Sufism had an important part in the formation of Muslim societies as it educated the masses and met their felt needs, giving spiritual meaning to their lives and channeling their emotions. Sufis were also great missionaries who converted new regions to Islam.
Its cultural contribution was a rich poetry in Arabic, Persian, Turkish, Urdu, Sindi, Pashto and Punjabi, which spread its mystical ideas all over the Muslim world and enriched local literature and identity.
The two great pioneers in this filed were Shaikh Abdul Qadir Jilani and Hazrat Shahabuddin Suharawardy. Four branches of Sufism, namely Qadriya, Chishtiya, Suharawardya and Naqshahbandya were introduced in the Subcontinent by Syed Bandqi Mohammad Ghosh, Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti, Shaikh Bahawaldin Lakariya and Khwaja Mohammad Baqi Billah respectively.
Answer-2
The purpose of the Sufis and ultimate goal of a person who wants to become a Sufi is to win the pleasure of Almighty Allah by purifying his souls of the worldly gains, passions, lust and want. The chief aim of a Sufi is to purify his 'self' and attain Qurb-i-Elahi (the nearness of Almighty Allah). This can only be attained by following the foot-steps (Sunna and Hadith) of our beloved Prophet Hazrat Muhammad Mustafa (SAW). Religious scholar -an A'alim- reads the text of the Qur'an and disseminates it to his disciples. A Sufi receives the Blessings (barka'at) of the Holy Qur'an and the holy Qalb of the Holy Prophet (SAW) and disseminates them to the seekers (the Saliks.
Arabic_word_for_the_Sufi_tradition_of_Islam
sufi
Traders and Sufi mystics
Sunni sect is the largest sect of Islam. Shia are in very less number. Sufi is not a sect. It is a way of life for some of the Muslims who seek pleasure of Almighty Allah by excessive prayer and devotion.
They were important because they spent their time praying and teaching Islam
They were important because they spent their time praying and teaching Islam
The Whirling Dervishes are an order of Sufis and Sufism is a sect of Islam. Therefore, the Whirling Dervishes are both Sufi and Islamic.
"Sufism" is the correct term for the mystical tradition of Islam.
The Seljuks or the Sufi's
Sufi.
Sunni Shia, quraniyoon, sufi, ahmadiyya, ibadi
Dervishes are members of the Sufi's and thus mostly Sunni Muslims.