Sufism (الْتَّصَوُّف‎)

Ninian Smart (a religious studies scholar) uses a method, called Dialectical Phenomenology, that incorporates different worldviews in order to gain a bigger picture of the intersectionality of traditions, regions, and cultures. He defines nine dimensions within dialectical phenomenology: ritual or practical, doctrinal or philosophical, mythic or narrative, experiential or emotional, ethical or legal, organizational or social, and material or artistic. I will use Smart’s framework in my posts.

Smart states that the seven dimensions “are not set in concrete” and that “other ways of looking at worldviews are possible.” The ritual and emotional dimensions intersect due to the practices connecting the two in the experience of meditation. So, while the seven dimensions help study Sufism, religion is still complex and overlapping. Smart sees that worldviews are “where values and beliefs are embedded in practice. That is, they are expressed in action, law, symbols, organizations.” Most of the dimensions were rooted in other dimensions, which makes the analysis a bit repetitive. Traditions are always evolving. And, Smart’s dialogical phenomenology does a great job of creating a better picture of Sufism with the information know. 

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In the ritual or practical dimension, Sufism has many practices. They follow the five pillars of Islam but its most known form of practice is the Whirling of the Dervishes as a form of dhikr (remembrance of God). Dhikr applies to all Muslims, however, Sufis express dhikr through ceremonies that can include the whirling/dancing. The practice includes “individuals turning in circles, and the overall dance proceeds in a semicircle, symbolizing movement away from God, followed by movement back to God at the end of the arc when the dancers come near the Sufi master, or pir. Thus, the circular movement is symbolic of the cycle of creation” (Johnson). Another key ritual is the Sufi pilgrimage (on top of Hajj) to Sufi saints’ graves, which is also common in mainstream Islam.

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In the doctrinal or philosophical dimension, Sufism “aims at the submission of the Sufi to the will of God and at preparation for the expected meeting with Him, as does Islam as a whole” (Sedgwick 4). In a way, the religion has more of spiritual journey emphasis. There is a struggle with Nafs, which means “self” or also “ego” (Sedgwick 5). Much like Buddhism, controlling the self and living an ascetic lifestyle is key to fulfillment in Sufism. Sufis search for their inner soul to communicate with the divine. They wish to experience God within oneself. The goal of the Sufi path is “to enable a human being, through the cultivation of virtuous excellence, to commune directly and experientially with [their] creator” (Shaikh 35).

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Sources: 

Sedgwick, Mark J. Sufism: The Essentials. Cairo; New York, NY: American University in Cairo Press, 2003. 

In the mythic or narrative dimension, Sufism had similar narratives with mainstream Islam. They believe in the five pillars of Islam: prayer, charity, pilgrimage, testification of one God and that Muhammad is his messenger and fasting during Ramadan. Peter Awn notes:

“one of the most crucial Qur’anic verses affirming the intimacy between God and man describes the establishment of the primordial covenant between God and the souls of men and women at a time before the material universe existed (Qur’an 7:172). The goal of every Muslim mystic is to reestablish this loving union which was sealed on that day…when God proclaimed His lordship and the souls of all men and women acquiesced in an act of perfect self-surrender.” (240-241)

           This covenant is a central narrative in Sufism. From this, Sufis seek to emulate the life of early Muslim ascetics in order to achieve a true connection to God. Stories of Mohammad and Ali Talib are important myths in Sufism, due to the belief that both were the original Sufis.

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In the experiential or emotional dimension, Sufism experiences meditation experiences to center the self. Meditation in Sufism is called Murāqabah, which mean to observe There are four stages to enlightenment: become one with a master/teacher, become one with Muhammad, become one with the Qur’an, and Become one with God. Similar to Buddhism, there is also a progression through the types of meditation a Sufi goes through to achieve enlightenment. Each stage they are to go deeper into their subconscious in order to move forward. Like stated before, the quest for oneness in God is central to the Sufi belief and rooted in all of its traditions.

In the ethical or legal dimension, Sufism is associated with Sharia Law since it is within Islam. However, Sufism has been shown to be different in parts of the world. In Asian countries, Sufism has been stripped of its legal aspect (with Sharia) and more focused on spirituality and activism. Countries under Sharia Law are under an Islamic legal system, which Sufism is included in that. 

In the organizational or social dimension, Sufism contains many orders, the most known being the Mevlevi Order, also known as the Whirling Dervishes. Most famous for their way of worship, dervishes are another word for those on the Sufi path. Mevlevi Order were followers of the Sufi scholar Rumi, who created the whirling practice. Another figure in the religion is a Sheikh, who is a Sufi teacher. A sheikh is very similar to a monk, both help followers along the path of enlightenment (Buehler 1-2).

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In the material or artistic dimension, Sufis worship in mosques like other Muslims. A material important to Sufi is wool, due to the etymology of a Sufi. The word Sufi means “one who wears wool (sūf).” The wool is usually worn among mystics and ascetics (the lifestyle strived by Sufis).

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