KONSEP SPIRITUAL TASAWWUF DALAM PERSPEKTIF HADIS

Abstract

This article examines the origins of the intersection between ḥadīth studies and taṣawwuf through historical patterns of interaction between early Sufi figures and ḥadīth transmitters (ahl al-ḥadīth). The study employs a historical method with a qualitative approach based on library research. The findings indicate that a number of early-generation Sufis were recognized as active, credible ḥadīth transmitters who possessed scholarly authority within the ḥadīth tradition. Early Sufis applied an ‘irfānī (gnostic) perspective—alongside an exoteric approach—in understanding the Prophet’s traditions, positioning the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) as the primary model for spiritual and moral practice. Historically, the term taṣawwuf began to be used in the late second century Hijri and is etymologically associated with ṣūf (coarse wool), symbolizing simplicity and asceticism. The core teachings of taṣawwuf are oriented toward achieving spiritual happiness and inner tranquility through the harmonization of body and soul, while simultaneously serving as a mechanism for self-control against materialistic impulses and destructive external influences. In the context of modernization and industrialization, taṣawwuf functions as an ethical response to the moral degradation of humanity, particularly the domination of material desires (ḥirṣ). Through the practices of riyāḍah (spiritual discipline) and mujāhadah (spiritual struggle), taṣawwuf offers moral transformation grounded in harmonious relationships between the servant and God, fellow human beings, and the social environment. Thus, ethical taṣawwuf in contemporary society fulfills three primary functions: spiritual education, personality formation, and the strengthening of social ethics.