Sufism: Its Mystical Contribution to an Understanding of the Islamic God

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Introduction
Sufism is often described as being the mystical branch of Islam – a spiritual path that speaks to the very heart of the believer and brings to the fore, a very real sense of God’s immediacy within the context of daily life and religious practice. As a mystical tradition, it propositions a God that has shared His divine essence with mankind – a God who is available to address and dwell within the human condition. By discussing Sufi practice and its development of traditional Islamic precepts including prayer and fasting, this essay will place it within the context of Islam with a look at how its mystical notions contribute towards a more immediate understanding of God. Furthermore, the practice of dikhr s well as the Sufi path of divine love as a journey towards divine unity will be discussed in showing how Sufism involves a sense of self-denial in favour of comprehending the divine nature of God. Sufism’s intersection with Greek science and philosophy will also be outlined in illustrating the all-encompassing nature of the Sufi God. Comparing different viewpoints, this essay includes critical commentary that will suggest that as a progression of the Islamic faith, Sufism indeed makes a substantial contribution to an understanding of the Islamic God – one that is relevant within the context of modern day society.

1. An Introduction to Mysticism within the Context of Religious Thought

As Armstrong (1999: 94) suggests, the origins of mysticism as an “alternative” spiritual movement to orthodox Semitic religion, can be traced back to a time in history that followed the formal development of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. In discussion of this, Bouquet (1962: 288) asserts that the very term, “mysticism” is one that ha...

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...esex: Penguin Books Ltd.

Ernst, C.W. 1997. The Shambhala Guide to Sufism. Boston: Shambhala Publications Inc.

Fakhry, M. 1997. Islamic Philosophy, Theology and Mysticism: A Short Introdu ction. Oxford: One World Publications.

Gilchrist, J. 1986. Muhammad and the Religion of Islam.
(Accessed 20 March 2014, http://answering-islam.org/Gilchrist/Vol1/index.html)

Khan, H. I. 1990. Sufi Mysticism: The Sufi Message. 10th volume. Geneva: International Headquarters of the Sufi Movement.

Tayob, A & Jeppie, S & Shaikh, S. eds. 2006. “To Love Every Life as Your Own: An Introduction to Engaged Sufism” in Journal for Islamic Studies: Thematic Issue: Engaged Sufism. 26. Cape Town: University of Cape Town. pp 1-11.

Vaughan-Lee, L. 2011. In an Interview on ‘The One’ by an Unknown Source. Youtube: November 1
(Accessed 20 March 2014, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iod_2QZcVOI)

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