Version 1.0 · For trained practitioners. Not a self-help resource.
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Sufism
The mystical tradition of Islam (taṣawwuf), from eighth-century asceticism through the ecstatic and sober schools to the systematic metaphysics of Ibn ʿArabī (d. 1240) and the organised orders (ṭarīqa). The path is described as stations (maqāmāt) and states (aḥwāl) leading to the passing-away of the self (fanāʾ) and subsistence in God (baqāʾ).
Mediterranean & Middle East · Status: Open (textual) / Living
Coaching Practitioner Manual §2.6, pp. 38–41 · fanāʾ / baqāʾ correction applied; citations unverified. Correspondences are exploratory, not validated.
Overview
Sufism is situated in Islamic spiritual life, grounded in devotion, remembrance and transformation of the heart. The source introduces tawḥīd (oneness), nafs (self), fanāʾ (annihilation of separate self), baqāʾ (subsistence in God), dhikr (remembrance) and ʿishq (divine love). Its imagery of longing and the Beloved is not a generic template for all experiences. A coach may listen to the meaning a person gives these words, not teach dhikr or interpret an Islamic spiritual path without training.
Coaching relevance
| Dimension | Source perspective | Coaching framing |
|---|---|---|
| Presence | Remembrance through breath | Notice rhythm without claiming to teach dhikr |
| Identity | Surrender of the ego-self | Explore self-focus with humility |
| Narrative | Longing for the Beloved | Allow longing without calling pain spiritually necessary |
| Regulation | Dhikr as a devotional practice | Attend to established sources of steadiness |
| Integration | Baqāʾ as action in the world | Explore service and post-experience responsibility |
Territory correspondences
| Territory | Exploratory source correspondence |
|---|---|
| 1 · Consensus Reality | Lower self (nafs al-ammāra), fear and pride (Schimmel, 1975). |
| 2 · Personal Narrative | Heartbreak, longing and purification of the qalb (Rumi, 1995–2010). |
| 3 · Adjusted Cognition | Opening of the heart through remembrance (Nasr, 2007). |
| 4 · Imaginal / Transcendent Visualisation | Dreams of the Beloved, sacred names, imaginal world (Schimmel, 1975). |
| 5 · Oneness / Union with Source | Experiences of divine nearness and unity; do not collapse tawḥīd into a secular oneness model (Nasr, 2007). |
| 6 · Ego Death / Dissolution | Fanāʾ: the “death before death”, annihilation of the separate self (Nasr, 2007). |
| 7 · Integration / Return | Baqāʾ: subsistence in the Divine; reborn self returns living through divine qualities, walāya in service (Rumi, 1995–2010; Schimmel, 1975). |
Practice reflection
Name of the Beloved · 10 minutes
The source suggests repeating “Love”, “Peace” or “One” on an exhale, then reflecting on what arises. This is a secular reflection in the PDF, not dhikr. Do not present it as an Islamic ritual or substitute it for a practice taught by a Sufi guide.
Further reading
Source anchors (p. 40): Schimmel, Mystical Dimensions of Islam (1975); Rumi, The Essential Rumi (Barks translation, source lists 1995–2010); Nasr, The Garden of Truth (2007).
Further reading (p. 41): William C. Chittick, The Sufi Path of Love; Coleman Barks translation, The Essential Rumi; Jean-Louis Michon and Roger Gaetani, Sufism: Love and Wisdom; Ibn Arabi, Journey to the Lord of Power; Robert Frager, Heart, Self, and Soul; Daniel Thomas Dyer, Ninety-Nine Names of God.
Anchors (APA 7)
Schimmel (1975), Mystical Dimensions of Islam; Chittick (1989), The Sufi Path of Knowledge.