1.9.1 - The Meaning of Sufism According to Shaykh Muhyiddin

Although Shaykh Muhyiddin Ibn al-Arabi applies the term to the people of Allah in general, those who truly worship God and seek Him, but he defines the Sufis as the middle of three categories of the people of Allah: Worshipers (Ubbad), Sufis (Soufiyyah) and Blaming (Malamiyyah):

The Worshipers are those “men”footnote{In Arabic, when a group of people may contain both males and females, the masculine is used to refer to the group. who have more asceticism, and they have devoted themselves to worshiping Allah, by doing all good deeds, after they have cleansed their hearts from every dishonorable state that the legislator (who is the Prophet Muhammad, Peace be upon him) had condemned. However, they do not encounter any specific state above what they are doing of these acts, so they have no knowledge of the states and stations and the other sciences of unveiling and mysteries or disclosures, they find nothing of what the other two groups may find.” [Futuhat, III.34].

As for the Sufis, who are higher than the Worshipers, “they are like those who worship in their devotion, diligence, dowry, asceticism, trust, etc. However, they normally encounter something above that in terms of states, stations, sciences, mysteries, revelations and charismata. When they encounter such things, they seek more of that and they don't mind to show that in public because they see nothing other than God. They are described by all good ethics ... but in view of the third category, they are the people of display and arrogant souls, and their students are also like them, having arrogance and displaying leadership on the men of God.” [Futuhat, III.34-5]

As for the Malamiyyah (the Blaming), that is the highest among the ranks of men, they are so called because they always tend to blame themselves. We shall mention them often during this book, but we say here that they are the men who may not exceed the five daily prayers, except for some known recommended prayers, so they are not distinguished from the normal believers who are performing the obligations by God. They are not known among the people, as they may be normally walking in the markets and talking with people, but they are unknown to the general public although they are the highest amongst the men of Allah, and their students are the greatest men of all. [Futuhat, III.35]

The Worshipers are distinguished in general by their asceticism and alienation from other people and avoiding mixing with them physically. The Sufis are distinguished by the public through their charismata and the violation of habits, such as foretelling the thoughts and other hidden things, and usually their supplication is quickly answered, ... but this is where they have no safety because they are subject to impiety and seduction, whereas the Blaming are not distinguished amongst the creations because they are the same as ordinary people.

Accordingly, the fact is that Shaykh Muhyiddin Ibn al-Arabi was not a Sufi in the strict meaning of the word, since he did not show anything of charismata or breach of habit. The distinctive science and knowledge that he had can generally be achieved by any scholar or jurist. So he was not specifically a Sufi, but he was a man of God who has a special status as we will see during this book, God willing. Yet if we take Sufism in the general sense, as self-purification and purity of the heart to worship God, then it is indeed the doctrine of the early Muslims and many other men of God, and Shaykh Muhyiddin was one of the most prominent in this regard.