The Origins of Sufism

Abstract

In this revised version of “The Origins of Sufism,” with additional documentation, the article is rich in providing deep insights into the Qurʾānic origins and taṣawwuf and its manifestation during the Prophetic era. Citing several verses of the Qurʾān, Shaykh Abū Bakr shows the subtle initial manifestation of taṣawwuf in the lives of the Companions. The article is concerned with essentials of taṣawwuf and it elaborates on how the remembrance of Allah (dhikruʾLlāh) and Sufi insistence of following the Path of the Messenger of Al- lah have remained the unchanging central foundations of Islamic taṣawwuf. The article also points out some of the more significant errors in the understanding of taṣawwuf by certain Orientalists.