Historical Dictionary of Sufism

The most broadly accepted explanation of Sufism i the etymological derivation of the term from the Arabic for “wool,” ?uf, associating practitioners with a preference for poor, rough clothing. This explanation clearly identifies Sufism with ascetical practice and the importance of manifesting spiritual poverty through material poverty. In fact, some of the earliest “Western” descriptions of individuals now widely associated with the larger phenomenon of Sufism identified them with the Arabi...