Shari‘ah Meets Haqiqah: The Core Of ‘abd Al-Qadir Al- Jilani’s Sufism

Abstract

Sufism constitutes the most disputed part of Islam. Regarding its ontological status,some scholars call it an acculturation of non-Islamic culture, so that by implication it is contraryto Islamic teachings. On the other hand, not a few argue that Sufism is a representation oforthodoxy that arises from—and not to—the heart of the Islamic tradition, so that its teachingsdo not collide with the legal order. This paper aims to discuss ‘Abd al-Qadir al- Jilani’s sufismin relation to this academic constellation. Through a qualitative analysis of al-Jilani'sworks, this paper shows that the true sufism according to al-Jilani originates from Islamicteachings and is not anti-nomian in its nature. In his teachings, epistemologically sufism itselfrequires the integration of the shari‘ah and the haqiqah in a balanced way, in both theoreticaland practical spheres. This integration has axiological implications for the deeper meaning ofIslamic dogmas, so as understood not only legally and formally, but also morally andspiritually.