Sufism is more of an ascetic way of life, that doesn’t involve any deviation from Shariah, Islamic law, or deviation from the teachings prescribed by Allah (SWT) through the Quran and the traditions of His Messenger (peace be upon him).
Beyond Rumi’s Poetry, the whirling Dervishes, detachment from worldly life, and recitation of Dhikr (repetition of the names of God) and the special practices the Sufi Doctrine seems to propagate, a broad and inclusive understanding of this very special branch of Islam requires delving into its many layers of mysticism, spiritual struggle, and pursuit of the Ultimate Truth.
Apart from the many classical and contemporary explanation of Sufism, most of which I find a bit on the sophisticated side and largely philosophical, Sufism can be thought of as simply as one way of life and a predominantly mystic trend of Islamic thought and sort of a spiritual manner, mostly based on love, in which man approaches God giving greater attention to emotional awareness of the Almighty, love for Him, and fear of Him, all imbibed and fed through regular non-physical communion with Allah.
So rising above the varrying definitions of Sufism, some of which are distorted, and some others are more descriptive to classical or heretical approaches and acts practiced by some, Sufism is an approach which can be used by any person, even if he doesn’t necessarily label his School of Islam as Sufi.
Sufism is more of an ascetic way of life that shouldn’t involve any deviation from Shariah, Islamic law, or deviation from the teachings prescribed by Allah (SWT) through the Quran and the traditions of His Messenger (peace be upon him).
It’s a branch of Islam which, beyond classical practices of its early adherents, involves a spiritual training of the inner self to tame, a kind of excercise that objects “against the rationalization of Islam in law and theology, and focuses instead on spiritual freedom that allows our intrinsic intuitive spiritual senses their full scope.” [Trimingham, Sufi Orders, p. 2.]
Moving from the First Century Islam, which was characterized by political disputes (represented by the early Umayyad Caliphate), the ascetic movement of Islam sprouted out of the need of Muslims to vent out of worldly materialism and thirst for power and other characteristics of worldly attachments, propagating, instead, detachment from the unlawful and sometimes even the lawful pleasures of life.
Initially taking the form of supererogatory prayers and Dhikr, and general repulsion from worldly inclinations, Sufism gradually developed through different stages, starting with the wearing of a patched robe (Khirka), supererogatory fasting (driven by strong belief that true fasting meant generally refraining from desire and sinning), engaging in lengthy recitation of the Quran and prayers as a means of spending much time with God, thus getting closer to Him.
Year after the other, and century following the other, Sufism took different forms, Orders (ṭuruqs), and received various additions, some of which do include some infringement of original teachings of Islam. However deviation should not be used as a general description of Sufism.
The fact of the matter that adherents to Sufism are increasingly growing in number and across continents partially due to the overwhelmingly rise of worldly materialism credited for much spiritual pain of individuals and communities who are unable to put up with the ever changing nature of the “Modern” world, and the sweeping influence of human brutality that doesn’t seem to have a possible ceiling.
Original and pure Sufi doctrine that’s far from any classical or modern deviation from Islamic Shariah is primarily rooted in Sunni or Shii approaches of Islam and relates largely to the traditions of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), and his cousin Imam Aly (may Allah be pleased with him), with very few exceptions of some orders or Tutuqs.
Generally, Sufism involves detachment from world pleasures and clinging to a more humble way of life that allows for transcending in a spiritual travel through the levels of awareness seeking to become nearer to Allah, finding all the pleasure in drawing nearer to the One in a complete state of submissiveness out of Love for Him, may be even more than fear of His Power.
I will conclude with a few poetic lines constructed by Rabia’a al-Adaweyya (d. 185/801), one of the early Sufi poets, which manifest a good deal of the approach adopted by many Sufis, one that promotes love for Allah over fear of Him, even if true Islam involves both, fear and love of Allah- Raba’a says:
“O Lord,
If I worship You
From fear of Hell, burn me in Hell.
If I worship You
From hope of Paradise, bar me from its gates.
But if I worship You for Yourself alone
Then grace me forever the splendor of Your Face.” – [A. Harvey and E. Hanut, Perfume of the Desert: Inspirations from Sufi Wisdom, 1st Quest ed., Wheaton, IL: Quest, 1999, p. 79]
Whether Sufi, Sunni, Shii, or any other school of Islam, original teachings of Islam preach that a true Muslim should approach his Lord in humbleness (awareness of His divine attributes and hoping for his mercy) and fear (driven by alert awareness of His Supreme Power and Authority as the only Lord of the Universe). In other words, the heart and the mind should work together to develop a complete faith within a Muslim so that equally loves Allah same way he fears Him.
Wassalaam,
Maha Youssuf
maha@muslimtribune.org
Posted on: September 28, 2011