109-600: The Naqshbandi Haqqani Sufi Order is a Sufi Order which claims to adhere to the Naqshbandi Tariqa . It is named after its founder, Nazim Adil al-Qubrusi al-Haqqani . The Naqshbandi Haqqani Sufi Order of America (NQSOA) is an educational organization dedicated to spreading the teachings of the Naqshbandi Haqqani Sufi Order in America, under the guidance of the leader of the order, Mehmet Adil ar-Rabbani who
218-410: A hadith : "Ihsan is to worship Allah as if you see Him; if you can't see Him, surely He sees you." Sufis regard Muhammad as al-Insān al-Kāmil , the complete human who personifies the attributes of Absolute Reality , and view him as their ultimate spiritual guide. Sufi orders trace most of their original precepts from Muhammad through Ali ibn Abi Talib , with the notable exception of
327-673: A succession crisis that has never been resolved. The following First , Second and Third Fitnas and finally the Abbasid Revolution (746–750) also definitively destroyed the political unity of the Muslims, who have been inhabiting multiple states ever since. Ghaznavids ' rule was succeeded by the Ghurid Empire of Muhammad of Ghor and Ghiyath al-Din Muhammad , whose reigns under the leadership of Muhammad Bakhtiyar Khalji extended until
436-474: A "large minority" as being between 30% and 50%, which described nine countries in 2000, namely Eritrea , Ethiopia , Guinea-Bissau , Ivory Coast , Nigeria , North Macedonia , and Tanzania . As of 2024, however, Nigeria has become a Muslim-majority country. The two main denominations of Islam are the Sunni and Shia sects. They differ primarily upon of how the life of the ummah ("faithful") should be governed, and
545-420: A broader notion of Islamism as a form of identity politics , involving "support for [Muslim] identity, authenticity, broader regionalism, revivalism, [and] revitalization of the community." Islamists themselves prefer terms such as "Islamic movement", or "Islamic activism" to "Islamism", objecting to the insinuation that Islamism is anything other than Islam renewed and revived. In public and academic contexts,
654-626: A complex of buildings, such as that surrounding the Süleymaniye Mosque in Istanbul , including a lodge for Sufi seekers, a hospice with kitchens where these seekers could serve the poor and/or complete a period of initiation, a library, and other structures. No important domain in the civilization of Islam remained unaffected by Sufism in this period. Opposition to Sufi teachers and orders from more literalist and legalist strains of Islam existed in various forms throughout Islamic history. It took on
763-614: A fervent opponent of Westernization , Zionism and nationalism , advocated Sunni internationalism through revolutionary restoration of a pan-Islamic Caliphate to politically unite the Muslim world. Riḍā was a strong exponent of Islamic vanguardism, the belief that Muslim community should be guided by clerical elites ( ulema ) who steered the efforts for religious education and Islamic revival . Riḍā's Salafi - Arabist synthesis and Islamist ideals greatly influenced his disciples like Hasan al-Banna, an Egyptian schoolteacher who founded
872-469: A majority of the Muslims in seven countries (and a plurality in three others): Albania (65%), Kyrgyzstan (64%), Kosovo (58%), Indonesia (56%), Mali (55%), Bosnia and Herzegovina (54%), Uzbekistan (54%), Azerbaijan (45%), Russia (45%), and Nigeria (42%). They are found primarily in Central Asia . Kazakhstan has the largest number of non-denominational Muslims, who constitute about 74% of
981-729: A minority, and their Muslim communities are larger than many Muslim-majority nations: During much of the 20th century, the Islamic identity and the dominance of Islam on political issues have arguably increased during the early 21st century. The fast-growing interests of the Western world in Islamic regions, international conflicts and globalization have changed the influence of Islam on the world in contemporary history . Islamism refers to religious and political ideological movements that believe Islam should influence political systems, and generally oppose secularism . Its proponents believe Islam
1090-546: A modern geopolitical sense, the terms 'Muslim world' and 'Islamic world' refer to countries in which Islam is widespread , although there are no agreed criteria for inclusion. Some scholars and commentators have criticised the term 'Muslim/Islamic world' and its derivative terms 'Muslim/Islamic country' as "simplistic" and "binary", since no state has a religiously homogeneous population (e.g. Egypt 's citizens are c. 10% Christians), and in absolute numbers, there are sometimes fewer Muslims living in countries in which they make up
1199-487: A particularly violent form in the 18th century with the emergence of the Wahhabi movement . Around the turn of the 20th century, Sufi rituals and doctrines also came under sustained criticism from modernist Islamic reformers , liberal nationalists, and, some decades later, socialist movements in the Muslim world. Sufi orders were accused of fostering popular superstitions, resisting modern intellectual attitudes, and standing in
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#17330862549761308-446: A reaction against the expansion of the early Umayyad Caliphate (661–750) and mainly under the tutelage of Hasan al-Basri . Although Sufis were opposed to dry legalism , they strictly observed Islamic law and belonged to various schools of Islamic jurisprudence and theology . Although the overwhelming majority of Sufis, both pre-modern and modern, remain adherents of Sunni Islam , certain strands of Sufi thought transferred over to
1417-527: A separation of state and religion: Twenty-two Secular states in the Muslim world have declared separation between civil/government affairs and religion. According to the Pew Research Center in 2015 there were 50 Muslim-majority countries, which are shown in the Government and religion section above in the article. Apart from these, large Muslim populations exist in some countries where Muslims are
1526-618: A significant impact contributing the culture of the Middle East and North Africa and other areas. Pew Research Center estimates indicate that in 2010, more than 64 million Christians lived in countries with Muslim majorities (excluding Nigeria). The Pew Forum study finds that Indonesia (21.1 million) has the largest Christian population in the Muslim world, followed by Egypt, Chad and Kazakhstan. While according to Adly A. Youssef and Martyn Thomas, in 2004, there were around 30 million Christians who lived in countries with Muslim majorities, with
1635-500: A small fraction of their former sizes , with the largest communities of Jews in Muslim countries exist in the non-Arab countries of Iran (9,500) and Turkey (14,500); both, however, are much smaller than they historically have been. Among Arab countries, the largest Jewish community now exists in Morocco with about 2,000 Jews and in Tunisia with about 1,000. The number of Druze worldwide
1744-734: A wide range of meanings, by both proponents and opponents of Sufism. Classical Sufi texts, which stressed certain teachings and practices of the Quran and the sunnah (exemplary teachings and practices of the Islamic prophet Muhammad ), gave definitions of tasawwuf that described ethical and spiritual goals and functioned as teaching tools for their attainment. Many other terms that described particular spiritual qualities and roles were used instead in more practical contexts. Some modern scholars have used other definitions of Sufism such as "intensification of Islamic faith and practice" and "process of realizing ethical and spiritual ideals". The term Sufism
1853-458: Is a mystic body of religious practice found within Islam which is characterized by a focus on Islamic purification , spirituality , ritualism , and asceticism . Practitioners of Sufism are referred to as "Sufis" (from صُوفِيّ , ṣūfīy ), and historically typically belonged to "orders" known as tariqa (pl. ṭuruq ) - congregations formed around a grand wali who would be
1962-616: Is because it can accommodate local beliefs and customs, which tend toward the mystical . The life of the Algerian Sufi master Abdelkader El Djezairi is instructive in this regard. Notable as well are the lives of Amadou Bamba and El Hadj Umar Tall in West Africa , and Sheikh Mansur and Imam Shamil in the Caucasus . In the twentieth century, some Muslims have called Sufism a superstitious religion which holds back Islamic achievement in
2071-492: Is established. It is through Muhammad that Sufis aim to learn about, understand and connect with God. Ali is regarded as one of the major figures amongst the Sahaba who have directly pledged allegiance to Muhammad, and Sufis maintain that through Ali, knowledge about Muhammad and a connection with Muhammad may be attained. Such a concept may be understood by the hadith , which Sufis regard to be authentic, in which Muhammad said, "I am
2180-451: Is home to some of the world's most ancient Christian communities , and some of the most important cities of the Christian world —including three of its five great patriarchates ( Alexandria , Antioch , and Constantinople ). Scholars and intellectuals agree Christians have made significant contributions to Arab and Islamic civilization since the introduction of Islam , and they have had
2289-582: Is innately political, and that Islam as a political system is superior to communism, liberal democracy, capitalism, and other alternatives in achieving a just, successful society. Islamism is generally considered anti-Zionist, anti-capitalist, anti-colonialist and anti-communist; Islamists support family values, sharia, reformation of interest-based finance, and the broad Quranic command of ' enjoining goodness and forbidding evil .' The advocates of Islamism, also known as "al-Islamiyyun", are dedicated to realizing their ideological interpretation of Islam within
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#17330862549762398-404: Is not a distinct sect, as is sometimes erroneously assumed, but a method of approaching or a way of understanding the religion, which strives to take the regular practice of the religion to the "supererogatory level" through simultaneously "fulfilling ... [the obligatory] religious duties" and finding a "way and a means of striking a root through the 'narrow gate' in the depth of the soul out into
2507-411: Is over their hands. Then whosoever breaks his pledge, breaks it only to his own harm, and whosoever fulfils what he has covenanted with God, He will bestow on him a great reward. — [Translation of Quran 48:10 ] Sufis believe that by giving bayʿah (pledging allegiance) to a legitimate Sufi Shaykh , one is pledging allegiance to Muhammad; therefore, a spiritual connection between the seeker and Muhammad
2616-473: Is practiced. In a modern geopolitical sense, these terms refer to countries in which Islam is widespread , although there are no agreed criteria for inclusion. The term Muslim-majority countries is an alternative often used for the latter sense. The history of the Muslim world spans about 1,400 years and includes a variety of socio-political developments, as well as advances in the arts, science, medicine, philosophy, law, economics and technology during
2725-423: Is that countries need to have a Muslim population of more than 50%. In 2010, 73% of the world's Muslim population lived in countries where Muslims are in the majority, while 27% of the world's Muslim population lived in countries where Muslims are in the minority. India's Muslim population is the world's largest Muslim-minority population in the world (11% of the world's Muslim population). Jones (2005) defines
2834-751: Is the son and successor of Nazim Adil al-Qubrusi al-Haqqani. According to its official website: "The mission of the Naqshbandi-Haqqani Sufi Order of America is to spread the Sufi teachings of the brotherhood of mankind and the Unity of belief in God that is present in all religions and spiritual paths. Its efforts are directed at bringing the diverse spectrum of religions and spiritual paths into harmony and concord, in recognition of mankind's responsibility as caretaker of this fragile planet and of one another." In spreading
2943-508: Is usually defined by their relationship to governments. Turkey, Persia and The Indian Subcontinent have all been a center for many Sufi lineages and orders. The Bektashi were closely affiliated with the Ottoman Janissaries and are the heart of Turkey's large and mostly liberal Alevi population. They have spread westwards to Cyprus , Greece, Albania, Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina , Kosovo , and, more recently, to
3052-671: The Bengal , where South Asian Islamic missionaries achieved their greatest success in terms of dawah and number of converts to Islam . Qutb ud-Din Aibak conquered Delhi in 1206 and began the reign of the Delhi Sultanate , a successive series of dynasties that synthesized Indian civilization with the wider commercial and cultural networks of Africa and Eurasia, greatly increased demographic and economic growth in India and deterred Mongol incursion into
3161-619: The Hejaz , present day Saudi Arabia and that it has existed as a practice of Muslims from the earliest days of Islam, even predating some sectarian divides. Sufi orders are based on the bayah ( Arabic : بَيْعَة , lit. 'pledge') that was given to Muhammad by his Ṣahabah . By pledging allegiance to Muhammad, the Sahabah had committed themselves to the service of God. Verily, those who give Bay'âh (pledge) to you (O Muhammad) they are giving Bay'âh (pledge) to God . The Hand of God
3270-629: The Islamic Golden Age . Muslims look for guidance to the Quran and believe in the prophetic mission of the Islamic prophet Muhammad , but disagreements on other matters have led to the appearance of different religious schools of thought and sects within Islam. The Islamic conquests , which culminated in the Caliphate being established across three continents ( Asia , Africa , and Europe ), enriched
3379-802: The Islamic prophet Muhammad . Within the Sufi tradition, the formation of the orders did not immediately produce lineages of master and disciple. There are few examples before the eleventh century of complete lineages going back to the Prophet Muhammad. Yet the symbolic importance of these lineages was immense: they provided a channel to divine authority through master-disciple chains. It was through such chains of masters and disciples that spiritual power and blessings were transmitted to both general and special devotees. These orders meet for spiritual sessions ( majalis ) in meeting places known as zawiyas , khanqahs or tekke . They strive for ihsan (perfection of worship), as detailed in
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3488-692: The Muslim Brotherhood movement, and Hajji Amin al-Husayni , the anti-Zionist Grand Mufti of Jerusalem . Al-Banna and Maududi called for a " reformist " strategy to re-Islamizing society through grassroots social and political activism. Other Islamists (Al-Turabi) are proponents of a " revolutionary " strategy of Islamizing society through exercise of state power, or ( Sayyid Qutb ) for combining grassroots Islamization with armed revolution. The term has been applied to non-state reform movements, political parties, militias and revolutionary groups. At least one author ( Graham E. Fuller ) has argued for
3597-511: The Naqshbandi order, who trace their original precepts to Muhammad through Abu Bakr . However, it was not necessary to formally belong to a tariqa. In the Medieval period, Sufism was almost equal to Islam in general and not limited to specific orders. Sufism had a long history already before the subsequent institutionalization of Sufi teachings into devotional orders ( tariqa , pl. tarîqât ) in
3706-575: The Pyrenees . The Arab Muslims were unable to conquer the entire Christian Byzantine Empire in Asia Minor during the Arab–Byzantine wars , however. The succeeding Umayyad Caliphate attempted two failed sieges of Constantinople in 674–678 and 717–718 . Meanwhile, the Muslim community tore itself apart into the rivalling Sunni and Shia sects since the killing of caliph Uthman in 656, resulting in
3815-706: The Qadiriyya order was Hanbali , with its founder, Abdul-Qadir Gilani , being a renowned jurist; the Chishtiyya was Hanafi ; the Shadiliyya order was Maliki ; and the Naqshbandiyya order was Hanafi . Thus, it is precisely because it is historically proven that "many of the most eminent defenders of Islamic orthodoxy, such as Abdul-Qadir Gilani , Ghazali , and the Sultan Ṣalāḥ ad-Dīn ( Saladin ) were connected with Sufism" that
3924-418: The Quran to allay his fears: "Fight them, and God will chastise them at your hands/And degrade them, and He will help you/Against them, and bring healing to the breasts of a people who believe", referring to the ummah , the community of Muslim believers, and invoking the imagery of the early warriors of Islam who lead the faithful from the darkness of jahiliyyah . By Sayyid Qutb 's definition of Islam ,
4033-640: The Sudan are one of the strongest adherents of Sufism. Sufi poets and philosophers such as Khoja Akhmet Yassawi , Rumi , and Attar of Nishapur (c. 1145 – c. 1221) greatly enhanced the spread of Islamic culture in Anatolia , Central Asia , and South Asia . Sufism also played a role in creating and propagating the culture of the Ottoman world, and in resisting European imperialism in North Africa and South Asia. Between
4142-570: The modern era and attacks from fundamentalist Islamic movements (such as Salafism and Wahhabism ), Sufism has continued to play an important role in the Islamic world . It has also influenced various forms of spirituality in the West and generated significant academic interest. The Arabic word tasawwuf ( lit. ' 'Sufism' ' ), generally translated as Sufism, is commonly defined by Western authors as Islamic mysticism. The Arabic term Sufi has been used in Islamic literature with
4251-629: The "main manifestation and the most important and central crystallization" of mystical practice in Islam, and "the interiorization and intensification of Islamic faith and practice". The original meaning of ṣūfī seems to have been "one who wears wool ( ṣūf )", and the Encyclopaedia of Islam calls other etymological hypotheses "untenable". Woolen clothes were traditionally associated with ascetics and mystics. Al-Qushayri and Ibn Khaldun both rejected all possibilities other than ṣūf on linguistic grounds. Another explanation traces
4360-439: The 13th and 16th centuries, Sufism produced a flourishing intellectual culture throughout the Islamic world, a "Renaissance" whose physical artifacts survive. In many places a person or group would endow a waqf to maintain a lodge (known variously as a zawiya , khanqah , or tekke ) to provide a gathering place for Sufi adepts, as well as lodging for itinerant seekers of knowledge. The same system of endowments could also pay for
4469-587: The Americas . Most Muslims are of one of two denominations : Sunni Islam (87–90%) and Shia (10–13%). However, other denominations exist in pockets, such as Ibadi (primarily in Oman ). Muslims who do not belong to, do not self-identify with, or cannot be readily classified under one of the identifiable Islamic schools and branches are known as non-denominational Muslims . About 13% of Muslims live in Indonesia ,
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4578-544: The Hamadaniyyah (after Sayyid Ali Hamadani [d. 1384]), the Naqshbandiyya (after Baha-ud-Din Naqshband Bukhari [d. 1389]). Contrary to popular perception in the West, however, neither the founders of these orders nor their followers ever considered themselves to be anything other than orthodox Sunni Muslims, and in fact all of these orders were attached to one of the four orthodox legal schools of Sunni Islam. Thus,
4687-652: The Indian subcontinent (India, Bangladesh , Pakistan , etc.), Safavids in Persia and Ottomans in Anatolia , Massina Empire , Sokoto Caliphate of northern Nigeria , Toucouleur Empire , were among the influential and distinguished powers in the world. 19th-century colonialism and 20th-century decolonisation have resulted in several independent Muslim-majority states around the world, with vastly differing attitudes towards and political influences granted to, or restricted for, Islam from country to country. These have revolved around
4796-401: The Medieval period Sufism and Islam were more or less the same. In modern scholarly usage, the term serves to describe a wide range of social, cultural, political and religious phenomena associated with Sufis. Sufism has been variously defined as "Islamic mysticism ", "the mystical expression of Islamic faith", "the inward dimension of Islam", "the phenomenon of mysticism within Islam",
4905-531: The Middle East and Asia. Colonialism was often advanced by conflict with mercantile initiatives by colonial powers and caused tremendous social upheavals in Muslim-dominated societies. A number of Muslim-majority societies reacted to Western powers with zealotry and thus initiating the rise of Pan-Islamism ; or affirmed more traditionalist and inclusive cultural ideals; and in rare cases adopted modernity that
5014-495: The Middle East more than any trend since the modern states gained independence", redefining "politics and even borders". Central and prominent figures in 20th-century Islamism include Sayyid Rashid Riḍā , Hassan al-Banna (founder of the Muslim Brotherhood ), Sayyid Qutb , Abul A'la Maududi , Ruhollah Khomeini (founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran), Hassan Al-Turabi . Syrian Sunni cleric Muhammad Rashid Riḍā,
5123-680: The Muslim community based on his teachings and guidelines of the Quran. The majority of Muslims consider the first four successors to be 'rightly guided' or Rashidun . The conquests of the Rashidun Caliphate helped to spread Islam beyond the Arabian Peninsula, stretching from northwest India, across Central Asia, the Near East , North Africa, southern Italy, and the Iberian Peninsula , to
5232-430: The Muslim world, achieving the economic preconditions for the emergence of this institution owing to the emphasis attached to Islamic teachings. In the modern era, most of the Muslim world came under European colonial domination . The nation states that emerged in the post-colonial era have adopted a variety of political and economic models, and they have been affected by secular as well as religious trends. As of 2013 ,
5341-555: The Ottoman officer and Turkish revolutionary statesman Mustafa Kemal Atatürk had an instrumental role in ending and replacing it with the Republic of Turkey , a modern , secular democracy (see Abolition of the Ottoman sultanate ). The secular values of Kemalist Turkey, which separated religion from the state with the abolition of the Caliphate in 1924, have sometimes been seen as
5450-433: The Sufi teachings, NQSOA has employed a variety of means, including a strong web presence, a publications department, and ongoing teaching and worship activities at its 13 centers in America. This Sufism-related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Sufism Sufism ( Arabic : الصوفية , romanized : al-Ṣūfiyya or Arabic : التصوف , romanized : al-Taṣawwuf )
5559-498: The Sufism of Imam Junayd of Baghdad in doctrines, manners and [spiritual] purification." Current Sufi orders include Madariyya Order , Alians , Bektashi Order , Mevlevi Order , Ba 'Alawiyya , Chishti Order , Jerrahi , Naqshbandi , Mujaddidi , Ni'matullāhī , Qadiriyya , Qalandariyya , Sarwari Qadiriyya , Shadhiliyya , Suhrawardiyya , Saifiah (Naqshbandiah), and Uwaisi . The relationship of Sufi orders to modern societies
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#17330862549765668-531: The United States, via Albania . Sufism is popular in such African countries as Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria, Sudan, Morocco, and Senegal , where it is seen as a mystical expression of Islam. Sufism is traditional in Morocco, but has seen a growing revival with the renewal of Sufism under contemporary spiritual teachers such as Hamza al Qadiri al Boutchichi . Mbacke suggests that one reason Sufism has taken hold in Senegal
5777-454: The ambits of Shia Islam during the late medieval period. This particularly happened after the Safavid conversion of Iran under the concept of Irfan . Important focuses of Sufi worship include dhikr , the practice of remembrance of God. Sufis also played an important role in spreading Islam through their missionary and educational activities. Despite a relative decline of Sufi orders in
5886-598: The beauty and charm of true Islamic ideology". He argued that the values of the Enlightenment and its related precursor, the Scientific Revolution , "denies or suspends God's sovereignty on earth" and argued that strengthening "Islamic character" was needed "to abolish the negative influences of jahili life." As the Muslim world came into contact with secular ideals, societies responded in different ways. Some Muslim-majority countries are secular. Azerbaijan became
5995-479: The city of knowledge, and Ali is its gate." Eminent Sufis such as Ali Hujwiri refer to Ali as having a very high ranking in Tasawwuf . Furthermore, Junayd of Baghdad regarded Ali as Sheikh of the principals and practices of Tasawwuf . Historian Jonathan A.C. Brown notes that during the lifetime of Muhammad, some companions were more inclined than others to "intensive devotion, pious abstemiousness and pondering
6104-511: The combined GDP (nominal) of 50 Muslim majority countries was US$ 5.7 trillion. As of 2016 , they contributed 8% of the world's total. In 2020, the Economy of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation which consists of 57 member states had a combined GDP(PPP) of US$ 24 trillion which is equal to about 18% of world's GDP or US$ 30 trillion with 5 OIC observer states which is equal to about 22% of
6213-761: The context of the state or society. The majority of them are affiliated with Islamic institutions or social mobilization movements. Islamists emphasize the implementation of sharia , pan-Islamic political unity, and the creation of Islamic states . In its original formulation, Islamism described an ideology seeking to revive Islam to its past assertiveness and glory, purifying it of foreign elements, reasserting its role into "social and political as well as personal life"; and in particular "reordering government and society in accordance with laws prescribed by Islam" (i.e. Sharia). According to at least one observer (author Robin Wright ), Islamist movements have "arguably altered
6322-493: The divine mysteries" more than Islam required, such as Abu Dharr al-Ghifari . Hasan al-Basri , a tabi ', is considered a "founding figure" in the "science of purifying the heart". Sufism emerged early on in Islamic history , partly as a reaction against the worldliness of the early Umayyad Caliphate (661–750) and mainly under the tutelage of Hasan al-Basri . Practitioners of Sufism hold that in its early stages of development Sufism effectively referred to nothing more than
6431-461: The domain of the pure arid unimprisonable Spirit which itself opens out on to the Divinity." Academic studies of Sufism confirm that Sufism, as a separate tradition from Islam apart from so-called pure Islam , is frequently a product of Western orientalism and modern Islamic fundamentalists . As a mystic and ascetic aspect of Islam, it is considered as the part of Islamic teaching that deals with
6540-575: The earliest scholars to be called by the term being Abu Hashim al-Kufi, Jabir ibn Hayyan and Abdak al-Sufi. Later individuals included Hatim al-Attar, from Basra, and Al-Junayd al-Baghdadi . Others, such as Al-Harith al-Muhasibi and Sari al-Saqati , were not known as Sufis during their lifetimes, but later came to be identified as such due to their focus on tazkiah (purification). Important contributions in writing are attributed to Uwais al-Qarani , Hasan of Basra , Harith al-Muhasibi , Abu Nasr as-Sarraj and Said ibn al-Musayyib . Ruwaym , from
6649-417: The early Middle Ages. The term tariqa is used for a school or order of Sufism, or especially for the mystical teaching and spiritual practices of such an order with the aim of seeking ḥaqīqah (ultimate truth). A tariqa has a murshid (guide) who plays the role of leader or spiritual director. The members or followers of a tariqa are known as murīdīn (singular murīd ), meaning "desirous", viz. "desiring
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#17330862549766758-587: The early medieval period onwards, when it began to permeate nearly all major aspects of Sunni Islamic life in regions stretching from India and Iraq to the Balkans and Senegal . The rise of Islamic civilization coincides strongly with the spread of Sufi philosophy in Islam. The spread of Sufism has been considered a definitive factor in the spread of Islam, and in the creation of integrally Islamic cultures, especially in Africa and Asia. The Senussi tribes of Libya and
6867-781: The early teachers, as well as Abdul-Qadir Gilani , Hammad, Abu al-Bayan and others of the later masters— that they do not permit the followers of the Sufi path to depart from the divinely legislated command and prohibition. Al-Ghazali narrates in Al-Munqidh min al-dalal : The vicissitudes of life, family affairs and financial constraints engulfed my life and deprived me of the congenial solitude. The heavy odds confronted me and provided me with few moments for my pursuits. This state of affairs lasted for ten years, but whenever I had some spare and congenial moments I resorted to my intrinsic proclivity. During these turbulent years, numerous astonishing and indescribable secrets of life were unveiled to me. I
6976-428: The faith is "a complete divorce from jahiliyyah". He complained that American churches served as centers of community social life that were "very hard [to] distinguish from places of fun and amusement". For Qutb, Western society was the modern jahliliyyah . His understanding of the "Muslim world" and its "social order" was that, presented to the Western world as the result of practicing Islamic teachings, would impress "by
7085-574: The fields of science and technology. A number of Westerners have embarked with varying degrees of success on the path of Sufism. One of the first to return to Europe as an official representative of a Sufi order, and with the specific purpose to spread Sufism in Western Europe, was the Swedish -born wandering Sufi Ivan Aguéli . René Guénon , the French scholar, became a Sufi in the early twentieth century and
7194-522: The first secular republic in the Muslim world, between 1918 and 1920, before it was incorporated into the Soviet Union. Turkey has been governed as a secular state since the reforms of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk . By contrast, the 1979 Iranian Revolution replaced a monarchial semi-secular regime with an Islamic republic led by the Ayatollah , Ruhollah Khomeini . Some countries have declared Islam as
7303-686: The influence of perceived pan-Islamic propaganda . The Times described Pan-Islamism as a movement with power, importance, and cohesion born in Paris, where Turks, Arabs and Persians congregated. The correspondent's focus was on India: it would take too long to consider the progress made in various parts of the Muslim world. The article considered the position of the Amir, the effect of the Tripoli Campaign , Anglo-Russian action in Persia, and "Afghan Ambitions". In
7412-467: The internalization of Islam. According to one perspective, it is directly from the Qur'an, constantly recited, meditated, and experienced, that Sufism proceeded, in its origin and its development. Other practitioners have held that Sufism is the strict emulation of the way of Muhammad, through which the heart's connection to the Divine is strengthened. Later developments of Sufism occurred from people like Dawud Tai and Bayazid Bastami . Early on Sufism
7521-676: The knowledge of knowing God and loving God". Over the years, Sufi orders have influenced and been adopted by various Shi'i movements, especially Isma'ilism , which led to the Safaviyya order's conversion to Shia Islam from Sunni Islam and the spread of Twelverism throughout Iran. Prominent tariqa include the Ba 'Alawiyya , Badawiyya , Bektashi , Burhaniyya , Chishti , Khalwati , Kubrawiya , Madariyya , Mevlevi , Muridiyya , Naqshbandi , Nimatullahi , Qadiriyya , Qalandariyya , Rahmaniyya , Rifa'i , Safavid , Senussi , Shadhili , Suhrawardiyya , Tijaniyyah , Uwaisi and Zahabiya orders. Existing in both Sunni and Shia Islam, Sufism
7630-467: The largest Christian population number lived in Indonesia, followed by Egypt. Nigeria is divided almost evenly between Muslims and Christians, with more than 80 million Christians and Muslims. In 2018, the Jewish Agency estimated that around 27,000 Jews live in Arab and Muslim countries. Jewish communities have existed across the Middle East and North Africa since the rise of Islam. Today, Jews residing in Muslim countries have been reduced to
7739-413: The largest Muslim population in the world. Because the terms 'Muslim world' and 'Islamic world' are disputed, since no country is homogeneously Muslim, and there is no way to determine at what point a Muslim minority in a country is to be considered 'significant' enough, there is no consensus on how to define the Muslim world geographically. The only rule of thumb for inclusion which has some support,
7848-486: The largest Muslim population outside Muslim-majority countries. Pakistan , Bangladesh , Iran , and Egypt are home to the world’s second, fourth, sixth and seventh largest Muslim populations respectively. Sizeable Muslim communities are also found in the Americas , Russia , India , China , and Europe . Islam is the fastest-growing major religion in the world partially due to their high birth rate, according to
7957-750: The largest Muslim-majority country; 31% of Muslims live in South Asia, the largest population of Muslims in the world; 20% in the Middle East–North Africa, where it is the dominant religion; and 15% in Sub-Saharan Africa and West Africa (primarily in Nigeria ). Muslims are the overwhelming majority in Central Asia, the majority in the Caucasus , and widespread in Southeast Asia. India has
8066-427: The last in a chain of successive teachers linking back to Muhammad , with the goal of undergoing tazkiya (self purification) and the hope of reaching the spiritual station of ihsan . The ultimate aim of Sufis is to seek the pleasure of God by endeavoring to return to their original state of purity and natural disposition, known as fitra . Sufism emerged early on in Islamic history , partly as
8175-489: The lexical root of the word to ṣafā ( صفاء ), which in Arabic means "purity", and in this context another similar idea of tasawwuf as considered in Islam is tazkiyah ( تزكية , meaning: self-purification), which is also widely used in Sufism. These two explanations were combined by the Sufi al-Rudhabari (d. 322 AH), who said, "The Sufi is the one who wears wool on top of purity." Others have suggested that
8284-582: The majority than in countries in which they form a minority. Hence, the term 'Muslim-majority countries' is often preferred in literature. The history of the Islamic faith as a religion and social institution begins with its inception around 610 CE , when the Islamic prophet Muhammad , a native of Mecca , is believed by Muslims to have received the first revelation of the Quran, and began to preach his message. In 622 CE, facing opposition in Mecca, he and his followers migrated to Yathrib (now Medina ), where he
8393-494: The modern world, the classical interpretation of Sunni orthodoxy, which sees in Sufism an essential dimension of Islam alongside the disciplines of jurisprudence and theology , is represented by institutions such as Egypt 's Al-Azhar University and Zaytuna College , with Al-Azhar's current Grand Imam Ahmed el-Tayeb recently defining "Sunni orthodoxy" as being a follower "of any of the four schools of [legal] thought ( Hanafi , Shafi’i , Maliki or Hanbali ) and ... [also] of
8502-469: The names in the chain but only the names of major Sufi Saints). Islamic world The terms Muslim world and Islamic world ( Arabic : العالم الإسلامي , romanized : Al-ʿĀlam al-ʾIslāmī ) commonly refer to the Islamic community, which is also known as the Ummah . This consists of all those who adhere to the religious beliefs, politics, and laws of Islam or to societies in which Islam
8611-424: The official state religion. In those countries, the legal code is largely secular. Only personal status matters pertaining to inheritance and marriage are governed by Sharia law. In some places, Muslims implement Islamic law, called sharia in Arabic. The Islamic law exists in a number of variations, called schools of jurisprudence . The Amman Message , which was endorsed in 2005 by prominent Islamic scholars around
8720-482: The path of the Sunna and represent it in their teachings and writings. Ibn Taymiyya's Sufi inclinations and his reverence for Sufis like Abdul-Qadir Gilani can also be seen in his hundred-page commentary on Futuh al-ghayb , covering only five of the seventy-eight sermons of the book, but showing that he considered tasawwuf essential within the life of the Islamic community. In his commentary, Ibn Taymiyya stresses that
8829-487: The popular studies of writers like Idries Shah are continuously disregarded by scholars as conveying the fallacious image that "Sufism" is somehow distinct from "Islam". Nile Green has observed that, in the Middle Ages, Sufism more or less was Islam . Historically, Sufism became "an incredibly important part of Islam" and "one of the most widespread and omnipresent aspects of Muslim life" in Islamic civilization from
8938-722: The population. Southeastern Europe also has a large number of non-denominational Muslims. The Kharijite Muslims, who are less known, have their own stronghold in the country of Oman holding about 75% of the population. The first centuries of Islam gave rise to three major sects : Sunnis , Shi'as and Kharijites . Each sect developed distinct jurisprudence schools ( madhhab ) reflecting different methodologies of jurisprudence ( fiqh ). The major Sunni madhhabs are Hanafi , Maliki , Shafi'i , and Hanbali . The major Shi'a branches are Twelver (Imami), Ismaili (Sevener) and Zaidi (Fiver). Isma'ilism later split into Nizari Ismaili and Musta’li Ismaili , and then Mustaali
9047-566: The present day. All these orders were founded by a major Islamic scholar, and some of the largest and most widespread included the Suhrawardiyya (after Abu al-Najib Suhrawardi [d. 1168]), Qadiriyya (after Abdul-Qadir Gilani [d. 1166]), the Rifa'iyya (after Ahmed al-Rifa'i [d. 1182]), the Chishtiyya (after Moinuddin Chishti [d. 1236]), the Shadiliyya (after Abul Hasan ash-Shadhili [d. 1258]),
9156-461: The primacy of the sharia forms the soundest tradition in tasawwuf , and to argue this point he lists over a dozen early masters, as well as more contemporary shaykhs like his fellow Hanbalis , al-Ansari al-Harawi and Abdul-Qadir, and the latter's own shaykh, Hammad al-Dabbas the upright. He cites the early shaykhs (shuyukh al-salaf) such as Al-Fuḍayl ibn ‘Iyāḍ , Ibrahim ibn Adham , Ma`ruf al-Karkhi , Sirri Saqti , Junayd of Baghdad, and others of
9265-628: The prosperous Indo-Gangetic Plain and enthroned one of the few female Muslim rulers, Razia Sultana . Notable major empires dominated by Muslims, such as those of the Abbasids , Fatimids , Almoravids , Gao Empire , Seljukids , largest contiguous Songhai Empire (15th-16th centuries) of Sahel , West Africa , southern North Africa and western Central Africa which dominated the centers of Islamic knowledge of Timbuktu , Djenne , Oualata and Gao , Ajuran , Adal and Warsangali in Somalia , Mughals in
9374-470: The purification of the inner self. By focusing on the more spiritual aspects of religion, Sufis strive to obtain direct experience of God by making use of "intuitive and emotional faculties" that one must be trained to use. Tasawwuf is regarded as a science of the soul that has always been an integral part of Orthodox Islam. In his Al-Risala al-Safadiyya , ibn Taymiyyah describes the Sufis as those who belong to
9483-471: The question of Islam's compatibility with other ideological concepts such as secularism , nationalism (especially Arab nationalism and Pan-Arabism , as opposed to Pan-Islamism ), socialism (see also Arab socialism and socialism in Iran ), democracy (see Islamic democracy ), republicanism (see also Islamic republic ), liberalism and progressivism , feminism , capitalism and more. Scholars often use
9592-526: The result of Western influence. In the 21st century, after the September 11 attacks (2001) coordinated by the Wahhabi Islamist terrorist group Al-Qaeda against the United States, scholars considered the ramifications of seeking to understand Muslim experience through the framework of secular Enlightenment principles. Muhammad Atta , one of the 11 September hijackers , reportedly quoted from
9701-592: The role of the imam . Sunnis believe that the true political successor of Muhammad according to the Sunnah should be selected based on ٍ Shura (consultation), as was done at the Saqifah which selected Abu Bakr , Muhammad's father-in-law, to be Muhammad's political but not his religious successor. Shia, on the other hand, believe that Muhammad designated his son-in-law Ali ibn Abi Talib as his true political as well as religious successor. The overwhelming majority of Muslims in
9810-523: The same study, religious switching has no impact on Muslim population, since the number of people who embrace Islam and those who leave Islam are roughly equal. China has the third largest Muslim population outside Muslim-majority countries, while Russia has the fifth largest Muslim population. Nigeria has the largest Muslim population in Africa, while Indonesia has the largest Muslim population in Asia. The term has been documented as early as 1912 to encompass
9919-467: The second generation of Sufis in Baghdad, was also an influential early figure, as was Junayd of Baghdad; a number of early practitioners of Sufism were disciples of one of the two. Historically, Sufis have often belonged to "orders" known as tariqa (pl. ṭuruq ) – congregations formed around a grand master wali who will trace their teaching through a chain of successive teachers back to
10028-522: The term Age of the Islamic Gunpowders to describe period the Safavid , Ottoman and Mughal states. Each of these three empires had considerable military exploits using the newly developed firearms , especially cannon and small arms, to create their empires. They existed primarily between the fourteenth and the late seventeenth centuries. During the 17th–18th centuries, when the Indian subcontinent
10137-458: The term "Islamism" has been criticized as having been given connotations of violence, extremism, and violations of human rights, by the Western mass media, leading to Islamophobia and stereotyping. More than 24.1% of the world's population is Muslim, with an estimated total of approximately 1.9 billion. Muslims are the majority in 49 countries, they speak hundreds of languages and come from diverse ethnic backgrounds. The city of Karachi has
10246-493: The term "Muslim world" in 1912 when describing Pan-Islamism as a movement with power importance and cohesion born in Paris where Turks, Arabs and Persians congregated. The article considered The position of the Amir; the effect of the Tripoli Campaign ; Anglo-Russian action in Persia ; and "Afghan Ambitions". A significant change in the Muslim world was the defeat and dissolution of the Ottoman Empire (1908–1922), to which
10355-502: The very survival of the orders and traditional Sufi lifestyle appeared doubtful to many observers. However, defying these predictions, Sufism and Sufi orders have continued to play a major role in the Muslim world, also expanding into Muslim-minority countries. Its ability to articulate an inclusive Islamic identity with greater emphasis on personal and small-group piety has made Sufism especially well-suited for contexts characterized by religious pluralism and secularist perspectives. In
10464-405: The way of progressive reforms. Ideological attacks on Sufism were reinforced by agrarian and educational reforms, as well as new forms of taxation, which were instituted by Westernizing national governments, undermining the economic foundations of Sufi orders. The extent to which Sufi orders declined in the first half of the 20th century varied from country to country, but by the middle of the century
10573-402: The word comes from the term Ahl al-Ṣuffa ("the people of the suffah or the bench"), who were a group of impoverished companions of Muhammad who held regular gatherings of dhikr , one of the most prominent companion among them was Abu Hurayra . These men and women who sat at al-Masjid an-Nabawi are considered by some to be the first Sufis. The current consensus is that Sufism emerged in
10682-856: The world's GDP. Some OIC member countries - Ivory Coast , Guyana , Gabon , Mozambique , Nigeria , Suriname , Togo and Uganda are not Muslim-majority. As of 2020, 1.8 billion or more than 25% of the world population are Muslims. By the percentage of the total population in a region considering themselves Muslim, 91% in the Middle East - North Africa ( MENA ), 89% in Central Asia , 40% in Southeast Asia , 31% in South Asia , 30% in Sub-Saharan Africa , 25% in Asia , 1.4% in Oceania , 6% in Europe , and 1% in
10791-415: The world, between 87 and 90%, are Sunni. Shias and other groups make up the rest, about 10–13% of overall Muslim population. The countries with the highest concentration of Shia populations are: Iran – 89%, Azerbaijan – 65%, Iraq – 60%, Bahrain – 60%, Yemen – 35%, Turkey – 10%, Lebanon – 27%, Syria – 13%, Afghanistan – 10%, Pakistan – 10%, and India – 10%. Non-denominational Muslims make up
10900-547: The world, recognized four Sunni schools ( Hanafi , Maliki , Shafi'i , Hanbali ), two Shia schools ( Ja'fari , Zaidi ), the Ibadi school, and the Zahiri school. Eight Islamic states have adopted Islam as the ideological foundation of state and constitution. The following nineteen Muslim-majority states have endorsed Islam as their state religion , and though they may guarantee freedom of religion for citizens, do not declare
11009-503: Was convinced that the group of Aulia (holy mystics) is the only truthful group who follow the right path, display best conduct and surpass all sages in their wisdom and insight. They derive all their overt or covert behaviour from the illumining guidance of the holy Prophet, the only guidance worth quest and pursuit. In the eleventh-century, Sufism, which had previously been a less "codified" trend in Islamic piety, began to be "ordered and crystallized" into orders which have continued until
11118-1138: Was divided into Hafizi and Taiyabi Ismailis . It also gave rise to the Qarmatian movement and the Druze faith, although Druzes do not identify as Muslims. Twelver Shiism developed Ja'fari jurisprudence whose branches are Akhbarism and Usulism , and other movements such as Alawites , Shaykism and Alevism . Similarly, Kharijites were initially divided into five major branches: Sufris , Azariqa , Najdat , Adjarites and Ibadis . Among these numerous branches, only Hanafi , Maliki , Shafi'i , Hanbali , Imamiyyah - Ja'fari - Usuli , Nizārī Ismā'īlī , Alevi , Zaydi , Ibadi , Zahiri , Alawite , Druze and Taiyabi communities have survived. In addition, new schools of thought and movements like Quranist Muslims and Ahmadi Muslims later emerged independently. There are sizeable non-Muslim minorities in many Muslim-majority countries, includes, Christians , Jews , Hindus , Buddhists , Baháʼís , Druzes , Yazidis , Mandaeans , Yarsanis and Zoroastrians . The Muslim world
11227-577: Was invited to establish a new constitution for the city under his leadership. This migration, called the Hijra , marks the first year of the Islamic calendar . By the time of his death, Muhammad had become the political and spiritual leader of Medina, Mecca, the surrounding region, and numerous other tribes in the Arabian Peninsula . After Muhammad died in 632, his successors (the Caliphs ) continued to lead
11336-437: Was known as Sheikh Abdul Wahid Yahya. His manifold writings defined the practice of Sufism as the essence of Islam, but also pointed to the universality of its message. Spiritualists, such as George Gurdjieff , may or may not conform to the tenets of Sufism as understood by orthodox Muslims. Here is a chart to explain the spiritual chain of major Sufi Orders and how it connects to Prophet Muhammad. (The chart doesn't include all
11445-460: Was known for its strict adherence to the sunnah , for example it was reported Bastami refused to eat a watermelon because he did not find any proof that Muhammad ever ate it. According to the late medieval mystic, the Persian poet Jami , Abd-Allah ibn Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyyah (died c. 716) was the first person to be called a "Sufi". The term also had a strong connection with Kufa , with three of
11554-411: Was originally introduced into European languages in the 18th century by Orientalist scholars, who viewed it mainly as an intellectual doctrine and literary tradition at variance with what they saw as sterile monotheism of Islam. It was often mistaken as a universal mysticism in contrast to legalistic orthodox Islam. In recent times, Historian Nile Green has argued against such distinctions, stating, in
11663-501: Was ruled by Mughal Empire 's sixth ruler Muhammad Auranzgeb through sharia and Islamic economics , India became the world's largest economy, valued 25% of world GDP. "Why do the Christian nations, which were so weak in the past compared with Muslim nations begin to dominate so many lands in modern times and even defeat the once victorious Ottoman armies?"..."Because they have laws and rules invented by reason." The Great Divergence
11772-576: Was the reason why European colonial powers militarily defeated preexisting Oriental powers like the Mughal Empire , starting from the wealthy Bengal Subah , Tipu Sultan 's Kingdom of Mysore , the Ottoman Empire and many smaller states in the pre-modern Greater Middle East , and initiated a period known as ' colonialism '. Beginning with the 15th century, colonialism by European powers profoundly affected Muslim-majority societies in Africa, Europe,
11881-708: Was ushered by the colonial powers. The only Muslim-majority regions not to be colonized by the Europeans were Saudi Arabia, Iran, Turkey, and Afghanistan. Turkey was one of the first colonial powers of the world with the Ottoman empire ruling several states for over 6 centuries. In the 20th century, the end of the European colonial domination has led to creation of a number of nation states with significant Muslim populations. These states drew on Islamic traditions to varying degree and in various ways in organizing their legal, educational and economic systems. The Times first documented
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