مولانا مودودی کاتصورِتصوف : ایک مطالعہA Study Mawlānā Mawdūdī's Theory of Sufism

Abstract

Islamic history has a very old tradition of Sufism and it has its supporters and critics. One of the prominent contemporary scholars who have criticized Sufism in a particular context is Mawlānā Abul ʻAlā Mawdūdī (1903-1979), a well-known British Indian and Pakistani Islamic Scholar, jurist and journalist. Because of his criticism of Sufism, people generally called him an opponent of Sufism. But on the other hand, his writings and thoughts also show that he is praising ancient and traditional Sufism. In this context, it would be important to know what Mawdūdī’s theory of Sufism really is. It is for this purpose that Mawdūdī’s concept of Sufism has been brought to the fore in this article. The study finds that according to Mawdūdī, Sufism, especially Sufism in the subcontinent, has become flawed. He uses the term self-purification instead of the term Sufism and considers the reform of the individual as the basis of social reform. In other words, Mawdūdī is not against Sufism, he prefers traditionalism and believes in renewal. According to him, true Sufism is that which is proved by the Quran, Sunnah and the practices of the Companions. It can be concluded that Mawdūdī is a believer in the renewal of Sufism.