By the th century, largely because of all the mystical poetry that was produced, sufism had filtered through into the whole islamic world. Wardah books is at 58 bussorah street, singapore 199474. In these critical times nothing could be more valuable for the west than a rediscovery of its true spiritual heritage. On one extreme, some enthusiasts provide no reason to differentiate sufism from kabbalah, christian mysticism, or a new age concoction. A new history of islamic mysticism also gives us some sense of why sufi muslims are under attack from isis and their ilk. Bismi allahirrahmanirrahim the word sufi is derived from the arabic word suf which means wool and which refers to the coarse woolen robes that were worn by the prophet muhammad pbuh and by his close companions. It consists of mystical paths that are designed to learn the nature of humanity and of god and to facilitate the experience of the presence of divine love and wisdom. This volume makes available and accessible the writings of the crucial early period of islamic mysticism during which sufism developed as one of the worlds major mystical traditions. The early mystics of islam, however, devoted themselves primarily to. William chittick, fakhurddin iraqi fadiman, essential sufism. Annemarie schimmel was an internationally acclaimed scholar, who dedicated more than. Apr 10, 20 mystical poetry is also rich in sufism and it helps to translate many important mystical concepts in sufism the most famous poets include rumi, alghazali, omar khayyam, attar and ibn arabi. This mystical movement from the early ninth century rejects worship motivated by the. Like all forms of mysticism, it is above all the search for god and this search may be expressed in many different ways, taking various forms.
Tasawwuf ihsan, islamic mysticism islamic books, islamic. Mysticism in the islamic context has traditionally been intertwined with the notion of. They are most prevalent in egypt, syria, iraq, turkey and arabia. The early pious figures, later appropriated by sufism, include ali, hasan al. Understanding the concept of islamic sufism shahida bilqies research scholar, shahihamadan institute of islamic studies university of kashmir, srinagar190006 jammu and kashmir, india. After centuries as the most important asceticmystical strand of islam, sufism saw a sharp decline in the twentieth century, only to experience a stunning revival in recent decades.
We would like to highlight just a few distinctions between the mystical and the esoterical. Mysticism sufism is based on selfattained revelations by mystical means, which is contrary to islam. In time, people follow these books, thinking they are guided, and desert the book of god. Sufism, the religious philosophy of islam, is described in the oldest extant definition as the apprehension of divine realities, and mohammedan mystics are fond of calling themselves ahl alhaqq, the followers of the real. Sufism in now to be found in many parts of the muslim world as, across the centuries, many people have felt drawn toward the more emotional and personal ways of knowing god promoted by sufi mysticism. Dec 12, 2012 sufism is the path of islamic mysticism and celebrates the intimate relationship between the seeker and allah. Some of the quranic verses have been viewed by the mystics and. Required for the class, bring the readings with you to each class.
It is extremely difficult to attempt a description of sufism. Sufism islamic mysticism mysticism is concerned with the nature of reality, the individuals struggle to attain a clear vision of reality, and the transformation of consciousness that accompanies such vision. It combines chronological and personalitybased approaches to the subject with a thematic discussion of major sufi notions and institutions. It consists of a variety of mystical paths that are designed to ascertain the nature of humanity and of god and to facilitate the experience of the presence. Today there are literally hundreds of mystic orders with millions of adherents. Mystcism is the path which is followed to achieve ultimate unity with god and it. The first concise history of sufism to appear in any language, this work remains among the best. List of books and articles about sufism online research. By offering alternative forms of religious truth and authority that are based on personal experience, noncanonical ritual.
The middle east conflict has dug deep trenches of enmity between jews and muslims. While it succeeds in challenging popular simplifications and current academic orthodoxies, sufism. Before assessing sufism and examining how it relates to the teachings of the quran, it is necessary to consider the main principles upon which sufism is based. Their theoretical contributions led to the development within sufism of a complex.
Indeed, the muslim scripture features many passages encouraging muslims to. Although the later sufi writings by mystics such as rumi are known and available in translation, access to the crucial early period of islamic mysticism has been far more limited. The early mystics of islam, however, devoted themselves primarily to the first of the three stages, that is, purgation. The arabic term sufi has been used in islamic literature with a wide range of meanings, by both proponents and opponents of sufism. Mainstream islam has tended to regard sufism with some suspicion because of a perceived extremism in beliefs which sufi mysticism is prone to. A new history of islamic mysticism by alexander knysh. Mar 31, 2011 the decline sufism in later centuries can perhaps be attributed to the interest of the masses purely in the experimental side of islamic mysticism and the desire for emotional excesses. Islamic mysticism was contested from the formative period of islam till the present. Annemarie schimmel on sufism, mansur alhallaj, allama iqbal dr. The famous kabbalistic school of safed in galilee also seems to have been influenced by sufism. Sufism is the path of islamic mysticism and celebrates the intimate relationship between the seeker and allah. During the sixteenth century, when the kabbalist isaac luria was active, safed was also a flourishing centre of muslim mysticism. The source of mysticism and the mystical elements in islam are to be traced to the quran and the islamic doctrine itself. Fieldwork was conducted in 19961997 as a participantobserver of the order and at other sites in and around pakistan.
The nobility and broad tolerance of this creed, which accepts as godinspired all the real religions of the. In sufism, studying the exegesis of the quran or reflecting on the meanings of its verses is discouraged or even forbidden. The forty rules of love by elif shafak, the conference of the birds by attar of nishapur, the essential rumi by rumi, the sufis. As such, it has the special disitinction of being found in the sunnite as well as the shiite traditions of islam. The texts are accompanied by commentary on their historical, literary and philosophical context. Islamic orthodoxy and sufism were not irreconcilable, as attested by the attempt by alghazali d. Bushs assurances that islam is a peaceful religion and that all good muslims hunger for democracy, confusion persists and far too many westerners remain convinced that muslims and terrorists are synonymous. The mystical dimension of the islamic religious tradition has roots in the divinely revealed text of the koran. Jalaluddin rumi was the author of the masnavi, an immensely influential work, which is celebrated for its spiritual profundity by many across the islamic world. The first centuries of islam saw the development of sufism as one of the worlds major mystical traditions.
Such revelations, as experienced by the mystical seekers sufis, are considered blasphemy and therefore are punishable by death, as established in the koran. Jan 01, 1995 the first centuries of islam saw the development of sufism as one of the worlds major mystical traditions. The book provides a general survey of the history of islamic mysticism sufism since its inception up to the present. Webb, sufism in america in americas alternative religions, ed. Sufism, mystical islamic belief and practice in which muslims seek to find the truth of divine love and knowledge through direct personal experience of god. The books written by practitioners fill a broad spectrum. While sufism is said to have incorporated elements of christian monasticism, gnosticism, and indian mysticism, its origins are traced to forms of devotion and groups of penitents zuhhad in the formative period of islam. Pages in category islamic mysticism the following 16 pages are in this category, out of 16 total. Sufism, being the marrow of the bone or the inner dimension of the islamic revelation, is the means par excellence whereby tawhid is achieved. Sufis claim that every verse of the quran has an external meaning and an internal meaning.
In lieu of an abstract, below is the essays first paragraph. Its focus tends to be on the mystical, firsthand, direct experience of god called dhawq or tasting, rather than on doctrine or authority. Equally obvious and unavoidable are biases of sufisms muslim opponents whose views of sufism will be discussed in detail later on in this book. Wardah books is at 58 bussorah street, singapore 199474 were open every day from 10am to 6pm. Sufism, mystical islamic belief and practice in which muslims seek the truth of divine love and knowledge through direct personal experience of god. It is a rich spiritual path that celebrates this relationship through music, sacred. This volume opens with an essay on the place of spirituality within the islamic tradition. Islamsu sm is masterpiece by titus burckhardt examines. Mysticism in islam, islamic philosophy mysticism in islam is intertwined, and often held synonymous with sufism. The evolution of sufism in the postghazali period was influenced by ibn alarabi and ibn alfarid.
Studies in islamic mysticism the masterpiece of sufism. Criticism of and opposition to mystical conceptions of islam and their adherents constitute an integral part of an ongoing debate inside the islamic tradition. Sufism and islam in africa readings tbd november 16. A pathbreaking history of sufism, from the earliest centuries of islam to the present. By using broader methods and theory more appropriate to the analysis of mysticism, the article aims. Mysticism in arabic and islamic philosophy stanford. One of dionysiuss key texts is peri mystikes theologiasi. Islamsu sm is masterpiece by titus burckhardt examines the. But the islamic word which has its root is the islamic sources is the word erfan. That makes it easy to forget that, for centuries, the two religions contributed much to each others philosophy and spirituality. Purchases made on this website are fulfilled by wb connect pte ltd uen. This article is an ethnographic study of an islamic mystical sufi order based in the tribal area of pakistan. The earliest persian treatise on sufism syed hujweri the kalimat al sadiqin.
According to sufism, only the sufi sheikhs have the understanding of the internal mystic meaning. Sufis never tire of insisting that their teachings and practices are rooted in the quran, the prophets exemplary custom sunna, and the moralethical standards set by the first two generations of muslims. One, then, wonders what an unbiased and authentic account of sufism, which ernst implies is possible,26 might look like. One passage often pointed to in this regard is the light verse 24. The aim of sufis is to gain direct knowledge of the eternal, in this life, as opposed to the exoteric, or traditionalist, aspect of islam which focuses on achieving a state of. Nimet seker looks at the influence of muslim sufism on jewish mysticism. Others claim to present the teachings of traditional sufi orders, and many do, but sometimes a. An ascetic person is characterised by their rigorous selfdiscipline and selfcontrol. There are some terms in western languages that is equivalent for erfan such as gnosticism, mysticism, and spirituality.
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