Name: What Is Sufism And Can It Stop Radical Islam?
Uploaded: 2016-12-31T08:08:23.000Z
Duration: 3 min 25 s
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In March 2016, India hosted its first ever World Sufi Forum.

During the event, India's Prime Minister, Narendra Modi praised Sufism as "Islam's greatest gift," and suggested that the faith was an alternative to more political, extremist interpretations of the religion, akin to groups like the Islamic State.

Well, Sufism is not a branch of Islam like Sunni or Shia, nor is it a sect or denomination.

Rather, Sufism is the spiritual and mystical philosophy of Islam, it's focused on a direct connection to God by forgoing material goods and relationships.

Not unlike Christian monks or other ascetic groups, Sufis dedicate themselves to Allah through meditation, repetitive prayer and non-violence.

But while the concepts of Sufism are inherent in all versions of Islam, practitioners who wholly dedicate themselves to spirituality are called Sufis.

Sufism arose less than a century after the founding of Islam.

At the time, many Muslims were concerned with the religion's increasing materialism, which they believed would interfere with a spiritual connection with God.

The word "Sufi" is an Arabic term for mystic, which itself was derived from "suf" or wool.

Sufis have historically worn wool as a rejection of worldly clothing.

By about the 11th century, Sufism had adopted a system of fraternal groupings, called "Orders".

In these spiritual schools, leaders taught their followers the principles and rituals of Sufism, which included writing books and poems and reciting hymns.

In fact, the 13th Century is known as the golden age of Sufism, as the greatest mystical Islamic art and literature is believed to have derived from this period.

By the 16th Century, Sufism was deeply ingrained into both Sunni and Shia Islam and had spread throughout Persia, India and Central Asia.

The most well-known symbol of Sufism is the Whirling Dervishes, a Sufi order that originated in 14th century Turkey.

It's known for repetitive spinning dances that unite the follower with God, and is a popular tourist attraction in Turkey.

Today, Sufis can still be found all around the world.

But according to the Pew Research Center, the belief system is most common in Sub-Saharan Africa, where about 35 percent of Muslims in the region are said to belong to a Sufi order.

Sufism is also prevalent among Muslims in India, Thailand, and other southeast Asian countries.

Sufism has seen a resurgence in popularity as a direct alternative to the growing radicalization of Islam.

Sufis have a legacy of philanthropy and missionary work, and are known for their non-violence, tolerance and personal sacrifice.

During the Sufi Forum in India, Prime Minister Modi said, “At a time when the dark shadow of violence is becoming longer, you are the noor, or the light of hope.”

Modi reportedly hopes to make India the center of what he calls the "World Sufi Movement," or the large-scale effort to use Sufism as a cure for jihadist extremism.

World leaders have made similar efforts in the past, in countries like the United Kingdom and the United States.

But whether the ascetic, nonviolent practices in Sufism can overcome the spread of radical Islam is yet to be seen.

But even though Sufism has influenced both Sunni and Shia Islam, there is a huge rift between these two Islamic sects.