/islam/ - 8kun Masjid

Sunni don't really deal with esoteric things since all knowledge comes from Allah and that which is hidden will remain hidden. There are some Sufi orders in the Sunni masjids, though.

>>41860

I guess sufism

Yes, it does. Sunni esoterism is called tasawwuf, but in the West it is usually called sufism, like >>41863 said. Twelvers have Irfan.

It is worth noting that esoterism and exoterism are not mutually excludent, but are complementary, which means that the mutasawwuf (the initiate) must still follow sharia and must observe the same principles every other muslim has to. Esoterism is not a different "sect", but just another aspect of Islam.

Are you a muslim, anon? Or are you just curious about it?

Useless without tawhid.

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

When Ibn Sina (Avicenna) and his ilk realised that the words of the Messenger cannot be interpreted in this philosophical manner – rather they became certain that the meaning that he intended was what the people understood – they tried to explain that by saying: He was addressing the masses in a manner that they could understand, even though he knew that the truth with regard to that particular issue was not as the people understood it. Hence what these people were effectively saying was that the Messengers lied in order to serve a purpose. This is the way of Ibn Rushd (Averroes) and others who follow esoteric interpretations (baatiniyyah). End quote.

Majmoo‘ al-Fataawa (19/157)

There is no esoteric version of Islam. Everything the Prophet PBUH conveyed was straightforward and the meanings were meant to be understood as they were revealed. Anyone who says there are secret meanings in Islam is a liar.