Did Sufism appear in the era of the Tabi'un?

Question:
May Allah reward you, Honorable Shaykh. This questioner asks: Are the Sufis who were after the era of the Companions, that is, in the era of the Tabi'un, is their creed like the creed of the Sufis in the later times?

Answer:
I do not recall that there were Sufis in the time of the Tabi'un. Sufism emerged later, very late, and they vary. Among them are Sufis in the sense of ascetics and those who strive in worship, like Bashr al-Hafi and al-Fudayl ibn 'Iyad. People like them have Sufism, meaning asceticism and striving in worship, but they are upon the Sunnah. They are upon the Sunnah, and even if they were somewhat hard on themselves, they are upon the Sunnah and upon the Book and the Sunnah.
So the first of them are fine. But as time goes on, Sufism increases and reaches, it reaches, it reaches disbelief and atheism. Like Ibn 'Arabi, al-Hallaj, Ibn al-Farid, and others. Yes.