Islam is a progressive, logical and practical faith, with a perfect code of conduct, to be followed by all believers. But, Islam has many a dimension and one dimension is Sufism, which may be termed as the mystical aspect of the religion. Sufism is the renunciation of worldly connections and all comforts. It is in fact, an isolation from all evils and sins. Islamic Sufism has a long history. It originated in the early years of Islam, when apart from various religious schools, the religious leaders and dervishes established their separate orders and many a saints began preaching Islam in their own style. They spread the message of love and peace. The Muslim generals conquered new lands on one side and on the other side the armless sufi-saints travelled long distances from Arabia, Iran and Central Asia to remote corners of the known world - from (modern day) Afghanistan, through India to far eastern countries. There are several Sufi orders, with further branches and sub-branches, which have all been discussed at length in this comprehensive and compact study. This book is an asset for all scholars, researchers and students of Islamic Studies.
MUHAMMAD ISAR AHMAD (b. 1956) a scholar of Islam and its related disciplines, in his own right, he is a post-graduate from Aligarh Muslim University, with a degree from Rohelkhand University. He is a devoted researcher and academic. He has taken up serious study and writing as a permanent affair. He has guided many a researcher and junior scholar, in an academic manner, spanning over several decades. He has been on foreign tours, especially, Middle East, as a keen observer of Islamic movements, the world over. He is regarded as a think-tank, a liberal- minded, far-sighted and quick- witted personality in the academic circles, even in outside world. After completing his studies, he established a research institute, which guides students, researchers and scholars in accomplishing various projects, particularly on Islamic Studies. He is based in Badaun, (U.P.), which has been a great seat of Islamic learning, over the centuries. Now, he has devoted himself, wholeheartedly to the search of knowledge, tirelessly and enthusiastically. He has attended a number of seminars, symposia, academic get-togethers and has won big laurels, in and outside India on many occasions. He has some half a dozen papers to his credit. This is his first research-based work on Islam. Recently, he has turned to Islamic Philosophy and unearthed many hidden facts. He is currently busy, with his project: Practical Aspects of Islamic Education.
Islam is a great religion. It is a progressive, logical and practical faith, with a perfect code of conduct, to be followed by all believers. But, Islam has many a dimension and one significant dimension is Sufism, which may be termed as the mystical aspect of the religion. Sufism is the renunciation of worldly connections and all comforts. It is in fact, an isolation from all evils and sins.
Islamic Sufism has a long history. It originated in the early years of Islam, when apart from various religious schools, the religious leaders and dervishes established their separate orders and many a saint began preaching Islam in their own way. They spread the message of love and peace. The Muslim generals conquered new lands on one side and on the other the armless sufi-saints travelled long distances from Arabia, Iran and Central Asia to remote corners of the known world-from (modern day) Afghanistan, through India to Far Eastern countries.
There are several Sufi orders, with further branches and sub- branches. In Islam, Sufism or tasawwuf is defined by its adherents as the inner, mystical dimension of Islam. A practitioner of this tradition is generally known as a Sufi. Another name for a Sufi is Dervish. Classical Sufi scholars have defined Sufism as, 'a science whose objective is the reparation of the heart and turning it away from all else, but God.' Alternatively, in the words of a great teacher, "a science, through, which one can know how to travel into the presence of the Divine, purify one's inner self from filth, and beautify it with a variety of praiseworthy traits." Sufis have spanned several continents and cultures, over a millennium, at first expressed through Arabic, then through Persian, Turkish and a dozen other languages. 'Orders' (muruq), which are either Sunni or Shia or mixed in doctrine, trace many of their original precepts from the Prophet Muhammad (Pbuh), through his cousin Hadrat Ali (Raa), with the notable exception of the Naqshbandis who trace their origin through the first Caliph, Hadrat Abu Bakr (Raa).
Some exclusive schools of Sufism describe themselves as distinctly mystic. Non-Muslims often mistake Sufism as a sect of Islam. Sufism is more accurately described as an aspect or dimension of Islam. Sufi orders (Tariqas) can be found in Sunni, Shia and other Muslim sects. Two origins of the word sufi have been suggested. Commonly, the lexical root of the word is traced to safa, which in Arabic means 'purity'. Another origin is suf- 'wool', referring to simple cloaks, the early Muslim ascetics wore. However, according to the medieval Iranian scholar Abu Rehan al-Beruni, the word sufi is derived from the Greek word sofia, meaning wisdom.
Sufism is a vast subject. It may require thousands of pages to discuss it at length. It was really a challenge to cover the study of Sufism in a comprehensive manner, in a few hundred pages. The undersigned took up this challenge. Islam as a faith and ideology, has found mention in millions of books, dealing with various subjects, under Islamic Studies. Hundreds of books are on Sufism also. Still, need was felt to bring out a comprehensive book, encapsulating all relevant details in its covers, hence this endeavour.
This is a compiled book, based on authentic accounts and other sources. The honest intention of the compilers and editors is to produce a brief but exhaustive work on the vast subject, under one cover. We are indebted to all the scholars, authors and compilers, whose valuable contributions, we have benefited from, while preparing this book. We are also thankful to the publishers and website operators, whose works, we have referred to, during the compilation of this book. And last but not the least, the undersigned expresses his wholehearted gratitude to all the associates, who extended their full cooperation in shaping and finalising this book.
Book's Contents and Sample Pages
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