Sufism

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What is tasawuff?
What is aceticism?
What are tasawuff practitioners?
Islamic mysticism form, involves purifying heart to achieve nearness to God.
Renouncing material things as means to purify self and develop personal relationship with God.
Sufis.
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What is the word 'Sufi' derived from?
Why was Sufism developed?
Derived from Arabic ‘suf’ (wool) which was woollen garment worn by earlier Muslim ascetics.
As response to increasing materialism and departure from properly practicing Islam, particularly under Umayyad dynasty, where more interested in power than piety.
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Where are Sufi practices traced back to?
What do Sufis aim to achieve?
Quran and actions of Muhammad (SAW) – ascetic prior to Night Of Power and called ‘the greatest Sufi’.
Aim to achieve ascent to God experienced by Muhammad (SAW) during the Miraj.
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What do Sufis strive to reconcile?
What is shawq?
Strive to reconcile living in material world and constant yearning to connect with God and establish permanent union with him (wilayah).
This is love and devotion to God - central to Sufism as divine love = pinnacle of faith.
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What are Sufis, like Rabia of Basri known for?
Quote from Rabia of Basri
Articulating love of God as intrinsic value rather than hope for reward or escape from punishment
‘O God, if I am worshipping you out of fear of Your hellfire, cast me into it. And if I am worshipping you out of a desire for Your paradise, prohibit me fro
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What do Sufis emphasise about the soul?
What is one way Sufis express elements of worship?
Soul is emanation of the divine and will ultimately be absorbed into God’s spirit. Losing one’s identity in this process doesn’t amount to nothingness, but absorption into God’s immanence and omnipresence.
Poetry, mainly in Persian, and works of great my
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What are some controversial methods of Sufism?
What are two ways for mystical union with God?
Musical instruments, incense, singing and dancing used – some branches consider necessary to fulfil soul’s longing for oneness with God.
Remembrance of God (dhikr) and self-purification (tazkiyat al-nafs).
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How is dhikr carried out?
How is tazkiyat al-nafs carried out?
Ritualised devotional acts, both liturgical (formal) and non-, contain short phrases or prayers, repeated silently or aloud, sometimes with use of tasbih (glorification of God) beads, heart of Sufi practice.
Through practices like fasting (Sawm), prayers
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What is the master-disciple relationship?
The relationship between a master and a disciple has often been characterised in Sufism as of unwavering trust, where disciple follows the master without asking questions or raising objections in their journey towards the truth.
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Types Of Sufism
...
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What is drunken Sufism?
How is Bayazid associated with drunken Sufism?
What two concepts is drunken Sufism based on?
Poets, Rumi and Hafiz, refer to being ‘drunk’ or ‘intoxicated’ with the love of God, an overwhelming feeling called ‘mast’ (Persian word).
Lived in 9th century, founded the ‘ecstatic’ or ‘drunken’ school of Sufism in Persia, an expression considered heret
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What is fana'?
What is someone who achieves fana'?
Annihilation of self and one’s ego to achieve oneness with God. Sufis must eliminate all wants and abstain from sin so Sufi master is essential.
Person who achieves this stage is called a wali (saint or friend of God) and the state is termed wilayat (fri
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What social and personal benefits does fana' have?
What is shatahat?
Helps individual achieve salvation in afterlife while also inspiring them to serve God’s creation.
Ecstatic states and utterances made in moments of heightened consciousness and fana'. These statements believed to be divinely inspired in response to powe
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What is shatahat also known as?
What does sober Sufism emphasise?
What states are sober Sufism similar to?
Also known as jazaba or majzubiyah.
The goal of baqa’ (permanence or persistence of the self), also called divine eternity.
Nirvana (Buddhism), salvation (Christianity) and mukhti (Sanatan/Hindu Dharma).
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What does sober Sufism enable people to attain?
Why is baqa' superior to fana'?
What does baqa' also develop?
What happens once goal is achieved?
Highest condition attainable, experienced by prophets and saints.
Only causes temporary contentment.
Ma’rifah (knowledge of God) and leads to ihsan (perfection or excellence)
Seekers surrender themselves to the will of God.
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Why did previously solitary mystics form orders or schools (tariqas)?
They had the aim of seeking haqiqah (ultimate truth) in relation to God.
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What type of leaders does tariqa have?
Why is attachment to the master important?
Tariqa has Sufi masters known as murshids and sheikhs who guide murids (disciples – ‘desirous of God’) towards attainment of fana’ through muraqaba (meditation), prayer and dancing.
Considered prerequisite to achieving self-annihilation and hence bay’ah
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Who is at the highest of the hierarchy of saints and masters?
Quran quote supporting tariqas
The Qutb, a spiritual leader who is believed to have a special connection with God and to whom obedience is necessary and from those whose guidance and love the murids benefit.
‘God guides whoever He will to his Light’ and this divine light is perfect in
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What is the stage murids should aspire to reach?
The light is Muhammad (SAW) whose been called ‘nur’ elsewhere and has the purest heart. His qualities before he received revelation prepared him to deliver God’s message to others, as signified by ‘whose oil almost gives light even when no fire touches it
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What are whirling dervishes based on?
What is the most famous tariqa?
Where is it the largest and most influential order?
Based on teachings of Rumi
Most famous tariqa is Mevlevi order.
Largest and influential order in Turkey and unlike other orders, survived Ataturk’s secular reforms in 1923.
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What are members of Mevlevi order called?
What do whirling dervishes do?
What do these whirling dervishes also symbolise?
Whirling dervishes.
Perform spiritual concerts (sama) where they spin circles to represent planets of the solar system acting according to the will of God.
Also symbolises circuit of Kabah.
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What happens during the whirling?
What do whirling dervishes wear?
What does sama have an emblem of?
Dervishes point right hand upwards towards heavens for divine blessings and point left hand downwards to transmit blessings down to earth and repeat words ‘There is no God except God’.
Wear long white robes and conical hats.
Sama has become emblem of Tu
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Who wrote the Song of Reed?
What does 'Reed' refer to?
When is the Song of Reed recited?
Among Rumi’s most famous writings which he wrote while separated from his friend, Shams Tabrizi.
A person who has reached perfection and it’s a metaphor for the spiritual journey to be undertaken to know God.
In Mevlevi ritual ceremonies, accompanied by
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What is the extract from the Song of Reed?
My inner life is not far off from my cry
But the light to see is not in ear or eye
Spirit’s not hid from flesh nor flesh from spirit
But none is granted leave to see the spirit.
It’s not wind, it’s fire, this reed-stalk’s wailing song
Anyone who doesn’t h
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What is the concept of Ihsan (spiritual perfection) in the Gabriel Hadith?
Then he further asked, "What is Ihsan (perfection)?" God's Messenger replied, "To worship God as if you see Him, and if you cannot achieve this state of devotion then you must consider that He is looking at you."
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Sufism And The Wider Islamic Tradition
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What is Sufism viewed as within existing Muslim traditions?
Where is Sufism found in Islam?
Viewed as an esoteric interpretation and movement.
Found across all branches and denominations (Sunni, Shia).
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How did William Chittick describe Sufism?
How did Ron Geaves describe Sufism?
‘Sufism is a specific approach to Islamic learning and practice that has been found among Muslims everywhere’.
‘The life of a Sufi is one that seeks to be God-permeated’.
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What is the support for Sufism? x5
Sufi aims based on teachings of Islam, such as self-purification and friendship with God which are part of greater Jihad, the pinnacle of faith.
Sufism emerged in response to the highly legalistic nature of Islam and status given to Muslim scholars who w
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What is the support for Sufism? x5 (continued)
The status of Qutb (perfect teacher) is similar to roles of imams in Shia Islam who are considered infallible but not worshipped.
Emphasise still possible to have communion with God and experience revelation (ilham), God isn’t a deity who only communicat
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What is the support for Sufism? x5 (continued)
Important contributions to art and literature, inspiring Muslims and non-Muslims and promoting positive image of Islam.
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What is the criticism for Sufism? x5
Some devotional practices (music, dancing) never practiced by prophet and early Muslims so are dangerous innovations.
Earliest figures in Islam, including prophet and successors, maintained right balance between spirituality and worldly commitments (Cali
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What is the criticism for Sufism? x5 (continued)
Fana’ as practice isn’t one of Five Pillars or Ten Obligatory Acts and has limited importance compared with other Muslim duties.
Role and reverence of Sufi masters and sheikhs can be seen as shirk.
Emphasis on devotional acts may detract from study of Qur
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Card 2

Front

What is the word 'Sufi' derived from?
Why was Sufism developed?

Back

Derived from Arabic ‘suf’ (wool) which was woollen garment worn by earlier Muslim ascetics.
As response to increasing materialism and departure from properly practicing Islam, particularly under Umayyad dynasty, where more interested in power than piety.

Card 3

Front

Where are Sufi practices traced back to?
What do Sufis aim to achieve?

Back

Preview of the front of card 3

Card 4

Front

What do Sufis strive to reconcile?
What is shawq?

Back

Preview of the front of card 4

Card 5

Front

What are Sufis, like Rabia of Basri known for?
Quote from Rabia of Basri

Back

Preview of the front of card 5
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