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Year 8

Sufism and connecting with Allah

I can explain how Sufis connect with Allah and why some Muslims would say knowledge cannot be gained through Sufi mysticism.

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Year 8

Sufism and connecting with Allah

I can explain how Sufis connect with Allah and why some Muslims would say knowledge cannot be gained through Sufi mysticism.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Sufism may be described as Islamic mysticism
  2. Sufis exist within Sunni and Shi'a Islam, rather than being a distinct religious group.
  3. Sufi Muslims try to achieve direct personal experience of Allah.
  4. Other Muslims may disagree with the idea of trying to get personal experience of God.

Keywords

  • Allah - Arabic word for God (literally means 'the God')

  • Ma'rifah - used by Sufis to describe deep, personal knowledge of Allah that comes from spiritual experiences

  • Mysticism - a way of experiencing and connecting with Allah through personal, inner experiences

  • Sufism - a mystical approach in Islam that focuses on achieving ma’rifah (true knowledge of Allah) through a deep, personal connection with him

Common misconception

Sufism is a branch of Islam, like Sunni and Shi'ism.

Sufis can be either Sunni or Shi'a, athough the majority are Sunni.


To help you plan your year 8 religious education lesson on: Sufism and connecting with Allah, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

You might like to show a video of whirling. Task B2 could become an oracy task or cloze task (providing the answer with key gaps to fill).
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This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
According to William James, what is the most important feature of religious experiences?
They are always backed by scientific evidence.
Correct answer: They are deeply personal and transformative for the individual.
They can only prove the existence of God if they are shared experiences.
They have no connection to God’s existence.
Q2.
Persinger's God helmet experiment suggests that experiences can be caused by stimulating the temporal lobe.
Correct Answer: religious, Religious
Q3.
According to Richard Swinburne’s principles, which of the following supports the claim that we should trust our experiences unless there is an alternative explanation?
the principle of uniformity
Correct answer: the principle of credulity
the principle of testimony
the principle of moral order
Q4.
What type of event did Ian McCormack experience that changed his perspective on God’s existence?
a vision of the Virgin Mary
a dream while meditating
Correct answer: a near-death experience (NDE) after drowning
a mystical vision during a retreat
Q5.
According to Plato's definition of knowledge as a justified true belief, which of the following is an example of knowledge?
I know that God spoke to me because I heard his voice.
I know it will rain tomorrow because there are clouds in the sky today.
Correct answer: I know that I need to eat because I feel hunger pangs.
I know that the next Prime Minister of Great Britain will have brown eyes.
Q6.
What event was most significant in Bernadette's journey towards a deeper knowledge of God?
her first meeting with a local priest to discuss her visions
Correct answer: the messages she was given by the Virgin Mary during her visions
her decision to join a convent
her being made a saint by the Catholic Church

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Sufism is ...
a branch of Islam, like Sunni or Shi'ism.
Correct answer: made up of both Sunni and Shi'a Muslims.
made up of only Sunni Muslims.
Q2.
Match each keyword to the correct definition.
Correct Answer:Allah ,Arabic word for God (literally means 'the God')
tick

Arabic word for God (literally means 'the God')

Correct Answer:ma’rifah ,gaining deep, personal knowledge of Allah from spiritual experiences
tick

gaining deep, personal knowledge of Allah from spiritual experiences

Correct Answer:mysticism ,experiencing and connecting with Allah through personal experiences
tick

experiencing and connecting with Allah through personal experiences

Correct Answer:Sufism ,an approach in Islam that focuses on a personal connection with God
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an approach in Islam that focuses on a personal connection with God

Q3.
Why do Sufi’s practice rhythmic chanting, breath control and sometimes movement?
Correct answer: to purify the heart and achieve knowledge of Allah
it creates a connection between heaven and earth
it is what Muhammad taught them to do in the Hadith
Q4.
Why do dancers spin with the right hand pointing to Allah and the left to the earth?
It induces a meditative state, helping them to focus on Allah.
Correct answer: It creates a connection between heaven and earth.
It helps them focus inwardly on Allah.
Q5.
The Sufi view on where true knowledge of Allah comes from is that it comes from ...
reason
senses
Correct answer: experiences
Q6.
What common word, used by Sufi poets Rabia and Rumi, is where knowledge of Allah comes from?
cleverness
head
Correct answer: heart