What are the proofs for tasawuf?

[Yahya Ibn Sal]

deleted

[Crono Devir]

Sorry, i posted an article on Tawasul, not tasswuf. my mistake.

[IlyasLahoz]

Salaam 'Alaikum,
The following list of articles provided by SunniPath.com should more than answer your questions, inshaAllah.
http://qa.sunnipath.com/issue_view.asp?HD=1&ID=3623&CATE=1

[Abu Abdallah]

The best proofs of tasawwuf are the awliya and great scholars who have risen among their ranks: Junayd (ra), al-Ghazali (ra), Suhrawardi (ra), Abd al-Qadir Jilani (ra) Abu'l-Hasan al-Shadhili (ra) Rumi (ra) Ibn al-'Arabi (ra), Ahmad Tijani (ra), Ahmad Bamba (ra), Ahmad 'Alawi (ra)and many others.

If we look at the Gabriel Hadith, Sufism is simply a crystallization of Ihsan, just as kalam is came from Iman, and fiqh came from Islam. We don't see the words kalam or fiqh in the generation of the Prophet (sal), yet they are fully Islamic. The same can be said of tasawwuf.

There was a repository of knowledge that the Prophet (sal) only taught to certain companions such as Ali (ra), Abu Bakr (ra), Salman (ra), Bilal (ra), and others. This knowledge was passed on by these companions to others, and later became what we know as Sufism.

Some Sufis practice things outside of the Sunnah, but so do some non-Sufi Sunnis and Shi'ites. In general though, most authentic turuq have followed the Sunnah as well as anyone in the Ummah.

Finally, I think the best proof is that after the initial conquests, Islam spread throughout 2/3 of the Muslim world through Sufi Masters in India, Pakistan, Iran, Malaysia, Indonesia, West Africa, and parts of the West.

wa salam,
Abu Abdallah

[Omar HH]

Shaykh Abu Qanit was asked:

<Aziz> ok can you explain to me what tasawuf is?
<aq_hasani> tasawwuf ...
<aq_hasani> is the science by which we can learn two things ...
<aq_hasani> one is the internal and external manners of the Prophet (May
<aq_hasani> Allah bless him and give him peace) ...
<aq_hasani> And the second is the replication of the spiritual states of the Prophet (May
+Allah bless him and give him peace) ...
<aq_hasani> Let us clarify ...
<aq_hasani> Every part of Allah's creation has proper aadaab (manners) by which we
+should deal with it...
<aq_hasani> For example, the adab one should have with one's parents is to speak gently
+and give much respect ...
<aq_hasani> The adab one should have with one's wife is to be gentle and loving ...
<aq_hasani> The adab one should have with one's teacher is respect while at the same
+time trying to honestly understand what he/she is teaching ....
> These are external manners
<tahir> assalamu alaikum
<hashim_maghribi> salaam Sidi Tahir, you will ask your questions after Aziz
<hashim_maghribi> wa alaykum assalaam
<aq_hasani> The internal manners ....
<aq_hasani> Are like tawakkul, tafweed, zuhd, and others mentioned in footnote 2674 of
+the Explanatory Notes ...
<aq_hasani> These are the manners - For example, not getting angry often is an internal
+manner (which also has external aspects to it).
<aq_hasani> Now, there is another part of tasawwuf.
<aq_hasani> And this is the real core ...
<aq_hasani> It is not accurately expressible in words, but here is a summary ....
<aq_hasani> This core is the *real reason* for the aadaab of the teachers of the Path
+...
<aq_hasani> In that the aadaab issue from a person when he is realized in advanced
+spiritual states as the Hikam al-`Ataiyyah states ....
<aq_hasani> #46 Excellence in actions is a fruit of excellence in spiritual states.
+Further, excellence in spiritual states comes from becoming realized in the
+stations of the descending [Divine support].
<aq_hasani> Thus, there is an invisible part of tasawwuf and this invisible part is the
+*real core*.
<aq_hasani> This invisible part has to do with the ruh of a person becoming strong ...
<aq_hasani> And this person being able to take control of this strengthened ruh ...
<aq_hasani> for the primary purpose of knowing Allah better ...
<aq_hasani> for knowing Allah through direct experiential vision ...
<aq_hasani> [done]

[jinnzaman]

The best proofs of tasawwuf are the awliya and great scholars who have risen among their ranks: Junayd (ra), al-Ghazali (ra), Suhrawardi (ra), Abd al-Qadir Jilani (ra) Abu'l-Hasan al-Shadhili (ra) Rumi (ra) Ibn al-'Arabi (ra), Ahmad Tijani (ra), Ahmad Bamba (ra), Ahmad 'Alawi (ra)and many others.

wa salam,
Abu Abdallah

Assalamu alaikum

Forgive me of my ignorance, but how do we know who are and who are not the awliyah? Isn't it true that only Allah (swt) can know the true inner states of a person?

masalama

[Crono Devir]

no, people act upon thier beleifs, thus, by thier actions, you can see thier true beliefs....