Sufism - Sources

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Including:

• Sufism - Etymology
• Sufism - History of Sufism
• Sufism - Origins
• Sufism - The great Masters of Sufism
• Sufism - Formalisation of Philosophies of Sufism
• Sufism - Propagation of Sufism
• Sufism - Modern Sufism
• Sufism - Influences
• Sufism - Basic beliefs
• Sufism - Sufi Concepts
• Sufism - Lataif-e-sitta The Six Subtleties
• Sufism - Sufi cosmology
• Sufism - Sufi practices
• Sufism - Muraqaba
• Sufism - Dhikr
• Sufism - Qawwali
• Sufism - Sama
• Sufism - Orders of Sufism
• Sufism - Traditional orders
• Sufism - Non-Traditional Sufi Groups
• Sufism - Traditional Islamic schools of thought and Sufism
• Sufism - Sources

Read more here: » Sufism: Encyclopedia - Sufism

The history of Sufism can be divided into the following principal periods: Sufism - Origins. According to the history of Sufism as told by Sufi masters themselves, Sufism began as a hidden or esoteric teaching of the Prophet Muhammad during his 23 year prophetic career. Almost all traditional Sufi schools or orders trace their orgins or "chains of transmission" back to the Prophet Muhammad, either through his cousin and son-in-law Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib or through caliph Abu Bakr. From their point of view, ...

See also:

Sufism, Sufism - Etymology, Sufism - History of Sufism, Sufism - Origins, Sufism - The great Masters of Sufism, Sufism - Formalisation of Philosophies of Sufism, Sufism - Propagation of Sufism, Sufism - Modern Sufism, Sufism - Influences, Sufism - Basic beliefs, Sufism - Sufi Concepts, Sufism - Lataif-e-sitta The Six Subtleties, Sufism - Sufi cosmology, Sufism - Sufi practices, Sufism - Muraqaba, Sufism - Dhikr, Sufism - Qawwali, Sufism - Sama, Sufism - Nazar ill'al-murd, Sufism - Orders of Sufism, Sufism - Traditional orders, Sufism - Non-Traditional Sufi Groups, Sufism - Traditional Islamic schools of thought and Sufism, Sufism - Sources

Read more here: » Sufism: Encyclopedia II - Sufism - History of Sufism

The history of Sufism can be divided into the following principal periods: Sufism - Origins. According to the history of Sufism as told by Sufi masters themselves, Sufism began as a hidden or esoteric teaching of the Prophet Muhammad during his 23 year prophetic career. Almost all traditional Sufi schools or orders trace their orgins or "chains of transmission" back to the Prophet Muhammad, either through his cousin and son-in-law Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib or through his friend Abu Bakr. From their point of v ...

See also:

Sufism, Sufism - Etymology, Sufism - History of Sufism, Sufism - Origins, Sufism - The great Masters of Sufism, Sufism - Formalisation of Philosophies of Sufism, Sufism - Propagation of Sufism, Sufism - Modern Sufism, Sufism - Influences, Sufism - Basic beliefs, Sufism - Sufi Concepts, Sufism - Lataif-e-sitta The Six Subtleties, Sufism - Sufi cosmology, Sufism - Sufi practices, Sufism - Muraqaba, Sufism - Dhikr, Sufism - Qawwali, Sufism - Sama, Sufism - Orders of Sufism, Sufism - Traditional orders, Sufism - Non-Traditional Sufi Groups, Sufism - Traditional Islamic schools of thought and Sufism, Sufism - Sources

Read more here: » Sufism: Encyclopedia II - Sufism - History of Sufism

A number of scholars perceive influences on Sufism from pre-Islamic and non-Islamic sources and schools of mysticism and philosophy. Some of these new perspectives originate from the synthesis of Persian civilization with Islam [1], an emphasis on spiritual aspects of Islam as a reaction against the prevailing impersonal, formal and hypocritical practice of religion [2], and possibly the incorporation of ideas and practices from other mystic systems such as Gnosticism and Hinduism into Islam. The evidence in support of non-Islamic influences ...

See also:

Sufism, Sufism - Etymology, Sufism - History of Sufism, Sufism - Origins, Sufism - The great Masters of Sufism, Sufism - Formalisation of Philosophies of Sufism, Sufism - Propagation of Sufism, Sufism - Modern Sufism, Sufism - Influences, Sufism - Basic beliefs, Sufism - Sufi Concepts, Sufism - Lataif-e-sitta The Six Subtleties, Sufism - Sufi cosmology, Sufism - Sufi practices, Sufism - Muraqaba, Sufism - Dhikr, Sufism - Qawwali, Sufism - Sama, Sufism - Nazar ill'al-murd, Sufism - Orders of Sufism, Sufism - Traditional orders, Sufism - Non-Traditional Sufi Groups, Sufism - Traditional Islamic schools of thought and Sufism, Sufism - Sources

Read more here: » Sufism: Encyclopedia II - Sufism - Influences

The central concept in Sufism is love. Dervishes—the name given to initiates of sufi orders—believe that love is a projection of the essence of God to the universe.They believe that God desires to recognize beauty, and as if one looks at a mirror to see oneself, God looks at himself within the dynamics of nature. This is substantiated using the famous Hadith Qudsi (extra-Qur'anic utterance of God): "I was a hidden treasure, and I wanted to be known, so I created Creation." Since they believe that everything is a reflection of God, ...

See also:

Sufism, Sufism - Etymology, Sufism - History of Sufism, Sufism - Origins, Sufism - The great Masters of Sufism, Sufism - Formalisation of Philosophies of Sufism, Sufism - Propagation of Sufism, Sufism - Modern Sufism, Sufism - Influences, Sufism - Basic beliefs, Sufism - Sufi Concepts, Sufism - Lataif-e-sitta The Six Subtleties, Sufism - Sufi cosmology, Sufism - Sufi practices, Sufism - Muraqaba, Sufism - Dhikr, Sufism - Qawwali, Sufism - Sama, Sufism - Nazar ill'al-murd, Sufism - Orders of Sufism, Sufism - Traditional orders, Sufism - Non-Traditional Sufi Groups, Sufism - Traditional Islamic schools of thought and Sufism, Sufism - Sources

Read more here: » Sufism: Encyclopedia II - Sufism - Basic beliefs

Sufism - Muraqaba. Main article: Muraqaba Muraqaba is the word used by many Sufis when referring to the practice of meditation. The Arabic word literally means observe, guard or control, in this context referring to controlling and guarding one's thoughts and desires. In some Sufi orders (such as some of the Shadhili orders) muraqaba may involve concentrating one's mind on the names of God, or on a verse of the Qur'an, or on certain Arabic letters that have special significance. Muraqab ...

See also:

Sufism, Sufism - Etymology, Sufism - History of Sufism, Sufism - Origins, Sufism - The great Masters of Sufism, Sufism - Formalisation of Philosophies of Sufism, Sufism - Propagation of Sufism, Sufism - Modern Sufism, Sufism - Influences, Sufism - Basic beliefs, Sufism - Sufi Concepts, Sufism - Lataif-e-sitta The Six Subtleties, Sufism - Sufi cosmology, Sufism - Sufi practices, Sufism - Muraqaba, Sufism - Dhikr, Sufism - Qawwali, Sufism - Sama, Sufism - Nazar ill'al-murd, Sufism - Orders of Sufism, Sufism - Traditional orders, Sufism - Non-Traditional Sufi Groups, Sufism - Traditional Islamic schools of thought and Sufism, Sufism - Sources

Read more here: » Sufism: Encyclopedia II - Sufism - Sufi practices

Islam traditionally consists of a number of madhhabs (i.e of Sunni, Shi'a and of their subdivisions). Sufis do not define Sufism as a madhhab. What distinguishes a person as a Sufi is practicing Sufism, usually through association with a Sufi order. Belief in Sufism is not sufficient for being recognized as a Sufi. These facts lead to some ambiguity because Sufism has characteristics of a tradition and, for example, use of the term "Sufi Islam" is generally accepted. W. Chittick explains the position of Sufism and Sufis this way: ...

See also:

Sufism, Sufism - Etymology, Sufism - History of Sufism, Sufism - Origins, Sufism - The great Masters of Sufism, Sufism - Formalisation of Philosophies of Sufism, Sufism - Propagation of Sufism, Sufism - Modern Sufism, Sufism - Influences, Sufism - Basic beliefs, Sufism - Sufi Concepts, Sufism - Lataif-e-sitta The Six Subtleties, Sufism - Sufi cosmology, Sufism - Sufi practices, Sufism - Muraqaba, Sufism - Dhikr, Sufism - Qawwali, Sufism - Sama, Sufism - Nazar ill'al-murd, Sufism - Orders of Sufism, Sufism - Traditional orders, Sufism - Non-Traditional Sufi Groups, Sufism - Traditional Islamic schools of thought and Sufism, Sufism - Sources

Read more here: » Sufism: Encyclopedia II - Sufism - Traditional Islamic schools of thought and Sufism

Sufism - Traditional orders. The traditional Sufi orders all emphasize the role of Sufism within Islam. Therefore the Sharia (tradional Islamic law) and the Sunnah (customs of the Prophet) are seen as crucial for any Sufi aspirant. Among the oldest and most well known of the Sufi orders are the Shadhili, Jerrahi, Qadiri, Naqshbandi, Mevlevi, Chishti and the Ashrafi. One proof traditional orders assert is that almost all the famous Sufi masters of the Islamic Caliphate times were also experts in Sharia and were re ...

See also:

Sufism, Sufism - Etymology, Sufism - History of Sufism, Sufism - Origins, Sufism - The great Masters of Sufism, Sufism - Formalisation of Philosophies of Sufism, Sufism - Propagation of Sufism, Sufism - Modern Sufism, Sufism - Influences, Sufism - Basic beliefs, Sufism - Sufi Concepts, Sufism - Lataif-e-sitta The Six Subtleties, Sufism - Sufi cosmology, Sufism - Sufi practices, Sufism - Muraqaba, Sufism - Dhikr, Sufism - Qawwali, Sufism - Sama, Sufism - Nazar ill'al-murd, Sufism - Orders of Sufism, Sufism - Traditional orders, Sufism - Non-Traditional Sufi Groups, Sufism - Traditional Islamic schools of thought and Sufism, Sufism - Sources

Read more here: » Sufism: Encyclopedia II - Sufism - Orders of Sufism

Sufism - Lataif-e-sitta The Six Subtleties. Drawing from Qur'anic verses, virtually all Sufis distinguish Lataif-e-Sitta (The Six Subtleties), Nafs, Qalb, Sirr, Ruh, Khafi & Akhfa. These lataif (sing : latifa) designate various psychospiritual "organs" or, sometimes, faculties of sensory and suprasensory perception. In a rough assessment, they might appear to correlate with glands, organs, Chinese traditional medicine, or tantric chakras. In general, sufic development involves the awakening ...

See also:

Sufism, Sufism - Etymology, Sufism - History of Sufism, Sufism - Origins, Sufism - The great Masters of Sufism, Sufism - Formalisation of Philosophies of Sufism, Sufism - Propagation of Sufism, Sufism - Modern Sufism, Sufism - Influences, Sufism - Basic beliefs, Sufism - Sufi Concepts, Sufism - Lataif-e-sitta The Six Subtleties, Sufism - Sufi cosmology, Sufism - Sufi practices, Sufism - Muraqaba, Sufism - Dhikr, Sufism - Qawwali, Sufism - Sama, Sufism - Nazar ill'al-murd, Sufism - Orders of Sufism, Sufism - Traditional orders, Sufism - Non-Traditional Sufi Groups, Sufism - Traditional Islamic schools of thought and Sufism, Sufism - Sources

Read more here: » Sufism: Encyclopedia II - Sufism - Sufi Concepts

Islam traditionally consists of a number of madhhabs (i.e of Sunni, Shi'a and of their subdivisions). Sufis do not define Sufism as a madhhab. What distinguishes a person as a Sufi is practicing Sufism, usually through association with a Sufi order. Belief in Sufism is not sufficient for being recognized as a Sufi. These facts lead to some ambiguity because Sufism has characteristics of a tradition and, for example, use of the term "Sufi Islam" is generally accepted. W. Chittick explains the position of Sufism and Sufis this way: ...

See also:

Sufism, Sufism - Etymology, Sufism - History of Sufism, Sufism - Origins, Sufism - The great Masters of Sufism, Sufism - Formalisation of Philosophies of Sufism, Sufism - Propagation of Sufism, Sufism - Modern Sufism, Sufism - Influences, Sufism - Basic beliefs, Sufism - Sufi Concepts, Sufism - Lataif-e-sitta The Six Subtleties, Sufism - Sufi cosmology, Sufism - Sufi practices, Sufism - Muraqaba, Sufism - Dhikr, Sufism - Qawwali, Sufism - Sama, Sufism - Orders of Sufism, Sufism - Traditional orders, Sufism - Non-Traditional Sufi Groups, Sufism - Traditional Islamic schools of thought and Sufism, Sufism - Sources

Read more here: » Sufism: Encyclopedia II - Sufism - Traditional Islamic schools of thought and Sufism

A number of scholars perceive influences on Sufism from pre-Islamic and non-Islamic sources and schools of mysticism and philosophy. From Animism and Shamanism to Neoplatonic immanentism, from Gnosticism and Hermetic writings to the panvitalism of Paracelsus, from Zoroastrianism to the the concept of qi and transmigration found in Taoism, Vedic religions, and other forms of Eastern philosophy, the number of possible influences on Sufism ranges far and wid ...

See also:

Sufism, Sufism - Etymology, Sufism - History of Sufism, Sufism - Origins, Sufism - The great Masters of Sufism, Sufism - Formalisation of Philosophies of Sufism, Sufism - Propagation of Sufism, Sufism - Modern Sufism, Sufism - Influences, Sufism - Basic beliefs, Sufism - Sufi Concepts, Sufism - Lataif-e-sitta The Six Subtleties, Sufism - Sufi cosmology, Sufism - Sufi practices, Sufism - Muraqaba, Sufism - Dhikr, Sufism - Qawwali, Sufism - Sama, Sufism - Orders of Sufism, Sufism - Traditional orders, Sufism - Non-Traditional Sufi Groups, Sufism - Traditional Islamic schools of thought and Sufism, Sufism - Sources

Read more here: » Sufism: Encyclopedia II - Sufism - Influences

A few etymologies for the word Sufi have been suggested. The first etymological theory states that the root word of Sufi is the Arabic word "saaf", meaning pure, clean or blank. This etymology refers to the emphasis of Sufism on purity of heart and soul. Another view is that the word originates from Suf (صوف), the Arabic word for wool, implying a cloak and refers to the simple cloaks the original Sufis wore. Some scholars (see Tor Andrae's In the Garden of Myrtles) have suggested that this derivation might give ...

See also:

Sufism, Sufism - Etymology, Sufism - History of Sufism, Sufism - Origins, Sufism - The great Masters of Sufism, Sufism - Formalisation of Philosophies of Sufism, Sufism - Propagation of Sufism, Sufism - Modern Sufism, Sufism - Influences, Sufism - Basic beliefs, Sufism - Sufi Concepts, Sufism - Lataif-e-sitta The Six Subtleties, Sufism - Sufi cosmology, Sufism - Sufi practices, Sufism - Muraqaba, Sufism - Dhikr, Sufism - Qawwali, Sufism - Sama, Sufism - Orders of Sufism, Sufism - Traditional orders, Sufism - Non-Traditional Sufi Groups, Sufism - Traditional Islamic schools of thought and Sufism, Sufism - Sources

Read more here: » Sufism: Encyclopedia II - Sufism - Etymology

The central concept in Sufism is love. Dervishes—the name given to initiates of sufi orders—believe that love is a projection of the essence of God to the universe.They believe that God desires to recognize beauty, and as if one looks at a mirror to see oneself, God looks at himself within the dynamics of nature.This is substantiated using the famous Hadith Qudsi (extra-Quranic utterance of God): "I was a hidden treasure, and I wanted to be known, so I created Creation." Since they believe that everything is a reflection of God, S ...

See also:

Sufism, Sufism - Etymology, Sufism - History of Sufism, Sufism - Origins, Sufism - The great Masters of Sufism, Sufism - Formalisation of Philosophies of Sufism, Sufism - Propagation of Sufism, Sufism - Modern Sufism, Sufism - Influences, Sufism - Basic beliefs, Sufism - Sufi Concepts, Sufism - Lataif-e-sitta The Six Subtleties, Sufism - Sufi cosmology, Sufism - Sufi practices, Sufism - Muraqaba, Sufism - Dhikr, Sufism - Qawwali, Sufism - Sama, Sufism - Orders of Sufism, Sufism - Traditional orders, Sufism - Non-Traditional Sufi Groups, Sufism - Traditional Islamic schools of thought and Sufism, Sufism - Sources

Read more here: » Sufism: Encyclopedia II - Sufism - Basic beliefs

Sufism - Lataif-e-sitta The Six Subtleties. Drawing from Qur'anic verses, virtually all Sufis distinguish Lataif-e-Sitta (The Six Subtleties), Nafs, Qalb, Sirr, Ruh, Khafi & Akhfa. These lataif (sing : latifa) designate various psychospiritual "organs" or, sometimes, faculties of sensory and suprasensory perception. In a rough assessment, they might appear to correlate with glands, organs, Chinese traditional, or tantric chakras. In general, sufic development involves the awakening, in a ce ...

See also:

Sufism, Sufism - Etymology, Sufism - History of Sufism, Sufism - Origins, Sufism - The great Masters of Sufism, Sufism - Formalisation of Philosophies of Sufism, Sufism - Propagation of Sufism, Sufism - Modern Sufism, Sufism - Influences, Sufism - Basic beliefs, Sufism - Sufi Concepts, Sufism - Lataif-e-sitta The Six Subtleties, Sufism - Sufi cosmology, Sufism - Sufi practices, Sufism - Muraqaba, Sufism - Dhikr, Sufism - Qawwali, Sufism - Sama, Sufism - Orders of Sufism, Sufism - Traditional orders, Sufism - Non-Traditional Sufi Groups, Sufism - Traditional Islamic schools of thought and Sufism, Sufism - Sources

Read more here: » Sufism: Encyclopedia II - Sufism - Sufi Concepts

Sufism - Traditional orders. The traditional Sufi orders all emphasize the role of Sufism within Islam. Therefore the Sharia (tradional Islamic law) and the Sunnah (customs of the Prophet) are seen as crucial for any Sufi aspirant. Among the oldest and most well known of the Sufi orders are the Shadhili, Jerrahi, Qadiri, Naqshbandi, Mevlevi, Chishti and the Ashrafi. One proof traditional orders assert is that almost all the famous Sufi masters of the Islamic Caliphate times were also experts in Sharia and were re ...

See also:

Sufism, Sufism - Etymology, Sufism - History of Sufism, Sufism - Origins, Sufism - The great Masters of Sufism, Sufism - Formalisation of Philosophies of Sufism, Sufism - Propagation of Sufism, Sufism - Modern Sufism, Sufism - Influences, Sufism - Basic beliefs, Sufism - Sufi Concepts, Sufism - Lataif-e-sitta The Six Subtleties, Sufism - Sufi cosmology, Sufism - Sufi practices, Sufism - Muraqaba, Sufism - Dhikr, Sufism - Qawwali, Sufism - Sama, Sufism - Orders of Sufism, Sufism - Traditional orders, Sufism - Non-Traditional Sufi Groups, Sufism - Traditional Islamic schools of thought and Sufism, Sufism - Sources

Read more here: » Sufism: Encyclopedia II - Sufism - Orders of Sufism

Sufism - Muraqaba. Main article: Muraqaba Muraqaba is the word used by many Sufis when referring to the practice of meditation. The Arabic word literally means observe, guard or control, in this context referring to controlling and guarding one's thoughts and desires. In some Sufi orders (such as some of the Shadhili orders) muraqaba may involve concentrating one's mind on the names of God, or on a verse of the Quran, or on certain Arabic letters that have special significance. Muraqaba ...

See also:

Sufism, Sufism - Etymology, Sufism - History of Sufism, Sufism - Origins, Sufism - The great Masters of Sufism, Sufism - Formalisation of Philosophies of Sufism, Sufism - Propagation of Sufism, Sufism - Modern Sufism, Sufism - Influences, Sufism - Basic beliefs, Sufism - Sufi Concepts, Sufism - Lataif-e-sitta The Six Subtleties, Sufism - Sufi cosmology, Sufism - Sufi practices, Sufism - Muraqaba, Sufism - Dhikr, Sufism - Qawwali, Sufism - Sama, Sufism - Orders of Sufism, Sufism - Traditional orders, Sufism - Non-Traditional Sufi Groups, Sufism - Traditional Islamic schools of thought and Sufism, Sufism - Sources

Read more here: » Sufism: Encyclopedia II - Sufism - Sufi practices

A few etymologies for the word Sufi have been suggested. One etymological theory states that the root word of Sufi is the Arabic word saaf (صاف), meaning pure, clean or blank. This etymology refers to the emphasis of Sufism on purity of heart and soul. Another view is that the word originates from Suf (صوف), the Arabic word for wool, implying a cloak and refers to the si ...

See also:

Sufism, Sufism - Etymology, Sufism - History of Sufism, Sufism - Origins, Sufism - The great Masters of Sufism, Sufism - Formalisation of Philosophies of Sufism, Sufism - Propagation of Sufism, Sufism - Modern Sufism, Sufism - Influences, Sufism - Basic beliefs, Sufism - Sufi Concepts, Sufism - Lataif-e-sitta The Six Subtleties, Sufism - Sufi cosmology, Sufism - Sufi practices, Sufism - Muraqaba, Sufism - Dhikr, Sufism - Qawwali, Sufism - Sama, Sufism - Nazar ill'al-murd, Sufism - Orders of Sufism, Sufism - Traditional orders, Sufism - Non-Traditional Sufi Groups, Sufism - Traditional Islamic schools of thought and Sufism, Sufism - Sources

Read more here: » Sufism: Encyclopedia II - Sufism - Etymology