The word Sufi is derived from the Arabic word 'suf' which means ' wool ' and refers to the coarse woolen robes that were worn by the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and by his close companions. The goal of a Sufi is none other than Allah (God) Himself. There are signs of Allah everywhere in the universe and in man himself. Man is the mystery of Allah for a mysterious purpose and Sufism is a mystic tradition of Islam. Sufism helps man to be increasingly aware of his purpose of life namely, unfailing service to his Lord and Creator. It is a path travelled under the guidance of a Sufi master, who is able to deliver man from the narrow confines of the material world into the limitless reality of a spiritual life, wherein he can experience the Divine spark which eternally shines within him. The Shaykh, or the Sufi teacher, interprets the dreams of a disciple, helps him to understand his inspirations, and resolves his doubts and uncertainties.
Sufism really has its roots in the Qur'an itself and in the religious experience of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). The preliminary signs of revelation were given to the Prophet (pbuh) in the form of visions and the Prophet (pbuh) deliberately sought solitude until the book of his heart, which was pure and unspoiled by schoolmen, was opened and the Divine Pen engraved upon it the revelation, the Qur'an. The Sufi's knowledge of Allah comes from the Qur'an directly. The undisputed basis of their direct experience of Allah has always been the Qur'an. The Qur'an contains instructions suitable to man with varying levels of spirituality. It satisfies those who are content with merely exoteric practices, but also contains the deepest and most profound esoteric meaning for those who desire a closer, more mystical relationship with Allah. The Prophet (pbuh) kept long night vigils and practised voluntary fasts during most days. He never ate barley bread (the staple food of his day) on three consecutive days, and he never even touched a loaf of wheat bread -- which was a luxury. One of his favorite sayings was "Poverty is my pride," and this saying came to be quoted in every manual of Sufi doctrine, making the rule of poverty a basic characteristic of Sufi life.
The Sufis live with an ever increasing awareness of Allah. One aspect of this awareness is the practice of Zikr. It means 'remembering Allah. Usually by pronouncing His name or by uttering a number of recognized formulae. The Qur'an repeatedly admonishes believers to celebrate the praises of Allah and to do this often. For remembering the name of Allah brings satisfaction and comfort to man's heart. The following verse of the Qur'an exposes the significance of Zikr:
"Recite that which has been revealed to you of the scripture, and observe prayer. For prayer restrains one from lewdness and iniquity, but remembrance of Allah is the greatest virtue."
Sufism is an esoteric doctrine transmitted by word of mouth, and sometimes without even a spoken or written word, by an authorized teacher (Shaykh) to a disciple, and from disciple to another disciple, in confidence. These secret instructions are acted upon by a disciple with perfect faith in the teacher. The disciple gives a report of his condition and experience in confidence to his teacher and receives another set of instructions most suitable to his state. It is only the writings of the Sufi teachers, who speak from within the tradition, that allow an outsider a glimpse of the inner beauty of Sufism. One of the greatest scholars of all times was al-Ghazzali. He wrote his famous work The Revival of the Sciences of Religion in Arabic, with an abridged form, The Alchemy of Happiness, in Persian. These works were followed by the other writings and poetry by such Sufi teachers as Abdul-Karim al-Jili, Ibn Arabi, Suhrawardi, the famous Chishti, Hafiz, Sadi, Rumi and so many other Sufi poets.
The first and foremost requirement for Suluk (the spiritual journey) is the purification of the soul. The process Suluk is generally a long and difficult one. It consists of the three stages.
1) Overcome Nafs al-ammara: Tendency in man to disobey Allah and to take pleasure in evil deed and thought is called Nafs al-ammara (carnal soul). This inclines man towards gossip, backbiting, pride, jealousy, selfishness, vain talk, lust, and hatred. The struggle to overcome nafs al-ammara involves the purifying of the body, tongue, mind and heart.
2) When disciple has subjugated the nafs al-ammara, the Sufi enters upon the second stage of Suluk in which he is able to respond readily to the call of the reproaching soul which is called nafs al-lawwama (reproaching soul). It is the nafs al-lawwama which reproaches man for his evil deeds and impels him to acts of mercy and generosity.
3) After this stage Sufi enters the third stage which is known as Nafs al-mutma'inna (contented soul). In this stage, the Sufi develops the tendency to obey Allah and to act in perfect harmony with His commandments. Here the soul is reconciled with all other stations of the path, such as poverty, patience, gratitude and trust in Allah. Here the soul finds perfect satisfaction in being governed by the heart, the Divine spark in man. Here the Sufi becomes truly free from fear and grief.
As Allah said in the Qur'an,
"Lo, indeed, the friends of Allah have no fear, nor are they grieved."
The various stages on the mystical path are known as maqamat (stations), which can be reached by any Sufi by means of prayer, meditation, fasting and the hal (mystical state). A Sufi may be blessed by an experience which reveals to his soul the reality of the whole universe, from the lowest layer of earth to the highest heaven. This experience is called mi'raj (ascension).
In the mystical experience, one of the important phase is attained by the Grace of Allah by a disciple on the mystical path is the state of fana fi Allah (extinction of the self in Allah), which is the transition to the state of baqa billah (eternal life in union with Allah). By passing away from self, the individual does not cease to exist, but is permitted to enjoy the supreme mystical experience in union with Allah. He is fully absorbed into the Love of Allah which gives him an everlasting awareness of the all-pervading presence of Allah.
