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Muhammad was the first Sufi.

It was after the death of Muhammad that they started using the Qur'an and Muhammad's guidance on the path to the "light".

They began to formulate a language based on Qur'anic terms in order to express their mystical experiences.

Rabia was one of the most loved of the early Sufi's. She is compared to the Virgin Mary (Mother of Jesus).

Rabia is one of the main reasons that Sufi's realized the way to God should be through love.

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Early Sufism chose to write in Arabic.
Sufism gained popularity in Persian speaking countries as well.

Symbols were used all the time in poetry. The Arab poet "We drank upon the remembrance of the Beloved a wine wherewith we were drunken before ever the vine was created. The full moon was a cup for it." Wine represents the love of god, a vine could be the physical universe, and the moon is the spirit of Muhammad.

Al-Ghazali emphasized the works of the Qur'an and that this world is treacherous and deceptive. He stayed away from worldly things. He wrote the Mathnawi which is called "the Qur'an in the Persian language".

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tariqa- "path" and means a group, order, or brotherhood that walked along the special inner path of Sufism
Khriqa- patched garment as a symbol of their attachment to Sufism
Dhikr- is the “primary spiritual technique of Sufism, through which man returns to God,” it is a “prayer unified with the rhythm of life itself.”
Qawi- the Arabic word for coffee

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- Prayer in isolation
-Abandoning material world for God.
-"Sufi" is arabic for wool. Referred to the wool clothes early Sufis wore.

Ascetics who did not feel their religious needs were being met

They sought a more personal connection and ultimate oneness with Allah

Hasan al-Basri the first of many to display Sufism

Although the origin of Sufism is debated, some believe it is the result of Christian influence but believe that mysticism has been there in existence since the beginning.

Sufis focused on the remembrance of God as they would exclaim His name in a repetitive crescendo in the ritual dhikr Allah.

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Sober: careful about what they wrote in their experiences
Intoxicated: developed "ecstatic utterances"  and developed concepts of the Sufi path

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- The repetition of mentioning the name of God for remembrance.
Mi'raj - The prophets ascent into heaven
Hadith - A sacred Islamic verse, that was recorded from Muhammad.

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A mystical journey as one's soul seeks God.

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members- great missionaries of Islam
-Hujwiri in the eleventh century mentions twelve different groups of Sufis, 10 which were “orthodox” and two “heretical”.
-there were some sisterhoods in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries in Egypt, Syria, and Anatolia.
- in order to become initiated into a brotherhood you become part of the chain (hand clasping, holding the shaykh's rosary to the novice, tying ceremony)
- there are five tariqas remaining

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The Sufi path is perceived as a series of hierarchal stations "maqam" like steps of a spiritual ladder, and mystical states "ahwal".

Stations such as, "repentance", "striving", "fear", gratitude", and "patience" all derived from the Qur'an.

These stations are achieved and maintained by one's own efforts.

By attaining these stations one can attain a mystical state which is seen as a gift from god.

Upon reaching this final stage they become a different person, lost to themselves. Called "fana"

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The path of Sufism is like looking at yourself in the mirror, and seeing this dirty mirror that can barely show your reflection. Although, when one cleans the impurities of life and can truly see oneself in their own highs and lows. This creates oneness with God, its the accepting of oneself and the idea that God lives within everything including oneself.

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-Was an "intoxicated" Sufi figure.
-Expressed experiences of losing himself in the Divine
-He never wrote anything down and all his sayings and teachings were passed down orally
-Spent most of his life isolated and did not seek attention, rather people seeked him in order to experience his charismatic presence.

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a major milestone in Sufi history came through the career of Al Ghazali and is a famous Muslim scholar is classical Islam.  A 'Sober' man in the Islamic term.

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- Intoxicated
- Sufi's most famous martyr
-He acquired a great public following and was believed to perform miracles
-" I am the Truth" applying himself to one of the titles for God
-Seen as a Jesus like figure