[penpizdes]

Even the word "Sufism" (Tasawwuf) is problematic. Sufi literally means a person who is attached to wool. The first deviant ascetics began to wear wool as a way of rejecting the world. They indeed had good intentions, but it was a deviation from the Sunnah of the Prophet who preferred other fabrics to wool. These early deviants were trying to follow the supposed Sunnah of Eesa ibn Maryam while ignoring the Sunnah of Rasoolullaah who said that even if Moses were to be alive, he would have no choice but to follow the Prophet

Similarly, when Eesa ibn Maryam descends, he will rule by the Sunnah of the Prophet and not by the Gospel.

Zuhd is indeed an integral part of Islaam. It is from the Sunnah to do such things as frequent fasting, praying for long periods at night, eating very little, not wanting riches and power, frequently doing Dhikr (with Sunan Adhkaar), having complete tawakkal in Allaah, having Sabran Jameela (never complaining to anyone except Allaah), remaining quiet and not talking except when necessary, sleeping on the ground, etc.,

These are all good things, which should not be monopolized by the Sufis. Every Muslim should strive to achieve this level of Zuhd.

But not to go to extremes like the Christians who invented monastacism and completely shut themselves out from the world, denying the importance of marriage and working for a living. Islaam is the middle path between the two extremes of over-indulgence/worldliness and the other extreme of monastacism.

Returning to the Sunnah is the true asceticism and purification of the soul. It is the true Tareeqah, not the Turuq of Naqshbandi, Qaadiri, Shadhili, Rifa'i, etc. Take the notion of Sabran Jameela for example. It means beautiful patience and not to complain or ask from anyone except Allaah. The Sufis have so deviated from this concept that not only do they encourage people to even ask from the dead, but if they were true ascetics, they would encourage everyone to only ask from Allaah.