What Is Sufism(Tasawwuf)?

Written By Abu Ali Abdullah Faheem Al-Shafi’I As-Sufi

Truly All praises are for Allah. We seek him and ask him for his guidance and forgiveness. We seek
refuge in Allah from the evils of ourselves and the evils of our actions. Whosoever Allah guides, there is
no one to misguide him. And whomsoever Allah leads astray, there is no one to guide him. I am the first
to testify that there is no God but Allah and he has to partners or associates. And i testify that our lord and
master Muhammad(Peace Be Upon Him)is his slave and seal of the Prophets. My Allah bless him, his
family and companions.Ameen. To proceed; this is the practice of the Muslims since the times of their
Master Muhammad(Peace Be Upon Him)where in which the faculty existed in his time but the science
itself did not.This is the practice of the believers for centuries whom abandon the worldly life and its
political views to a narrow place to worship their lord, Allah(swt). This science known as Sufism was a
science invented by The Muslims and carried out on their shoulders. This is a science that other religions
may have some similarity, but they themselves are not apart of as a whole.The proof for this can be found
in one of the earlier scholars of Islam who wrote a work on Islamic history named "The Introduction". It's
author is named Ibn Khuldun, a famous Islamic scholar and faqih of the Maliki Madhab (Rahimaullah). On
Sufis and Sufism he states:

"This is a Science that was invented by the Muslims".....

He also said:

"The Men around Muhammad practiced that kind of (mystical)exertion.

They had a very abundant share in the acts of Divine grace but they did

not bother with them.The virtues of Abu Bakr, Umar and Ali

contained much information to this effect.They were followed by the Sufi's in this respect...

What Is A Sufi?

I was in a halaqa once and a dear brother of mine said: "No one can speak for All Sufis".We will say as a
personal goal and path that one takes or concerning his or her footsteps, he's right. As for principals is
concerned, he's wrong. All Muslims make 5 prayers a day. These are the principals and leaving this
principal removes on from Islam. All Christians affirm the lordship of Jesus Christ, if not they are refuted
against by the majority of the practitioners of the doctrine itself. All Sufis desire to get close to Allah(swt)
and their ultimate goal is to practice in the like of Muhammad(Peace Be Upon Him). If not, this takes one
out of Sufism. Unfortunately, particular in the west, anyone is a Sufi. A Sufi believes that Allah is God with
no partners, children, spouse and the likes. An that Prophet Muhammad(Peace Be Upon Him)is the
servant and seal of the Prophets(as). In this the Sufi's have what they call "Ihsan". Meaning spiritual
perfection. Only a Muslim can do this. A non Muslim can be spiritual but not a Sufi,i.e a Jew can practice
Kabbala which is Jewish Mystics but cannot be a Sufi. Likewise, a Christian can do the like but cannot be
Sufi. One who says otherwise, has left Sufism and Islam.
What do Sufi's DO?

A Sufi is one who realizes that he is incomplete and desires his Lord. We may worship Allah but we don't
have him i.e. in our Ruh(soul). This is where he takes a "way" to Allah. This process is called a "Tariqah".
Allah says in Qur'an Suran Naba v.39:

"Whoever wills let him seek a way to his Lord"

This verse tells you clearly that just doing the 5 daily prayers is not sufficient. A way to one's Lord must be
through constant remembrance and striving on the lower self, this is where the Muslim looks at the Qur'an
at this surah Al Azhab verse 41-42:

"O ye who believe Remember Allah with much remembrance. And glorify him morning and
evening."

When on realizes this he becomes a Dervish Which means in Persian "Wanderer". He looks for
closeness to his Lord by taking the Path. He then finds a Shaykh and then this becomes Tasawwuf. This
is to adhere to someone who have fought himself and learned how to behave like the Prophet(Peace Be
Upon Him).Now he becomes known as a Murid.

Do We Need A Shaykh To Do This?

No. To be a Sufi we don't need the Shuyuk a far as giving bay'at to a murshid(Guiding Shaykh).We know
this because the tariqah of Imam Ghazali, Imam Nawawi and others who were on the path but had no
guiding shaykh.However, to seek assistance and travel the path faster, this requires a person being
guided under the spiritual hand of a Shaykh. This is called Tasawwuf. Imam Malik was the most famous
on his saying about this science when he said:

"One who practice Islam with out Tasawwuf corrupts his deen, and one who practice Tasawwuf
without Islam corrupts himself'.

This is proof that only a Muslim can be a Sufi.

This also proves that a Sufi has to be well grounded in the Shari'ah unlike most of these "Western Sufi
Organizations and Council" who claim Sufism is love and we love anyone.

To them Satan is also a Sufi!

" I heard Sufi's were deviants and worshiped graves"

Nonsense. A Sufi sticks to the way of the Salafius saliheen more than those who claim to follow the
methodology of the Salaf. If everyone done this, we would not have abandoned spirituality in the
religion.Yes, there were and are deviant Sufi's whom have been cast out from amongst the Sufis such
has been explained by Shaykh Abdul Qadir al Gaylani, Shaykh Mujaddid,Hasan Basari, Imam Haddad
and others. And yet some are still divants such as the Qadiri-Shi'a tariqah in Iran who pierce themselves
with swords and walk on hot coal.Or the Sufis who say in America that Hijab is in the heart. This is kufr
and it is unfortunate that these people have the media to publicize their propaganda.
How Does One become a Murid?

One seeks a Shaykh and his qualifications are that he has love for Allah and his Messenger and he is
hard on the shari'ah and the manner of sticking to it.And he must be authorized in the science and
received his cloak(kirkah). Not people who say, Sunna is not mandatory or Not in the West or so and
so...Allah says he is the Lord of the East and the West.(even if they are authorized)The ultimate goal of a
Murid is to act, dress and behave like the Prophet. The Murji'ah(an eariler deviant group)had a likewise
doctrine on Hijab being in the heart only they held Islam is inward and If you say La illah illah you will be
saved. The Muslims fought against them for this.

Iman(belief/inward) Islam(Practice/Inward and outward) Ihsan Both of the above as a Murid.

What Tariqah To Follow?

Start by drawing close to Allah through his Book and the sunna of the Messenger(Peace Be Upon Him).
And if you choose to join a tariqah, theres 100's to choose from(Christi, Qadiri, Naqshabandi, Tijani
etc)anyone interested in any of these please send me your interests via post.I know lot's of Shuyukh in
many different Tariqas and how to get in touch with them Insha'Allah.

Insha'Allah I pray that we've shed some light on this subject and will began our journey.

Success is from Allah

wasalam