Sufism

Explore Sufism

WHAT IS SUFISM?

Sufism can best be described as the mystical aspect or “inward” tradition of Islam where practioners seek to find truth of divine love and knowledge through direct personal experience of G-d. While there are multiple origins to the term “Sufi”, the word is most commonly thought to stem from the Arabic word “suf”, which refers to the wool that is traditionally worn by mystics and ascetics. Practitioners of Sufism are referred to as “Sufis”.

The practice of Sufis consists of a variety of mystical paths designed to ascertain the nature of humanity and G-d and to facilitate the experience and presence of divine love and wisdom in the world. In Islam, a core belief is that by pusuing a path leading to closeness with G-d, one can ultimately encounter the divine presence in the hereafter. However, in Sufism, the belief is that this same proximity to G-d can be realized in this lifetime. Followers of Sufism believe they can become closer to Allah through inner purification and introspection. They do this by meditating and receiving guidance from their spiritual leaders, or "murshid" (guide).

Sufism is often thought of as a sect or minority group within Islam, however, the thouhgt and practice extends beyond the Sunni-Shia divide and across socio-economic, geographic and language barriers.

WHERE DID SUFISM ORIGINATE?

The roots of Islamic mysticism were previously thought to have originated from non-Islamic sources in Europe and India, but it has become established that the movement grew out of early Islamic asceticism.

Sufism originated after the death of Mohammed in 632, but it did not develop into orders until the 12th Century. The orders were formed around spiritual founders, who gained saint status and shrines built in their names. There are dozens of Sufi orders and offshoots.

Sufism spread throughout the Muslim world, becoming a central component of many peoples' religious practice from Indonesia and South Asia to Africa and the Balkans.

By deepening the spiritual concerns of Muslims, Sufism has played an important role in Muslim society. Sufism is now popular in such African countries as Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, and Senegal, where it is seen as a mystical expression of Islam. Sufism is traditional in Morocco, but has seen a growing revival with the renewal of Sufism under contemporary spiritual teachers. Sufism is practiced by tens of millions of Muslims

HOW TO PRACTICE SUFISM

The Sufi way of life is called a tariqah, "path." The path begins with repentance and submission to a guide (sheikh or pir). If accepted by the guide, the seeker becomes a disciple (murid) and is given instructions for asceticism and meditation. This usually includes sexual abstinence, fasting and poverty. The ultimate goal of the Sufi path is to fight the true Holy War against the lower self, which is often represented as a black dog. After the annihilation of the self and accompanying ecstatic experience, the mystic enters a "second sobriety" in which he re-enters the world and continues the "journey of God."

A central method on the Sufi path is a ritual prayer or dhikr (“remembrance”, derived from the Qur'anic injunction to remember God often. It consists in a repetition of either one or all of the most beautiful names of God, or of a certain religious formula, such as the profession of faith: “There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is his prophet.” A rosary of 99 or 33 beads has been in use since as early as the 8th century for counting the thousands of repetitions. This practice is geared towards cultivating greater connection with the divine.

Mystical sessions of music and poetry called sama (or sema) were introduced in Baghdad in the mid-9th century with the purpose of achieving an ecstatic experience. The well-known "Whirling Dervishes" are members of the Mevlevi order of Turkish Sufis, based on the teachings of the famous mystic Rumi who lived until 1273. The practice of spinning around is the group's distinctive form of sama. The whirlers, called semazens, are practicing a form of meditation in which they seek to abandon the self and contemplate God, sometimes achieving an ecstatic state. The Mevlevi sect was banned in Turkey by Ataturk in 1925, but performances for tourists are still common throughout the country. The clothing worn for the ritual and the positions of the body during the spinning are highly symbolic: for instance, the tall camel-hair hat represents the tomb of the ego, the white cloak represents the ego's shroud, and the uplifted right hand indicates readiness to receive grace from God.

Other practices or rituals that Sufis engage in, which vary from order to order, include prayers and fasting, the celebration of the Prophet Muhammad’s birthday, the visitation of, and performance of rituals at shrines and graves, meditation, and abstinence.

Sufi practices have their foundation in purity of life, strict obedience to Islamic law and imitation of the Prophet. Through self-denial, careful introspection and mental struggle, Sufis hope to purify the self from all selfishness, thus attaining “ikhlas”, absolute purity of intention and act. "Little sleep, little talk, little food" are fundamental and fasting is considered one of the most important preparations for the spiritual life.

WHY PRACTICE SUFISM?

Sufism is flourishing in many parts of the world, the most important of which are Turkey, India, Pakistan, but also Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Egypt. As Muslim mystics, they do not believe in outward religiosity and stress the imprtsance of devotion to G-d in any way. They believe in love and compassion for all people and denounce elaborate rituals and behaviour codes as often demanded by Muslim clerics and scholars.

They only call for union with God in a simple way and teach that people's hearts can be united with God. Sufi beliefs and practices can contribute to improved mental health. The benefits range from providing a meaning to life, improved coping, a better quality of life and mental health, and speedy recovery from mental illnesses.