Sufism - God's annihilating the individual's ego
Sufism has been defined in many ways. Some see it as God's annihilating the individual's ego, will, and self-centredness and then reviving him spiritually with the lights of His Essence so that he may live according to His will. Others view it as a continuous striving to cleanse one's self of all that is bad or evil in order to acquire virtue. Junayd al-Baghdadi, a famous Sufi master, defines Sufism as a method of recollecting "self-annihilation in God" and "permanence or subsistence with God." Shibli summarizes it as always being together with God or in His presence, so that no worldly or other-worldly aim is even entertained. Abu Muhammad Jarir describes it as resisting the temptations of the carnal self and bad qualities and acquiring laudable moral qualities. There are some who describe Sufism as seeing behind the "outer" or surface appearance of things and events and interpreting whatever happens in the world in relation to God. This means that a person regards every act of God as a window to "see" Him, lives his life as a continuous effort to view or "see" Him with a profound,spiritual "seeing" indescribable in physical terms, and with a profound awareness of being continually overseen by Him. Sufis - which is what practioners of Sufism are called - see themselves to be on a spiritual journey toward God. This journey is referred to as the path (tariqah). While all Muslims believe that they are on the pathway to God and will come close to God after death and the Sufis believe as well that it is possible to become close to God and to experience this closenesswhile one is alive.
Jalaluddin Rumi (1207-1273) is one of the most wellknown Sufis mystics. Below some words of him. Letting go of thoughts
Let go of thought and bring it not into your heart, for you are naked and thought is an icy wind. You think in order to escape from torment and suffering, but your thinking is torment's fountainhead. Know that the bazaar of God's Making is outside of thought...
(The Sufi Path of Love: The Spiritual Teachings of Rumi, p. 256) Surrendering
The whole world have taken the wrong way, for they fear nonexistence, while it is their refuge. Where should we seek knowledge? In the abandonment of knowledge. Where should we seek peace? In abandoning peace. Where should we seek existence? In the abandonment of existence. Where should we seek apples? In abandoning our hands.
(The Sufi Path of Love: The Spiritual Teachings of Rumi, pp. 175-176) Experiencing freedom
When you are with everyone but me, you're with no one. When you are with no one but me, you're with everyone. Instead of being so bound up with everyone, be everyone. When you become that many, you're nothing. Empty.
(The Essential Rumi, p. 28) There are numerous books with Rumis teachings that would give a further introduction to the Sufis. | 
