The essence of Tasawwuf is Ihsān, which is expressed through true and sincere توجه الی اللہ. رسول اللہ صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم described Ihsān in these words:
“اَن تَعبُدَ اللہَ کَاَنَّکَ تَراهُ، فَاِن لَم تَکُن تَراهُ فَاِنَّهُ یَراکَ”
(Meaning: That you worship Allah as though you see Him, and if you cannot see Him, then indeed He sees you.)
All forms of knowledge, actions, and spiritual states which are necessary or beneficial for رجوع الی اللہ come under Tasawwuf. All meanings and realities of Tasawwuf ultimately return to this very foundation, which in the terminology of Shariyah is called Ihsān.
The foundation of all outward and inward perfections is to keep the heart purified from everything besides Allah, and to allow none except the محبوبِ حقیقی to reside within the heart. When the محبوبِ حقیقی settles within the house of the servant’s heart, then all the treasures, majesty, glory, power, and greatness of that Beloved descend into the heart of the servant. The servant becomes فنا from his own self and attributes, and lives and remains through the ذات و صفات of حق تعالیٰ.
Thus, Tasawwuf is the name of that spiritual ladder by which a human being ascends toward the heights of all outward and inward perfections, and while living this temporary worldly life, fulfills the true purpose of his coming into this world in its fullest sense.