What is a Sufi and what does he believe?
The movement which became known as “Sufism” grew up originally within Islam. The people attracted to it were attracted to the idea of reaching the Divine Essence personally. The sincere amongst Sufis truly wanted to experience the Presence of God themselves. Teachers introduced repetitive practices which were calculated to assist people to have this personal experience. Some examples of these practices, which are still in use today, are dancing in circles or repeating certain prayers over and over again while bowing up and down. From time to time drugs were used, but this was considered by the sincere as decadent practice. Songs, prayers, dancing and other repetitive practices were more often used to induce ecstasy, presumed to be a direct experience of the Presence of God. Stories, especially about the mythical Sufi teacher, Mulla Nasrudin, were also used to illustrate spiritual truths. In the earliest days of this movement two teachers, who were also poets, arose. They were Fariduddi
