In Sufism, the concept ' īṯār ( altruism ) is the notion of ' preferring others to oneself.

In traditions such as classical Hinduism, Zen Buddhism or Islamic Sufism, a key to enlightenment is " transcending " this sort of dualistic thinking, without merely substituting dualism with monism or pluralism.

Ishq, or divine love, is the emphasis of Sufism in the Islamic tradition.

Practitioners of Sufism believe that love is a projection of the essence of God to the universe.

Since everything is a reflection of God, the school of Sufism practices to see the beauty inside the apparently ugly.

Sufism is often referred to as the religion of love.

God in Sufism is referred to in three main terms, which are the Lover, Loved, and Beloved, with the last of these terms being often seen in Sufi poetry.

A common viewpoint of Sufism is that through love, humankind can get back to its inherent purity and grace.

Baba indicated that this particular soul personifies the state of God which in Hinduism is named Vishnu and in Sufism is named Parvardigar, i. e. the sustainer or preserver state of God.

The first sees it as a sign that one is too attached to the material world, while Sufism took it to represent a feeling of personal insufficiency, that one was not getting close enough to God and did not or could not do enough for God in this world.

The Islamic religious tradition, in particular Sufism and Alevism has a strong belief in the unitary nature of the universe and the concept that everything in it is an aspect of God itself, although this perspective leans closer to panentheism and may also be termed Theopanism.

Sufism or () is defined by its adherents as the inner, mystical dimension of Islam.

Classical Sufi scholars have defined Sufism as " a science whose objective is the reparation of the heart and turning it away from all else but God ".

However, according to Idries Shah, the Sufi philosophy is universal in nature, its roots predating the rise of Islam and the other modern-day religions, save for perhaps Buddhism and Jainism ; likewise, some Muslims consider Sufism outside the sphere of Islam.

The pastoral care function of the Christian clergy such as a Catholic priest or Protestant pastor is fulfilled for many Muslims by a murshid (" guide "), master of the spiritual sciences and disciplines known as tasawuf or Sufism.

* The German ambient musician and multi-instrumentalist Klaus Wiese released an album titled Samarkand, which is dedicated to the Ḥāl concept of Sufism.

The Sufi Order International is an organization dedicated to " Universal Sufism " as elaborated by Hazrat Inayat Khan.

Traditional Sufism is a branch of Islam that provides a more personal and mystical connection to its enlightenment, or “ divine love .” It originated in the Middle East and North East Africa as a sect of Islam that internalized Islamic beliefs.

This is largely based on the contention that Zevi ’ s exile into the Balkans brought him into close contact with several forms of unorthodox Sufism which existed in the region.

The often claimed connection between the movement and Bektashi Sufism is based merely on circumstantial evidence and coincidence rather than any concrete substantiation.

Proof that Bahya borrowed from Sufism is underscored by the fact that the title of his eighth gate, Muḥasabat al-Nafs (" Self-Examination "), is reminiscent of the Sufi Abu Abd Allah Ḥarith Ibn-Asad, who has been surnamed El Muḥasib (" the self-examiner "), because — say his biographers —" he was always immersed in introspection "

In Sufism one starts with Islamic law, the exoteric or mundane practice of Islam and then is initiated onto the mystical path of a tariqa.

A tariqa is a school of Sufism.

Primarily he represented the Chishti Order of Sufism, having received initiation into the Nizamiyya sub-branch of that order from Shaykh Muhammed Abu Hashim Madani, but was also initiated into the Suhrawardiyya, Qadiriyya and Naqshbandi.

However, the order also insists that followers observe the full range of Muslim obligations ; it does not dismiss them as mere legalism, as some strands of Sufism have done.

Other religions – for example Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam ( Sufism ) and Taoism – also have hermits in the sense of individuals living an ascetic form of life.

This practice appears also in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sufism.

He also studied theology ( kalam ), philosophy, and Sufism.

Then in the 13th century Ibn Arabi was the first vibrant Muslim Scholar who not only started this discussion publicly but also wrote hundreds of books about Sufism, tasawwuf and faqr.

One of the most respected and beloved early Muslim saints Abdul-Qadir Gilani also elaborated Sufism, tasawwuf and faqr in a conclusive manner.

He also defined key terms related to Sufism including the meaning of sainthood, the saint, the difference between the Sufi and the one still striving on the path, the seekers of blame, various levels of tawhid, and the charismatic feats of the saints.

He is also famous for his tafsir of the Qur ' an, his book on legal theory " Aqrab al-Wusool ` ala ` Ilm al-Usool " or " The Nearest of Paths to the Knowledge of the Fundamentals of Islamic Jurisprudence ," as well as his treatise on Sufism based on the Qur ' an, " The Refinement of the Hearts.

Creation Spirituality is also strongly aligned with ecological and environmental movements of the late 20th century and embraces numerous spiritual traditions around the world, including Buddhism, Judaism, Sufism, and Native American spirituality, with a focus on " deep ecumenism ".

‘ Iraqi was both a member of the school of Persian Sufi poetry but also has been identified with the Ibn ‘ Arabian school of Sufism.

They further assert that Sant Mat also contains elements found in Sufism and has inspired and influenced a number of religious groups and organizations.

In the medieval West and Middle East, one finds reference to four worlds ( olam ) in Kabbalah, or five in Sufism ( where they are also called tanazzulat ; " descents "), and also in Lurianic Kabbalah.

Sufism, the mystical dimension of Islam, is also well-established, with many local jama ' a ( zawiya ) or congregations of the various tariiqa or Sufi orders.

It is also the basis of Advaita Hinduism and several forms of Buddhism, including Zen, Yogacara, and some interpretations of Pure Land, as well as several schools of Islamic Sufism.

Sufism, involving the organization of mystical brotherhoods ( tariqa ) for the purification and spread of Islam, is also widespread, laced with indigenous beliefs and practices.

In later years he occasionally referred to his Indian " Monshi ," and it is also likely that he had his first encounters with Sufism at that time.

Collectively the concept of eight side chambers not only offers passage for circumambulation of the main cenotaph, a practice common in Sufism and also visible in many Mughal imperial mausoleums, it also the reflect the concept of Paradise in Islamic cosmology.

Khiḍr is also included among what in classical Sufism are called the abdāl (‘ those who take turns ’).

Those drawn to Sufism Reoriented also recognize a natural affinity with the school ’ s spiritual teacher, who occupies the office of Murshid.

Two different forms of Sufism were brought back to Northwest China by two charismatic Hui sheikhs: Khafiya ( also spelt Khafiyya or Khufiyah ;, Hǔfūyē ), associated with the name of Ma Laichi ( 马来迟, 1681 – 1766 ), and a more radical Jahriyya ( also spelt Jahriya, Jahariyya, Jahariyah, etc.