Ask where Sufism began and you will hear many answers. Some point to a word, some to a group of early Muslims, and some to a single line of hadith. Each holds part of the story. This post walks through it calmly, keeping to what the sources say and noting where scholars differ. If you want the meaning and practice first, start with What Is Sufism in Islam?.
This is part of our Sufism Basics series on the teachings page. It is an overview of history, not a ruling.
Quick answer
Short answer: Sufism (tasawwuf) grew from the inner side of Islam that Muslims call ihsan, worshipping God with full presence of heart. In the first Islamic centuries, devout people known for zuhd (detachment from the world) shaped it. By the 3rd/9th century the name “Sufi” was in common use, especially in Baghdad, and from the 5th/11th century manuals by al-Qushayri, al-Hujwiri and al-Ghazali set out its teachings (Britannica).
The root: ihsan
Many Sufi writers trace their path to the famous hadith of Jibril. Asked about ihsan, the Prophet ﷺ replied (Sahih al-Bukhari 50, graded sahih; also Sahih Muslim 8a, sahih):
Meaning: To worship God as though you see Him, and if you do not see Him, to know that He sees you.
The hadith speaks of three layers of religion: islam, iman and ihsan. Sufism, as its own writers describe it, is the effort to live the third.
Key takeaways
- Root idea: ihsan, worship with presence of heart (Bukhari 50).
- Early shape: devotion, night prayer and zuhd, detachment from the world.
- The name became common in Baghdad’s circles before it spread widely (Britannica).
- Classical manuals later gathered sayings and practice into books.
Where does the word come from?
Scholars differ on the origin of the word Sufi. The main suggestions are:
| Suggested root | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|
| suf | Wool | Rough woollen garments worn by early ascetics; widely accepted by historians |
| safa’ | Purity | Popular among Sufi writers; harder to fit to Arabic grammar |
| suffa | The bench | The ahl al-suffa, poor Companions who stayed at the Prophet’s mosque |
Western reference works tend to favour suf, wool (Britannica). Sufi authors often prefer the meaning of purity. We leave the question open, as the classical writers themselves did.
The early ascetics
In the first two Islamic centuries, the people later counted as forerunners were not called Sufis. They were known as worshippers and ascetics. Al-Hasan al-Basri (d. 110/728) in Basra is often named among them for his sermons on the heart and the fleeting world. Rabi’a al-‘Adawiyya of Basra (d. c. 185/801) is remembered for speaking of loving God for His own sake.
Their focus was simple: sincerity, fear of God, hope, and turning away from luxury. Our post on zuhd and detachment looks at this station in more depth.
Baghdad and the “sober” school
By the 3rd/9th century, Baghdad had circles that spoke openly of the inner path. Al-Junayd (d. 298/910) is the best-known name. Later writers called his approach “sober”: inner experience kept firmly within the Qur’an, the Sunnah and the law. Many later orders trace their chains of teachers back through him.
A famous saying
Al-Hujwiri records this line from Abu’l-Hasan Fushanji: “To-day Sufiism is a name without a reality, but formerly it was a reality without a name.” (al-Hujwiri, Kashf al-Mahjub, tr. R. A. Nicholson, 1911, p. 44)
The classical manuals
From the 5th/11th century, scholars wrote books to gather the path in one place and to show that it sat inside mainstream Islam.
Four landmark works
1
Al-Qushayri’s Risala: a guide to the Sufi stations and their masters, written in Nishapur. See our introduction to the Risala.
2
Al-Hujwiri’s Kashf al-Mahjub: among the earliest Persian works on Sufism, written in Lahore. See our Kashf al-Mahjub introduction.
3
Al-Ghazali’s Ihya’ ‘Ulum al-Din: joins law, belief and the inner life in one work. See our Ihya introduction.
4
The orders (tariqas): from about the 6th/12th century, teaching lineages took shape as organised paths.
The orders and beyond
Over the following centuries, tariqas spread from Morocco to Indonesia and across the Subcontinent. Each kept a chain of teachers, a set of daily litanies and a house of learning. If the words tariqa, murid and shaykh are new to you, our guide to Sufi terms explains them.
Tip
Read the early masters through the classical manuals rather than online quote lists. The manuals give the setting of each saying, which matters.
FAQ
When did Sufism start?
Its roots are in the first Islamic century, in the devotion and zuhd of early Muslims. The name “Sufi” was in common use by the 3rd/9th century.
What does the word Sufi mean?
Scholars differ. The main suggestions are suf (wool), safa’ (purity) and suffa (the bench of the Prophet’s mosque).
Who wrote the first books on Sufism?
Several early works exist, but the best-known classical manuals are by al-Qushayri, al-Hujwiri and al-Ghazali.
Last checked: 24 October 2026 (Asia/Riyadh). Hadith: Sahih al-Bukhari 50 and Sahih Muslim 8a (both sahih), Arabic text on hold pending a print check; English meaning is our own wording. Historical overview only, not a religious ruling.
