Islam 101

Lesson 4: Rituals And Doctrines

Tawhid and Sufism

The word tawhid can be translated as “unity”, and is meant to describe the ultimate unity of God in the Muslim religion. God does not share divine power or divine authority with any other being, and is not divided into several beings. The idea of tawhid is central to Islam, which like other monotheistic traditions (Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Christianity, etc.) stresses that one deity is supreme above all others – and often times will dispute the existence of other deities at all.

The unity of God is demonstrated clearly in the Muslim call to prayer, which is repeated daily throughout the world. The call declares that “God is great” and “there is no God but Allah” - the word “Allah” meaning “the God”. As well, the Qur'an witnesses the unity of God – it stresses the oneness of God quite frequently. In one Sura we find a proclamation that “...equal to Him is not anyone” (Sura 112). This passage also assures Muslims that God had neither begotten nor had been begotten.

The Sufi movement in Islam is the largest mystical movement in that tradition, and is the producer of almost all of the mystical literature associated with Islam. The word “sufi” has several potential origins – it may be the word for wool (which early sufis wore), purity (indicating the purity of sufis), or also rank (implying the respect given to sufis).

The Sufi movement was a trajectory that lead away from intellectualism and philosophy, and toward a more personal, immediate understanding of God. It was also a move away from the strict norms and paradigms of traditional Islam – for instance, the wool worn by Sufis represented the break from cultural standards. Early Western study of Sufism suggested the movement grew due to Christian, Hindu and Buddhist mystical influences, but modern research shows that the Islamic community, and the Qur'an, had a large mystical tradition to draw upon itself.

Sufi writings are most often found to be in the form of poetry, as opposed to philosophical prose. This literature was not popular only among other mystics, but amongst lay Muslims as well. It was most often concerned with the experience of an immanent God and with piety towards the divine.

Sufis were not always readily accepted by the Muslim community and regional political powers. There were some Sufis who would consume alcohol in order to experience religious ecstasy, a practice strictly prohibited by traditional Islam. This was known as “drunken” Sufism, and though it was often the subject of persecution, it continued to thrive. Also, we have already read of the mystic al-Hallaj, who was executed for his views. Though many unorthodox methods of spiritual practice grew out of Sufism, on average it was a respected form of devotion, and continues in popularity today.

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