What is Sufism, who are the Sufis, and what is the Sufism of 'Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani?

The questioner : ... The Shaykh : 'Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani held fast to the Book and the Sunnah, so what does his Sufism mean? What does Sufism mean for a man who holds fast to the Book and the Sunnah? What is Sufism for a man who held fast to the Book and the Sunnah? And... is it possible for a Salafi to be a Sufi?

The Shaykh : How is that? According to the interpretation of the Sufis, yes. When you debate the Sufis of the last days, they say—and here they are not being sincere—they say: "My brother, why do you deny us? Sufism is the morals that Islam brought, and the conduct that Islam brought." We say: If you interpret Sufism in this sense, that means you are upon the Book and the Sunnah. But you do not stop at the Book and the Sunnah; rather, you add things to it, whether in the exaggeration of asceticism—as I mentioned earlier—or in the deviation in conduct in dhikr (remembrance of Allah), for example, and the like, and in monasticism and turning away from the blessings of this world and enjoying them.

The questioner : ... meaning they focus a little on the inner dimension.

The Shaykh : No problem, if they are within the limits of the Shari'ah, we welcome this Sufism. But... Sufism does not have a specific, defined scope that resolves the disagreement. On the contrary, we say: the word "Sufism" is foreign to Islam, at least in terms of the term. No problem, at least in terms of the term. As for the meaning, everyone gives this term a meaning, and you do not find them agreeing on one meaning such that we could say this meaning matches the Book and the Sunnah. So, if this meaning is what is intended by Sufism, then welcome, but this is not found in the hands of the people at all. For example, you have the book *Haqa'iq 'an al-Sufiyyah* (Truths about the Sufis) by our countryman, *Haqa'iq 'an al-Sufiyyah*. It brings up nonsense and myths, including that the Companions, when they remembered Allah, would sway in their remembrance as trees sway. This is a Sufi hadith, and that is enough for you. It has no basis in the books of the Sunnah at all.

The questioner : ... .

The Shaykh : Everyone who narrated it—and the answer will come to you if you are patient—everyone who narrated it is also a Sufi, even though he is from the people of hadith, meaning he narrates hadith. It is Abu Nu'aym al-Isbahani in his book *Hilyat al-Awliya* (The Adornment of the Saints). You will find this report in this book with a chain that does not constitute proof. So he brings this report in his book based on a non-Islamic principle: the end justifies the means. He wants to support what he is in, even if he has to cling to spider webs or threads of the moon. So he compiled this book to prove to people that he is upon the Sunnah. Do you think that one who takes hadiths that are not authentic at all, even according to any opinion, is from the people of the Sunnah, whether he said: "I am a Sufi," or said: "I am a Hanafi," or said: "I am a Hanbali"? The criterion is not the names—here is the truth—but the criterion is the realities. And since the term "Sufism" has come to be interpreted in several ways, then at that time . You, who belong to Sufism in the sound meaning, what makes you call this sound meaning that the Shari'ah brought "Sufism," when you know that this name has meanings other than the ones you are singing about? The least that can be said here is: . But the reality is that those who are known to people as Sufis are certainly not equal in the extent of their adherence to Sufism and the type of this Sufism. Is it deviant in 'aqidah (creed)? Or deviant in conduct? Or deviant in exaggeration in asceticism? And what is the extent of this deviation in conduct? Is it much or little? These are matters.