THE STUDY OF SUFISM IN THE WEST

Abstract

Introduction. The English word for mystical interpretations and applications of the Islamic faith is "sufism." The Arabic phrase for this mystical thread is tasawwuf, and the Persian term for it is irfan (gnosis). Sufis believe that the religion is inescapably derived from the teachings of the Qur’an about an omnipresent god that is "closer than the jugular vein" and whose "signs are on the horizons and in your selves." Sufis believe that the Prophet Muhammad's mystical and religious experiences, like his Night Journey (Miraj), set the stage for his disciples to follow in their pursuit of mystical practice. The argument put forth by opponents is that Sufism heavily combined pre- and non-Islamic elements, and that the name "Sufism" (tasawwuf) was neither used by the Prophet nor in the Qurʾan.