Huston Smith Part 4

Sufism: What is the Islamic sect Sufism all about?

1. Sufis see the distinction between the the inner and outer as deriving from the Koran itself.
2. Sufis have the mysticism of love, of ecstasy, and of intuition. 
3. The second Sufism approach to the divine presence is ecstatic (literally to "stand outside oneself" 
4. The principal method Sufis employed for penetrating the disguise is symbolism
5. Sufis have their rights, but so have ordinary believers whose faith in unambiguous principles, fully adequate for salvation, could be undermined by teachings that seem to tamper with them. 

Summary: Sufism is more of the mystical side of Islam. They take symbolism to the extreme, believing that everything they do is a symbol for something higher in power. Sufis have the mysticism of love, of ecstasy, and on intuition. Their beliefs can sometimes be considered strange by more exoteric Muslims and in some places Sufism is not allowed.

Whither Islam?

1. Muslims have wandered from the spirit of the Prophet
2. Islam is one of the most remarkable panoramas in all of history.
3. Chapters describing the spread of Muslim ideas would be more important.

Summary: Islam is a religion that contributed to the global society far more than we can think of. It still face problems as do all the religions in the world, but Muslims try to overcome them. Western society has given a negative image to the Islamic religion but that image is wrong.