The Sufi's Interpretation of Shia Imam's Hadiths

Sufism literature presents a different perspective on theology and religion in which beliefs and faiths take a different meaning. The Muslim Sufis were like a blooming plant which grew in Islam, but they looked at the world from a different perspective and developed new worlds of meaning. No doubt, this blooming plant was originated in the holy Quran and Sonneh containing the narratives of the prophet and the great religious figures such as the Shia Imams. Speeches, letters and hymns of Imam Ali and other Shia Imams expressed mystical contents which were compatible with Sufi’s mood. Leading Sufis identified these mystical contents to expand their own opinions and through their interpretation to seek new concepts. They tried to make them the basis of their belief system. It is hypothesized that Sufi’s thought evolution occurred as a result of their interpretation of Shia texts and sources. The present article does not deal with the correctness or incorrectness of Sufi’s deeds. It is rather a search for the origins of Sufi’s thoughts and beliefs and the way they have used Shiite hadiths and basic beliefs to develop their own belief system. The methodology adopted is based on the epistemological perspective and Gadamer’s philosophic hermeneutics applied on the Sufi’s credible texts.