What were the major beliefs and practices of the Sufis?

The following were the major beliefs and the practices of the Sufis:

1. Sufis were Muslim mystics and they rejected the outward religiosity.

2. The Sufis believed in union with God as a lover seeking his beloved.

3. They also believed that the heart could be trained to look at the world in a different way.

4. They rejected the elaborate rituals and codes of behavior demanded by Muslim religious scholars.

5. The Sufis developed various methods of raining using Zikr (chanting of a name or sacred formula), contemplation, singing and dancing.

6. The sufi masters held their assemblies in Khanqahs, there they discussed spiritual matters and sought the blessings of saints.