مظاهر التوفيق بين التصوف والعقيدة في كتابي "نصرة الفقير" و"المواهب القدوسية ": دراسة في الأصول الصوفية من خلال فكر الإمام السنوسي (ت. 895 ه)

Abstract

This research aims to resolve several issues related to a fundamental and primary problem: the illusion of contradiction between Sufism and Islamic creed (‘Aqīdah). This issue has manifested in various ways, such as the emergence of statements by some individuals associated with Sufism that are not accepted by Islamic law or reason, the accusation that Sufism is a foreign concept in Islam, and the existence of conflicts between some scholars of Islamic theology (‘ilm al-Kalām) and Sufis on certain topics related to both disciplines. This issue is prevalent in contemporary society, requiring the researcher to analyse and highlight the possibility and realism of reconciling Sufism with Islamic creed. To achieve this, this study seeks to demonstrate the epistemological integration between these two disciplines within the thought of the theologian Imam Abu Abdullah Muhammad bin Yusuf al-Sanusi. It also aims to identify the factors that led to the development of his reconciliatory approach, analyse texts in which Imam al-Sanusi combined Sufism and creed, and extract key principles from his Sufism that can contribute to addressing theoretical and practical issues in contemporary Sufi discourse. The researcher further supports this analysis by studying the manifestations of reconciliation between Sufism and creed in Imam al-Sanusi’s works, particularly “Nuṣrat al-Fuqayyir” and “al-Mawāhib al-Quddūsiyyah”, to emphasise an essential reality: the integration between these two sciences is not merely theoretical or abstract but has a tangible presence in reality. The researcher employed various scientific methodologies to address the topic. Through the descriptive method, the political, social, and intellectual environment in which Imam al-Sanusi lived was analysed, linking these factors to the formation of his reconciliatory approach. The inductive method was used to extract all foundational principles of Imam al-Sanusi’s Sufism and his approaches to reconciling Sufism with creed from the two aforementioned works. The analytical and inferential methods were employed to provide logical interpretations of these principles and their relevance to contemporary Sufi issues, demonstrating the necessity of understanding al-Sanusi’s reconciliatory approach in renewing Ash‘ari theological studies. Additionally, through the comparative method, the researcher examined contemporary perspectives on key Sufi issues, such as the ranks of Tawhid and experiential knowledge (‘ilm dhawqī), comparing them with Imam al-Sanusi’s views. The analytical method was also utilised to analyse his stance on these matters. This study concluded with several key findings, the most significant being that the idea of reconciliation between creed and Sufism existed among the teachers of Imam al-Sanusi in the Maghreb before his emergence, continued during his time, and persisted after his passing. It was confirmed through “Nuṣrat al-Fuqayyir” and “al-Mawāhib al-Quddūsiyyah” that Imam al-Sanusi successfully integrated Sufism with jurisprudence and creed. He built his Sufism upon five foundational principles: adherence to a pure and correct creed, prioritising the Sunnah, the necessity of linking spiritual reality (haqiqah) with Islamic law (shari‘ah), having a positive opinion of the righteous (`ahl Allah`), and the obligation of seeking guidance from a spiritual mentor (al-shaykh al-murabbī). The reconciliation between Sufism and creed in Imam al-Sanusi’s thought appeared in various forms, such as the role of reason in harmonizing the two sciences and his approach to making Sufism and creed complement each other. Finally, the researcher concluded the study with several recommendations for those interested in exploring this topic further in the future.