During the event, India's Prime Minister, Narendra Modi praised Sufism as "Islam's greatest gift," and suggested that the faith was an alternative to more political, extremist interpretations of the religion, akin to groups like the Islamic State.

在活動期間，印度總理納倫德拉莫迪(Narendra Modi)讚蘇菲派為伊斯蘭教最偉大的禮物，并表示, 相較於伊斯蘭國等組織對於伊斯蘭信仰政治色彩濃厚、極端的詮釋，該信仰為另一種選擇。

So what exactly is Sufism?

蘇菲主義究竟是什麼？

Well, Sufism is not a branch of Islam like Sunni or Shia, nor is it a sect or denomination.

蘇菲主義不像什葉派和遜尼派是伊斯蘭教的分支, 也不是宗派或教派。

Rather, Sufism is the spiritual and mystical philosophy of Islam, it's focused on a direct connection to God by forgoing material goods and relationships.

相反，蘇菲主義是伊斯蘭教的精神和神秘哲學，強調放棄物質和各種關係以與上帝產生直接的連結。

Not unlike Christian monks or other ascetic groups, Sufis dedicate themselves to Allah through meditation, repetitive prayer and non-violence.

蘇菲派與基督教僧侶或其他禁慾團體一樣, 透過冥想、反覆祈禱和非暴力行為, 將自己奉獻給真主。

But while the concepts of Sufism are inherent in all versions of Islam, practitioners who wholly dedicate themselves to spirituality are called Sufis.

但儘管蘇菲主義的理念存在於伊斯蘭教所有派系中, 只有完全獻身於靈性的修行者被稱為蘇菲派。

Sufism arose less than a century after the founding of Islam.

蘇菲主義在伊斯蘭教成立不到一個世紀時誕生。

At the time, many Muslims were concerned with the religion's increasing materialism, which they believed would interfere with a spiritual connection with God.

當時, 許多穆斯林對於宗教日益追求物質主義感到擔憂, 他們認為這會干擾他們與上帝之間的精神連結。

The word "Sufi" is an Arabic term for mystic, which itself was derived from "suf" or wool.

「Sufi」在阿拉伯語中意為神祕主義, 該詞源於suf, 意為「羊毛」。

Sufis have historically worn wool as a rejection of worldly clothing.

歷史上, 蘇菲派皆穿著羊毛服裝, 以此抵制世俗的服裝。

By about the 11th century, Sufism had adopted a system of fraternal groupings, called "Orders".

到了約11世紀, 蘇菲派開始採用名為「秩序」(Orders)的共濟會組織體系。

In these spiritual schools, leaders taught their followers the principles and rituals of Sufism, which included writing books and poems and reciting hymns.

再這些靈修學校裡, 領袖教導他們的追隨者有關蘇菲派的原則和儀式, 包括寫書、作詩和吟誦讚美詩。

In fact, the 13th Century is known as the golden age of Sufism, as the greatest mystical Islamic art and literature is believed to have derived from this period.

事實上, 13世紀被稱為蘇菲主義的黃金時期, 因為最偉大的伊斯蘭神秘藝術和文學被認為源自於這個時期。

By the 16th Century, Sufism was deeply ingrained into both Sunni and Shia Islam and had spread throughout Persia, India and Central Asia.

到了16世紀, 蘇菲派已經深深紮根於伊斯蘭教遜尼派和什葉派, 並傳播到波斯、印度和中亞。

The most well-known symbol of Sufism is the Whirling Dervishes, a Sufi order that originated in 14th century Turkey.

蘇菲派最著名的宗教儀式是源於14世紀土耳其的旋轉舞。

It's known for repetitive spinning dances that unite the follower with God, and is a popular tourist attraction in Turkey.

它以不斷旋轉的舞蹈而聞名, 以此舞蹈結合信徒與上帝, 是土耳其很受歡迎的旅遊觀光節目。

Today, Sufis can still be found all around the world.

現今, 蘇菲派仍存在世界各地。

But according to the Pew Research Center, the belief system is most common in Sub-Saharan Africa, where about 35 percent of Muslims in the region are said to belong to a Sufi order.

但根據皮尤研究中心, 這種信仰體系在撒哈拉以南非洲最為普遍, 據說該地區大約35%的穆斯林都屬於蘇菲派。

Sufism is also prevalent among Muslims in India, Thailand, and other southeast Asian countries.

蘇菲派在印度、泰國和其他東南亞國家的穆斯林之間也很盛行。

Sufism has seen a resurgence in popularity as a direct alternative to the growing radicalization of Islam.

蘇菲派為伊斯蘭教日益激進化的直接替代性選擇, 再次廣受歡迎。

Sufis have a legacy of philanthropy and missionary work, and are known for their non-violence, tolerance and personal sacrifice.

蘇菲派的傳統為博愛精神和宣教, 並以非暴力、寬容和個人犧牲而聞名。

During the Sufi Forum in India, Prime Minister Modi said, “At a time when the dark shadow of violence is becoming longer, you are the noor, or the light of hope.”

在印度舉行的蘇菲論壇上, 莫迪總理表示, 在暴力日益蔓延的時代, 你們就象徵光明, 或稱希望之光。

Modi reportedly hopes to make India the center of what he calls the "World Sufi Movement," or the large-scale effort to use Sufism as a cure for jihadist extremism.

據說, 莫迪希望讓印度成為他所稱「世界蘇菲運動」的中心, 或致力於利用蘇菲主義大規模地治癒聖戰極端主義。

World leaders have made similar efforts in the past, in countries like the United Kingdom and the United States.

在英國和美國等國家, 世界領導人過去也有類似的舉措。

But whether the ascetic, nonviolent practices in Sufism can overcome the spread of radical Islam is yet to be seen.

但蘇菲派的禁慾、非暴力實踐能否抑制伊斯蘭激進主義的蔓延仍待觀察。

But even though Sufism has influenced both Sunni and Shia Islam, there is a huge rift between these two Islamic sects.

但是, 儘管蘇菲主義同時影響了伊斯蘭教遜尼派和什葉派, 這兩個伊斯蘭教派之間存在著巨大的分歧。

Find out why by watching this video.

觀賞這段影片就知道為什麼了。