Encyclopedia of Islam

asceticism

  

65  J

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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

.