What is Sufism (Tasawwuf)?

Sufism, or Tasawwuf, is the complete submission to Allah with the physical body and the spiritual heart: for the heart it is in the cognizance of Allah, and for the body it is in the acts of obedience in accordance with the Shariah. In simple words, Tasawwuf is the branch of knowledge dealing with the Prophetic mission of Yuzakkihim, a word which means "to purify them".

The reality of Tasawwuf is based upon the hadith in which the Prophet ﷺ was asked about Iman, Islam and ihsan, and Tasawwuf is the level of ihsan, excellence.

For a believer, the fundamental of Tasawwuf is in strengthening the faith by following the way of the Prophet ﷺ in his actions and deeds, and following his example in the inner state of the heart. Tasawwuf entails that the person leads his life according to the Sunnah, strives to curtail the negative feelings associated with the worldly desires, such as lust, greed, jealousy and anger, and performs the rituals and practices of Deen without these evils in his heart, and it is not just in the abstinence or denial of worldly pleasures.

The journey of Tasawwuf begins by purifying intentions, and the destination is the constant cognizance of Allah, which keeps on increasing as it is limitless and boundless. [Keller, Sea without Shore]

Imam Ghazali rahimahullah explained the reality of Tasawwuf in these words: "The first step on the path of Tasawwuf is that the seeker should undertake hard work, get rid of evil deeds, remove extraneous relations or associations and bend all his energy towards concentration of Divine Manifestation mirroring the Entity of Almighty Allah. When the seeker attains the noble perfection, then Allah Himself becomes the Guardian and Protector of the heart of the servant and provides guidance from the Divine treasures of enlightenment."