AN EXAMINATION OF SU FI (ISLAMIC MYSTICAL) PRACTICES WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF QUR'AN AND SUNNAH

Sufism (Tasawwuf) was designed towards the actualization of the goal set by Islam. It is a well-known fact that many of the most eminent defenders of Islamic orthodoxy, such as ‘Abd al-Qadir Jilani, Salah ad-Din and Al-Ghazali were Sufis. Notwithstanding, as some scholars see Sufism as the heart of Islam, others consider it heretical or unislamic. This paper, therefore, examines some of the major practices of the Sufis and tries to see whether or not they are in conformity or agreement with the context of Qur'an and Sunnah. Only five Sufi practices were examined and proven with quotations from both the Qur'an and Sunnah and it was discovered that though there may be extremists among the adherents of Sufism, Sufi practices are mainly Islamic.