Ashfag S Mahdi
A great dispute and debate is on the rise among Muslims on the subject of Tasawwuf, the Arabic name for Sufism. This is a modern phenomenon, and can be related to the petro dollar boom in Saudi Arabia which enabled it to spend a part of its wealth to export its puritanical and anti-Sufi version of Islam throughout the Muslim world and even to Europe and North America. Saudi Arabia being the home of Makkah and Medina enjoys a certain conviction to its religious interpretations.
Millions of Muslims including a number of renowned Islamic scholars both past and present defend Tasawwuf and consider it an integral part of Islamic teachings. On the other hand some scholars went to the extreme and denounced it and considered Tasawwuf as an innovation in reli-pion. It seems they have no inkling what true and authentic Sunsm is.
The Sufis trace their origin to the life of Prophet Muhammad though as a creed it came into existence during the later Umayyad Period and the early period of Abbasid Empire. The wealth and power of the Muslim rulers during this period increased tremendously resulting in pomp and pleasure which became the lifestyle of the elite. Some of the God fearing people took the path of renunciation of the worldly pleasures and started to live a life of detachment wearing rough garments made of Suf, Arabic word for wool.
Tasawwuf stands for cleaning of heart from all internal impurities such as worldly temptations, anger, hate and other passions which serve as impediments for closeness to God. Real Suf lives his life with the conviction that Allah truly sees his every action. The Prophet described it as “Ihsaan” the highest level of self improvement.
The only acceptable Sufism according to many eminent Islamic scholars is the one that is
- guided by the right creed i.e. Aquida
- Aims to purify one’s soul i.e. Tazkiyah.
- Is based upon Islamic Law i.e. Shariah In addition to the above a very fundamental character of Sufism is an intense love for Allah and His Prophet.
In addition to the above a very fundamental character of Sufism is an intense love for Allah and His Prophet.
Imam Malik is reported to have said ‘He who practices Tasawwuf without learning Sharia corrupts his Deen while he who learns Sharia without practicing Tasawwuf corrupts himself. Only he who combines the two proves true’.
Imam Nawawi writes in his short treatise on the subject of Tasawwuf has commented that the specifications of the Way of the Sufis are five:
- To keep the Presence of Allah in your heart in public and in private
- To follow the Sunna of the Prophet
- To isolate from people and do not depend on them
- To have a contented life
- To always refer one’s matters to Allah.
As opposed to true Sufism Pseudo Sufism is nothing but singing, dancing, chanting, intoxicating oneself, praying to the dead saints and believing that these saints have mystical powers. Many clerics have posed themselves at these shrines as mediators between gullible and illiterate Muslims and Allah. Their piety is pretentious and they relish titles of ‘Sheikh’, Maulana, and Hazrath etc. and feel good when their followers submit to them with spiritual flattery.
Pseudo Sufis claim to have spiritual connection with many saints and Sufi personalities of the past, they have deplorable flaws of character and con-duct. Therefore they are seen to lie, cheat, plot, be discourteous towards people and take undue advantage of their circumstances even though their outward appearance and mannerism displays piety.
Pseudo Suf’s love of Prophet is in words not in deeds. They are indeed very disrespectful of him by showing no regard to his exemplary conduct. For such so called Sufism-exhibitionists, relics of the Prophet e.g. a hair of his beard or other objects connected to his person are decorated, ritualized and revered as an idol.
The vulnerable and weak-minded people easily fall prey to pseudo Sufis who thrive on their support. One needs to be aware of such so called cultish Sufis and should be able to distinguish between true Sufis and pseudo Sufis.
The polarized debate in the Muslim world about Sufism is unfortunately because of extreme positions in which people of Wahabi school of thought in majority from Saudi Arabia and its cronies the Gulf States totally reject Sufism and on the other hand people of Brelvi school of thought mainly prevalent in the subcontinent fail to recognize pseudo Sufism as a false misrepresentation of Islam.