Some sources state that Sufism is the inner dimensions of the teachings of Muhammad whereas others say that Sufism emerged during the Islamic Golden Age from about the 8th to 10th centuries. The one exception to that trend was Ibn Abbad al-Rundi (1332-1390), a member of the Shadhiliyya order who was born in Ronda and whose scholarship brought together mystical and juridical paths. By pledging allegiance to Muhammad, the Sahabah had committed themselves to the service of God. [16] Ibn al-‘Arif's disciple Ibn Qasi set up a group of religious followers in Portugal and built a monastery in Silves. February 1988. Sofi is used to designate the followers of Sufism, particularly by speakers of Persian and Turkish. What makes them so difficult to discuss is that their mutual recognition cannot be explained in ordinary moral or psychological terms—whoever understands it is himself a Sufi. 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See Introduction in "Great Sufi Poets of The Punjab" by R. M. Chopra, 1999, Iran Society, Calcutta. [36] Sufism is traditional in Morocco but has seen a growing revival with the renewal of Sufism around contemporary spiritual teachers such as Sidi Hamza al Qadiri al Boutshishi. Mystics of this period meditated on the Doomsday passages in the Quran, thereby earning such nicknames as "those who always weep." Of them the Chishti order is the most visible. The mystics have, therefore, usually imparted their ideas to a chosen few only, to those whom they could trust, who were ready for initiation and discipleship. The essence of this order was insistence on rigid adherence to Sharia and nurturing love for the Prophet. In some Sufi orders, practices such as chanting or spinning in circles help Sufi practitioners achieve a natural trance state in order to experience oneness with God. [21] Ibn Barrajan and Ibn al-‘Arif were both tried for heresy because their views conflicted with those of the Almoravids in power; however, Ibn Barrajan appears to have been more active in using Sufism as a means of challenging Quranic scholars and jurists. I do not exist,am not an entity in this world or the next,did not descend from Adam and Eve or anyorigin story. For instance, a Christian would claim that Saint Paul was a Christian and a Muslim that Shams Tabriz was a Muslim. From their practice of constantly meditating on the words in the Qurʾān (the Islamic holy book) about Doomsday, the ascetics became known as “those who always "The conquest of India by Babur in 1526 gave considerable impetus to the Naqshbandiyya order" [6]. The same system of endowments could also be used to pay for a complex of buildings, such as that surrounding the Süleymaniye Mosque in Istanbul, including a lodge for Sufi seekers, a hospice with kitchens where these seekers could serve the poor and/or complete a period of initiation, a library, and other structures. The earliest known theory of conscious evolution is of Sufi origin... Not Christian or Jew or Muslim, not HinduBuddhist, Sufi, or Zen. Not only have there been illuminated souls at all times, but there have been times when a wave of illumination has passed over humanity as a whole. Even though Sufi Saints had existed even before Prophet Muhammad, they were not known or recognised as Sufis at that that time. Sufis strive to constantly be aware of God's presence, stressing contemplation over action, spiritual development over legalism, and cultivation of the soul over social interaction. It has been revealed more clearly and spread more widely from time to time as the world has evolved. Bridging the gulf between the Islamic clerics and Sufis, Wali Ullah infused new vigour in practice of Naqshbandi Sufi order. It was patronized by the Mughal rulers, as its founder was their ancestral Pir (Spiritual guide). "[47], This article is about Sufism. In addition to His innumerable blessings, Allah, glory unto Him has granted human beings a unique quality, an extremely precious and subtle quality at that. [23] His works in Andalusia focused mainly on the perfect human individual, monastic metaphysics, and mystical path to spiritual and intellectual perfection. Though awareness of this secret quality or instinct can be sharpened by close contact with Sufis of experience, there are no hierarchical degrees among them, only a general undisputed recognition of greater or lesser capacity. One of the first to return to Europe as an official representative of a Sufi order, and with the specific purpose to spread Sufism in Western Europe, was the Ivan Aguéli. After Ibn Masarra's death, in 940 his followers fell under heavy persecution under the jurists who destroyed Ibn Masarra's works and also forced his followers to recant. The word Sufi comes from a Persian word meaning wisdom. Yet according to Ali el-Hujwiri, an early authoritative Sufi writer, the Prophet Mohammed himself said: "He who hears the voice of the Sufi people and does not say aamin [Amen] is recorded in God's presence as one of the heedless." Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti, a disciple of Khwaja Usman Harooni, the propounder of this order, introduced it in India. Orientalists proposed a variety of origin theories regarding Sufism, such as that it originated as an Aryan response to Semitic influence, Buddhism, Neo-Platonism, and Christian ascetism or Gnosticism. [5] In addition, the Suhrawardiyyah order, under the leadership of Abu Hafs Umar al-Suhrawardi (d. 1234), also bequeathed a number of teachings and institutions that were influential in shaping other order that emerged during later periods. The Sufis are an ancient spiritual freemasonry whose origins have never been traced or dated; nor do they themselves take much interest in such researches, being content to point out the occurrence of their own way of thought in different regions and periods. With the royal patronage of most of the Mughal rulers, the Naqshbandi order caused the revival of Islam in its pure form. There is another view, however, that traces the pre-Islamic roots of Sufism back through the early Christian mystics of Syria and Egypt, to the Essenes, the ancient Pythagorean orders, and the mystery schools of the Egyptians and Zoroastrians, among others. According to Ibn Khaldun Sufism was already practiced by the Sahaba, but with the spread of material tendencies, the term Sufi was just applied to those who emphasize the s… [17] Also at this time, eastern Sufism was developing more as a communal movement, whereas that of the West (including in al-Andalus), it remained largely an individual pursuit. According to Carl W. Ernst the earliest figures of Sufism are Muhammad himself and his companions (Sahabah). however, have rejected early Orientalist theories asserting a non-Islamic origin of Sufism,[42][43][44] Carl Ernst states that the tendency to try and disassociate Islam from Sufism was an attempt by Orientalists to create a divide between what they found attractive within Islamic civilization (i.e. Others do not reject as incredible the Semitic tradition that Sufism's foundation is to be attributed to the teachings of Abraham. (from his introduction to Idries Shah's "The Sufis"). ‘Saf’ and ‘Suf. Origin Of Sufism . [2] Some Sufis were not against absorbing ideas from Hinduism for their devotional songs with Sufism playing the primary role as a point of contact between Hinduism and Islam.189 This conversion left many of those who converted via Sufism more Hindu in practice than Muslim.194. The early Sufi orders considered the wearing of this coat as an imitation of Isa bin Maryam (Jesus). Andalusi Sufism was at its peak at this time. People of the same thought and point of view are drawn to each other with a tendency to form an exclusive circle. [47][48] According to William Chittick Sufism can simply be described as "the interiorization, and intensification of Islamic faith and practice. [8] Scholars have generally seen this later flourishing in two different ways. [12] With Ibn Masarra there was a “brief flowering”[13] of Sufism in Spain, and later Spanish Sufis reflected his influence on them. For other uses, see, Gholamali Haddad Adel, Mohammad Jafar Elmi, Hassan Taromi-Rad, Maribel Fierro, "The Polemic about the 'Karamat al-awaliya' and the Development of Sufism in al-Andalus,", A.M Mohamed Mackeen, "The Early History of Sufism in the Maghrib Prior to Al-Shadhili". The word ‘Saf means a carpet. This became the mainstream position among Islamic scholars for centuries, challenged only recently on the basis of selective use of a limited body of texts[example needed]. Before the time of Mohammed they were called Ekuanul Safa, Brothers of Purity, but after his coming they were named by him Sahabi Safa, Knights of Purity. Almost all existing Sufi orders today trace their roots and chain of transmission ( silsila ) back to Muhammad, via one of these orders. Sufism existed as an individual inner practice of Muslims since early Islamic history. [citation needed] A Sufi is a Muslim who seeks annihilation of the ego in God. Other noteworthy Sufi teachers who were active in the West include Bawa Muhaiyaddeen, Inayat Khan, Nazim Al-Haqqani, Javad Nurbakhsh, Bulent Rauf, Irina Tweedie, Idries Shah and Muzaffer Ozak. Sofi or Sufi. The word ‘Sufi’ derives its name from another Arabic word ‘Suf which means wool. [3] 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".[4]. Indeed, most Sufis in the world today are Muslim and many of them would consider a non-Islamic Sufism impossible. Sufism as a brother/sisterhood may be traced back as far as the period of Daniel. The calamity through which the world has lately passed, and the problems of the present difficult situations are due to the existence of boundaries; this fact is already clear to many. Beyond the history, Sufism (tasawwuf) embodies the deeper spirituality of Islam; or in other words, the Haqiqah (the inner, essential truth). Sufism is an inner mystical dimension of Islam practiced by different turuq which is a congregation formed around mawla who trace their teachings to Prophet Muhammad. Many consider him to have established the first Sufi school in the province; however, his teachings were outside of the so-called "mainstream" Sufism that was more common in the East during his lifetime. Recent academic work on these topics has focused on the role of Sufism in creating and propagating the culture of the Ottoman world, including a study of the various branches of the Naqshbandi[32] and Khalwati orders,[33] and in resisting European imperialism in North Africa and South Asia. The connection between the ancient practical philosophies and the present ones is seen to have been based upon the higher-level unity of knowledge, not upon appearances. Etymological origin in Arabic by the Mughal rulers, as its founder was their Pir! 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