Sufi Thought, Practices, and Key Aspects

Mystics primarily drew their vocabulary from the Qur'an, which contains all divine knowledge for Muslims and must be interpreted with increasing spiritual insight. In the Qur'an, mystics found the threat of the Final Judgment, but they also found the statement that God "loves them and they love Him," which became the foundation of the mysticism of love.

Strict adherence to religious law and emulation of the Prophet were fundamental to the mystics. Through intense self-examination and spiritual struggle, the mystic sought to purify their innermost self from even the slightest signs of selfishness, thereby achieving ikhlas, the utmost sincerity in intention and action. Tawakkul (trust in God) was sometimes practiced to such an extent that even thinking about tomorrow was considered a lack of faith.

“Little sleep, little talk, little food” were considered foundational; fasting became one of the most important preparations for the spiritual life.

Like every Muslim, Sufis were centrally concerned with Tawhid, the testimony that “There is no god but God.” This truth had to be realized within the very being of each person, and so the expressions varied: Early Sufism embraced the idea of approaching God through love and voluntary suffering until the unity of will was achieved. Junayd spoke of “recognizing God as He was before creation.” God was seen as the only true actor; only He had the right to say “I.”

Later, Tawhid came to mean the understanding that nothing exists except God, or the ability to see God and creation as two aspects of the same reality, reflecting and depending on each other (Wahdat al-Wujud).

Mystics understood that beyond external sciences, divine illumination required intuitive knowledge, inaccessible to reason. Dhawq, the direct "tasting" of experience, was essential to them. However, the inspiration and "unveiling" granted by God to such mystics would never contradict the Qur'an and tradition, and were only applicable to the individual concerned.

Even the Malāmatīs, who deliberately acted in ways that attracted public blame by seemingly violating external law, strictly adhered to divine commands in their personal lives. Mystics who expressed disdain or disinterest in formal religion through their poetry never forgot that Islam is the supreme expression of divine knowledge.

The concept of the manifestation of divine knowledge was also connected to the personality of the Prophet Muhammad. While early Sufism focused on the relationship between God and the soul, from around 900 CE, a strong Muhammad-mysticism developed. Even in the earliest years, the divine address to the Prophet — “If not for you, I would not have created the world” — was popular among Sufis.

Muhammad was said to have been a prophet even when Adam was between water and clay. He was also described as light from light, and all prophets were created from his light, forming different aspects of that light. In its fullness, this light radiated from the historical Muhammad and was shared by his successors and saints; for prophethood also includes a dimension of sanctity. One mystical tradition even attributes to God the testimony: “I am Ahmad without the 'M'” (i.e., Ahad, meaning "One").

A mystic might also be known as a wali (saint). The word wali, by origin, means “close relative” or “friend.” The plural, awliya, refers to “friends of God who have no fear, nor do they grieve.” Later, wali came to refer to Muslim mystics who had reached a certain stage of closeness to God, or those who had attained the highest level of mystical realization. They also have a "seal" (i.e., the final and most perfect personality in the historical process, just as in the case of Muhammad), marking the completion of spiritual evolution.

Female saints are also found throughout the Islamic world.