Briefly put, sufi is a secondcentury name applied to a type of muslim earlier known as zahid. History of sufism reveals that it has followed a long period of evolution since the time of its inception. The arabic term sufi has been used in islamic literature with a wide range of meanings, by both proponents and opponents of sufism. The complexities of diversity which rely within the islamic fold are magnificent and beautiful in nature.
This deeper identity, beyond the already known personality, is in harmony with all that exists. Tasawwufsufism in islam a talk sponsored by cair stanford university, may 4, 1997 imam hamza yusuf, sometime khatib at the muslim community association of santa clara, california, spoke on sufism in islam, directly following a lecture by dr. Sufism simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Tareeqat when you become handy on following sharia, now you. You will achieve an understanding of islam that most in the west do not have. Islam is not an historical phenomenon that began 1,400 years ago. The day when neither wealth nor children will avail, except him who comes to god with a heart that is sound. Sufism, let me suggest what sets burckhardt s study apart.
To attain this his first lesson is unshakable belief in the existence of god and unconditional surrender to his will. Islamsu sm is masterpiece by titus burckhardt examines. Sufism, being the marrow of the bone or the inner dimension of the islamic revelation, is the means par excellence whereby tawhid is achieved. It has produced some of the worlds most beloved literature, like the. The sufi orders in islam is one of the earliest modern examinations of the historical development of sufism and is considered a classic work in numerous sources of islamic studies today. Nearly all sufi schools trace their ancestry to imam ali a. Sufi orders tariqas can be found in sunni, shia and other islamic groups.
Pdf the interplay of sufism and shariah in tayeb salihs work. At first, sufism only meant making islam more personal and internal. A study of shaykh ahmad sirhindi s effort to reform sufism by muhammad abdul haq ansari 1986. The fundamental difference between islam and sufism pivots around the path of attaining union with allah. There are four stages, of practice and understanding in sufism, shariah religious law, tariqah the mystical path, haqiqah truth, and marifah gnosis. In the name of allah, most gracious, most merciful islaamic sharia law based on quraan, sunnah and ijtihaad.
The diversity of islamic sects including sunni, shii, wahabi, ismailism, and so on find common ground in opposing or integrating with sufism dependent on prevailing political, religious and other influences. There are thousands of books written on this genre. It is the timeless art of awakening by means of submission. More importantly, you will know the basis of sharia. Difference between islam and sufism difference between.
The articles are posted one by one in the order they are given in the book. According orthodox mainstream islam, it is the quranic teachings of muhammad, sharia law, and hadith that set the guidelines to be strictly followed by muslims in order to attain eternal closeness with allah, the divine. Sufis believe the sharia exoteric canon, tariqa order and haqiqa truth are mutually interdependent. The path of the sufis is built of the koran and sunna, and is based upon living according to. Sufism, or tasawwuf as it is known in the muslim world, is islamic mysticism lings, martin, what is sufism. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except. Sep 08, 2009 sufism, or tasawwuf as it is known in the muslim world, is islamic mysticism lings, martin, what is sufism. This is how sufism is described, by an islamic scholar in the classical manual on sharia called reliance of the traveller. Sufism is a mystical form of islam, a school of practice that emphasizes the inward search for god and shuns materialism. A rebuttal to this critique has been written by a sufi scholar, dr. Spencer trimingham offers a clear and detailed account of the formation and development of the sufi schools and orders tariqahs from the. Understanding the concept of islamic sufism journal of education.
Sufism leads the adept, called salik or wayfarer, in his suluk or road through different stations until he reaches his goal, the perfect tawhid, the existential confession that god is one. In fact sufism was in existence even before the time the prophet muhammad even though it gained recognition and popularity as a dogma only after the coming of the prophet. This deeper identity, or essential self, has abilities of awareness, action, creativity and love that are far beyond. Bismi allahirrahmanirrahim the word sufi is derived from the arabic word suf which means wool and which refers to the coarse woolen robes that were worn by the prophet muhammad pbuh and by his close companions.
May 26, 2017 many people in the west have an idea that sufism is a separate sect of islam, somewhat spiritual and peaceful. Sufism, the name given to islamic mysticism, has been the subject of many studies, but the orders through which the organizational aspect of the sufi spirit was expressed has been neglected. Some say it first came from constantly reciting the quran, meditating, and through experience. The principles of sufism is a mystical guide book to help others on their spiritual path. Others have held that sufism is striving to live like the holy prophet muhammad, bringing you closer to allah, to god. The relationship of tasawuf to sharia, tariqa, hakekat, and ma rifat. History of sufism follows a long period of evolution since the time of the prophet. By focusing on the more spiritual aspects of religion, sufis strive to obtain direct experience of god by making use of intuitive and emotional faculties that one must be. Sufism is indirectly mentioned in the 2nd chapter of the quran in the name of the merciful and compassionate god. Most forms of sufism and quasisufism known in the west place a high priority on love.
Sufism is more accurately described as an aspect or dimension of islam. Classical sufi texts, which stressed certain teachings and practices of the quran and the sunnah. Islamsu sm is masterpiece by titus burckhardt examines the. Sufism and islam cannot be separated in the same way that higher consciousness or awakening cannot be separated from islam. Islamic mysticism had several stages of growth, including 1 the appearance of early asceticism, 2 the development of a classical mysticism of divine love, and 3 the rise and proliferation of fraternal orders of mystics. It consists of mystical paths that are designed to learn the nature of humanity and of god and to facilitate the experience of the presence of divine love and wisdom. Naqshbandiyah sufi order, sheikh yusuf almakassari, spiritual street, ihsan. Pdf this article explores the literary work of the sudanese writer tayeb salih. Alghazali is an expert and great muslim scholar who speaks up for moderate sunni sufism, a sufism which is based on the doctrine of the asceticism of the quran, prophetic traditions, and the tradition of his companions. Many people in the west have an idea that sufism is a separate sect of islam, somewhat spiritual and peaceful. By focusing on the more spiritual aspects of religion, sufis strive to obtain direct experience of god by making use of intuitive and emotional faculties that one must be trained to use. Nov 24, 2017 sufism is a mystical form of islam, a school of practice that emphasizes the inward search for god and shuns materialism. Though many shia and sunni muslims reject sufis as true muslims, sufi muslims consider themselves followers of allah. They considered following shariat andtariqat essential to reach the haqiqat the truth.
An online critique of sufism, written by a salafi muslim, a. Outlining the four principles of repentance, sincerity, remembrance, and love, it traces the fundamental stages and states of the spiritual novices transformative journey, emphasizing the importance of embracing both human limitations and gods limitless love. Sep 07, 2008 as far as following sharia comes at the lowest level in sufism and when someone becomes a sufi, he gives and follows his own shaira. It is as ancient as the rise of human consciousness. Sufism is a way of life in which a deeper identity is discovered and lived. Pdf islamic tasawwuf or sufism hammad shah academia. The four roots of islamic law and their talmudic counterparts by judith romney wegner introduction rabbinic law was a system of law akin at many points to arabian custom, founded on the same monotheistic principles and imbued with the same spirit as islam. Sufi practices are usually defined within the basic tenets of islam, the sharia or shariah although some orders include singing and dancing in the love of god, something some muslims frown on. Sufism is a mysticalascetic approach to islam that seeks to find divine love and knowledge through direct personal experience of god. We praise him, seek his help, and ask his forgiveness.
The sufi orders in islam is one of the earliest modern examinations of the historical development of sufism and is considered a classic work in numerous. Despite these general stages, however, the history of islamic mysticism is largely a history of individual mystic experience. Islam is the religion, sufism is a tariqah or path within. What many are unaware of is that sufism is a complete and practical method for transforming people from loathsome i. In tracing the history of sufism, the earliest instances of sufism can be found even before the time of the prophet muhammad. A study of shaykh ahmed sirhindis effort to reform sufism by buying this product you can collect up to 29 loyalty points. Tasawwuf and sharia shafiq urrahman all praises are due to allah. However it was only after the arrival of the prophet that the practice came to be known by the name of sufism. If we are to examine each and every custom of each and every tariqah, we would b. The heart of islam book description this engaging and wellresearched narrative provides an insiders understanding of islam in all its aspects. Using the textual analysis method, it examines the interplay and. Sufism, mystical islamic belief and practice in which muslims seek the truth of divine love and knowledge through direct personal experience of god.
Understanding the concept of islamic sufism shahida bilqies research scholar, shahihamadan institute of islamic studies university of kashmir, srinagar190006 jammu and kashmir, india. He succeeded in purifying sufism from various deviations, and harmonizing sufism with sharia, and making it halal for sunnis. We seek refuge in allah from the evil in our souls and from our wrong actions. Tareeqat when you become handy on following sharia, now you stop. The life of a sufi is the life of the spirit regulated strictly in accordance with islamic theology and traditions. The forty rules of love by elif shafak, the conference of the birds by attar of nishapur, the essential rumi by rumi, the sufis. This is well and good, and burckhardt himself points out that ibn iarab the greatest master of sufi theoretical teachings put love at the pinnacle of concerns.
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