The Sufi Philosophy in Islamic Faith

The Sufi faith has had a long and rich history in the overall Islamic faith. Sufism has many distinguishing differences in its practices and beliefs from that of the other Islamic sects that we know of today. One thing I personally found interesting is how this particular sect of Islam isn’t as popularly spoken of like the Sunni and Shi'a sects of Islam. Some of the most interesting and distinctive differences in this division of Islam is are wool clothing that the Sufi’s wear along with the most popular practice they are known for, the Whirling Dervishes. Yet these faith has many similarities with many other religions and sects of Islam. Sufism though is a purely ascetic faith that also incorporates several aspects of mysticism. The main goal of Sufism is that of many other monotheistic religions, which is, to be in union with God in the after life.

The Earliest form of Sufism is estimated to have started sometime during the Umayyad Dynasty less than a century after the founding of Islam (“Sufism” 1). Sufism is estimated to have began in 675 CE, and is a Muslim movement where followers seek enlightenment, love, and connection with God through direct encounters with the Creator (“Sufi Origins” 1). Yet some say that Sufism cant be limited to to a particular region and time where it was conceived as a faith, or a particular language or society that it originated from. Many believe that Sufism has always been in one from or another throughout all time (“Practices of Sufism” 1). Sufism has been prominent during its time in history beginning as a acetic faith within Islam (“Sufism” 1). According to Fisher the early Sufis turned to asceticism as a way of deepening their faith and growing closer to God. Sufism is based on internal non-a...

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... have the ecstatic feeling of encountering God it made a lot more sense to me. I was surprised to hear how popular the Sufis were, in recent times all people mainly hear about are the Sunni and Shi’a groups and when you do hear about these sects of the faith its only on the radicals on the news which don’t really convey the main principals of the faith. It was pleasant to see another side of the Islamic faith. Overall I feel this topic was enriching to my education.

Works Cited

Fisher, Mary Pat, and JosephCh Alan. Adler. "Chapter 10 Islam." Living Religions. 8th ed. Upper

Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2011. N. pag. Print.

"Practices of Sufism." The Beauty of Pure Sufism. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2014.

"Sufism." Sufi. Religion Facts, 12 Aug. 2007. Web. 05 Mar. 2014.

“Sufi Origins, Sufi History, Sufi Beliefs.” Patheos Library, n.d. Web. 09 Apr. 2014.