Consumption Culture and Ascetic Tradition of Sufism

Human beings have the ability to display their production and consumption behavior in the most sophisticated way. The production-consumption processes’ being separated from the restrained religion and the dominated nature has caused problems in the following time. Instead of satisfying human spiritual needs, capitalism which is developed and sustained in economic focus insists on meeting physiological needs by instrumentalizing religious symbols when necessary. The tradition of sufism, which provides emotional, social and spiritual satisfaction starting from the right consumption behavior for man, has exhibited the ideal consumption pattern for human and the world with the practices in the past. Firstly, austeritial practices, which enable the perception of need and what he/she is in need of, will soon teach the needs and measures of the whole world at a later stage. In this study, the comparison of moderate consumption which was practiced by Sufi teachings against modern consumption culture which leads to hedonism and narcissism, is made