Notes on Sufism (2003), Aunali S Khaku, MD

Why is Sufism so controversial?

The Sufi tradition is a deeply contested one. Within Islamic circles,

Sufis have been criticized as heretics, and often labeled as kafirs.

In the scholarly West, Sufism has long been identified as an exotic

tradition of mysticism, completely detached from Islam. Nevertheless,

despite all this criticism, Sufism has flowered and flourished

throughout the Islamic world, and has often been the driving force for

the spread of Islam.

Notions of spirituality and spiritual journey are deeply rooted in

both the Quran and the Sunnah. (5:105, 2:152, 8:2, 22:35…) In Shiism,

this has developed into the science of Irfan (gnosis or theoretical

mysticism) (Ernst, 11) whereas in Sunnism, it has crystallized as

Sufism. (Nasr, 11) Both however have a great deal of overlap, and many

Shiis also identify themselves as Sufis. The criticism of Sufism thus

is not so much on the existence of a spiritual path (Tariqah), but

rather on the way to tackle this path. Sufism has become

controversial, been ritual practices of certain orders, on notions of

authority and authenticity, and on the social development of Sufism.

(Rahim, web)A lot of this criticism is due to ignorance. Many Muslims

think of Sufism as a separate deviant sect. This view has been shaped

by the popular Sufism seen at Sufi saint shrines, and accentuated by

stereotype images of Sufis such as the Rufa'ees. The very term Sufism
is also deeply contested as it is a Western interpretation of the

spiritual dimension of Islam, and hence carries along with it a lot

the stereotypical bias of medieval scholars. (Ernst, 19)

A major criticism of Sufism is that it is derived from Christian

notions of monasticism and has over the years incorporated Hindu and

other versions of spirituality and is hence impure. Undoubtedly, some

rituals of certain Sufi orders do have non Muslim origins and have

been influenced by other religious traditions. Nevertheless, whether

this corrupts the whole school of Tassawuf or not is debatable. This

kind of criticism has gained a great deal of momentum in recent years

due to the rising influence Salafabism, (Safi, 49)

Perhaps the reason why Sufism is most criticized by the Ulama is the

deviation of certain Sufi orders from the Sharia and the Sunnah. The

Rifai Sufi order for instance uses body piercing, shouting and other

bizarre rituals which are in direct opposition to Islamic teachings.

Some Sufi orders have Shaykhs who have divorced the world and live in

seclusion. (Movie: I am a Sufi, I am a Muslim) despite forbiddance of

this practice by both the Quran (57:27) and the Sunnah. The

excessiveuse of music and dancing, to a state of ecstasy Sufi rituals

has also been a major attacking point against sufis. Furthermore with

the recent commercialization of Qawwali by Nusrat Fateh Ali khan, and

groups like Junoon, the real values of Sufism are being questioned.

(Movie, I am a Sufi, I am a Muslim and The Rockstar and the Mullah).

In many parts of the Islamic world, Sufis, Dervishes, or Faqeers have

become identified as vagabonds who are linked with drug use and
immorality. Drunkenness and intoxication is explicitly forbidden in

Islam, (2:219), yet certain Sufis do use them to attain a state of

ecstacy. Sufi poetry is replete with references of indulgencence in

drinking wine, and although this has a symbolic meaning, it has also

been a cause of much criticism.

The real tension however between the Ulama and the A'rifs has often

been one of authority and authenticity. Islam has always been seen as

a sober (Ernst, 7,11) Sufi doctrine has often likened the tariqah to radii of circles,
hence

they have often Wine drinking, ecstasy, saint worship, aniti Islamic things at sufi
shrines.

Bibliography

Nasr, Seyyed Hossein: Sufi Essays, 1987

Rahim, Bashir: Sufism and Islam.

http://al-islam.org/beliefs/spirituality/suffism.html

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Why is Sufism so controversial?

The Sufi tradition is a deeply contested one. Within Islamic circles,

Sufis have been criticized as heretics, and often labeled as kafirs.

In the scholarly West, Sufism has long been identified as an exotic

tradition of mysticism, completely detached from Islam. Nevertheless,

despite all this criticism, Sufism has flowered and flourished

throughout the Islamic world, and has often been the driving force for

the spread of Islam.

Notions of gnosis Irfan, and spirituality are deeply rooted in both

the Quran (5:105, 2:152, 8:2, 22:35…) and the Sunnah, and they color
everyday Muslim life. (Ernst, 11) The criticism of Sufism thus is not

so much on the spiritual discipline that it has cultivated, but rather

on the ritual practices of certain orders, on notions of authority and

authenticity, and on the social development of Sufism. (Rahim, web)A

lot of this criticism is due to ignorance. Many Muslims think of

Sufism as a separate deviant sect. This view has been shaped by the

popular Sufism seen at Sufi saint shrines, and accentuated by

stereotype images of Sufis such as the Rufa'ees. The very term Sufism

is also deeply contested as it is a Western interpretation of the

spiritual dimension of Islam, and hence carries along with it a lot

the stereotypical bias of medieval scholars. (Ernst, 19)

A major criticism of Sufism is that it is derived from Christian

notions of monasticism and has over the years incorporated Hindu and

other versions of spirituality and is hence impure. Undoubtedly, some

rituals of certain Sufi orders do have non Muslim origins and have

been influenced by other religious traditions. Nevertheless, whether

this corrupts the whole school of Tassawuf or not is debatable. This

kind of criticism has gained a great deal of momentum in recent years

due to the rising influence Salafabism, (Safi, 49)

Perhaps the reason why Sufism is most criticized by the Ulama is the

deviation of certain Sufi orders from the Sharia and the Sunnah. The

Rifai Sufi order for instance uses body piercing, shouting and other

bizarre rituals which are in direct opposition to Islamic teachings.

Some Sufi orders have Shaykhs who have divorced the world and live in

seclusion. (Movie: I am a Sufi, I am a Muslim) despite forbiddance of

this practice by both the Quran (57:27) and the Sunnah. The
excessiveuse of music and dancing, to a state of ecstasy Sufi rituals

has also been a major attacking point against sufis. Furthermore with

the recent commercialization of Qawwali by Nusrat Fateh Ali khan, and

groups like Junoon, the real values of Sufism are being questioned.

(Movie, I am a Sufi, I am a Muslim and The Rockstar and the Mullah).

In many parts of the Islamic world, Sufis, Dervishes, or Faqeers have

become identified as vagabonds who are linked with drug use and

immorality. Drunkenness and intoxication is explicitly forbidden in

Islam, (2:219), yet certain Sufis do use them to attain a state of

ecstacy. Sufi poetry is replete with references of indulgencence in

drinking wine, and although this has a symbolic meaning, it has also

been a cause of much criticism.

The real tension however between the Ulama and the A'rifs has often

been one of authority and authenticity. Islam has always been seen as

a sober (Ernst, 7,11)

Sufi doctrine has often likened the tariqah to radii of circles, hence

they have often

Wine drinking, ecstasy, saint worship, aniti Islamic things at sufi shrines.

Bibliography

Nasr, Seyyed Hossein: Sufi Essays, 1987

Rahim, Bashir: Sufism and Islam.

http://al-islam.org/beliefs/spirituality/suffism.html

--------------------------------------------------

Sufism Expounded

Sufism is an outward manifestation of the esoteric dimension of Islam.

Sufis then, are those Muslims (Shia and Sunni) who are not satisfied
with the Shariah alone. They dedicate their lives to a more sublime

spiritual path, the Tariqah, which is a journey to know God here and

now. Sufism, better known as Tasawuf, is best described as spiritual

discipline firmly rooted in a master-disciple relationship. The master

is one who has already traveled the path, and hence guides the

Mutassawif along it. The ultimate aim of Tasawuf is to ascend the

temporal, become one with the universe, and attain an intuitive

knowledge of God Ma'rifa. (Rozehnal, in class)

According to Sufis, the doctrines and practices of Tassawuf are firmly

rooted in the Quran and the Sunnah. Many verses in the Quran such as:

"O ye who believe, take charge of your own souls…" (5:105), "Remember

Me, I will remember you." (2:152) and hadith invite the human being to

ponder over his creation, free him/herself from the shackles of the

temporal world, and soar to the beloved (God). In this regard, the

event of Meraj (ascension of the prophet to the heavens) has a

particular significance for Sufis as it represents symbolically the

ascension of the human being to the Divine. Hence, according to Sufis,

the first Sufi was the Holy Prophet himself.

The social development of Sufism saw the formation of Turuqs, or

spiritual brotherhoods each characterized by a unique spiritual

genealogical link to the prophet. The spiritual chain, Shajarah, of

most Sufi Turuqs, with the exception of the Naqshbandiyya order, link

with the Holy prophet through his cousin Ali. The sayings and life of

Ali, who is also revered by the Shiah as the first imam, served as a
vast treasure for the codification of the doctrines and practices of

Sufism. The first generation companions and disciples of Ali such as

Salman Farsi carried on his spiritual teachings, however it was not

until the 4th century that Sufism became a firmly organized

discipline. (Ernst, 21 and Khumayni 3)

A fundamental doctrine of Sufism is that of sainthood (Walaya). Early

Sufi writing defines the Awliya (friends of God) as "the pious for

whom God takes responsibility, second as one who takes responsibility

for devotion [and obedience] to God." (Ernst, 59) A saint however only

attains this stage after he has annihilated (fana) his ego and in so

doing achieved God's presence (Baqa). The philosophy behind this is

that only God alone is real, human beings merely partake of his

reality. Hence, it is only by diverting ones attention from the self,

and focusing it on the Absolute that the human being can begin to

traverse the Tariqah. The doctrine of Walaya runs hand in hand with

that of the existence of a Qutb/pole (supreme figure/vicegerent of

God) representing His mercy on earth. (Ernst, 59) This doctrine has

great similarity to the Shiite doctrine of Wilaya, and Imamah.

Sufi writers such as Shahidullah Faridi have expounded the spiritual

psychology that forms the basis for this journey (Sayr). The human

self has three dimensions. The first one which is the nafs, is the

animal self which gives rise to the desires for food, material,

sex…This is manifested in the form of instincts. The nafs is a

blessing of God as it allows the human being to survive. However

allowing the nafs to go uncontrolled, means living only to fulfill the

desires and hence making the desires one's God. God blessed the human

being with the Ruh, which contains the divine breath and hence directs

man towards the Divine. The dimensions of the nafs however are not

separate entities but different manifestations of the self. In brief,

the human being has to tame the nafs and make it subservient to the

Ruh. Sufism thus is a discipline which guides the human being in this

venture. (Faridi, entire)

Doctrine runs hand in hand with practice. When a person yearning for

spiritual ascension becomes convinced that he wants to devote his life

to Allah, he begins a search for a Shaykh/Pir. On finding one, he

humbly submits completely to the Shaykh. Because the very nature of

Tasawuf involves annihilation of the ego, the saint would at first

humbly refuse saying that he is not fit to be a Pir. Eventually a

personal relationship is established between the Pir and the murid and

the Pir guides the murid along the Tariqah. (Enrst, 142)

The first stage in Sufism is complete submission to God, and deep

entrenchment in the Shariah, for it is only when on the Shariah that

one can proceed to the Tariqah. Apart from the daily ritual practices

carried out by all Muslims, Sufis try to cultivate a continuous

consciousness of God (Taqwa) by remembering God continuously (Zikr).

Sufis of the same order often meet at the Pir's house (tekke) to carry

out special meditations and zikr sessions where Allah's names are

continuously repeated and other spiritual rituals/exercises are

carried out. The visit (Ziyarah) to a Pir's tomb has also become an

important aspect of Sufi practice. In general, Sufis take part in all

aspects of daily life; however they try to make it a virtuous life by

always being conscious of God. They do however engage in extra hours

of worship by extended fasting, praying…

As a murid progresses along the Tariqah he passes through various

spiritual stages, maqaams. Occasionally the murid also passes through

a transitory phase, hal. Sufi shaykh, Seyyed Hossein Nasr describes

the hal as "an intense flow of God's barakah (blessing)." (Nasr, 12)

The Pir's guidance is essential in making sure the murid does not get

lost in the hal or does not slip on the path. When one has traversed

this path his/her heart becomes full of love (Ishq) which is a

reflection of Gods love. Before his death, a Pir usually indicates who

is most suited to succeed him.

Over the years, the Sufis have been guardians of tradition. Often it

was their activities that led to the spread of Islam far and wide.

Different Turuqs (orders) have over the years developed different

rituals that complement the zikr. Some may seen to be very strange and

barbaric e.g. the body piercing rituals of the Rufa'ee's whereas

others are very much sober and rational. A common practice that has

developed in many Sufi orders is music and to a lesser extent dance.

Each Turuq usually has a different form of music. The Sabiri-Chisti

order in South East Asia for instance is well known for the Sama or

Qawali music. The Mevlevi order, who claim their linkage through

Mawlana Jalal ad Din Rumi are also well known for their whirling dance

tradition.

As Sufism encounters the modern world, a lot of Sufi literature is now

on the web. Many Sufi orders in the West are also beginning to
incorporate women. Needless to say Sufism which has always been a

criticized tradition, continues to flourish and enrich the Islamic

tradition.

Bibliography

Nasr, Seyyed Hossein: Sufi Essays 1987

Light Within Me: Khumayni, Ruhullah, Tabbatabahi Allamah, and Mutahheri, Murtaza