Sufism: The Essentials

by Mark Sedgwick, American University in Cairo Press

In this new book, Mark Sedgwick presents the essentials of Sufism and shows how Sufis live and worship. Sufism and Sufis remain mysterious to many in the West and are still widely misunderstood. The book assumes no prior knowledge of the subject and is a penetrating and concise introduction for everyone interested in Islam and Islamic societies.

Genres: Religion, Philosophy, Islam, Nonfiction

96 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2000

About the author

Mark Sedgwick graduated with an MA from the Honour School of Modern History, University of Oxford in 1986. He gained his PhD in the Department of History at the University of Bergen in 1999. He has been a Professor in the Department of Culture and Society, Aarhus University, Denmark, since 2011.

Reviews

[Stian · Rating 3 out of 5]

"People praise you for what they suppose is in you, 
but you must blame your soul for what you know is in it."

Sufism is the esoteric, inner, and mystical dimension of Islam. Based on "special devotion," devout Sufis will characterize themselves as "travellers on the path back to the maker." Many Sufis maintain that all the companions of the Prophet were Sufis, and that the first Sufi of all was Muhammad himself.

So, what's it all about? Muslims in general are supposed to follow the example of the Prophet, and Sufis are no exception. To do this, they must overcome their inner ego, their lower self, called the nafs. This is the "greater Jihad." The nafs is like a powerful and wild horse that must be controlled in order to truly find the path to God.

In order to control the nafs, Sufis follow a Shaykh, a teacher and spiritual guide for the Sufi. The Sufi loves his (or her, as anyone can be a Sufi) Shaykh, because he embodies the example of the Prophet. Indeed, many Sufi orders (and there are many of them across the globe) have been criticized for their devotion to the Shaykh. Some orders have even pronounced their Shaykh as Muhammad reborn -- although these claims have usually just been met with hostility.

Some prominent Sufis have also espused ideas similar to pantheism, and sometimes even polytheism (a grave sin in Islam). Some have talked about the Unity of Being -- Wahdat al-Wujud. You'd think Sufis who came out with these ideas would be attacked and downplayed, but contrary to today's Western perceptions, Islam has historically been a rather (relatively) inclusive and tolerant religion. Two prominent and very respected Sufis, surely known to Western ears also, is al-Ghazali and, most prominently, Rumi, who was not only a great poet, but also a great Shaykh.

Although Sufism has played a vital role in the spread of Islam and in defining and answering many problems pertaining to philosophy and theology in the course of history, it plays a lesser role today -- many Sufis are Sufis out of habit, having 'inherited' the belief. In many parts of the world today, Sufism is largely a social and communal thing, with varying religious importance ranging from the not-so-pious to the extremely pious. Sedgwick gives one example fo the communal and social aspect of Sufism:

"In the Sudan, for example, where land is plentiful if poor, it has been common for many centuries for a shaykh to establish on virgin land a khalwa (as the Sudanese call it) consisting of a few houses and a mosque. The Shaykh's followers then work the surrounding land, keeping some of the produce themselves and using some to support the community, which often comes to include children from the locality, sent to attend school at the khalwa."

Such 'communities' are not rare. In Senegal, the Mouride order has a city of its own, called Touba. There are many agricultural settlements in Somalia, and also orders across the Sahara. In some places, however, this is totally unkown, as in Egypt and Syria.

The modern state of Sufism is interesting, as Sedgwick writes

"In Egypt, then, the educated urban elites usually know almost nothing of Sufism, but have a very clear view of what it is: dirty, primitive, irrational, and nothing to do with Islam. In other countries, the picture is somewhat different. In contemporary Malaysia, for example, 'Sufism' is commonly taught in schools and universities, but it has been redefined as something which would best be translated into European languages as "ethics." Only in a very few countries such as the Sudan does Sufism retain its original prestige."

Regardless, Sufism is still around, and though Sufis are numerically significantly fewer now than before (mainly due to its clash with modernity), the indiviual who chooses to follow Sufism will find the same spiritual and esoteric dimension as those in the past before him.

[Niels Baars · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid introduction to the topic of Sufism.

[Rasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good read for those who know little about Sufism and it’s relation to Islam .
If you know enough this would be back to basics/refresher kind of book .
It gives a good and probably quite accurate description and insight to Sufi life.

[Salma]

A white motherfucker who thinks he knows something about Eastern cultures, Islam, and Sufism and accordingly thinks he’s entitled to write a book about it

[Anthony Heaver · Rating 4 out of 5]

A subtle and succinct study, well worth reading.

[Adham · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great beginner book for anyone looking to learn about the basics of Sufism.

[Eimad · Rating 4 out of 5]

finally.a book that shed some light about Sufism.after all the attacks it endured against Wahhabis and all.this book try to give an origin of a mysterious way.he concluded that their first Sheikh is Prophet Muhammad bin Abdullah PBUH.no one can argue about that since Rasulullah did received his first Word of God at Hirak.He did get away from people because of their wrongdoing.Sufism did the same thing.away from world to control their Nafs.next the author talk about work of Ibn Arabi and Imam Ghazali as influential in way f Sufism although no sufi orders traced back to them.What i understand from my reading is that Sufism have various orders.In each order they have a Sheikh which they followed because they believe their Syeikh trying to follow Prophet life each and every step.that is my conclusion anyway.the author said that Sufi not really into politic although there are some that held a few positions in the authority.Sufism is one very popular in West probably because of its philosophy.The author listed 3 enemies of Sufism which are Wahhabis(no one car argue that after every tomb destroyed in Mecca and Medina), Ibn Taymiya(not really opposed it since he is a member of order himself,more lke to reform to movement) and third Kadezalist(i dont want to talk about this).last chapter the author put some word of Hikam.

The source of every disobedience, indifference, and passion is self-satisfaction. The source of every obedience, vigilance, and virtue is dissatisfaction with one's self. It is better for you to keep company with an ignorant man dissatisfied with himself than to keep company with a learned man satisfied with himself. For what knowledge is there in a self-satisfied scholar?And what ignorance is there in an unlearned man dissatisfied with himself?

-Hikam, Ibn 'Ata Aallah

that is one of them.i gave 4 stars because this book is too short.would be better if he elaborate more.and he didnt really talk about Rumi poem except that Rumi himself was a Sheikh of an order(i forgot the name,Medevila something)

[Richa · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is a short, though, good book that mostly tells the facts of Sufism. I found it to be a good informative book. I would definitely read more about Sufism using the bibliography the author has provided. The few hikams by Ibn' Ata Allah, provided at the end of the book are much to be thankful for. If it had at least another chapter with the spiritual aspect of Sufism, it would have been an even better book.

[Andrew Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

A short yet surprisingly deep and broad introduction to Sufism.