Sufism As A Science

In response to this we say: in the first generation, there was no need for it. By their own disposition, the people of that era were already people of piety and scrupulousness, masters of spiritual rigors and keenness to worship. By virtue of their proximity and connection to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, they would hasten and race each other to follow his example ﷺ as in all of that. During that time, there was no need to establish a distinct science to guide them to something they were already upon.

The likeness of the Companions in this matter may be likened to that of the eloquent Bedouin Arab. Such a Bedouin knows the Arabic language by way of inheriting it from his elders, to the point that he is even able to compose eloquent poetry by his natural disposition and nature, even though he knows nothing about the principles of the language, inflection, poetic meter, or composition. Someone like him is in no need of learning grammar or rhetoric.

Yet despite this, when grammatical mistakes, incorrect diction, and weak rhetoric, becomes wide spread—or even when a non-Arab simply wants to learn it and understand it, or when it becomes a societal need like the need for other sciences—learning the science of grammar, the principles of the language, and poetry becomes a necessity.

Even if the Companions and followers did not take the name "Sufis", they were Sufis in reality. What is meant by Sufism more than a person living his life for his Lord and not his lower ego, while at the same time adorning his self with asceticism, persisting upon slavehood, directing his full attention to Allah with his soul and heart at all times, and observing all other perfected traits that the Companions and followers reached by way of spiritual elevation; having attaining the highest levels therein?

The Companions did not suffice themselves with testifying to the doctrines of faith, or establishing the legal obligations alone, rather they coupled their testimony with experiential knowledge and direct experience. They carried out every act beloved to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ beyond the obligations, such as the supererogatory acts.

They abstained from every detestable act—not to mention the forbidden things—until their inner eyes were enlightened and the rays of wisdom penetrated their hearts, and the Divine Lordly secrets flowed over their bodies. This was also the state of the followers after them and the generation after the followers. These three generations were the best and purest generations of Islam entire [history].

It has been reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "The best generations are my generation, then those after them, and then those after them."

As time passed, and many different nations and groups entered the fold of Islam, the fields of religious knowledge expanded and were divided and distributed among the specialists, with each group specializing in their own branch of knowledge or art and codifying it.

After grammar was codified as a distinct science in the beginning, it was followed by jurisprudence, then creed, then the science of Hadith, then scholastic theology, then Qur'ānic exegesis, then logic, then the science of Hadith nomenclature, then the science of legal theory (usūl), then inheritance, and so on and so forth.

After this period, the spiritual influence started to decline bit by bit. The people began to forget the necessity of turning sincerely to Allah with pure slavehood of both heart and aspiration. Such a situation motivated the masters of spiritual rigour and asceticism to take action in their field as well, and codify the science of Sufism and establish its nobility and virtue over all other sciences.

They did not undertake this effort to codify the science—as some orientalists mistakenly assume— because they saw the other specialists codifying their own respective subjects. Rather, it was a must, so as to prevent a deficiency and to fulfil the needs of the religion in all facets of life; a must in order to work together for piety and righteousness.16

Undoubtedly, it represents the station of Ihsān which is one of the three pillars of the religion that the Prophet ﷺ explained with his statement: "…that was Jibril who came to you to teach you your religion"—these three stations are: Islam, Imān, and Ihsān.

Islam is obedience and worship.
Imān is light and doctrine.
Ihsān is the station of vigilance and Divine witnessing (murāqaba and mushāhada):
"…that you worship Allah as if you see Him, and if you do not see Him then you know that He sees you."

…[S]o just as the Hadith indicates the three pillars of the religion, whoever falters in this pillar (that of Ihsān)— which is the spiritual order (tariqa)—then his religion is deficient because of leaving off one of its pillars. The most that can be said regarding the spiritual path is that it is indicative of the station of Ihsān, after one has corrected his Islam and Imān."