Sufism

Sufism, or Taṣawwuf(Arabic: الْتَّصَوُّف‎), variously defined as 'Islamic mysticism', 'the inward dimension of Islam' or 'the phenomenon of mysticism within Islam', is mysticism in Islam, 'characterized ... values, ritual practices, doctrines and institutions' which began very early in Islamic history and represents 'the main manifestation and the most important and central crystallization of' mystical practice in Islam. Practitioners of Sufism have been referred to as 'Sufis' (from صُوفِيّ‎ ṣūfiyy / ṣūfī). Verily, those who give Bai'âh (pledge) to you (O Muhammad) they are giving Bai'âh (pledge) to Allâh. The Hand of Allâh is over their hands. Then whosoever breaks his pledge, breaks it only to his own harm, and whosoever fulfils what he has covenanted with Allâh, He will bestow on him a great reward. — The vicissitudes of life, family affairs and financial constraints engulfed my life and deprived me of the congenial solitude. The heavy odds confronted me and provided me with few moments for my pursuits. This state of affairs lasted for ten years, but whenever I had some spare and congenial moments I resorted to my intrinsic proclivity. During these turbulent years, numerous astonishing and indescribable secrets of life were unveiled to me. I was convinced that the group of Aulia (holy mystics) is the only truthful group who follow the right path, display best conduct and surpass all sages in their wisdom and insight. They derive all their overt or covert behaviour from the illumining guidance of the holy Prophet, the only guidance worth quest and pursuit.—Mansur Al-HallajIn short, Muslim scholars who focused their energies on understanding the normative guidelines for the body came to be known as jurists, and those who held that the most important task was to train the mind in achieving correct understanding came to be divided into three main schools of thought: theology, philosophy, and Sufism. This leaves us with the third domain of human existence, the spirit. Most Muslims who devoted their major efforts to developing the spiritual dimensions of the human person came to be known as Sufis.My servant draws near to Me through nothing I love more than that which I have made obligatory for him. My servant never ceases drawing near to Me through supererogatory works until I love him. Then, when I love him, I am his hearing through which he hears, his sight through which he sees, his hand through which he grasps, and his foot through which he walks.He is to collect all of his bodily senses in concentration, and to cut himself off from all preoccupation and notions that inflict themselves upon the heart. And thus he is to turn his full consciousness towards God Most High while saying three times: 'Ilahî anta maqsûdî wa-ridâka matlûbî—my God, you are my Goal and Your good pleasure is what I seek'. Then he brings to his heart the Name of the Essence—Allâh—and as it courses through his heart he remains attentive to its meaning, which is 'Essence without likeness'. The seeker remains aware that He is Present, Watchful, Encompassing of all, thereby exemplifying the meaning of his saying (may God bless him and grant him peace): 'Worship God as though you see Him, for if you do not see Him, He sees you'. And likewise the prophetic tradition: 'The most favored level of faith is to know that God is witness over you, wherever you may be'.In the symbolism of the Sema ritual, the semazen's camel's hair hat (sikke) represents the tombstone of the ego; his wide, white skirt (tennure) represents the ego's shroud. By removing his black cloak (hırka), he is spiritually reborn to the truth. At the beginning of the Sema, by holding his arms crosswise, the semazen appears to represent the number one, thus testifying to God's unity. While whirling, his arms are open: his right arm is directed to the sky, ready to receive God's beneficence; his left hand, upon which his eyes are fastened, is turned toward the earth. The semazen conveys God's spiritual gift to those who are witnessing the Sema. Revolving from right to left around the heart, the semazen embraces all humanity with love. The human being has been created with love in order to love. Mevlâna Jalâluddîn Rumi says, 'All loves are a bridge to Divine love. Yet, those who have not had a taste of it do not know!'O God! If I worship You for fear of Hell, burn me in Hell, and if I worship You in hope of Paradise, exclude me from Paradise. But if I worship You for Your Own sake, grudge me not Your everlasting Beauty.Emblem of Qadiriyya Sufi Order. Inscription : Ali Wali Ullah (Ali is the Authority of Allah on the Earth).The Golden Chain of the Naqshbandi orderThe symbolic emblem of the Naqshbandi Sufi OrderSeal of the Chishti OrderGrave of Ma Yuanzhang, the Sufi Grand Master, in ChinaAllah's essence within a disciple's heart, associated with the Sarwari Qadri OrderMirror calligraphy, symbolizing the Sufi Bektashi Order of the DervishSymbol of the Mevlevi OrderSafaviyya star from ceiling of Shah Mosque, IsfahanA symbol from the Mughal Empire: an amulet comprising magic squares, Quranic verses (including Al-Baqara 255 (Throne Verse) (2:255) running around the frame), and invocations to God, with a depiction of Zulfiqar at the centerThe precepts prescribed by the Torah number 613 only; those dictated by the intellect are innumerable.Shrine of Sultan Bahu of the Sarwari QadiriTomb of Khwaja Ghulam Farid at MithankotSufi mosque in Srinagar, KashmirThe Great Mosque of Touba, home of the Mouride Sufi order of SenegalTomb of Syed Faiz-ul Hassan Shah and Muhammad Amin Shah Sani in Allo Mahar, Sialkot.Wali tomb, south of Karima, SudanThe Rumi Museum in Konya, TurkeyAn illustration of Ibrahima Fall, leader of the Mouride OrderMazar e Soltani, Bidokht, Gonabad County. Shrine of four Qutbs (masters) of the Nimatullahi Sufi orderKaygusuz AbdalTomb of Syed Muhammad Jewan Shah Naqvi in Allo Mahar, Sialkot.Mausoleum of Makhdoom Shah Daulat (d. 1608). Ibrahim Khan, the Mughal governor of Bihar, completed his mausoleum in 1616 during the reign of the Mughal Emperor Jahangir.The shrine of Shah Arzani constructed during the reign of the Mughal Emperor JahangirPir Dastgir from the Mughal EmpireSheykh of the Rufai Sufi OrderMarabout of West AfricaTomb or Dargah of Sufi Saint Murtuza Quadari located at western side of Bijapur Sufism, or Taṣawwuf(Arabic: الْتَّصَوُّف‎), variously defined as 'Islamic mysticism', 'the inward dimension of Islam' or 'the phenomenon of mysticism within Islam', is mysticism in Islam, 'characterized ... values, ritual practices, doctrines and institutions' which began very early in Islamic history and represents 'the main manifestation and the most important and central crystallization of' mystical practice in Islam. Practitioners of Sufism have been referred to as 'Sufis' (from صُوفِيّ‎ ṣūfiyy / ṣūfī). Historically, Sufis have often belonged to different ṭuruq or 'orders' – congregations formed around a grand master referred to as a wali who traces a direct chain of successive teachers back to the Islamic prophet, Muhammad. These orders meet for spiritual sessions (majalis) in meeting places known as zawiyas, khanqahs or tekke. They strive for ihsan (perfection of worship), as detailed in a hadith: 'Ihsan is to worship Allah as if you see Him; if you can't see Him, surely He sees you.' Sufis regard Muhammad as al-Insān al-Kāmil, the primary perfect man who exemplifies the morality of God, and see him as their leader and prime spiritual guide. All Sufi orders trace most of their original precepts from Muhammad through his cousin and son-in-law Ali, with the notable exception of one. Although the overwhelming majority of Sufis, both pre-modern and modern, were and are adherents of Sunni Islam, there also developed certain strands of Sufi practice within the ambit of Shia Islam during the late medieval period, particularly after the forced conversion of Iran from majority Sunni to Shia. Traditional Sufi orders during the first five centuries of Islam were all based in Sunni Islam. Although Sufis were opposed to dry legalism, they strictly observed Islamic law and belonged to various schools of Islamic jurisprudence and theology. Sufis have been characterized by their asceticism, especially by their attachment to dhikr, the practice of remembrance of God, often performed after prayers. They gained adherents among a number of Muslims as a reaction against the worldliness of the early Umayyad Caliphate (661–750)and have spanned several continents and cultures over a millennium, initially expressing their beliefs in Arabic and later expanding into Persian, Turkish, and Urdu, among others. Sufis played an important role in the formation of Muslim societies through their missionary and educational activities. According to William Chittick, 'In a broad sense, Sufism can be described as the interiorization, and intensification of Islamic faith and practice.' Despite a relative decline of Sufi orders in the modern era and criticism of some aspects of Sufism by modernist thinkers and conservative Salafists, Sufism has continued to play an important role in the Islamic world, and has also influenced various forms of spirituality in the West. The Arabic word tasawwuf (lit. being or becoming a Sufi), generally translated as Sufism, is commonly defined by Western authors as Islamic mysticism. The Arabic term sufi has been used in Islamic literature with a wide range of meanings, by both proponents and opponents of Sufism. Classical Sufi texts, which stressed certain teachings and practices of the Quran and the sunnah (exemplary teachings and practices of the Islamic prophet Muhammad), gave definitions of tasawwuf that described ethical and spiritual goals and functioned as teaching tools for their attainment. Many other terms that described particular spiritual qualities and roles were used instead in more practical contexts. Some modern scholars have used other definitions of Sufism such as 'intensification of Islamic faith and practice' and 'process of realizing ethical and spiritual ideals'. The term Sufism was originally introduced into European languages in the 18th century by Orientalist scholars, who viewed it mainly as an intellectual doctrine and literary tradition at variance with what they saw as sterile monotheism of Islam. In modern scholarly usage the term serves to describe a wide range of social, cultural, political and religious phenomena associated with Sufis.