The relationship between al-Muhâsibî and al-Hakîm al-Tirmidhî as founding figures of sufi thought: A conceptual comparison

Al-Hârith b. Asad al-Muhâsibî (d. 243/857) and al-Hakîm al-Tirmidhî (d. 320/932) are of specific importance among the leading figures who contributed to the process of sufism as an independent Islamic discipline. Because they are generally known for their approaches that determined the course of sufism after them and their ideas that deeply influenced great thinkers such as l-Ghazzâlî and Ibn al-Arabî. The views expressed by these two great personalities with such a strong influence on almost every issue that was widely discussed in sufi circles during their lifetime were concentrated on three main issues: the nature of human being, knowledge/ma'rifa (inner knowledge) and morality. In this context, the most important name is al-Hakîm al-Tirmidhî, who either repeats the various ideas that al-Muhâsibî has expressed for the first time or carries them a little further. However, it is certain that there are important differences between the ideas of these sufis from time to time. The traces of al-Muhâsibî's influence on al-Hakîm al-Tirmidhî are at a level that can be clearly detected in most of al-Hakîm al-Tirmidhî's works. As a matter of fact, al-Tirmidhî directly bases on al-Muhâsibî's ideas in his various works, when he considers and evaluates the subtleties (latâ'if) such as heart, soul and nafs (self, ego) that constitute the spiritual aspect of man. Apart from this, al-Muhâsibî and al-Hakîm al-Tirmidhî pioneered in the way of dealing with issues such as reliance (tawakkul), repentance (tawbah), divine love (mahabbah), struggle (mujâhadah), spiritual training (riyâdah), retreat (ʿuzlah), seclusion (khalwah), remembrance (dhikr), intimacy and closeness (uns and qurbah), as well as the issues of knowledge (ʿilm) and inner (maʿrifah) and ingenuity, which are important for the sufis.