Tasawwuf - Sufism in Islam

1. The Basics of Tasawwuf

This chapter is by Shaykh Muhammad Al-Yaqoubi

1- Definition: Purification of the heart.
True devotion to Allah in the ways He likes by the means He likes.
... Acting upon knowledge;
Acquiring the good characters and getting rid of the bad. 

2- Subject: Allah, as how He can be known; or hearts & souls, as how to purify them.

3- Fruit: The purification of the heart and knowing the Master of the worlds and attaining the Station of ihsān.

4- Merit: Tasawwuf is of high merit. Its nobility stems from its subject. Ihsān is one of the three levels of this deen and the highest.

5- Relation to other disciplines: It is the base of the Sharia; without it acts of worship become imperfect. It is the core of Quran and Sunnah and the tissue of Muslims spiritual life.

6- Name: The word "tasawwuf" is derived from souf (wool). Tasawwuf has been known by this name since the second century of hijra, i.e. the time of the salaf. It has been frequently called ʿilm as-Sulūk (initiatic traveling & spiritual behaviour), ʿilm al-Ihsān, ʿilm at-Tarbiyah (cultivation) or ʿilm at-Tazkiyah (purification).

7- The pioneer: The pioneer of this branch of knowledge is of course the Prophet ﷺ. Many hadiths highlight the spiritual dimension of a Muslim's life.[2.2] The earliest scholar who elaborated on it is al-Hasan al-Basriy.

8- Sources: Tasawwuf is derived from Quran and Sunnah[2.1].The sayings of the great scholars represent a rich treasure for the seekers and the masters.[07]

9- Ruling: Acquiring tasawwuf is fard i.e. obligatory; since all human beings are susceptible to sins save for Prophets. Imam Abul Hasan ash-Shadiliy said:
“He who does not truly acquire this discipline will die persisting on major sins without being aware of it.”

10- What it tackles: Tasawwuf tackles some of the cardinal elements of the deen such as sincerity; truthfulness; religious caution (wara'); conscious awareness (khushū') reliance; asceticism; love; and similarly their opposites, which are the diseases of the hearts such as insincerity; hypocrisy; arrogance; greed etc.
It also tackles subtle subjects such as the passing of thoughts; the states of the heart; inspirations. One of its most important subjects is dhikr, the remembrance (i.e. in the evocation & recitation of the name) of Allah and its virtues; another is the shaykh and his qualifications, the disciple, murid, and his adab.

11- Basic works in tasawwuf:
- The Beauty* of the Righteous by al-Hafiz Abu Nuaym al-Asfahani
- The Revival of the Sciences of the Deen- (Ihya) al-Imam al- Ghazali
- Al-Risalah of Imam Abul Qasim al-Qushayriy
- The Aphorisms, al-Hikam, of Imam Ibn Atta'illah
- Revelation of the Unseen by Imam Abdul Qadir al-Jaylaniy
- Awarif Al-Ma'arif, by al-Suhrawardi
- Qawa'id Al-Tasawwuf, by Imam Ahmad Zarooq

* (”The purpose of beauty is to draw the soul nearer to the Truth.” Sh. Umar F AbdAllah)

Al-Ghafūr:
the All-forgiving i.e. the One who forgives every thing, all things
Al-Ghaffār:
the Forgiving all the time of the sins, i.e. the Often-Forgiving.

2. Proof from Quran & Sunna

As a matter of fact the amount of proof is too numerous to list here, and this is so, because Tasawwuf - Sufism is nothing less than the heart of the religion (dīn):

“Being the heart of the Islamic message it is, like the physical heart, hidden from external view, although again like the heart it is the inner source of life and the centre which coordinates inwardly the whole religious organism of Islam. The Tarīqah is the most subtle and difficult aspect of Islam to understand at the same time that its external effect is to be seen in many manifestations of Islamic society and civilisation.”^[13]

2.1 Tasawwuf in Traditional Islam
There are the evident corrupt acts, to be seen by everyone and the concealed corrupt acts:

{ قُلْ إِنَّمَا حَرَّمَ رَبِّيَ الْفَوَاحِشَ مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا وَمَا بَطَنَ }

{Say: My Lord has only prohibited indecencies, those of them that are apparent as well as those that are concealed,-} (7-33)

It is the function of the science of Tasawwuf to heal (the heart of) the believer even from the concealed corrupt acts, such as blind hatred, ostentation, envy, hypocrisy. For this there are methods, disciplines[033] and doctors of hearts[3.4].

2.2 The ihsān-hadith expressed by the Angel Gabriel

الإِحْسَانُ أَنْ تَعْبُدَ اللهَ كَأَنَّكَ تَرَاهُ فَإِنْ لَمْ تَكُنْ تَرَاهُ فَإِنَّهُ يَرَاكَ

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ replied to angel Gabriel's (pbuh) question on Ihsan (perfection), that "Ihsan is to worship Allah as if you see Him, and if you cannot (yet) see Him, then be sure that He is seeing you."

A sound and famous hadith in Al-Bukhari, vol. 1, no. 47; narrated by Abu Huraira.^[14]

Prophet Muhammad ﷺ also used to say:
"Truly, Allah does not look at your outward forms and wealth, but rather at your hearts and your works."
Allah   does not need our outward accomplishments, building records, material goods etc. when everything we have is only from HIM! But He said (in the Quran) that HE will scrutinize our inner being, our heart or soul:

{ يَوْمَ لَا يَنفَعُ مَالٌ وَلَا بَنُونَ‏ إِلَّا مَنْ أَتَى اللّٰهَ بِقَلْبٍ سَلِيمٍ }

{ The day on which property will not avail, nor sons; except him who comes to Allah with a (sound) heart* free (from evil).} (26-88/9) *sound heart: [2.3]

2.3 Heart, Soul, Inner Aspect
*sound heart (~ the organ of knowledge):

“A heart in which the affectations of the mind do not arise, and which is safe from the distractions of all that is not God.”^[1]

*diseased heart:

Shibli said: “A heart ruled by the present world (dunyā) is debarred from feeling the sweetness of the world to come.”

Allah  warns us from the disease of the heart, which results in eternal damnation:

{ فِي قُلُوبِهِم مَّرَضٌ فَزَادَهُمُ اللّٰهُ مَرَضًا }

{ In their hearts is a disease, and Allah has caused their sickness to intensify.} (2-10)

The illness of the heart is of two types:
- suspicion and doubt, and
- desire, allurement and wantonness*.
Ibn Qayyim^[2]
*(i.e. cruel, violent, sexually immodesty)

One's inward diseases are enough to cancel out one's good deeds - even if they are numerous.^[3]

*hadith:
“For every object there is a thing which polishes it and that which polishes the heart is remembrance (dhikr) of God.”

*Quran:

{ أَلَا بِذِكْرِ اللّٰهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ الْقُلُوبُ }

{ Those who believe, and whose hearts find comfort in the remembrance of Allah. For without doubt in the remembrance (i.e. in the evocation & recitation of the name) of Allah do hearts find comfort.} (13-28)

3. The Science Of Tasawwuf

There are several aspects to it, and all have to be taken account of. The beginning of it is when the servant accuses his own soul[m/pse_e], the continuation of it when he takes account of himself in all states, and strives against his ego, seeking recourse in Allah  . Then there will be blessings (barakah) and ease:
{ With hardship comes ease.} (94-5)

3.1 A Difficult Science, With Great Benefit

It is a science which is easy to hold speeches about, but difficult to implement and practice! Nevertheless one must not avoid the effort, but start the journey at once, before it is too late.

{ وَمَاۤ أَدْرَاكَ مَا الْعَقَبَةُ }

{ Ah, what will convey unto you what the Ascent is!} (90-12)

This science is “mixed with what is bitter and distressful. It saddens the heart and brings tears to the eyes...The ego has no portion in its journey ... because its pre-condition is the killing of the ego and abstinence from one's wants. This is why scholars have deserted this science and occupied themselves with the sciences of juridical rulings and differences of opinions ... they are lighter upon the souls that are disposed to following their caprice and averse to rights. Allah  knows best.” ^[5] p.43

3.2 An Individually Obligatory Science For Everyone

The Prophets - peace be upon them all - are singled out from the generality of believers due to their extra certainty (yaqīn), faith and Prophetic proofs. For the believing Muslim - nay for every Muslim - it is very important to gain deep understanding,* according to the word of the Prophet ﷺ :

من يرد الله به خيرًا يفقه في الدين

“Whoever Allah wishes good for, he grants him deep understanding of religion.”
Al-Bukhari, vol. 1, no.71

*“Deep understanding (fqh*,) is to know one's self: what is for it and against it.”
Imam Abu Hanifa  

*For or against:
The Muslims who implement tasawwuf don't engage in disputation and quarrelling about religion, and certainly not in showing off, but they hold that it is better “for one to occupy himself with what is for and against him,” and they focus on seeking Sacred Knowledge. ^[15]

“The states, stations, and spiritual struggles (which the Muslims who implement tasawwuf) seek to understand and speak of are needed by all the believers. Knowing their rulings is obligatory upon all and universally relevant. These include qualities such as: truthfulness, sincerity, remembrance, and the avoidance of heedlessness. Nay, the servant must know his intentions, aims, and inner thoughts at every passing moment. If it is a right among the various rights, he must stick to it and if it is his own portion*, he must abstain from it.”^[7] Allah  says:

{ وَلَا تُطِعْ مَنْ أَغْفَلْنَا قَلْبَهُ عَن ذِكْرِنَا وَاتَّبَعَ هَوَاهُ وَكَانَ أَمْرُهُ فُرُطًا }

{ And do not obey him whose heart We have made heedless of Our remembrance, who follows his desires, and whose affair is in neglect.} (18-28)

*That means the servant has to scrutinize his own niyyāt and goals at all times in order to discover if they are according with God's satisfaction and stick to them and if they are only for ego's or nafs's portion, he should abstain from it.

3.3 A Warning Of False Claimants

”Among the latter day adherents of Sufism there are claimants who, despite their meagre portion of knowledge and intelligence, claim Divine gnosis and enlightened spiritual unveilings for themselves.” ^[8]
This is wrong and deviancy.
May Allah bring them back to the Straight Path!

3.4 Looking For A Spiritual Guide

“The benefit of the Shaykh is that he condenses and shortens the path for the spiritual aspirant. Whoever travels the path without a Shaykh is foolish, and he will spend his whole life having not reached his goal because the Shaykh is like the guide who leads the pilgrims to Mecca on a dark night.”[RES57]
Shaykh ʿAbd Al-Wahhāb Al-Shaʿrāni

If someone is confused about a particular aspect of this science, he should only defer to the view of  “a scholar who has experienced these states and settled in them and who has researched their sciences and intricacies. Whosoever does otherwise is mistaken.” ^[9]
Shaykh ʿAbd al-Hadi Kharsa

3.5 A Measure For The Strength Of One's Struggle (jihād)

Now if we remind ourselves of the strong love or desire for wordly goods (and grown-ups have this passion, not children) as mentioned in this verse:

{ وَإِنَّهُ لِحُبِّ الْخَيْرِ لَشَدِيدٌ }

{ And lo! In the love of wealth he is violent.} (100-8)
then - for reaching the balance -
. this can be a measure of the strength of our struggle (jihād) or the force we apply against our nafs for the commands of the LAW and the good pleasure (ridwān) of Allah.

continue part 2