The Path of Sufism: Embracing Purification, Devotion, and Spiritual Growth

By Kaniz Fatma, New Age Islam 22 January 2025 Exploring The Essence, Defining Characteristics, And Key Teachings Of Sufism As Outlined By Islamic Scholars And Exemplified By The Prophets Main Points: 1. What is Sufism? Sufism is defined as the knowledge of spiritual states (Ilm al-Haal), focusing on surrendering one's soul to Allah’s will, as highlighted by scholars like Imam Qushayri and Hazrat Junayd al-Baghdadi. 2. Who is a Sufi? A Sufi is someone who is dedicated to fulfilling the rights of Allah, lives according to His commands, and strives to attain closeness to Allah through self-purification and steadfastness in worship. 3. The Essence of Sufism: Self-Purification and Ihsan The core principles of Sufism are self-purification (Tazkiyah) and Ihsan (spiritual excellence), which are reflected in the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in the Hadith of Jibril, emphasizing purification of both actions and intentions. 4. The Fundamental Characteristics of Sufism Sufism encompasses eight essential qualities, including generosity, contentment, patience, simplicity, and poverty, all of which reflect the practices and teachings of the Prophets to cultivate humility, selflessness, and spiritual growth. ---- What is Sufism? The level of certainty and understanding that Hazrat Sayyiduna Haritha (RA) attained is what is called "Ilm al-Haal" (knowledge of the spiritual state), which is essentially Sufism. Regarding the definition of Sufism, numerous sayings have been reported from the great scholars of Islam, as each has defined it according to their own spiritual level and station. For instance, Imam Abu al-Qasim Abdul Karim bin Hawazin Qushayri (RA) (d. 465 AH) states in his "Risalah Qushayriyyah" that when Hazrat Sayyiduna Ruwaym bin Ahmad (RA) was asked about Sufism, he replied: "Sufism is when a servant surrenders his soul to the will of his Lord, allowing Him to do whatever He wills with it." Similarly, when Hazrat Sayyiduna Junayd Baghdadi (RA) was asked about Sufism, he replied: "Sufism is to have no attachment to anyone except Allah." Who is a Sufi? When Hazrat Sayyiduna Abu al-Hasan Qannad (RA) was asked about who a Sufi is, he replied: "A Sufi is one who is constantly engaged in fulfilling the rights of Allah." Additionally, Sheikh Abu Nasr Siraj Tusi (RA) quotes another saying, explaining that Sufis are those who truly know Allah, understand His commands, and act according to His knowledge. They remain steadfast in carrying out the tasks that Allah desires from them, and through their firm practice, they attain closeness to Allah, eventually losing themselves in Him. It is a continuous process where every individual who attains something eventually experiences annihilation in Him. The Essence of Sufism: Upon reflecting on the teachings of Sufism, it becomes evident that there are two primary aspects that form its essence: self-purification (Tazkiyah) and Ihsan. The concept of self-purification is mentioned frequently in the Quran as one of the goals of the prophetic mission, and Ihsan is discussed in the Hadith. This is why the Hadith of Jibril (Gabriel) is considered to encapsulate the essence of Sufism, as it defines the concept of Ihsan. It is narrated from Hazrat Sayyiduna Abu Huraira (RA) that the noble Prophet, the leader of the children of Adam (PBUH), used to say: "Ask me (about religious matters)." However, out of respect for the Prophet's presence and due to the awe that they felt, the companions of the Prophet (RA) did not have the courage to ask questions. Therefore, to teach the religious truths, Allah sent Hazrat Sayyiduna Jibril (AS) in the form of a human being, so he could ask questions and the Prophet (PBUH) could respond in a manner that would shower the companions with rare pearls of knowledge. The questions posed by Hazrat Jibril (AS) in the presence of the Prophet (PBUH) hold the foundation of the religion, for the answers given by the Prophet (PBUH) to those questions summarize and encapsulate the entirety of Islamic knowledge. For example, if the Hadiths of the Prophet (PBUH) containing the teachings of the religious sciences were to be divided into three categories, it would look like this: 1. Some Hadiths contain teachings about the fundamental principles and beliefs of the religion (Aqeedah). 2. Some Hadiths concern the correction of external actions (A'mal al-Zahirah). 3. And some Hadiths pertain to the purification of the inner self (Islah al-Batin). Therefore, in response to the question, "What is faith (Iman)?", the Prophet (PBUH) described the principles of Aqeedah as follows: "Faith is to believe in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, the Day of Judgment, and to believe that all good and bad things are predestined by Allah." In response to the question, "What is Islam?", the Prophet (PBUH) described the correction of external actions as follows: "Islam is to testify to the Oneness of Allah and the prophethood of Muhammad (PBUH), to establish prayer, give Zakah, fast during Ramadan, and perform Hajj if you are able." And in response to the question, "What is Ihsan?", the Prophet (PBUH) described the purification of the inner self as follows: "Ihsan is to worship Allah as if you see Him, and if you cannot achieve that, then know with certainty that Allah sees you." This is the essence of Sufism. The Fundamental Characteristics of Sufism: In his renowned book Kashf al-Mahjoub, Hazrat Syed Ali bin Osman Jalabi (popularly known as Hazrat Data Ganj Bakhsh Hujwiri) (RA) quotes the words of Syed al-Taifa Hazrat Syeduna Junayd al-Baghdadi (RA), who outlines eight fundamental characteristics of Sufism. These eight traits are as follows: 1. Generosity (Sakhawat) This is the tradition of Hazrat Syeduna Ibrahim (AS), who did not hesitate to offer the ultimate sacrifice of his beloved son in the way of Allah. 2. Contentment (Raza) This is the tradition of Hazrat Syeduna Ismail (AS), who, in submission to the will of Allah, was ready to sacrifice his life in the path of divine pleasure. 3. Patience (Sabr) This is the tradition of Hazrat Syeduna Ayub (AS), who, despite enduring severe hardships and suffering, remained steadfast in his faith and showed unwavering patience in the face of Allah’s tests. 4. Symbolic Communication (Ishara) This is the tradition of Hazrat Syeduna Zakariya (AS), who, by the command of Allah, was instructed to remain silent for three days except for gestures and symbolic communication (as mentioned in Surah Aal-e-Imran, 3:41). 5. Loneliness (Ghurba) This is the tradition of Hazrat Syeduna Yahya (AS), who lived a life of isolation, even while being among his own people, as a way of being detached from worldly ties. 6. Simple Clothing (Qadri - Woollen Garb) This is the tradition of Hazrat Syeduna Musa (AS), who wore a woollen garment, symbolizing humility and simplicity. 7. Traveling (Siayah) This is the tradition of Hazrat Syeduna Isa (AS), who lived a life of wandering, owning nothing except a bowl and a comb. He even broke the bowl when he saw someone drinking water from both hands, and destroyed the comb when he saw someone combing his hair with fingers. 8. Poverty (Faqr) This is the tradition of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), who was granted the keys to all the treasures of the earth but, despite this, would pray to Allah saying: "O Allah, my wish is that I may sometimes have enough to eat, but for two days I may remain in hunger." The Prophet (PBUH) lived a life of asceticism and detachment from worldly wealth. These eight characteristics of Sufism are deeply rooted in the lives of the Prophets and represent the essence of the spiritual path in Sufism. They emphasize selflessness, humility, detachment from materialism, and a constant striving for spiritual growth. ----- Kaniz Fatma is a classic Islamic scholar and a regular columnist for New Age Islam. URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islam-spiritualism/sufism-embracing-purification-devotion-spiritual/d/134401 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism