The Definition of the Sufis
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Question:
The listener Bashir Shaddad sent a question, saying: Who are the Sufis? And what is the position of Islam regarding them? May Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
The Sufis are groups who became known for introducing paths in worship and asceticism that Allah did not legislate, in their prayers, in their dhikr, and in their seclusion. They are called the Sufiyyah. Some of them said: Its meaning is from tasawwuf, because they wear wool. And some said: It is from al-safa, and that the attribution is not linguistic, meaning: not correct on the straight path of attribution, and that it is from al-safa, and that they care for the purity of hearts from turbidity... from the turbidity of sins, and the turbidity of haram earnings, and the like.
So tasawwuf is: worshipping according to a specific method that the Shari'ah did not bring; for this reason, bid'ah (religious innovation) predominated among the mutasawwifah. The ascetic who strives to devote himself to worship, and to have asceticism in this world, and to seek it, is also called: a Sufi.
But if what he introduced is not a bid'ah, and his only characteristic is asceticism, desire for the Hereafter, minimizing this world, and striving for the deeds of the Hereafter, this is what is called a Sufi in reality; he is called an ascetic.
So if his asceticism does not lead him into what Allah has forbidden, and he does not add to his deeds beyond what Allah has made obligatory, and he does not innovate, but rather he seeks the Shari'ah in his deeds and his words; then he is to be thanked, and praised, like al-Junayd ibn Muhammad, and Abu Sulayman al-Darani, and Bashr al-Hafi, and a group who exerted themselves in worship and asceticism in this world. These are praised greatly; for the sake of their asceticism, their desire for the Hereafter, and their not innovating. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good.
The listener Bashir Shaddad sent a question, saying: Who are the Sufis? And what is the position of Islam regarding them? May Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
The Sufis are groups who became known for introducing paths in worship and asceticism that Allah did not legislate, in their prayers, in their dhikr, and in their seclusion. They are called the Sufiyyah. Some of them said: Its meaning is from tasawwuf, because they wear wool. And some said: It is from al-safa, and that the attribution is not linguistic, meaning: not correct on the straight path of attribution, and that it is from al-safa, and that they care for the purity of hearts from turbidity... from the turbidity of sins, and the turbidity of haram earnings, and the like.
So tasawwuf is: worshipping according to a specific method that the Shari'ah did not bring; for this reason, bid'ah (religious innovation) predominated among the mutasawwifah. The ascetic who strives to devote himself to worship, and to have asceticism in this world, and to seek it, is also called: a Sufi.
But if what he introduced is not a bid'ah, and his only characteristic is asceticism, desire for the Hereafter, minimizing this world, and striving for the deeds of the Hereafter, this is what is called a Sufi in reality; he is called an ascetic.
So if his asceticism does not lead him into what Allah has forbidden, and he does not add to his deeds beyond what Allah has made obligatory, and he does not innovate, but rather he seeks the Shari'ah in his deeds and his words; then he is to be thanked, and praised, like al-Junayd ibn Muhammad, and Abu Sulayman al-Darani, and Bashr al-Hafi, and a group who exerted themselves in worship and asceticism in this world. These are praised greatly; for the sake of their asceticism, their desire for the Hereafter, and their not innovating. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.