Sufism is one mystical stream of Islam. On the other hand, all assertions about Sufism are categorically off-the-mark: they are self-effacing, in a sense. In fact, Sufism is not a philosophy, nor a religion, nor a system of thought. We may say that it is a way of life, or better a training of the mind. Some hold that Sufism is related to Islamic prescriptions; others hold that it is prior to Muhammad's teaching and historical life. However it may be, Sufism may be considered the core of all religions and philosophies. It can be said that Islam, by means of Sufism, manifests itself as a system of universal values and representations.
I have written three books on this issue: in the first, I introduced readers to the history of Sufism, its psychology and its pedagogy, drawing on the best masters, such as Rumi, Attar, and Ibn Arabi; in the other works, I have collected some Sufi stories, which are therapeutic devices, and have re-elaborated them. In fact, Sufis have often used "teaching stories", so that a reader could ponder on them, trying to understand their meaning. The implicit premise was that such stories spoke about her/his character and problems. Sufis have also given a particular contribution to world music and art.
The best way of approaching Sufism is to make room for God in our life. But this task is very complicated: it may be understood if we make an effort to understand better ourselves and our fellow men. God is inside our hearts: this is the message.
A few phrases will provide us with a deeper description of Sufi world.
"Everyone may be approached according to her/his own level of understanding".
"When masters clearly spoke, they said nothing".
"The world of phenomena is the bridge towards reality."
"What is Sufism? I know the answer when I cannot give it."
