Tasawwuf Made Easy

[ummtaalib]

What is Tasawwuf?

 

Tasawwuf / Tazkiya / Tareeqat / Sulook / Sufism...call it what you may, to many it is mysterious, exotic and bewildering, while to others it is an innovation in Deen.

 

These are in fact just various terms for self-reformation or purification of the heart. Though it is an integral part of the Shari’ah it has generally been misunderstood and shunned due to misrepresentation by errant Sufis (people who have deviated from the true teachings of Tasawwuf)

 

In simple words Tasawwuf is the branch of Deen which deals with one’s spiritual development. For example it is the heart which is the source of sincerity, generosity, gratitude, patience etc. and it is within the heart that evils like jealousy, pride, arrogance, ostentation etc. fester. If within the heart lies generosity the hand will give while if the heart is devoid of it then miserliness will be apparent.

 

Tasawwuf in the Qur'an & Hadith

 

Just as the external acts of worship are mentioned in the Qur'an and Hadith so are the internal states and love for Allah subhaanahu wata'ala. Along with verses which command us to establish Salaat and Zakaat so there are verses commanding Shukr (Gratitude), Sabr (Patience) abstaining from Riyaa (Show), Hasad (Jealousy) etc. Similarly in the Hadith just as one will find chapters on Prayer, Fasting, Trade & Commerce, Marraige & Divorce etc. so one will find chapters on Sincerity, Pride & Arrogance, Love for Allah subhaanahu wata'ala etc.

 

The Term "Tasawwuf/Sufism"

 

Tasawwuf is a branch of Islamic knowledge which focuses on the spiritual development of a Muslim. Allah sent His final messenger, Prophet Muhammad sallallaahu 'alayhi wasallam as a source of knowledge for the entire Ummah. He was the fountain of Qur'an, Hadith, Tafseer, Rhetoric, Fiqh and so on. After the Prophet, the scholars of this Ummah carried and propagated each of these branches of knowledge. However because no one person can attain the perfection of the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam who single handedly assumed all of these roles, various branches of the Islamic sciences developed. For example, Imam Abu Hanifah preserved the science of Fiqh and after him thousands of scholars continued in his footsteps. Hence these scholars preserved the Fiqh of the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wasallam. Similarly Imam Bukhari and the other famous scholars of Hadith preserved the words of the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wasallam. The scholars of Tajweed preserved the recitation of the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wasallam.

 

The Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wasallam was the model of spirituality for the world. His God-consciousness, deep spirituality, acts of worship, and love for Allah subhaanahu wata'ala were preserved and propagated by an Islamic science called Tasawwuf.

 

Sufism

 

Studying the life of the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam, the Scholars who propagated the science of Tasawwuf understood that a requisite for approaching Allah subhaanahu wata’ala was abandonment of the common pursuits of the world. They often wore wool because of its simplicity and low cost. In Arabic the word for wool is suf and thus, those who wore it became known as the Sufis. Another possible derivation of the word comes from the root word safa, which means "to clean." Because the Scholars of Tasawwuf focused on cleansing the heart, they later became known as the Sufis. (From Tasawwuf.org)

 

The Aims & Objective of Tasawwuf

 

Tasawwuf in fact is the Rooh (soul) and state of perfection of the Deen. Its function is to purify the internal state (the heart) of man from the lowly attributes of lust, anger, malice, jealousy, love of the world, love for fame, greed, ostentation, vanity, deception, etc.

 

At the same time it aims at the adornment of the heart with the lofty attributes of repentance, perseverance, gratefulness, fear of Allah, hope, Tauheed (Oneness of Allah subhaanahu wata’ala), trust, love sincerity, etc. In this way, attention towards Allah Ta’ala is inculcated in man. This is in fact the purpose of life. Tasawwuf or Tareeqat is therefore not contrary to the Deen

 

In fact it is incumbent for every Muslim to become a Sufi (one who follows the path of Tasawwuf). Minus Tasawwuf, a Muslim cannot truly be described as a perfect Muslim.

 

Therefore the aim of the scholars of this science is purification of the heart and development of consciousness of Allah through submission to the Shariah and Sunnah and the ultimate goal is the attainment of Divine Pleasure & Proximity.

[ummtaalib]

Tasawwuf Simplified

 

“In short, Tasawwuf (Sufism) comes down to this, overcoming the laziness in doing virtuous acts (ta’aat) and getting them done, and overcoming the desire to commit sinful acts (gunah) and abstaining from that sin. Whoever attains this condition does not need anything more since this is the very condition that creates a bond with Allah (SWT) (Talluq Ma’Allah), protects this bond and strengthens it”

 

Hakeem ul Ummah Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi R.A

 

http://blog.nooresunnat.com/tasawwuf-simplified-haasil-e-tasawwuf-hazrat-thanvi-r-a