SUFI STORIES #9 WHAT IS SUFISM & WHO ARE THE SUFIS?
Since I began writing this series of Sufi Stories, I have received some enquiries about Sufism that need to be answered. So today we shall take a break from the stories (there are many more to be told) and clarify about Sufism instead.
Much has been written about Sufism, but the views vary depending on whether the writers were Sufis or non-Sufis, and whether the non-Sufi writers were tolerant or antagonistic towards Sufism. The most antagonistic have branded Sufis as deviants and heretics.
Q1. WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN SUFISM AND ISLAM?
This question, which seems odd to me, is often asked by non-Muslims. The confusion may have arisen because in the West (especially USA) there are non-Muslims who claim to be Sufis, or indulge in “Sufi Practices” like the Whirling Dance and are erroneously deemed to be Sufis.
Let me make it very clear that genuine, traditional Sufism is solidly based on Islam. In fact Sufis strive to be the best of Muslims by knowing, loving, obeying and serving God to the utmost; adhering to the 5 Pillars of Islam, the 6 Articles of Faith, the laws, rulings and guidance contained in the Sharia; and by emulating the Prophet’s (PBUH) Sunnah (exemplary practices) as much as possible.
True Sufis strive to understand and live by the Absolute Oneness of God (Tawheed), His Religion (Islam), and to love and serve all of humanity, and respect and acknowledge the roles of all of His creations.
Q2. WHAT IS SUFISM?
Sufism is the formal spiritual path within Islam, where one becomes a disciple of a Shaykh/Master to be trained and guided to know and be close to God and emulate the character of The Prophet (PBUH).
However, we never claim to be the only spiritual ones. Anyone can be spiritual, or learn spirituality from any teacher.
But in Sufism, learning from an authorized teacher/Master/Shaykh is the key. The best person in any endeavour has a good coach who is a master in that subject. Even The Prophet (PBUH) had a teacher (Jibrail/Angel Gabriel PBUH) who guided him throughout his life.
Who is the authorized Shaykh? A genuine authorized Shaykh is appointed by his own Shaykh, who in turn was appointed by his Shaykh and the chain (silsilah) goes unbroken to the Prophet (PBUH). Therefore the authority to guide comes from the Prophet (PBUH) himself. And The Prophet (PBUH) is of course given the authority by God.
Then some Muslims may ask: how come we never read any Hadiths about the Prophet (PBUH) giving authority to some Sahaba (Companions of The Prophet PBUH, may Allah be pleased with them) to teach the esoteric knowledge?
Well, by its nature, esoteric knowledge is not for everyone (hence “Islamic mysticism” and “mystics” are often used instead of Sufism and Sufis, respectively), but if Allah The Most Glorious & The Most High chooses you to receive that knowledge, he will draw you into this path. And then you will discover that indeed The Prophet (PBUH) gave three of the Companions this esoteric knowledge, to be passed on to those who seek for it, or are chosen by Allah to receive it.
Q3. WHAT WAS THE ORIGIN OF
SUFISM?
Non-Sufis may read that Sufism only began much later after the death of The Prophet (PBUH), and is therefore an innovation never approved by him. Indeed the term “Sufism” or “Sufi” never appeared in the Qur’an or Hadiths.
However, according to the much respected scholar Ibn Khaldun (1332-1406), Sufism was already practised by the Companions, but with the spread of material tendencies, the term “Sufi” was just applied to those who emphasized the spiritual practice of Islam [Encyclopedia of The World of Islam, 2012]. There are also several theories as to the origin of the word “Sufi”.
Ibn Khaldun was an Arab scholar of Islam, social scientist and historian who has been described as the founder of the modern disciplines of historiography, sociology, economics, and demography. Scholars to this day widely acknowledge the significance of his works and consider him to be one of the greatest scholars and philosophers of the Middle Ages.
So, the scholarly view of Ibn Khaldun was that Sufism was already there among the close Companions of The Prophet (PBUH), and was not a later innovation.
There were also critics who accused Sufism of being nothing more than plagiarism or corruption of the spiritual practices that preceded Islam (eg. that of Hindu ascetics, gurus and swamis). To this, the noted scholar Annemarie Schimmel, formerly of Harvard University, had this to say:
“Though the roots of Islamic mysticism formerly were supposed to have stemmed from various non-Islamic sources in ancient Europe and even India, it now seems established that the movement grew out of early Islamic asceticism that developed as a counterweight to the increasing worldliness of the expanding Muslim community...” [Excerpt from https://www.britannica.com/topic/Sufism/History].
The Sufi explanation is that The Prophet (PBUH) passed on esoteric knowledge to only 3 Companions, who then transmitted the knowledge and authority to the other Companions, who then did the same to the Tabiin (companions of the Companions) and so on until the knowledge and authority reach the present-day Masters/Shaykhs. The 3 Companions were:
1) Saiyyidina Abu Bakr (May Allah be pleased with him), the closest Companion and father in-law of The Prophet (PBUH), who became the First Rightly-Guided Caliph of Islam. Of him, The Prophet (PBUH) had said that everything that he needed to tell his followers, he had told to Abu Bakr. Through him arose the Naqshbandi Sufi Order (which has since grown into many sub-Orders). The late Shaykh Nazim (may Allah’s Mercy be upon him) was the 40th in the chain of Masters of The Most Distinguished Naqshbandi Sufi Order (Naqshbandi Aliyyah).
2) Saiyyidina Ali ibn Abu Talib (May Allah honour him), The Prophet’s (PBUH) cousin and son-in-law, who became the Fourth Rightly-Guided Caliph. Of him, The Prophet (PBUH) had said: “I am the City of Knowledge, and Ali is its gate, thus whoever seeks the knowledge has to enter the gate” [Authentic Hadith reported by Tirmidhi and others]. Through him arose all the Sufi Orders except two – Naqshbandi and Uwaysi.
3) Saiyyidina Uways Al Qarni (May Allah be pleased with him). This unique Companion never met The Prophet (PBUH) in the physical world, even though they were contemporaries. But he was a beloved friend and companion of The Prophet (PBUH) in the spiritual realm. Through him arose the Uwaysi Sufi Order, a unique order in which Saiyyidina Uways himself comes in spirit form to appoint the Masters.
All the authorized Shaykhs/Masters of all genuine Sufi Orders and sub-Orders carry the authority from The Prophet (PBUH) through these 3 Companions, to lead and teach their disciples.
Q3. WHY BECOME A SUFI?
In the Qur’an (33:21), Allah commands us to follow the exemplary character of The Prophet (PBUH), and The Prophet (PBUH) had said: “I have been sent to perfect (your) character” [reported by Imam Malik in Al-Muwatta’ 1614].
Tasawwuf is the branch of Islamic knowledge concerned with character-building, and the Sufis put much emphasis on this. The Qur’an and Hadiths are replete with teachings on good character, and the Companions, the Righteous, the Saints and the scholars have further elaborated on these teachings and also lived by example. But theory alone will not get us very far. The Sufis learn further through the examples of their Shaykhs, their spiritual training, and most importantly, through the Divine assistance and guidance they receive by virtue of their being on this path.
Remember also that The Prophet (PBUH) said: “No one of you is a true Believer until you love all of humanity, and all of creation”(Authentic Hadith).
So the Sufi training lays much emphasis on love and loving others, compassion, mercy, forgiveness, charity, humility, peacemaking and all the attributes of a good character, in addition to complying with all the tenets of Islam – obligatory and supererogatory prayers, fasting, zakat/tithe, Hajj and Umrah.
Good character here does not mean just being a nice and loving person. It means being loving and obedient to God, The Prophet (PBUH), your parents, elders, and leaders (those in authority); and being loving and helpful to family, neighbours, friends and everyone, to all living things, and to nature. You do not have a good character if you are nice to people but are disobedient towards your Creator.
The greatest love is the Love of God. But how can you claim to love God if you disobey His orders? And how can you claim to love Him if you don’t yearn to know more about Him, and get closer to Him?
The Masters have to undertake rigorous training of prayers, dzikrullah (remembrance of God) and supplications. They may have to live ascetic lives and undergo varying durations of seclusions, and face a myriad of tests to prove their love, obedience, faith and trust in God. When God is pleased with them, then they may be given the powers of clairvoyance and miracles.
In a Hadith Qudsi (Sacred Hadith), Allah said (the meaning of which is) that when His servant does the obligatory and extra acts of devotion and pleases Him, then he will be given the ability to see, hear, know and do things beyond the ordinary by His permission; his prayers will be answered and he will be protected by God [Hadith Qudsi/Sacred Hadith, Sahih Al-Bukhari 6502].
But to gain supernatural abilities is not the purpose of the Sufi. It is to know, love, obey and serve God with deep understanding and wisdom, and to serve God by serving humanity. These extra abilities, if given, are used only in the furtherance of that service.
It is not a must for every Muslim to become a Sufi. It is a choice (but see Q5 below). And in my own case (and many others I am sure), at first it was not a conscious choice (see Sufi Story #2 The Accidental Sufi). Then because my life was in a tangle, I had no choice but to be a better Muslim. Later I was brought into the path, and thrown deep into it without even realizing. But I am most thankful to God for dragging me in.
Q4. WHY ARE SUFIS OFTEN ACCUSED OF BEING DEVIANTS?
Throughout history Sufis have been pronounced heretics and deviants. Their outward utterances and practices have often appeared conflicting with the Sharia. Many great Sufi saints were persecuted, imprisoned and even sentenced to death (Mansur Al Hallaj was perhaps the most famous). They had to undergo these persecutions as part of their tests. Even if death is the test, the rewards come in the Hereafter, which is the real Life for the true believers. While the Muftis and rulers were justified in most cases when judging these Sufi Saints with the Sharia laws, Muslims are reminded that Allah tells us in the Qur’an (18:60-82) that there are people who are given Divine knowledge that will oblige them to act according to that knowledge.
In this particular story, the great Prophet Moses (Prophet Musa PBUH) repeatedly protested the actions of his teacher Prophet Khidr (PBUH) when the latter did things which were against the law (eg. killing an innocent boy). Prophet Khidr (PBUH) did so according to the Divine knowledge given to him which Prophet Moses (PBUH) was not privy to. You can read the full story here:
Of course the detractors can accuse the Sufis of using the above reasoning to justify all of their wrong doings. The Sufis are not free from blame. Only The Prophet (PBUH) is religiously immaculate. The Sufis have to counter the accusations with reason and evidence, and if the situation is indeed similar to the above story, then we cannot expect the Muftis and scholars (ulama) to believe us.
Moses (PBUH) was a Prophet who was told by God that Al Khidr (PBUH) was his teacher, and that was why he relented in the end. On the other hand, Sufi Shaykhs who receive instructions from The Prophet (PBUH) and then face retribution by the authorities for their sayings or actions will just have to take it as a test, as did many great Shaykhs before them, because the authorities are not forewarned by God!.
There are many Sufi practices that were added as part of the expression of love and devotion to God, and love and veneration for The Prophet (PBUH). An example is the Whirling Dance practised by the Whirling Dervishes of the Mevlevi (Mawlawiyya) Sufi Order founded by Mawlana Jalaluddin Rumi (May Allah’s Mercy be upon him), one of the greatest Sufi Saints and certainly the greatest Sufi Poet. The Whirling Dance is definitely an innovation, not practised by The Prophet (PBUH) or by the Companions. But if you read Rumi’s life story, you will find that he was guided by The Prophet and the angels since he was a child. If it was an unapproved innovation, certainly The Prophet (PBUH) would have told him so. Instead, he and his dervishes (followers) were allowed to continue with their unique form of meditation and remembrance of God.
Similarly, other Sufis have been accused of all sorts of innovations. Yet The Prophet (PBUH) continues to guide and give instructions to them, without reprimanding them for these practices deemed heretical by the non-Sufis. But I am not saying ALL the practices deemed innovative (bida’ah) are sanctioned by The Prophet (PBUH) as I am not privy to the Shaykhs’ instructions from him.
Just as the takfiris (those who readily call Muslims who don’t agree with them as “kafirs” or unbelievers, eg. ISIS/IS/ISIL) are quick to call others as apostates, some non-Sufis are quick to label Sufis as innovators, deviants and heretics. They give little room for differences in opinion for what is permissible, and what is not.
Q5. WHO ARE THE TRUE
FOLLOWERS OF PROPHET MUHAMMAD (PBUH)?
The Prophet (PBUH) had predicted that his followers will be divided into many sects. There is even a Hadith that says Muslims will be divided into 73 sects, but only one is his true follower (the authenticity of the Hadith is debated).
Nevertheless, today we do see many “versions” of Islam, from the peace-loving Sufis to the extremists, jihadists and takfiris. We have the majority Sunnis divided into fundamentalists, Wahhabis, liberals, progressives and many other labels in between (most Sufis are Sunnis). Then we have the Shias and their many sects. The Qadianis (Ahmadiyya sect) are regarded by both Sunnis and Shias as heretics.
Of course each one of them claims to be the sect or community that is correctly following the teachings of The Prophet (PBUH).
I posit this argument to claim that the Sufis must be among the true followers of The Prophet (without claiming that we are the only ones):
I have elaborated how the Sufi Shaykhs are appointed by and carry the authority of The Prophet (PBUH) on their disciples. I have related some stories of how Sufi Shaykhs and Saints are in regular contact with The Prophet (PBUH), and receive instructions and guidance from him. If you read the stories of the great Sufi Masters and Saints (there have been many thousands of them, and hundreds of them have had their life stories recorded and retold) you will find that ALL of them had received instructions from him. And this continues to this day.
You cannot deny that the Sufis, as a group, are therefore the people closest to him, since their Shaykhs are continually being instructed and guided by him. Hence the Sufis must be among the group approved by him. They must be his true followers, otherwise why would he be guiding them until now?
In conclusion, I believe Sufism is the beautiful fellowship of the Lovers of God, bound by their common love and servitude to The Most Loving God, guided by their Great GrandMaster, The Prophet (PBUH), as aptly described in the Qur’an (4:69):
“All who obey Allah and the Messenger are in the company of those on whom is the Grace of Allah, of the prophets (who teach), the sincere (lovers of Truth), the witnesses (who testify), and the Righteous (who do good): Ah! What a beautiful fellowship!” [Yusuf Ali translation].
For the most amazing stories about Sufi Saints and their interactions with The Prophet (PBUH) you can read The Naqshbandi Sufi Way: History and Guidebook of the Saints of the Golden Chain by Shaykh Muhammad Hisham Kabbani.
You can access it online here, and also see the unbroken chain (silsilah) of Masters of The Most Distinguished Naqshbandi Sufi Order from The Prophet (PBUH) to Shaykh Nazim:
https://naqshbandi.org/the-golden-chain/the-chain/
[Photo below is (Right) the author Mawlana Shaykh Muhammad Hisham Kabbani, leader of the Naqshbandi Haqqani Sufi Order of America, with his brother-in-law Mawlana Shaykh Muhammad Adil Ar-Rabbani, son and successor to Mawlana GrandShaykh Muhammad Nazim of the Naqshbandi Aliyyah Sufi Order].
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