Sufism is often described as Islamic mysticism (tasawwuf – literally ‘to dress in wool’) or asceticism. It is the belief and practice in which Muslims seek to find the truth of divine love and knowledge through direct personal experience of God. Sufism is less a doctrine or a belief system, but an experience and way of life.
Sufism’s claim to universality is founded on the broad recognition that there is only one God, the God of all people and all true religions. Sufism understands itself to be the wisdom realized by the great prophets — explicitly including Jesus, Moses, David, Solomon, and Abraham, among others, and implicitly including other unnamed enlightened beings of every culture. Sufism is often referred to as a sect in of itself, but Sufism is imbedded in both Sunni and Shia Islam; although, the Zaydi typically reject Sufism as belonging to a tariqah (Sufi Orders) often requires pledging allegiance to the orders Shaykh.
The central component to Sufi practice is rite of dhikr, which involves constant, meditative remembrance of God and Gods attributes, done both communally and individually, geared towards cultivating greater connection with the divine. Other practices would include supplementary prayers (dua) and fasting. All of which can be practiced in your own communities and homes without belonging to an order.
“In the Western world today, diverse groups exist under the name of Sufism. On the one hand there are those who would say that no true Sufism can exist without appreciation and practice of the principles of Islam. On the other hand, some groups exist that more or less ignore the Islamic roots of Sufism and take their teaching from further downstream, from “Sufis” who may or may not have had contact with specifically Islamic teachings.”
Source(s):
What Is Sufism? | Institute for Global Change
Sufism | Definition, History, Beliefs, Significance, & Facts | Britannica
What is Sufism? – The Threshold Society
Should you follow a tariqa? – Utrujj
Zaydī Attitudes to Sufism in: Islamic Mysticism Contested (brill.com)
