Sufism

Dr. M. SAFDAR ALI BAIG
Reader, Osmania University

Sufism or “Tasawwuf” makes one a lover of God who sacrifices everything for the sake of the Beloved. The term “Sufi” was first used for an ascetic, a saint and a love-intoxicated devotee. The scholars have different views as to what the terms tasawwuf and Sufi really mean. Some scholars hold that the term tasawwuf is derived from the word Suuf which means “wool” and sufis were people who used to put on woolen garment, abandoned carnal desires and lived in poverty voluntarily. Others argue that it is derived from the word Safa which means “Purity” and sufis were those whose hearts, lives and deeds were pure and chaste. A few believed that it is derived from the word suffa which was a bench adjacent to the Mosque of Prophet Muhammad (571-632 A.D.) and some people who were called Ashab-ul suffa (companions of the bench) made it their abode and spent their lives in prayers, worship, search of truth through the Quran and Hadis (Tradition), and abandoned worldliness and bodily pleasures. Prophet Muhammad loved them, looked after them and fed them.^l Some scholars refute this argument saying that the term tasawwuf is not derived from the word Suffa although the sufis lived similar life.

The sufi is one who thinks that divine knowledge, love, prayer and worship are for him and he is for God. All other things of the material world even those that belong to him are not his but God’s. He is always happy to take anything that God gives him–good or bad, he does not care, for he knows that God cares for him more than he cares for himself. It is his conviction that God is enough for him, so he does not care for anything else. He fears nothing except God. He has no fear throughout his life, and in death, and for life after death; for he knows that God is with him, God is for him, and God is in this heart, mind and soul. Thought of God pleases him more than anything else. He spends his day and night, morning and, evening with only one Beloved, i.e., God. His heart never turns from “One” to “Many”. He worships God for God’s sake and loves Him for His sake–not for worldly gain, because he feels it to be a transaction between man and God which no sincere lover can afford to do. In short, the sufi is one who lives for God unlike common men who live for themselves.

A few sufis themselves have interpreted both the terms tasawwuf and sufi. Abul Hasan Nuuri holds that tasawwuf teaches abstention from all bodily pleasures and sufis are those whose soul is devoid of all carnal desires so as to enable them to stand near God, to have a vision of Him and to be comforted by that vision. They renounce everything except God². Abu Ali Qarmini points out that tasawwuf teaches how to live an admirable ethical life³ and sufi is one who believes that God is enough for him in all circumstances and conditions, and is contended with the Will of God. Maruuf-Al Karkhi believes that tasawwuf shows the way to apprehend Ultimate Reality and teaches renunciation. Junayd of Baghdad holds that the sufi is like the earth which is trampled down by good and bad people, and is like the cloud which overspreads everything and rains for everybody.⁴

Sufism is an offspring of the Quran and teachings of Prophet Muhammad known as Hadis, but the basic problems, ideals, doctrines and practices of the sufis are similar to those of the mystics of all great religions. The word “Mysticism” is derived from the Greek word “Mysterism”, which means “Secret religious ceremony”. Mysterion itself is derived from the word “Myo” which means “To be mysterious or secret”, literally to keep one’s mouth shut.

Some scholars hold that mysticism is at the root of every religion. Dr. Mc Taggart argues that mysticism is closely connected with religion, inevitably with philosophy, and Eastern Philosophy has always been very mystical. In modern Western Philosophy also, he says, mysticism has considerable importance.⁵ Mysticism according to Evelyn Underhill is man’s craving to know more and to love more and is essentially a movement of the heart towards Ultimate Reality.⁶ Professor William James believes that religious persons have often professed to see truth in a special manner, and that manner is known as mysticism. ⁷

Bertrand Russell maintains that mystical philosophy in all ages and all parts of the world, is characterised by certain beliefs; for instance, the belief in insight as against discursive analytic knowledge; the belief in a way of wisdom, sudden, penetrating, coercive, which is contrasted with the slow and fallible study of outward appearance by a science relying wholly upon the senses. He holds that there is an element of wisdom to be learned from the mystical way of feeling, which does not seem to be attainable in any other manner. The greatest men who have been philosophers have felt the need both of science and of mysticism. ⁸

Mysticism can be clearly traced out in nearly all the great religions and philosophies, and it has something in common, though it is marked by peculiar characteristics in each, but this is due to the circumstances in which it arose and flourished. Islamic mysticism is called Sufism. In its initial stages sufism was highly ethical, ascetic and devotional, rather than speculative, which it came to be later on, thus becoming a part of philosophy and theosophy. From the very beginning several people who devoted themselves to God and Prophet Muhammad, endeavoured to live a saintly life and loved God and the Prophet.

In the eighth century of the Christian era abstention from worldly affairs and seclusion became predominant and innumerable men and women were inclined towards a pure religious life. Professor Nicholson says that an overwhelming consciousness of sin, combined with a dread-which it is hard for us to realize–of Judgement Day and the torments of Hell-fire, so vividly painted in the Quran, drove them to seek salvation in flight from the world. ⁹ The learned Professor it seems has not taken into account few facts which are obvious. The Quran declares severe punishment for the non-believers, atheists and infidels. Punishment for misdeeds and mal-practices is declared only in few verses whereas through innumerable verses God’s Mercy, Benevolence and Forgiveness are clearly pointed out. Another notable fact is that the Quran begins with the following words:

“In the Name of Allah (God), the most Beneficent and Merciful.”

The aforesaid words are continually repeated at the beginning of every Para (chapter) and every Surah (part of the chapter). This clearly means that God is made to be remembered through His Attributes of Beneficence and Mercy, not through His Attributes of Chastisement, Wrath and Vengeance. The Quran also points out:

“O’ ye who believe! Be regardful of God as He deserveth to be regarded.” (3:102)
“Your Lord has ordained Mercy on Himself.” (6:54)
“Inform my servants that I am the Forgiving, the Merciful.” (15:49)
“Allah promises you forgiveness from Himself and abundance; and Allah is ample-giving, knowing.” (2:268)
“But as for those who turn to Me and amend and speak out the truth, unto them will I turn, for I am the Relenting, the Merciful.” (2:160)

The Quarn makes clear that God’s Mercy exceeds His Justice.

“He who brings a good deed shall have ten times as much of goodness thereof, while he who brings an evil deed, shall be recompensed exactly with a like of it and none shall be treated unjustly.” (6:161)

The Quran declares punishment fur major sins, and for minor sins either very little or no punishment is declared. They are only forbidden. The major sins according to the Quran are:

(i) Atheism and infidelity.
(ii) Unlawful homicide and suicide.
(iii) Torture, harm or damage to others (particularly to the parents, orphans, poor and destitute and good people).

The Quran points out:

“If you shun the great things which you are forbidden, we will do away with your evil and cause you to enter an honourable place.” (4:31)

Punishment for the major sins is perhaps because they become obstacles in the way of human progress which is the Eternal Scheme of God. God is not only Forgiving and Merciful for the penitents but even loves them. The Quran makes it clear:

“Verily God loveth those who turn to Him to be saved from evil.” (2: 222)

All the aforesaid verses and likewise numerous other verses of for the Quran prove that God of Islam is not a revengeful God who is always prompt in punishing human beings who are His own creation. On the contrary, He is named as Waduud (Lover) in the Quran.

It is possible that few earlier sufis had an excessive fear of God, still, it cannot be assumed that fear and dread only compelled them for the flight from worldliness and asceticism. In fact, the sufis loved God more than they feared Him. The later sufis are more impressed by God’s Attribute of Beauty (Jamal) than by His Attribute of Majesty. (Jalal)

Moreover, flight from worldliness and monkery are well-known to aspects of Christianity also. If they are the outcome of fear and m dread, how would Professor Nicholson account for flight from the world and monkery among the Christians?

All the great sufis were extremely learned and they encouraged their followers for a hard struggle to attain knowledge. They have never been addicted to frivolity and levity. Many of them have composed treatises on the methods of sufism which clearly prove that their minds were full of divine thoughts. The knowledge of God and His Attributes, religion, theology, ethics as well as knowledge of the reality of the universe is essential for a sufi. Thoughtfulness and divine knowledge is preferred by Prophet Muhammad to soulless adoration and worship. He says, “A moment’s reflection is better than sixty years of devotion.” Particularly a devotee should possess divine knowledge. The Prophet says, “The devotee without divinity is like a donkey turning a mill.”¹¹ According to Imam Hazrat Ali, the man of learning lives even after his death: the ignorant man is dead while he is alive. So, he says, gain knowledge for it adorns you if you are rich and feeds you if you are poor. Choose the best part of each science as the bee sips the most delicate part of the flower. He also says “Books are the gardens of the learned.” ¹² Hazrat Imam Raza says, “Worship begins with divine knowledge.”

An early sufi Abu Muhammad-Al Balakhi stresses on the knowledge of God and says, “He who has most knowledge of God is one that strives hardest to fulfil His Commandments, and to follow most closely the practice of His prophet.”¹³ Abu-Al Fadayal believes that, “whosoever knows God as He ought to be known worships Him with all his might.”¹⁴ Abul Hasan Ali Hujwiri argues that “the object of human knowledge should be to know God and His Commandments.” ¹⁵

The knowledge on which the sufis put emphasis is the divine knowledge, for it is the greatest achievement of man and an eternal bliss. Knowledge is one of the most glamorous Attributes of God. Knowledge, particularly divine is better than worship, for, worshipping is meant for the creations not for the Creator, whereas knowledge is meant for both. Divine knowledge is superior to the knowledge of other things, because knowledge of the Creator is better than knowledge of the created. Man thinks that he has come into the world to know the world but he should know that he has been created to know the Creator. Knowledge of the corporeal world is limited to time and space but knowledge of God gives wings to the soul for a flight beyond time and space, a flight into the world of beauty, glamour and enchantment, where the soul forgets everything of the corporeal world, even its own self. It draws an immense pleasure which exceeds all bodily and worldly pleasures. The soul is illumined and it clings to the All-knowing Soul which is the Light of Heavens and earth. In this Infinite and Eternal Light man’s soul dissolves with all pleasure and becomes itself eternal.

Divine knowledge is possible through physical sciences and only if there is a deep insight which according to Dr. Iqbal would give a fresh meaning to the physical science. The scientific observation of Nature, he says, keeps man in close contact with Ultimate Reality, and thus sharpens his inner perception for a deeper vision of it. The knowledge of Nature is actually the knowledge of God’s Behaviour. In our observation of Nature, he continues, we are virtually seeking a kind of intimacy with the Absolute Ego, and this is only another form of worship. All search for knowledge is essentially a form of prayer. ¹⁶

^l Abdu1 Hasan Ali Hujwiri: Kashf-al Mahjub. P. 30 (tr. R. A. Nicholson. London. 1936)
² Ibid. p. 37
³ Ibid. p. 39
⁴ Shahabuddin Suharwardi: Awarif-al Maarif. Pp. 65, 70 (Urdu tr. Abul Hasan. Lucknow. 1926)
⁵ Mc Taggart: Philosophical Studies. p. 46
⁶ E. Underhill: Mysticism. Pp. 44. 70-71
⁷ W.James: The Varieties of Religious Experience. p.291 (Mentor).
⁸ Bertrand Russell: Mysticism and Logic. Pp. 8.9. 11. (London. 1949)
⁹ A. Nicholson: The Mystics of Islam. p. 4; (London. 1914)
¹⁰ A. Hujwiri: Op. cit. p. 108
¹¹ Ibid. p. 11
¹² Imam Hazarat Ali: Maxims of Ali. Pp. 13, 15 (tr. Syed Abdullah Muhammad)
¹³ A. Hujwiri: Op. cit. p. 140
¹⁴ Ibid. p. 98
¹⁵ Ibid. p. 13
¹⁶ M. Iqbal: The Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam. Pp. 54, 86 (London 1934).