The Sufi View Over Atlantis

“Númenor is my personal alteration of the Atlantis myth and/or tradition,” explained J.R.R. Tolkien, “Of all the mythical or ‘archetypal’ images this is the one most deeply seated in my imagination” (quoted in Alchemy in Middle-earth, page viii). This admission is remarkable for a Catholic; and while the legacy of Plato in Christianity and Islam alike is profound, this legacy does not ordinarily include the tradition of Atlantis.  However, on 11 August 2003, the Sufi Master Shaykh Nazim al-Haqqani an-Naqshbandi delivered a message from this living legacy, thus providing a detailed localization of the Atlantis tradition and a warning for modern humanity. The following is taken from his speech, delivered in English at his home on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus:


The Island Atlantis, in the Aegean Sea, was a brilliant place with many buildings. For a thousand years people were living there with energy, blessings and grace. It was so beautiful an island, a continent with mankind living life fully as they liked, and enjoying themselves; they were granted all favors and grace, swimming in Allah's favors, jewels, gold…all pleasures.

And finally they cut their relationship with heavens, and heavenly orders. No more were they trying to respect heavenly rules and orders; drunk with temporary life and pleasures, they began to run to fulfill their animal natures' pleasures. Until today, none reached what they reached, not even today, from the pleasures of the world.

Allah Almighty is the Most Patient One, and His patience is not like ours. He was putting a limit, not touching them, and they were going on living the most dirty life, thinking they were living the most joyful, most peaceful life. Like a mosquito living in dirty water and one in clean water, the one in clean water is asking, “Why are you living in dirty water?”
The dirty one is asking, “What? What do you mean?”
“Come, I will bring you to clean water and I will show you.”
“No! We have best life, clean life, free from everything, from earth, from heaven; doing everything for our pleasure.”

For every living being, there will be an end. One morning, a volcano was beginning, first sending ashes that, if coming on a person, burned. The temperature, 100 centigrade degrees; like cotton coming down softly, it was coming and people ran to their homes, closing themselves in; but ashes began to cover doors, windows…from inside yelling, but no answer. Then came lava, and fire like hell-fire was coming in rivers, covering everywhere, and down it came.

It was unseen; the whole Atlantis continent was covered unseen. Nothing can be seen; you cannot understand there were such nice cities, gardens…now it is nothing. In the beginning it was like a new island and then it just disappeared. They were so, so drunk, so heedless, so unbelieving, so disrespecting of heavenly orders and commands.

           Allah can do anything with His endless ability to people. Do not trust what you have from atoms; nuclear power is nothing. Come and surrender to the Lord of Heavens. “Islam” means surrender to your Creator's commands, your Lord's heavenly orders; if you are asking to reach a heavenly life, an honored life here and hereafter, angels can reach you at any time, anywhere…