Sufi
Sufism is a term that designates Islam's mystical and ascetic movements. A Sufi is one who practices Sufism. Sufis attempt to go beyond the restrictions of a "typical" moslem life and to seek Allah in more intimate ways. They strive to break down the barriers between themselves and Allah by replacing their human characteristics with divine ones. In many ways, this is similar to the Buddhist's attempts to reach enlightenment (the realization that all is one). Since Allah is one himself, the attempt to reach him can become the realization of the oneness of all things. Sufis focus on three kinds of mysticism to accomplish this: love mysticism (see Rabia ), ecstatic mysticism, and intuitive mysticism (see Smith, pp. 259-261). There has always been a tension between Sufism and classical Islam because many of the beliefs, actions, and statement of Sufism appear heretical to non-Sufis.

Official Islam Glossary for Introduction to Religion