Which of the following statements is true regarding Sufism?

All of the above.

The correct answer is Option 4 - All of the above

Given statements/options regarding Sufism:

Option 1- It started as a protest against the growing materialism of the Caliphate as a religious and political institution.
Option 2- They were critical of the dogmatic definitions and scholastic methods of interpreting the Qur’an and sunna adopted by theologians.
Option 3- They laid emphasis on seeking salvation through intense devotion and love for God by following His commands.
Option 4- All of the above

In the early centuries of Islam, a group of religious-minded people called Sufis turned to asceticism and mysticism in protest against the growing materialism of the Caliphate as a religious and political institution. They were critical of the dogmatic definitions and scholastic methods of interpreting the Qur’an and sunna (traditions of the Prophet) adopted by theologians. Instead, they laid emphasis on seeking salvation through intense devotion and love for God by following His commands, and by following the example of the Prophet Muhammad whom they regarded as a perfect human being. The Sufis thus sought an interpretation of the Qur’an on the basis of their personal experience.