The various schools have their particular techniques for inducing or enhancing the mystical trance, one of which is popularly referred to in the phrase "whirling dervish," depictthe whirling dancing orders, or fraternities, of mystical devotion.

These dervish orders spread all over the Muslim world from the twelfth century.  These were mostly semi-monastic fraternities, with many brothers returning to their normal occupations after meetings of "litani" or "ecstacy" (dhikr).

The Sufis get their name from the asceticism of the early mystics.  The name comes from the Arabic word suf (wool), used to refer to the garments made of the fiber.  The countrymen of the early Persian mystics called them by this nickname because they wore a garment of undyed wool like the Chrismystics.

Sufism as an ascetic discipline reflected the strong asceticism of "the more serious of the early Muslims, who were disgusted at the wide-spread luxury and loose living which marked the Caliphates of Damascus and Baghdad.  They enjoined austerity and prayer and gave themselves up to a life of contemplation and religious exercise."³

The Sufis have existed from the earliest days of Islam.  They spread to all areas of Islam.  In reference to East Africa, most Somalis in Somalia and Kenya are attached to various Sufi groups.

Personal Relationship

Performance of ritual observances is important, but held to be meaningless witha personal relationship with God.  The Sufis often spoke of a need for personal conversion, followed by development of true Islam (submission to Allah, and in Sufi terms oneness of spirit with Allah).

The sense of mystical relationship to Allah went far beyond the trance of transcendent union, however, and formed a basis of continuing relationship and life commitment to Allah — very similar to the evangelical Christian concept of the new birth, a personal inner communion with the Creator.

Thus the Sufis had conflicts with the orthodox Sunnis who did not think of God in terms of redemption and personal relationship.  For Allah was above all creatures and man was so unlike Allah, that it was inconceivable that the created might be unified with the Creator.

Yet it was this sense of personal devotion and spiritual communion (relationship) with Allah that led so many mystics to apply themselves to serious theological reflection as a part of their testimony and service.  This devotion was the basis of their prophetic role in calling the Muslim community to return to true active religion.

As al-Ghazali proposed, love of God leads the believer to make all actions an expression of love.  The motive for all actions is to increase one's knowledge of God, which in turn leads to a greater love of God.

"When the Sufis accepted the scholastic theology and law as defining the rational and moral imperatives of Islam in external terms and set themselves to seek out and to practice their inner content, they raised the whole level of religious thought and action in Islam to a higher plane of consciousness and purpose."⁴

Role of Jesus
Because of this emphasis on love, Jesus figured prominently in Sufi thought, philoso and devotion.  This book will examine briefly the place of Jesus in Sufism.  Because the Qur'an is basic to such a study in Islam, we will begin our investigations there, and after basic insights, we will progress to the thought of al-Hallaj, who, more than any other mystic, took Jesus as a model.

END NOTES

2 Guillaume, p. 151.

3 Ibid., p. 144.

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