Sufism and modernization in the Islamic world

Sufism has risen just a bit after the very rise of Islam. But throughout the initial centuries of existence of Umma, sufi tradition was kind of estranged of the mainstream Islam, being a development of elitary consciousness, but still occupying a niche of popular religion. Interrelation of Islam and Sufi tradition were generally complicated, sometimes symbiotically co-existing for the mutual benefit, but then again provoking tragic conflicts from time to time. By the end of the Medieval époque Sufism was generally integrated by both arabo-muslim philosophy and the Umma in general. The very beginning of the colonial époque forced Islam to face a challenge of modernization. Some reformers like Mohammed Iqbal considered Sufism an opportunity to modernize Islam. The article is devoted to brief summary of sufi impact on modernization and renovation of Islam during colonial and post-colonial époques. The analysis is preceded by a brief historical summary of the process of Sufi Islamic integration.