ABSTRACT
Muslim religious practice and theology in more recent times has been characterised as rigid and intolerant of varying levels of commitment and understanding. However, the Sufi tradition within Islam demonstrates a remarkable breadth of accommodation for these varying levels of commitment and practice. The categorisation of religious practice and understanding, specifically to the understanding of the “ultimate reality” falls along three lines: that of the common body of Muslims, the elite amongst them, and then the select - elite. Each group exhibits distinct methods and approaches to both epistemological means and devotional practice and understanding, underlining the acknowledgment of the Sufi tradition of the breadth and diversity of Muslim devotional commitment and practice. This approach in more recent times has been obscured and even suppressed by more extremist interpretations of Islam, leaving many Muslims questioning their own religious commitment. The reintroduction of the Sufi philosophy of religion into the public sphere may yet provide them with an alternative.
