In an article written by Seyyedeh Dr. Nahid Angha, she explains that the pursuit of truth is the quest for a particular goal.  She speaks to the fact that the difficulty of the path that one must travel to attain the goal is normally in direct relation to the goal itself:  in other words the greater the truth one seeks, the more difficult it can be to attain it.

Dr. Angha is the Co-Director of the International Association of Sufism (IAS).  Included in her many affiliations, she is also the main representative of the IAS to the United Nations.  She is one of the major Muslim scholars of the present day, having more than fourteen published works.

Sufism (also known as Tasawouf) is the esoteric school of Islam.  It was founded to help in the pursuit of the spiritual truth: the truth of understanding reality as it truly is.  As the individual embarks upon the pursuit of truth they work to attain the goal known as ma’arefat.  

Sufi followers work to gain an understanding or cognition – which for them is a perfect self-understanding that helps to lead them to the divine.  The concept is based upon the writings of Mohammed:  “Whoever knows oneself, knows one’s Lord.”  

The origins or Sufism or Tasawouf trace back to the core of Islam.  During the time of their Prophet, a group of scholars called the "ahle suffe", were attracted to the teachings of Mohammed.  

These scholars of Suffe engaged in discussions concerning the reality of Being.  From these discussions began their search of an inner path. These original people of Suffe devoted themselves to spiritual purification and meditation.  They believed that it was the unique human right and privilege to be able to find the way towards understanding the reality of the Divine.

They believed that this had to be an inner search to find a path of understanding.  Their was a recognition and knowledge that the spirit would have to strive to achieve the understanding and the knowledge of the heart.  They believed that it was this personal quest that would lead one to realize the existence of the Divine. 

This was a very unique approach to gaining knowledge by the philosophers of that time.  Other groups of scholars from that same era gained their knowledge through a study of traditions, words, assumptions, and often imagination.  They did not attempt to pursue any type of direct understanding of all that exists. 

“Thus the path of Sufis, of cognizant Moslems, was separate from that of the traditional understanding. They became the people of the tarigh, or the way; their particular goal was to understand and introduce the esoteric aspect of Islam, as opposed to the exoteric public elements of this universal religion.”  (source: Seyyedeh Dr. Nahid Angha)

Sufism principles are based on the Koran and the instructions of the Prophet.  Interestingly, for a Sufi there is no gulf of separation between the Creator and His creations. Very often it has been difficult for people who do not know the Koran or its teachings to understand the principles and beliefs of Sufism.  For many Sufis it has been impossible to try to relate Sufism to any religion outside of Islam.  

Despite this difficulty, the Sufis believe that the search for true understanding and abstract knowledge of reality is and has been a universal quest for all who seek a relationship with the spiritual. 

© TheosEra.com Spiritual Community 2008