Sufism Index
A Brief Introduction to Tasawwuf in the Islamic tradition
Index of Sufism related articles
Kitāb al-Ḥikam (The Book of Wisdom) - Sufi aphorisms by Ibn Ata 'Allah - Hikma #1 to #50
What is Sufism?
Sufism (tasawwuf) is purification of the self from all that is other than the remembrance and obedience of Allāh ﷻ; the realization of iḥsān (excellence); zuhd (asceticism) combined with ma`rifa (knowledge of Allāh ﷻ). It is often described as the inward aspect of Islām - the inward aspect of religion is the necessary complement of the outward aspect, and vice versa.
The Persian mystic Ibn Khafif (d. 371 AH/981-2 CE) defined it as follows:
Tasawwuf is neither knowledge nor deeds but an attribute with which the essence of the Sufi adorns itself, possessing knowledge and deeds, and consisting in the balance in which these two are weighed.
It can be summarised as:
- to abstain from sins, wordly desires and troubles [zuhd]
- to purify one's inner self and soul; to abandon the lowly and bestial attributes of lust, dishonesty, malice, greed, jealousy and to instead adorn it with the lofty qualities of gratefulness, humbleness, sincerity, contemplation, repentance, God-consciousness (taqwa) and truthfulness [tazkiyah al-nafs]
- to worship Allāh, the Sublime and Exalted, as if you see Him [iḥsān], and to praise and glorify Him and keep Him in constant remembrance [dhikr]
- to possess the most excellent manner and character [adab/akhlaq]
Its fruits are the heart's development, knowledge of Allah ﷻ, salvation in the next world, triumph through gaining Allah's pleasure, the attainment of eternal happiness, and illuminating and purifying the heart so that noble matters disclose themselves, extraordinary states are revealed, and one perceives what the insight of others is blind to.
A common misconception is that tasawwuf is a separate, distinct sect within Islām. The truth is that tasawwuf is inseparable from orthodox Sunni Islām -it is a science, concerned with drawing oneself closer to Allāh. It has been treated and taught as such for over a millenium. There is no Sunni orthodoxy without Sufism, and vice versa. The giants of tasawwuf such as Imām al-Ghazālī (d. 505 AH/1111 CE) and Shaykh ʿAbd al-Qādir al-Gīlānī (d. 561 AH/1166 CE) were both staunch defenders of Islamic orthodoxy and the most preeminent masters of Sufism.
As succinctly put by Shaykh Abdal Hakim Murad:
Sufism is the way of God wherever Islām is the way of Allāh. Islām is the way of Allāh wherever Sufism is the way of Allāh.
What is a Sufi?
Briefly put, "sufi" is a second-century name applied to a type of Muslim earlier known as "zahid." The lexical root of sufi is variously traced to:
- suf = wool
- safa' = purity
...and while the former is more likely, the latter is given preference. The two were nicely combined by Abu `Ali al-Rudhabari (d. 322 AH) who said:
The real meaning of the word "Sufi" means actually the one who is liberated [from the shackles of the world and his desires] or has completed his spiritual realisation. Otherwise the beginner [of the path] should be called "Mutaçawwif" and never "Sufi" as long as he has not arrived at the final goal.al-sufi man labisa al-sufa `ala al-safaThe Sufi is the one who wears wool on top of purity.
