Majalah Al-Hikmah Edisi ke 17

MA JA L AH A L - H I KMAH 26 For Al-Attas, the early models are not detached mystics but scholars and jurists who embodied profound spiritual depth. Figures such as Ali ibn Abi Talib, Hasan al- Basri, and al-Junayd al-Baghdadi are often cited as pivotal. These figures are celebrated not only for their asceticism and powerful sermons but also for their deep theological insight, firmly placing their spiritual concerns within the orthodox framework of early Islam. Their emphases on repentance, fear of God, and rigorous self-examination established a trajectory for subsequent generations. Given the evidence provided by Al-Attas, it becomes untenable for a discerning mind to remain confused and ignorant regarding the authentic origins of Sufism. Nevertheless, this is not to claim that there have not been manipulators and counterfeits who misuse and abuse the position of Sufism throughout history. May Allah SWT protect us from the two types of ignorance as taught by the scholars of Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama’ah (al-Jahl jahlan, basit wa murakkab). As said by Imam Ibrahim al-Bayjuri in Tuhfah al- Murid: “Ignorance, which is either simple or compound. So, the first is not knowing what is of its nature to be known. And the second is perceiving the thing as contrary to what it is, and it is called compound because it entails two ignorances, namely: one’s ignorance of the thing and one’s ignorance of his own ignorance.” Conclusion Dr. Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas’s perspective on the early scholars of Sufism is a call for historical and conceptual authenticity. He emphasizes that the foundational figures were pious scholars, ascetics, and authoritative theologians whose spiritual discipline was inseparable from their commitment to the Shari'ah and the pristine concept of Tawhid. By highlighting this integration, Al- Attas sought to describe the genuine and authentic Sufism as observed in the long history of Islam. His approach serves as a vital framework for understanding the intellectual history of Islamic spirituality, particularly in assessing its historical trajectory and influence in the Malay Archipelago. Al-Attas views genuine Sufism not as an imported foreign philosophy or confusion by counterfeits but as a discipline rooted firmly in the Quran and the Sunnah. He is critical of later deviations that blurred the lines between orthodox Sufism and philosophical pantheism or syncretism, such as the taslim group. For Al-Attas, the authenticity of a Sufi tradition rests upon its strict adherence to the Islamic foundational teachings of tawhid, shari'ah, and akhlaq. This critical stance implies a clear position of Sufism as seen in the foundational figures who were primarily ascetics (zuhhad) and pious scholars of this ummah.