The Definition of Tasawwuf
Tasawwuf is the pursuit of purity (safa) and loyalty (wafa). Purity reflects the state of the heart and soul devoted to worshiping Allah the Most Glorious. Loyalty, on the other hand, is the struggle against the self (nafs)—a jihad of the heart, manifesting in actions that fulfill the commands of our religion, Islam. Thus, Tasawwuf is to truly know Allah the Most Glorious and to worship Him as He deserves.
It is to strive to embody the noble character of our Prophet [sallallahu alayhi wa sallam].
It is to look beyond the surface of blessings and reflect on the One who bestows them.
It is to remain unattached to worldly ranks and positions, progressing instead on the path of meaning and spirituality.
It is to exert effort to reach the secret embedded in the verse: “Seek means of approach to Him” (Al-Ma’idah 35).
It is to return to oneself, pondering how trials and tribulations expiate sins.
The Foundations of Tasawwuf
Tasawwuf is built upon four fundamental principles:
- To strive earnestly to understand and live in accordance with the attributes and actions of Allah the Most Glorious, through oneness (tawhid) and divine knowledge (ma‘rifah).
- To comprehend the desires of one’s own self (nafs), identify its flaws, and protect oneself from them. The wisdom “Whoever knows himself knows his Lord” points to this very principle.
- To understand the whispers of Satan, his methods of misguidance, and his traps, and to safeguard oneself from his influence.
- To grasp the true nature of the world, its methods of deception, and the ways to detach and liberate oneself from it.
In essence, Tasawwuf is a spiritual science aimed at the realization and practice of these four principles. Tasawwuf is, therefore, a journey of coming to know Allah the Most Glorious through knowledge (ma‘rifah). This recognition unfolds in four ways: by understanding oneself, one’s Lord, the world, and the Hereafter.
The Goal of Tasawwuf
Muhammad Parsa [quddisa sirruhu], a disciple of Shah Naqshband [quddisa sirruhu], said:
“The veil between Allah the Most Glorious and His servant is not something material. Rather, the veils are the ornate and embellished appearances of external forms. Everything in this world that beguiles us with its beauty and distracts our hearts is a veil between the servant and Allah.”
Thus, forbidden glances, backbiting, offensive words, immoral conversations, self-serving attitudes, and the multitude of complaints arising from hardships—each of these is an additional veil, an ornamented obstruction.
These veils corrupt the soul, preventing divine mercy from descending upon us. Every inappropriate image, sound, song, or television program becomes a thick barrier between the servant and Allah the Most Glorious. The divine blessings and grace emanating from Allah fail to reach the heart, pushing the individual further away from their Creator.
Yet Allah the Most Glorious is closer to us than our jugular vein. How unfortunate that through heedlessness, we distance ourselves from Him.
To bridge this gap, these veils must be lifted. Just as one opens the curtains of their home in the morning to allow light and fresh air to flow in, one must also open their heart to the continuous divine outpouring.
The way to open the heart is through sincere repentance and remorse for one’s misdeeds. As repentance takes root, the gentle blessings, grace, and mercy of the Exalted Allah begin to pour into the heart.
Tasawwuf seeks to remove these barriers between the servant and Allah the Most Glorious and to dispel the heedlessness that clouds the heart. How does this happen? It is achieved through the guidance and spiritual training of a perfected guide (kamil murshid).
Being in the company of such a guide refines one’s manners, elevates one’s character, and enhances one’s spiritual maturity, ultimately bringing the servant closer to Allah the Most Glorious.
The Essence of Adab (Proper Conduct)
Adab is the ability to act appropriately and in the right manner in all circumstances. To learn adab, one must follow the path of the Prophet [sallallahu alayhi wa sallam]. The noble figures (sadat-i kiram) of this path achieved whatever they attained through adherence to the Sunnah and the refined conduct it prescribes.
Whoever adopts the adab of the friends of Allah (awliyaullah), draws near to Allah the Most Glorious and witnesses divine beauty. Whoever follows the adab of the prophets is granted the blessing of intimacy (uns)—a special love and closeness. Conversely, those who lack adab are deprived of all these blessings.
Without adherence to the commands of a perfected guide and their teachings, one cannot truly attain proper conduct even through the Qur’an and Sunnah alone.
Imam Rabbani [quddisa sirruhu] recounted a conversation:
A man once asked Shah Naqshband [quddisa sirruhu], “Why does one enter Tasawwuf?” Shah Naqshband replied, “To expand one’s knowledge and to discover through spiritual unveiling the truths that are only intellectually understood.”
Tasawwuf instills both outward refinement and inner beauty in an individual’s daily life and spiritual existence. It teaches one the shortest paths to sincerity, pure intentions, submission, and love.
The Importance of Tasawwuf
Our beloved Prophet [sallallahu alayhi wa sallam] did not merely preach the religion; he taught it through his words, actions, and his close attention to the concerns of his companions. In doing so, he guided his ummah on how to approach and embody the faith. The noble religion of Islam is a comprehensive system of divine etiquette and principles, addressing both the external and internal aspects of human life.
“Allah has surely conferred favor on the believers when He raised in their midst a messenger from among themselves who recites to them His verses and makes them pure and teaches them the Book and the Wisdom.” (Ali Imran 164)
The purification mentioned in this verse is referred to in the Qur’an as tazkiyah. Tasawwuf similarly seeks to purify individuals from sins and moral flaws. Tazkiyah is the process of cleansing oneself of evil and becoming pure and upright. Tasawwuf embodies purity (safa), reflecting a state of being free from any contamination, living Islam in its essence and spirit, and fulfilling the duties of servitude as they were intended.
Islam begins with heartfelt faith and is sustained through acts of worship. Yet, the refinement of character and noble conduct emerge only through solving the dilemmas of this worldly life and purifying the heart from sins. Perfected guides (kamil murshids), inheritors of the prophetic mission, redirect people from sinful behaviors toward goodness and righteousness.
For this reason, Tasawwuf trains the believer to act as though they are always in the presence of Allah, the Exalted. This state is referred to as ihsan. Our Prophet [sallallahu alayhi wa sallam] defined the essence of ihsan in a well-known hadith narrated by ‘Umar b. al-Khattab [radiyallahu anh]:
“While we were one day sitting with the Messenger of Allah [sallallahu alayhi wa sallam] there appeared before us a man dressed in extremely white clothes and with very black hair. No traces of journeying were visible on him, and none of us knew him. He sat down close by the Prophet [sallallahu alayhi wa sallam], rested his knees against the knees of the Prophet [sallallahu alayhi wa sallam], and placed his palms over his thighs, and said:
- O Muhammad! Inform me about Islam.
The Messenger of Allah [sallallahu alayhi wa sallam] replied:
- Islam is that you should testify that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad is His Messenger [sallallahu alayhi wa sallam], that you should perform salah, pay the zakat, fast during Ramadan, and perform Hajj (pilgrimage) to the House (the Kaba), if you can find a way to it (or find the means for making the journey to it).
He said:
- You have spoken the truth.
We were astonished at his thus questioning him [sallallahu alayhi wa sallam] and then telling him that he was right, but he went on to say,
- Inform me about Iman (faith).
The Prophet [sallallahu alayhi wa sallam] answered,
- It is that you believe in Allah and His angels and His Books and His Messengers and in the Last Day, and in fate (qadar), both in its good and in its evil aspects.
He said,
- You have spoken the truth.
Then the man said,
- Inform me about Ihsan.
The Prophet [sallallahu alayhi wa sallam] answered,
- It is that you should serve Allah as though you could see Him, for though you cannot see Him yet He sees you.
He said,
- Inform me about the Hour.
The Prophet [sallallahu alayhi wa sallam] said,
- About that the one questioned knows no more than the questioner.
So he said,
- Well, inform me about its signs.
He said,
- They are that the slave-girl will give birth to her mistress and that you will see the barefooted ones, the naked, the destitute, the herdsmen of the sheep (competing with each other) in raising lofty buildings.
Thereupon the man went off. I waited a while, and then he (the Prophet) said,
- O `Umar, do you know who that questioner was?
I replied,
- Allah and His Messenger know better.
He said,
- That was Jibril. He came to teach you your religion.”
Tasawwuf reminds a person, “Allah sees me. I am in His presence. Since the Exalted Allah sees and knows me, I must adorn myself with the character He desires of me.”
