The Approaches Regarding the Influence of Gnosticism and Sufism in the Process of Islamic Civilization

Mysticism and Sufism are among the phenomena that have been influential in the fields of theory and social changes. They are considered as influential factors on Islamic civilization and different approaches have been adopted about them. In this research, three general approaches are presented for the phenomena of Mysticism and Sufism. The first approach considers the basis and essence of Islamic civilization as Sufism and Gnosticism, and interprets the foundations of Islamic civilization from the beginning to the present based on this idea. The second approach believes in the impossibility of establishing political and civilizational thoughts based on Sufism and Mysticism and considers this to be the main reason for the closure of reason and the decline of Islamic thought and civilization. The third approach regards the mystical stream as one of the most important factors leading to the development of Islamic civilization.