Explain the contribution of Tasawwuf to the development and expression of Islam. In your response make reference to the ideas of at least 2 people who were influential in its development
Tasawwuf or Sufism as it is referred to in the Western World is the mystical sector of the Islamic Religious tradition. The teachers of Sufism trace their enlightenment right back to the Prophet Muhammad, hence Sufism has a long tradition and history within Islam. Sufi’s consider themselves to be on a path towards a closer relationship with Allah in their life on earth. To guide Sufis along this path to Allah a vast range of Sufi literature has been produced by Islamic Scholars throughout the years. For many years, ideas and expressions of this mystical path have developed under the influence of individuals such as Rabi’a and Al-Ghazali and also the spread of the Sufi way to India and Persia. Sufism has traditionally been identified with Sunni Islam, although today many Shi’ scholars identify with Sufi practices and thus today there are Sufi’s who identify with both Sunni and Shi’ Islam. The expression of Sufism is a major part of their difference from ordinary Islam and follows the tariqa (path) that Sufis must follow in order to reach the deepest relationship with Allah possible.
The history of Sufism goes right back to the beginning of Islam at the time of Muhammad. The movement initially arose during the turbulent time after Muhammad’s death and the four rightly guided Caliphs. At this time, power had been assumed by the wealthy Umayyad people and many Muslims began looking for a simpler way of life, heading back to the line lived by Muhammad and the four rightly-guided caliphs. These people who would be considered early Sufis sought a simple life driven by a desire to become closer to Allah. They rejected the ways of “worldliness” lived by the Umayyad and began practicing Tasawwuf in order to become closer to Allah.
One of the first Sufis was Rabi’a, a woman who lived in the second half of the 700’s in Basra. She was a freed slave who spent her life dedicated to teaching and debating with the major religious figures of her time. Rabi’a has had a huge impact on the development and expression of Tasawwuf as she is considered one of the first Sufis and a wali (saint) so her way of life is still aspired to by many modern Sufis today. Sayings, poems and fables of Rabi’a have been recorded by Sufi historians for more than 1300 years show her importance in Islamic and Sufi history and development. Another individual who has made a huge impact on the development of Tasawwuf in the 12th century, is Al-Ghazali. While early Sufis were regarded with suspicion, Al-Ghazali was a great scholar from Baghdad who integrated Sufi ideas into mainstream Islam. He taught that the external practices of Islam needed to go hand in hand with an inner or personal form of faith. He is considered to be one of the mujaddid (renewer of Islam) and found a place of common ground with other Islamic scholars for Tasawwuf to exist in the life of communities of both Shi’i and Sunni Islam.
As Sufism spread around the world, the movement has grown and developed many variants. It is these variants, particularly those found in Persia and India which have enriched Sufism and Islam with its many forms of cultural and social expression. Persian Sufism, found predominantly in Turkey, is one of the most famous Sufi movements in the world. The Mervlana order introduced famous practices such as the dance of the Whirling Dervishes, which develops the tariqa to include mind, body and soul. Sufism has also combined peacefully with other religious traditions such as Hinduism in India to create “Indian Islam”, the influence of which extends far into South & East Asia. The growth of Sufism into a worldwide movement has given Sufism the status of being one of the finest achievements of Islamic Religion along with the energies of the soul and strenuous demands of the tariqa.
Today Sufism is not as strong as it once was, but is still present within Islamic communities throughout the world. However, today many Sufi practices have been integrated into mainstream Islam so the impact and influence the movement has had on Islam is evident. Although there is some criticism of Sufism being as spiritual aristocracy, many see Sufism as a hopeful factor in inter-religious relations on the behalf of Islam because of the peaceful nature of Sufi orders. Modern Sufis still strive against the same thing as the ancient Sufis, ie materialisation however, in modern society overcoming this barrier is an even greater struggle for Sufis today.
As there are so many different tariqa followed by, the many orders of Sufism, the way Sufism is expressed is a very diverse thing. As Sufism exists within Islam, Sufis practice the Five Pillars and regular mosque worship. However, to fulfil their tariqa, Sufis must engage in many more spiritual practices in order to struggle to become as close to Allah as possible. These spiritual practices have many forms including dhikr, hymns, stories and personal meditation. The practice of dhikr (rememberance) is practiced in many forms throughout Sufism. Dhikr involves the repetition of phrases such as “Allah is great” and “Praise to Allah”. The repetition of these phrases is often linked to rhythmic breathing, chanting or dance. The most famous form of dhikr is the dance of the Turkish Whirling Dervishes in which Sufis spin on the spot with one hand raised to heaven and the lowered to earth in an attempt to create a channel between the two and hence communicate with Allah in the trance state. Other Sufi orders use silent meditation as the main practice so less emphasis is placed on dhikr.
Most Sufi practices are difficult to understand because Sufis believe that they must be experienced rather than taught. For this reason, most Sufi literature and practice takes the form of stories as a story can allow the listener to imaginatively experience some of its meaning. An example of a Sufi story is the Conference of the Birds which is used to represent the spiritual journey (tariqa) that each of us make towards Allah.
Sufis strive to become as close to Allah as possible and for this reason are against worldliness as they strive to achieve a heavenly relationship with Allah on earth. This means that in Tasawwuf, Sufis do not practice many worldly activities and focus much of their lives on meditation and prayer, though some orders do more physical work than others. Much of their days are spent in devotional prayer using prayer beads to count off repititions. As a result of the many orders of Sufism, each Shaykh will teach his own practices, allowing for creativity and culture to play a big part in Sufism. The influence of this creativity and culture is what makes Sufi practices appealing to some people wishing to experience a culturally rich religion.
Sufism has made many positive contributions to Islam. It has attracted people to Islam who have been looking for a way to experience closeness to Allah and are able to do so through following the tariqa set out in Sufism. The variety of its expression over time has allowed for a cultural richness within Islam spread over many countries from the Middle East to India and Persia. Some of these practices have found their way into mainstream Islam such has dhikr, which is now often on the lips of many Muslims throughout the world and the use of prayer beads which is also derived from Sufism. Sufism has also contributed positively on behalf of Islam to interfaith relations as it can be seen as a peaceful form of Islam. People of other faiths can find mystics easier to relate to than dogmatics hence the reason that Sufism has made a positive contribution to Islam by having good relations with other faiths as well as the Islamic Community.
Sources
Cragg, K & Marston Speight, R. The House of Islam 3rd Edition, Wadsworth Inc 1998
Morrissey, J and others, Living Religion 3rd Edition, Pearson Education Australia, Sydney 2007.
Thompson, Jan. Islam: An Approach for GCSE, Hodder and Stoughton, Sydney 1990
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