3 May '07

The Place of the Sufi Tradition in Islam
by Dr. Syed Farid Alatas

Sufism is generally misunderstood to refer to a sect or group within Islam. Sufism actually is found in all the schools of thought of the Muslims. It is more properly referred to as the esoteric dimension of Islam. In that sense, Sufism is the core of Islam and is inseparable from the religion. Sufism played a siginificant role in the spread of Islam in many regions of the world, including Southeast Asia. It is also fair to say that Sufism will constitute the main force against religious extremism in Muslim societies.