What is tasavvuf?

[keithnurse]

Someone told me he is a student of tasavvuf. Is this the name of a scholar? or a denomination of Islam? or what?

 

[Caladan]

EDIT: I'll PM you Keith.

 

[keithnurse]

The person meant to say that he is a Sufi, or practicing/studying Sufism.

Tasavvuf is the Turkish pronounciation of Sufi. (tasawwuf in Arabic)

Thanks for that information.

 

[.lava]

Someone told me he is a student of tasavvuf. Is this the name of a scholar? or a denomination of Islam? or what?

Tasavvuf is Islam. it requires submission in 28 steps. we follow Qur'an and sunnah of Mohammad (PBUH).

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[.lava]

The person meant to say that he is a Sufi, or practicing/studying Sufism.

Tasavvuf is the Turkish pronounciation of Sufi. (Tasawwuf in Arabic).

Around the world Sufism is considered to be Islamic mysticism. the legendary poets Rumi and Ibn Arabi are considered to have emerged from a flourishing Sufi background.

is it OK for a non-Muslim to answer a question that directed at Muslims on Islam DIR?

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[Caladan]

is it OK for a non-Muslim to answer a question that directed at Muslims on Islam DIR?

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Non Muslims arent allowed to debate in the Islam DIR. are you offended in any way lava?

 

[.lava]

Non Muslims arent allowed to debate in DIR forums.

so you are free to answer as if it is in your practice? so, i can answer quesitons about Judaism or any other beliefs in the way i understand it without debating. i can answer as i wish, without debating. is that right?

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[Caladan]

so you are free to answer as if it is in your practice? so, i can answer quesitons about Judaism or any other beliefs in the way i understand it without debating. i can answer as i wish, without debating. is that right?

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fine, lava.

 

[keithnurse]

so you are free to answer as if it is in your practice? so, i can answer quesitons about Judaism or any other beliefs in the way i understand it without debating. i can answer as i wish, without debating. is that right?

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Lava, Saladan answer was much clearer to me than yours. He said "Tasavvuf is the Turkish word for Sufi" That was more helpful than say "Tasavvuf is Islam". If you want to just be a Muslim without any extra labels then don't say "I am a student of tasavvuf", rather, say "I am a student of Islam".

 

[.lava]

Lava, Saladan answer was much clearer to me than yours. He said "Tasavvuf is the Turkish word for Sufi" That was more helpful than say "Tasavvuf is Islam". If you want to just be a Muslim without any extra labels then don't say "I am a student of tasavvuf", rather, say "I am a student of Islam".

that's normal because he speaks from the surface.

yes, i would refuse labels but i would not refuse the name Tasavvuf since it means Qur'an in practice.

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[.lava]

Lava, Saladan answer was much clearer to me than yours. He said "Tasavvuf is the Turkish word for Sufi" That was more helpful than say "Tasavvuf is Islam". If you want to just be a Muslim without any extra labels then don't say "I am a student of tasavvuf", rather, say "I am a student of Islam".

OK, i'll try to be more clear.

Islam means submission to Allah. someone can chose to become a Muslim. but simply being a Muslim is not equal being submitted to Allah. you can take Qur'an and read and practice daily practices of Islam that would not make someone who submitted to Allah because submission happens literally, not just in the sense. Tasavvuf therefor is Islam, it contains submission to Allah step by step and Islam literally means submission. there are 28 steps and 4 submissions in Tasavvuf. the last of the submission is submitting free will to Allah. that is the highest degree. people like Mevlana (Rumi) or Ibn Arabi, they are one of the highest degrees in history and they were Murshidas of dozens of people. they were people who literally saw Allah, as we name it Cemal of Allah. in Tasavvuf there is always more to do. people rarely complete 28 steps because submission of physical body is very difficult. so, yes, i have right to say i am a student of Tasavvuf. because most of Muslims would disagree with having Murshidas. they would say Murshida is Mohammad (PBUH). matter of fact he is Murshida of all Murshidas. but teacher has to be someone alive and on Earth. so many Muslims, even though they believe in Allah, do not have chance to join 28 steps of submission. that means they are Muslims but they are not Islam/submitted.

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[.lava]

C. WHAT IS SUFISM (TASAVVUF)? WHAT IS ISLÂM?

In fact, it is not at all important whether the word of “Tasavvuf” stems from “the dwellers of the hall” (shed) [Ehl-i Sufa] according to the outer appearances or from the word of “sof” (wool) as they had put on woolen clothes in the Age of our Master the Prophet.
But there are certain things considered as very important:
1. “Tasavvuf” (Sufism) is to act with the whole of the Noble Qur’ân. It is to act not only with the verses concerning our physical body but also with the verses laying tasks on our soul and spirit, too.
2. “Tasavvuf” (Sufism) is to live that which our Master the Prophet and his Companions (sahabe) had lived. The life that all the prophets and their dependants had lived was also “Tasavvuf” (Sufism).
3. Tasavvuf (Sufism) is to surrender to Allâh our trusts (the spirit, the physical body, the soul and the free will) that He has confided to us. It is to reach “irshad”, which is to be Islâm.
The first content of the word of Islâm is to believe in One Allah, its second content is the surrender (teslim, submission), its third content is peace and quietness (tranquility, serenity). Whoever has attained to the honor of becoming Islâm has reached the infinite happiness in three respects.
1. As all the good qualities of the spirit are transferred to the soul in the inner world, man has reached peace and tranquility, because there is not any more state of conflict between the spirit and the soul.
2. Man has reached peace and tranquility in his relations with the outer world, that is, with other people, because there are not any more vices so that there may be conflicts with them.
3. The best relations have been established with Allahû Tealâ. Each order of our Exalted Lord has been fulfilled and each prohibition avoided. Henceforth, the virtues that the soul has possessed (that is, the good qualities of the spirit) feel a strong desire to execute the divine orders and never commit the prohibitions, because all the vices demanding to commit them have vanished.
It has been thus seen that Islâm is a phase to be reached in order that an infinite happiness, a supreme delight, (hazzu’l ‘azîm) should come into being.

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[.lava]

Allâh loves mankind the most as He has created everything apart from mankind for man [45/Al-Jâthiyah – 13]. The fact that He wishes His creature He loves the most to be happy is perfectly put in its proper place. For this reason, Allâh orders man to reach irshad [2/Al-Baqarah – 186, 42/Ash-Shûra – 47]. Because only the person who has reached irshad has attained to Islâm, consequently to an infinite happiness. He has attained to the last rank of being a “perfect man” (Insân-ı Kâmil). He has been a perfect man from the point of view of happiness.

1. Extinction (the spirit’s surrendering to Allâh) [Fenâ]
2. Everlastingness [Bekâ]
3. Asceticism [Zuhd]
4. Surrender [Teslim] [the physical body’s surrendering to Allâh, being a muhsin (good-doer).
5. Ûlu’l Elbâb (the owners of continuous zikir, consequently of the treasures of the divine secrets).
6. Ihlâs (utter Purity). These stages of Sainthood have been completed.
The second and real content of being a perfect man is the ability “to be able to lead (men) to irshad.
This ability does not exist in man as he is merely of the opinion that he possesses it.
To be able to be a murshid is only realized through his being invited to the Irrevocable Repentance (Tövbe-i Nasûh) [66/At-Tahrîm-8] by Allahû Tealâ after his having reached Ihlâs (utter purity) and through the fact that our Exalted Lord communicates to him that he has reached Salâh (Improvement). And those whose eye of the inner heart is open see the Light of Improvement (halo) over his head [66/At-Tahrîm – 8].
It should not be forgotten that the continuous zikir (zikr-i dâim) is essential during the three stages beginning from the stage of Ûlü’l Elbâb (the owners of the treasures of the Divine Secrets) [3/Âl-‘Imrân – 190, 191]. But at the stage of Salâh (Improvement) “zikr-i kullî (the total zikir) (all the organs of the body’s repeating the name of Allâh ceaselessly) is essential.

source: www.mihr.com

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[.lava]

7. Thus, the stage of Salâh (7. stage) is formed. At the first two of the three ranks of Salâh (Improvement) the connection of the free will to the Will of Allâh and then its removal are experienced. And at the last rank of Salâh, Allâh takes only one personage under His disposal in each Era.

It has been seen that not only the fulfillment of the duties related to our physical body but also to our soul and spirit has been made obligatory upon us. As for this: it is to depend on the whole of the Book (the Qur’ân) in respect of the relations between Allâh and the servant [3/Âl-‘Imrân – 119]. From this standpoint, to depend on the entirety of the Book is to depend on the whole of the Noble Qur’ân. As for being Islâm, as we have seen it, it can be realized only in depending on the whole of the Noble Qur’ân.
To depend on the whole of the Book is to surrender to Allâh the spirit, the physical body, the soul and the free will, these four trusts granted to us. As for the process of delivering these 4 trusts to Allâh: it is “Tasavvuf” (Sufism). It is the level reached by our Master the Prophet (PBUH) and his Companions (sahabe), the life lived by them. It is to attain to the honor of being Islâm. “Tasavvuf” is to surrender to Allâh, to live Islâm, Islâm in the Qur’ân. “Tasavvuf” is to put Islâm into practise.
Therefore, Islâm = Tasavvuf (Sufism).
Allâh has made “irshad” obligatory upon us [2/Al-Baqarah – 186; 42/Ash-Shûra – 47]; Irshad is the surrender of the three bodies and the free will to Allâh, is to be Islâm, is Tasavvuf (Sufism).
The Surrender (Teslim) is a prescription (farz).
Islâm is a prescription.
Therefore, Tasavvuf also is a prescription.

source: www.mihr.com

this is how i know Tasavvuf, "speaker" of this content is my Murshida, he is my teacher. information continues, if you want you can read all about it on this website.

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[TashaN]

lava, you could have simply said that it meant that the man is Sufi and studying Sufism instead of going all around to prove that Sufism is Islam. It's as if you are saying that Sufism is the correct Islam or something like that. I'm sunni but i'll say i'm a sunni if someone asked me in details about my beliefs. I think it's ok to mention that you are a Sufi if you are one. It's just my opinion though.

 

[.lava]

lava, you could have simply said that it meant that the man is Sufi and studying Sufism instead of going all around to prove that Sufism is Islam. It's as if you are saying that Sufism is the correct Islam or something like that. I'm sunni but i'll say i'm a sunni if someone asked me in details about my beliefs. I think it's ok to mention that you are a Sufi if you are one. It's just my opinion though.

you're right, i am afraid i said too much. i am sorry for that. i did not know there are people who see Sufism as a Hindu belief or some kind of paganism till i met some people here. just wanted to make sure, it is Islam, that's all

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[TashaN]

you're right, i am afraid i said too much. i am sorry for that. i did not know there are people who see Sufism as a Hindu belief or some kind of paganism till i met some people here. just wanted to make sure, it is Islam, that's all

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Some aspects of Sufism goes beyond Islam, but of course this wasn't in the original discipline of sufism, but later on people dragged some Sufi concepts into other aspects which can be easily categorized to be out of Islam. But indeed, the true Sufism is of course part of Islam and no one can say otherwise.