A practitioner of Sufism, the mystical dimension of Islam focused on inner purification, direct experience of the divine, and spiritual enlightenment through meditation and ritual.
Possibly from Arabic 'suf' meaning 'wool,' referring to the rough woolen garments worn by early mystics, or from 'safa' meaning 'purity.' The term emerged in the 8th-9th centuries to describe Islamic mystics.
Sufi poetry and music spread Islamic culture far beyond military conquest—their beautiful verses about divine love and spiritual longing converted more people to Islam than any army, and their whirling dances became iconic symbols of mystical experience!
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