What does tassawuf mean?

Question

What does tassawuf mean?

Answer 1

I guess to be a sufi !

or do what Suffis Do

Answer 2

to become Sufi  

Answer 3

its basically not caring about material life, only the spiritual stuff.

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personally i don't like those who claim their suffi

they start with : "im just striving to be a good servant of God..."

and they finish with glorifying each other and seeing angels and talking to the dead...

Answer 4

Thank you for the question.

Tasawuf (sufism) is a subject of the greatest dispute and debate among Muslims. Many Muslim scholars went to the extreme in denouncing it to the extent that they considered it as bid’ah (unauthentic acts of worship, which were not in Qur’an or sunna(example of the Prophet(pbuh)). To these scholars, tasawuf has no root in the Nobel Qur’an or in the traditions of the Prophet (pbuh). On the other hand, a large number of renowned scholars defended tasawuf and considered it as one of the important disciplines of Islamic teachings. One can find countless opinions, which consider sufis as kafirs (non-believers) or mubtade’een (those who apply bid’ah) and not part of the Muslim ummah (nation). On the other end, one can also find countless opinions stating that tasawuf is the right path for self- purification (tazkiya).

I personally adhere to the opinion of Ibn Taymiyah on this matter, which states: “A great dispute occurred regarding sufism. A group of Muslims extremely denounced sufis and sufism and said sufis are mubtade’een and are out of the sunna (the traditions) of the Prophet (pbuh). This opinion was adopted by a large number of imams (Islamic scholars) and transmitted later by people of fiqh (law) and people of ‘ilmu al-kalam (theology). Another group went too far in defending sufis and sufism. They claimed that sufis are the best among people and the most complete after prophets and messengers.

Both extreme opinions should not be acceptable. The right opinion should be that sufis are Muslims whom are striving hard to obey Allah (swt) like other Muslims who strive to obey Allah (swt) as well. Among the sufis there are those who are foremost in their good deeds, through their striving, and are near Allah and those who follow a middle course of striving. Also, among the two kinds of sufis there are those who do right and those who do wrong, and among them those who commit sin and repent, and those who commit sin and do not repent.

And it happened that some people claimed affiliation with sufism who were innovators and deviant Muslims. These people, al-Hallaj for instance, are rejected and denounced by the renowned scholars of sufism such as Al-Junaid Ibn Muhammad, the master of the sufis, and others.” (Refer to Majmu’atu al-Fatawa of Ibn Taymiyah, Vol. 11)

This was the opinion of Shaikh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah about sufism, which I believe is the most reasonable and logical opinion about this subject matter. Moreover, all scholars, sufis and non-sufis, agreed that any religious practice that contradicts or has no root in the Qur’an and the traditions of the Prophet (pbuh) is not acceptable, according to Islam. Also, they agreed that the only sufism, which is acceptable is the one that is guided and fits within the right ‘aqidah (creed) of Islam. Sufism in this sense means a hard striving in purifying the soul and a hard striving to win the blessing of Allah (swt).

Among many scholars, including sufi scholars, the only acceptable sufism is the one that is continuously guided by the right ‘aqidah (creed), aims to purify one’s soul (tazkiyah), and adheres to the teachings of the shari’a (Islamic law). This type of sufism is not only acceptable, but encouraged by many well known scholars.

It was reported that Imam Malik once said: ‘He who practice tasawuf (sufism) without learning shari’a corrupts his deen (faith), while he who learns shari’a without practicing tasawuf corrupts himself. Only he who combines the two proves true.’

Allah knows best

Peace be unto you.

Answer 5

Shaykh ul-Islaam Ahmad bin ‘Abdul-Haleem Ibn Taymiyyah al-Harraanee says in his Majmoo’ al-Fataawa about their beginning:

أما لفظ ‏(‏الصوفية‏)‏‏:‏ فإنه لم يكن مشهورًا في القرون الثلاثة

((As for the term, "as-Soofiyyah" was not known in the first three generations of al-Islaam))

Imaam Abul Faraj ibnul Jawzee said in his Talbees Iblees:

والتصوف كان ابتداؤها الزهد الكلي ثم ترخص المنتسبون اليها بالسماع والرقص فمال اليهم طلاب الآخرة من العوام لما يظهرونه من التزهد، وما اليهم طلاب الدنيا لما يرون عندهم من الراحة واللعب

((Tasawwuf (Soofism) is a way whose beginning was complete avoidance of the affairs of worldly life (Zuhd), then those who attached themselves to it became lax in allowing singing and dancing. Therefore, the seekers of the Hereafter from the common people became attracted to them due to the avoidance of the worldly life which they manifested, and the seekers after this world were also attracted to them due to the life of ease and frivolity which they were seen to live))

Then Ibnul Jawzee further stated:

فالتصوف مذهب معروف يزيد على الزهد ويدل على الفرق بينهما أن الزهد لم يذمه أحد وقد ذموا التصوف على ما سيأتي ذكره

((Tasawwuf (Soofism) is a way that is well known for exceeding in abstinence of worldly luxuries (zuhd). What shows the difference between them is that no one ever condemned abstinence (zuhd), whereas Soofism was condemned because of what we will mention later.))

Concerning the Soofiyyah, al-Bayhaqee recorded in his Manaaqib ash-Shaafi'iyyah in volume 2 on page 208 that Imaam ash-Shaafi'ee said:

لو أن رجلاً تصوَّف من أول النهار لم يأت عليه الظهر إلا وجدته أحمق



((If a person practiced Tasawwuf (soofism) in the first part of the day, he does not arrive at Dhuhur except as an Idiot))

Ibnul Jawzee recorded on page 371 of his Talbees Iblees that Imaam ash-Shaafi'ee said:

ما لزم أحد الصوفيين أربعين يوماً فعاد عقله أبداً

((No one accompanies the Soofiyyeen for forty days and has his brain return with him ever))

Ibn Muflih has a chapter in his book Aadaab ash-Sharee’ah in volume 2 called:

كَرَاهَةُ الْكَلَامِ فِي الْوَسَاوِسِ وَخَطَرَاتِ الْمُتَصَوِّفَةِ

((Repugnance of speaking in whispers and the dangers of the practitioners of Soofism))

Ibn Muflih recorded in his Aadaab ash-Sharee’ah (1/235) that Ibn ‘Aqeel said:

مَا عَلَى الشَّرِيعَةِ أَضَرُّ مِنْ الْمُتَكَلِّمِينَ وَالْمُتَصَوَّفِينَ

((There is nothing more harmful to the Sharee’ah than the Mutakallimeen (those involved in theological rhetoric) and the practitioners of Soofism))

Imaam al-Qurtubee recorded in his Jaami' al-Ahkaam al-Quraan in volume 11 on page 237 that at-Tartoosee said:

يرحمك الله، مذهب الصوفية بطالة وجهالة وضلالة،وما الإسلام إلا الكتاب الله،وسنة رسوله...

((May Allaah have Mercy upon you, the Madhhab (way) of the Soofiyyah is Baatil (Falsehood), and Ignorant and misguided, and Islaam is only the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah of His Messenger…))