STAGES OF THE SPREAD OF SUFISM IN THE WEST
Keywords:
Sufism, mysticism, Islam, spiritual experience, West, poetry, conversion, purification.Abstract
This article states that Sufism is a mystical and philosophical trend in Islam aimed at achieving spiritual perfection through personal experience and direct connection with the Divine. The term has various origins, possibly linked to purity, wool, or early ascetics of Islam. Emerging in the 9th century, Sufism influenced European thought through poetry, mystics, and scholarly studies. In the modern West, it gained popularity via literature, music, and spiritual societies, often leading to conversions to Islam. Though sometimes criticized for straying from orthodoxy, Sufism continues to attract people with its ideals of divine love and inner purification.
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