Although there are other approaches to the term Sufi, it is believed that the word derives from the Arabic word suf, which refers to the wool traditionally worn by mystics and ascetics. Sufism is best described as “Islamic mysticism or asceticism,” whose beliefs and practices help Muslims to attain closeness to Allah through direct personal experience with God. To walk a path that leads to closeness to God through the encounter with the divine in the hereafter is imbued with the essential element of the Islamic faith. Sufism, also known as Tasawwuf in the Muslim world, is a mystical form of Islam. Although Sufi orders and Sufi-inspired organizations are in the minority, they are found in many countries around the world.
Sufis strive to be aware of the presence of God and emphasize the importance of prayer, meditation and contemplation, as well as spiritual practice. Devotees use acts of devotion and contemplation to achieve their spiritual goals such as peace, happiness, peace of mind and self-reliance. Islamic Law – centered religious system has created a spiritual void and is not conducive to achieving unity with God. Sufism is a form of non-religious spiritual practice, not a religion of law. According to the Sufis, dhikr, a state of ecstasy and ritual practice, is the way to God. Getting a real number of practicing Sufi is difficult, as it depends on the order and definition of a “Sufi.”
It is said that of the 1.3 billion Muslims worldwide, five percent are sufis, and about half of them are said to practice Sufi. Much of this confusion about the definition of sufis as Muslims stems from the fact that Sufism has evolved differently from mainstream Islam. Throughout history, however, a Sufi has been understood mostly as a person of religious education who aspires to be closer to Allah. it’s explained that Sufism’s ability to look deeper into one’s soul and the inner lives of those around it attracts people.
Sufis traditionally practice their esoteric faith privately, avoiding the problems Christians have when they are branded heretics. Sufis practice in a way that avoids personal experiences of direct contact with God without the guidance of a teacher or master. Islamic purists who rejected the materialism of Islamic leaders and wanted to make a personal experience of “direct contact” with Allah through the guidance of their Master founded Sufism. It also anchors the idea that the Sufi experience is so profound that no one can understand it without making an effort to explain it.
Sufism seeks to rediscover meanings that are impenetrable to human reason and beyond human knowledge. Islamic faith and practice, often referred to as internalization and intensification of its practice. Sufism is not a personal, experiential approach to Allah that contradicts the prescribed, doctrinaire approach of fundamentalists such as the Taliban, writes Nicholas Schmidle in Smithsonian Magazine. There is a current of Sufism in which whirling dervishes are the spiritual manifestation of Allah’s divine power, not just His teachings. Islam was generally embraced by millions of followers, but there are a few exceptions, such as in the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia.
Sufis strive to be constantly aware of the presence of God by emphasizing the importance of prayer, contemplation and meditation on the nature and nature of reality. Just as academic practice in theology and law depends on reason, so Sufism depends on emotion and imagination. With the development of Sufism, he was also influenced by other religions such as Islam, Hinduism, Judaism, Christianity and Buddhism. It is a religion of love, love of life and love of God, not only for the individual but for all beings.
In the 9th century, the mystics who fasted and put themselves into an ecstatic state by rhythmic breathing were called drunken Sufis. The sober Sufis who appeared shortly afterwards offered a different view of the world, in which the mature Sufis returned to this world in transcendence and lived like good Muslims in the humble sense.
The prominent historian Jonathan Brown notes that during prophet Muhammad’s (peace & blessings be upon Him) lifetime, they “had the ability to meditate on the divine secrets, as Islam requires, and on the nature of the universe.” One such perspective is that Sufism arose from its origins and development through the Quran, on which they constantly meditated, recited and experienced. Another perspective describes it as a way of strengthening the connection of the heart with the Divine. If we call “Sufism” nothing but an internalization of Islam, then there are no “Sufis” at all.
To solve this mystery, Avicenna adopted the Neoplatonic scheme of emanation, which was also used by Sufis and Islamic Gnostics to explain man’s spiritual journey to God. The ultimate philosophical undertaking was to reveal how divine unity becomes the multiplicity of the world’s existences. He was not a practicing Sufi or even a known member of a religious group, but rather a philosopher.