99-682: World Islamic Mission ( WIM ) is an international Muslim organisation of Sufi -inspired Barelvi Sunni Muslims . It was established in the United Kingdom by Allama Shah Ahmad Noorani Siddiqi , Pir Syed Ma'roof Hussain Shah Arif Qadri Naushahi and Allama Arshadul Qaudri in Bradford in 1972. It is active in Europe, the United States of America, North America, Africa, and Asia. The headquarters
198-410: 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
297-529: A basis for sunnah independent of hadith", working around problem of hadith authenticity raised by modernist and Western critics, while reaching back to pre-al-Shafiʿi meaning of sunnah. In the 1960s, Fazlur Rahman Malik , an Islamic modernist and former head of Pakistan's Central Institute for Islamic Research, advanced another idea for how the (prophetic) sunnah—the normative example of Muhammad—should be understood: as "a general umbrella concept" but not one "filled with absolutely specific content", or that
396-626: 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
495-536: 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
594-458: A turn away from the "detailed precedents in civil and political affairs", called for by traditional hadith, "for if worldly matters require detailed prophetic guidance, then every age will require a new prophet to accommodate changing circumstances". With de-colonialization in the late 20th century, a new Islamic revival emerged. Activists rather than theorists, they sought "to restore Islam to ascendency", and in particular to restore Sharia to
693-472: Is "empty of references to specific cases" when mentioning "Sunnah of the Prophet". Daniel Brown states that the first extant writings of Islamic legal reasoning were "virtually hadith-free" and argues that other examples of a lack of connection between sunnah and hadith can be found in: According to one source (Ahmad Kazemi Moussavi and Karim Douglas Crow), early Sunni scholars often considered sunnah equivalent to
792-616: 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
891-406: Is binding on Muslims – al-sunna al-hudā . The literalist Zāhirī school disagrees holding that there was no sunnah whose fulfillment is not rewarded or neglect punished, while classical Islam holds that following non-binding al-sunna al-ʿādīyah is meritorious but not obligatory. Sufis see the "division between binding and non-binding" sunnah as "meaningless". Muhammad is al-insān al-kāmil ,
990-421: 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 the last in a chain of successive teachers linking back to Muhammad , with
1089-492: 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
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#17328510759541188-567: Is in Bradford, UK. The movement is led by Qamaruzzaman Azmi , a Sunni Muslim scholar who was named in 2011 by Georgetown University as one of the "500 Most Influential Muslims in the World". Sufism Sufism ( Arabic : الصوفية , romanized : al-Ṣūfiyya or Arabic : التصوف , romanized : al-Taṣawwuf ) is a mystic body of religious practice found within Islam which
1287-534: Is no escaping these; rather, this includes every area of behavior [ ʿādāt ]. In the 19th century, "social and political turmoil" starting with the decline of the Mughal Empire , caused some Muslims to seek a more humanized figure of Muhammad. The miracle-performing "larger than life" prophetic figure was de-emphasized in favor of "a practical model for restoration of the Muslim community", a virtuous, progressive social reformer. Nasserist Egypt, for example, celebrated
1386-404: 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
1485-463: Is not to be trusted, then the Quran itself is open to suspicion." Since the Quran is not, the sunnah must be trustworthy. The minority argument against the sunnah of Muhammad being divine revelation ( waḥy ) goes back to the ahl al-Kalam who al-Shāfiʿī argued against in the second century of Islam. Their modern " Quranists ", the modern successors of the ahl al-Kalam , argue that the sunnah falls short of
1584-411: 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
1683-508: 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
1782-624: The Hanafi scholars are assumed to have differentiated between the two: for example Malik is said to have rejected some traditions that reached him because, according to him, they were against the "established practice of the people of Medina ". In addition to being "the way" of Islam or the traditional social and legal custom and practice of the Islamic community, sunnah is often used as a synonym for mustahabb (encouraged) rather than wajib / fard (obligatory), regarding some commendable action (usually
1881-619: 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
1980-898: 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
2079-554: 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 a wide range of meanings, by both proponents and opponents of Sufism. Classical Sufi texts, which stressed certain teachings and practices of
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#17328510759542178-511: 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
2277-706: 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
2376-591: 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
2475-519: 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 the modern era and attacks from fundamentalist Islamic movements (such as Salafism and Wahhabism ), Sufism has continued to play an important role in
2574-640: 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
2673-450: The ummah " (Muslim community) through the consensus of the Muhammad's companions and through their perpetual recitation. Consequently, Ghamidi sees this more limited sunnah of continuous practice as the true sunnah – equally authentic to the Quran, but shedding orthodox sunnah and avoiding problematic basis of the hadith. Sufi thinkers "emphasized personal spirituality and piety rather than
2772-432: The "golden age of classical Islamic jurisprudence", the "ancient schools" of law prevailed. The traditions not directly sourced from hadith or practice of Muhammad and instead traced solely to some Sahabah were also acknowledged as a source of jurisprudence. These were regarded by scholars of Islam – such as Nawawi – as "unrecorded hadith" which, while not explicitly attributed to Muhammad himself – were clearly practiced by
2871-748: The "imam of socialism" rather than the cosmic "perfect man". One who argued against the idea of sunnah as divine revelation, and for the idea that Muhammad's mission was simply to transmit the Quran was Ghulam Ahmed Perwez (1903–1985). He quoted the Quranic verse "The messenger has no duty except to proclaim [the message]" (Q.5:99), and pointed out several other verses where God corrects something Muhammad has done or said (8:67), (9:43), (66:1), thus demonstrating Muhammad's lack of supernatural knowledge. This era of rapid social and technological change, decline of Muslim power, and replacement of classical madhhab by Western-inspired legal codes in Muslim lands, also suggested
2970-677: 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
3069-439: 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
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3168-544: 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,
3267-523: The Last Day, and remembers Allah often. The teachings of "wisdom" ( hikma ) have been declared to be a function of Muhammad along with the teachings of the scripture. Several Quranic verses mention "wisdom" ( hikmah ) coupled with "scripture" or "the book" (i.e. the Quran) – al-kitāb wa al-ḥikma . Mainstream scholars starting with al-Shafi'i believe hikma refers to the sunnah, and this connection between sunnah and
3366-401: 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",
3465-592: The Messenger. Which appears in several verses: 3:32 , 5:92 , 24:54 , 64:12 Your fellow man is neither misguided nor astray. Nor does he speak of his own whims. Since We have sent you a messenger from among yourselves—reciting to you Our revelations, purifying you, teaching you the Book and wisdom, and teaching you what you never knew Indeed, in the Messenger of Allah you have an excellent example for whoever has hope in Allah and
3564-498: The Muhammad had made a specific statement—but this did not make them fraudulent or forgeries, because if "Hadith verbally speaking does not go back to the Prophet, its spirit certainly does". Instead these collections of ahadith of al-Bukhari and al-Muslim's were ijma (consensus or agreement of the Muslim scholars—which is another classical source of Islamic law). Doing so, they follow the spirit of Muhammad's mission, and "resurrect"
3663-507: The Prophet Muhammad himself" ( sunna al-nabawiyyah ). The ancient regional schools of law, located in several major cities of the new Arab empire of Islam, including Mecca , Kufa , Basra , and Syria, had a more flexible definition of sunnah than is now commonly used. This being the "acceptable norms" or "custom", which included examples of Muhammad's companions , the rulings of the Caliphs , and practices that "had gained general acceptance among
3762-430: The Prophet are apocryphal or at least are of dubious historical authenticity" (according to Abou El Fadl). "In fact, one of the most complex disciplines in Islamic jurisprudence is one which attempts to differentiate between authentic and inauthentic traditions." Islam jurists divide sunnah into that which has no legal consequences – al-sunna al-ʿādīyah (the "personal habits and preferences" of Muhammad); and that which
3861-494: The Quran is evidence of the sunnah's divinity and authority. Therefore, along with the Quran, the sunnah was revealed. Modern Sunni scholars have examined both the sira and the hadith in order to justify modifications to jurisprudence ( fiqh ). Hense, the imitation of Muhammad helps Muslims to know and be loved by God. Another piece of evidence for the divinity of the Sunnah—according to its supporters—are verses in
3960-455: The Quran that refer to revelations not found in the Quran. For example, there is no verse mentioning the original direction of prayer (the qibla ) in the Quran, but God in the Quran does say He appointed the original qibla ( 2:143 ). Other events mentioned in the Quran that already happened without Quranic command or description include a dream in which Muhammad would enter Mecca ( 2:231 ); Muhammad's marriage to Zayd's ex-wife ( 33:37 ); and
4059-501: The Quran", hadith has also been said to "rule over and interpret the Quran". Al-Shafiʿi "forcefully argued" that the sunnah stands "on equal footing with the Quran" (according to scholar Daniel Brown), both being divine revelation. As Al-Shafi'i put it, "the command of the Prophet is the command of God" This, though, contradicts another point Shafi made, which was the sunnah was below the Quran. Sunnah of Muhammad outranked all other, and "broad agreement" developed that "hadith must be
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4158-498: 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
4257-525: 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
4356-461: The basis for authentication of any sunnah", (according to M. O. Farooq). Al-Shafiʿi's success was such that later writers "hardly ever thought of sunnah as comprising anything but that of the Prophet". While the earliest Muslim lawyers "felt no obligation" to provide documentation of hadith when arguing their case, and the sunnah was not recorded and written during Muhammad's lifetime, (according to scholar Khaled Abou El Fadl ), all this changed with
4455-461: The biography of Muhammed ( sira ). As the hadith came to be better documented and the scholars who validated them gained prestige, the sunnah came often to be known mostly through the hadith, especially as variant or fictional biographies of Muhammad spread. The golden age, starting with the creation of the Hanafi , Maliki , Shafi'i , Hanbali , and other schools of fiqh in the second century of Islam, limited sunnah to "traditions traced back to
4554-479: 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
4653-440: The context of biographical records of Muhammad, sunnah often stands synonymous with hadith since most of the personality traits of Muhammad are known from descriptions of him, his sayings and his actions from hadith. According to Seyyed Nasr, the hadith contains the words of Muhammad, while the sunnah contains his words and actions along with pre-Islamic practices of which he approved. In the context of sharia, Malik ibn Anas and
4752-565: The context of the Sharia as a whole" according to the method of scholars of Islamic law ( fuqaha ) and weeding out corrupted hadith inconsistent with "reason, with human nature, and with historical conditions". Shibli Nomani , Abul A'la Maududi , Rashid Rida , and Mohammed al-Ghazali being proponents of this effort. Although "most writers agree", including skeptics, that "sunnah and hadith must stand or fall together", some ( Fazlur Rahman Malik , Javed Ahmad Ghamidi ) have attempted to "establish
4851-461: The details of fiqh". According to the view of some Sufi Muslims who incorporate both the outer and inner reality of Muhammad, the deeper and true sunnah are the noble characteristics and inner state of Muhammad – Khuluqin Azim or "Exalted Character". To them Muhammad's attitude, his piety, the quality of his character constitute the truer and deeper aspect of what it means by sunnah in Islam, rather than
4950-509: The dispute over the division of spoils after the Battle of Badr ; all "definitive proof that besides the Quran other commands came to the Prophet by the agency of waḥy", according to revivalist Abul A'la Maududi . Yet another piece of evidence offered is that "Prophet witness" is "the chief guarantee" of what is divine revelation. In other words, "Muslims only know the Quran is revelation because of Muhammad's testimony to this fact. If prophetic word
5049-493: 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
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#17328510759545148-461: 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
5247-575: 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
5346-417: 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
5445-587: 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
5544-781: 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
5643-666: The ethics of sitting down while drinking. Other examples of this kind of sunnah also include: According to historians (particularly Daniel W. Brown ), the classical Islamic definition of sunnah as the customs and practices of Muhammad (only) was not the original one. In al-Ṭabarī 's history of early Islam, the term "Sunnah of the Prophet" is not only used "surprisingly infrequently", but used to refer to "political oaths or slogans used by rebels", or "a general standard of justice and right conduct", and not "to specific precedents set by Muhammad", let alone hadith. An early theological writing by Hasan al-Basri ( Risala fi'l Qadar ) also
5742-430: The expression " sunnat al-awwalin ", which is thought to mean "the way or practice of the ancients". It is described as something "that has passed away" or prevented unbelievers from accepting God. " Sunnat Allah " (the "way of God") appears eight times in five verses. In addition, verse 17.77 talks of both the way of other, earlier Muslim messengers ( Ibrahim , Musa , etc.), and of "our way", i.e. God's way: [This is]
5841-452: The external aspects alone. They argue that the external custom of Muhammad loses its meaning without the inner attitude and also many hadiths are simply custom of the Arabs, not something that is unique to Muhammad. The Qur'an contains numerous commands to follow Muhammad. Among the Quranic verses quoted as demonstrating the importance of hadith/sunnah to Muslims are: Say: Obey Allah and obey
5940-574: 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
6039-408: The first generation of Muhammad's followers. Al-Nawawi has listed Zubayr ibn al-Awwam 's ruling regarding ethics of sitting down during eating and drinking in his book, Riyadh as Shaliheen , by basing the ethic in az-Zubayr practice, which was narrated by his son, Abdulah. Another manners and ethic ruling based on az-Zubayr is the prohibition of sleeping after Sübuh , as well as the one concerning
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#17328510759546138-442: 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 a reaction against the expansion of the early Umayyad Caliphate (661–750) and mainly under
6237-562: 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
6336-417: The jurists of that school". Abū ʿAbdullāh Muhammad ibn Idrīs al-Shāfiʿī (150–204 AH), known as al-Shafi'i , argued against flexible sunnah and the use of precedents from multiple sources, emphasizing the final authority of a hadith of Muhammad , so that even the Qur'an was "to be interpreted in the light of traditions (i.e. hadith), and not vice versa". While the sunnah has often been called "second to
6435-771: 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
6534-429: The law of the lands of Islam it had been before being replaced by "secular, Western-inspired law codes" of colonialism and modernity. Like modernists, revivalists "vehemently rejected" taqlid and were not particularly interested in the classical schools of law ( madhhab ). But revivalists like Abul A'la Maududi and Mustafa al-Siba'i support for "the authority of sunnah and the authenticity of hadith in general"
6633-605: The legal methodology of the pre-Shafi'i "Ancient schools". But just as second and third century Muslims could re-formulate hadith and law around a prophetic spirit, so can modern Muslims—redefining riba and replacing medieval laws against bank interest with measures that help the poor without harming economic productivity. Some of the most basic and important features of the sunnah – worship rituals like salat (ritual prayer), zakat (ritual tithing), hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca ), sawm (dawn to dusk fasting during Ramadan ) – are known to Muslim from being passed down 'from
6732-489: 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
6831-469: The many to the many' (according to scholars of fiqh such as Al-Shafi'i), bypassing books of hadith, (which were more often consulted for answers to details not agreed upon or not frequently practiced) and issues of authenticity. Modernist Rashid Rida thought this "the only source of sunnah that is beyond dispute". S.M. Yusuf argued "practice is best transmitted through practice", and a more reliable way to establish sunnah than hadith. He also believed that
6930-494: 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
7029-475: The most mundane activities", such as the order in which to cut fingernails or the proper length of a beard. In the pre-Islamic period, sunnah was used to mean "manner of acting", whether good or bad. During the early Islamic period, the term referred to any good precedent set by people of the past, including both Muhammad, and his companions. In addition, the sunnah of Muhammad was not necessarily associated with hadith. The classical meaning that now prevails
7128-489: The names in the chain but only the names of major Sufi Saints). Sunnah In Islam , sunnah , also spelled sunna ( Arabic : سنة ), is the body of traditions and practices of the Islamic prophet Muhammad that constitute a model for Muslims to follow. The sunnah is what all the Muslims of Muhammad's time supposedly saw, followed and passed on to the next generations. According to classical Islamic theories,
7227-461: The passing down of practice from generation to generation independent of hadith explained why early schools of law did not differentiate between sunnah of the caliphate and sunnah of the prophet. According to Javed Ahmad Ghamidi , another Modernist, this passing down by continuous practice of the Muslim community (which also indicates consensus, ijma ) was similar to how the Qur’ān has been "received by
7326-482: 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
7425-473: The perfect man, labib-Allah beloved of God, an intercessor, a "channel of divine light". Imitating his every action is "the ultimate expression" of piety. or in the words of Al-Ghazālī : Know that the key to joy is following the sunnah and imitating the Prophet in all his comings and goings, words and deeds, extending to his manner of eating, rising, sleeping and speaking. I do not say this only in relation to requirements of religion [ ʿibādāt ], for there
7524-487: 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
7623-566: 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]),
7722-461: 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
7821-470: 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
7920-512: The saying of a prayer). Sunni Muslims are also referred to as Ahl as-Sunnah wa'l-Jamā'ah ("people of the tradition and the community (of Muhammad)") or Ahl as-Sunnah for short. Some early Sunnî Muslim scholars (such as Abu Hanifa , al-Humaydî, Ibn Abî 'Âsim, Abû Dâwûd, and Abû Nasr al-Marwazî) reportedly used the term "the sunnah" narrowly to refer to Sunni Doctrine as opposed to the creeds of Shia and other non-Sunni Islamic sects. Sunnah literally means "face", "nature", "lifestyle", etc. In
8019-467: 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
8118-424: The standard of the Quran in divinity. Specifically because According to John Burton, paraphrasing Al-Shafi'i , "it must be remembered that the Quran text are couched in very general terms which it is the function of the sunnah to expand and elucidate, to make God's meaning absolutely clear." There are a number of verses in the Quran where "to understand the context, as well as the meaning", Muslims need to refer to
8217-459: The sunnah are documented by hadith (the verbally transmitted record of the teachings, deeds and sayings, silent permissions or disapprovals of Muhammad ), and alongside the Quran (the book of Islam ) are the divine revelation ( wahy ) delivered through Muhammad that make up the primary sources of Islamic law and belief / theology . Differing from Sunni classical Islamic theories are those of Shia Muslims, who hold that imams interpret
8316-404: The sunnah, and Sufi who hold that Muhammad transmitted the values of sunnah "through a series of Sufi teachers". According to Muslim belief, Muhammad was the best exemplar for Muslims, and several verses in the Quran declare his conduct exemplary, and enjoin his followers to obey him. Sunnah provides a basis not only for major laws and rituals in Islam like how to pray salat , but for "even
8415-537: The time of Muhammad 's companion, newly converted Muslims accepted and rejected some set of creed by using reason. So many early Muslim scholars started writing books on creed entitled as "sunnah". The word "sunna" appears several times in the Qur'an, but there is no specific mention of sunnah of the messenger or prophet ( sunnat al-rasool , sunnat al-nabi or sunna al-nabawiyyah ), i.e. the way/practice of Muhammad (there are several verses calling on Muslims to obey Muhammad—see below). Four verses (8.38, 15.13, 18.55) use
8514-403: The triumph of al-Shafi'i and a "broad agreement" that hadith should be used to authenticate sunnah (according to M. O. Farooq), over the course of the second century, when legal works began incorporating Prophetic hadith. Hadith was now systematically collected and documented, but several generations having passed since the time of its occurrence meant that "many of the reports attributed to
8613-447: 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 the ambits of Shia Islam during the late medieval period. This particularly happened after
8712-502: 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
8811-666: The way ( sunna ) of those whom we sent [as messengers] before you, and you will not find any change in Our way ( sunnatuna ). This indicates to some scholars (such as Javed Ahmad Ghamidi ) that sunnah predates both the Quran and Muhammad, and is actually the tradition of the prophets of God, specifically the tradition of Abraham . Christians , Jews and the Arab descendants of Ishmael , the Arabized Arabs or Ishmaelites , when Muhammad reinstituted this practice as an integral part of Islam. Prior to
8910-405: 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
9009-512: The word "sunnah" is also used to refer to religious duties that are optional, such as Sunnah salat . Sunnah ( سنة [ˈsunna] ; pl. : سنن sunan [ˈsunan] ) is an Arabic word that means: Its religious definition can be: Islam Web gives two slightly different definitions: It was first used with the meaning of "law" in the Syro-Roman law book before it became widely used in Islamic jurisprudence. In
9108-402: 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
9207-407: Was "unwavering", as was their opposition to "Hadith denialism". At the same time they agreed that restoring relevant Sharia required "some reformulation" of the law, which would require a return to sources, which required agreement on how the sources were to be "interpreted and understand" and reassessment of hadith. This involved examining hadith content ( matn ) for its spirit and relevance "within
9306-503: 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
9405-676: Was introduced later in the late second century of Islam, when under the influence of the scholar Al-Shafi‘i , Muhammad's example as recorded in hadith was given priority over all other precedents set by other authorities. The term al-sunnah then eventually came to be viewed as synonymous with the sunnah of Muhammad, based on hadith reports. Recording the sunnah was also an Arabian tradition and once they converted to Islam, Arabians brought this custom to their religion. The sunnah of Muhammad as based on hadith includes his specific words ( Sunnah Qawliyyah ), habits, practices ( Sunnah Fiiliyyah ), and silent approvals ( Sunnah Taqririyyah ). In Islam,
9504-437: 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
9603-460: 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
9702-411: 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
9801-434: Was static over the centuries. He argued that Muhammad had come as a "moral reformer" and not a "pan-legit", and that the specifics of the sunnah would be agreed upon community of his followers, evolving with changing times as a "living and on-going process". He accepted the criticism of Western and Muslim scholars that the content of many hadith and isnad (chain of transmitters) had been tampered with by Muslims trying to prove
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