I have thought for a long time about what it means to be a Sufi.People have searched the history of Sufism and the Arabic lexicon to come up with a definition.It has included the people of Purity(from ‘safa’ in Arabic) to those who wore only woolen clothing(‘suf’ in Arabic) to the people of the bench.But this is the definition I have come up with and believe to be the best.”A Sufi is a Muslim who is preoccupied by the Unitive experience”(also called ‘fana’ and ‘marifat’).Hope that settles the issue once and for all!
Sorry. ..that doesn’t work for me. Sounds like something prof Andrew Rawlinson would come up with. I don’t define a sufi with words! I just know them when i meet them and i also know it when i don’t get the heart vibes that they are sufi whatever their preoccupation s….
Sorry,O leader of Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition,but that statement is from my heart.There are many other areas of goodness,like Islamic knowledge,piety and simple human goodness but that is not Sufism.Not all goodness is Sufism and not all Sufis are that good lol
Or is your objection that it sounds too metaphysical?How does this sound then”A Sufi is a Muslim who,in his heart, is predominately occupied with joining his own consciousness with the Being of his Lord”(also called ‘fana’ or ‘marifat’)