Abstract
Sufism has been one of the key sources to disseminate the esoteric aspects of the message of Islam throughout the world. The Sufis of Islam claim to present the real and original picture of Islam especially emphasizing the purity of heart and inner-self. To realize this objective they resort to various practices including meditation, love with fellow beings and service for mankind. The present article tries to explore the origin of Sufism, its gradual evolution and culmination. It also seeks to shed light on the characteristics of the Sufis of the different periods or generations as well as their ideas and approaches. Moreover, it discusses the contributions of the different Sufi Shaykhs as well as Sufi orders or Silsilahs, Qadiriyya, Suhrwardiyya, Naqshbandiyya, Kubraviyya and particularly the Chishtiyya. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2015.v6n5s1p382
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