The Scholars of the Sufis: They Are the Genuine Followers of the Salaf | Shaykh ʿAbd al-Hadi Kharsa

The Scholars of the Sufis: They Are the Genuine Followers of the Salaf is an examination and defence of traditional Islamic spirituality (tasawwuf) by the Syrian scholar and spiritual educator Shaykh ʿAbd al-Hadi Kharsa.

Originally titled ʿUlamāʾ al-Ṣūfiyyah Hum al-Salafiyyah al-Ḥaqīqiyyūn (علماء الصوفية هم السلفية الحقيقيون), the work explores the relationship between the classical Sufi masters, the teachings of the Qur’an and Sunnah, and the religious understanding of the early generations of Muslims.

Drawing upon centuries of Islamic scholarship, Shaykh Kharsa presents tasawwuf as a discipline concerned with the purification of the soul, the cultivation of noble character, spiritual excellence and adherence to the Sacred Law.

The book also addresses historical and contemporary criticisms of Sufism, arguing that authentic tasawwuf belongs within the intellectual, legal and spiritual heritage of Ahl al-Sunnah wa-l-Jamāʿah.

Through a carefully selected collection of classical teachings, theological explanations and discussions of spiritual states, the author introduces readers to the principles that have shaped traditional Islamic spirituality.

The relationship between Islam, Iman and Ihsan

A central argument of this work is that authentic tasawwuf cannot be separated from the foundational dimensions of Islamic religion.

These are:

* Islam: Submission to Allah through belief and outward religious practice.
* Iman: Faith and the inward affirmation of religious truths.
* Ihsan: Spiritual excellence, sincerity and worshipping Allah with awareness of His presence.

Within this framework, the author presents tasawwuf as the discipline concerned particularly with the cultivation of iḥsān.

The spiritual path is therefore not treated as an independent religion or a replacement for Islamic law, but as a means of developing the inward qualities that should accompany outward religious observance.

This approach connects spiritual purification with religious knowledge, ethical conduct and the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.

The Sufi masters and the early generations of Islam

One of the book’s principal themes is the relationship between the classical Sufi scholars and the salaf al-ṣāliḥ, the righteous predecessors of Islam.

Shaykh Kharsa argues that the foundational principles of authentic Sufism are rooted in the teachings and practices of the earliest generations.

He examines the historical development of Sufi terminology and responds to the argument that tasawwuf must be a later religious innovation simply because the designation Sufi was not widely employed during the earliest Islamic period.

The book distinguishes between the historical emergence of particular terms and the earlier existence of the spiritual principles they describe.

Among the questions explored are:

* What is the meaning of tasawwuf?
* Who are the genuine Sufi scholars?
* What distinguishes authentic spiritual knowledge from unsupported religious claims?
* How does tasawwuf relate to the Qur’an and Sunnah?
* What is the relationship between the Sufi masters and the righteous predecessors?
* Can the principles of spiritual purification be traced to the earliest Muslim generations?
* Why did the designation Sufi become associated with particular scholars and spiritual practitioners?

The author approaches these questions through historical discussions, theological arguments and references to classical Islamic literature.

Tasawwuf and adherence to the Shariah

An important feature of this work is its emphasis on the inseparable relationship between authentic spiritual development and religious knowledge.

Shaykh Kharsa does not defend every individual or movement claiming affiliation with Sufism.

Instead, he distinguishes between learned spiritual masters who adhere to the Sharīʿah and individuals who make spiritual claims without the necessary religious knowledge or observance.

The book stresses that external appearances, spiritual titles or claims of special experiences cannot replace sound belief, religious learning and obedience to Islamic teachings.

Within this understanding, the genuine Sufi scholar combines:

* Knowledge of the Qur’an and Sunnah
* Adherence to Islamic law
* Sound theological belief
* Sincerity in worship
* Purification of the heart
* Humility and noble character
* Spiritual discipline and self-examination
* Respect for the teachings of earlier Muslim scholars

This distinction forms an important part of the author’s presentation of traditional tasawwuf.

Spiritual purification and the inner life

Beyond its defence of the Sufi tradition, the book introduces readers to the spiritual teachings of classical Muslim scholars.

It explores the relationship between religious knowledge and the inward transformation of the believer.

Particular attention is given to the spiritual diseases of the heart, the qualities required of the seeker and the different states and stations discussed in traditional Sufi literature.

These subjects are presented as part of a broader process of self-purification and moral refinement.

The author draws upon the teachings of earlier spiritual masters to illustrate how the Islamic tradition approaches sincerity, humility, discipline and the cultivation of closeness to Allah.

Drawing upon classical Sufi literature

One of the distinguishing features of The Scholars of the Sufis is its use of major works from the classical Islamic spiritual tradition.

The author draws upon sources including:

Ṭabaqāt al-Ṣūfiyyah

A classical biographical work preserving the lives and teachings of early Sufi masters.

Al-Lumaʿ

The influential work of Abū Naṣr al-Sarrāj al-Ṭūsī, discussing the principles, terminology and practices of early tasawwuf.

Al-Risālah al-Qushayriyyah

The celebrated treatise of Imām al-Qushayrī, presenting the foundations of the Sufi path and the teachings of its leading scholars.

Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn

Imām al-Ghazālī’s monumental work on religious knowledge, spiritual purification, worship and ethical conduct.

Ṭabaqāt al-Awliyāʾ

A biographical work concerned with the lives and teachings of Muslim saints and spiritual scholars.

Al-Kawākib al-Durriyyah fī Tarājim al-Ṣūfiyyah

A collection of biographies preserving the legacy of prominent figures in the Sufi tradition.

Through these sources, Shaykh Kharsa connects his arguments with the broader historical literature of Islamic spirituality.

The result is not simply a contemporary defence of tasawwuf, but an introduction to the writings and teachings of the scholars who helped shape the discipline.

Responding to criticisms of Sufism

The book also addresses objections raised against traditional Sufism, particularly arguments associated with modern anti-Sufi and certain Salafi reformist perspectives.

Shaykh Kharsa challenges the claim that tasawwuf is necessarily foreign to the earliest Islamic tradition.

He argues that the spiritual teachings of the classical Sufi masters are consistent with the principles of Sunni Islam when understood within the framework of sound belief and adherence to the Sharīʿah.

At the same time, the work rejects individuals who claim spiritual authority while neglecting religious knowledge or Islamic law.

The author’s central distinction is therefore between authentic, scholarly tasawwuf and practices or claims that lack a sound religious foundation.

Readers should note that the book is written from an explicitly traditional Sunni and pro-tasawwuf perspective. Its arguments are intended both to explain the Sufi tradition and to defend it against particular theological criticisms.

Biography and introduction by Shaykh Gibril Fouad Haddad

This English edition includes a substantial biography and introduction by Shaykh Gibril Fouad Haddad.

His contribution introduces the life, scholarship and spiritual background of Shaykh ʿAbd al-Hadi Kharsa.

It also places the work within the wider history of Sunni scholarship and the defence of traditional tasawwuf.

The introduction provides additional context for understanding the author’s intellectual and spiritual orientation.

About the author

Shaykh ʿAbd al-Hadi ibn Muhammad Salih Kharsa al-Dimashqi, born in Damascus in 1959, is a Syrian scholar and spiritual educator associated with the Shadhili tradition and the Hanafi school of jurisprudence.

He was raised in a religious family in the Salihiyyah district of Damascus, an area historically associated with Islamic scholarship.

Known for his writings and teachings on tasawwuf, religious knowledge and spiritual purification, Shaykh Kharsa combines traditional scholarship with an emphasis on the inward dimensions of Islamic practice.

His work reflects the intellectual and spiritual heritage of Syrian Sunni scholarship.

Who is this book for?

This book is particularly suitable for:

* Students of tasawwuf and Islamic spirituality
* Readers interested in the history of classical Sufism
* Students of Ahl al-Sunnah wa-l-Jamāʿah
* Readers exploring the relationship between tasawwuf and the Salaf
* Students interested in Islamic spiritual purification (tazkiyah)
* Readers studying the relationship between Sharīʿah and spiritual practice
* Teachers and Islamic study circles
* Readers seeking traditional Sunni responses to criticisms of Sufism
* Those interested in the teachings of the classical Sufi masters

Level: Beginner to intermediate, although familiarity with basic Islamic terminology will be helpful.

Summary

The Scholars of the Sufis: They Are the Genuine Followers of the Salaf by Shaykh ʿAbd al-Hadi Kharsa is an English examination and defence of traditional Islamic Sufism (tasawwuf).

Drawing upon classical works such as al-Lumaʿ, al-Risālah al-Qushayriyyah and Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn, the author explores the relationship between the Sufi masters, the righteous predecessors, Islamic law and spiritual purification.

The book addresses the meaning and origins of tasawwuf, the qualities of genuine Sufi scholars, the importance of religious knowledge and the distinction between authentic spirituality and unsupported religious claims.

With a biography and introduction by Shaykh Gibril Fouad Haddad, this work offers readers a traditional Sunni perspective on the foundations, history and principles of Islamic spirituality.

Book Details

• Title: The Scholars of the Sufis
• Subtitle: They Are the Genuine Followers of the Salaf
• Original Arabic title: علماء الصوفية هم السلفية الحقيقيون
• Transliterated title: ʿUlamāʾ al-Ṣūfiyyah Hum al-Salafiyyah al-Ḥaqīqiyyūn
• Author: Shaykh ʿAbd al-Hadi Kharsa
• Full author name: Shaykh ʿAbd al-Hadi ibn Muhammad Salih al-Kharsa al-Dimashqi
• Translator: Suraqah Abdul Aziz
• Biography and introduction: Shaykh Gibril Fouad Haddad
• Subject: Tasawwuf / Sufism / Islamic Spirituality / Tazkiyah
• Language: English
• Publisher: Sunni Publications
• Place of publication: Rotterdam, The Netherlands
• Edition: First Edition
• Publication year: 2011
• Pages: 216
• Binding: Paperback
• Weight: 255 g
• ISBN: 978-90-79294-16-9
• ISBN-13 / GTIN: 978907929416 

Nederlands

The Scholars of the Sufis: They Are the Genuine Followers of the Salaf is een Engelstalig werk van de Syrische geleerde Shaykh ʿAbd al-Hādī Kharsa, waarin hij de grondslagen van de traditionele islamitische spiritualiteit (tasawwuf) uiteenzet en verdedigt.

Centraal staat de stelling dat authentieke tasawwuf geworteld is in de Qur’an, de Sunnah en de spirituele praktijk van de eerste generaties moslims.

De auteur bespreekt de relatie tussen islam, īmān en iḥsān en laat zien hoe de klassieke soefi-geleerden spirituele zuivering verbonden met kennis van de religie en naleving van de Sharīʿah.

Het boek behandelt onder andere:

* De oorsprong en betekenis van tasawwuf
* De relatie tussen de soefi-geleerden en de vrome voorgangers (al-salaf al-ṣāliḥ)
* De betekenis van islam, īmān en iḥsān
* De eigenschappen van authentieke spirituele geleerden
* Het belang van religieuze kennis binnen de spirituele weg
* De zuivering van het hart en de spirituele ontwikkeling van de gelovige
* De verschillende spirituele toestanden en stations
* De relatie tussen tasawwuf en islamitische wetgeving
* De weerlegging van kritiek op de soefi-traditie

Shaykh Kharsa maakt daarbij gebruik van klassieke werken, waaronder al-Lumaʿ van Abū Naṣr al-Sarrāj, al-Risālah al-Qushayriyyah en Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn van Imām al-Ghazālī.

Een belangrijk onderscheid dat de auteur maakt, is dat niet iedereen die zich soefi noemt automatisch de authentieke spirituele traditie vertegenwoordigt. Werkelijke spirituele ontwikkeling vereist volgens hem een combinatie van kennis, juiste geloofsovertuigingen, oprechtheid en naleving van de Sharīʿah.

Het boek bevat daarnaast een uitgebreide biografie en inleiding van Shaykh Gibril Fouad Haddad.

Een waardevol boek voor iedereen die de klassieke soennitische tasawwuf wil bestuderen vanuit de geschriften van traditionele islamitische geleerden.

العربية

علماء الصوفية هم السلفية الحقيقيون

كتاب للشيخ عبد الهادي بن الحاج محمد صالح الخرسة الدمشقي، يتناول فيه أصول التصوف الإسلامي وعلاقته بالكتاب والسنة ومنهج السلف الصالح.

يسعى المؤلف إلى بيان أن التصوف الصحيح القائم على العلم والعمل والتزكية والإحسان متصل بهدي السلف الصالح، وأنه لا ينفصل عن الشريعة الإسلامية وأصول عقيدة أهل السنة والجماعة.

ويتناول الكتاب موضوعات منها:

* حقيقة التصوف وأصوله
* علاقة علماء الصوفية بالسلف الصالح
* مراتب الدين: الإسلام والإيمان والإحسان
* أهمية العلم الشرعي في طريق السلوك
* صفات الصوفية الصادقين
* أمراض القلوب ومقامات السالكين وأحوالهم
* التلازم بين الشريعة والحقيقة
* الرد على بعض الاعتراضات الموجهة إلى التصوف
* التمييز بين التصوف الصحيح والدعاوى المخالفة للشريعة

ويعتمد المؤلف على عدد من المصادر الكلاسيكية، منها اللمع لأبي نصر السراج، والرسالة القشيرية، وإحياء علوم الدين للإمام الغزالي، وغيرها من كتب التصوف والتراجم.

وتتميز هذه الطبعة بترجمتها إلى اللغة الإنجليزية، مع مقدمة وترجمة موسعة لحياة المؤلف بقلم الشيخ الدكتور محمد ناظم الحقاني المعروف باسم الشيخ جبريل فؤاد حداد.

كتاب مناسب لطلاب التصوف والتزكية والمهتمين بالتراث الروحي والعلمي لأهل السنة والجماعة.