The etymology of the word Sufi comes not from the word “Suf” or Wool, as you see in many books and online. But in fact, it comes from “Saffah,” which means a shade. It was earlier used in the context of “As-Haab al-Saffah” to designate those Sahaba who were poor, unmarried, and had no relatives in Makka Shareef. They were initially estimated to be just over a hundred. However, their numbers kept increasing and decreasing over time. These are known to be the earliest of the Sufis because of the type of time, focus, and attention that the Prophet Muhammad (saw) invested in them. They became highly educated in the subjects of the Quran, Hadith, and Fiqh. As their outward education reached higher and higher, their inward spiritual maturity reached an even higher state of realization.
From them, the concept of Tasawwuf reached the masses of the Muslim Ummah. Their teachings were in simple terms what our Sarkar, Hazrat Baba Shah Mehmood Yousufi (ra) coined as “Dil Ki Jilaa, Aur Ruh Ki Parwaaz” or in English, one can say that Tasawwuf provides a “Revival of the Heart, and an Ascension of the Spirit”. Sufi Path is the exact path that a person takes to reach the higher flight of the spirit. And just like not every bird takes the same route to fly, similarly, no two Sufis can ever take the same path either. These paths and directions will change based on individual needs, as well as strengths and weaknesses, and their guides on that Sufi path. As long as they all lead to Allah and His Beloved Messenger, Prophet Muhammad (saw). All is well that ends well.