Contents
Introduction
'At-Tazkiyah'
'Al-Ihsaan'
(Hadith of Jibreel 
)
The
debate upon technical terms
Tasawwuf
- falsely debated
Shari'ah
- the blend of the exterior and the interior
Tasawwuf
- or what?
External
factors innovated in Tasawwuf
Ibn
Taymiyyah and others on Tasawwuf
The
essence of Tasawwuf
The
authentic Tasawwuf and the real Sufiya'
Conclusion
Tasawwuf, the Arabic name for Sufism, is one of the most disputed aspects of deen, and possibly one of the most misunderstood and misinterpreted. Many seem to be portraying it as contradicting the Shari’ah and the truth of Islam. In reality, it is only the opposite. We believe that the name ‘Tasawwuf’ was designated to represent the inner purification of the heart and the god-thirstiness of the soul, which cannot be segregated from the Shari’ah, because they are amongst the lementary requirements for the ultimate salvation. Tasawwuf, in it’s most pure and pristine form, only means the rectification of the heart from all the deficiencies and filth that occasionally overcome it due to the abundance of sins and shortcomings committed by the heart internally and by the organs externally, and the beautifying of the heart through pleasant qualities and grand exhilaration in the love of Allah which are desired by Shara’a as well. The highest rank of that is ‘al Ihsaan’.
Therefore, Tasawwuf is only restricted to the above-mentioned two points and nothing else. Period. It starts from the ‘Tazkiyah’ mentioned in the Qur’aan where Allah states,
“He it is Who sent among the unlettered ones a Messenger (Muhammad )
from among themselves, reciting to them His verses, purifying them (from
the filth of disbelief and polytheism), and teaching them the book (this
Qur’aan, Islamic Laws and Islamic Jurisprudence) and ‘Al-Hikmah’ (As-Sunnah:
legal ways, orders, acts of worship, etc. of the Prophet Muhammad ).
And verily, they had been before in manifest error.” (Surah Jumu’ah 2)
And where Allah says, “Indeed he succeeds who purifies himself (i.e. obeys and performs all what Allah ordered by following the true faith of Islamic Monotheism and by doing righteous good deeds).” (Surah Shams 9)
There are many more verses of the same nature.
'Al-Ihsaan'
(Hadith of Jibreel 
)
Similarly, it also stems from ‘Ihsaan’ mentioned in the Sunnah of the
Prophet.
In the Hadith of Jibreel ,
which is synonymously known as ‘The mother of Sunnah’ and ‘The mother of
Traditions’, the angel divided the complete
deen into three major departments, namely Iman, Islam and Ihsaan, when
he demanded the answers for the questions, “What is Iman?”, “What is Islam?”
and finally “What is Ihsaan?”, clearly distinguishing one from the other.
After his departure, the Prophet
did not only affirm to what he had inquired as the basic elements of Deen,
rather verbally pronounced these words to his Companions: “He was Jibreel.
He had come to teach you your Deen.”
The meaning of Iman, as established by the answer given by the Prophet
in this tradition, is the department pertaining to the tenets and beliefs
of a person in the context of his religious doctrine, which are not only
restricted to his interior, but manifest themselves in his exterior actions.
There is absolutely no doubt that it is a grand department of Deen, rather
it is the most important faculty of Deen. The scholars who mastered this
field named it ‘Ilm-at-Tawheed’ (The science of monotheism), ‘Ilm-al-Kalam’
(The science of scholastic philosophy) and ‘Ilm-al-Aqaid’ (The science
of religious doctrine). These names have remained undisputed throughout
centuries referring to this particular field of knowledge.
Second comes the notion of Islam in this tradition. Islam is only relevant to the actions carried out by the human structural body, in any of the vocal, physical and/or financial forms. This field too, comprises of the basics of Islamic concept of worship expressed through external organs. The masters who excelled in this field reserved the name ‘Ilm-ul-Fiqh’ (Science of Jurisprudence) as a reference to it.
Then, finally, comes the field of ‘Al-Ihsaan’. It is a knowledge dedicated
to the inner state and condition of the heart and soul, experienced manifestly
when one fulfils the first two points i.e. Islam and Iman. It serves as
a benchmark to check the amount of one’s sincerity in worship, humbleness
towards the Lord and His creation, loyalty in devotion to Him etc. It is
also an efficient medium to know the altitude of one’s Iman in its firmness,
vastness, profoundness and might. And Tasawwuf, like the previous two cases,
is nothing but a technical term allocated by the experts of this field
merely to represent these facts.
Therefore, the doubts raised by some against Tasawwuf just because
it is named so (which they also categorise as an innovation) is nothing
else than pure defiance of the rules unanimously set for academic criticism,
for it is undisputedly agreed upon that technical terms of any topic are
beyond the scope of being debated upon.
Moulana Nadwi rahamtullahi alihi - on technical terms
The idea of neglecting this important and elementary aspect of Deen just because it is called ‘Tasawwuf’ is mere ignorance, hence worthy of condemnation. This point is clearly elucidated by the great philosopher and thinker of Islam, Sheikh Abul-Hasan Ali Al-Nadwi rahamtullahi alaihi, in one of his works wherein he writes under the title ‘Fault committed by the technical terms towards the facts represented by them’. He says:
“Verily, the names of activities/objects prevailed on the tongues of
the laymen have had a fairly significant impact in the misinterpretation
of the concepts of those actions/objects. This fault is evident in all
fields where technical terms have been applied. These terms, while representing
the true meaning sought by them, also create a whole new multitude of meanings
understandable from the mentioned term. These alien meanings, since they
do not represent the actual intended meaning, create doubts and uncertainties
in the minds of the scantily knowledge-acquainted people and which further
leads the more concerned ones of them to total neglect, and in some cases
the total condemnation, of the whole concept including the version desired
and
meant by the terminology.”
This sums up to the upheaval of ‘fiercely fought and hot, but at the same time utterly false’ debates based entirely on falsehood. On the other hand, if we just ignore these so-called terms and names and glance back at our prestigious past, in an attempt to trace the availability, or even possibility for that matter, of this faculty of knowledge in the early days of Islam, to trace the response given or the stance adopted by the early men of this religion regarding this aspect or how they pronounced these meanings in their rather simplistic words, this whole problem would be solved and both the parties would compromise on the veracity and legitimacy of these so-called innovations.
Among these dubious terminologies is also the pure knowledge of the soul and conscience, Tasawwuf. It has endured the disparagement of many in the past and is still held today as one of the most debated issues within our circles. Questions are forwarded and explanations are demanded regarding the etymological origins of the word. Some assert it to be from ‘Soof’ (from the Arabic for wool, so named because of the enthusiasm of the early ‘Sufiya’ in wearing woollen fabrics as a sign to their total abstinence from mundane desires) while others derive it from ‘Safaa’ (Arabic for purity). Some others see it from ‘Sufw’ (the Arabic for uniqueness). Some go to the extent that they trace its origins back to the ancient Greek word ‘Sufia’ which means wisdom. The second argument raised is regarding the time this word was introduced as part of Deen. Those who argue this point allege that this word is never found in the Qur’aan, in the prophetic traditions, the early years of Islam or in the recorded wordings of the Companions. They further believe that everything of such a state is unconditionally a definite and undeniable innovation forged to misrepresent Islam and twist its teachings to serve personal whims and desires. Certain individuals and organisations fuel these arguments whose ultimate motto has been arousing disputes contradicting the trend followed by the Ummah unanimously for centuries. This way of conduct was of no help to the necessities of the Ummah; rather it provided the anti-Islamic propaganda machines with rich material to attack Islam.
On the other hand, if we just ignored this terminology which was originated
sometime in the second century A.H. to symbolize the essentiality of Tasawwuf
as part of Deen and directly sought clarification of this point from the
Qur’aan and Hadith and in lives of the Companions, we would have unquestionably
found them explicitly confirming this aspect. We find the Qur’aan emphasizing
this point not only as an important requirement for the completion of Deen,
rather as one of the four major motives of the prophethood of Muhammad
elaborated in the verse:
“He it is Who sent among the unlettered ones a Messenger (Muhammad )
from amongst themselves, reciting to them His verses, purifying them, and
teaching them the Book (this Qur’aan, Islamic laws and Islamic Jurisprudence)
and ‘al-Hikmah’ (As-Sunnah: legal ways, orders, acts of worship etc. of
the Prophet Muhammad ).
And verily, they had been before in manifest error.” (Surah Jumu’ah 2)
The word in this ‘ayah that symbolises ‘Tasawwuf’ is ‘Tazkiyah’, which means purifying the inner self from sins and misdemeanours, whims and caprices, evil and wickedness etc. and at the same time enhancing it with the best of qualities. This ‘Tazkiyah’ was so apparently visible in the lives, the ways, the actions and the deeds of the Companions that history is and always has been and will always remain incapable to provide us with people of their calibre, at least in this field, in any given time, place and condition.
The concept of ‘Tasawwuf’ is not only verified by the Qur’aan, but we
also find the Sunnah stressing impressively on a level in subjugation to
God far higher than those of Islam and Iman, and which is, in the context
of Sunnah, is referred to as Al-Ihsaan.
This detail is ascertained by the Hadith of Jibreel ,
wherein the Prophet
defines the concept of Al-Ihsaan in these words: “Ihsaan is that you worship
your Lord as if you are seeing Him, and if you cannot envisage that you
are seeing Him, then He is definitely watching you.”
Shari'ah - a blend of the exterior and interior
The Shari’ah and whatever has been preserved from the words and actions
of the Prophet
can easily be divided into two evident categories:
1) His outward actions and deeds and externally visible characteristics, for example, his fashion of standing and sitting, eating and drinking, sleeping and awakening, his Ruku’ (bowing) and Sujud (prostrating), his recitation of the Qur'ân and remembrance of Allah, his supplications and his invocations etc. All these features have been painstakingly preserved by the scholars of the Prophetic sciences, both the ‘Muhaddithin’ (the Traditionalists) and the ‘Fuqaha’ (the Jurists). These prominent scholars of their time have done a great favour upon the general masses of the Ummah. May Allah grant them with the best of rewards for all the labours and pains they undertook towards this cause.
2) His inner situation of the heart and the soul while executing the
above mentioned category of acts. These attributes would always accompany
him whenever and wherever he would be; whether he would be standing or
sitting, bowing or prostrating to his Lord, supplicating and invocating
unto Him, whether he would be in the peace and calmth of his quarters or
within the mayhem and havoc of the battlefields; in essence, they would
accompany him under all the circumstances that occurred to him.
These qualities were those of sincerity and contentedness, patience
and trust in God, continence and renunciation of mundane desires, altruism
and generosity, respect and modesty,
total submission and utmost humility whilst in prayer, humbleness
in supplications, complete indifference towards the worldly beauties, relinquishment
of this world for the forthcoming one, craving for reunion with God and
many more similar states of ecstasy, which are to Shari’ah as the soul
is to the body.
These qualities further develop under themselves many detailed and minute rulings that then appear as a total new faculty of knowledge. When the knowledge that refers to the external characteristics of a practicing Muslim is called ‘Fiqh-ud-Dhaahir’ (the jurisprudence of the exterior), then this faculty of knowledge rightfully reserves the privilege to be named ‘Fiqh-ul-Baatin’ (the jurisprudence of the interior).
It would have been more beneficial for the whole of the Islamic Community
if we named this glorious field of knowledge,
which undertakes the strenuous task of rectifying and purifying the inner
carnal soul and which also sponsors the enhancement and embellishment of
the same with the best of qualities, as the field of ‘Tazkiyah’ (as referred
to in the Qur'ân), as the field of ‘Al-Ihsaan’ (as referred to in
the Hadith) or as ‘Fiqh-ul-Baatin’ (as this name expresses its contents
better). If this had been the case, there would have absolutely not remained
any point of argument and debate between the two groups on the grounds
of the legal status of this important aspect of a truly practicing Muslim’s
Deen. The need was to concentrate on the aim and objective of the subject
more than debating over the means and methods, as the latter do change
and constant development in their effectiveness does arise along with the
change in time, space and subjects. If this barrier of a specific terminology
had been removed, then there would not have remained any room for false
doubts and misunderstandings, because it is a well known fact that Muslims
all over the globe do believe in the status referred to as ‘Tazkiyah’ and
‘Ihsaan’ to be the essence of all religious activities, rather the core
of a sincere Muslim’s entire life. They also unanimously hold that true
peace of heart and tranquillity of the soul – in their purest meanings
- cannot be achieved in life, both social and private, but only through
establishing this pivotal
facet of Deen.
External factors innovated in Tasawwuf
The error and lapse committed towards this disagreement was not only of the specified terminology, rather many external factors, which were innovated and never were a part of the original and pure ‘Tasawwuf’ – served as active barricades for many concerned Muslims deterring and depriving them from this momentous and critical phase of religion. These factors are, it has to be sadly acknowledged, the dark phases of our glorious Islamic History which every Muslim has a right to condemn as they contradict the pure Islamic doctrine of belief. But, the question here arises that does this mean that this topic should be entirely neglected just for this reason? The answer is in negation. We cannot turn a blind eye towards a theme enjoined in both the Qur’aan and the Sunnah and further stressed upon by the Shara’a. We are under a strict obligation to abide by and follow that version of it which doesn’t challenge the pure monotheistic nature of Islamic dogma. Since its role in establishing a loving, peaceful and harmonious Islamic society, for which we all yearn and strive today, is a major one, the absence of this essence in our society has resulted in the deplorable deteriorating situation of Muslims as individuals and as a whole nation and community.
Ibn Taymiyyah and others on Tasawwuf
The righteous Ulema and religious scholars have always acknowledged
and affirmed the necessity of the true from of ‘Tasawwuf’. Some excerpts
from the monumental Islamic jurisprudic encyclopaedia of the reputed scholar,
Ibn
Taimiyyah rahmatullahi alihi, regarding the positiveness and
necessity of ‘Tasawwuf’. He says: “ Verily, Sulook (a synonym for Tazkiyah,
Ihsaan or Tasawwuf) is the path ordained by Allah and His Messenger ,
which encompasses the beliefs, devotion, worship and ethics of a person.
And all this is clarified in the Qur’an and the Sunnah. Therefore, it is
the provision no true Mu’min can do without.” (Vol. 19 Pg. 273)
He also states: “In Sulook, there are some points debated by the Mashaikh,
but there is abundant evidence in the Qur’aan and the Sunnah substantiating
the stance adopted by the majority of the scholars, for the precepts of
Sulook are of the same category as the Islamic doctrinal code, all elucidated
and resolved in a crystal-clear fashion in both the divine sources of Islamic
Theology.” (Vol. 19 Pg. 274)
We find him uttering these words in his discourses: “…And similarly,
whosoever bases his devotion, worship, and actions, relevant both to his
inner status and his outer execution of deeds, on the foundation of pure
Faith and Sunnah, and on the path of the Prophet
and his Companions radiallahu
anhum, then without any doubt, he has achieved the pathway laid down
by the Prophethood. And this is the very path the righteously guided scholars
of Deen follow.”
In his enlightening speeches, he goes on to explain: “All the actions
of heart and soul, called ‘Maqamat’ (levels of perfection) and ‘Ahwaal’
(states of illumination) - for example, the love for Allah and His Prophet ,
sincerity of intentions in His worship, ultimate trust unto Him, sense
of total gratitude for Him, utmost patience and absolute contentment on
His decree, the equivalent mélange of paramount fear of Him, unsurpassable
anticipation of his all-embracing mercy and all other similar conditions
that occur to a living human soul in regards to his Master and Creator
– are in their entity, incumbent on all humankind, especially believers.
Its attainment is compulsory upon the people according to their stages;
in depth for the people of distinction and basically for the normal layman,
for the hearts and souls of all humans are not the same in their capability
to achieve perfection through the medium of these ‘Maqamat’ and ‘Ahwaal’.”
Sheikh Moulana Muhammad Manzoor Ahmed No’mani rahmatullahi alaihi quotes Sheikh Muhammad ibn Abdul Wahhab rahmatullahi alaihi commenting on Tasawwuf in his book ‘Dia’ayat Mukaththafah dhidd Ash-Sheikh Muhammad…’(Pg. 85). The Sheikh has said: “We do not condemn the path of the Sufiya outright. We only assert that the keyword should be moderation. We agree to their practice provided it does not contradict the basic elementary tenets of Shari’ah.”
It is not foreign to the reflecting intellects that the above-mentioned
qualities, which comprise of earnest faith, total Imaan, soul-rectification,
ultimate submission, unparalleled adherence to the Sunnah and emulation
of the Shari’ah as the only source of eternal bliss and salvation, form
a vital and significant position of Imaan and therefore, their acquirement
should be the goal and target of every Muslim. But the ways to their achievement
have to differ, as in any other issue, depending upon many features like
time, space, immediate surroundings and civilization. It is for this reason
that the masters of this field have not restricted the accomplishment of
this perfection to only one means and medium, rather they have advocated
the point that a constant change in the means is always necessary, and
hence always present. This fact in also noteworthy here that in the early
period of the advent of Islam, the most simple and easy form of achieving
this objective was, undisputedly, the companionship of the Prophet .
No two will disagree on the rapid influence his companionship would have
in the alteration of the lifestyle of an individual. It is unanimously
agreed upon that the greatest of all Awliya-ullah (the friends of Allah)
who came after the companions cannot reach the status of the farthest Companion
of the Prophet
in spiritual rank.
But when the nation and community of Islam got deprived of this golden
kismet by the Prophet’s
demise, his successors and the great well-wishers of the Ummah strived
hard to find an alternative to fill this gap caused by his demise. After
much thought and effort, they based, for many reasons well known to Lord
and them, the result of their search on the companionship of the God-acquainted
saints, the Awliya and on abundance of Zikr. They did not stop here, rather
they also designed and preserved an organized method for this cause, which
later came to be known as ‘Tasawwuf’ and ‘Sulook’. Although this was the
best of means to achieve the intended goal, the fact that it was not the
only one could not be denied. Complete Imaan (Faith) and ‘Ihtisaab’ (Anticipation
of reward) when further consolidated by the constant surveillance of conscience
and the soul and strict adherence to the Sunnah along with the study and
propagation of religious sciences, preaching and publication of theological
issues with love, sincerity and devotion, sending blessings and eulogies
to the beloved Prophet
in excess, working voluntarily for public welfare, fighting for the cause
of Allah, enjoining god and forbidding evil etc. (provided that all this
is done with the most earnest of intentions and not to gain worldly benefits
through their way, which is sadly the case with some individuals apparently
working for these causes) are also choice channels to acquire closeness
to Allah and to attain the boundless ecstasy of His love.
Therefore, it is possible that the focused goal of two different methods and means might be the same and there is absolutely no doubt about it. There have been certain select souls in the past whose outward features illustrated that they were observing the final stage of ‘Ihsaan’, but at the same time hey were not known as adherents of a specific conventional Sufi order.
The authentic Tasawwuf and the real Sufiya'
Towards the conclusion of my humble endeavour, I feel obliged to clarify
what we, the Ahl-us-Sunnah wal Jama’ah, classify as pure Tasawwuf. When
we pronounce the word, we only represent the version in perfect harmony
with the Qura’an and the Sunnah of the beloved Prophet ,
which was also followed by all our eminent pious predecessors and scholars.
We do, though quite sadly, acknowledge the existence of certain groups
and individuals, who have used this subject as a scapegoat for the fulfilment
and nourishment of their carnal whims and desires, therefore, segregating
themselves from the mainstream ‘Tasawwuf’. They have introduced many filthy,
false and erroneous ideas into this field that contradict the bases of
Shari’ah, thereby depriving it of its original beauty and glamour. These
false beliefs include bowing to the ‘Sheikhs’ or the ‘Peers’, prostrating
to the graves, dancing and singing etc. from which this blessed command
of Allah is not only exempt, but is also strictly censorious and deprecatory
of. We, the Ahl-us-Sunnah wal Jama’ah, vehemently denounce their evil practices
as well
as their false innovations in the field of Tasawwuf.
Similarly, when making mention of the Mashaikh (masters of Tasawwuf)
and Sufiya’, we only correspond to those are known to possess the true
fear of Allah and pure love for Him and His Prophet ;
who wish to live their lives according to the Prophet’s
lifestyle in all aspects and walks of life; who strive for and wish to
pass their last breath in the state that their Lord is pleased with them.
On the other hand, we severely disapprove of those who have decided for
themselves the grandeurs of this world in trade of those pertaining to
the hereafter. We rigidly loathe even comprising them under the category
of the honoured title of ‘Sufism’.
Repelling those who chose for themselves to isolate from the mainstream platform of ‘Tazkiyah’ and ‘Ihsaan’ and ignoring the difference of meanings arising from the contemporary usage of technical terminology, we find ourselves pursuing the grandly illuminated and enlightening path laid down by the Divine Benevolence for our ultimate success in this world as well as the hereafter. These are the pathways leading to eternal bliss and infinite salvation, peace and tranquillity. These are the absolute peaceways, the Subulas Salaam.
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