Sufism Today

Sufism faces tensions in the contemporary Islamic world. Some orthodox Muslims consider Sufi practices — shrine veneration, music, dancing — to be improper innovations. Extremist groups have attacked Sufi shrines and practitioners. Yet Sufi orders continue to thrive across the Muslim world, from Turkey to Pakistan to West Africa.

In the West, Sufism has gained popularity through Rumi translations and interest in mystical practices. This reception sometimes strips Sufism of its Islamic context, presenting it as generic spirituality rather than a path rooted in Islamic practice.