Tradition
Sufism
Era · 8th century CE — presentRegion · Islamic world → global
The inner, mystical heart of Islam — the path of fana ('annihilation' of the ego in God) and baqa ('subsistence in God'), expressed in poetry, music, and ecstatic devotion.
Core beliefs
- 01Tawhid: the radical unity of God beneath every appearance.
- 02The heart (qalb) as the organ that knows God directly.
- 03Love as the ladder back to the Beloved.
- 04Stations (maqamat) and states (ahwal) on the path of return.
Practices
- Dhikr (remembrance / chanting the names of God)
- Sama (sacred music + whirling)
- Murshid-murid (master-disciple) lineage
- Fasting and retreat
Key figures
- · Rumi
- · Hafiz
- · Ibn Arabi
- · Rabi'a al-Adawiyya
- · Al-Ghazali
Bridges to other traditions
- Fana ↔ kenosis ↔ ego-death
- Beloved ↔ Krishna ↔ Bridegroom of the Song of Songs
Go deeper into Sufism
Have the Oracle walk through Sufism in depth — its core insight, its practices, and the places it converges with other paths.