Ethics in Ṣūfism - Encyclopaedia of Islam, THREE
[Article]
Heck, Paul L.
Leiden
Brill
(2,108 words)
Ethics in Ṣūfism generally involves awareness of the universal presence of God. This, in turn, encourages lack of self-regard, resulting in selfless behaviour towards others, beyond the actions prescribed by law (sharīʿa). The topic of ethics in Ṣūfism forms one part of a spiritual system that includes rules of comportment (adab) as well as the stages (maqāmāt) and stations (aḥwāl) of the spiritual journey (sulūk). Ethics as defined in the manuals of Ṣūfism always affected the wider society, working to shape, for instance, altruistic chivalry ( futūwa) in classical Islam.