What is the view of Imam Al-Shafi'i, Imam Malik, and other early Muslims regarding Sufism and Tasawwuf? And did Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal and Shaykh Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab praise Tasawwuf?

One must differentiate between praising individuals known for righteousness and asceticism who were attributed to Sufism, and praising Sufism in general. The early Sufis were closer to the Qur'an and Sunnah, even if there were some observations about some of them, whereas later Sufism deviated considerably. Some imams, such as Imam Malik and Imam Shafi'i, warned against Sufis, while Sheikh Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab praised what the early Sufis were upon in terms of asceticism and worship. In conclusion, scholars did not praise Sufism unequivocally; rather, they praised specific individuals among them who were known for praiseworthy qualities.