MANIFESTATIONS OF SUFI THOUGHT BETWEEN THE STAGES OF SACRED LAW AND THE ASCENSIONS OF TRUTH

Abstract

This study examines a pivotal issue within both Eastern and Western Islamic Sufism, around which opinions have diverged between official religious institutions (the jurists) and the Sufis themselves—namely, the question of Sacred Law (Shari'ah) and Truth (Haqiqah) and their respective positions within Sufi thought and gnosis. The significance of this topic lies in its constituting an epistemological foundation connected to the Arab intellectual framework across its various philosophical and religious dimensions. The central problem that this study addresses through its component questions is: Does there actually exist a genuine disagreement and divergent perspectives between Sufis and jurists regarding the duality of Sacred Law and Truth? Is this disagreement substantive, or does it merely represent a misunderstanding on the part of jurists concerning the nature of Truth as conceived by the Sufis? In other words, does a fundamental opposition exist, or does the issue stem from diverse perspectives? If we acknowledge the existence of disagreement between them, what are the methodological foundations and epistemological frameworks of those Sufis who affirm this duality? Do these foundations rest upon sound scholarly principles? Is textual hermeneutics from the Sufi perspective subject to the dialectic of the manifest (zahir) and the hidden (batin)? What are the levels of manifestation of the concept of Truth among the Sufis? Is Truth genuinely a Sufi concept that finds realization in the symbolic dimension of the Qur'an? Put differently, can we speak of a parallel Sufi exegesis that employs the concept of esoteric allusion (isharah batiniyyah) as a means of accessing the truths and secrets of the Qur'an? Finally, what is the nature of the antagonism between Sufis and jurists? Is it a genuine conflict necessitated by scholarly disagreement and divergent premises, or does it reflect external contexts- psychological, sectarian, and political? This study employs a descriptive-analytical methodology, as it is most appropriate for theoretical studies of this intellectual and religious nature.