Tasavvuf and Sufism

In the West, Sufism was perceived as "theosophy," meaning "the movement that teaches the secrets and laws of the universe and the ways to manipulate them," or as "mysticism," which refers to the inner, spiritual aspect of any religion, and was referred to as Islamic mysticism. However, upon realizing the significant differences between Tasavvuf and mysticism, the term "Sufism" began to be used.

René Guénon demonstrated that Sufism is considered a completely distinct lifestyle from mysticism due to its characteristics: it is an actively practiced methodology, it is lived under the leadership of a guide (sheikh, murshid), the lineage of guides extending back to the Prophet Muhammad, and a Tasavvufi path (tarikat) that one enters according to their taste, understanding, and level of comprehension has its own unique etiquette, rituals, and dhikr (practices). (Tahralı, KAM, X/4 [1981], pp. 28-35). It is seen that the concept of Tasavvuf is now used in Western literature.

What is Tasavvuf?

Tasavvuf is the soul's journey of self-discovery. It's easy to explain with words, but difficult to grasp with the heart. Because Tasavvuf isn't simply memorizing information; it's cooking it in the fire of love and then living it.

But what really is Tasavvuf?
Tasavvuf is a person's deep understanding of their inner world and their discovery of the divine essence within. It is an effort to set aside all external forms, names, positions, and identities and discover who they truly are.

As Rumi said:
"I have seen many people with no clothes on; I have seen many clothes with no human inside. "Tasavvuf is the pursuit of inner truth, not outward appearances. At its core, it is a lifelong quest to find the answer to the question, "Who am I?"

What is the Fundamental Spirit of Tasavvuf?
At the basis of Tasavvuf lie three great concepts: Love, Nothingness and Journey.

• Love:

  Sufism is incomplete without love. But this love is far deeper than worldly loves. It is a boundless love for the Creator, all creation, and existence.

  As the poet said: "A person without love is like a dry tree; it bears neither fruit nor shade."

• Nothingness:

  Sufism is not the art of self-aggrandizement, but of understanding the transience of one's own existence. When one strips away the pretense of existence, one encounters true eternity. Just as a drop of water loses itself in the ocean, one disappears in the ocean of love and reunites with one's true being.

• Journey:

  Sufism is not an outcome, but a path. It is an endless journey. With each step, one becomes more "ecstatic" and "closer to the truth."

  Therefore, for Sufis, what matters is not "arriving," but "being on the path."

Is Tasavvuf the Path of Dervishes Only?
No. Tasavvuf is not the monopoly of those who live in lodges, dervishes, or those who wear a certain type of clothing. True Tasavvuf is a state that everyone can experience. Tasavvuf is present in the smile of a child, the prayer of an elderly person, and the sweat of a worker. Because truth is everywhere. The important thing is to see with the heart, not with the eyes.

Is Tasavvuf a Knowledge or a State?
Tasavvuf begins with knowledge, but it doesn't stop there. True Tasavvuf is a matter of state. One opens the doors of Tasavvuf not by learning, but by living.

The ancients used to say:
"You cannot reach this lodge with words,
You come with your actions, you arrive with your actions."

That is why Tasavvuf is written not only on the pages of books, but in the depths of your heart.

What does Tasavvuf means today?
In today's fast-paced world, Tasavvuf teaches us to slow down, to break free from appearances and appreciate the essence, to abandon competition and remember ourselves. Tasavvuf is hearing the whisper of our souls again, lost in the noise of the modern age. And most importantly, Tasavvuf is understanding, as we look at each other, not who knows more, but who can love more.

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What is Sufism?

Sufism does not speculate. It is quite realistic, pragmatic, and practical. It is grounded, not abstract. Yet, it lacks any worldview, and because it is not a system, it does not systematize knowledge.

A system explains existence completely. Sufism is not a system; it has no explanation for existence; it is a path to its mysteries. It explains nothing, only reveals its secrets. It leads you into the mystery. Sufism does not solve the secret of existence. All systems do this; their whole function is to make the unknown known by eliminating mystery and wonder. Sufism takes you from one wonder to another, deep into the realm of wonder.

It is not a system because it never provides a complete explanation of anything. It only offers very, very small hints and insights. It does not return to the same place over and over, it does not philosophize; it constantly spins stories, anecdotes, metaphors, sayings, and poems. It is not metaphysics, but metaphor. It is a finger pointing at the moon. You can't understand the "Moon" by analyzing a finger, but if you sincerely look in that direction, you will see the "Moon."

Sufi stories are not philosophical. They are subtle hints and whispers. Naturally, only those who listen sincerely and empathically, those who are ready to open their hearts with trust and surrender, can understand what Sufism is. Only those who can love can understand what Sufism is.

What is its message? It's not a logical analysis, but it's not as illogical as Zen. Sufism says that being rational is one extreme and being illogical is the other. Sufism lies somewhere in the middle, neither logical nor completely illogical. It doesn't lie to the right or the left. It's not absurd. It's not logical like Socrates, but it's not illogical like Bodhidharma either. It says that Bodhidharma and Socrates may seem different, but their approaches are the same. In fact, Bodhidharma is more logical than Socrates; that's why it veers towards illogicality. If you continue to follow the line of logic, you will eventually come to the point where logic ends; but the journey continues. Bodhidharma is Socrates, who has traveled all the way and reached the boundary line where logic ends but life continues. Bodhidharma may seem different, but his approach is Socratic—intellectual. Zen is very much against intellect, but being against intellect is also an intellectual act. Zen is anti-philosophical, but when you are anti-philosophical, you become philosophical—that is your philosophy. Sufism rejects the extremes, choosing the middle, the very middle.

The key word in Zen is "mindfulness," while in Sufism, it is "heart." Zen is against the mind, but it goes beyond the mind with the mind. Sufism is not against the mind; it is completely indifferent to the mind. Sufism is focused on the heart; in short, it disregards the mind. Yes, enlightenment occurs in the Sufi, too. If we call enlightenment in Zen Satori, mind-alertness, The enlightenment of the Sufi can also be called "heart-alertness." The Sufi path is the path of the lover, while the Zen path is the path of the warrior, the samurai.

...

Sufism is not a worldview, but seeing. A worldview means you remain where you are; you believe in a philosophy, certain explanations of reality. You remain the same, you don't change. A worldview informs you a little, you become more knowledgeable.

Seeing, however, transforms you. You can only see when you transform and experience other heights and depths of life.

Sufism is a vision. Actually, calling it "Sufism" isn't correct, because it's not an "ism." Sufis don't call it "Sufism"; it's a name others have given. They call it "Tasawwuf," which is a view of love, a love for approaching reality. Someone who thinks about existence is somewhat oppositional because they perceive existence as a problem—as if existence challenges them, and they respond. They must solve the mystery, destroy the mystery. They fight.

The Sufi says: "We and existence are one. There's no need to fight with existence. Convince yourself, unite, invite, love, befriend, and existence will reveal its secrets."

I said Sufism isn't a system because all systems impose limitations, creating prisons around you. Sufism is freedom. It doesn't tell you to believe in a particular system. It talks about trust, not belief.

I said Sufism isn't a philosophy, but it's not anti-philosophy either. It simply doesn't care about philosophy and anti-philosophy. It's oblivious, indifferent. It says: "Why bother with words when there's truth? Why bother with theories about water when there's water? Why struggle with theories when there's the sun and dancing in its rays? Why not experience something authentic?"

Philosophy revolves around something; it's always about something. It never touches the essence of truth. It thinks about truth, but thinking about truth is trying to disprove it. Truth is something to be encountered, not thought about. Truth shouldn't be believed, it should be lived. Truth isn't a conclusion; you can't reach it through a process of comparison. Truth is obvious! Truth is you, trees, birds, the sun, the moon. Truth is everywhere, and you close your eyes and think about truth? Thought leads astray.

There's no need to think. Live it! You can only know the truth by living it.