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Essay / Research Paper Abstract
A 5 page research paper that examines the tenets and beliefs of Sufism, the mystical tradition of Islam. The writer discusses the purposes that Sufism fulfills in Muslims life, as well as the multiple ways in which it is viewed. Bibliography lists 7 sources.
Page Count:
5 pages (~225 words per page)
File: D0_khsufi.rtf
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Unformatted sample text from the term paper:
in other religions, the Sufi path is concerned with purification and the discipline of the mind and body, with the goal is to directly experience the ultimate reality (Esposito, 1998).
Traditional Islamic life is expressed officially and formally in Islamic law. However, there were those for whom this simply was not enough, and were, therefore, motivated to return to what
they regarded as the purity and simplicity of the Prophets time (Esposito, 1998). Driven by their sense of deep devotion, these early Sufis endeavored to establish a direct,
personal experience of Gods presence in life (Esposito, 1998). To accomplish this, these men and women pursued an ascetic lifestyle that focused on detachment from the material world, which they
believed distracted Muslims from God. Many took to wearing simple, coarse woolen garments. Since "suf" is "wool" in Arabic, this is undoubtedly the origin of the movements name (Stoddart,
1985). ). In contrast to Islamic practice that is predicated on submission to law based on fear and prohibition, Sufism espouses a personal relationship with God based on love (Lippman,
1995). George Kirk, in his Short History of the Middle East, sums up the origins of Sufism concisely when he explains that early Sufi mystics were impelled by to find
a more intimate and personal approach to God than was provided by Sunni formalism and detachment (Lippman, 1995). The Sufis found justification for their ritual practices in several exceptional passages
of the Quran (Lippman, 1995). H.I. Kahn (1999) writs that the Sufi "sees the one truth in all forms" (p.4). Therefore, a Sufi mystic would, if asked, offer
prayer in a Christian church, a Jewish synagogue, or a Hindu temple, without seeing any disparity in these actions; however, his "true mosque will be his heart in which the
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