The relationship between fiqh-sufism in early Islamic period

ABSTRACT This study aims to examine the relationship between the disciplines of fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) and Sufism, adopting a perspective centered on religious obligation (taklif), within the context of the early period. While modern literature often treats fiqh and Sufism as separate or even conflicting domains, this research redefines them as complementary dimensions of a unified system of divine responsibility. It emphasizes that the classical definitions of fiqh-traditionally associated with external, practical rulings-also encompass inward acts of the heart, such as intention, sincerity, piety, renunciation, and repentance. Drawing on a broad range of classical juristic and Sufi sources, the study analyzes how these inner actions are addressed within both legal and spiritual frameworks. The view that legal responsibility begins with the heart, rather than merely with observable conduct, is substantiated through the works of scholars such as Abu Hanifa (d. 150/767), Dabusi (d. 430/1039), and Sarakhsi (d. 483/1090 [?]) on the legal side, as well as Junayd al-Baghdadi (d. 297/909), Hakim al-Tirmidhi (d. 320/932), and al-Ghazali (d. 505/1111) among the Sufis. In addition, concepts such as the classifications of knowledge, inward epistemic sources, unveiling (kashf), and inspiration (ilham) are examined in relation to the epistemological structure of taklif. On this basis, the study reconstructs the classical notion of "inner jurisprudence" (fiqh al-batin) as a legitimate and structured form of religious knowledge. Ultimately, it is argued that fiqh and Sufism should not be regarded as isolated disciplines but as integrative components of a holistic system that unites the external and internal dimensions of moral and legal accountability.