abandoning what he calls the ‘conditioned belief’ of his orthodox world
view and turning to an alternative way of approaching God – this time not
through scrupulous argument and adherence to minute rules, but by reaching
out to God with his soul. His ascent to spiritual knowledge is well documented
in his writings. Because he was basically a theologian and an expert on
philosophy, which he studied so as to refute it better, his works are
meticulously argued and lucidly present his views. For this very reason, his
words carried a lot of weight with the scholars and his writings gave a stamp
of approval to Sufism, carving out a place for it in the heart of Islam.
Shift to Mysticism
Trimingham says:‘Mysticism is a particular method of approach to Reality
(
haqiqa
), making use of intuitive and emotional spiritual faculties which are
generally dormant and latent, unless called into play through training under
guidance.This training, thought of as “traveling the Path”, aims at dispersing
the veils which hide the self from the Real and thereby become transformed
or absorbed into Unity.’
9
Early Sufism was an expression of personal devotion and an assertion of a
person’s right to pursue a life of contemplation, seeking thus to come close
to God. The Qur’anic understanding of
dhikr
and prayer were modified to
contain new meanings; new forms of piety and worship, tinted by personal
devotion subsequently open tomystic interpretations,were born.This change
of emphasis led to a shift from personal piety to mysticism.A special relation
with God, like the one established by the mystics, seemed very attractive,
both to those initiated into the Sufi ways as well as the general onlookers.
According to the Sufis, the shift to mysticism was actually not a shift to
9
Tirmingham, J.S., The Sufi Orders in Islam, 1971, p. 1
