Concept in Definition ABC

Most religions have a doctrinal body based on a book sacred and, in parallel, some ways of knowledge, such as theology, mysticism, asceticism and others. In Islam this general approach is fulfilled, since on the one hand the Koran is found as text sacred and, on the other, a stream of interpretation spiritual, Sufism. East movementmystical It presents difficulties in terms of its etymology, but most experts affirm that this concept refers to the path oriented to the purification of the spirit.

Origins and general principles

According to a legend of the tradition Islamic the first Sufi was Ibrahim, who while on a hunting occasion heard a voice that told him that his mission in the world was different: to start on the path of piety and asceticism.

This spiritual movement led to brotherhoods called turuqs, which spread throughout the Muslim world. In these associations, meditation techniques are carried out in order for the practitioners to move away from the earthly world and get closer to the only reality, the knowledge of God.

Sufism has a pantheistic dimension of the universe, since it seeks the connection of the divine with the individual soul (the Arabic word tawhid is used to express this idea).

Sufi teachers claim that their mission is the purification of the heart, since this organ is where the human spirit resides.

It is not a sect or a religion but it pretends to be a vital approach and a way of perfection

Sufis call themselves "friends of God" and their goal in life is to reach full connection with divinity. For this you have to go through different spiritual processes throughout life.

To start on this path, you have to meet two basic requirements: have divine grace and be blessed by luck (it is not about luck conventional but from baraka, a gift only received from another Sufi teacher).

The teachers of this spiritual current live very austerely and without any luxury. They are people recognized and admired for their great wisdom. One of the rituals they practice is the sacred dances based on a rotating movement with which seeks to reach a state of trance (these dances symbolize a union with the cosmos and with the divinity).

The teachings of Sufism are normally transmitted through stories and stories with a character singular, Mullah Nasruddin. This character of the popular tradition shows a series of teachings with a simple language in order to bring new paths in understanding the world and its mysteries.

Photos: Fotolia - Taskin / Aisylu