Assalamu'alaikum,
Tambahan ttg asal-usul kata sufi yg tidak bisa disambungkan dengan kata suffah. Sebenarnya para Ulama telah menjelaskannya dari dulu, tapi sebagai pelengkap bukti, saya attachkan hasil kajian linguistic seorang peneliti Pakistan Dr. Israr Ahmad: ----------------------------------------- The term tasawwuf is a foreign term that has been introduced into the vocabulary of Islam from without. It is found neither in the Qur'an nor in the Hadith literature, the latter being a record of the sayings and deeds of the Holy Prophet (SAW) and his Companions (RAA). While this point may appear to be nothing more than pedantic nitpicking, its implications have been devastating and far-reaching. Not only is the term tasawwuf not found in the primary sources of Islam, but its actual origin also remains a topic of debate. This word made its appearance in the language of Islam towards the end of the second century Hijrah. Meer Valiuddin has even identified the exact year when this word first appeared -- 822 C.E.1 The Prophet Muhammad (SAW) had passed away in 632 C.E. and the Hijrah took place in 622 C.E. Therefore this word appeared in the Islamic lexicon exactly 190 years (or 196 years according to the lunar calendar) after the demise of the Holy Prophet (SAW). There are four different opinions regarding the origin of the word Sufi. The rules of Arabic grammar, however, make three of the four opinions untenable. These are summarized below: The first opinion is that the root word is safa (cleansing). But, grammatically speaking, the word Sufi cannot be derived from safa, the proper derivation is safavi. Another opinion is that the root word is saff (row or rank). But this is also implausible because the derived word is saffi (one who is standing in a row) and not Sufi. A third opinion is that the root word is suffah (platform), but the word Sufi cannot be derived from this root word either, the proper derivation being suffi. A fourth opinion is that the root word is soof (wool). This opinion is widely accepted and there is some validity in this argument. Firstly, the word Sufi can be derived from soof according to the rules of Arabic grammar. Secondly, it is related to the practice of the early Sufis who used to wear woolen clothing as a sign of their detachment from and discomfort with the material world. The early Sufis wore the rough woolen cloak without any undergarments, so that there would be constant irritation of the skin. This pricking of the skin by the wool would keep the Sufi in discomfort that would serve as a constant reminder that the seeker has nothing to do with the comforts of this world, his only goal being to please Allah (SWT). There is a near consensus that the word Sufi is derived from soof and this is an acceptable position as far as the rules of Arabic grammar are concerned. In this regard, my personal opinion had been that the word tasawwuf was derived from the Greek word sophia, meaning wisdom. It has recently come to my attention that although this view was favored by a number of Western experts in Islamic studies earlier in the entury, it has now been shown to be untenable.2 The most likely derivation, therefore, is from the word soof. The bottom line in this discussion, however, is the fact that the origin of the word tasawwuf in the language of Islam has always been a topic of debate and its origin has not been definitively established. Even more certain than this is the fact that this word is nowhere to be found in the primary sources of Islam -- the Holy Qur'an and the Hadith literature. ------------------------------------ ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Make a clean sweep of pop-up ads. Yahoo! Companion Toolbar. Now with Pop-Up Blocker. Get it for free! http://us.click.yahoo.com/L5YrjA/eSIIAA/yQLSAA/TXWolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Website Islam pilihan anda. http://www.assunnah.or.id http://www.almanhaj.or.id Website kajian Islam -----> http://assunnah.mine.nu Berlangganan: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Ketentuan posting : [EMAIL PROTECTED] ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/assunnah/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
