I will speak about Sufism, or tasawwuf, according to the Shadhiliyya branch of Sufism.  Each branch of Sufism traces its history back to a particular teacher.  This branch follows the teachings of Abu-l-Hasan ash-Shaduli who lived in Morocco in the 13th century.  Sidi Abu-l-Hasan ash-Shadhuli taught that there is no difference between your spiritual life and your daily life.  He saw that living life itself was a spiritual exercise along with spiritual retreat, prayer, and meditation.   Sidi Abu-l-Hasan’s teachings are carried on by my guide, Sidi Muhammad al-Jamal.

This is what Sidi Muhammad says about this path: “This is the path, guided with love to the highest level attainable, to the Holiest of the holy.  The paths are many, but the path to the Lord is one and the seekers of the Lord’s Path are, and remain, individual.  Know that the path in this teaching is the path following the steps of the masters of the Shadhuliyya, which has been known to assist seekers in attaining the highest spiritual levels.  Also know that the paths to the Lord are countless. But this one we believe to be unique in its application, comprehension and accurate steps, making it more effective in attaining what it intends to – proximity with God.”

The Sufi path is a mystical tradition that is the way of deep love and surrender to God.  It is the science of direct knowledge of God. The Sufi path is all about surrendering all the ideas of the ego and opening to the Divine Will.  Life is lived through the heart, more so than the mind.  For many Sufis, their walking is deeply veiled.  The outward manifestation of many Sufi masters is one of ordinariness. The goal is having direct knowledge of God.

“Real Islam is a deep and unquestioning trust in God, the realization of the truth that “There is no deity save God” and of the threefold aspect of religious life: that of islam, complete surrender to God; iman, unquestioning faith in Him and His wisdom; and ihsan, to do right and to act beautifully, because one knows that God is always watching man’s actions and thoughts.  For fourteen hundred years the Muslims have taught them to millions of faithful who have survived the most difficult times, the greatest hardships because of their unshakable faith in the loving kindness of God, the creator, sustainer and judge of everything created.  Sufism, the mystical current inside Islam, developed logically out of the serious study of the Koran, according to Muslim belief the uncreated word of God, and of the constant direction of all faculties toward God.   The Sufi masters taught their disciples that their duty is the fulfillment of God’s will, not out of a feeling of duty,but rather out of love- for could there be anything greater than the unconditional love which man offers his Lord?  And in order to be able to love God and, through Him, His creatures, the heart has to be purified by constant remembrance of God and by constant struggle against one’s lower qualities, the so called nafs, which are, according to the word of the Prophets of Islam, “the greatest enemy of man.”  This struggle  against one’s lowly and base qualities is indeed the “greater Holy War,” for outward enemies can disappear and are not as dangerous as the inner, satanic forces, which try to incite man into evil, disobedience, and forgetfulness.”  ” I hope that people… understand that indeed the words islam and salam – peace – belong to the same root and that a true understanding of Islam will help them find peace for themselves.”  – by Annemarie Schimmel Professor of Indo-Muslim Culture Harvard University.

Wikipedia has a very thorough explanation of Sufism.  To hear Sidi’s discussion on Tasawwuf, you can hear me read from Music of the Soul, the chapter called, Tasawwuf.