Sufism: A Discussion Of Muslim Beliefs

The Muslim faith is comprised of many layers of belief systems; one of which, and arguably the most significant, is Sufism. This religion was not the earliest practiced Muslim faith, but arose as a backlash to the recently altered and unnecessary complications of others, especially Islam. The Sufis neither agreed with nor promoted the evident worldliness that had seeped into the mind and actions of their fellow Muslims, and even their rulers. In fact, they detested this manner of living so much that the Sufis essentially created a more strenuous form of Islam which emphasized God and his role exponentially more than the religions before it. Several sources work to help explain and expose Sufism and its practices to readers, including poems
such as “The Shepherd’s Care” and “From self to Self,” as well as films like Islamic Mysticism: The Sufi Way, presented by Huston Smith. These practices, beliefs, and features of Sufism are certainly numerous, but some of the most significant can be considered to be the belief in and practice of the rejection of personal comfort, the denial of material things and possessions, and the emphasis on the relationship with God being a very individual experience that is transformative. Prior to the creation and introduction of Sufism, Islam could be considered to be primarily centered around viewing the world through the perspective of peace.
This simply denotes that Muslims promoted peace and passivity as an effective means to associate with others, unless of course they were being attacked either physically or verbally, in which case it was acceptable to retaliate in defense. However, over the years, a focus on personal comfort rose in relevance to the Muslim people. Sufis perceived this mindset as having altogether negative consequences not only upon the individual, but upon society and humanity as a whole. In response to this seemingly detrimental lifestyle, some members of the Islam faith convened with a desire to alter and improve it, and thus Sufism arose. Rejecting personal comfort became extremely prevalent in the Sufi faith, and is woven throughout it. One particularly conspicuous example of this is from whence the word “sufi” originates. This term comes from the word “suf,” which is a coarse woolen article of clothing, emphasizing the Sufis’ refusal to be comfortable in their mortal life. In a way, it can be said that this demonstrates their preference to self-condition rather than experience complete comfort. Furthermore, Sufis argued that centering one’s life around God would provide only benefits: “He’s giving you a real bargain - / Give up one and get a hundred” (The Shepherd’s Care, 18-19). This rejection of personal comfort
helped Sufis strengthen their faith and focus on God alone, instead of being wary of suffering for their beliefs and thinking only of themselves. In addition to the gradual preference Muslim’s held for personal comfort, their craving for material possessions and fixtures similarly grew to dominate their aspirations. This held an identical threat to society, individuals, and their personal relationship with God. People who are concerned solely with accumulating as many possessions as possible or obtaining the items of the highest quality only serve to incite selfish behavior in others and promote discord in all settings. Instead, the Sufis encouraged individuals to accentuate less the ungodly desire for material things and motivated people to think on things of God and find fulfillment in him rather than the world. “Thoughts of the Beloved will feed your soul. / How can your hunger be satisfied by thoughts of / bread alone?” (The Shepherd’s Care, 24-26). While having ample nourishment certainly is a necessary aspect of living a healthy life, the Sufis used this to signify and represent how material possessions paled in comparison to when one “obtains” God. Sufis aspired to make God the center of their lives and religion, deciding to shifting him from the background to the foreground (film). This facet of Sufism (i.e. the rejection of material possessions and pursuit of Godly baggage instead) can certainly be considered altogether imperative since it is found at the center of their religious beliefs. Perhaps the most significant aspect of Sufism that helped it to set itself apart from the original Islam was its recent stress on the individual’s relationship with God.
The former Islam was not predominantly concerned with the individual’s relationship with God, but rather with how individuals interact with each other. Muslims are adamant about demonstrating love and respect for one’s neighbor, and while Sufis certainly promote similar beliefs, they turn their primary focus to how one individual can interact with God and strengthen their connection. Huston Smith divulges how the world, and the individual, resides in God and therefore mirrors his power (film). In order to have a firm and revealing relationship with God, a person does not have to look far. Instead, they can simply look in themselves to find God: “You have no need to go anywhere - / journey within yourself / Enter a mine of rubies and bathe in splendor / of your own light” (From self to Self, 15-18). This individual relationship composes an incredibly essential element of Sufism that permits the person to grow closer to God without having to search too far for the means of doing so. Sufism developed as a response to aspects of Islam that its followers deemed unappealing and harmful to either the individual or society, possibly even both. Its primary beliefs and practices of rejecting personal comfort and material possessions, along with improving one’s personal relationship with God, work together to
compose what society recognizes today as Sufism. As Huston Smith aptly puts it: Islam is a circle with God at the center, the circumference being his law, each Muslim observing the law a point on the circumference, and Sufism serving as the radius connecting Muslims to God.