What is the meaning of the Muhammadan Reality, annihilation (fana’) in God, reality, the corporeal spirit, and manifestation (tajalli) or manifestations (tajalliyat) in Islamic Sufism? What is the reality of the imams Ibn al-Farid, al-Jilani, Abu Hamid al-Ghazali, and al-Desouki? Did they surpass the Companions and the Messenger in knowledge? Did the Companions experience states similar to those of the Sufis?

Sufism is a newly coined term, which began with asceticism and worship. However, some groups of innovators and heretics affiliated themselves with it, thus diversifying it. The path to sainthood (wilayah) is through adhering to obligatory acts and supererogatory acts. Among the early Sufis were those who followed the Sunnah (definition) and avoided innovations. However, this aspect may be absent from the Sufi doctrines prevalent today.

Annihilation (fana') in God, and manifestation (tajalli) and its various forms (tajalliyat), are stations for Sufis, some of which are true and some false. The annihilation of the heart from desiring anything other than the Lord is true. However, the annihilation of the heart from witnessing anything other than Him, meaning not being aware of others or believing that God is existence itself, is false.

The soul (ruh) has two meanings: a subtle body originating from the cavity of the heart, and the knowing, perceiving faculty of a human being. These terms are frequently used in Sufi books.

Some Sufis are righteous, such as Abdul Qadir Al-Jilani, while some are extremist, such as Ibn al-Farid and al-Dasuqi. There is no comparison between them and the Companions. What may happen to later generations when they exaggerate in worship, such as ecstasy or fainting, is due to a weak heart. Miracles (karamat) are true for some Companions and early Salaf imams, but they are not a measure of righteousness. God grants them to His allies as a grace and to the wicked as a gradual enticement.

In conclusion, the jurisprudential standard for righteousness is adherence to the Sharia (definition) and piety. Although there were righteous individuals among the early Sufis and some among them who adhered to the Sharia, the prevailing situation today is the entry of those who are not among the people of righteousness and knowledge, to the extent that Sufism has become, for many, synonymous with deviance and innovation.