Most Important Categories of Sufistic Prose during Abbasids

Sufism appeared during the early Abbasid era and the movement turned out to be structured through its doctrine. In any occurrence, naturally thinkers and scholars try to imply and expand their viewpoints while giving strategies to reach the predefined goals. They choose either prose or poems to convey their ideas and message as well as to promote them. In Sufism, this was a bit different. Since early Sufis were called pious, they became too prejudiced to their religion. They didn’t stick to poem and poets due to training of early Islam and verse 224 of the holy Quran. This made poets to avoid composing poems; hence; they chose prose for implicating their ideas. With the aim that their prose covers all of their opinions, they created new categories in prose, thus there existed diversities. They could illustrate their utmost feelings to transfer mystic (Gnostic) delicate meanings prose was sometimes a powerful tool to imply pure thoughtful concepts. Of the most important categories of Sufis prose in Abbasid era were educational prose, letters, advices and theology, elders approach, stones and narratives, saying, prayers and worships, sufistic interpretations and “Shattiat”.