Intrigues Affecting the Science of Sufism (Sufi Glossary)

The science of Sufism, like other religious sciences, has not remained safe from the distortions and intrigues of slanderers and impostors.

Some among them have inserted their deviant ideas into the books of the Sufis, introducing base and unpleasant expressions about the Exalted Allah for which no proof has been revealed.

For example, such as the following words found in their poetry:

“Only the dog and the pig are our deity,

And only the priest in the church is our Lord.” Thus, they have gone so far as to embrace this bitter belief.

The Exalted Allah says in al-Kahf 18:5:

“Grave is the word that comes out of their mouths; they speak not except a lie.”

Some among them have also sought to corrupt the religion of Muslims by introducing things that undermine their creed. They attributed to some Sufis statements not in accordance with the creed of the people of the sunnah. For example: hulūl (incarnation), ittiḥād (union), the identity of Creator and creation, and the equivalence of the universe with its Creator.

Others have attempted to tarnish the history of the Sufis and undermine public trust in them by inserting fabricated events and fanciful stories into their books. These works encourage reprehensible acts and major sins. Such things are frequently encountered in Imam Shaʿrānī’s (may Allah have mercy on him) “Ṭabaqāt al-Kubrā.” However, it will be shown later that this venerable figure was far removed from such things.

Others, including missionaries, Orientalists, and the trumpeters of colonialists, have learned the books of the Sufi masters (Saādāt al-Ṣūfiyya), altering them with baseless matters and compiling works from Sufi books through deceit and intrigue, with the aim of striking at the essence of Islam and stripping the soul from the body of the religion. Indeed, some people have been deceived into thinking they could understand Sufism (taṣawwuf) by reading the works of these Orientalists—such as the Englishman Nicholson, the Jew Ignaz Goldziher, the Frenchman Massignon, and others. By reading these books, they fell into the traps of their authors, lent an ear to their ideas, and were swept into the current of hostility against the Sufis. I do not know how a sincere Muslim could trust the words of such deceitful enemies. Some naïve Sufis, believing in these intrigues, even confirmed them and wrote them into their own books. All these people are far removed from the Sufis and Sufism.

If someone claims that the contradictory statements attributed to the Sufis are true and cites their presence in printed and published books as evidence, we respond: “Not everything found in the books of the Sufis is actually their own words. For some of these books have been altered and distorted through intrigue and deception. How greatly we need the concerted efforts of sincere believers to cleanse this precious Islamic heritage from the intrigues and distortions to which it has been subjected.”

Even if it is established through a sound chain that some Sufis have uttered statements contrary to the limits of the sharia, we say: “The words and actions of an individual, or his distinctive practices and madhhab (school of thought), cannot serve as proof against a community that adheres to the Book and the sunnah.” For the true Sufis who are bound to the sharia say: “The first and foremost obligation upon the Sufi is to remain within the limits of the sharia and not deviate from it by so much as a hair’s breadth. Whenever one fails to fulfill this condition, describing oneself as a Sufi is merely to ascribe to oneself a quality one does not possess. No matter how much one claims what is not present in oneself, one cannot be a Sufi.”

At a time when there are many things to be done to combat the bāṭil (false) slanders cast upon the Sufi community, occupying oneself with such idle talk is nothing but a waste of precious time. These matters are clear to the true Sufi and the discerning scholars. We must realize that the science of Sufism cannot be attained merely by reading Sufi books or perusing journals. For Sufism is, in essence, akhlaq (ethics), iman (faith), spiritual taste, and maʿrifa (experiential knowledge of God). These are attained only through companionship with perfected individuals—those who follow the path shown by the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) and inherit his knowledge, practice, character, and maʿrifa. Sufism is a science transmitted from heart to heart.

Some prejudiced groups, reading the books of the Sufi masters (Saādāt al-Ṣūfiyya), have regarded the intrigues, distortions, and ugliness mixed into them as true and certain, and have based their harsh attacks and crude assaults on these supposed ideas. If these resentful critics had seen and read how the Sufi figures adhered to the sharia in their works, clung to the Book of Allah, the sunnah of the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him), followed the recognized Islamic madhhabs, and embraced the creed of the people of the sunnah and the community—as we have explained earlier in the discussion of sharia and ḥaqīqa (inner reality)—they would have realized that anything in those books contrary to these clear principles and straight paths must either be interpreted or recognized as later interpolations.

We present to you some examples of the intrigues inserted into the books of the Sufis and scholars:

Ibn Farrāʾ (may Allah have mercy on him), in his work “Ṭabaqāt,” after extensively narrating many issues attributed to Abū Bakr Marwazī, Musaddad, and Harb (who themselves attributed many matters to Imam Ahmad b. Hanbal), says: “Two righteous men, Jaʿfar al-Ṣādiq and Ahmad b. Hanbal, were afflicted with bad companions. Many statements were attributed to Jaʿfar al-Ṣādiq, and these were written into the books of jurisprudence of the Shia Imams as if they were his own words, though he was far removed from such statements. Some Hanbalis also attributed to Imam Ahmad statements he never made.”^[1]

The jurist Imam Ibn Ḥajar al-Haythamī (may Allah have mercy on him)—may Allah benefit us through him—was asked about the Hanbali creed: “Is the creed of Ahmad b. Hanbal like that of these people?” He replied: “May Allah be pleased with him and grant him the gardens of gnosis! May Allah pour all His grace upon us and him! May He grant him the highest paradise! Ahmad Hanbali was one who, with great emphasis, declared Allah free from the claims of the oppressors and deniers, and whose creed was in accordance with the people of the sunnah and the community. He declared Allah free from direction, corporeality, and all other deficiencies, and instead affirmed the attributes of kamāl (perfection). All the claims about direction and similar matters made by the ignorant and well-known group who claim to follow Imam al-Aʿẓam are nothing but slander and lies against him. Those who attribute such deficiencies to him have been cursed. The Exalted Allah is free from the slanders of those who cast such blame.” One of the leading imams of his school, the memorizer, proof, and model, Imam Abū’l-Faraj b. al-Jawzī, says regarding such statements attributed to Imam Ahmad: “All such things attributed to that imam are slander and lies. His explicit statements and his declaration of Allah’s transcendence are clear regarding these false matters. Know this, for it is very important.”^[2]

Many intrigues have also been inserted into the book “Nahj al-Balāgha,” attributed to ʿAlī b. Abī Ṭālib (may Allah be pleased with him). Al-Dhahabī, in his biography of ʿAlī b. Ḥusayn Sharīf Murtaḍā, mentions that he was accused of fabricating “Nahj al-Balāgha.” Anyone who reads that book knows for certain that not all the statements attributed to Imam ʿAlī (may Allah be pleased with him) are true, for the book contains open insults and base words about our master Abū Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) and ʿUmar (may Allah be pleased with him), as well as contradictory and corrupt expressions. Anyone familiar with the character of these two noble Qurayshites and their successors will conclude that most of the book is false.”^[3]

Imam Shaʿrānī (may Allah have mercy on him) was also a victim of intrigue and deception, especially in his “Ṭabaqāt al-Kubrā,” as he explains in his work “al-Laṭāʾif al-Minan wa’l-Akhlāq”: “My patience in the face of the slanders of envious enemies is among the graces and favors of Allah. They inserted statements contrary to the outward sharia into my books, falsely attributed fatwas to me, and distributed pamphlets and journals against me as far as the gates of the Egyptian government and to many others. O my brother! When I went on Hajj in the year 947 AH, I learned that these tribulations and slanders had befallen me in Egypt. Among these slanders was the claim that I had issued a fatwa allowing someone to pray before the appointed time if he had a need. This rumor spread during the Hajj, and some enemies sent these slanders to Egypt by shortcut through the mountains. When these intrigues reached Egypt, they caused great turmoil and gossip, even reaching the west and east and the high officials of Egypt. My friends were distressed and greatly harmed. When I returned to Egypt, people looked at me with suspicion. I asked, ‘What is wrong with these people?’ They gave me the pamphlets and news written against me that had come from Mecca. Only Allah knows the number of those who backbit and defamed me.

Imam Shaʿrānī (may Allah have mercy on him) further relates: “When I compiled the book ‘al-Baḥr al-Mawrūd fī al-Mawāthiq wa’l-ʿUhūd’ and the scholars of the four madhhabs in Egypt wrote endorsements for it, people rushed to copy it, and about forty copies were made. The envious became jealous and, by deceiving some of my heedless friends, obtained a copy on loan. They then wrote out copies for themselves, inserting deviant creeds and matters contrary to the consensus of Muslims, as well as anecdotes and stories of Nasreddin Hodja and Ibn Rawandī, throughout the book. They presented themselves as if they were the authors. Then they sent these copies to the book market where students gathered on Sundays. When all the students saw my name on these copies, those who did not fear Allah bought them and passed them on to the scholars at al-Azhar. Both those who had and had not tampered with the book bought copies, and a great fitna broke out. People waited in mosques, markets, and at the doors of officials to defame me. This situation continued for a year, and I still did not understand. Shaykh Nasr al-Dīn Laqqānī, Shaykh al-Islām al-Ḥanbalī, and Shaykh Shihāb al-Dīn b. al-Jalabī exonerated me. I still knew nothing. One of my supporters informed me of the incident at Jāmiʿ al-Azhar. I sent my own copy, bearing the endorsements of the scholars, for examination. They found none of the things inserted by the envious. It turned out that the other copies had been tampered with, and harsh words were spoken against those responsible. This matter is well known. I know some of those who accused me. To this day, they still hold a bad opinion of me. Thus, those who first heard of this intrigue kept the pamphlets together. Whenever they heard of someone who disliked me, they would say, ‘I have matters relating to so-and-so; if you want to see them, I will show you.’ Then one envious person would pass the slanders to another, and this continues to this day. They seek fatwas against me, and I still know nothing. When I finally understood, I informed the scholars of al-Azhar: ‘I am the one targeted by these matters; these are slanders against me.’ At that point, they refrained from addressing or writing against me.”^[4]

The great historian ʿAbd al-Ḥayy b. ʿImād al-Ḥanbalī (may Allah have mercy on him), in his work “Shadharāt al-Dhahab fī Akhbār man Dhahab,” after praising Shaykh ʿAbd al-Wahhāb al-Shaʿrānī (may Allah have mercy on him) and mentioning his many works, says: “Some groups, out of envy, plotted against him, fabricating deviant creeds and matters contrary to consensus and attributing them to him. They caused him great distress and slandered him severely. But Allah disgraced them, for he was one who adhered to the sunnah, excelled in piety, preferred the poor and needy even in clothing, endured hardship, and organized his time around worship. He did all this while compiling books, training students, and engaging in other beneficial works. In his lodge, day and night, there was a constant hum of blessings upon the Prophet (peace be upon him). He would enliven Friday nights with remembrance and continued in this state until Allah transferred him to the abode of honor.”^[5]

Shaʿrānī (may Allah have mercy on him) also states in his book “al-Yawāqīt wa’l-Jawāhir”: “When Ahmad b. Hanbal (may Allah have mercy on him) was on his deathbed, heretics placed writings of deviant creeds under his pillow. Had his friends and ahbāb (beloved companions) not known the soundness of his creed, they would have been misled by the writings found under his pillow.”^[6] Likewise, the author of “Qāmūs,” Shaykh Majd al-Dīn Fayrūzābādī (may Allah have mercy on him), mentions in his work: “Some atheists compiled a book to diminish the value of Imam al-Aʿẓam Abū Ḥanīfa (may Allah have mercy on him) and attributed it to Fayrūzābādī. The book then reached Shaykh Jamāl al-Dīn b. al-Khayyāṭ al-Yamanī (may Allah have mercy on him), who strongly rebuked his shaykh (Fayrūzābādī). Shaykh Majd al-Dīn (may Allah have mercy on him) sent him a letter stating: ‘I am one who truly believes in the creed of Imam Abū Ḥanīfa (may Allah have mercy on him). In fact, I wrote an important book full of his virtues and showed him due respect. Burn or destroy the book you have! That book is a slander and lie against me.’”^[7]

The great scholar Ahmad b. Ḥajar al-Haythamī al-Makkī (may Allah have mercy on him) says: “Do not be deceived by what has been inserted into the book ‘al-Ghunya’ of the leader of the gnostics, the pole of Islam and Muslims, Shaykh ʿAbd al-Qādir al-Jīlānī (may Allah sanctify his secret). May Allah take vengeance on those responsible, for they have inserted into his book things unworthy of him. Far be it from him to have written such things. He is innocent and far removed from what has been written. How could such base matters be spread by one so learned, attached to the Book and sunnah, and a scholar and jurist of both the Shāfiʿī and Ḥanbalī schools? How could such things be attributed to a mufti who issued fatwas in both schools? Know also that Allah granted him gnosis, manifest and hidden karāmāt (saintly wonders), and many other exalted states reported by mass transmission. How could such faults be imagined or supposed of him? Such faults could only be attributed by those ignorant of Allah and His attributes, who are dominated by ignorance, or by Jews or those with a Jewish mentality, unaware of Allah’s necessary, possible, or impossible attributes. I declare Allah free from all deficiencies, and such things attributed to that great man are a grave slander.”^[8] Similarly, many intrigues have been inserted into the book “Iḥyā’” of Imam al-Ghazālī (may Allah have mercy on him). When Qāḍī ʿIyāḍ (may Allah have mercy on him) obtained one of these copies, he ordered it to be burned.^[9]

Imam Shaʿrānī (may Allah have mercy on him) says: “Imam al-Ghazālī (may Allah have mercy on him) was also a victim of intrigue and deception. Some have attributed to him the following statement: ‘Supposedly, Imam al-Ghazālī (may Allah have mercy on him) said: There are some servants of Allah who, if they were to ask Allah not to bring about the Hour, it would not occur; and there are others who, if they were to ask for the Hour to come immediately, it would do so.’ Such statements are lies and slanders against Imam al-Ghazālī (may Allah have mercy on him). Those of sound mind must declare him innocent of such things, for they contradict the clear signs of the Hour established by definitive proofs.” Such statements would lead to denying the reports of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). If anything contrary to the revealed texts is found in some works attributed to Imam al-Ghazālī (may Allah have mercy on him), know that these are intrigues and deceptions attributed to him by heretics. I even saw a book attributed to Imam al-Ghazālī, filled with creeds contrary to the people of the sunnah and the community. Some heretics compiled it and attributed it to Imam al-Ghazālī (may Allah have mercy on him). When Badr al-Dīn b. Jamāʿa (may Allah have mercy on him) examined the book, he wrote on it: ‘Whoever attributes this book to Imam al-Ghazālī (may Allah have mercy on him), by Allah, has lied and slandered him.’”^[10]

Again, Imam Shaʿrānī (may Allah have mercy on him) says: “Some heretics have inserted into my book ‘al-Baḥr al-Mawrūd’ creeds contrary to the people of the sunnah. For about three years, matters attributed to me spread from tongue to tongue in Egypt and Mecca. As I stated in the preface, I was far removed from these things. I had the original copy, bearing the endorsements and permissions of the scholars. This vile fitna did not subside until I sent the copies with the handwriting and signatures of the scholars to those concerned.”^[11]

Thus, these enemies have filled the world with their malice and envy, especially targeting certain books, most notably the famous “Ṭabaqāt al-Kubrā.”

If a fair-minded reader compares Shaʿrānī’s (may Allah have mercy on him) statements declaring the Sufis’ adherence to the sharia, as previously mentioned in the discussion of ḥaqīqa and sharia, with what is found in “Ṭabaqāt al-Kubrā,” he will see a clear difference and realize that what is found in “Ṭabaqāt al-Kubrā” is manifestly false.^[12]

Shaykh Muḥyī al-Dīn Ibn ʿArabī (may Allah have mercy on him) was also subjected to intrigue and slander. Shaʿrānī (may Allah have mercy on him) says: “Muḥyī al-Dīn Ibn ʿArabī (may Allah have mercy on him) was a man attached to the Book and the sunnah. He said: ‘Whoever lets go of the scale of the sharia even for a moment is doomed.’ He concluded: ‘Until the Day of Judgment, this is the creed of the people of the sunnah and the community.’ The fact that people do not understand his words is only due to the loftiness of his rank. All statements contrary to the outward sharia attributed to him are, according to the majority, slander and intrigue. My master, the guest of Mecca, Abū Ṭāhir al-Maghribī (may Allah have mercy on him), informed me of this and produced a copy of the ‘Futūḥāt’ and compared it with a copy written by Ibn ʿArabī himself in Konya.

While abridging the ‘Futūḥāt,’ I did not find any of the things I had omitted or concealed.” He continues: “Knowing all this, it is highly probable that the envious, just as they inserted intrigues into my books, did the same to the books of the shaykh. For I have witnessed similar things done to me in my own time. May Allah forgive them and us! Amin.”^[13]

Among the Ḥanafī jurists, the author of ‘Durr al-Mukhtār’ (Ibn ʿĀbidīn) says: “If someone reads from Shaykh Muḥyī al-Dīn’s (may Allah have mercy on him) ‘Fuṣūṣ al-Ḥikam’ and claims that Shaykh Muḥyī al-Dīn Ibn ʿArabī (may Allah have mercy on him) uttered things outside the sharia to mislead people, and thus considers him deviant, what should be done with such a person?” He replied: “Yes, words contrary to the sharia have been inserted into ‘Fuṣūṣ al-Ḥikam.’ Some self-conceited people have tried to force these into conformity with the sharia! In my opinion, this is certainly the result of some Jews slandering the shaykh. One should refrain from reading or read the book with caution. Allāmah Ibn ʿĀbidīn (may Allah have mercy on him), in his marginal notes on ‘Durr al-Mukhtār,’ says (as I understand it): Either there is a firm proof with this person, or he simply cannot understand the shaykh’s intent. For it is impossible to interpret his words. Thus, he concluded that the statements unbefitting the shaykh are slander. It is known that some envious people inserted statements leading to kufr into the book of Shaykh Shaʿrānī (may Allah have mercy on him), and when the scholars of the age gathered and were shown a clean, original copy endorsed by the scholars, they concluded that these were slanders. Ibn ʿĀbidīn (may Allah have mercy on him) also says that caution is obligatory: if the slander is proven, the matter is clear; if not, no one can understand the shaykh’s intent in those words. Thus, anyone reading the book may be led to deny the shaykh or misunderstand his words. (Therefore, it is better not to read it.)”^[14]

One of the slanders and intrigues against Shaykh Muḥyī al-Dīn (may Allah have mercy on him) is the claim that he said: “The people of Hell, by entering Hell, will find pleasure in its fire. If they were taken out, they would be tormented by their removal.”

Shaʿrānī (may Allah have mercy on him) says: “If you find such things in the shaykh’s books, know that they are slanders. For I have reviewed the entire ‘al-Futūḥāt al-Makkiyya’ and found it full of statements affirming the torment of the people of Hell.”^[15]

Shaʿrānī (may Allah have mercy on him) further says: “Those who tampered with the books ‘al-Fuṣūṣ’ and ‘al-Futūḥāt’ of Muḥyī al-Dīn Ibn ʿArabī (may Allah have mercy on him) have lied. They claim he said: ‘The people of the Fire find pleasure in the fire of Hell. If they were taken out, they would seek to return.’ I saw these false statements in those two books and removed them when abridging the ‘Futūḥāt.’ Even Shaykh Shams al-Dīn Sharīf (may Allah have mercy on him) reported: ‘Many intrigues and deceptions have been inserted into the shaykh’s book. These are deviant creeds taken from others, not from the shaykh. For Shaykh Muḥyī al-Dīn (may Allah have mercy on him) was, by consensus of the people of the tariqa, among the most perfect of the gnostics. He was constantly present in the (spiritual) assembly of the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) and never departed from his sunnah. How could he utter words that destroy the pillars of the sharia or equate his religion with false religions? How could he equate the people of Paradise and Hell? Only someone who has lost his mind could believe such things. O my brother! Beware of confirming anyone who attributes a deviant creed to the shaykh! Guard your ears, eyes, and heart from such things! This is my advice, and peace be upon you. I saw in the ‘Aqīda’ of Shaykh Muḥyī al-Dīn al-Wāsiṭī (may Allah have mercy on him) the following explicit statements: ‘Our creed is that the people of Paradise will remain eternally in Paradise, and the people of Hell will remain eternally in Hell, never leaving their respective abodes.’ He also says: ‘By the people of the Fire, we mean the unbelievers, hypocrites, polytheists, and those who deny the rulings of Allah. For it is established by clear texts that the rebellious among the people of tawhid (the oneness of God) will not remain eternally in Hell, but will be taken out.’”^[16]

What was attributed to Muḥyī al-Dīn Ibn ʿArabī (may Allah have mercy on him) above is also refuted by his own words in chapter 371 of the ‘Futūḥāt’: “When the gates of Hell are closed, the people of Hell will be like pieces of meat boiling in the fire, turning over and over.” Among the Shāfiʿī imams, Imam al-Bājūrī (may Allah have mercy on him) also states in his commentary on ‘Jawharat al-Tawḥīd’: “Can it be said that the people of Hell become accustomed to torment and would feel pain if thrown into Paradise? All such statements are intrigue and slander against the Sufi community. How could this be? The Exalted Allah says in al-Naba’ 78:30:

‘We will not increase you except in torment, so taste.’”^[17]

How could a Muslim believe in such corrupt creeds that contradict the creed and belief of the people of the sunnah and the community? Shaykh Muḥammad b. Yūsuf al-Kāfī (may Allah have mercy on him), after describing the people of Paradise and their eternal bliss, says regarding the people of Hell: “The people of Hell will remain eternally in Hell, and the pain of their torment will never cease.” Some have mistakenly said: “The torment of the people of Hell will cease, and their state will turn into pleasure, so much so that if Paradise were offered to them, they would not accept it, for they are in pleasure in Hell.” Whoever believes in such a deviant idea is, without doubt, a disbeliever. For the Exalted Allah refutes this in al-Baqara 2:161–162:

‘Indeed, those who disbelieve and die while they are disbelievers—upon them will be the curse of Allah and of the angels and the people, all together, abiding eternally therein. The punishment will not be lightened for them, nor will they be reprieved.’

In another report, in al-Nisā’ 4:56:

‘Indeed, those who disbelieve in Our verses—We will drive them into a Fire. Every time their skins are roasted through, We will replace them with other skins so they may taste the punishment. Indeed, Allah is ever Exalted in Might and Wise.’ There are other verses as well indicating the perpetuity of their punishment.^[18]

Another slander attributed to Shaykh Muḥyī al-Dīn Ibn ʿArabī (may Allah have mercy on him) is the abrogation of legal responsibility.

The great scholar Imam Shaʿrānī (may Allah have mercy on him) says: “Shaykh Muḥyī al-Dīn Ibn ʿArabī states: If someone discovers by unveiling that he will be ill on a certain day in Ramadan, it is not permissible for him to break his fast in anticipation before actually becoming ill, just as it is not permissible for a walī (friend of God) to commit a sinful act in advance if it is revealed to him that he will do so. Only after becoming ill is it permissible to break the fast, for Allah has not made it lawful to break the fast before the excuse occurs. This is our madhhab and that of the realized friends of Allah.”^[19] Among those slandered and subjected to intrigue is the great gnostic Shaykh Ibrāhīm al-Dusūqī (may Allah have mercy on him). It is falsely claimed that he said: “My Lord permitted me to say, ‘I am Allah,’ and commanded me: ‘Say, I am Allah, and do not care about anything else!’” This is a vile and impudent statement. There is no need to elaborate further. (May Allah protect us from such evil slanders!)^[20]

Rābiʿa al-ʿAdawiyya (may Allah have mercy on her) was also subjected to intrigue and slander. It is falsely claimed that she said about the Kaʿba: “This (Kaʿba) is an idol worshipped on earth.” (In summary, such slanders against the Sufis are truly vile.)^[21] Ibn Taymiyya (may Allah have mercy on him) himself denies this slander against that noble lady and clarifies that it is a lie and intrigue. When asked about this, he said: “The statement attributed to Rābiʿa, that ‘the House of Allah is an idol worshipped on earth,’ is a lie and slander against the believing and God-conscious Rābiʿa. Anyone who says such a thing is a disbeliever and should be called to repentance; if he repents, well and good, otherwise (according to Islam) he is to be executed. For this statement is a lie (and disbelief). No Muslim worships the House of Allah; rather, by circumambulating it and praying there, he worships the Exalted Lord of that House and serves Him alone.”^[22]

If we were to attempt to expose all the various forgeries in the history of Islam and Sufism, it would be impossible to reach a conclusion in this treatise. For Sufism has received a greater share of intrigue and slander than other fields. Those deprived of its blessings, who despise Sufism, have engaged in such corruption precisely because they realize that Sufism is the spirit of Islam. Knowing the powerful, intense, and illuminating influence of the Sufis, they have sought to extinguish this light. The Exalted Allah says in al-Ṣaff 61:8:

‘They want to extinguish the light of Allah with their mouths, but Allah will perfect His light, even though the disbelievers dislike it.’

We must not forget that one of the factors that facilitated the entry of such intrigue, distortion, and slander into books in the past was the lack of scientific printing techniques and strict supervision as we have today. Unlike the handwritten books of the past, our era has regular printing and legal penalties. Today, who would dare to add anything to someone else’s book without the author’s permission! Intriguers and liars used to promote books containing deceit and falsehood, especially inserting baseless and false things into the books of Sufi scholars. Allah knows their lies and slanders better than we do.

Yet, praise be to Allah, He has granted us scholars who, by working tirelessly day and night, have purified this noble religion and the Islamic books from lies and slanders. By exposing intrigue and slander, they have brought forth what is authentic and true. (May Allah be pleased with the true people of knowledge.)

Thus, in this humble book, we strive to explain Islamic Sufism and the intrigues, slanders, and various improprieties that have been inserted into it. Our aim is to restore to Islamic Sufism its former purity and clarity, so that people may benefit from its spiritual power and the breezes of iman (faith), especially in this age when the darkness of materialism, the sins of libertinism (regarding everything as lawful), and the currents of disbelief and existentialism (pantheism) have descended upon us like a black cloud.

Footnotes

1. Et-Tasavvuf-u İslâmi vel İmam-ı Şa’rânî, Taha Abdülbaki Sürur (may Allah have mercy on him), p. 82
2. Ibn Ḥajar al-Makkī, Fatāwā Ḥadīthiyya, p. 148
3. Al-Dhahabī, Mīzān al-Iʿtidāl, vol. 3, p. 124
4. Shaʿrānī, Laṭāʾif al-Minan wa’l-Akhlāq, vol. 2, pp. 190–191
5. Historian, jurist, and literatus ʿAbd al-Ḥayy al-Ḥanbalī (may Allah have mercy on him), Shadharāt al-Dhahab fī Akhbār man Dhahab, vol. 8, p. 374. He died in 1089 AH.
6. ʿAbd al-Wahhāb al-Shaʿrānī (may Allah have mercy on him), al-Yawāqīt wa’l-Jawāhir fī Bayān ʿAqāʾid al-Akābir, vol. 1, p. 8
7. Shaʿrānī, Laṭāʾif al-Minan wa’l-Akhlāq, vol. 1, p. 127
8. Ibn Ḥajar, al-Fatāwā al-Ḥadīthiyya, p. 149
9. al-Yawāqīt wa’l-Jawāhir, vol. 1, p. 8
10. Shaʿrānī, Laṭāʾif al-Minan wa’l-Akhlāq, vol. 1, p. 127
11. al-Yawāqīt wa’l-Jawāhir, vol. 1, p. 8
12. Bayn al-Ḥaqīqa wa’l-Sharīʿa, p. 381
13. Shaʿrānī, al-Yawāqīt wa’l-Jawāhir, vol. 1, p. 9
14. Ibn ʿĀbidīn, marginal notes, vol. 3, p. 333. The author of Durr al-Mukhtār, Shaykh Muḥammad ʿAlāʾ al-Dīn al-Ḥaṣkafī, died in 1088 AH.
15. al-Kibrīt al-Aḥmar, p. 276, printed in 1277 AH; also Majallat al-ʿĀshirāt al-Muḥammadiyya, Muḥarram issue 1381, p. 21
16. Shaʿrānī, al-Yawāqīt wa’l-Jawāhir, vol. 2, p. 205
17. Ibrāhīm al-Bājūrī, marginal notes, p. 108
18. Shaykh Muḥammad b. Yūsuf al-Kāfī al-Tūnusī, al-Masāʾil al-Kāfiyya, p. 19
19. Majallat al-ʿĀshirāt al-Muḥammadiyya, Muḥarram issue 1381, p. 21
20. Majallat al-ʿĀshirāt al-Muḥammadiyya, Muḥarram issue 1381, p. 23
21. Some malicious intriguers have collected all the fabricated statements attributed to the Sufis and used them as a pretext for their malicious attacks and shameless assaults on the Sufis. They wrote these in an offensive style, far removed from Islamic ethics and the qualities of believers. Their hidden malice, carnal desires, and personal interests drove them to this.
22. Ibn Taymiyya, Majmūʿat al-Rasāʾil wa’l-Masāʾil, vol. 1, pp. 80–81