who are the Sufi's? What is the Shadhili Order? And finally who was Yashruti? Sufism is considered to be the inner mystical dimension of Islam. Like perhaps Kabbalah is to Judaism. A spiritual path that is gradually built thru the educational teachings of a leader that leads his followers to divine unity between man and God. The many different Sufi orders and their individual branches have developed varied paths to reach the spiritual ultimate goal of "worshipping Allah as if you see him" (perfection of worship known as ihsan). Shadhili Order was founded in the 13th century in North Africa by Abu al-Hasan ash-Shadhili. He believed foremost that those that undertook an inner mystical transformational journey must have a solid foundation that includes a working profession for supporting himself financially. Sounds remarkably similar to teachings of the famous Jewish scholar Maimonides (Rambam) that had lived and studied earlier in the same neighborhoods of the Muslim Sufi scholar Shadhili. Today there are 72 different branches of the Shadhili Order throughout the world. Each of these branches has a founding educational leader and a group of loyal followers. Sheik ali nur a din el yashruti was the founding leader of the Yashruti branch in Akko. In 1841 the young Yashruti was on his way to Mecca. He stopped in Lebanon and had a dream where the prophet Jonah told him to go to Akko and set up a Zawiyah (educational lodge). The Zawiyah would be built in 1862 and this is the lodge being renovated today here in Akko. The lodge includes what I would call a family mausoleum (Mashaad). Mashaad actually translates as a place of martyrdom and in Israel near Nazareth is a town named Mashaad. What I found to be mystical is that this Arabic town is thought to be the traditional site where the Prophet Jonah is buried thus tying together Yashruti in the Mashaad (mausoleum) with Jonah his whisperer in the town of Mashaad. These are the connected dots that can excite followers. The Mashaad in Acre is simply beautiful and waters one's eyes in its magnificence. Inside are entombed three generations of the Yashruti teachers in individual domed aedicule's with reserved spaces for future generational leaders of this family. Today the leader of the Yashruti is the grandson Professor Achmad Yashruti who is living in Amman. He is a strong believer in human unity as well as spiritual unity and advocates like his predecessors harmony between Muslims, Christians, and Jews. The world Yashruti center will strive to promote this peaceful unity.
