What is sufism ?

Islamic mysticism or spirituality

 Sufism is not a sect (Sufism is neither Sunni nor Shi’i)
 it an aspect or dimension of Islam
 a number of Sufi orders (tariqas) can be found in the world with millions of followers
 Sufism has had a lasting influence on Islamic thought and culture
 Sufism can be describe broadly as
 the intensification of Islamic faith and practice, or
 the tendency among Muslims to strive for a personal engagement with the
Divine Reality.
 The Sufis see their path as
 the higher realization of Islamic Truths
 the ultimate fulfilment of genuine Islam
 They are Muslims who take seriously God's call to perceive his presence in the world
and the self
 They generally stress
 inwardness over outwardness,
 contemplation over action,
 spiritual development over legalism
 cultivation of the soul over social interaction
Sufism depends on emotion and imagination in the divine-human relationship

hadith,fiqh which depend on reason

 
 
They speak about the good rather than the bad
Sufism has been associated with specific institutions and individuals
 Sufism is unrelated to the
 Sunni/Shi’i split
 schools of jurisprudence
 social class
 gender
 geography
 family connections.
 It is closely associated with both popular religion and orthodox (mainstream) expressions of
Islamic teachings.
 opposed and supported by the state (Caliphs, rulers etc.).
Examples of Early Sufi ascetic (zuhd)
practices
1. the wearing of a patched robe
2. eating only ‘lawful’ food,
3. voluntary fastin
4. Praying A lot
5. Renunciation of the world(giving up on all pleasures and internal bliss)
 

The Origins of Sufism: Zuhd

 Islamic Asceticism (zuhd)
 – fear of God’s judgement,
→ a deep consciousness of sin and human weakness,
-consequent desire for complete submission to the Will of God.
Early Spread of Zuhd
with materialism and religious and political conflict.
The ascetic movement of the first –to bringorder and gradual bringing mysticism thus
two centuries of Islam developing the earliest form of recognizable Sufism
 
The Sufi Path
 
direct spiritual experience:
Sufi orders (tariqa)
 Sufism developed ways of purification through the medium of religious orders:
– master– disciple relationship
 first four to five centuries of Islam ,passed through instructors
 tight-knit organization
  
 Famous Sufi Orders are the
 Qadiriyya,
 Shadhiliyya and
 Naqshbandiyya
 
 Rituals in Sufi orders (tariqas)
1. recitation of prayers
2. methodical repetitions
3. In communal gatherings, Sufis perform dhikr aloud
4. daily devotional exercises and activities

Link to the Prophet: The Silsilah

1. oath of obedience
2. chain of spiritual descent
3. within the tariqah
 
Sufi Meeting Place: the Zawiya: for spiritual retreat and character reformation
 
Overview of a Sufi Order: The Qadiriyya
His ideas influenced other founders
 A Muslim scholar with spiritual interests
 The Qadiri Order
 Relation with shari’a
 (Al-Jilani viewed shari‘a as the source of all spiritual advancement and
culture, and followed the Hanbali school of law)
 Spread
 (Initially, Qadiri teachings spread in and around Baghdad, then moved into
Arabia, Morocco, Egypt, Turkestan, parts of Africa (Khartoum, Sokoto, Tripoli)
and India.)
 Origins of rituals
  (It is not entirely definite that al-Jilani himself instituted a rigid set of prayers
and rituals to follow, and different Qadiri groups have different practices
 However, they all give allegiance to the founder of the
Order)
Shrine veneration
Pilgrimagesare place for qadri order
gifts are presented to his descendants
Qadiris also perform dhikr
Criticism of Sufism
 Criticism came from
 More literalist and legalist interpreters of Islam
 Authorities
 Sufis themselves criticizing other false Sufism
 Sufism is criticized for
 encouraging popular superstitions
 diverting from the course of the sharia
 Monasticism and anti- materialism
 abuse of power Etc
 
Summary of the development of Sufism
1. Asceticism
2. Sufis become a distinguished “group” with special appearance, philosophy and practices
3. TEACHER-STUDENT RELATION
4. Birth of Sufi Orders

Meanings
Spiritually  it includes a sense of search for meaning in
connection to life.
something bigger than ourselves

 A severe self-discipline and  

sceticism avoiding of all forms of
indulgence, typically for religious reasons.
 
Philosopher and historian Ibn Khaldun defines Sufism as
 dedication ,disregard ,abstinence retiring
Sufi Safa-purity

 Ihsan( hadith of Gabriel, the Prophet doing what is beautiful

describes ihsan as the innermost dimension of
Islam)
A Sufi Philosophy unselfish love for God.
I. Seven stations (stages of spiritual  
attainment)
along the Sufi path
I. Ten states (spiritual moods given by
God)
 
eg Sufi silsila Naqshbandi Sufi order
 place for spiritual
Sufi Meeting Place: the Zawiya retreat and character reformation