Sufi

American  

[soo-fee] / ˈsu fi /

noun

• Sufis
  plural

1. a member of an ascetic, mystical Muslim sect.

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adjective

1. of or relating to Sufis or Sufism.

Sufi British  

/ ˈsuːfɪ /

noun

1. an adherent of any of various Muslim mystical orders or teachings, which emphasize the direct personal experience of God

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• Sufic
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• Sufis
  plural

Etymology

Origin of Sufi

First recorded in 1650–55; from Arabic Ṣūfī “(man) of wool,” equivalent to ṣūf “wool” + -ī a suffix indicating relationship or origin; so called from the ascetic woolen clothing the Sufis wore

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Sufi Sufis

Muslims ruled large parts of India from the early 13th to the 19th century, and during this era Muslim preachers and Sufi mystics actively proselytized for Islam.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 7, 2026

It's a place "for meditation, for reclaiming our culture and our multiple identities" said Sahad, who has been following a Sufi spiritual path for 20 years.

From Barron's ● Feb. 23, 2026

The whirling Sufi dervishes have known for ages that dance is spiritual.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 12, 2025

Minority groups like the Sufi Muslims say they are also witnessing increasing attacks on their places of worship.

From BBC ● Feb. 18, 2025

The generic rubric ‘theists’ covers Jewish rabbis from eighteenth-century Poland, witch-burning Puritans from seventeenth-century Massachusetts, Aztec priests from fifteenth-century Mexico, Sufi mystics from twelfth-century Iran, tenth-century Viking warriors, second-century Roman legionnaires, and first-century Chinese bureaucrats.

From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari

I began to pick up some of the wise writers in the Western tradition — Meister Eckhart, Etty Hillesum — no longer convinced that Sufis or Buddhists owned a monopoly on wisdom.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 4, 2025

Sufis were instructed in the movement’s practices by spiritual guides and often formed communities.

From Textbooks ● Apr. 19, 2023

She said Sufis, Ahmadiyya Muslims, Sikhs and Hindus are also persecuted, while Baha’is, Buddhists, Zoroastrians and Christians “practice secretly or have gone into hiding.”

From Washington Times ● Aug. 24, 2022

It advocates the strict Saudi-inspired Wahhabi version of Islam, while most Somalis are Sufis.

From BBC ● Sep. 25, 2021

“Among the Sufis there is a teaching that the universe has never been created and consequently cannot be destroyed. I have spent the afternoon,” Luke announced gravely, “browsing in our little library.”

From "The Haunting of Hill House" by Shirley Jackson