sufism

Sufism is a broader style of worship that transcends sects, directing followers’ attention inward. Basically, A sufi is a Muslim mystic. One may also ask, who were the Sufis and what did they believe? Sufis believe the sharia (exoteric “canon”), tariqa (“order”) and haqiqa (“truth”) are mutually interdependent.

Sufism leads the adept, called salik or “wayfarer”, in his sulûk or “road” through different stations (maqaam) until he reaches his goal, the perfect tawhid, the existential confession that God is One.

According to the late medieval mystic Jami, Abd-Allah ibn Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyyah (died c. 716) was the first person to be called a “Sufi”.

Sufism is often erroneously referred to as a sect or as a fringe minority, however Sufi thought and practice extends beyond the Sunni-Shia sectarian divide, across socio-economic boundaries, geographies, and languages. Sufi orders, known as Tariqas, are found throughout the Muslim world, with each order taking on its own distinct identity based on its practices and structure, and often reflecting the cultural and linguistic context in which it is set