and ‘Abd al-Wāhid had been a companion of al-Hasan al-Basrī. The Sufis who followed him also emerged. He built a small house for the Sufis—the first of its kind built in Islam. ‘Abd al-Rahmān ibn Mahdī and others used to call them “al-Faqriyya” (the people of poverty), and they would gather in a small house of their own.

The former developed a religious path based on newly introduced speculative theology, while retaining most of the religion. The latter adopted a path of newly introduced devotional practices, while retaining most of the prescribed forms of worship. The latter experienced states through listening and vocal sound so intense that one of them might die or lose consciousness. The former experienced a state in their engagement with discourse and letters that led them into thinking which plunged them into bewilderment.

The former based their approach on “speculative theology”; the latter based theirs on “spiritual aspiration.” The former sought to affirm Allah’s oneness through “speculative theology” and called themselves those who affirm His oneness. The latter sought Allah’s oneness through “spiritual aspiration” and called themselves the people of