Muhammed Hassanali lives in Cleveland Ohio with his two children and a supporting wife. He is an engineer by profession, writes articles and presentations on Muslim cultures and civilizations primarily for encyclopedias. He also reviews books for TCM Reviews, American Reference Books Annual, De Re Militari, World History Connected, Annals of Biomedical Engineering, The Industrial Physicist and others.
His article published in Spring 2010 issue of Pakistaniat.org Journal
The etymologies of the term Sufi are various. The obvious root is suf (wool), referring to the wool robes that the early mystics wore. The term has also been connected with safa (purity) or safwa (the chosen ones), emphasizing purifying of the heart and the role of divine grace in choosing the saintly. Another link is with suffa (bench), referring to a group of poor Muslims (contemporaries of the Prophet Mohammad) known as the People of the Bench, signifying a community of shared poverty.
More: http://www.pakistaniaat.org/article/view/5015/3786
via http://www.pakistaniaat.org/
Ismailimail 