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 [...] 
Allah تعالیٰ says:
“وَالَّذِينَ جَاهَدُوا فِينَا لَنَهْدِيَنَّهُمْ سُبُلَنَا”(Surah Al-‘Ankabūt)
Meaning: Those who strive in Our path — We shall surely guide them to Our ways.
With complete اعتمادِ کلّی upon this Divine promise, the Sufis engage in مجاہدہ and thereby attain guidance. Guidance depends upon شرحِ صدر, and شرحِ صدر results from those Divine lights (انوارِ الٰہی) which descend from the unseen upon the heart.
Through the blessings of these انوارِ الٰہی, and through the wisdom that springs forth in the chest due to زہد فی الدنیا and قلتِ کلام, the Sufi attains from Allah a بصیرت from which others remain deprived. They are granted such understanding and perception as lies beyond the reach of ordinary people. By means of this بصیرت,
The title Sufi came later, but the reality to which this name points is not something new.
During the time of پیغمبرِ خدا صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم, people were not called Sufi, عالم, حافظ, قاری, فقیہ, محدث, or مفسر. The greatest distinction of that era was to attain the blessed companionship of حضور سرورِ عالم صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم. Whoever was granted this companionship became known as a صحابی, and this was the greatest honor and description by which the people of that age were recognized.
In the generation after them, the greatest virtue became attaining the companionship of the صحابہ کرام. Therefore, the people of that era were called تابعی. After them came the generation whose distinction was to have attained the companionship of the تابعین, and thus they became known as تبع تابعین.
After
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