Sources: Al-Ghazali, Ihya Ulum al-Din; Rumi, Masnavi; Ibn Arabi, Fusus al-Hikam; al-Qushayri, Risala; Attar, Conference of the Birds.

Sufism (tasawwuf) is the mystical dimension of Islam — the path of direct experiential knowledge of God through purification of the soul, contemplative practice, and the guidance of a master (shaykh). The name derives either from suf (wool — the rough woolen garments of early ascetics) or suffa (the bench of early companions of the Prophet). Key theological concepts: (1) Fana — annihilation of the individual self in God; (2) Baqa — subsistence in God after fana; (3) Dhikr — remembrance of God through repetitive chanting of divine names; (4) Silsila — the chain of transmission from master to disciple going back to Muhammad; (5) Maqamat and ahwal — stations (achieved through effort) and states (given by God) on the path. The great Sufi poets — Rumi (~1207–1273 AD), Hafez (~1325–1390 AD), Ibn Arabi (~1165–1240 AD) — produced some of the world’s most profound mystical literature. Al-Ghazali’s Ihya Ulum al-Din (~1095 AD) legitimized Sufism within mainstream Sunni orthodoxy by integrating mystical practice with law and theology. Sufism spread Islam through trade routes and missionary activity more effectively than conquest in many regions — particularly sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. The Sufi orders (tariqas) — Qadiriyya, Naqshbandiyya, Chishtiyya, Tijaniyya — organize millions of followers across the Muslim world.