The role of the Sufis in the construction and improvement of the society

The provisions of the religion of Islam have brought about some changes in the individual and social lives of people. Within the framework of these provisions, the Prophet (pbuh) transformed the Jāhiliyyah Arab society into a virtuous society equipped with Islamic ethics during the twenty-three years of his ministry. In time, as a result of the richness that came with the conquests and the interaction with new cultures, degeneration occurred in the society, and in this respect, the social structure inherited from the Messenger of Allah could not maintain the same moral maturity in the following generations. In this process, the zāhids living in the Sahāba and Tābiîn period made some efforts to compensate for the moral decline in the society. The ascetics of the first period pioneered the Sufis who would follow them with their ascetic lifestyle. In later periods, Sufis tried to reconstruct the ethical society built by the Prophet (pbuh) in Asr al-Sa'âdat and contributed to this reform process with their ideas and lifestyles. Sufis, who penetrated every aspect of social life, created a Muslim portrait that would set an example for the society they lived in with their devotion to the Qur'an and Sunnah and the love of Allah in their hearts. With the sects they established, they invited everyone to the path of Allah regardless of religion, language and race, and instilled a high moral consciousness in the society by disciplining the souls. This study, titled The Role of Sufis in the Construction and Improvement of Society, was written in order to reveal the contributions of zāhids and Sufis, who had a great influence on the construction of Islamic civilisation, to the improvement of society. The study is supported by giving examples from the lives of Sufis who have been instrumental in the society.