The Great Divide

Even for those not involved in discussions regarding contemporary issues in the Muslim world, it is becoming increasingly common for the average Muslim to be introduced to a question that is very much so loaded and sectarian. And that question is "Do you celebrate the Mawlid?". The infamy of this question holds its reputation. Because really, what the asker is trying to find out is, "Are you one of them or one of us?" "Are you a wahabi, or are you a sufi?". Alas, while the ummah has progressed from the pointless (because difference in opinion will always exist) and unjustified enmity different madhahib had against each other, it seems we will never free of internal conflict. It is stumping our growth as we are making the same mistakes that our predecessors fell into. While the Muslim world in the past was strong and could tolerate fierce arguments, what makes matters worse is that we are infighting when the ummah is at it's weakest - both in politics (externally) and iman (internally). In this post, inshaAllah I will bring you through both sides of the divide. While it may seem sectarian, I am merely providing the start for anyone to be aware of such issues so they can better navigate the reality of our practiced faith.

Part 1: Sufism

History and Origins

Sufism (tasawwuf) essentially started off as the branch of knowledge regarding zuhd and tazkiyah. It is the focus on ascetism: purification of the heart and detachment from worldly matters in order to be spiritually alive and close to Allah. In that way, 'sufism' has always been a part of Islamic tradition, as our Prophet, peace be upon him, being a role model for us, practiced ascetism. Despite being the leader of the Muslims, he hardly slept with a full belly; his house bare and simple. As a great deal of wealth did actually pass through his hands, it is not accurate to say that he was resourceless. Rather, he was as generous as the blowing wind, readily giving away his wealth to the community, his companions and those in need. He did not attach himself to worldly possessions and spent his time and energy on worshipping Allah. Although undoubtedly being the most beloved of Allah's creations, he still performed copious amounts of voluntary ibadah and never fell short of asking for Allah's forgiveness. At times he even prayed all night until his feet became swollen.

Development

As time progressed, sufism developed into a more structured branch of knowledge. It is wrong to say that this was an innovation in itself, as other branches of knowledge such as fiqh, aqeedah, tafsir and hadith also had their developments in Islamic epistemology. Anyway, with the formalisation of sufism came the formation of tariqahs, or sufi orders (similar to how there are different madhabs in fiqh) where adherents learn sufism through a particular sufi teacher.

Shortcomings

While sufis will claim to be operating within the shariah (to say otherwise would be deviance), often they may adopt positions that are far-fetched or weak. As such, many of their practices are also said to be makruh and haram as they are bid'ah or even shirk (according to some). If you ask me how sufism became so popular, I would think it is because for the masses in the past (in the time before public and formal education, the printing press and the internet), it was easier and more accessible to be involved in learning sufism rather than something as technical as fiqh and even aqeedah. With the (little) knowledge they had, sufis developed practices of their own that made them feel spiritual and seemed to bring themselves closer to Allah, although in fact they may be in conflict with the shariah.

Part 2: Wahhabism

History and Origins

Muhammad Ibn Wahhab was an 18th century Arab scholar from Najd in the Arabian Peninsula. He was known for preaching pure tawhid and Islam. He is considered a reformer for his time, and was determined to bring Muslims away from the many innovations that were present then. His da'wah was very distinct (or even considered divergent) from his contemporaries, so much so that his followers were later recognised as 'Wahhabis'.

The modern term of 'salafism' arose only recently, in the late 19th century. It too, was a revivalist movement; an attempt to bring Islam back to its roots ie. relying on the Qur'an and sunnah. In that sense, Muhammad ibn Wahhab was a 'salafi'.

Development

Muhammad Ibn Wahhab became the most popular 'salafi' as he was considered the one who was responsible for propogating 'salafism' throughout the lands (you could call him a, if not the forefather of modern 'salafism'). This might be due to his connections to the Saudi family who rose to power and took the two holy cities (Mecca and Medina) from the Ottomans, thus granting dominance of the Wahhabi da'wah in the Muslim world. Although much of the da'wah we see today stems from Muhammad ibn Wahhab's teachings, the term 'Wahhabi' has grown to be seen as derogatory as they are used by Wahhabi opponents to label people who are narrow-minded and sectarian as Wahhabi. Muhammad ibn Wahhab himself was also the reason for much bloodshed in the Muslim world. As such, adherents prefer to call themselves 'salafi' as the term conveys a better meaning (ie. the people who follow the salaf [the first three generations of Muslims]). It must be said though, that not all salafis are Wahhabis.

Shortcomings

Firstly, I use the term 'salafi' in apostrophes because I find the term to be actually quite problematic and deceptive. It misleads people into thinking that only 'salafis' follow the way of the salaf, and of the Qur'an and sunnah, making them seem that their manhaj is the 'original' way of following Islam while others are not. The biggest criticism of the Wahhabi/Salafi movement is that it is narrow-minded and sectarian. The main aspect of the movement is the big claim that only they are on the path of pure Islam. They pull wool over the eyes of their followers, blinding them to the fact that there is a diversity of opinion in the branches of knowledge in Islam and confuse people by disparaging taqlid (following a particular school of thought). And when people are left confounded and impressionable, they gather followers by claiming that their opinions are stronger or more acceptable. Most of the time, they limit their 'strong opinion' to the opinions of just a few select scholars (uncoincidentally, almost all are from the same madhab). Lastly (and least), they are infamous for their quick labelling of others as misguided, deviant, ahlu bid'ah (people of bid'ah) etc., and even in many cases, having takfir (excommunication or labelling others as disbelievers) too light on their tongues. As a result of having a purist (and perfectionist) attitude towards religion, they are actually quite divided amongst themselves (each group differing in how much tolerance is accepted or which opinions are considered acceptable) despite their main selling points being "a return to pure, simple Islam" and "uniting on the Qur'an and sunnah".

Part 3: Personal Thoughts

I understand why the Muslim world of the pre-modern era was so involved in sufism. It involves humbling and purifying one's self from lowly desires. It is very much more spiritual and emotional as compared to other branches of knowledge in Islam. It promises closeness to Allah without needing much of the formal and technical knowledge of the Islamic sciences. In fact, it was reading books from Imam Al-Ghazali's magnum opus, the Ihya Ulmuddin, that ignited the flame of Islam in my heart as a young adult. Although there were many parts I did not agree with (especially when it came to knowledge of the unseen), and contained many exaggerated stories, it showed the extent to which the pious acted in accordance to their faith and love of Allah. Although I was reading an English translation, the way his books were written really moved and humbled me. I guess in a way, with all its inspirations and shortcomings, the Ihya was the embodiment of sufism.

On the other hand, the meteoric rise in the salafi movement is unsurprising as well. Something attractive about the salafi movement is that it poses a very simple, clear, black-and-white, almost clinical interpretation of Islamic texts. Such a principle arises from their passion to stay true to what Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him brought and not follow blindly the practices of their forefathers. Salafism provides guidance for those of us living in the age where there is a constant bombardment of information. It draws very clear lines between halal and haram, and backing them up with textual evidence. This appeals to the people of today who, having the world's knowledge at their fingertips (ie. the internet) and witnessing great scientific progress - tend to lean towards information that is logical and proven rather than that which is based on ignorance, superstition, misinformation and myth. Hence similarly how "Dr. Google" has become the leading source of medical knowledge, "Sheikh Google" has become the go-to resource for queries pertaining to our faith. It also helps that "salafi" content has become dominant in online platforms. Perhaps this is due to Arab funding and influence, and because sufis might tend to be more private as compared to their salafi counterparts (as sufis may traditionally rely on personal teacher-to-student interactions rather than preaching publicly).

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I used to think that sufism was due to ignorance, hence it was outdated and no longer needed. It was only through noticing the cracks in modern salafi da'wah did I realise that sufism shouldn't be seen as alien to Islam. In fact, people should realise that 'salafism' was not normal in the past - sufism was. Sufism has always been a branch of Islamic knowledge and has brought countless souls who lived before us closer to Allah. The Muslim world is currently under great salafi influence due to the Arabs (who preach salafi da'wah) being the powerhouse in the Muslim world. Under 'salafism', sufism is seen as deviant, taqlid is discouraged, and aqeedah is seen to be without human interpretation: all of which were not practiced by Muslims of the past. Just as how 'salafism' is a development in Islamic history, sufism was as well. In their own ways, they have both brought much good to the ummah and any sincere Muslim should not ignore that fact.

Besides the sufi-salafi conflict, there are many other parts of Islamic history that might seem as problematic from a theological point of view. Problematic in the sense that there has always been disagreements in opinion of who is actually 'right'. We all claim to ultimately follow only one imam: and that is none other than Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him. But if we are true to the claim, then there is much tolerance that we must adopt for each other. Even if we may disagree or belong to different strands, we are still - objectively speaking - on the path that our Prophet is on, for our he, peace and blessings be upon him, is the prism to which the light of Islam shines on humanity. Ignore this reality and we risk falling into tribalism - where we become loyal to select circles and their opinions more than our beloved Prophet. I am not saying that Islam needs to be a "safe space" for misguidance or error. Yes, criticisms have their place and in many cases, are valid more than we like to admit. But we need to see the wider picture. As long as we are on the path that our Prophet is on, then I don't see the reason for much animosity and disunity.

Although there are parts of sufism and 'salafism' that are irreconcilable, for the most part, it is not impossible to learn and adopt from the two: to both sensible and methodological; practicing the heart-purification of sufism in light of the 'salafi' scrutiny. To make an analogy between the two, it is like the relationship between traditional medicines and modern pharmaceutics. We need to know that at different times, we need to dispense either one or the other. More importantly than whatever path we take, we must remember that we are Muslim brothers and sisters upon each other, believers in the Oneness of Allah and followers of His Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. We must, at the end of the day, unite on this - shoulder to shoulder.

May Allah protect us from our egos and reconcile our hearts, amin.

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