Sufism, or Islamic Mysticism
Originally influenced by the ascetics of the Eastern Christian tradition, Sufis emphasized the unimportance of
worldly things, rather celebrating poverty and inner purity. This mystical approach to Islam arose in rejection of
the increasing worldliness of the Umayyad dynasty. It also sought to discover the truth of the ultimate knowledge
not through legalistic religious practices but through cultivation of the inner life and direct personal experience of
God. By seeking to experience the infinitude of divine love and wisdom in this world, these mystics have strived to
attain their own personal comprehension of the inner truth of Islam. With the realization of divine presence as its
spiritual goal, Sufism focuses on mysterious spiritual knowledge and communion with God as means of personal
salvation. That may be best seen in the poem attributed to the famous 13 th century Persian mystic, Rumi:
I searched for God among the Christians and on the cross and therein I found him not.
I went into the ancient temples of idolatry; no trace of him was there.
I entered the mountain cave of Hira and then went as far as Qandhar but God I found not…
Then I directed by search to the Kaaba, the resort of old and young; God was not there even.
Turning to philosophy I inquired about him from Ibn Sina but found Him not within his range…
Finally, I looked into my own heart and there I saw Him; He was nowhere else.
Since its inception, Sufism has emphasized strong devotionalism and asceticism, with a corresponding avoidance of
both religious technicalities and materialism. In fact, the word, Sufi, is derived from the coarse wool garment worn
by Islamic ascetics, known as a Suf. Sufis have been controversial in the history of Islam, not least because their
emphasis on “inner life” has been interpreted as a rejection of the outward observance codified in sharia law and
the five daily prayers. This can be seen in the 922 CE execution of Mansur al-Hallaj, perhaps the most celebrated
Sufi poet‐mystics, for uttering, ʺI am the Creative Truth.ʺ Although his intent was to express the pan-theistic vision
of a man intoxicated by the divine spirit, the rendering of his words as ʺI am Godʺ was a blasphemous notion in
Islam, and he was martyred. Consider the words of another Rumi poem, “Drowned in God”:
Dam the torrent of ecstasy when it runs in flood,
So that it won’t bring shame and ruin.
But why should I fear ruin?
Under the ruin waits a treasure.
He that is drowned in God wishes to be more drowned.
While his spirit is tossed up and down by the waves of the sea,
He asks, “Is the bottom of the sea more delightful than the top?”
Is the beloved’s arrow more fascinating, or the shield?
O heart if you recognize any difference between joy and sorrow,
These lies will tear you apart.
Although your desire tastes sweet,
Doesn’t the Beloved desire you to be desireless?
The life of lovers is in death:
You will not win the Beloved’s heart unless you lose your own.
Yet, throughout the Islamic world, from Morocco to Indonesia, the Sufis are responsible for shaping parts of
Islamic society by means of the attraction of their mystical beliefs and diverse practices (like saint‐worship,
performance of miracles, including healing, and adaptation of local, even non‐Muslim custom). The Sufis also have
greatly contributed to large‐scale conversion of nonbelievers into the Islam faith, by their local influence and spirit
of accommodation, extending Islam to western Africa and central Asia. Therefore, Sufism closely mirrors early
Christian mysticism (Gnosticism & its principle of intuitive knowledge), Buddhism (its rituals of meditative
contemplation & chanting of prayers), and Hinduism (its trends of pan-theism & loving devotion to a personal
God). But while the Sufis have created their own extensive literature, hierarchy of saints, and distinctive rituals,
their religious piety, faith in divine love, and veneration of the prophet have remained perennial hallmarks.
Come, come, whoever who are,
Wanderer, worshiper, lover of leaving.
It doesn’t matter.
Ours is a caravan of despair.
Come, even if you have broken your vow a thousand times,
Come, yet again, come, come.