-Worldbuilding Diary-
The Selmani Religion (Ruhid; The Unification of the Soul)
The Selmani’s believe in the Oneness. Their religion is strictly monotheistic without any embellishments. There is one God and he is the creator of the world and everything in it. They are a religion of peace and unity.
Ruhid has two central teachings:
Ilkenar or The Principle; this teaching is focused on the rules and guidelines within the religion and is where the Doctrine of Ruhid comes from
Taqwar or The Devotion; this teaching is focused on the spiritual part of Ruhid. This is a more abstract, more pious form of Ruhid, where people who focus on Taqwar are those who are dervishes and spiritual leaders and such.
Ilkenar is the physical component of Ruhid, Taqwar is the spiritual component of Ruhid.
Within Ilkenar, there are many sub-categories, mainly focused on laws and regulations of different matters, and it is where the Davaria originates from. Davaria is the Law of Ruhid and the central piece of every Selman body of rule. The Sultans are required to obey and enforce the Davaria in all corners of the Selman Sultanate and its vassal states. The Ruhidis are required to obey the Davaria wherever they can, and behave in accordance with the Ilkenar.
Subsequently, Davaria, together with Ilkenar lays the foundation of many Ruhidi teachings and sciences that deal with politics, economy, law, war, etc.
The Taqwar is the central piece of the Ruhidi faith. It’s the spiritual path every Ruhidi should strive towards; it is like a road - a path that every faithful and pious Ruhidi takes and tries to follow through their entire life. The Taqwar has Nine Aspects called the Doksal.
Atash (Fire): The Aspect of Fire represents Passion within which two things are contained: Rage and Love. One who chooses the aspect of Atash must find a fine balance between the extremes in emotion, that are represented in Love and Rage. One must not allow oneself to completely burn out in their passionate search for love towards another or towards God, and one must be careful not to burn away in the fires of anger, rage and hatred. The Fire Aspect teaches balance in all things, with a focus on finding passion within that balance. Atash is Emotion.
Zamma (Earth): The aspect of Earth represents Sturdiness. It is an aspect that corresponds to another aspect - the Wujur (Body) aspect, as these are both Warrior aspects. Those who choose Zamma are the Peaceful ones; the protectors who devote themselves to the safety of others, becoming paragons of justice. Lawmakers are often those who choose Zamma as their aspect. Zamma is Justice.
Su (Water): The aspect of Water represents Adjustment. The ones who choose this aspect are the ones who learn how to adapt to everything around them and no situation is a challenge to overcome. They are the ones who can “fill every bottle”, like water. The Su teaches its followers to let themselves go and embrace their fears - without running from them, and to show others how to overcome their own fears; to become sailors who can brave even the most raging storms and sail the calmest seas. Su is Courage.
Hawa (Air): The Aspect of Air represents Exploration. Like a bird that is free to fly wherever it wishes to, Hawa teaches its followers to learn how to glide on the currents of the wind around them, to explore and discover; the Hawa is an aspect that is about overcoming every boundary; be they physical or mental. An aspect that centers around the idea that nothing can become a prison for someone. Hawa seeks the balance between a gentle breeze that brings with it coolness and a vicious hurricane that tears down everything in its path. Hawa is Freedom.
Oza (Spirit): The Aspect of Spirit represents Preservation. Without the spirit to inhabit a living thing, there is no life. Its teachings center around the idea of preservation of the world and its inhabitants. Its followers are peaceful and loving; they are healers and pacifists. Every innocent life is precious and it should be cherished and cared for. The sick and those who are too weak to fend for themselves deserve the right to live as much as the strong and the healthy. Oza is found in nature; the tranquil balance of all things and it goes hand in hand with Ghaj. Oza is Life.
Ghaj (Nothingness): The Aspect of Nothingness represents the End. Ghaj is finality. The end of one’s path. Ghaj is what happens when the Spirit returns back to its Creator, when it becomes nothing. The followers of Ghaj are among the most controversial ones in the Ruhid religion for some of them will interpret Ghaj as an Aspect the requires its followers to abstain from worldly pleasures and not seek wealth, but instead travel or live as monks who seek to reach the end of their path, and guide those who have come to their journey’s end to the ends of their path as well. But some will go to the other extreme and interpret Ghaj as something that requires them to bring about the end of Oza. They are the militant followers of Ruhid who think that bringing death is their main duty. The Ghaj is delicate for it requires balance, more so than the rest of the Aspects. One should not willfully refuse a comfortable, humane life in favor of seeking out their deaths and one should not kill those who do not wish to die before their time. True followers of Ghaj are those who believe in the Cycle of Life and Death, or the Ozakhaj. A cycle that within it contains the idea that everything has its predetermined course; when it will be born and when it will die and they are there to ensure that the living things get a chance to experience their full Ozakhaj cycle. Ghaj is Death.
Wujur (Body): The Aspect of Body represents Might. This aspect teaches its followers the importance of strength and martial prowess. Also called the Soldier’s Aspect, Wujur is the iron will of a determined soldier, the steel gaze of a cunning general, the sword that falls down upon the necks of enemies, the arrow that pierces the armor of its foe. Wujur’s followers put a lot of emphasis on being physically strong and dominating in all aspects of life. They are loud, cheerful, larger-than-life characters who are bolstered by the teachings of their Aspect that tells them: Life should be enjoyed fully. Why waste it on being a meek weakling when one can become the best version of oneself through devotion and training. The Aspect of Body is the aspect of sacrifice, for those who are strong are those who can defend the weak. Wujur is Strength.
Zyhan (Mind): The Aspect of Mind represents Intelligence. It teaches its followers to seek out knowledge in every corner of the world; for true power lies in knowledge. They temper their minds into powerful instruments that are capable of solving any problem thrown at their feet. Zyhan also gives its followers focus; for in order to use one’s mind efficiently, one must know the Mind completely. Meditation and self-reflection are a great part of this aspect. All scholars follow Zyhan. Zyhan also represents curiosity, and it teaches its followers to not be afraid to dig the deepest and soar the highest in order to find answers to the questions that linger in their minds. Zyhan is Knowledge.
Tamruh (Complete Soul): This Aspect represents Tranquility. It is the ultimate goal. Tamruh consists of the Eight Aspects before it, and encompasses their teachings and their values within itself. It seeks to achieve perfect balance in all things and yet - it teaches its followers to forsake their own Ego, casting off the shackles of Self, becoming One with the Soul; or completely devoting oneself to the worship of God. Finding balance in the Aspects filters out the bad (such as wrath, jealousy, arrogance, greed, etc) and leaves the good (peace, love, kindness, selflessness, etc) - making a person more than a person. Making them into a Tamruh - which means becoming or transforming one’s soul into the Perfect Soul, the Complete Soul.
Tamruh is Perfection.
And it is the ultimate lesson that is found within Taqwar.
The Ruhidis (majority of them are located in the Selman Sultanate) all choose one Aspect of Taqwar to follow, centering themselves and their lives around the ideas found inside the aspects. Those who fully devote themselves to an Aspect are those who strive to achieve perfection or mastery of an aspect. For some, such a journey takes a lifetime; some never achieve it and there are those who master the Aspects and eventually reach Tamruh. Those who have reached either the Perfection of an Aspect or Tamruh are the ones who serve as spiritual guides in the many Ruhid Taqya’s (Taqya is a place or building of worship within which Ruhidis gather to perform religious rites and pray). Achieving Tamruh means you are eligible to qualify for the place of Shayh-u-Ruh (the Teacher of the Soul) who are the authorities of spirituality in the Ruhid society. Most of the Shayh-u-Ruh have devoted their lives to Ruhid, so they are educated in Ilkenar as much as they are knowledgeable about Taqwar. Every Sultan has his own personal Shayh-u-Ruh to guide them and instruct them on the matters of Taqwar, as well as Ilkenar, for the Shayh-u-Ruh are the ones who possess the knowledge about both matters.
Mostly, the Taqya’s will be buildings that have a unified space for all Aspect Followers, since the Ruhid prayer is the same for everyone; regardless of their Aspect. They all believe in the same God, and are guided by the same religious laws of Ilkenar. However, if one wishes to devote themselves to a specific Aspect, then they would go to a Taqya Doksal, or an Aspect Temple within which they can become monks of their respective Aspect.
NOTE TO SELF: THINK ABOUT STAKES IN YOUR BOOKS YA BITCH
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