al-Fikr al-Sufi fi Daw al-Kitab wa al-Sunna
- Author died
- 1442 AH
- Editions
- Maktabat Ibn Taymiyyah
al-Fikr al-Sufi fi Daw al-Kitab wa al-Sunna (Sufi Thought in the Light of the Quran and Sunna) is a critical treatise on Sufism by the Salafi scholar Abd al-Rahman ibn Abd al-Khaliq (d. 1442 AH / 2020 CE), evaluating Sufi doctrines, rituals, historical evolution, and ties to Shi'ism against the texts of the Quran and Sunna .
Background and Editions
The initial nucleus of the work appeared in 1975 CE as a shorter treatise focused exclusively on the doctrinal aspects of Sufism . Abd al-Rahman ibn Abd al-Khaliq later expanded the text into a comprehensive six-part volume published by Maktabat Ibn Taymiyya in Kuwait . In Rajab 1406 AH (April 1986 CE), he completed the preface for its third and fourth editions in Kuwait, noting that he corrected typographical and linguistic errors and appended an extensive dedicated section examining the Rifa'iyya order . In Dhu al-Qi'da 1404 AH (August 1984 CE), the author also prepared an abridged booklet titled Fada'ih al-Sufiyya (The Scandals of Sufism) to summarize the work's primary arguments and provide practical disputation models for students of Islamic knowledge .
Structure and Contents
The book is structured into six major parts (abwab):
- Part One: Outlines the core principles of Islamic creed and practice derived exclusively from the Quran and Sunna, arguing that all beliefs and legislations departing from these two sources are invalid, in contrast to what the author describes as Sufism's relativism toward beliefs and paths .
- Part Two: Presents a general historical outline of Sufism, tracking its origins, dissemination, historical stages, and broad theological and practical tenets .
- Part Three: The largest section of the work, comprising thirteen chapters on the development of Sufi doctrine toward wahdat al-wujud (unity of existence) and religious universalism . It analyzes specific concepts such as al-Haqiqa al-Muhammadiyya (the Muhammadan Reality), beliefs regarding al-Khadir, claims of uncovering the unseen (kashf), spiritual ascension (mi'raj), the hierarchy of sainthood (wilaya), the seal of sainthood (khatm al-wilaya), and the purported cosmic governing council (al-diwan) at Mount Hira in Mecca .
- Part Four: Discusses Sufi rituals and practices (shari'at al-Sufiyya), including formulas of dhikr, claims of receiving revelations or waking encounters with the Prophet ﷺ, ecstatic utterances (shath), methods of spiritual conditioning, an in-depth examination of the Tijaniyya order, and the historical debate of Ibn Taymiyya with adherents of the Rifa'iyya order .
- Part Five: Explores the theological and historical parallels between Sufism and Shi'ism, arguing that both trends share common esoteric foundations and mutual influences .
- Part Six: Reviews historical critique of Sufi doctrines by early Sunni scholars, beginning with Imam al-Shafi'i and Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal, and concludes with testimonies by twentieth-century scholars who renounced Sufism, such as Dr. Muhammad Taqi al-Din al-Hilali and Shaykh Abd al-Rahman al-Wakil .
Method and Reception
In his analysis, the author adopts the approach of quoting extensively from recognized primary Sufi manuals—including Abu Nasr al-Sarraj's Kitab al-Luma', al-Kalabadhi's al-Ta'arruf li-Madhhab Ahl al-Tasawwuf, Abu Abd al-Rahman al-Sulami's Tabaqat al-Sufiyya, and Abd al-Karim al-Jili's al-Insan al-Kamil—arguing that presenting their verbatim texts alongside scriptural evidence suffices to demonstrate their theological divergence . The book came to be widely referenced in contemporary Salafi literature as a comprehensive study for critiquing Sufism, its theological evolution, and its links to esoteric trends .
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