Sufism: The Inner Path of Islam, the Tariqa Orders and the Practice of Dhikr

IOverview

Sufism is not a third branch on a par with Sunni and Shia Islam. A Muslim may be a Sunni of the Hanafi school and at the same time a disciple in a Sufi order. There are Shia Sufi orders too, such as the Ni'matullahi in Iran. This page therefore describes Sufism as a depth present across Islam, not as a separate sect.

IIHistory

In the 8th century, in Basra, Kufa and Syria, there were ascetics who wept out of fear and love of God. Rabi'a al-Adawiyya of Basra, who died in 801, is remembered for teaching love of God for His own sake, not from hope of paradise or fear of hell. In the 9th and 10th centuries al-Junayd of Baghdad taught a sober Sufism faithful to the law. Al-Ghazali, who died in 1111, left the Ihya Ulum al-Din, a work that did much to win Sufism a place within mainstream legal scholarship.

From the 12th century, circles of disciples around a master grew into organised tariqa orders, each with a chain of transmission, the silsila, running back to Muhammad through Ali or Abu Bakr.

• 1166Death of Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani
  The Baghdad master regarded as founder of the Qadiriyya.
• 1236Death of Mu'in al-Din Chishti at Ajmer
  He made the Chishtiyya one of the great orders of South Asia.
• 1273Death of Jalal al-Din Rumi at Konya
  His disciples and son founded the Mevlevi order. His Masnavi became a classic of Sufi literature.
• 1389Death of Baha al-Din Naqshband at Bukhara
  The Naqshbandiyya, named after him, spread across Central Asia, South Asia and the Ottoman world.
• 1925Turkey closes the tekkes
  The Republic banned the activities of Sufi orders.
• 2008The Mevlevi Sema ceremony
  Inscribed by UNESCO on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

IIIBeliefs and Distinctives

The bond between master and disciple is the axis of Sufi life. The disciple, murid, pledges himself to the master, shaykh or murshid, through an initiation called bay'a. The master teaches how to remember God, how to live and how to reform the heart. The writings of Ibn Arabi, who died in 1240, on the unity of being opened a major current of thought and have also been the subject of lasting scholarly debate.

IVPractice, Ritual and Daily Life

The central practice is dhikr, remembrance of God through repeating His names or the declaration of faith. Some orders chant aloud in groups, while others, such as the Naqshbandiyya, prefer silent remembrance. Sama is a gathering for listening to devotional poetry and music. The Chishtiyya of South Asia are known for qawwali music, and the Mevlevi for the Sema ceremony with its turning dervishes.

Orders meet in lodges called khanqah, zawiya or tekke depending on the region. Visits to the tombs of masters and the anniversaries of their deaths, called urs in South Asia, draw large crowds. Many orders also run charitable kitchens, schools and relief work.

VOrganisation and Distribution

Each Sufi order organises itself along its own chain of transmission, with no common governing body. A large order may have hundreds of branches, each led by an authorised master. The Tijaniyya, founded in North Africa in the late 18th century, and the Muridiyya of Senegal carry great social weight in West Africa. In South Asia, Sufi shrines such as Ajmer draw visitors of many faiths. Pew Research Center stated in 2009 that it has no separate estimate for Sufis, since they are also Sunni or Shia.

VIIn Vietnam

The library has found no source for an organised Sufi order in Vietnam. The Cham Muslim community is Sunni of the Shafi'i school, and the organisations recognised by the state are community representative boards, not tariqa orders. Some researchers suggest that Islam from the Malay world, where Sufi orders played a part in spreading the faith, shaped Cham religious life, but the library has not verified a specific source on a Sufi order among the Cham.

VIISymbol of the Branch

Mevlevi sikke hat

Sikke

VIIISub-branches

• Qadiriyya
• Naqshbandiyya
• Chishtiyya
• Mevlevi
• Shadhiliyya
• Tijaniyya

IXOther Branches of Islam

Sunni Islamأهل السنة والجماعة Ahl al-Sunna wa al-JamāʿaThe largest branch.Uses the common symbol of the pathTwelver Shia Islamاثنا عشرية Ithnā ʿAshariyya, also Imāmiyya or JaʿfariyyaThe largest Shia branch.Zaydi Shia Islamالزيدية al-ZaydiyyaA Shia branch named after Zayd ibn Ali (d.Uses the common symbol of the pathIsmaili Shia Islamالإسماعيلية al-IsmāʿīliyyaSeparated in 765 by recognising Isma'il, son of Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq, as successor.Ibadi Islamالإباضية al-IbāḍiyyaA third branch, neither Sunni nor Shia.Uses the common symbol of the pathSufismتصوف TaṣawwufNot a third branch beside Sunni and Shia but an inner, devotional dimension present in both.Cham IslamIslam, termed Hoi giao Islam in official documentsCham Muslims in Vietnam following Sunni Islam of the Shafi'i school.Cham BaniBani, Awal. Termed Hoi giao Bani in official documentsA distinct form among the Cham of former Ninh Thuan and Binh Thuan, rooted in Islam and blended with Cham tradition.Uses the common symbol of the path

XSources

The library cross-checks the sources below. Where they disagree, the page gives both.

1. Pew Research Center, Mapping the Global Muslim Population, 2009
2. Britannica, Sufism
3. Wikipedia, Sufism
4. Wikipedia, Mevlevi Order
5. UNESCO, Mevlevi Sema Ceremony

?Quick Questions

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