Sufism: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

By
The Imam Rassi Society

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful...

All praise is due to Allah, the Exalted and Majestic; the One who has no partners or associates; the
One who provides the light of guidance to His slaves so that they may attain spiritual perfection
and illumination by means of it. May Allah send His choicest blessings upon His slave and seal of
the Messengers, Muhammad b. ‘Abdullah. May Allah bless his pure Progeny, righteous
Companions, and those that follow them in excellence until the Day of Judgement. As to what
follows...
We have been asked on various forums and at various times about Sufism as well as the position
of the imams of the Prophetic Household regarding Sufis and Sufism. Such inquiry is nuanced since
the term ‘Sufism’ has come to mean a variety of concepts, ideas and doctrines—some of which
either complement or contradict the others. It is therefore incumbent that we define the term before
we address this question.
Some say that ‘Sufism’ is the mystical ‘branch’ of Islam or that it encompasses Islamic spirituality.
However, by ‘Sufism,’ we mean ‘an organised system of practices—and sometimes, doctrines—
centred on a prominent personality, which is exemplified in the relationship between a spiritual
leader (sheikh) and a group of aspirants (muridiin).’ Some may consider this definition as too
restrictive and incomplete and may cite additional qualifiers and descriptions; however, this is the
understanding of ‘Sufism’ that will be utilised throughout this article.
Our intention is not a blanket condemnation of Sufis or Sufism. Those ardent opponents of Sufism
have presented a series of vituperative attacks against it without highlighting some of the good that
may be attributed to it. It is related in Hayāt al-Hayawān that when 12th century Andalusian Maaliki
scholar, Abu Bakr at-Tartuushi was asked whether it is religiously permissible to attend Sufi
gatherings, he replied:
The doctrine (madhhab) of the Sufis is falsehood, ignorance and deviance. Islam is nothing
but the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him
and his progeny. As for the practice of dancing together excitedly (fii at-tawaajid), the first
to innovate in this were the companions of the Saamiri when taking the statue of the calf.
They danced around it together and worked up a frenzy. Therefore, it is the religion of the
disbelievers and calf worshippers.
As we said, our intention is to not attack Sufis or Sufism. Indeed, there are many benefits that can
be said to have been attributed towards Sufism. I would list some examples of the benefits
of Sufism as an institution. One of the first benefits is that through Sufism, you have many non-
Muslims who become interested in Sufism and by extension Islam. In my journeys I have met
many Sufis who told me that they would have never been interested in Islam had it not been for
Sufism. Of course, this is not a testimony to any deficiencies in Islam itself; however, it does testify
to the role that Sufism has played in terms of getting people interested in Islam as a faith
system. Second, I would say that one of the other benefits of Sufism is that, through it, many
disaffected Muslims have rededicated their lives to Islam, and this may be due to the version of
Islam that they were introduced to prior to encountering Sufism. Some of them have, before
embracing Sufism, completely come to disregard some of the basic core practises. However, with
the aid of a charismatic Sufi sheikh and/or the accountability of their Sufi orders, many non-
practising Muslims have renewed their convictions and dedication towards the practise of
Islam. Third, I would say that through Sufism, many Muslims have sought to undertake the
adoption of praiseworthy practices, as well as their character development. Many Sufi groups and
organisations place at the helm of their associations the ennobling of Islamic character. Of course,
there can be no criticism of this. Fourth, one could readily notice that through Sufism, many
Muslims have learned to engage and re-engage with the Qur´ān, the Prophetic Sunnah, as well
as beautiful poetry in praise of Allah and the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him and his
progeny. Fifth, one cannot deny the effectiveness of the Sufi orders in the spread of
Islam throughout much of the Muslim world. In places such as West Africa as well as the Malay
archipelago, the Sufis have played an important role in spreading and maintaining Islam throughout
these regions. Also, from a socio-historical standpoint, the Sufis have been known to be
effective against the ravages of European imperialism. Through their tight-knit organisation as
well as dedication towards their teachings, many of them were able to meet the challenge of the
aggressive spread of modernism—either through direct conflict in warfare or through
ideological struggle. Anyone who is fair-minded would have to readily admit that much of the
Muslim world, from the Caucasus mountains to the shores of West Africa, the Sufis were a force
to be reckoned with and posed the most threat to the European powers—both
militarily and philosophically.
But of course, as they say, with every rose there are thorns. In addition to some of the benefits that
have come about as a result of and because of Sufism, there have also been some very real criticisms
and condemnations of it. The purpose of this brief article is the highlight some examples of these
criticisms of Sufism in a work of one of our respected and eminent imam and scholar of the recent
past, Imam al-Mahdi Muhammad b. al-Qāsim al-Husseini al-Houthi, upon him be peace.
Of course, much like anything else, there is a historical context that must be considered. In regard
to Sufism, it must be readily admitted that there are a variety of opinions, ideas, practises and
beliefs of the Sufis. That is the reason that engaging in a general damnation of Sufism is an
exercise in futility. To contextualise this brief article, we first begin by
introducing the scholar whose work we shall delve into for this research.
Imam al-Mahdi Muhammad b. al-Qāsim al-Husseini al-Houthi (d. 1319 AH), upon him be peace,
was a Husseini sayyid descended from the line of the Twelver imam, ‘Ali an-Naqi, upon him be
peace. He was nicknamed with the title, al-Houthi, due to his connection to the scholarly tradition
known in al-Houth, a village three days away from Sana´a. His upbringing was developed in the
study circles of the scholarly tradition of Ahl al-Bayt. In addition to studying at the feet of his
father, who was another scholar of repute, he also studied under some of the greatest minds of his
region and era. He excelled all of his peers and contemporaries in the religious sciences until he
caught the attention of the Ottoman authorities, who imprisoned him and other prominent scholars
in Hodeidah in 1294 AH. Upon his release three years later, he was flanked by some of the most
prominent scholars and nobles in Yemen and was offered the pledge of allegiance as imam.
Although his revolt against the Turks did not grant him apparent success, he nevertheless left a
treasure trove of knowledge in the form of the students who proceeded from him—many of whom
included imams, magistrates and scholars—as well as his literary works. Out of his surviving
works, the one we will focus on in particular is in a collection of his religious edicts known as
Majmu’ Fatāwa al-Imām al-Mahdi Muhammad bin al-Qāsim al-Husseini.
In this particular work in question, the questioner asks the sheikh about the spread of a specific Sufi
order in Yemen. Some of the points brought up include a narration attributed to the Commander of
Believers, ‘Ali b. Abi Ťālib, upon him be peace, as well as some of the errant doctrines and
practises of this particular Sufi sect. His response addresses the points raised by the interlocutor and
passes a religious edict (fatwa) in this regard.
The imam, upon him be peace, said:
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful...
The answer—and with Allah is success—is that what the questioner mentioned is from the
forbidden innovations and a deception that it is a ritual according to the people of Islam. The
sect that performs such actions is a deviant sect of innovators called Sufis.
Our scholars, may Allah be pleased with them, have said that they are proponents of the doctrine
of Incarnation (al-hulūliya) who say that Allah, the Exalted, is incarnated in well-developed,
beautiful forms, as well as those who say similar among the recalcitrant. Their intention thereby
is deceptive perversion of Islam and scheming against the Sacred Law of the master of
humankind due to their imposing on Islam what they are unable to out of stubbornness except
the like of these innovations.
Our scholars, upon them be peace, affirm from the doctrine of these innovators that they say that
Allah, the Exalted, is an accident that inhabits a beautiful and lovely form! Highly Exalted be
He from such! They say that He inhabits one of a particular quality. They are the proponents of
the doctrine of Incarnation insomuch that they permit the doctrine of some Christians when they
say that Allah, the Exalted, is one with the Christ. However, they conceal such and do not
manifest their exaggerations except to the one that they trust, similar to the Esotericists.
The imam accuses this group of Sufis as adhering to the doctrine of Incarnation. Such a doctrine
negates the pure Divine Oneness as espoused by true Muslims. Some statements of Sufis have been
attributed to the doctrine of Incarnation. The most famous example of this is that of Manšūr al-
Hallāj, who was reported in the Ťabaqāt as-Sufiyya to have said: “Humanity is not separate from
Him nor connected to Him.” A similar accusation was made earlier by Sayyid Imam al-Qāsim b.
Muhammad, upon him be peace, in some of his treatises. In them, he attributes the doctrine of
Incarnation to the Mevlevis (al-Mawlawiya), a prominent Sufi order in Turkey.
Some Sufis tend to argue that the statements of their mystics are often misinterpreted by outsiders
who are unfamiliar with Sufi terminology and concepts. To such, we reply that Christians say the
same thing when we criticise their doctrine of Incarnation and the Trinity. They assert that non-
believers are somehow blinded to the true reality of their statements of doctrine—perhaps due to
the lack of knowledge regarding terminology or due to the lack of spiritual ‘unveiling’ necessary
to understand their conundrum. Allah, Glorified be He, cautions Christians by saying: {Say not
‘Trinity’! Desist, it would be better for thee!} (Q. 4:171). Allah prohibits Christians from even
declaring such, stating that it would be better for them. We similarly caution the Sufis to refrain
from declaring such statements that would seemingly imply the doctrine of Incarnation and Unity
of Being, as such statements have placed their ‘mystics’ in a doctrinal dilemma and questionable
status insomuch that there is disagreement regarding the Islam of al-Hallāj, Ibn Arabi and others.
It is for this reason that the imam attributes the practice of concealment and secrecy to the Sufis.
Perhaps by doing such, they hope to avoid the charges of heresy and denouncement. He compares
such practice of concealment to the Esotericists (al-Bāţiniyya), a moniker for the Isma´ili Shiite
faction who maintain that along with an outward doctrine, there exists an inner doctrine that is only
known to its initiates.

The imam went on to say:

There is no known basis for the innovations they practice—whether in the Book of Allah or the
Sunnah of Allah’s Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny. Neither is there
a basis in the actions of the Commander of Believers, upon him be peace, or anyone else from
the imams of guidance and scholars of the religion. Rather, that which they narrate from the
Commander of Believers is a lie and calumny. Indeed, if they were present during his time, he
would have put them to death and attributed them with misguidance, just as his descendants
 among the right-acting imams have done. Whenever this sect was manifested in every era, they
[i.e. the imams] attributed misguidance to them, considered them dull-witted and considered
their actions as the evillest of actions. They [the imams of Ahl al-Bayt] are the most
knowledgeable regarding the religion of their ancestors and the doctrine of their forefathers.
Here the imam denies any connection between the doctrine/practice of this Sufi sect and the
fundamental foundations of the religion. It is also interesting to note that he similarly denies the
connection between the tenets of Sufism and the imams of Ahl al-Bayt, upon them be peace. This
is significant because many of the Sufi orders ascribe their doctrines and practices to the imams of
Ahl al-Bayt in their chains of transmission (silsila).

The ‘lie and calumny’ against the Commander of Believers, ‘Ali b. Abi Ťālib, upon him be peace,
that the imam refers to is the claim that he performed some of these practices alluded to by the
questioner. The questioner said:
What is the statement of the scholars of Islam...regarding the matter of these verbal
remembrances (al-adhkār) and loud sighing (an-nahat) as well as Sufi chanting (as-
samaa’) among them with one of them standing in the centre of their circle, reciting
couplets of poetry and hymns while they sigh loudly in unison and combine their voices in
it? They attribute such to the Shadhilis and Sufis, and they claim that it is narrated from the
Commander of Believers, ‘Ali b. Abi Ťālib, upon him be peace.
So, it is evident that the imam decries the attribution of such Sufi chanting to Imam ‘Ali, upon him
be peace. Indeed, if such practice was accurately transmitted from Imam ‘Ali, upon him be peace,
then his descendants would have more of a right to perform such. However, as is evident from the
statement of the imam, no such practice has been handed down to the ‘Alawi descendants through
the chain of their imams.

To confirm this, the imam said:

It is not narrated from the Commander of Believers, upon him be peace, or anyone else among
the imams of Ahl al-Bayt, upon them be peace, nor from the scholars of Islam confirming this
practice of chanting or combining their voices in the recitation of poetry—especially in the
mosques. Rather, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, said: ((Do not
distract those among you who are praying with your recitation of Qur´ān)). Look how he
prohibited the raising of the voice in the recitation of Qur´ān, which is the best of verbal
remembrances, since it would distract those who are praying!
These chanting and audible repetitions are among the {entertaining speech (lahw al-hadīth}
that the Exalted censures in His statement: {And amongst the people are those who purchase
entertaining speech in order to misguide from the path to Allah...} (Q. 31:6).
The Exalted also says regarding the supplication that is an act of worship: {Supplicate to thy
Lord humbly and inwardly (khufyatan), for He loveth not the rebellious} (Q. 7:55). It is
narrated in some of the books of exegesis that the enemies used to raise their voices in
supplication.
The Exalted says, addressing Allah’s Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him and his
progeny: {Remember thy Lord within thy self humbly and inwardly, without audibility in
speech (al-jahr min al-qawl) in the eve and morn. And be not amongst the heedless} (Q.
7:205). This is because Allah, the Exalted, knows the inward hearts as well as that which
whispers to humankind. Therefore, He hears the inward supplications.
Not only does the imam distance Imam ‘Ali and the other imams of Ahl al-Bayt from such practices,
but he also declares that such practices contradict the foundational sources of the religion—the
Qur´ān and Prophetic Sunnah.
He quotes a hadith that has been reported with various wording but with the same meaning. Ibn
Hajar reports and authenticates a similar narration: ((Do not raise your voice over that of another
in recitation of the Qur´ān)). The context of this hadith is made clear in a report in Sunan Abu
Dawūd on the authority of Abu Sa’īd al-Khudri:
Allah’s Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, religiously secluded
himself (‘atakafa) to the mosque. He heard them reciting the Qur´ān in loud voices. He
opened the curtain and said: ((Shouldn’t each one of you speak to his Lord silently? One
should not trouble the other, and neither should one raise the voice in recitation [or in
another narration “in the prayer”] over the voice of the other.
Of course, the import of the hadith is the very practical advice to refrain from the audible recitation
of Qur´ān outside of the prayer in mosques and prayer spaces due to the possibility that such
recitation may distract the one praying. It is amazing how the Muslim Ummah has abandoned this
advice in favour of Qur´ ān-recitation competitions in which reciters compete with one another
with the use of microphones and loud speakers in mosques!
Next, the imam declares that such chanting and collective recitations of poetry are a type of
{entertaining speech (lahw al-hadīth} mentioned in the holy verse. What is interesting about this
is the fact that—although such poetry, hymns and chanting are designed to increase one in the
remembrance of Allah and the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, such
‘remembrance’ becomes diluted due to the emphasis being placed on the beauty of the chanter’s
voice rather than the content of the chant itself! It is also noteworthy that the Arabic word lahw in
the verse refers to any type of entertainment that exists for its own sake and detracts one from the
remembrance of Allah. Therefore, in the cases where such chanting is appreciated more for their
context rather than their content, such may distract one from the remembrance of Allah, which
applies to the import of the verse.
Next, the imam quotes the verses related to the supplication and remembrance of Allah being
something that should be inward (khufya). That is to say that true sincerity is measured, not by what
one does outwardly but by what one does inwardly. Many Sufis who advocate for the collective
audible dhikr sessions mention that such practice actively engages all who are present and serves
as a positive peer pressure to engage in the remembrance of Allah. However, it is all too often that
Sufi murids compete with one another in these sessions in order to grab the attention of their sheikh
who is leading the dhikr or that of the fellow murids. They strive to be recognised in these dhikr
sessions as spiritually ‘engulfed’ and ‘consumed’ by the dhikr. Such outward display of spirituality
only serves the ego of the supposed ‘aspirant.’ Therefore, the spirituality based upon the Qur´ān
emphasises the quiet and sober quality of dhikr that is only between the slave and his/her Lord.
Indeed, hypocrisy and ostentation is less likely to appear in a dhikr session in which the seeker
supplicates and engage in the remembrance of Allah alone and silently, as opposed to one who is
audible among fellow congregants.

The imam continued:

The only legitimate case of audible supplication is in specific instances, such as the rain prayer.
It is not like the practices of these innovators. Therefore, whoever believes in Allah and the Last
Day will not associate with them, sit with them or do what they do. They will deceive the people
until they lead them to destruction. Whoever associates with them, sit with them and do what
they do will have the same judgement applied to them. Allah, the Exalted, says: {When thou
seest those engaged in idle talk regarding Our verses, turn away from them till they engage
in discourse regarding something else. If Satan causes thee to forget, do not sit—after
remembering—with the wrongdoing folk} (Q. 6:68).
 And the Exalted says: {Verily, it hath been revealed unto thee in the Book that when ye hear
the verses of Allah rejected and taken as jest, sit not with them till they take up other
speech. Otherwise, ye shall be like unto them. Verily, Allah shall gather the hypocrites and
disbelievers together in Hell!} (Q. 4:140).
He is saying that your sitting with them makes you like them, and your association with them as
well as doing what they do is even worse than sitting with them. Rather, it is obligatory for the
Muslims to stay away and refrain from them.
Such statement of the imam is a sobering reminder to those of us who may not necessarily agree
with or practice some of these deviant practices, that even associating with them and attending their
gatherings can be problematic. This is due to the ‘guilt by association’ clause presented in the
aforementioned Qur´ānic verses. We should reflect upon the import of these verses.

The imam says:

These people mentioned in the question of the questioner have added to their innovative beliefs
statements and practices which are outside of the pale of Islamic principles. The Zaydis and
others amongst the scholars of the Muhammadan Ummah have continued to denounce them as
well as censure, demote and refute them as well as made clear the invalidity of their doctrine. It
has been demonstrated that their religion is a mirage and their actions are a source of ruin.
Even if it were only as the questioner mentioned, their practices, such as raising the voices in the
recitation of poetry and hymns intentionally in the mosques that Allah appointed as the places
for prayer. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, said: ((The houses of
Allah on earth are the mosques)). How can one do that which Allah discourages in the house of
Allah without His permission? Even if they were involved in a brokerage, their acting
audaciously against the broker would be considered objectionable.
Al-Hasan al-Bašri, may Allah be pleased with him, said regarding the exegesis of the Exalted’s
statement {Supplicate to thy Lord humbly and inwardly} (Q. 7:55): “Verily, Allah knows the
pure heart and the inward supplication so that a man may recite the Qur´ān and understand it
intuitively.” He continued to say:
We have witnessed peoples for whom no work on earth could be kept secret; it would
always be public. However, the Muslims would strive hard in supplication, but no voice
was heard from them. It was only a whisper between them and their Lord and that is
because the Exalted says: {Supplicate to thy Lord humbly and inwardly} (Q. 7:55).
Allah praised Zechariah, upon him be peace, by saying: {...when he called upon his
Lord with an inward call} (Q. 19:3).
Similarly, other scholars and imams were hostile against these innovators. Some of them said:
“I have seen the people of our time engaging in screaming and crying in supplications
specifically in the mosques until words are stressed and exaggerated. This is in the supplication,
so what do you think will happen in the case of recitation of poetry and chanting?”
Their attribution of this to the Commander of Believers, ‘Ali b. Abi Ťālib, upon him be peace,
is the most abominable of lies and despicable of play! How can one justify such objectionable
act? Those offspring of his who know most about his doctrine and religion object to that with
the utmost objection.
As the imam mentioned, the Zaydis were not the only ones who took umbrage with Sufi beliefs,
doctrines and practices. Sufi innovations sparked the ire of a wide spectrum of Muslim scholars,
which includes Sunni, Salafi, Shi’i and Ibāḑi. Sufis themselves were involved in refuting those
statements, doctrines and practices advocated by other Sufis.
Once again, the imam highlights the role of the mosque in Islamic worship. We know of no record
in classical Islamic history in which the mosques were utilised for audible dhikr sessions, for which
congregants chanted the Names of Allah in unison.
Some Sufis may object by citing a narrated tradition, in which the Prophet, peace and blessings be
upon him and his progeny, permitted Ethiopians to play with spears in the mosque. The tradition
appears in books such as Šahīh al-Bukhāri with the following wording in condensed form:
I [i.e. A’isha bt Abi Bakr] saw that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him and his
progeny, covered me while I was watching the Ethiopians playing in the mosque. ‘Umar
went to rebuke them, but Allah’s Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him and his
progeny, said: ((Leave them, O ‘Umar, for they are the Bani Arfida)).
In another narration of the same incident, they were said to have been playing with spears and
shields. In another narration, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, was
recorded to have said to the Ethiopians: ((Carry on, O Bani Arfida, for you are safe)).
They say that if the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, permitted the
playing with spears in the mosque, then what would be wrong with something even better—
meaning, audible dhikr sessions.
To that, we reply that if this narration is indeed authentic, such judgement cannot be inferred from
the narrated tradition. Sunni commentator, Ibn Hajar al-Asqalāni, said regarding this tradition in
his Fath al-Bāri:
Some people amongst the Sufis use this hadith as a proof for the permissibility of dancing
and singing with musical instruments. However, the collective (al-jumhūr) object to this
due to the differences between the two intended objectives. The Ethiopians playing with
their spears was due to training for war and therefore cannot be used as a proof for dancing
for entertainment. And Allah knows best!
Therefore, even according to the standards of those who accept this narration as sound, one cannot
use it as a justification for what Sufis do in general and specifically in the mosques. This is the case
when one considers all of the narrations related to the subject, such as the hadith we quoted earlier
discouraging the loud recitation of Qur´ān in mosques where people may pray.
Some Sufis may also use the report on the authority of Abu Hurayra to justify the recitation of
poetry and hymns (anashīd) in the mosques:
‘Umar came over to Hassān [b. Thābit] while the latter was reciting poetry in the mosque.
He [i.e. ‘Umar] looked at him sternly, and he [i.e. Hassān] said: “I used to recite poetry in
it in the presence of one who was better than you!”
We say in reply that this narration cannot be used as a proof for the permissibility of reciting poetry
in mosques because there is also a report that is more explicit in the prohibition of poetry in
mosques. It is narrated in the books of the Generality on the authority of ‘Amr b. Shu’ayb from his
father from his grandfather that Allah’s Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him and his
progeny, prohibited the recitation of poetry in mosque.
This is further substantiated in another report in which Imam Mālik related in his Muwaţţa that
‘Umar built a courtyard called al-Buţayhā on the side of the mosque and said: “If anyone wants to
make a sound or recite poetry or raise his voice, he should go out to this courtyard.” Thus, ‘Umar
set aside a place outside of the mosque for one to recite poetry. Such action would have been
unnecessary if the recitation of poetry was permitted in mosques.
As for the aforementioned report in which Hassān b. Thābit was said to have been permitted to
recite poetry in the mosque, perhaps this was specific to him and no one else. This would make
sense when we consider the reports in which poetry was prohibited in mosques and those that
mentioned that an outer courtyard outside of the mosque was built specifically for the recitation of
poetry. This is further confirmed in a longer report on the authority of Sa’īd b. al-Musayyab:
‘Umar came to the mosque while Hassān was reciting poetry and looked sternly at him. He
[i.e. Hassān replied by saying: “I used to recite poetry in the mosque in the presence of one
who was better than you!” Then, he turned to Abu Hurayra and said: “Answer me! Didn’t
you hear Allah’s Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, say: ((O
Allah, help him with the Holy Spirit!))?” He replied: “By Allah, yes I did!”
As is evident from this report, Allah’s Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him and his
progeny, supplicated specifically for Hassān b. Thābit that Allah aid him through his poetry. It
thereby follows that this prohibition did not apply to Hassān, as his poetry was seen as the result of
the Holy Spirit. Such cannot be said of anyone else after him unless decisively proven otherwise.
It is probably for this reason that he was permitted to recite poetry in the mosques but everyone
else was prohibited from doing so and had to recite poetry in the courtyard instead.
The imam’s quotation of al-Hasan al-Bašri is significant, not only because he was a prominent
predecessor (salaf) whose opinions are highly regarded by the Muslim Ummah but also because
the Sufis consider him one of them. Hence, even according to one of the earliest Sufis—at least in
Sufi estimation—the verbal remembrance of Allah and supplications should be done silently and
inwardly. It is noteworthy that in the quotation of al-Hasan al-Bašri, he said: “However, the
Muslims would strive hard in supplication, but no voice was heard from them. It was only a whisper
between them and their Lord...” Thus, this early Follower (tābi’i) and protégé of the Sufis
repudiated the practice of audible and aloud supplications practised by some Sufis later.

The imam then continued by saying:

As for what the questioner mentioned about the agreement (al-mu’āhada) of that and of holding
to known verbal remembrances (adhkār), there is no sin on the one who violates it by avoiding
it. It is nothing but mindless warbling and confusion. It is as the people who pledge allegiance
to them for that, and it becomes for them an arbitrary rule (šawla). We seek refuge in Allah from
Allah’s Anger!
Here, the imam is referring to the common practice of the Sufis to initiate one into the order through
a pledge of allegiance to a ‘spiritual master’ or a representative to join and adhere to the dictates of
the Sufi order and their official litanies. Such pledge is equated to the pledge of allegiance to a
caliph or imam. According to Sufi doctrine, this pledge binds the pledger to the Sufi order and its
sheikh, and a violation of such would be considered a breaking of a pledge. However, as the imam
points out, such pledge is in itself baseless since it has no basis in the Shari’ah or practice of the
earliest Muslims. According to Shari’ah, pledges were for matters such as confessions, business
transactions and the like. We have no record of the early Muslims initiating aspirants to a Sufi
order. On the basis of such, the imam considers such pledges as invalid, and therefore permissible
to violate.

Then, he, upon him be peace, said:

What is most amazing is that which the questioner mentioned regarding their delusions that the
one who perseveres in that will witness something that will appear to him. This thing that appears
to him is either an object of one’s passion (ma’shūqa) that I alluded to earlier or it is his devil
that beautifies that which he is in. In the pre-Islamic era, the devils used to enter statues and
speak from them.
This, I would say, is the ‘ugly’ part mentioned in the title! It is the very real preternatural element
involved in some Sufi practices. Many Sufis testify to extraordinary experiences that they have
undergone after the performance of some rituals. Many of them say that they see strange visions
and are able to reach a higher level of consciousness as a result. Some Sufis also work themselves
in such a frenzy during dhikr sessions that they seem to be out of body and otherworldly. Some of
these experiences are rather reminiscent of the Charismatic movement in Christianity, in which
parishioners feign ‘the Holy Spirit’ and engage in uncontrollable and sporadic actions.
The imam attributes these experiences to either inner passion or devils. In the first case, these
visions and apparitions are said to be a result of the mind empowered by intense zeal. In the second
case, however, he attributes the appearance of such illusions to the unseen world of jinn. His
attribution of such actions to the devils amongst the jinn does not entail the possibility of jinn-
possession. Rather, it is testament to the verses of the Qur´ān in which Satan is said to {make their
deeds fair seeming} (Q. 6:43, 8:48, 16:63). That is to say that through the Satanic inspiration and
its illusory nature, some Sufis have mistaken the diabolic for the divine.

The imam then concluded the edict by cautioning the questioner from adopting such doctrines and
practices, as well as praising Allah and sending prayers upon the Prophet, peace and blessings be
upon him and his progeny.
We would like to also caution the reader to not paint all Sufis with a broad brush and condemn
them all. As we previously mentioned, not all Sufis are the same. We simply hope by this humble
effort of ours that we remain vigilant and mindful of those things for which we should not be
negligent. If we—either as Sufis or non-Sufis—are involved with some of these practices, we
should reflect on the proof of the primary sources of the religion and base our actions on that.

We pray that our efforts are accepted by the Almighty and that it serves as a proof for us and not
against us on the Day of Judgement! {Glorified be our Lord, the Lord of might, from what they
may describe! And peace be upon the Messengers! And praise be to Allah, the Lord of
creation!} Q. 37:180-182).