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Sufism
"The term Sufism originates, according to writer and philosopher Sheikh Fadhlalla Haeri (The Elements of Sufism, Element Inc,. 1993) from three Arabic letters, sa, wa and fa.
The word may be derived from safa, which means purity, or from the noun safwa, which means those who are selected; some believe, writes Haeri, that the name may be derived from the word saf, referring to those who stand in a row, while others propose suffa for its origin, the suffa being 'the low verandah made of clay and slightly elevated off the ground outside the house of the Prophet Mohamed in Medina, where the poor and goodhearted people who followed him often sat.'
" Finally, there are those who assume that the word Sufi comes from suf, wool, and implies that the people who were interested in inner knowledge cared less about their outer appearance and often took to wearing a simple garment made of wool all year round. [...]"
To read the full article: http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2000/510/special.htm
Posted at: 2008-03-20
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