Some scholars have divided the Sufis into three categories:
صوفی
متصوف
مستصوف
Their explanations are briefly described as follows:
صوفی
A صاحبِ وصول — one who has become free from the demands of the lower nature, has become connected with the Truth, and after becoming فنا from his own self, remains alive and enduring through the حق.
متصوف
A صاحبِ اصول — one who is engaged in مجاہدہ and striving to reach the station of وصول.
مستصوف
A صاحبِ فضول — one who adopts the outward appearance of the Sufis for worldly gain, while having attained no share from the true perfections and qualities of the صوفیہ.
Apart from the divisions mentioned above, there are also other titles by which the Sufis are known, such as ملامتیہ and قلندر.
ملامتیہ
ملامتیہ refers to that Read more [...] Categories of the Sufis
Some scholars have divided the Sufis into three categories:
صوفی
متصوف
مستصوف
Their explanations are briefly described as follows:
صوفی
A صاحبِ وصول — one who has become free from the demands of the lower nature, has become connected with the Truth, and after becoming فنا from his own self, remains alive and enduring through the حق.
متصوف
A صاحبِ اصول — one who is engaged in مجاہدہ and striving to reach the station of وصول.
مستصوف
A صاحبِ فضول — one who adopts the outward appearance of the Sufis for worldly gain, while having attained no share from the true perfections and qualities of the صوفیہ.
Apart from the divisions mentioned above, there are also other titles by which the Sufis are known, such as ملامتیہ and قلندر.
ملامتیہ
ملامتیہ refers to that Read more [...] 
Without the knowledge of احکامِ الہٰی there can be no proper عمل, and without عمل, knowledge is of no benefit. Likewise, both علم and عمل remain incomplete without Ihsān. Until there is sincere صدقِ توجہ, no true benefit can be attained from عمل, and until beneficial عمل is manifested, the purpose of knowledge cannot be fulfilled.
For this reason, the relationship of Ihsān with علم and عمل is like the relationship of the soul with the body.
Thus, امام مالک رحمتہ اللہ علیہ said:
“مَنْ تَصوَّفَ وَلَمْ يَتَفَقَّهْ فَقَدْ تَزَنْدَقَ، وَمَنْ تَفَقَّهْ وَلَمْ يَتَصَوَّفْ فَقَدْ تَفَسَّقَ، وَمَنْ جَمَعَ بَيْنَهُمَا فَقَدْ تَحَقَّقَ”
Meaning: Whoever adopted Tasawwuf without acquiring proper 
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