Sufism: The path of love and devotion
There is no word in English to describe Sufis, so they have been called mystics, meaning people who have a mystery about them. Sufism is a movement within Islam that started in opposition to the increasing materialism and rigidity of orthodox Islam after the death of Prophet Muhammad. Sufis seek a union with God through intense devotion and love. They consider the Prophet as a perfect example to follow and seek to interpret the Quran in the light of personal experience.
Sufism is like the spiritual dimension of Islam and both Shias and Sunnis can be Sufis. As Sufism spread, it assimilated local elements from different lands. This was a major reason for its popularity and also the reason it is often accused of being un-Islamic and attacked by Islamic hardliners. There are several theories about how the term Sufi came into being. It is said that in the medieval period, the expensive silk and cotton clothes from India were used by the kings and elites of Arabia.
The people who could not afford it wore simple clothes made of the wool of sheep and camels found locally. This was called suf, so those who wore suf were Sufis. Another theory is that these people are ahl-e-safa or pure of heart.
The 80 people who were loyal followers of the Prophet accompanied him to Medina when there was danger to his life. The message of love given by these 80 to the world is Sufism. Yet another view is that these people did not believe in appearances or rituals in worship. While other worshippers were reviewing their appearance and preparations, they would hurry ahead and sit in the first row.
Those sitting in the first row or saf-e-awwal were called Sufis. Sufis are divided into orders known as Tariqas. Within an order, the spiritual guides called derive their authority from a chain of Murshids called Silsila, tracing all the way back to the Prophet. The disciples are called Murids. Sufis have practices that go above and beyond those mandatory for all Muslims.
A central practice is Dhikr which is meditative contemplation of God, individually and in groups. Some Sufi groups also use music and whirling dance movements to further enhance their remembrance of God. In India, Sufi devotional music created a new art form called Qawwali which is still sung at Dargahs.
Sufism influenced the Bhakti movement and was, in turn, influenced by it. So much give and take occurred that while reading Kabir, it is difficult to distinguish which elements are borrowed from Sufism and which from Bhakti.