Sufism 1: The origins of Sufism..

Sufism exists in all religions.
With the Jews it is Moses lost in the desert meeting his first teacher / guide, and the 1st union with god to recieve the prophethood and some miracles. Then he seeked god again in the mountains untill he got his knowledge of Truth, the Torah.

With the Christians the Bible says that Jesus did go into isolation and fasting to find God which is a Sufu methodology. Jesus then said "I am the Truth" just like the Muslim Sufi Al Halaj who said the same thing, "Ana Al Haq" / I am the Truth" Any man calling himself god does not make him a god because whatever was given to him that looks like he is god is just borrowed to him by God. Jesus was a Sufi teacher. This is what Christians should ponder on.

With the Muslims, the proof of Sufism is Mohamad going into a cave seeking Allah and that is when he got his union with Allah and the Truth in the form of the Quran. Mohamad participating in the Sufi methodology should be preserved to ensure a complete picture of Islam. The early Muslim did use the Sufi methodology to achieve an inspired mental status. That is why we can see many Muslim Scientice,Philosophers and Mathematicians thenand that is why we cannot see few Muslims who are inspired Rulers Scientice,Mathematicians,Philosophers and Intellectuals. The Sufi methodology to be inspired by God is forgotten.

Although some Muslims do not agree with Sufism, there is beyond any doubt that the Quran does speak about Sufism by calling the "Ahli Zikir"  and you might say that it is only for the prophets. But the Quran does not say so because even Mosses went to learn from the slane of Allah (Khidir) 18:65-82,and as per Allah's comand to seek knowledge from the ahli Zikir.as per Q 16:43 "And We sent not before thee other than men whom We inspired - Ask the people of the Remembrance (al dzikiri) if ye know not"
Some might say that the word "zikiri" is refered to the Quran. But Allah refers to the Quran as "kitab" or book and the context of the verse is not the "people of "the book" but "the people of rememberence" or the Sufis.