Outside of the Middle East, Islam is poorly understood and often stereotyped as a violent, radicalized religion. While fundamentalist sects often attract a lot of attention in the media, this faith is as diverse as modern Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism and other religions. Sufism is a mystic tradition that usually gains little notice outside of the Muslim world, but it’s a rich tapestry of beliefs and practices focused on one’s inner search for the Divine.
An Intense Dedication to Spirituality
Contrary to popular belief, Sufism is not a separate sect of Islam. Rather, BBC Religions clarifies that it is an intense devotion to spirituality, usually to the exclusion of worldly matters. BBC Religions quotes Ibn Khaldun, a 14th-century Arab historian, who describes it as a “dedication to worship, total dedication to Allah most High, disregard for the finery and ornament of the world, abstinence from the pleasure, wealth, and prestige sought by most men, and retiring from others to worship alone.”
Sufism, known as “tasawwuf” among other Muslims, has played a large role in shaping religious thought, history, and culture in the Middle Eastern world. One well-known example is Rumi, a 13th-century Persian poet and mystical teacher whose writings have left their mark on literature in both the Islamic world and the West. Like many Sufi teachers, Rumi focused on personally passing his knowledge and insights to the many students who sought to learn from him. This practice is a key characteristic of Sufism: a core belief that knowledge of faith should be gained individually from teachers and not merely learned from books.
The Origins of Sufism
As the International Association of Sufism reveals on its website, the exact origins of these traditions are still debated today. Some perceive that their development was influenced by ideological movements in Greek philosophy, Christian Gnosticism, Buddhism, or wisdom from Indian yogis. At the same time, others believe that they have roots in the teachings of Muhammed, Islam’s founding prophet. According to several stories, some of Muhammed’s friends started meeting to pray and discuss deeper spiritual matters at Al-Masjid an-Nabawi, Muhammed’s first mosque in Medina. According to the IAS, these individuals were eventually known as “ahle suffe,” or “the People of the Platform.”
Meanwhile, others credit Ali ibn Abi Ṭalib, a sevent-century caliph, as the “Father of Sufism.” The Encyclopedia Britannica divulges that most Sufi groups trace their spiritual lineages to Muhammed through Caliph Ali, believing that he rightfully inherited the “wilayah,” or spiritual power necessary for undertaking an inner journey to the Divine. Interestingly, a major debate over his right to serve as a caliph is what lead to the initial schism that formed the Shiite and Sunni branches of Islam.
Sufi Devotional and Spiritual Practices
The primary goal of Sufis is to get closer to God. New York Times reporter Megan Specia explained in a November 2017 article that Sufism promotes love, peace, and tolerance. Unfortunately, fundamentalist groups have targeted its adherents, claiming that they’re heretics or apostates because they venerate saints and believe in ideologies that didn’t originate with Muhammed. Nevertheless, modern Sufis continue the search for God within themselves through several methods:
- Abandoning worldly pleasures
- Ritualized prayers
- One-on-one guidance from a Sufi teacher
- “Muraqaba,” a Sufi-specific meditational practice
- Whirling, a physical form of meditation
- “Dhikr,” which may include music, meditation, dancing, trances, and religious ecstasy
Mysticism in the Modern Age
Although contemporary life and its concerns can make it difficult to observe deep spiritual practices, Muslims all over the world still elect to follow Sufi ways. This quest for greater meaning and closeness to the Divine takes a high priority in their lives. While attracting ire from fundamentalist sects and governments, Sufism continues to fulfill an inner need that makes it worth the risk for many adherents.