The Friend is your refuge and support on the Way.

If you look, you’ll see the Friend is the Way.

–Mawlana Jalal al-Din Rūmi

[Mathnawi VI, 1592]

The Reality of Tasawwuf (Islamic Spirituality/Mysticism)

A master of Islamic spirituality, Mawlana Ashraf ‘Ali Thanawi (1863-1943) was “widely considered the preeminent Sufi of modern India.” He strove for a tasawwuf that would be in complete harmony with the Qur’an and hadith. His remarkable contribution in this field, as Marcia K. Hermansen has pointed out, is his “attempt to rework Sufism into a more acceptable expression consistent with Islamic legalism.” This summary of his tasawwuf is evident throughout his works. For example, his biographer, ‘Aziz al-Hasan Ghawri, quotes him as saying, “I do not know how to pose myself as a ritualistic pir. I am nothing but a religious student; so inquire from me only matters pertaining to the Qur’an and hadith.