Eric Geoffroy is a French scholar and writer whose specialty is Sufism. Roger Gaetani has translated Geoffroy's first book into English. He defines Sufism as "the living heart of Islam, the inner dimension of the Revelation given to Muhammad, and not an arbitrary form of occultism." The master-disciple relationship brings the benefits of spiritual blessings (baraka). Through discipline, the Sufi seeks purity of heart and the joy of relationship and ultimately union with God. To accomplish this, one must die to oneself.
Geoffroy points out the great diversity within Sufism and goes on to discuss some of the prejudices against this path including those who object to its quietism or who see it only as a reaction to the legalism of Orthodox Islam. On the other hand, Geoffroy praises the dedication of Sufis who follow the example set by Muhammad with his many noble virtues explained in his hadiths. Equally important is adab, a code of spiritual courtesy which reflects an inner attitude of surrender to God and service of others.
"In traditional Sufism, the aspirant must observe a code of conduct which gives spiritual cohesion to his life. All his thoughts, all his gestures thus tend towards God, and his life becomes an act of worship that is perpetually renewed. He realizes within himself the divine Oneness, instead of just affirming it. This taking charge of all aspects of everyday life is very characteristic of Islam, which does not encourage a separation between matter and spirit. For Sufi masters, the respect for these conventions takes on such importance that it can be said to summarize by itself the substance of Sufism."
Introduction to Sufism by Eric Geoffrey offers a solid overview of the people, the practices, the history, and the durability of this inner path of Islam.
