THE ROLE OF ABU NASR AL-SARRAJ IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF SUFISM

Аннотация

The article presents information about the prominent Sufism theorist Abu Nasr Sarraji Tusi and his work “Lumaʼ”. This work is considered one of the first systematized works on the science of Sufism to have survived to the present day. The article analyzes the essence of Sufism and its development within the Sunni tradition. “Lumaʼ” was written with the aim of proving that Sufism is one of the Islamic sciences. For this reason, Sarraji analyzes such Islamic disciplines as fiqh, kalam, and hadith, guiding the reader through them to an understanding of Sufism. He describes Sufism as an independent science concerned with Islamic ethics and spirituality, using the methods of istinbat, similar to other Islamic sciences, while also explaining the internal aspects of fiqh. As a result, the foundation for the development of the systematized science of Sufism was laid. Thanks to the limitation of extreme practices and the elimination of negative views of Sufism, this discipline was recognized as a legitimate science. Sufism, as a science, is aimed at achieving the highest level of morality, and in this process, the role of Abu Nasr Sarraji is invaluable. His approach helped improve relations between Sufis and fuqahāʼ and mutakallimūn, and also laid the foundation for the formation of Sunni Sufi schools in the future. Therefore, he is recognized as one of the founders of Sufi doctrine within the belief system of “Ahl al-Sunnah waʼl-Jamaʼah” in the history of tasawwuf.