How Tasawwuf Shapes the Muslim’s Relationship with Allah
What comes to your mind when you think about strengthening your relationship with Allah? For many of us, we think about offering our prayers five times a day, reading the Quran and performing good deeds. But there’s more to improving your relationship with Allah; it’s called Tasawwuf. Let us learn more about this beautiful path and how you can form a deeper connection with your Creator.
What is Tasawwuf?
The other word for Tasawwuf is Sufism which works like a spiritual detox of the mind and soul. In Tasawwuf, you need to clear your mind from all the distractions and negativity that stop you from forming a connection with Allah.
The word Tasawwuf comes from ‘Safa,’ which means pure, and its deeper meaning refers to the purification of the heart. It does not mean that you have to skip your prayers or worldly obligations. Instead, it helps you to perform all these acts in a more meaningful manner. All you need to do is focus on sincerity and mindfulness and recite this dua to remember Allah.
Allah beautifully reminds us about this in the Quran. He says:
He who nourishes it will surely be successful, And he who confines it will surely come to grief.
Tasawwuf helps you to cleanse your soul and draws you closer to Allah in ways that no one can imagine.
Tasawwuf Shifts Your Perspective
Tasawwuf has this wonderful effect on the mind of an individual by shifting their perspective. Muslims usually obey the command of Allah because of fear. Instead, with Tasawwuf you can learn to love him without thinking about the fear. It feels like wanting to worship someone because you actually want to and not simply because you have to. Such is the kind of love that Tasawwuf encourages the believers to have.
In Quran, Allah says,
And yet there are men who take others as compeers of God and bestow on them love due to God, but the love of the faithful for God is more intense.
When a Muslim practices dhikr, reflects on Allah’s names and is grateful for His blessings that is when Tasawwuf makes your love for Allah grow stronger. When your love for Allah grows stronger, it will make all your worship genuine and heartfelt.
Muslims must take inspiration from Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Even though he has the highest rank amongst all the believers, he used to stand in prayer for hours. It was his way of showing gratitude for Allah.
When Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) asked why he pushed himself so much, he replied, “Should I not be a grateful servant?” (Sahih al-Bukhari, 1130). That is the kind of connection Tasawwuf helps to build in every Muslim.
Cleaning the Heart Through Tazkiyah
The process of deep cleaning your soul through Tasawwuf is called Tazkiyah. It is similar to getting rid of all the worldly negativities such as ignorance, jealousy, and greed. Instead, you replace these with humility, patience and gratitude. It may not be an easy process but the end result is very rewarding.
Anyone who purifies themselves is most beloved by Allah. Once your heart is free from all these negativities, your connection with Allah becomes more meaningful. This act may not be possible to achieve all on your own. Muslims can join the company of other righteous Muslims and join gatherings of Dhikr to make the journey more joyful.
Worship with Ihsan
Most of us become habitual in our prayers. We often go through daily obligations like a robot. Following the motions without thinking much about it. Tasawwuf helps to change this practice. It means that you have to worship Allah like you are seeing Him. It is similar to being fully present and aware of His presence in every act of worship.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) described Ihsan beautifully:
“Ihsan is to worship Allah as if you see Him, and if you do not achieve this state of devotion, then (take it for granted that) Allah sees you.”
Once you start to pray, fast, or even give charity with this heartfelt awareness, you will completely transform your way of worshipping. It will no longer be a checklist to complete rather it will turn into an expression of thankfulness.
Navigating Through the Struggles
Every Muslim is going through different struggles in life. These struggles make your faith feel weak. Tasawwuf helps to overcome these struggles of life. For Example, self-awareness of Muraqabah helps you to keep a check on your actions. It helps to make sure that your goals align with the goal of pleasing Allah.
The busyness of everyday life makes it easy for everyone to become heedless. You can easily get caught up in these worldly affairs and forget about your spiritual goals. That is where dhikr comes in to help. Whether you recite Allah’s name in silence or remember him through dhikr, it will help to keep your heart anchored towards Allah.
Living Life with Shukr
Tasawwuf helps Muslims to see the beauty in every situation with Shukr. Instead of focusing on what is lacking in your life, you must start to appreciate everything that Allah has blessed you with. Ultimately, you put your complete trust in Allah’s plan and believe that everything is eventually to your benefit.
In the Quran, Allah promises.
وَاِذْ تَاَذَّنَ رَبُّكُمْ لَىِٕنْ شَكَرْتُمْ لَاَزِيْدَنَّكُمْ وَلَىِٕنْ كَفَرْتُمْ اِنَّ عَذَابِيْ لَشَدِيْدٌ
Remember, your Lord proclaimed: “I shall give you more if you are grateful; but if you are thankless then surely My punishment is very great.”
Any Muslim can easily live this verse through Tasawwuf by shifting your perspective and filling your heart with peace and joy.
Conclusion
Tasawwuf is not just a spiritual concept, it is a way of transforming life and relationship with Allah. You can easily worship with sincerity and live with purpose by just focusing on love, purification and mindfulness. When your life is filled with worldly distractions, Tasawwuf helps you to stay connected to what actually matters.