a Muslim who represents the mystical dimension of Islam; a Muslim who seeks direct experience of Allah; mainly in Iran
An exponent of (tasawwuf) Sufism, the commonest term for that aspect of Islam which is based on realizing the seen and unseen The Arabic faqir and the Persian darvish, both meaning 'poor', are applied to Sufis in reference to their poor or wandering life
Commonly considered to be the mystical element in Islam, Sufism almost certainly predates the Prophet Mohammed, and may be impossible to locate precisely or even to define To be sure, there are Teachers and Saints who are described as Sufis, and one reads and hears about such things as "the Sufi Way " However, Sufis seem to avoid labels, preferring to describe themselves as, in the words of one such, "we friends" or "people like us " Whatever Sufism is, we have never come across anyone or anything related to it that is not beautiful, inspiring, and spiritually nourishing For more, please consider "The Sufis" by Idries Shah, available from TZF's Bookstore
a Muslim who represents the mystical dimension of Islam; a Muslim who seeks direct experience of Allah; mainly in Iran of or relating to the Sufis or to Sufism
Lit "wearer of wool " In the Qadiri Rifai, one who has entered an order as a novice
Mystical movement within Islam that seeks to find divine love and knowledge through direct personal experience of God. It consists of a variety of mystical paths that are designed to ascertain the nature of mankind and God and to facilitate the experience of divine love and wisdom in the world. Sufism arose as an organized movement after the death of Muhammad (AD 632), among different groups who found orthodox Islam to be spiritually stifling. The practices of contemporary Sufi orders and suborders vary, but most include the recitation of the name of God or of certain phrases from the Qurn as a way to loosen the bonds of the lower self, enabling the soul to experience the higher reality toward which it naturally aspires. Though Sufi practitioners have often been at odds with the mainstream of Islamic theology and law, the importance of Sufism in the history of Islam is incalculable. Sufi literature, especially love poetry, represents a golden age in Arabic, Persian, Turkish, and Urdu languages. See also Ahmadiyyah; dervish; Malmatiyyah; tariqa
A refined mysticism among certain classes of Mohammedans, particularly in Persia, who hold to a kind of pantheism and practice extreme asceticism in their lives