Sufyān al-Thawrī (d. 161/778), a versatile scholar who lived in the second century of the hijra, was known as both a muḥaddith, a jurist, an exegete and an ascetic. Al-Thawrī, who spent a significant part of his life in Kūfa at a time when the use of the word sufi began to become widespread, and was accepted as one of the leaders of the Kūfa ascetic circle, is mentioned by the authors of the classical works of ṣūfism, whose ascetic identity is mentioned, whose words and views on various subjects of ṣūfism are conveyed, and whose relations with other Ṣūfīs living in the period are mentioned. In this study, al-Thawrī will be dealt with his Ṣūfī identity, the basic elements of his understanding of ṣūfism will be examined and his place in the Ṣūfī circles of his period will be tried to be determined based on his relations with other Ṣūfīs. Since the study will be limited to the pre-Ghazālī period, the references to al-Thawrī in the pre-Ghazālī sources will be examined. Correcting his intentions, fearing Allah, asceticism and preferring seclusion as much as possible form the basis of his Ṣūfī life. On the other hand, due to the fact that he was a ṣūfi in whose life and ṣūfi thought manifestations of fearing (khawf) were observed, it can be said that he continued the fear-based Ṣūfī tradition of Hasan al-Basrī, influenced by Ibrāhīm b. Adham particularly on subjects such as tawakkul and malāmah and by Rābiʿa al-ʿAdawiyya on subjects such as consent and affection, and influenced al-Fuḍayl b. ʿIyāḍ on warā.