On Sufis and Sufism

In Tarteeb al-Madaarik (2/54) by Qaadi 'Iyyaad (rh): "We were with Malik and his companions around him. A man from the people of Naseebeen said, 'We have a people called Sufis who eat a lot then they mention lines of poetry and then they stand up to dance.' Imam Malik (rh) asked, 'Are they children?' He said, 'No.' Imam Malik then asked, 'Are they possessed?' Again he said, 'No. They are elderly and usually sane (when they are not doing that).' Imam Malik then said, 'I never heard anyone from the people of Islam doing this.' The man then continued, 'Rather they eat, then they stand and dance. Some of them hitting their heads and some their faces.' So Imam Malik laughed and then stood up and went to his house. The companions of Imam Malik said to the man, 'You were fortunate with our companion since we sat with him for thirty odd years, (and) we never saw him laugh except on this day.'"

Imam Al-Syafii (rh) said: "If a person exercise Sufism (Tasawafa) at the beginning of the day, he does not come to Dhuhur except an idiot." [Talbees Iblees].

Imam Baihaqee (rh) reports in Manaqib Al-Syafii, "If a man becomes a Sufi in the first part of the day, by the time Dhuhur comes upon him you will find him crazy."

Imam Al-Syafii (rh) also said: "Nobody accompanied the Sufis forty days and had his brain return (ever)." [Talbees Iblees].

Ibrahim ibn Mawlid (rh) mentions that Imam Al-Syafii said, "A Sufi cannot be a Sufi unless he has four characteristics; he is lazy, he eats too much, sleeps too much with much excretion."

Imam Tartoushi al-Maliki (rh) was asked about the Sufis so he said, "The mazhab of the Sufis is futile, ignorance, misguidance and it is not allowed for anyone who believes in Allah and the last day to be present with them, nor to help them upon their baseless ways and this is the way of Malik, Abu Haneefah, Al-Syafii and other than them from the scholars of the Muslims and to Allah belongs success." (Tafseer Qurtubi 11/237/238)