Sufism (Tasawwuf)
Somebody asked Abu Hafs: “Who is a Sufi?”
He answered: “A Sufi does not ask who a Sufi is.”
Sufism (Tasa wwuf) is generally accepted the name for Islamic mysticism because the word Tasawwuf meaning “mysticism” has been use in Muslim society for long time. To understand the concept of Sufism first we should have a look into meaning of mysticism. Mystery refers to “religious truth via divine revelation”. Philosophy, reason, even sensual and rational methods can not reveal it because it depends on spiritual experience. In fact without real practical experience, it is hard to understand mysticism. Only wisdom of the heart, gnosis, may give insight into some of its aspects. The ultimate goal of the mystic or seeker is to find the final Reality –The Truth. As Sindhi mystic poet and Sufi, Shah Latif says: “Wherever I see, I find clear manifestation of truth. Should you acquire the ability to recognize Truth, You, too shall see nothing but God.”
Annemaire Schimel writes in his book entitled Mystical Dimensions of Islam, “The Islamic mystics liked to play with the root of Safa, “purity,” when they discussed Sufism and qualities of ideal Sufi: “He that is purified by love is pure (safi), and he who is purified by the Beloved is a Sufi” i.e., he who is completely absorbed in the Divine Beloved and does not think of anything but Him has trained the true rank of a Sufi. It is not surprising that Sufi made attempts to designate Adam as the first Sufi: for he was forty days “in seclusion” (like the novice at the beginning of path) before God endowed him with sprit; then God put the lamp of reason in his heart and the light of wisdom on his tongue, and he emerged like an illuminated mystic from the retirement during which he was kneaded by the hands of God. After his fall he performed acts of penitence in India for 300 years until God “elected” him so that he became pure (Safi) and thus a true Sufi.
But Sufism is more as Junayd of Baghdad (AD.910), sees the prototypes of the Sufis in the prophets which are mentioned in the Koran. Junayd wrote, “Sufism is founded on eight qualities exemplified in eight apostles: the generosity of Abraham, who sacrificed his son; the acquiescence of Ishmael, who submitted the command of God and gave up his dear life; the patience of Job, who patiently endured the afflictions of worms and jealousy of the merciful; the symbolism of Zacharias, to whom God said “Thou shalt not speak unto men for three days by signs” and gain to the same effect “when he called upon his lord with a secret invocation”; the strangerhood of John, who was a stranger in his own country and alien to his own kind amongst whom he lived; the pilgrimhood of Jesus, who was detached therein from worldly things that he kept only a cup and a comb – the cup he threw away when he saw a man drinking in the palms of his hand, and the comb likewise when he saw another man using his fingers instead of comb; the wearing of wool by Moses, whose garment was woolen; and the poverty of Muhammad, to whom God Almighty sent the key of all treasures that are upon the face of the earth, saying, “Lay no trouble on thyself, but procure every luxury by means of these treasures,” and he answered, “O Lord, I desire them not; keep me on day full fed and one day hungry.”
The social and practical aspect of Sufism is understood from the definitions of Junayd and Nuri, the leaders of the Iraqi school of mysticism, according to whom “Sufism is not composed of practices and sciences, but it is morals” and “who surpasses you in good moral qualities surpasses you in Sufism.”
The Sufis always remained inside the fold of Islam, and their mystical attitude was not limited by their adherence to any of legal or theological schools. According to Sufism, the central mystery of Islam is Tauhid, “to declare that God is one.” That’s why Sufis claimed that whole Wisdom was included in the letter Alif, the fist letter in alphabet and Symbol of Allah. The Sufis often condemned the bookishness of Scholars and admonished their disciples to strive to lift the veils, not to collect books. Therefore “to break the ink-pots and to tear the books” was considered by some mystics as a first step in Sufism. The great saint Umar Suhrawardi, who studied scholastic theology in his youth, was blessed by a saint who put his hands on his chest and made me forget all he had studied, “but he filled my breast with the knowledge immediately derived from God.” Same thing was happened with Rumi before his turn from traditional scholar to Sufi. Historians wrote the encounter of Rumi with his spiritual mentor Shams Tabriz in different ways. According to them, “One day Rumi was reading next to a large stack of books. Shams Tabriz, passing by, asked him, "What are you doing?" Rumi scoffingly replied, "Something you cannot understand." (This is knowledge that cannot be understood by the unlearned.) On hearing this, Shams threw the stack of books into a nearby pool of water. Rumi hastily rescued the books and to his surprise they were all dry. Rumi then asked Shams, "What is this?" To which Shams replied, "Mowlana, this is what you cannot understand." (This is knowledge that cannot be understood by the learned.)