Sufism (Arabic: الصُّوفِيَّةaṣ-ṣūfiyya), also known as Tasawwuf[1] (التَّصَوُّفat-taṣawwuf), is a mystic body of religious practice found within Islam which is characterized by a focus on Islamic purification, spirituality, ritualism, asceticism, and esotericism.[2][3][4][5][6] It has been variously defined as "Islamic mysticism",[7][8][9] "the mystical expression of Islamic faith",[10] "the inward dimension of Islam",[11][12] "the phenomenon of mysticism within Islam",[13][14] the "main manifestation and the most important and central crystallization" of mystical practice in Islam,[15][16] and "the interiorization and intensification of Islamic faith and practice".[17]
Practitioners of Sufism are referred to as "Sufis" (from صُوفِيّ, ṣūfīy),[13] and historically typically belonged to "orders" known as tariqa (pl. ṭuruq) – congregations formed around a grand wali who would be the last in a chain of successive teachers linking back to Muhammad, with the goal of undergoing Tazkiah (self purification) and the hope of reaching the spiritual station of Ihsan.[18][19][20] The ultimate aim of Sufis is to seek the pleasure of God by endeavoring to return to their original state of purity and natural disposition, known as fitra.[21]
Sufism emerged early on in Islamic history,[13] partly as a reaction against the worldliness of the early Umayyad Caliphate (661–750) and mainly under the tutelage of Hasan Al-Basri.[22] Although Sufis were opposed to dry legalism, they strictly observed Islamic law and belonged to various schools of Islamic jurisprudence and theology.[23] Although the overwhelming majority of Sufis, both pre-modern and modern, remain adherents of Sunni Islam, certain strands of Sufi thought transferred over to the ambits of Shia Islam during the late medieval period.[24] This particularly happened after the Safavid conversion of Iran under the concept of Irfan.[24] Important focuses of Sufi worship include dhikr, the practice of remembrance of God.[25] Sufis also played an important role in spreading Islam through their missionary and educational activities.[23]
^Martin Lings, What is Sufism? (Lahore: Suhail Academy, 2005; first imp. 1983, second imp. 1999), p.12: "Mystics on the other hand-and Sufism is a kind of mysticism-are by definition concerned above all with 'the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven'".
^Compare: Nasr, Seyyed Hossein (2007). Chittick, William C. (ed.). The Essential Seyyed Hossein Nasr. The perennial philosophy series. Bloomington, Indiana: World Wisdom, Inc. p. 74. ISBN9781933316383. Retrieved 2017-06-24. Sufism is the esoteric or inward dimension of Islam [...] Islamic esoterism is, however [...] not exhausted by Sufism [...] but the main manifestation and the most important and central crystallization of Islamic esotericism is to be found in Sufism.
^Shah 1964–2014, p. 30. "According to Idries Shah, Sufism is as old as Adam and is the essence of all religions, monotheistic or not." See Perennial philosophy
^Cite error: The named reference AH Shadhili was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Nasr, Seyyed Hossein (2008). The garden of truth: the vision and promise of Sufism, Islam's mystical tradition. Harper Collins. pp. 45–3736–45-3736. ISBN978-0061625992.
^ abSchimmel, Annemarie. "Sufism". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 2018-06-26. Opposed to the dry casuistry of the lawyer-divines, the mystics nevertheless scrupulously observed the commands of the divine law. [...] the mystics belonged to all schools of Islamic law and theology of the times.