As-Salāmu ‘Alaykum
‘It is narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: “Ask me (about matters pertaining to religion), but they (the Companions of the Holy Prophet) were too much overawed out of profound respect for him to ask him (anything).
‘In the meanwhile a man came there, and sat near his knees and said: “Messenger of Allah, what is al-lslam”?
‘To which he (the Holy Prophet) replied: “You must not associate anything with Allah, and establish prayer, pay the poor-rate (Zakat) and observe (the fasts) of Ramadan”.
‘He said: You (have) told the truth. He (again) said: “Messenger of Allah, what is al-Iman (the faith)”?
‘He (the Holy Prophet) said: “That you affirm your faith in Allah, His angels, His Books, His meeting, His Apostles, and that you believe in Resurrection and that you believe in Qadr (Divine Decree) in all its entirety”.
‘He (the inquirer) said: “You (have) told the truth. He (again) said: “Messenger of Allah, what is al-Ihsan”?
‘Upon this he (the Holy Prophet) said: “(Al-Ihsan implies) that you fear Allah as if you are seeing Him, and though you see Him not, verily He is seeing you”.
‘He (the inquirer) said: “You (have) told the truth”. He (the inquirer) said: “When shall be the hour (of Doom)”?
‘(Upon this) he (the Holy Prophet said:
‘“The one who is being asked about it is no better informed than the inquirer himself. I, however, narrate some of its signs (and these are): when you see a slave (woman) giving birth to her master - that is one of the signs of (Doom); when you see barefooted, naked, deaf and dumb (ignorant and foolish persons) as the rulers of the earth - that is one of the signs of the Doom. And when you see the shepherds of black camels exult in buildings - that is one of the signs of Doom. The (Doom) is one of the five things (wrapped) in the unseen. No one knows them except Allah”.
‘Then (the Holy Prophet) recited (the following verse): " Verily Allah! with Him alone is the knowledge of the hour and He it is Who sends down the rain and knows that which is in the wombs and no person knows whatsoever he shall earn on morrow and a person knows not in whatsoever land he shall die. Verily Allah is Knowing, Aware.”
‘He (the narrator, Abu Huraira) said: “Then the person stood up and (made his way). The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: “Bring him back to me”.
‘He was searched for, but they (the Companions of the Holy Prophet) could not find him. The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) thereupon said: “He was Jibreel and he wanted to teach you (things pertaining to religion) when you did not ask them yourselves”.
(Muslim: Book 001, Number 0006). See also: Muslim: Book 001, Number 0004; and Bukhari: Volume 1, Book 2, Number 47.
From this Hadith we see that Islam is a tree with three major branches:
Islam - Submissions to the Will of Allāh (Subḥānahu ūta'āla), especially concerning what is right or wrong, halal or haram. This branch is the preserve of the jurists.
Iman – Faith. Belief in One God; in His Angels; in His Prophets; in His Books; in the Day of Judgement and so on. This branch is the preserve of the theologians.
Ihsan – Remembrance of Allāh (Subḥānahu ūta'āla); righteousness, self-realisation and so on. This branch is the preserve of those who practice Tasawwuf.
There are people - especially in the West - who call themselves ‘Sufis’ but are not Muslims. And there are Muslims who call themselves ‘Sufis’ but whose practices are - to say the least - suspect. A true follower of Tasawwuf knows that the shari‘a and ‘aqida of Islam are paramount. They know this…….and they act accordingly. One who does not act in this way, and yet pretends to be a Sufi, is like one who walks through a hospital wearing a white coat, with a stethoscope around his neck, trying desperately to convince everyone that he is a doctor. A real doctor is something else.
It is clear from the Hadith that the practise of Tasawwuf (living in the remembrance of Allāh (Subḥānahu ūta'āla) was the norm among the Prophet (sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam) and his Companions, even though the term ‘Tasawwuf’, like many other Islamic disciplines, was not known to them. It was, however, very much in use during the period of the four great Imams of the Maḏāhib. This is what they had to say about it:
‘If it were not for two years, I would have perished. For two years I accompanied Hazrat Jafer as-Sadiq (R.A) and I acquired the spiritual knowledge that made me a knower in the Way (i.e. Sufism).’
(Reported of Imam Abu Hanifa: ‘Ad-Durr Al-Mukhthar’; Volume 1, page 43).
‘Whoever studies jurisprudence and does not study Sufism will be corrupted. Whoever studies Sufism and does not study Jurisprudence will become a heretic. Whoever combines both will reach the truth.’ (Imam Malik: ‘Kashf Al-Khafa Wa Muzid Al-Abas’; Volume 1, page 41).
‘I accompanied the Sufi people and I received from them three kinds of knowledge: They taught me how to speak. They taught me how to treat people with leniency and a soft heart. They guided me in the ways of Sufism.’ (Imam Shafi: ‘Tanwir Al-Qulub’; page 405).
‘O my son you have to sit with the Sufis, because they are like a fountain of knowledge. They recite the remembrance of Allah (S.W.T) in their hearts. They are ascetics and they have the most spiritual power……………………… I do not know any people better than them.’ (Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal, advising his son: ‘Ghiza Al-Albab’; Volume 1, page 120).
And what of other scholars?
‘I knew it to be true that the Sufis are the seekers in Allah's Way. Their conduct is the best of conduct. Their way is the best of ways. Their manners are the most sanctified. They have purified their hearts from other than Allah and they have made them as pathways for rivers to run receiving knowledge of the Divine Presence.’ (Imam Ghazali: ‘Al-Munqidh Min Ad-Dalal’; page 131).
‘The specification of the Ways of the Sufis are five: To keep the Presence of Allah (S.W.T) in your heart in public and in private. To follow the Sunnah of the Prophet (S.A.W) by action and speech.
To keep away from dependence on people. To be happy with what Allah (S.W.T) gives you, even if it is little. To always refer your matters to Allah (S.W.T) Almighty and Exalted.’ (Imam Nawawi: ‘Al-Maqasid At-Tawhid’; page 20).
‘Sufism appeared in the 1st century of Islam and it received tremendous honour. It purified the self, straightened the conduct and gave knowledge to people from the wisdom and secrets of the Divine Presence.’ (Muhammad Abduh: ‘Majallat Al Muslim’; page 24).
‘The Sufis initiate people in Oneness and sincerity in following the Sunnah of the Prophet (S.A.W), in repentance from their sins and in avoidance of every disobedience to Allah, Almighty and Exalted. Their guides encourage them to move in the way of perfect Love of Allah.’ (Abul Hasan Ali An-Nadwi: ‘Muslims in India’; pages 140-146).
‘Sufism is a reality whose signs are the love of Allah and the love of the Prophet (S.A.W), where one absents oneself for their sake and one is annihilated from anything other than them. It instructs us how to follow in the footsteps of the Prophet (S.A.W)……………The Shariah and Sufism; what is the similitude of the two? They are like the body and the soul. The body is the external knowledge, the Shariah, and the spirit is the internal knowledge.’ (Abul Ala Mawdudi: ‘Mabadi Al Islam’; page 17).
It is clear from the above that Tasawwuf is very much a part of Islam.
My son is a murid in the Shadhili tariqa, and has been one for around twelve years. All members of this tariqa follow one of the four Sunni Maḏāhib; as well as one of the two schools of tenets of faith, Ash‘ari or Maturidi. My son is of the Maliki; and follows the Ash‘ari school in ‘aqida. Like all Shadhili murids he does not take his din from those who are not Imams, especially not from oriental-ists or authors without a traditional Islamic education at the hands of the tradition’s sheikhs.
I hope this helps.
saws1
