Sufism as The Core of Islam: A Review of Imam Junayd Al-Baghdadi’s Concept of Tasawwuf

Abstract

This paper studies the thoughts of Abu ‘l-Qasim al-Junaid ibn Muhamad ibn Al-Junayd al-Khazzaz al-Qawariri Nihawandi al-Baghdadi, one of the prominent figures during the early development of Sufism, or also known in Arabic as tasawwuf. This study attempts to find a confluence between tasawwuf and Islam, on the basis that Islamic teachings are going through degradation in meanings and tasawwuf is often considered as a bid’ah (heresy) in Islamic studies. This research used a library research method and Junayd al-Baghdadi’s treatise, Rasail Junaid, as the primary data source. This study concludes that tasawwuf is not only an aspect or a segment of Islamic teachings, but it is the core of Islam itself as a religion. There are three central theories of tasawwuf by Junayd al-Baghdadi: mitsaq (covenant), fana (annihilation of self), and tawhid (unification). Based on these three theories, we can conclude that Junayd al-Baghdadi succeeded in conciliating the debate among tasawwuf and fiqh scholars. He also managed to knock down the stigma of tasawwuf as a heresy. His thoughts redefine tasawwuf into a simple and acceptable teaching for Muslims.