Tasawwuf is a branch of Islamic knowledge which focuses on the spiritual develop

ment of the Muslim.

Allah sent His final messenger, Prophet Muhammad , as a source of knowledge for
the entire ummah. He was the fountain of Quran, Hadith, tafsir, rhetoric, fiqh,
and so on. After the Prophet, the scholars of this ummah carried and propagated
each of these branches of knowledge. Because no one person can attain the perfe
ction of the Prophet , who single handedly assumed all of these roles, various b
ranches of the Islamic sciences developed. For example, Imam Abu Hanifah preserv
ed the science of fiqh and after him thousands of scholars continued in his foot
steps. Hence these scholars preserved the fiqh of the Prophet . Similarly Imam B
ukhari and the other famous scholars of Hadith, preserved the words of the Proph
et. The scholars of tajweed preserved the recitation of the Prophet . And, the s
cholars of Arabic grammar preserved the language of the Prophet .
Along these lines, the Prophet was the model of spirituality for the world. His
God-consciousness, deep spirituality, acts of worship, and love for Allah were
preserved and propagated by an Islamic science called Tasawwuf. The aim of the
scholars of this science was purification of the heart, and development of consc
iousness of Allah through submission to the shariah and sunnah.
How is Tasawwuf Related to Sufism?
Studying the life of the Prophet , the scholars who propagated the science of ta
sawwuf understood that a requisite for approaching Allah was abandonment of the
common pursuits of the world. They often wore wool because of its simplicity an
d low cost. In Arabic the word for wool is suf and thus, those who wore it becam
e known as the Sufis. Another possible derivation of the word comes from the roo
t word safa, which means "to clean." Because the scholars of tasawwuf focused on
cleansing the heart, they later became known as the Sufis.
What Do Our Scholars Say About Tasawwuf?
Traditional Islamic scholars have accepted Tasawwuf as an important branch of Is
lamic learning, so long as it remains within the guidelines of the Shariah and e
mphasizes following the Sunnah of the Prophet .
On Moderation - Imam Rabbani (may Allah be pleased with him)
The Inner Dimensions of Fasting - Imam Abu Hamid al-Ghazali (may Allah be pleas
ed with him)
Maulana Jami - Excerpts from the poems of Maulana Jami (may Allah be pleased wi
th him)
Maulana Saadi - Excerpts from the poems of Maulana Saadi (may Allah be pleased
with him)
What is Tasawwuf? - Condensed from the writings of Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi (ma
y Allah be pleased with him)
Fighting the Ego - Imam Nawawi (may Allah be pleased with him)
I Have Heard That Sufis Teach Praying At Graves, Dancing, Music, And Other Innov
ations?
It is true that there have been, and currently are, people who have deviated fro
m the teachings of tasawwuf, thus misrepresenting this science. This is not uniq
ue to tasawwuf. Our history is full of examples of people who called themselves
scholars of tafsir, or hadith while misrepresenting the essence of these science
s. Each of the Islamic sciences is interlinked and bounded by its sister science
s. For example, a scholar of tafsir cannot interpret the Quran by contradicting
the hadith. Similarly a true shaykh of tasawwuf (sufism) never breaks even the s
mallest tenets of the shariah or the sunnah. Rather, he sees them as the means o
f his progress towards his Lord. In fact, he prefers death over falling into eve
n a minute sin.
I saw a holy man on the seashore wounded by a tiger.
No medicine could relieve his pain; He suffered much,
but he nevertheless constantly thanked God, the most high, saying,
"Praise be to Allah that I have fallen into a calamity and not into sin."
If Not All Sufis Are Authentic How Can I Judge Which To Learn From?
Many of our scholars have addressed this question by listing the "signs" of a tr
ue shaykh. Needless to say the common principle has always been submission to th
e shariah, by following the teachings of one of the four schools of fiqh, and a
complete submission to the inner and the outer of the sunnah. This is based on t
he idea that the Prophet is the nearest and most God conscious of Allah's creat
ion. His daily acts are an exemplification of how the most God-conscious of all
of creation lived his life. For example, the Prophet's treating others with kind
ness, soft speech, humility, preference for white clothing, growing of a lengthy
beard, use of the tooth stick, etc are all intentional acts of service to Allah
. If someone lacks these sunnan, while claiming they can help bring you closer
to Allah, know that they will eventually lead you to a dead end.
What Is The Goal Of The Student Of Tasawwuf?
The goal is complete submission to the shariah and sunnah in order to attain pur
ification of the heart and soul and to develop a true, deep, and lasting connect
ion with Allah .
How Can A Shaykh Assist In These Goals?
A shaykh of tasawwuf spends years in training in order to develop his character,
mannerisms, daily schedule, outer being, acts of worship, and knowledge under t
he guidance of a spiritual master. They learn the essence of worship and practic
al implications of abandonment of the mundane life of this world from those who
are models of god-consciousness. Further, they often spend years mastering the I
slamic sciences of Hadith, Quran, tafsir, fiqh, etc. Each aspect of their traini
ng further connects them through chains of scholars to the Prophet who, of cour
se, was sent to connect creation to their Lord.
When you enter the company of such a shaykh, their knowledge and extensive exper
ience allows them to assess your spiritual state and hence, advise you on the be
st "medicine" to cure the diseases of your heart. Just as a doctor is trained to
cure physical ailments, so the scholars of tasawwuf treat the maladies of the d
iseased heart.
I Thought That All One Needs Is The Quran And The Sunnah?
It is true that the Quran and the Sunnah are sufficient. However, at the same ti
me it is also true that a teacher is required to master any subject. If the Qura
n was sufficient, then Allah could have easily sent the book without a messenge
r. However, he sent the Prophet as a model of the Quran so that people could di
rectly learn from his example. This then became the method of learning for each
of the Islamic sciences. For example, each hadith that Imam Bukhari compiled in
his collection of hadith is directly linked to the Prophet through a continuous
chain of narrators. Thus, each person in the chain must have learned from someo
ne and must be able to state who that person was. Similar requirements are prese
nt in other branches of Islamic science as well. The science of tasawwuf is no e
xception.