SCHOLARS, PHILOSOPHERS, AND SUFIS 109
Until this time, most Muslim mystics were "sober" Sufis, rigorously de-
voted to rituals and recitation. Their devotions focused on fear (of God).
Rabia Basri put love at the center and helped spawn a long tradition of
"God-intoxicated Sufis." Let's be clear, though: all of these people were
Muslims first and Sufis next. I state this caveat simply because today lots
of people call themselves Sufis when they're really just singing and dancing
themselves into a state of euphoria. The Sufis were not after a mere emo-
tion. They weren't trying to get high. Their spiritual practices began with
the known devotions of Islam and then added more on top.
People flocked to Sufis with a definite goal in mind. They hoped to "get
somewhere." Working with a Sufi master smacked of learning a method-
ology. Indeed, what Sufis did came to be labeled the tariqa, the "method."
Those who entered upon the method expected to move through distinct
stages to annihilation of their egos and immersion in God.
The jurists and the orthodox scholars did not look kindly on the Sufis,
especially the God-intoxicated variety. The language employed by these
saints began to sound a bit heretical. Their claims grew ever more extrava-
gant. Common folks began to ascribe magical powers to the most famous
Sufis. The hostilities came to a head in the late tenth century CE with a
Persian Sufi named al-Hallaj.
Hallaj means "cotton carder." This was his father's profession, and he too
started out in the family trade; but the longing for union with God sank
talons into his heart, and he abandoned his home to search for a master who
would initiate him into Sufi secrets. At one point, he spent an entire year
standing motionless in front of the Ka'ba, never uttering a sound. One year!
Imagine the attention this might have drawn to him. Later, he went travel-
ing to India and to Central Asia, and everywhere he went he spouted poetry
and gave strange speeches, and he attracted countless followers.
But the sober Sufis began to back away from him, because Hallaj was
saying things like, "My turban is wrapped around nothing but God." And
again, "Inside my clothes you'll find nothing but God." And finally, in case
someone didn't get his point, "I am God." Well, actually, he said, "I am
Truth," but "Truth" was famously one of the ninety-nine names of God
and given Hallaj's recent history, no one could miss what he was getting at.
This was too much. The orthodox scholars demanded action. The Ab-
basid khalifa wanted to appease the scholars so they would get off his back