The Reality of the Sufi Methodology

Question:
We ask Your Eminence to clarify the meaning of Sufism. If the Sufis are contrary to the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), why are they not called sinners, or those who oppose the Shari'ah of Allah? That would be clearer for those who do not know the meaning of Sufism.
What is the relationship between tawhid al-uluhiyyah (oneness of worship) and Sufism? Is there a relationship of worship between them, or one of shirk (associating partners with Allah)?

Answer:
Sufism and the people of Sufism are of many types, and they have many paths. There is disagreement regarding the reasons for their being called Sufis. Many scholars have said: They were named this because they were accustomed to wearing wool and distinguishing themselves by wool from others; so they were called Sufis.
It is also said that they are from the people of purity (safa'), but this is not a correct attribution. They were named this because they care for the purity of hearts, look into the deeds of the heart, care for asceticism, desire the Hereafter, and the like. So they were called Sufis for this reason, though it is not a correct attribution.
The summary is: Sufis are, for the most part, groups that care for the deeds of the heart, the movements of the heart, the orientation of the heart and dhikr (remembrance of Allah), the orientation of the heart to Allah, and the care for dhikr. They were afflicted with paths that they innovated, which their shaykhs innovated for them, that oppose the Shari'ah of Allah. Thus, they became divided into sections and many sects, each sect claiming that its shaykh, its imam, and the owner of its path is more deserving than the other, as is the case between the Shadhiliyyah and the Naqshbandiyyah, the Qadiriyyah, the Tijaniyyah, and the Khalwatiyyah, among other innumerable sects. There are many innumerable sects, and in some of them is great disbelief and great evil. Some of them see that it is obligatory to follow this shaykh, and that whoever opposes this shaykh is wrong, even if it is in the Qur'an and the Sunnah. They see that it is obligatory to follow this shaykh whether he is misguided or guided. This is disbelief and misguidance—we seek refuge in Allah.
And there are many among them who say, as is reported from them: It is obligatory for this student before this shaykh to be like a dead person in the hands of the washer, not moving a muscle, and not opposing his shaykh in anything, even if he sees him committing sins against Allah. He does not oppose him because the shaykh is more knowledgeable than he is. He does not change anything except by the consultation and opinion of the shaykh. He is like a dead person in the hands of the washer: he has no movement, no opinion, no will, and nothing except what the shaykh says. All of these matters are invalid.
The most prominent criticism leveled against the Sufis is that they do not follow the Book and the Sunnah. Rather, they have paths, customs, laws, and systems in which they follow their shaykhs and imitate their teachers, even if it opposes the Shari'ah of Allah, even if it opposes the Qur'an and the Sunnah. For this reason, the imams of knowledge opposed them and condemned them for these paths that oppose the Shari'ah. However, they are of different sections and types in this regard. Some are far from the Shari'ah of Allah, some are close, and some are in between.
It is obligatory for the people of knowledge to present their sayings, their paths, and what they were upon to the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger (may Allah's prayers and blessings be upon him). Whatever agrees with that is accepted because it agrees with the Shari'ah, not because it is the path of so-and-so, or the path of so-and-so, or the opinion of shaykh so-and-so. No, whatever agrees with the Shari'ah is accepted because it agrees with the Shari'ah, and whatever opposes it is rejected because it opposes the Shari'ah.
It is obligatory to dismantle these paths, abolish them, and annul them, so that everyone is under the Shari'ah of Allah. Following Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) is their shaykh and their imam. There is to be no other shaykh besides him whom they judge by. Rather, he is the final judge. Whatever agrees with his Shari'ah is accepted, and whatever opposes it is rejected. This applies not only to the Sufis, but also to the Hanafis, the Malikis, the Shafi'is, the Hanbalis, the Zahiris, and others.
It is obligatory that everyone be behind Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), behind his Shari'ah, with it, following it, submitting to it, and honoring it. Whatever the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) Muhammad said, and what is established from him, it is obligatory to follow it, take it, and proceed upon it, even if it opposes the Tijani, the Naqshbandi, or so-and-so and so-and-so. And whatever opposes the Shari'ah of Allah, it is obligatory to leave it, even if the Tijani, the Naqshbandi, the Shadhili, or so-and-so, or so-and-so, or Shaykh Abdul Qadir, or others, said it.
The final judge is the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger (may Allah's prayers and blessings be upon him), as He (Glorified and Exalted is He) said: : [An-Nisa: 59].
And He (Glorified and Exalted is He) said: : [Ash-Shura: 10]. He did not say that the judgment belongs to so-and-so or so-and-so. He said the judgment belongs to Allah, meaning the judgment belongs to the Shari'ah of Allah, to the Qur'an and the Sunnah. This is the medicine and the cure for the Sufis and all the other sects. It is obligatory for them to submit to the judgment of Allah and not to make shaykh so-and-so the final judge. Not Abdul Qadir, not the Tijani, not the Shadhili, not so-and-so, not so-and-so, not so-and-so. Rather, the final judge is the great Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His trustworthy Messenger (may Allah's prayers and blessings be upon him).
Those who do this are the sincere scholars who follow the Shari'ah of Allah, not those who call to themselves, to their exaltation, and to being worshipped alongside Allah, or followed upon other than the Shari'ah of Allah. These are rejected. The scholar in reality is the one who calls to Allah and to the Book of Allah. This is the scholar. He is the one who calls to the Book of Allah and to the Sunnah of His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). If his opinion opposes what the Book and the Sunnah indicate, it is rejected. And so is the opinion of others. This is done with good speech and proper conduct with the scholars, without bad manners. Rather, the scholars are respected, their virtue is recognized, and benefit is derived from their speech and their books. But they are not made into gods to be worshipped alongside Allah, nor are they made into legislators who abrogate the Shari'ah of Allah for their sake, or oppose what the Messenger said for their sake. No, but they are considered scholars—if they are scholars—scholars from whose sayings what agrees with the truth is taken, and what opposes the truth is left. This is what the scholars said.
Malik (may Allah have mercy on him), the famous imam, the imam of the city of migration in his time, in the second century, said: None of us is free from being a refuter and being refuted, except the owner of this grave, meaning the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him).
And al-Shafi'i (may Allah have mercy on him) said: The scholars have agreed that if the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) becomes clear to a person, he has no right to leave it for the saying of any person, whoever he may be.
And so said Abu Hanifah, and so said Ahmad, and so said al-Awza'i, and al-Thawri, and others from the people of knowledge and faith. They all say this matter: It is obligatory to obey Allah and His Messenger, and to make the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger (may Allah's prayers and blessings be upon him) the final judge. What opposes that is returned to the Book and the Sunnah. The opinions—the opinions of people, the opinions of scholars—are presented to the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger (may Allah's prayers and blessings be upon him). Whatever agrees with them is accepted, and whatever opposes them is rejected. This is done with respect for the famous scholar, satisfaction with him, and supplication for him with forgiveness and mercy. But his saying and his opinion are not preferred over what Allah and His Messenger said.
Every scholar has errors; he hits the mark and he misses, because not everyone possesses all knowledge. Some knowledge is missed by him; therefore, he errs in some matters where he missed the knowledge. So what he erred in is returned to the truth and the correct path.