Experiences and Practices of Contemporary Sufis in Pakistan

Abstract

In the contemporary world, we cannot underestimate the importance of spirituality in the field of Psychology. Spirituality contributes in psychotherapeutic practice and healing process. Sufism is a subjective science of spirituality that is based on the reparation of the soul and the heart and connects the Sufi to the absolute reality, i.e., God Almighty. The purpose of this study was to explore spiritual and social experiences and practices of contemporary Sufis in Pakistan. For this investigation, a qualitative approach was employed. Based on previous research and theoretical models of Sufism, a semi-structured interview schedule was developed. A purposive sampling strategy was used to collect data from ten Sufis. The information obtained from the Sufis was in the form of audio recordings that were later transcribed. Sufis’ views and experiences were interpreted by using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Five super-ordinate themes that emerged from the data were: inclination towards Sufism, spiritual journey, practicing Sufism, social experiences, and self-actualization. These themes were interpreted in the context of given sub-ordinate themes and verbatim of the participants.