ascetic quality, because
it obliges Muslims to ren-
der some of their wealth (but not all of it) for the
welfare of the community. A concept of purifica-
tion is associated with this activity, as reflected in
the word zakat itself, which is based on an Arabic
word for “pure” or “sinless” (zaki).
The virtuosos of asceticism in Islam, however,
are Sufis, those who follow its mystical path.
Indeed, the name sufi is thought to be a reference
to the frock of wool (suf) worn by early ascetics.
Sufis claimed to have been inspired by the example
of m
Uhammad
and early members of the Muslim
community, although historically their techniques
and beliefs seem to have been influenced by pre-
Islamic ascetic traditions found in the religions
of the Middle East and Asia. Muhammad was
remembered for his simple lifestyle, frequent vig-
ils, spiritual retreats, and extra fasting. Later, in
the aftermath of the early Arab Muslim conquests
(seventh and eighth centuries), ascetics such as
h
asan
al
-b
asri
(d. 728) were repulsed by the
wealth and luxurious lifestyle enjoyed by Muslim
rulers. They felt that this worldliness distracted
people from keeping their focus on God, obey-
ing his laws, and reaching
paradise
. Other early
ascetics were i
brahim
ibin
a
dham
(d. ca. 778) and
r
abia
al
-a
daWiyya
(d. 801). With the appearance
of organized Sufism after the 10th century, a mem-
ber of a brotherhood (
tariqa
) of Sufis was called
a faqir, “poor man,” or its Persian equivalent,
der
-
vish
, because of his adherence to a spiritual life of
poverty. Sufis used ascetic practices to control the
impulses and passions of the lower soul (nafs),
and they identified them with stations on the path
to spiritual perfection: poverty, repentance, seclu-
sion, withdrawal, abstinence, renunciation, and
hunger. Special fasting practices, prayer postures,
nighttime vigils, self-mortification, and extended
periods of seclusion were developed by many of
the Sufi brotherhoods, which provided manuals
to their members to guide them in their practices.
Some groups in India, such as the Shattariyya,
adopted yogic forms of asceticism, but this was
not widespread. Others, such as the Qalandars,
engaged in what some call deviant ascetic prac-
tices, such as taking hallucinogenic drugs, walk-
ing about nearly naked, and practicing forms of
self-mutilation.
See also
ablUtion
;
baqa
and
fana
; s
UFism
.
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