The Sufis are not the religious or ethnic group, rather it was a mystical movement that is found in the Islamic world and had influenced many Muslims of the Middle East. Sufism played an important role in the formation of Muslim societies. It educated a lot of people, giving spiritual meaning to their lives and channeling their emotions. Sufis were great missionaries who spread Islam in many new regions.
Sufism grew as a reaction against the rigid legalism of the orthodox religious leadership. Sufism or Tasawwuf commonly known in the Muslim world is Islamic mysticism (Lings, Martin, What is Sufism?, The Islamic Texts Society, 1999, pg. 15). Sufism is not a sect of Islam, it is an aspect or dimension. Sufi orders (Tariqas) can be found in shia as well as in sunnis and also in other Islamic groups. Ibne Khaldun, the 14th century Arab historian said about Sufism that it is dedication to worship, total dedication to Allah, disregard of the worldly attractions, abstinence from pleasure, wealth and status, man has to retire from others to worship Allah alone, (Keller, Nuh Ha Mins, The place of tasawwuf in traditional Islam).
Sufis insist that Islamic knowledge should be learned not only from the books but from Teachers. Tariqas can trace their teachers back through the generations to the Prophet (SAWW) himself.
Sufism seeks out for a thorough mystical knowledge of God and His love. Its aim was to progress beyond simple intellectual knowledge to a mystical experience. Some say the word Sufi is derived from the word Saff (row), meaning the highest category. Some say this word is derived from the word safa which means purity of the qalb (heart). It is also said the name Sufi is derived from the Arabic word Soof (wool). Early Sufis used to wear cloaks made up of wool and they were used to have patches on it to show sunnah. It may also have links with the word for 'purity' and another suggestion is that it has links with the Greek word sophia' or wisdom. Sufi is the name given to the perfect and accomplished friends of God. A saint(wali) said, “The one who is drowned in love is a ‘safi' (pure one) and the one who is drowned in the beloved and free from other than Allah is called a Sufi”
Although Sufis are comparatively few in number they have twisted Islamic thought and history. Through the centuries Sufis contributed hugely to Islamic literature. Rumi, Omar Khayyám and Al-Ghazali's influence Muslim lands. Sufis were influential in spreading Islam particularly to the extreme settlement of the Muslim world in Africa, India and the Far East.
Throughout history a Sufi was most often understood to be a person of religious learning whose desire is to be close to Allah. They lead their lives according to the verse of the Quran.
“I created the Jinns and humankind only that they may worship me”
Quran 51:56
In search to achieve this goal of worshipping Allah, Sufis belong to Tariqas, or orders, recognized in the first few centuries after the Prophet's death. These orders have a teacher who teaches the sacred knowledge to others in the group. It is said that, ‘Tariqas' are taken from a long time back but still few people argue that it was unfamiliar to the Holy Prophet(SAWW) himself. In their justification sufis give the examples from Quran and Sunnah. They admit that ‘Tariqas' were not there at the time of Holy Prophet (SAWW). To their belief Islamic mysticism was there in that time but no name was given to it as such. Sufis make their manners and actions desirable and forget all the other worldly desires. Some people deny their customs and make fun of them. Few of the sufi orders are the Naqshbandi, Qadri, Chishti, Oveyssi Ashrafi Jerrahi and Shadhili. Sufis practice ‘Zikr' to talk about Allah and relion. The other famous thing they practice is ‘Sama'- a dance form. Sufi masters have introduced many special prayers and devotional acts in their school. Sufis purify their hearts from all sorts of filth and devote themselves in order to get close to Allah. It is said that Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddique was the leader of the sufis. He possessed all of their attributes. When the holy Prophet passed away all his companions were in extreme distress. Hazrat Omar r.a unsheathed his sword and threatened every one not to say that the Holy Prophet (SAWW) has passed away. Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddique said in a loud voice “ O, People! He who worships Mohammad should know that Mohammad has left this world but he who worships the God of Mohammad should know that he is alive and never dies.” What he meant to say was this life is nothing, it is perishable, and there is an eternal life after death. Whoever sees Hazrat Mohammad with physical eyes thinks that he is not alive and whoever sees him in reality knows that he is alive only we cannot see him in this world. It is believed when the person is free from his own captivity, he stops caring about himself and any other thing of this world, he is purified from all the evils, he becomes a sufi.
The sufis are divided into three categories: Sufi, Mutasawwif and Mustasawwif. Sufi is the one who has given up his life to earn the closeness of Allah, Mutasawwif are the murids of sufis, they keep themselves busy in spiritual striving and are the followers of sufis. Mustasawwif are neither the sufis nor the mutasawwifs. They try to appear like the sufis but they have no connection with either of them. They are personified as the flies of dirt. Sufis have gained union desires, mutasawwif are constantly following the rules of Tariqa and the mustasawwif are just trying to copy the sufis.
According to Shaikh Junaid, Mysticism or Tasawwuf is the man's devotion to God without any purpose. To some it is the code of heart(Fiqh-al-batin), or the purification of soul (Tazkiya-al-nafs), or the feelings of God's presence (Al-lhsan). He said, in Tasawwuf, God makes you die to yourself live by Him.
It can be said that wiping out human attributes lead to gaining Godly attributes. This can be explained in this way that when a man is fasting, it becomes his attribute. In fact he is fasting because he is obeying Allah's command. Allah said to the Holy Prophet (SAWW) to tell the people that “Fasting is mine, and I am its reward.” To the world fasting is an act of man, but actually it is an act of Allah.
Hazrat Junaid Baghdadi (r.a) said that Sufism is based on eight Qualities:
The generosity of Hazrat Ibrahim (a.s), as he was ready to sacrifice his son at the command of Allah. The acceptance of Hazrat Ismail (a.s) when he accepted the knife on his neck to obey his father. Hazrat Ayub (r.a)'s body was infected with worms but he bore the pain with patience. The signs of Hazrat Zikriya (a.s), when he did not speak for three days and Allah Almighty said “Allah Almighty spoke to him secretly.” The poverty of Hazrat Yahya, he lived as a stranger among his own people. The travels of Hazrat Isa with a comb and a bowl. When he saw a man drinking water cupping his hands he threw away the bowl and when he saw a man combing his hair with his fingers he threw the comb. Woollen robe of Hazrat Musa and piety of Hazrat Mohammad (SAWW). Allah Almighty had given him the key to treasures of the world but he requested God to give him food one day keep hungry the next day. This is the great principle in Tariqa.
Iqbal has critically viewed the mystical consciousness of Sufis. His criticism is on two different bases. He believes that life is activity, and a person having communication with God cannot be a passive individual. A human being coming in touch with the Supreme Being is illuminated. He becomes a moving spirit in the society. It seems that such an individual is having a burning fire within him and he is part of God's activity in this world. To him a sufi is a creative and active agent of Divine will. He criticizes those who cause passivity and create inactiveness among the Muslims. He says:
Criticism on Sufism:
Sufis are the extremists of the Islamic religion. They think they can be close to Allah if they leave the world. They keep themselves busy in introspection, Zikr, and Sama leaving all the basic duties of life. They sit in their own mosques for days and think they are becoming close to Allah. They think that when they would reach the highest degree of mysticism they would be able to communicate with Allah Almighty. It was around 1000CE, that Sufi literature in the form of treatise, discourses and poetry became the source of Sufi thinking. During 1200-1500 CE Sufism experienced an era of increased activity in various parts of Islamic world.
