This is a two-day virtual programme pilot for a new online course under development at Cambridge Muslim College. In this course, we will explore the historical origins and development of Sufism. We will chart the evolution of Islamic spirituality from its beginnings as personal ascetic devotion to the establishment of Sufism as a distinct mode of piety expounded as a religious science, to the founding of mystical brotherhoods (ṭarīqas) in which a large portion of medieval Muslim society participated. Along the way, we will critically examine the debates concerning certain Sufi practices and doctrines. Finally, we will turn to how Sufism was impacted by colonialism and reform in the modern period and its enduring significance in the Muslim world and in Muslim minority communities in the West.