Sufism and Islam... Sometimes I wonder about a few things, one is the relationship of Islam and Sufism...can anyone please explain it? Isn't a Sufi also a Muslim? Reply Sufism, to a layman, is a mystical approach toward Islam. It is, however, very difficult to say that Sufism is, in any way, a part of Islam. A close study of the source of religious knowledge and the basic beliefs of Sufism, in the light of the Qur'an shows that not only are the sources or the basic beliefs of Sufism not mentioned in the Qur'an, but also that they run parallel to that of Islam. To keep my answer short, I shall only briefly present the example of Tawheed , the most basic article of faith in Islam. According to Islam, the most desirable level of the belief of Tawheed is to hold that no one, besides God, deserves to be given the status of a deity and thus no one, besides God, deserves to be given the rights that are deserved by a deity. This, according to the Qur'an was the teachings of all the Prophets of God, including Muhammad (pbuh). However, in the eyes of Sufism, this is only the starting level of the belief of Tawheed . They hold that the most perfect level of Tawheed is the acceptance of the belief that no one besides God has any existence. The case of Risalat and Aakhirat is also not any different. Both these beliefs are held in absolutely parallel senses in Islam and Sufism. Thus, in principle, Sufism, in my opinion, is a complete religion parallel to Islam. The sources of the two are different, their beliefs are different and their attitude toward the Shari`ah -- Islamic law -- are different. As far as the question whether be considered a Muslim or not, it is beyond my jurisdiction to call anyone a non-Muslim. I can only tell you that the ideology that the Sufis ascribe to is not based on the Qur'an and the Sunnah. I hope this helps. In case any question remains unanswered or if any further detail is required on any specific aspect, please feel free in writing back to me at your own convenience. May the Almighty guide us all to the path of His liking. My fondest regards to you and those around you. The Learner