SUFIS/TASSAWUF Sufism or tasawwuf, variously defined as"islamc

mysticism", "the inward dimension of islam" is the mysticis in islam characterised by particular values,
rituals, practices, doctrines and institutions which began very early in islamic history and represens "the
main manifestation and the most important and central crystallisation of mysttical practice in islam.
Sufism seeks to develop a personal relationshi between the believe and the divine. Like most mystics,
sufism is not interested in any organised entity to mediate that relationship and for most of the sufis this
relationship takes the form of chanting, dancing and other forms of artistic expression. As a mystic and
ascetic aspect of islam, it is considered as the part of islamic teaching that deals with the purification of
inner self.

The word sufism is derived from the arabic word 'suf' referring to the simple woolen cloaks that the
early ascetics wore. Another possible etymology is that the root word of sufi comes from the arabic word
'safa' meaning purity. This approach places the emphasis of sufism on the purity of heart and soul.
Sufism is based on 4 main rules of shariat, tareekat, ma'arifat and haqeeqat.

Existing in both sunni and shia islam, sufism is not a distinct sect as is sometimes erroneously assumed,
but a method of approaching or a way of understanding the religion. An overwhelming majority of sufis,
both pre-modern and modern, were and are adherent of sunni islam, there also developed certain
strands of sufi practice within the ambit of shia islam during the late medieval period. Sufis belong to
various schools of islamic jurisprudence and theology.

Historically, sufis belong to diff orders formed around the grand master referred to as wali who traces a
direct chain of successive teachers back to the islamic prophet Muhammad (SAW).The aim of an
order/Tareeqa is to seek Haqeeqah. The most prominent orders in the Subcontinent are : Qadri,
Suharvardy, Chisti and Naqshbandi. These orders meet for spiritual sessions (majalis)in a meeting place
known as khanqah, zawiyas etc. They strive for ihsaan (perfection of worship) as detailed in hadith :
"ihsaan is to worship allah if you see Him, if you can't see Him, surely He sees you ".

Devotion to Muhammad (SAW) is an exceptionally strong practice within sufism. Sufis have historically
revered Muhammad (SAW) as the prime personality of spiritual guidance. The sufi poet saad shirazi
stated:

" He who chooses a path contrary to that of the prophet shall never reach to rhe the destination. O saadi
don't think that one can treat that way of purity except in the wake of chosen one".

The sufis believe that the highest form of the human love is the pure love for the divine. Humans can
achieve this love it if they give themselves entirely to the allah's will(Abdin, 2004).sufis consider love for
family, friends, material goods all to be distraction from the love of God(chittick, 2000).the heart of a
believer should be so overflowing with the love that there is no room for any other emotion in it(Abdin,
2004).sufi scholars believe that human beings are dominated by a lower self called the Nafs (self,ego) a
faculty of spiritual intuition called the qalb (Heart) and ruh (soul). These interact in various ways
producing the spiritual type of the tyrant (dominated by nafs, zalim), the person of faith and moderation
(dominated by the spiritual heart, muqtasid) and the person lost in love for God (dominated by ruh,
sabiq). The zalim loves God for his own sake, the muqtasid loves Him for Himself and the sabiq
annihilates his own will im Gods will. Tje the sufis often add tje the element of sirr, the innermost part of
heart in which tje the divine revelation is experienced.

Sufis are involved in a number of devotional practices. One of the devotional practices of sufis is the
Dhikr. Dhikr is the remembrance of Allah commanded in the quran for all Muslims, through a specific
devotional act, such as the repetition of divine names, supplications and aphorisms from the hadith
literature and Quran. Some other forms of devotional practices include:

SEMA: it includes various forms of worship such as recitation, singing, sufi whirling, meditation etc. Sema
is captivating meant for heavens. While performing this, the sufi whirl in the name of Allah, they don't
think about their family, friends and work. Every spin, every body position is a deliberatl gesture meant
to honour Allah and embrace His benevolence.

Sufi whirling is a form of sema or physically active meditation which originated among sufis and which is
still practised by the sufis of mewlana order. It is a customary dance through which dervishs aim to reach
the source of all perfection or kemal. This is sought through abandoning ones nafs, ego or personal
desires.

Our vale, colloquially known as the "pir vaer" or the Alcove of mysticis is home to numerous sufis who
came a long way in preaching love of the Divine, amity and brotherhood to humankind. The likes of Syed
Abdul Qadir Jeelani, Bulbul Shah, Hazrat Sheikh Hamza Makhdoom and Shiekh Noor Ud Din Noorani
have sprung from kashmir itself and made an important contribution to kashmiriyat; the ethnic, national,
social and cultural consciousness of the kashmiri People as well as a distinctive contribution to global
Islam.

Despite a relative decline in sufi orders in the modern era and criticism of some aspects of sufism by the
modern thinkers, sufism has continued to play an important role in islamic world and has also influenced
various forms of spirituality in tje the west. The main reason for the decline in sufi orders os due to the
fact that sufi orders are accused of fostering superstitions, resisting modern intellectual attitudes and
standing in the way of progressive reform.

Mahpara muzammil (43/Ag/2017)

Bsc(agri) second year