Abū Mūsā relates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would wear sūf (wool), ride a donkey, and respond to the invitations of the weak. (Ta'arruf, 7)
Sūf (wool) is the garment of the anbiyāʾ (prophets) and the adornment of the aṣfiyāʾ (those purified in servitude). For one who does not wish to adopt their akhlāq (character), it is not proper to wear what they wore or to adorn oneself with their adornment. This would be akin to mocking them. (Anwār, I, 133)
suffa/ahl al-suffa The number of the people of the Suffa, as reported in the traditions, was over 300. They did not engage in agriculture, animal husbandry, or trade. They would eat and drink in the Prophet’s Mosque (Masjid al-Nabawi), and would sleep and reside there. The Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) would share in their solitude, sit and rise with them, and eat with them. He would also encourage his Companions (ṣaḥāba) to honor them and recognize their worth. (Lumaʿ, 183)
The people of the Suffa during the time of the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) were those who were strangers, poor, and forced to abandon their possessions and property, being among the emigrants (muhājirūn). Abū Hurayra and Fuḍāla ibn ʿUbayd, when speaking of the people of the Suffa, said: They would crawl on the ground from hunger. Bedouins who saw them thought they were mad. Their clothes were made of wool. Thus, when they sweated, their garments would emit an odor similar to that of sheep wet in the rain. Some among the people of the Suffa described others in this way. On one occasion, ʿUyayna ibn Ḥiṣn felt compelled to ask the Messenger of God: Their smell bothers me. Does it not bother you? Wool is the garment of the prophets, the attire of the awliyāʾ (friends of God). (Ta'arruf, 6)
The Suffa existed only in Medina. The Suffa was located on the north side of the Prophet’s Mosque. There, strangers who had no home or family would stay. When the believers migrated to Medina to join the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), those who could find a house stayed in homes; those who could not, remained in the mosque until they could establish a place to live. The people of the Suffa were not always the same individuals; their number would sometimes decrease or increase. A person might stay there for a time, then move elsewhere. Those who stayed there were Muslims who had come from other places. They did not possess any particular merit in knowledge or religion. Among them were even apostates and people whom the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) had ordered to be executed. For example, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered the execution of a group like the ʿUraynīs. This group had fallen ill because the climate of Medina did not suit them. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) instructed them to drink the urine and milk of camels. When they recovered, they killed the shepherd. (Furqān, 12) 920 sufi-mutaṣawwif-mustaṣwif/ṣūfiyya
sufi-mutaṣawwif-mustaṣwif/ṣūfiyya (akhlāq al-ṣūfiyya; ʿilm al-dirāsa; qurrāʾ; ignorant mutaṣawwif; mutaṣawwifa; the group of ḥulūl; the group of ittiḥād; the group of wuṣūl; the Sufi path (ṭarīqa al-ṣūfiyya); affectation)
The ṣūfiyya (community of Sufis) are the umanāʾ (trustworthy ones) of Allah on earth. They are the guardians of His secrets and knowledge, the ṣafwa (purest) of His creation, His sincere servants, God-conscious friends, truthful and righteous beloveds. They are the sābiqūn (those who have advanced), the abrār (pious), the muqarrabūn (those brought near), the budalāʾ (substitutes), and the virtuous servants; Allah has adorned their hearts with maʿrifa (gnosis, experiential knowledge of God) and their bodies with service. He has made their tongues devoted to His dhikr (remembrance of God). By His watchfulness, He has purified their secrets. Because they follow Allah (His commands) beautifully and are always under His ʿināya (divine care), they are at the forefront in the best manner. (Allah) has crowned them with the crown of walāya (friendship with God), clothed them in the garments of hudā (guidance), and turned their hearts toward Himself with great love. By His grace, He has gathered them in His presence. They, in turn, have turned away from everything except Allah.