What is the danger of Sufism? Is it permissible to follow a Sufi group?

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His Slave and Messenger.

There is no doubt that current Sufi groups commit many Sharee‘ah violations, such as:

- exaggerating love for the righteous; and

- committing acts of Shirk (polytheism), such as worshiping graves and shrines by supplicating, Istighaathah (seeking relief or help) from their inhabitants, sacrificing there, vowing there and circumambulating them.

Whoever thinks about what some followers of famous Sufi groups say during their celebrations will know the extent to which they have become dangerous and deviated. They sing and chant, seeking relief and help from the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam , and ask other things that are prohibited from being sought from anyone other than Allaah The Almighty, since He is the One who offers His servants help and relief, and answers the supplication of the desperate.

Allaah The Almighty Says (what means):

• {Is He [not best] who responds to the desperate one when he calls upon Him, removes evil, and makes you inheritors of the earth? Is there a deity with Allaah? Little do you remember.} [Quran 27:62]

• {And do not invoke besides Allaah that which neither benefits you nor harms you, for if you did, then indeed you would be of the wrongdoers.'} [Quran 10:106] (Wrongdoers here means polytheists).

Certainly the honorable Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, was the finest man and is the master of humankind, but he, like any other human being, can neither benefit nor harm. In this regard Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): {Say [O Muhammad], "Indeed, I do not possess for you [the power of] harm or right direction."} [Quran 72:21]

It was also narrated that the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, told his uncle Al-‘Abbaas that he would not defend him before Allaah The Almighty unless he did good deeds, and he commanded him to ask Allaah The Almighty for pardon and well-being in this life and in the Hereafter.  [Ahmad]

There is no doubt that many Sufis commit major acts of Shirk that contradict the Oneness of Allaah The Almighty and the sound Fitrah (innate belief).

These acts include:

- supplicating to other than Allaah The Almighty;

- seeking relief or help from other than Allaah The Almighty; and

- seeking cures for diseases from other than Allaah The Almighty.

Even worse, these acts may lead to paganism or to worshipping other things.

Also, Sufis adopt deviated beliefs such as pantheism and incarnation and allege that they are the people of truth and esoteric knowledge, while others are the people of Sharee‘ah rules, overt knowledge, and the like.

Moreover, they commit many religious innovations which contradict the guidance of the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, and even insist on them. They depend on inauthentic and fabricated Hadeeths and excessively depend on visions and dreams, even establishing religious rulings on the basis of them, which is something that contradicts the consensus of all scholars who have stated that it is impermissible to establish any religious ruling on their basis.

Generally, it is impermissible for any Muslim to follow a Sufi group. Rather Muslims should stay away from them and warn others against their dangers.

Allaah Knows best.