Saf in Arabic is PURE and the group of people who practiced spiritual bond with the Divine Force were called Sufis and Prophet Mohammad called this mystic order Knights of Purity(Saheba-e-Safa). Sufis existed before the 6th Century but they flourished during the Prophet's lifetime. Many movements took place in Persia and it was regarded as Persian philosophy.But the philosophy was practiced by Indian Hindus too.Princess Mirabai was a strong believer of such spiritual love and had a bond with her personal God.In Indian mythology supposedly 4000 years old, there is Radha,the lover or worshipper of Lord Krishna.Her spiritual love is depicted metaphorically in many epic poems.Radha itself in Sanskrit means the worshipper.Her journey to meet Lord Krishna is called ABHISAR in Sanskrit, meaning journey towards spiritualism.
Sufism is not a religion but a philosophy of love,harmony,beauty, and it propagates that every human being is part of the Divine Force and should connect with it and live in harmony. It involves psychology, occultism, spiritualism, intuition and clairvoyance. A Sufi desires a pure heart and thought so that he/she can have a bond with the Divine Force and realize the highest truth and wisdom. In Indian philosophy it is called ATMABODH or self realisation. Sufism elevates you from the mundane existential plane.
At this time of material progress, we need to understand and appreciate this philosophy of spiritual love and eradicate violence,petty religious fights in the society. If Sufi literature is taught to all school children then perhaps after few decades the World will be quite free from violence .