The Defense of the Sunnah:
An Analysis of the Theory and Practices of Tasawwuf (Sufism)



by Ibrahim Muhammad Hakim ash-Shaghouri

Here is the answer to a crying need: to explain and reveal the practices of the Sunnah of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, many of which have been hidden or denied by the development of a hard and heartless strain of Islam. He was sent as a Mercy to all the worlds, and his whole life is an example of that purpose. Those who follow and love him develop softness of heart and wisdom in judgment and love of humanity. Yet they have in recent years been maligned and castigated and pushed to the sidelines of the Islamic discourse.

The purpose of this book is to educate the reader about some of the beliefs of Sufis and their practices, and to demonstrate how they are in full accordance with the Shari’a. Tasawwuf, from the very beginning, has always been integral to the Din, functioning as the realization and implementation of the pillar of Ihsan in the being of the Muslim.

Tasawwuf is neither a madhhab, nor a sect, nor an ideology, nor a cult, nor a foreign import, nor an heretical invention. It is a science concerning the reality of Allah, His Messenger, and the self, transmitted faithfully and without interruption from the Prophet himself, upon him be peace. It is the belief of the writer that the current corruption of the Ummah and its degradation is a direct result of – among other things – the crumbling away of the pivotal pillar of Ihsan as realized through the practice of Tasawwuf and its principles. In the words of one Muslim leader, Syed Zayn al-Abedin: “Many calamities have befallen the Ummah during the last 200 years, but one of the worst has been the rejection of Tasawwuf. We find ourselves without coherent leadership and following self-proclaimed scholars who teach a dry, literalist and legalistic religion cut off from its traditional and spiritual heritage. In some cases, this develops into a harsh and uncompromising political ideology, with violent results. While we understand the sources of this ideology, we cannot condone its methods or attitude. Islamic civilization, which was remarkably stable and united for over 1200 years, is now in a crisis of disunity.”

 This volume contains many answers, rebuttals, and explanations carefully researched and presented from the Qur’an, authentic hadith, and the wisdom of many Islamic scholars. It is a textbook for anyone who is seeking the heart of Islam which has been hidden far too long from the general understanding of the people.

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