Labib Mahfuj Chisty
The history of Islam is essentially an endless journey of light and love. From the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, the Companions, the Tabi’in and the Tabi’in have walked the path of eternal love and self-purification. A unique result of this trend is Sufism. On the other hand, after the 18th century, some movements have deviated from the core concepts of Islam and tried to explain Islam through a nuanced, external form and force—one trend of which is Salafism. In this blog, we will discuss the fundamental difference between these two perspectives, the purity of Sufism, and the politics of hatred and division of Salafism.
What is Sufism – Sufism is basically a popular form of Tasawwuf. This is the path of purification of the soul, where love, kindness, charity and self-sacrifice are the focus to achieve closeness with Allah.
Key features – The soul’s dissolution (fana) in the love of Allah, not just the external; emphasis on inner worship, self-education through the relationship of the disciple-follower, self-awakening through halal Sama and Dhikr, the path to freedom from pride and arrogance.
Major Sufi figures – Hazrat Rabia Basri (Rahmatullahi Alaihi), Hazrat Bayazid Bustami (Rahmatullahi Alaihi), Hazrat Abdul Qadir Jilani (Rahmatullahi Alaihi), Hazrat Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti (Rahmatullahi Alaihi), Maulana Rumi (Rahmatullahi Alaihi). The Sufis say, “Islam is not just about prayers and fasting, but about developing an inner relationship between the soul and Allah.”
What is Salafism and why is it controversial – Salafism (Wahhabism) is a movement founded by Muhammad ibn Abdul Wahhab (1703–1792), which interprets Islam in a strict, rigid, only book-based view. Although they claim to be Ahlus Sunnah, in reality they have deviated from the main beauty of Islam – the practice of tolerance, love and mercy.
Main characteristics – calling any kind of shrine, tabruk, respect for saints as “shirk”, calling the Pir-Murid system invalid, relying only on external interpretations of the Quran and Hadith, calling Sufism an innovation.
Critical aspects – creating divisions in Muslim society, accusing Sunni traditional schools (Hanafi, Shafi’i) and Sufis of being infidels/polytheists, issuing fatwas even against neutral Muslims, and attempting to impose their ideology on the world through Saudi petrodollars.
In terms of history, who is the true holder – from Imam Ghazali (RA) to Imam Nawabi (RA), Ibn Hajar Asqalani (RA), Shah Waliullah (RA) all were followers of Sufism. Although Salafis accept many of them, they do not want to accept their Sufi position. Sufism does not mean a new religion. This is the heartfelt call of the Prophet ﷺ – “Make the religion easy, do not make it difficult.”
The evil-violence of Salafis – Salafism is not limited to ideology only, they also want to establish a kind of political Islam, where the state and religion come together to create a one-line fatwa-friendly environment.
Dangerous activities – Destruction of shrines and graves of saints (destruction of Jannatul Baki in Saudi Arabia). Attacks on Sufi shrines in many countries including Syria, Pakistan, Bangladesh
Provocation of the youth to commit suicide in the name of jihad, creating an ‘us vs. them’ division in society. They suffer from a kind of arrogance in their claim to be the “protectors of Tawhid”, where no other form of religion is tolerated.
Why is Sufism important for today’s youth – The young generation is anxious, lonely, suffers from mental depression, does not find happiness in money. They seek satisfaction in religion, but not hatred. Sufism teaches them – love, because Allah is loving. Know the soul, only then will you know the Lord. Be patient, respect even differences.
One path is love, the other path is division – Sufism is a religion of the heart, where the name of Allah is pronounced with every breath. Salafism is a kind of religious interpretation built on fear and pressure, where not the heart, but only memorization and externalities are important. How can we believe in a religion where love is lost? The Islam of the Prophet ﷺ was not like that. He was Rahmatul-Lil-Alamin—a mercy to all creation. Sufism is the name of the path where the heart opens, the eyes shed tears, and the soul says – “My God, I love you.”