Using “ism” to describe practices or ideologies can sometimes carry negative connotations because it often denotes rigid doctrines or ideologies. In the context of “Sufism” versus “Tasawwuf,” the concern is that labeling Tasawwuf as an “ism” could imply it’s merely one of many ideological systems, potentially stripping it of its profound, experiential, and deeply spiritual essence rooted in Islamic practice. This reduction might overlook the dynamic, lived experience of Tasawwuf as an integral path within Islam, rather than a separate or fixed ideology.

Tasawwuf has had a profound impact on global culture, influencing art, music, poetry, and literature. The teachings of Sufi saints have transcended religious and cultural boundaries, offering timeless wisdom on love, unity, and the human quest for meaning.

Tasawwuf promotes peace and social harmony through its emphasis on universal love, compassion, tolerance, and the unity of all beings. By encouraging individuals to transcend their ego and recognize their inherent connection to others, Tasawwuf fosters a sense of global brotherhood and a commitment to the well-being of all.

Dreams hold significant spiritual importance in Tasawwuf, often considered a means through which the Divine communicates guidance, warnings, or insights to the dreamer. Sufis pay close attention to their dreams, seeing them as an integral part of their spiritual journey and a way to receive divine wisdom.

However, Sarkar Baba Sahib (ra) also advised us not to try to decipher dreams on your own. There’s a great margin for error. Dreams are NOT meant to guide you to lucrative business dealings or how to vote for your favorite political candidate. Dreams have a special place for an individual and relay matters that are really important to one’s self.

Women can and do participate fully in Sufi practices and orders. Historically, there have been many prominent female Sufis, and contemporary Sufi orders often include women as members, teachers, and leaders. Gender is not seen as a barrier to spiritual progress in Tasawwuf.

In Sufi traditions, knowledge is primarily transmitted through a direct, heart-to-heart connection between the Master (Sheikh) and Disciple (Mureed). This spiritual chain ensures that teachings are not just theoretical but are accompanied by experiential wisdom and guidance, allowing for the personal transformation of the disciple.

Meditation, or Muraqaba, plays a very important role in Tasawwuf as a means of direct communion with the Divine. It involves quieting the mind and focusing the heart on the presence of Allah, seeking to experience spiritual insights and states of consciousness that bring the practitioner closer to the divine reality. There are many ways to achieve this. Sarkar Baba Sahib (ra) has taught us Azkar in the form of Paas-e-Anfaas as a priority in this.

Sufis view the relationship between the soul and the divine as one of intimate closeness and direct communion. They believe that the soul originates from the divine and yearns to return to its source. This spiritual journey is marked by a deepening of knowledge and love, culminating in the realization of unity with the Divine Essence.

Daily practices of a Sufi typically include ritual prayers (Salah), recitation of divine names (Dhikr), meditation (Muraqaba), reading spiritual literature, and adhering to a moral and ethical code guided by Sufi teachings. These practices are aimed at remembering and connecting with the Divine throughout the day, fostering a state of constant spiritual awareness and presence.

Yes, Tasawwuf places a strong emphasis on personal development and self-improvement. It encourages adherents to cultivate qualities such as humility, patience, and compassion, while working to overcome negative traits like egoism, anger, and envy. The practices and teachings of Tasawwuf aim to refine one’s character and consciousness, promoting a holistic approach to spiritual and moral growth.

Tasawwuf views divine love as the essence of its spiritual path, emphasizing a deep, personal connection with the Divine. This love transcends mere ritualistic worship, aiming for a heartfelt devotion and the dissolution of the self into the divine presence. Practitioners seek to purify the heart, making it a receptacle for divine love, leading to an inner transformation that aligns the human will with divine will.

The Sufi Way, or Tasawwuf, is not equivalent to any sect, namely Shia, Sunni, or their sub-variations. Tasawwuf is not a different form of Fiqh, such as Hanafi, Shazili, Jafari, etc. One of the most well-known Sufi Masters, Hazrat Abdul Qadir al-Jilani (ra), subscribed to Hanbali Fiqh, whereas Hazrat Khwaja Ghareeb Nawaz (ra) followed the Hanafi Fiqh. It proves that Tasawwuf is a very open and welcoming school of thought. There are also many non-Muslim devotees of many Auliya, namely our own Hazrat Baba Tajuddin (ra). There is also a lesson we can take away from Hazrat Baba Tajuddin (ra)’s biography, where one of his Shia devotees started copying the Sunni way of Salah. At this, Baba Sahib corrected him not to change just to fit in with other Fellow Pir Bhai.

Most reference sources will explain that the four pillars of Tasawwuf are: Repentance, Sincerity, Remembrance, and Love. However, Sarkar Yousuf Shah Baba (ra) has simply focused his teachings on sincere love for the Sheikh. This act in itself brings forth all others in the line. As long as a mureed “sincerely” loves his Sheikh, repentance and the stages of remembrance will automatically start taking place. We have to understand that for an average person, repentance is a very strange concept. It won’t start unless there’s an unrelenting attraction that holds a person’s attention to his or her creator. All that’s needed to spark the desire in the creator is:

Attraction to the Sheikh > Which turns into sincere love > Which further brings about repentance and constant remembrance.

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.

In general terms, it’s synonymous with the Sufi Path. But to give it another perspective, Tasawwuf is the name given to the study of the attainment of the 3rd layer of our deen. The first layer is Islam, the second layer is Imaan, and the third layer that Tasawwuf deals with is Ihsaan. Through the Hadith of Jibraeel, we learned the following from Prophet Muhammad (saw):

Islam:

1. To attest to one God, Allah, and that the Prophet Muhammad (saw) is his messenger (Shahadat).
2. To establish prayer (Salat).
3. To give to charity (Zakat).
4. To fast during the month of Ramadhan (Sawm).
5. And perform pilgrimage if one is able (Hajj).

Imaan:

1. Believe in Allah (Tauheed).
2. Believe in Allah’s Angels (Malaikatihi).
3. Believe in Allah’s Books (Kutubihi).
4. Believe in Allah’s Prophets (Rasulihi).
5. Believe in Allah’s Appointed Judgement Day (Yawmil Akhiri).
6. Believe in what Allah describes as Good and Bad (Khairihi Wa Sharrihi).

Ihsaan:

• To worship Allah, as if you see him.
• And if that is not possible for you, then worship him, knowing fully that Allah sees you.

The study of Islam can be understood if one were to study Shariah, which includes etiquette and cleanliness. Similarly, Imaan can be understood better if one were to dive into the knowledge base of Hadith and Sunnah, as well as Tariqah. Tasawwuf is the practice that usually starts when a person has already attained Islam and Imaan and is now looking forward to understanding Ihsaan. Tasawwuf can also be thought of as a path to Haqiqat and Ma’arifat. There is no end to Tasawwuf, the way of the As-Haab al-Saffah. If one were to really believe that they see Allah, can there really ever be an end to that view?

The term comes from one of the 99 Asma-ul-Husna, “Ar-Rasheed”. This name itself means “The Guide”. Since it’s Allah’s name, those whom he guides never go astray. Similarly, when amongst human beings, a person chosen to be a guide is called a Murshid. In this context, Murshid is someone that a person chooses to guide them on the path of deen. Our Sarkar, Hazrat Baba Shah Mehmood Yousufi (ra) often cites Surah Kahf (18:17) when the topic ever came up. Allah clearly mentions in this Ayat that whoever Allah holds strayed, finds neither a “Wali” nor a “Murshid”. Which, in retrospect, means that Allah provides a Wali and a Murshid to those whom he wants to guide. For this reason, people tend to look for those people who are Wali of Allah. A Sheikh is someone who is designated as an accomplished Guide by his Murshid. So there is a clear chain of authority from above.

A thing to remember is that not all Wali’s are Murshid. But anyone chosen to be a Murshid needs to be a Wali. Similarly, not every Sheikh is your Sheikh. Simply because the Nisbat or relationship between a Murshid and a Mureed is a very close and private relation. Your Murshid has to have a full understanding of not just your Ruh, but also your psyche. Unfortunately, this selection of authorizing a person to become a Sheikh has not only recently become riddled with problems, but has been for a very long time. It is for this reason that anyone looking for a Sufi Master, Murshid, or Sheikh takes their time and thoroughly satisfies themselves before taking bay’at at the hands of anyone. Our own Sarkar, Hazrat Baba Shah Mehmood Yousufi (ra), says that he himself took a long time before deciding to take bay’at. It’s not something one should do in haste, under peer pressure, or even courtesy.

In short, it’s not different at all. Let us explore why. When a person marries, do they stop being a human being from that point? Are they simply husband and wife and not human beings any longer? Of course not! They can be two things at the same time. But now, let’s flip this logic a bit. Every married person is a human being. But not every human is married. Similarly, every Sufi is a Muslim, but not every Muslim is on the Sufi Path.

At the core, Islam is the most fundamental foundation that Prophet Muhammad (saw) preached to everyone. The rules of Islam apply to all Muslims, Sufi or otherwise. In fact, to communicate the importance of Islam (Shariah), Prophet Muhammad (saw) became a living embodiment of what any Muslim can and should follow. However, there were certain advanced esoteric teachings that Prophet Muhammad (saw) applied to certain individuals that were never meant for the masses. While these individuals were given this training, they still remained Muslims as there were no contradictions between the two teachings.

Take the example of following the Sunnah. Following some of the ways of Prophet Muhammad (saw) is not mandatory, yet some people make a point to adopt them. It takes them to a higher plane of devotion, but certainly, it does not deviate them from Islam. In fact, just the opposite.

Knowing all this, there may still be some confusion left. However, when we see someone who proclaims to be a Christian Sufi, Jewish Sufi, or Agnostic Sufi, etc.. These are rare occurrences that do happen but are not claimed to be in accordance with any Authentic Sufi Order whatsoever. One can never deviate from the criteria set forth in Islam and Imaan before following the path of Ihsaan (Tasawwuf). That said, there are numerous non-Muslim devotees of many Sufi Masters. However, their path to the creator is different than that of Muslims. Tasawwuf is Prophet Muhammad (saw)’s teachings to revive the heart (Dil Ka Jilaa) and to give ascension to the soul (Ruh Ki Parwaz). One doesn’t have to convert to take advantage of it. Just as one doesn’t have to convert to take advantage of a flowing river. Inner reversion and inner conversion is already part of Tasawwuf but not in the way people think. When a person pledges loyalty and love to another person, how can they remain the same ever again? Who knows where they are in their journey of Tasawwuf?

We’ll try to lay out a very rudimentary and general overview of the concept here for now.

The “Unity of Existence” is a very ancient concept. And Allah gives hints of it in the Quran. Further, the Hadith gives a few points that shed a bit more light on the concept. But the term got most of its popularity from ongoing discourses of Hazrat Ibn al-Arabi (ra). The idea in layman’s terms is that when there was nothing, aside from Allah. Everything that came to be is part of Allah. The building blocks of everything in its utter finality rest with Allah. So there’s Allah’s own being that unites everything in existence, since nothing exists that he did not become a building block of.

On the opposite end of this spectrum is the concept of “Wahdat ash-Shahood” or “Unity of Perception” that was taught by Hazrat Ahmad Sirhindi (ra). This concept also gained a lot of ground during the 1600s. This idea was thought to be an exact antithesis of Hazrat Ibn al-Arabi (ra)’s teachings. He believed in the concept that everything is united with Allah only in perception. And that once Allah created the creation, the creation is no longer in unity with Allah.

Silsila Yousufi’s purpose is the same as what’s been instructed by Hazrat Baba Tajuddin (ra) to Hazrat Baba Yousuf Shah Taji (ra). And that is to spread Hazrat Baba Tajuddin (ra) himself. One can imagine that to be spreading the Silsila alone, and maybe even, spreading Hazrat Baba Tajuddin (ra)’s name. But that is not enough. A Silsila’s aim is never to simply become bigger and accumulate more people for the sake of becoming bigger. That is merely how various memberships to various clubs work in this temporary world for the sake of wealth and fame.

The real objective was to spread Hazrat Baba Tajuddin (ra) himself. And that can only be done if every person in the Silsila became Hazrat Baba Tajuddin (ra) within themselves and further spread those teachings and that mindset. So in short, the purpose of Silsila Yousufi is to become like Hazrat Baba Tajuddin (ra) within ourselves. Our Sarkar, Hazrat Baba Shah Mehmood Yousufi (ra) very often gives the example of Hazrat Imam Hussain (rz), that,

“One cannot become Hussain. That is impossible!
But Hazrat Imam Hussain (rz) is there for us as an example, to imitate as close as possible.”

The same concept applies here. Silsila Yousufi is the Silsila adopted by Hazrat Baba Tajuddin (ra). And our purpose is to become as close as humanly possible to the likeness of Hazrat Baba Tajuddin (ra). This practice is not going to start as soon as one conjures up its mental image. Nor will it be fulfilled as soon as we would like.

It’s going to take time. Maybe a lifetime! Use the duration of that time wisely. Fill the needs of the needy as much as possible during this process. Help those that have little or no help during this process. Become a symbol of all those good things that Prophet Muhammad (saw) taught his devotees. And if you cannot, at least become an embodiment of a person who “earnestly tried.”