The Sufi movement was a reaction against

• A. The rising secularism
• B. The spread of Christianity
• C. The growing materialism of Islam around the eighth hundreds
• D. The decline of mosque attendance

Answer: (C)

Sufism arose as an inward, ascetic response to the growing materialism and worldliness seen in the early Islamic world, especially during the Abbasid era. As wealth and courtly luxury increased, some Muslims felt that outward displays of piety and status overshadowed sincere devotion. Sufi practitioners emphasized a personal, experiential connection with God, often through humility, poverty, and contemplative practices like remembrance of God. This focus on inner spirituality and renunciation of excess contrasted with the surrounding material culture, making the movement a reform-minded response within Islam at that time.