Revelation, Rationality, Knowledge & Truth — Page 27
ISLAMIC SCHOOLS OF THOUGHT. There are four major well-established and highly revered sects of Sufism which also deviated from the path of Shari'ah with the passage of time. Yet as for their founders, their loyalty to the Holy Quran and the Sunnah remained unquestionable and uncompromising. These major sects are Chishtiyyah, Soharverdiyyah, Qadiriyyah and Naqshbandiyyah which are further divided into many other sub-sects. They all stress the importance of abstinence and austerity to facilitate the attainment of truth. . Initially, these practices were not a substitute for the traditional Islamic observances, but were carried out in addition to them. . Gradually the Sufi understanding of the creationcreator relationship began to be influenced by such philosophies as were alien to Islam. For instance, the influence of classical Greek philosophy can be traced in some Sufi sects. The Greek notion of pantheism was adopted in a modified form by some Sufi sects, though strongly opposed by others. The opponents of pantheistic tendencies stress that there is a clear and distinct separating line between God and His creation. According to them though the creation bears a stamp of the Creator and reflects Him, yet it is not diffused with His identity. By contrast, some other factions believe that because the whole universe is a manifestation of God, there can be no clear distinction between the Creator and the creation. For them, creation cannot be separated from God because His attributes are inseparable from the nature of all that He has created. No separating line can be drawn. Hence God is the universe and the universe is God. Yet He has His own independent Will, which works like the natural properties in matter. . At first sight this view of the universe may appear to be entirely pantheistic, in which God is everything and 27