The Shaykh’s mention of the issue of spiritual purification and the refinement of the soul among the Sufis.

'Id 'Abassi: And the third issue is the issue of spiritual purification and the refinement of the soul. This issue has become widespread among the later scholars through the path of the Sufis. These are the ones who rely on the purification of souls through spiritual struggles and textual means, as well as the matters their sheikhs introduced, claiming that they lead them to Allah. They relied in this on things other than what came to them from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). And the truth is, if it is to be said, that the first degree of Sufism is religious innovation and its last degree is disbelief. The first thing a person does when entering Sufism is that he must commit some religious innovations, because what distinguishes the Sufi from the rest of the people of the Sunnah? The people of the Sunnah adhere to the Book and the Sunnah and the guidance of the righteous predecessors. So how is the Sufi different from them? If they say, “We are upon the Book and the Sunnah,” then why do you reserve a path for yourselves? Why do you adhere to specific recitations? Why do you adhere to a specific type of dhikr (remembrance of Allah) and a specific method for it? Why do you divide the Muslims, with this one being Shadhili, this one Rafi'i, this one Qadiri, and so on? There is no doubt that the clear, bright truth indicates that they innovate in the religion of Allah. They do not suffice with the guidance of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and the guidance of the righteous predecessors, but they add what they have deemed good for themselves and what they have added to the religion, from which it is innocent, and matters that are misguidance. Therefore, the paths of the Sufis are rejected by the Salafis in their entirety and in detail. The issue is not as some imagine, that the issue of following the famous Sufis is the same as what came in Islam regarding the degree of ihsan (excellence in worship) or ... or purification or softening of hearts or the aspect of ... The other misguidance is that they believe there is a way to know the unseen and the realities of matters through kashf (unveiling), and they do not return to what came to them through the Shari'ah. They disdain learning, and some of them burned their books, saying, “You take your knowledge from the dead about the dead, while we take it from the Living who does not die.”
And what we said ... kashf (unveiling) is among the ugliest ... falsehoods and the most misleading of misguidance. If one looks at it with a comprehensive, correct view, he finds it to be the negation of everything Islam brought us and ... what came through the path of the ... and misguidance, desires, and the whispers of Satan. The Satanic influence over them is a great danger, a danger beyond which there is no greater danger. It is a disdain for which they claim that the angels come to them and ... and that Allah is the one who informs them and inspires them. What is the evidence for that? What guarantees that it is revelation from Allah? That it is inspiration from Allah and not the whispers of the devils?
And matters are known by their results and learned from their effects. Also, the occasion does not allow for elaboration on that, so we suffice with this. These foundations are important ... for the Salafi da'wah (calling to Islam).