Definition of Sufism:

Struggling against hypocrisy, inwardly and outwardly. (al-jihadu `alae-n-nifaaqi dzaahiran wa baatinan)

The Obligatory Status of Sufism - Its Mandate in Islamic Law

“Struggle against blasphemers and hypocrites.” Qur’an 9:73; 66:9

Remember: “Struggle against hypocrisy” is the definition of Sufism.

So it is not an option to negate or avoid or deny what it involves, considering that the Qur’an calls us to it, as believing Muslims.

Reason for Use of the Term “Sufism”

The reasons for the innovation of the word “Sufism”, considering it is not mentioned per se in the Qur’an and Hadith:

Sufism has to do with the revival of the Islamic Spirit. That is its essence. It involves removing falsity from religion. At the time and place where the Qur’an was revealed, Islam was pure and alive, so revival was out of the question. Or you could say that Prophet Muhammad’s life (peace be upon him) was the archetypical revival. Yet exact imitation of his life (pbuh) is both practically and theoretically impossible. We cannot reach his degree (pbuh) and we cannot turn the clock back. What we can do is to aim for his high standards (pbuh) with a pure intention. Because the forces of evil now dominate both inside and outside the Ummah, his excellence (ihsan) is typically defined by unqualified pretenders. As this phenomenon of mass fraud emerged historically, experts in the higher dimensions of Islam were careful to distinguish true from false excellence, inasmuch as false definitions of excellence gained prominence, currency and popularity: hence, the term “Sufism”, which indicates true excellence, beginning with the effort to root out hypocrisy from one’s own life and self. And that is the key aspect of excellence.

The process which Sufism implies involves several key paradoxes in an otherwise simple and straightforward religion, to wit,

a) One may not perceive hypocrisy in oneself and therefore needs a guide

b) Each person's ego represents, in a sense, the most important hypocrisy that he or she will ever have to fight, and the path to success against one’s ego (nafs) is not a path of gains and claims but a path of loss and abandoning claims. One must give up every false sense of identity and status. It is a kind of inverse function through which true meaning comes from rejecting false meanings and fake labels. This is a never-ending process in which everything is referred back to God, given back to God, and understood as being from God and thus dependent.

c) A third paradox is that we cannot know exactly WHO the hypocrites are and are not even allowed to guess, in Shari`ah. Maybe that's why Sufis say WHO! very loudly. But the preferred explanation is that HU indicates valuing God whether He is absent or present - which He is, in any case. May God enable us to remember Him, and be thankful to Him and worship Him in the best possible manner. Amen

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