The World of Sufism Beliefs and Practices

Contents: Preface. 1. Introduction. 2. History of sufism. 3. Perceptions in sufism. 4. Spiritualism in Islam. 5. Sufi philosophies. 6. Sufism in practice. 7. Course of Sufism. 8. Propagation of sufism. 9. Influence of sufism. 10. Sufi Silsilas (schools). 11. New studies in sufism. Bibliography. Index.

Islam is a progressive logical and practical faith, with a perfect code of conduct, to be followed by all believers. But Islam has many a dimension and one dimension is Sufism, which may be termed as the mystical aspect of the religion. Sufism is the renunciation of worldly connections and all comforts. It is in fact, an isolation from all evils and sins. Islamic Sufism has a long history. It originated in the early years of Islam, when apart from various religious schools, the religious leaders and dervishes established their separate orders and many a saints began preaching Islam in their own style. They spread the message of love and peace. The Muslim generals conquered new lands on one side and on the other side the armless sufi-saints travelled long distances from Arabia, Iran and Central Asia to remote corners of the known world from modern day Afghanistan, through India to far eastern countries.

There are several Sufi orders with further branches and sub-branches, which have all been discussed at length in this comprehensive and compact study. This book is an asset for all scholars, researchers and students of Islamic studies. (jacket)