Sufism

Sufism or taṣawwuf (Arabic: تصوّف‎) is defined by its adherents as the inner, mystical dimension of Islam.^[1][2][3] A practitioner of this tradition is generally known as a ṣūfī (صُوفِيّ). They belong to different ṭuruq or "orders"—congregations formed around a master—which meet for spiritual sessions (majalis), in meeting places known as zawiyahs, khanqahs, or tekke.^[4] Sufi turuq/orders may trace many of their original precepts from the Islamic Prophet Muhammad through his cousin and son-in-law 'Alī, with the notable exception of the Naqshbandi who trace their origins through the first Caliph, Abu Bakr.^[5] Prominent orders include Ba 'Alawiyya, Chishti, Khalwati, Naqshbandi, Nimatullahi, Oveyssi, Qadiria Boutshishia, Qadiriyyah, Qalandariyya, Sarwari Qadiri, Shadhiliyya and Suhrawardiyya.^[6]
Sufis believe they are practicing ihsan (perfection of worship) as revealed by Gabriel to Muhammad: "Worship and serve Allah as you are seeing Him and while you see Him not yet truly He sees you". Sufis consider themselves as the original true proponents of this pure original form of Islam. Sufism is opposed by Wahhabi and Salafist Muslims.
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".^[7] Alternatively, in the words of the Darqawi Sufi teacher Ahmad ibn Ajiba, "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".^[8]
Muslims and mainstream scholars of Islam (such as René Guénon and Cyril Glassé) define Sufism as simply the name for the inner or esoteric dimension of Islam^[1] which is supported and complemented by outward or exoteric practices of Islam, such as Islamic law.^[9] In this view, "it is absolutely necessary to be a Muslim" to be a true Sufi, because Sufism's "methods are inoperative without" Muslim "affiliation".^[10] In contrast, author Idries Shah states Sufi philosophy is universal in nature, its roots predating the rise of Islam and Christianity.^[11] Some schools of Sufism in Western countries allow non-Muslims to receive "instructions on following the Sufi path".^[12] Some Muslim opponents of Sufism also consider it outside the sphere of Islam.^[1][13]
Classical Sufis were characterised by their attachment to dhikr, (a practice of repeating the names of God, often performed after prayers)^[14] and asceticism. Sufism gained adherents among a number of Muslims as a reaction against the worldliness of the early Umayyad Caliphate (661-750 CE^[15]). Sufis have spanned several continents and cultures over a millennium, originally expressing their beliefs in Arabic, before spreading into Persian, Turkish and a dozen other languages.^[16]