1. The word Sufi or Safa means "pure".
Western adherens of a "universal sufism" connect it to the greek word "sophia" which means wisdom.

2. Most sufis belief that all religions share a basic truth and that the great religions are in their spirit the same. Some sufis go so far as to see sufism not within Islam (a religion) but see it like music above it or even as the foundation of it.

Four principal degrees of human perfection or sanctity according to sufism:

(1) of "Shari'ah," i. e., of strict obedience to all ritual laws of Islam, such as prayer, fasting, pilgrimage, almsgiving, ablution, etc., which is the lowest degree of worship, and is attainable by all

(2) of Ṭariqah, which is accessible only to a higher class of men who, while strictly adhering to the outward or ceremonial injunctions of religion, rise to an inward perception of mental power and virtue necessary for the nearer approach to the Divinity

(3) of "Ḥaḳikah," the degree attained by those who, through continuous contemplation and inward devotion, have risen to the true perception of the nature of the visible and invisible; who, in fact, have recognized the Godhead, and through this knowledge have succeeded in establishing an ecstatic relation to it; and

(4) of the "Ma'arifah," in which state man communicates directly with the Deity.

Goal: To this extent sufis try to concer the basis desires of the lower soul, or the tyranical ego and tranform it to positiv qualities.

A quote from Abu Nasras-Sarradsch:
"Sufism means to own nothing and to be owned by nothing."

A quote from Abu Said:
"Sufism means glory in adversity, afluence in poverty, dominion in subserviency, saturation in hunger, life in death and sweetnes in bitterniess. A sufi it one who is satisfied with everything that God does, so that God is satisfied with all he does."