Sufism
Sufism is the mystical and esoteric branch of Islam. Sufis seek direct experiential union with the divine (fanā) through dhikr (rhythmic invocation), sama (sacred music), whirling dance (Mevlevi dervishes), poetry (Rumi, Hafiz, Ibn Arabi). Origins in the 8th-9th centuries with Hasan al-Basri and Rabia al-Adawiyya.
Famous masters
Jalāl ad-Dīn Rumi (1207-1273), Persian poet, founder of the Mevlevi Order (whirling dervishes). Ibn Arabi (1165-1240), Andalusian metaphysician.