As the book points out, the myriad of influences on the development of Sufism defy clear academic delineation. One sees traces of everything from neo-Platonism like Plotinus to Hindu, Christian and other spiritual connection. Unlike the Sunni emphasis on intellectual understanding of the Koran and practice, Sufis are focused on emotion and connection with God. They have an emotional spirituality that is mystical, poetic, and diverse.

Though one is hard pressed to find a clear theology, the Tawhid, accepted by all Muslims, is the essential core of Islamic monotheism: God is unified and cannot be divided. Sufis take that to the point where all reality is unified, and dualities should be rejected, even the self is rejected. The emphasis is on mystical experience and the oneness of reality and love. In a sense, this is similar to a variety of mystical beliefs, and many core concepts pre-date Islam.

Sufism’s "golden age" was from about 1250 to 1500, when Sufis communicated, traveled and developed a strong spiritual community. They developed poetry, and had a strong influence on early Islam. They accept the five pillars, as well as the Sunnah of the prophet. But their emphasis shifts to the mystical rather than the orthopaxic.

Tariqah: the way. Sufis see religion as a starting point, but finding god is a spiritual journey. One of the reasons I brought up Plotinus was that while he is important in understanding the neo-platonism of Augustine and the West/Christianity, understanding that pure form of spirituality connects to Sufism. Reality is Tawhid, which is the One. The goal of ones’ spiritual path is union with the one, or with God. The five pillars, the Shariah, the rituals are simply aides to get one started on an inner search for god and truth. This is not done through the head, but through the heart, and Sufis emphasize the heart at various levels. The heart is not just emotion, however, the heart contains the deeper essence of human existence. The heart is spirit, not emotion.

Sufi masters were adept at stories, poems, parables and other methods of trying to communicate the emotional/spiritual; this contrasts to the intellectual approach of the Ulama and religious scholars who looked at the words and the practices as the essence of God and God’s message. Following the way (the search for the true self, the oneness of self and god) the heart loses the limiting power of the ego or self, and instead becomes part of the true universal spirit.

Obviously, as the book notes, this has numerous similarities with Taoism, Hinduism, and other spiritual religions. Life is this spiritual journey. The first step – and religion allows one to take this step – has to be to recognize that this life is not the true life. This world is not the real world. This world is a place where our egos create a false separation between the true self and our perceived self, between our soul and God. God is more than just an entity (remember, God is incomprehensible and does not have human attributes) but is the state of union and oneness that comes when we overcome our focus on the material and the ego.

Pirs, those who have found the way, teach and gather disciples and are venerated. The focus remains on LOVE, love is the primary value for the Sufis. Love is a spiritual sense of not just devotion and fondness, but the spiritual experience of oneness.

Discussion: What does the prevalence (though now it’s a small minority) of Sufism say about the possibilities within Islam? What do you think about this approach to spirituality in general?