Junaid's Take on Tasawwuf

بِسْمِ اللّهِ الرَّحْمـَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

Hazrat Junaid ibn Muhammad Abu al-Qasim al-Khazzaz al-Baghdadi (May Allah Be Pleased with Him) (830-910 AD) was one of the great early Persian Muslim Sufis and is a central figure in the golden chain of many Sufi orders. He laid the groundwork for sober mysticism in contrast to that of God-intoxicated Sufis like al-Hallaj, Bayazid Bastami and Abusaeid Abolkheir. The following statement of his is recorded in the "Kashf Al Mahjub", by Abul Hassan Ali Ibn Usman al-Jullabi al-Hajvery al-Ghaznawi (May Allah Be Pleased with Him):

اَلتصوّف مبنیٌّ علی ثمانِ خصالٍ

السَّخاءِ، و الرِّضاءِ، و الصّبرِ و الإشارةِ و الغربة و لُبْسِ الصُّوفِ و السیّاحة و الفقرِ

اماّ السخّاءُ فلاِبراهیمَ
  و اماّ الرضّاءُ فَلإسحاق
و اماّالصبّر فلأیوّبَ
و اما الإشارةِ فلِزَکریاّ
و اما الغربةِ فَلِیحیی
و اماّ لُبسُ الصوّف فلِموسی
و اماّ السیّاحةُ فلِعیسی
و اماّ الفقرُ فَلِمحمّدٍ
صلواتُ اللّهِ علیهم اجمعينَ

Tasawwuf is founded on eight qualities, generosity, acquiescence, patience, symbolism, traveling(strange hood), woolen dress, pilgrimage hood and faqr (poverty).

1. the generosity of Abraham (may blessings of Allah be on him), who offered his son for sacrifice;
2. the acquiescence of Ishaq (may blessings of Allah be on him), who submitted to the command of Allah to give up his life
3. the patience of Ayub (may blessings of Allah be on him),who patiently endured the affliction of worms and the jealousy of the Merciful;
4. the symbolism of Zakarriya (may blessings of Allah beon him), to whom Allah said,“thou shalt speak to no man for three days but with signal.”  (Q3:41) and again to the same effect, “Behold! He cried to his Lord in secret.”  (Q 19:3):
5. the traveling (strange hood) of Yahya (may blessings of Allah be on him), who was a stranger in his own country and an alien to his own kin;
6. the wearing of wool by Moses (may blessings of Allah be on him), who wore woolen garment throughout;
7. the pilgrimage hood of Jesus (may blessings of Allah be on him), who was so detached therein from worldly things that he kept only a cup and a comb. He threw away his cup when he saw a man drinking water through use of palms of his hands, and the comb likewise when he saw another man using his fingers to dress his hair;
8. the poverty of Muhammad (peace be upon him), to whom Allah Almighty had given the keys of all the worldly treasures saying: “Lay no trouble on you, but procure every luxury by means of these treasures;” and he answered: “Lord, I desire them not, keep me one day full-fed and one day hungry.”