Sufism

Sufism is a mystic form of Islam dedicated to knowing divine love and cultivating elements of the divine within the individual. The precise origin of Sufism is widely disputed both inside and outside the Muslim world. Some consider that Sufism has pre-Islamic roots in Persian and Egyptian civilization.

The practice of Sufism includes recitations, singing, dancing, meditation, and trances. There are a great many Sufi orders with different rituals and beliefs, but the general practice of Sufism involves the awakening of spiritual centers of perception that lie dormant in an individual. To Sufis, the purpose of creation is to attain the knowledge that comes with intimacy with God.