Sufism
© Gene Brockopp
Sufis are Muslim mystics. They teach that the believer
has a personal relationship with God that is based on
love as opposed to one based on fear and punishment.
The word Sufis comes from an Arabic word that means “wool” because
the early practitioners in the ninth Century wore course
wool garments.
Shortly after the Muslim religion was founded, Sufism
began as a correction to what they saw as a developing
distortion of the true Muslim teachings. The Sufis wanted
to cultivate a more intimate and personal relationship
with God than what they felt was possible in the traditional
Sunni teachings which they said put man at an infinite
distance from God the Creator and made the Prophet only
an interpreter of God's word. Sufism satisfied the natural
craving that people had for warmth, love and knowledge
of God. Sufis found the basis for their teaching in a
few passages in the Qur'an that refer to love, and in
the teachings of Christian Mysticism and other mystery
religions. They believe that the justification for their
teaching was seen in Mohammed's night journey to Jerusalem,
which resulted in his mystical experience with God.
Initially, the Sufis were organized into groups or brotherhoods.
The first brotherhood was founded in the 1 2
century long after a practice of Sufism began. These
were not eccentric or misfits in their society but rather
included some of the most able thinkers in Islam. Even
so, they have always been outside the mainstream of Islam.
Furthermore, they have always been viewed with suspicion
and some hostility. Religious authorities feared that
the brotherhood would supplant the mosque, that the teachings
would challenge the supremacy of the sharia (the
code of laws and rules that govern the Muslim's life).
Sufis changed and added to the traditional Muslim religious
practice. They introduced music and dancing into the
rituals of the order along with the use of prayer beads,
which are like rosaries, all of which were deemed inappropriate
in Orthodox Islam. The “whirling dervish” is the most
famous of these practices.
The influence of Sufis mysticism on Moslem life and
religious practice is difficult to evaluate as the practice
of Sufism tends to be somewhat secretive and the traditional
religious authorities do not talk about Sufism. Yet,
outsiders often see them as an antidote to the formalistic
system and hair splitting discussions that take place
in most structured religions, which seem empty of spiritual
value. The Sufis emphasize the doctrine that the believer's
personal knowledge, relationship and love of God are
most important to the religious experience. They believe
in being compassionate to their fellow man and in having
a personal relationship and commitment to God. As such,
they may fill a very important role in the spiritual
development of the faithful Moslem and can be seen as
part of the common and rich tradition of mysticism that
is found in all religions.
