Sufism is an individual, internalized part of Islam, often referred to as a mystical practice. Hafez was a highly influential figure in Sufi thought. In his book The Sufis, the author and teacher Idries Shah writes that Hafez’s works are known as the Interpreter of the Secrets and the Speech of the Invisible (Shah, Idries. The Sufis. London, The Octagon Press, 2001, page 373). Hafez was an intensely devout person; he was said to have memorized the Qur’an in childhood (his chosen pen name, in fact, means “Memorizer”). Sufis meet with a teacher—Hafez, for example, studied with Attar of Nishapur—and engage in ecstatic practices, such as meditative trances, dancing (the famous “whirling dervishes” are members of a Sufi order), and writing poetry.

While writing and reading are important practices in Sufism, teachers also encourage their students to look beyond conventional education and seek a more intimate, mystical connection with the divine. Sufis refer to God as the Beloved and seek above all to join with the divine being. Overall, the core tenet of Sufism is love. Transcendence, for Sufis, is not achieved simply through denial or abstinence, but also through joy and earthly experience. As a result, physical, romantic love is closely intertwined with their concept of divine love and the Beloved.