Sufi

  Sufis were the wandering mystics who sought personal union with Allah. The emergence of this group of people was a reaction against the abstract and impersonal divinity that ulama scholars said was the true god of the Qur'an. Generally, Sufism strongly stressed the monotheism of the Islamic religion.

The Sufis were a lot like the Hindu and Buddhist ascetics. They tried to unite with Allah in a way that everyday followers could not do by separating themselves from the majority of the followers. Many Sufis used body denial to find Allah. Other ways Sufis tried to unify with Allah were using songs, drugs, and whirling dervishes, or exotic dancing.

The Sufis were extremely important to the spread of Islam. Sufism helped Islam spread to Anatolia and Africa. They moved into India along with the Seljuk Turks and into Indonesia through the trade routes in China and Southeast Asia. Extensive literature, including many poems, helped guide these travelers.

Created by: Alexa DeAntonio 10-22-2008 Edited by: Dirk Gadsden (October 23, 2008)

[|**vancouversangat.wordpress.com/.../**] [|**speakingoffaith.publicradio.org/ programs/rumi...**]