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Tasavvuf or Sufism
Hazrat Jalaleddin Ali Mir Abolfazl Angha, in his book entitled Anvar Gholoob al-Salekin (The Illumination of Disciples’ Hearts) presents the following description of tassavvuf (Sufism) as delineated by Amir al-Momenin, Hazrat Ali (peace be upon him).
Based on the letters of the word "tasavvuf (تصوف), which in Arabic translates into Sufism, tasavvuf is a combination of four letters - T, S, V and F.
Each letter represents three words so that in consequence, the one word "tasavvuf" embodies twelve concepts.
"T" represents -
1. Tark – abandonment; not to be attached to earthly possessions, habits, desires; to live a life away from extremes
2. Toubeh - repentance (turning the heart from desires to God, with joy and affection)
3. Taugha - virtue and abstinence
"S" delineates -
1. Sabr - patience
2. Sedgh - truthfulness
3. Safa - purity
"V" embodies -
1. Vafa - loyalty
2. Vud - love
3. Verd - remembrance of God
"F" represents -
1. Fard - to be stripped of all attachments and desires
2. Faghr - poverty: reaching a state of abundant knowledge to then realize the confines of one’s acquired knowledge and all possessions
3. Fana - annihilation: the disappearance of impurities from the heart and their replacement with divine manifestations; becoming one with the Truth.