Tasawwuf (Sufism)
By Shaikh Saalih Al-Fawzaan
The words Tasawwuf and Soofiyyah were not known during the first generation of Islaam. Rather, they were only introduced into it after that or they were adopted into Islaam from other nations.
Shaikh-ul-Islaam Ibn Taimiyyah, may Allaah have mercy on him, said in Majmoo’-ul-Fataawaa: “As for the term Soofiyyah (Sufism), then it was not heard of during the first three generations of Islaam. Rather, speech concerning it only became known after the first three generations. Several Imaams and scholars spoke about it afterward, such as Imaam Ahmad bin Hanbal, Abu Sulaymaan Ad-Daaraanee and others. It was also reported from Sufyaan Ath-Thawree that he spoke about it. Some of them also mentioned that on the authority of Al-Hasan Al-Basree. They differed in their views on the meaning of what a Soofee ascribes himself to, since the word ‘Soofee’ is a noun indicating an ascription, such as Al-Qurshee, Al-Madanee and so on.
It is said to be an ascription to Ahlus-Suffah, but this is an error, since if this were the case, they would call themselves Suffee. It is also said to be an ascription to the saff (row) that is the foremost before Allaah, but this is also wrong, since if this were the case, they would call themselves Saffee. It is also said to be an ascription to the safwah (best) from Allaah’s creation. This too is an error, since if it were so, they would have to call themselves Safwee. It is also held to be an ascription to Soofah bin Bishr bin Udd bin Taabikhah, an Arab tribe that used to be located next to Makkah in the past, which the ascetics would ascribe themselves to. Even though the ascription of Soofee is in conformity to this person’s name (Soofah) from a grammatical standpoint, it is also a weak opinion, since these people were not well known to most of the ascetics and because if the ascetics were to ascribe to them, it would have been more likely that they would have ascribed to them during the era of the Sahaabah, Taabi’een and the Atbaa’ at-Taabi’een.
It is also due to the fact that the majority of those who speak on behalf of the Soofees are not aware of this tribe and they are not pleased with being attributed to a tribe from the Days of Ignorance (Jaahiliyyah), which did not exist during the era of Islaam. It is also held, and this is the most well known opinion, that Soofee is an ascription to soof (wool). This was since the first time that the Soofees appeared was in Basrah (‘Iraq).
The first people that established the role of Soofiyyah were some of the companions of ‘Abdul-Waahid bin Zayd. ‘Abdul-Waahid was one of the companions of Al-Hasan Al-Basree who lived in Basrah and was into such great lengths in abstinence (zuhd), worship (‘ibaadah), fear of Allaah (khawf) and so on, the likes of which were not found in the rest of the inhabitants of other lands.
Abush-Shaikh Al-Asbahaanee reported with a chain of narration connected to Muhammad bin Sireen that it reached him that a group of people preferred wearing wool, so he said: ‘There are some people that prefer to wear wool claiming that they resemble the Messiah, son of Maryam. However, the guidance of our Prophet (sallAllaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) is more beloved to us, and he (sallAllaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) would wear cotton and other types of clothes.’ Or he stated words similar to this.”
Then he (Ibn Taimiyyah) said after this: “These people ascribe themselves to outer garments, which in this case is wool (soof) garments. So it can be said about one of them that he is a Soofee. However, their methodology is not restricted to the wearing of woolen garments, nor do they mandate that on anyone or adhere to ordering it. They only attach themselves to it due to it being the outer condition.”
Then he said: “So this is the origin of Soofiyyah (Sufism). After this, it branched off and diversified.”
Ibn Taimiyyahs words, may Allaah have mercy on him, indicate that Sufism originated in the lands of Islaam at the hands of some very pious worshippers from Basrah as a result of their going to great lengths in abstinence (zuhd) and worship (‘ibaadah). Then after that, Sufism evolved and changed.
The conclusion that some modern-day authors have come to – that Sufism crept into the lands of the Muslims from other religions, such as Hinduism and Christian monasticism – has become accepted based on what Shaikh Ibn Taimiyyah reported from Muhammad bin Sireen, that he said: “There are some people that prefer to wear wool claiming that they resemble the Messiah, son of Maryam. However, the guidance of our Prophet (sallAllaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) is more beloved to us!” This indicates that Sufism has a connection to the religion of the Christians!!
Dr. Saabir At-Tu’aimah said in his book: “Sufism – Its Beliefs and Methods”: “It appears that it came about due to the influence of Christian monasticism in which the monks would wear woolen garments and reside in their monasteries. There were many of them that would be upon this practice throughout the lands, which Islaam freed by way of Tawheed…”
Shaikh Ihsaan Ilaahee Dhaheer, may Allaah have mercy on him, said in his book “Sufism: Its Source and Origin”: “When we look deep into the teachings of the first and latter-day Sufis and the statements that have been quoted and narrated from them in the Sufi books of old and present, we see a huge difference between it and the teachings of the Qur’aan and the Sunnah. Likewise, we don’t see its roots or its seeds in the history of the chief of all creations (Prophet Muhammad) (sallAllaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) nor in that of his righteous and noble Companions, from the best of Allaah’s creation. Rather, contrary to that, we see that it has been derived and acquired from Christian Monasticism, Brahmanism, Hinduism, the religious devotion of Judaism and the asceticism of Buddhism.”
Shaikh ‘Abdur-Rahmaan Al-Wakeel, may Allaah have mercy on him, said in the introduction of the book “The Downfall of Sufism”: “Indeed, Sufism is the lowest and vilest of schemes, which the Devil innovated so that the servants of Allaah can mock and ridicule along with him in his war against Allaah and His Messengers. It is the veil of the Magians (Majoos), which gives the impression that it is divine. Rather, it is the veil of every enemy to the true religion. Examine it and you will find in it Brahmanism, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, and the Manichaean beliefs. You will find Platonism in it. You can even find Judaism, Christianity and the idolatry of the Days of Ignorance in it.”
Through presenting the views of these modern-day writers regarding the origin of Sufism, as well as many other writers not mentioned here that hold these same views, it becomes clear that Sufism is a foreign concept that was introduced into Islaam. This shows in the practices of those who ascribe themselves to it – those practices that are foreign to Islaam and far removed from its guidance. By this, we intend the latter-day adherents to Sufism whose mystical illusions and fantasies have become many and great.
But as for the former predecessors, such as Al-Fudayl bin ‘Iyyaad, Al-Junaid, Ibraaheem bin Adham and others, then they were upon a state of moderateness. (Source)
More reading:
Some quotes from the book by A. A. Tabari
Praise be to Allah Who has chosen for us the religion of Islam, the only religion acceptable to Him, and Who has made us a just and equitable nation that we may bear witness to the fact that all the Messengers conveyed the Divine Messages to their peoples, and Who has made the Messenger Muhammad our witness on the Day of Judgement.
Among the statutes that Allah has prescribed for us is enjoining the right and forbidding the wrong, saying: “Let there be among you a group of people to call for good conduct, and enjoin the right and forbid the wrong, and those are properous ones.” (3.104).
In His infinite wisdom, Allah the Exalted allows one who is incapable of rectifiying wrong by His hand to do so by his tongue, or at least to abhor it in his heart. The inability to do so indicates lack of Iman (faith).
The punishment for not enjoining the right and forbidding the wrong is a grave one. The Prophet said: “You must enjoin the good and forbid the wrong, or else Allah will soon send upon you His punishment; then you will supplicate Him and He will not respond to you.”
In another tradition, the Prophet said “Or else, Allah will turn your might against your own selves.”
It is in application of this ordinance, and in response to those concerned Muslims on the North American Continent and elsewhere, that I present this critique on Sufism. It would, In Sha’ Allah, prove useful to put in the hands of those Muslims who are unaware of the hidden dangers of Sufism, and who, due to their shallow knowledge of Islam, or for other reasons, are duped into believing that salvation is attained only by way of ascetic mystical doctrines, and that the relationship between man and Allah is maintained through a few self-appointed priests.
Deviation from the right path led some Muslim rulers at certain stages of history to believe the perfection of thought could be reached by mixing Greek philosophies with Islamic beliefs. They contaminated the purity and simplicity of Islam as a way of life. This opened the door to esoterism, elitism and mysticism, which later developed into a religion of its own.
The religion of Islam is based on the Book of Allah, the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah and the exemplary pattern of his life. Shaikul-Islam Ibn Taimiyyeh, may Allah grant him His mercy, said: “Allah has sent His beloved Prophet with guidance and the religion of truth; by so doing, He perfected His favours upon those who followed that guidance, the Muslims, and made manifest their rights and obligations.”
It follows that no human being has the right to enjoin on people anything other than what Allah or His Messenger has enjoined, nor to prohibit them anything which neither Allah, the Exalted nor His Messenger has prohibited. He who does so would be contending with Allah by introducing a totally different religion, thus following the example of the People of the Book who have taken their priests and rabbis as gods besides Allah.
It is the way of innovators to introduce a bid’ah in the form of words or deed, impose it on those who fall under their influence, and force them by one method or another to uphold it. Thus did the Khawaridj, Rawafidh and the other deviant sects.
The Sufis exploited the chaotic state of affairs during the fifth and sixth centuries A.H. and invited people to follow their way, alleging that the remedy to this chaos was conformity to the guidance of their order’s shaikhs. They invented their own orders and set their own criteria to distinguish loyalty from animosity, though these criteria were not sanctioned either by Qur’an or the Sunnah. Imam Malik b. Anas, may Allah grant him His mercy, emphasized; “That which was not religion at the time of the Messenger and his companions, may Allah be pleased with them all, is never to be religion today.”
He went on to say; “He who introduces a bid’ah in the religion of Islam and deems it a good thing, claims by so doing that Muhammad betrayed the Message,” (i.e. he did not convey it fully and perfectly as commanded by Allah), despite the fact that Allah revealed; “This day I have perfected your religion for you and completed My favour upon you, and have chosen for you al-Islam as religion.” (5:3)
The Prophet made a point of opening all the speeches with a warning against bid’ah (innovations) in matters of religion. His warning words signify: “Verily, the best of speech is the Book of Allah, and the best of guidance that of Muhammad and the evil of all religious matters is their own innovations. Every innovation is a bid’ah, and every bid’ah is a misguidance, and very misguidance is in the Fire.”
Al-Sunnah is the second decisive source of Islamic jurisprudence. Discarding all or part of it is an act of KUFR (disbelief). In fact, adhering to the Qur’an and Sunnah, is a hedge against deviation as confirmed by the Prophet who said: “I have left you with two things after which you shall never go astray, as long as you adhere to them: the Book of Allah and my Sunnah. The two shall never part until they attend my hawd al-Kawther.” (i.e. until the Day of Judgment). Adhering to anything other than the two aforementioned Divine sources is deviation itself. We are commanded by Allah to hold only to that which the Messenger has commanded and taught, and to refrain from that which he had forbidden. Qur’anic texts and Prophetic traditions signify:
-Turning away from the Book and the Sunnah is the practice of disbelievers and hypocrites.
-It is incumbent on Muslims to refer their disputes and controversial issues to the two Divine sources.
-Refraining from them leads to failure and the loss of authority and power.
-The Messenger is our model of the best way of life.
-Considering the above terms of reference, we are able to scrutinize Sufism and Sufi orders and evaluate them from the perspective of the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger .
The Muslim Ummah (nation) has experienced numerous physical catastrophes, but has always managed to survive each one, stand upright again and continue its mission with determination and perseverence, regardless of how great a toll they took. Spiritual catastrophes, however, leave perpetual scars to mar the beauty of Islam…
Sufism is often, willfully or otherwise, referred to by Sufis themselves, or by orientalists, as “Islamic mysticism“, in order to give the impression that Islam is either wholly or partly an esoteric religion, with a set of dogmatic rituals to be understood by the elite alone-in this clase, the Sufis! Unfortunately, the lack of any sound critical analysis of the subject in the English language allows these orientalists to flood the English and North American book market with literature that stands unchallenged, and dupes naive Muslims into believing that true salvation can only be attained by pursuing a mystical order. Their vain goal strips Islam of its Universality…
Sufism is a blend of various thoughts and philosophies. By intermingling a few traces of Islamic teachings with it, the Sufi thinkers attempted to sanctify their doctrines and demonstrate its conformity to Islam…
Sufism is a schism developed during the fourth century of Hijrah, exploited by the deviationist sects, the Batini (clandestine) sects and the rest of the enemies of Islam, such as the Jews, the Magians and the Crusaders, to undermine Islamic aqeedah (dogma) and Muslim unity.
“Sufism,” states the renowned Shaikh Abu Bakr al-Djaza’iri, “is a shameful deception which begins with dhikr (chanting the name of Allah) and ends with disbelief. Its outward manifestation appears to be piety, but its inward reality forsakes the commands of Allah.”
Sufi occultism, with its host of philosophical and theosophical doctrines, is beyond doubt antithetical to Islam. Islam proclaims that the matchless entity and essence of Allah is totally different from that of His slaves, i.e., man. Sufis, on the contrary, subscribe to the belief that matter, man and God form in effect one single entity and essence.
More reading:
Sufism Simplified:
(Links to these articles are provided for the purpose of simplification of topic and understanding for the basic reader. I cannot vouch as to their accuracy or authenticity.)
