Islamic groups: Sufis Books

Book SynopsisOne of the more poorly understood aspects of the history of the Ottoman Empire has been the flourishing of Sufi mysticism under its auspices. This study tracks the evolution of the Halveti order from its modest origins in medieval Azerbaijan to the emergence of its influential Sa`baniye branch, whose range extended throughout the Empire at the height of its expansion.With careful reconstruction of the lives of formerly obscure figures in the order''s history, a complex picture emerges of the connections of Halveti groups with the Ottoman state and society. Even more importantly - since the Sa`baniye branch of the order grew out of the towns and villages of the northern Anatolian mountains rather than the major urban centers - this work has the added benefit of bringing a unique perspective to how Ottoman subjects lived, worked and worshipped outside the major urban centers of the Empire. Along the way, it sheds light on less-visible actors in society, such as women and artisans, and challenges widely held generalizations about the activities and strategies of Ottoman mystics.Table of ContentsAcknowledgments; Note on Transliteration; List of Abbreviations for Frequently-Cited Works in the Text; Introduction-On the Study of Ottoman Mystical Traditions; Part I The Rise and Spread of the Halveti Order from its Origins through the Twelfth/Eighteenth Century: Chapter 1 Early Sufism and the origins of the Halveti path (ca. 900-1400); Chapter 2 The Great Expansion: From Regional Organization to Far-Flung Network (ca. 1400-1600); Part II The Evolution of a Halveti Sub-Branch: The Life and Career of ?a'ban-? Veli and his Followers in the Kastamonu Region; Chapter 3 Echoes of a distant past: ?a'ban-? Veli's early life and conversion to Sufism; Chapter 4 Genesis of a sub-branch: ?a'ban-? Veli's struggles in Kastamonu; Chapter 5 An uneven legacy: the succession to ?a'ban-? Veli to the end of the tenth/sixteenth century; Part III Defending the Cult of Saints in Eleventh/Seventeenth-Century Kastamonu: Transforming the ?a'baniyye Order under 'Omer el-Fu'adi: Chapter 6 'Omer el-Fu'adi as Sufi aspirant and haigographer: the road to ?a'baniyye succession; Chapter 7 Inscribing the ?a'baniyye order onto Kastamonu's landscape; Chapter 8 The political and doctrinal legacy of 'Omer el-Fu'adi; Conclusion What can the ?a'baniyye Teach Us About Transitions in the Early Modern Period of World History?; Endnotes; Bibliography; Primary Sources: Original Manuscripts; Primary Sources in Printed Texts, Translation, or Edited Editions of Manuscripts; Secondary Sources

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Book SynopsisAlthough Sufi characters - saints, dervishes, wanderers - occur regularly in modern Arabic literature, a select group of novelists seeks to interrogate Sufism as a system of thought and language. In the work of writers like Naguib Mahfouz, Gamal Al-Ghitany, Tahar Ouettar, Ibrahim Al-Koni, Mahmud Al-Mas''adi and Tayeb Salih we see a strong intertextual relationship with the Sufi masters of the past, including Al-Hallaj, Ibn Arabi, Al-Niffari and Al-Suhrawardi. This relationship becomes a means of interrogating the limits of the creative self, individuality, rationality and the manifold possibilities offered by literature, seeking in a dialogue with the mystical heritage a way of preserving a self under siege from the overwhelming forces of oppression and reaction that have characterized the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries.Table of ContentsAbbreviations; Acknowledgements; Introduction: Ouverture; Chapter One: Naguib Mahfouz: (En)chanting Justice; Chapter Two: Tayeb Salih: The Returns of the Saint; Chapter Three: Al-Mas'adi: Witnessing Immortality; Chapter Four: The Survival of Gamal Al-Ghitany; Chapter Five: Ibrahim Al-Koni: Writing and Sacrifice; Chapter Six: Tahar Ouettar: The Saint and the Nightmare of History; Epilogue: Bahaa Taher, Solidarity and Idealism; Bibliography.

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Book SynopsisThis imaginative and accessible study of the lyrical, humorous, social and educational aspects of classical Persian poetry focuses on the works of the master medieval poet Sa''di of Shiraz (d. 1291), one of the funniest, most influential and lyrical figures in classical Persian poetry. Sa''di, a prominent ethicist and a devout teacher of virtues, stands out for his worldliness, his practical teachings, and his love for living a wholesome life, as well as for his signature elegance and artistry that has compelled critics to call his lyrics perfectly polished diamonds. In a language deliberately free of technical jargon, Keshavarz argues for the versatility of Sa''di''s poetic voice and portrays his notion of love as open to multiple perspectives including homoerotic aesthetics. She brings to life the worldly wisdom that kept the lyrical, adventurous, and ethical legacy of Sa''di fresh and effective through the passage of time.

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Book SynopsisOne of the most controversial issues that divided Islamic philosophers and theologians for many centuries was whether human beings would have a spiritual or bodily existence after death. Suhrawardi, a pivotal figure in the history of Islamic philosophy, made a crucial contribution to this debate, with his idea of a world of image.

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Book SynopsisDiscusses the concept of the vision of God in Sufi Qur'an Commentaries

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Book SynopsisThe first in-depth study of the concept of the vision of God in Sufi eschatology, not only focusing on the hereafter, but also on this-worldly vision.

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Book SynopsisTransforming our understanding of Persian art, this impressive interdisciplinary book decodes some of the world's most exquisite medieval paintings.

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Book SynopsisThis study follows the lives and ideas of the Yaz?c?o?lu brothers Mehmed Yaz?c?o?lu and Ahmed Bican, Sufis of the frontier city of Gelibolu and authors of the most popular religious writings in Ottoman Turkish.

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Book SynopsisWalter Feldman traces the historical development of Mevlevi music and the spiritual legacy of Rumi. He brings to light the remarkable musical and mystical aesthetics of the Mevlevi ayin the instrumental and vocal accompaniment to the sublime ceremony of the 'Whirling' Dervishes.

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Book SynopsisThis volume provides a composite of contemporary Sufi involvement in politics using a range of approaches and disciplines. It explores the role of Sufi-related parties where they exist or are emerging. It also examines how parties that condemn Sufism have adopted aspects of Sufi organization and practice. Changes in views within the academy on politics and Sufism are discussed. Perspectives on Egypt, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Indonesia are included as are overviews of Sufism's political dimension across various regions.Contributions in the volume seek answer questions such as: Where Sufi related parties exist, what policies do they propose, and how do they differ from those of Islamist parties? How would "law" be understood? What is the relationship between secular and Sufi ideas about the role of religion in society? How do Sufi views about how to structure the state in Muslim majority space differ from alternatives? Are Sufis more likely to support democracy?Table of ContentsINTRODUCTION Sufism, Pluralism and Democracy: contexts, comparisons and critiques Clinton BennettSection One: Multi-contextual1. Sufis, Saints and Politics in Islam: an historical surveyClinton Bennett Section Two: European/Euro Asian Contexts (Kosovo/Albania & Turkey)2. Sufism as a Working Spirit in Globalization and Pluralism: The Case of the Hizmet Movement, a Turkey-oriented Global Islamic Network (Turkey)Heon C. Kim, East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania 3. A Paradox of Political Mysticism: The Bektashi Sufi Order as an Islamic Esoteric Community And Factor in Albanian National History (Kosova/the Balkans)Stephen Schwartz, Center for Islamic Pluralism, Washington DCSection Three: A Middle Eastern Context (Iran)4. Sufi Politics in the Contemporary West: The Role and Definition of Sufism in the works of Javad Nurbakhsh (1926-2008) (Iran)Milad Milani, University of Western Sydney Section Four: South Asian Contexts: Bangladesh, Indonesia & Pakistan5. Anti-saint or anti-shrine? Tracing Deoband's disdain for the Sufi in PakistanCharles M. Ramsey, Forman Christian College, Lahore, Pakistan6. Sufis as shapers of pluralist political culture: the examples of Bangladesh and Indonesia.Clinton Bennett 7. In Search of God, In Search of Humanity: Vilayat-e-Mutlaqa of Hazrat Delaor Husayn Maizbhandari (Bangladesh) Sarwar AlamSection Five: Literary/Theoretical Underpinnings8. Two Beloved Sufi poets of the Punjab: A Case of "Hearing Without Listening". Nikky-Guninder Kaur Singh, Colby College, Maine 9. Looking Inside the Heart: The Universal Appeal of God and Humanity as Reflected in Ibn al-'Arabi 's Fusus al-Hikam and Maulana Rumi 's Mathnawi ManawiSayed Hassan Akhlaq Hussaini, George Washington University CONCLUSION: "Corporate Islam" v Sufi Islam and the articulation of the present Sarwar Alam

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Book SynopsisIn contrast to most introductory texts on Sufism, this work begins not with the historical past, but with the contemporary present. Beginning with Sufism as it is lived today, each chapter further unveils the complexities of Sufism, journeying through a variety of historical, political, and cultural contexts, moving deeper into the past, and closer to the origin and heart of Sufism. This geneological framework will enable the reader to understand the patterns of connection between contemporary manifestations of Sufism and past realities. To ensure that the full range of Sufism's varied expressions is taken into account, each chapter is divided into four sections: Politics and Power, Philosophy and Metaphysics, Arts and Culture, and Overview of Historical Developments. Dividing chapters into these four broad categories enables the book to highlight some of the ways in which Sufism has influenced Muslim politics, philosophy, art, and culture in each historical period. In each category the relevant issues are illustrated through detailed case studies, whether of a particular Sufi figure, place, artistic expression, or philosophical view. This allows the reader to develop a genuinely three-dimensional appreciation of Sufism, neither reducing it to a private mystical experience divorced from social expression, nor limiting the tradition to historical names and dates.Table of ContentsIntroduction1. The Many Faces of Contemporary Sufism in North America2. Warriors, Philosophers and Poets: Sufis in the Age of Colonization3. Commanding Sultans to Wandering Dervishes: Sufism in the Later Medieval Era4. Synthesizers and Saints: Sufism in the Medieval Era5. A Reality without a Name: Early Sufis and the Formation of Tradition6. Sources of Sufism: Transmission of the Prophetic WordConclusion

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Book SynopsisThis book comprises responses by a Sufi master, Hadrat Sahib of the Naqshbandi tradition, to letters written by students of the master. The questions posed in these letters cover a wide range of issues including, financial problems, health issues, family matters, education and bereavement. The advice given by the master reveals a deep spirituality which places the particular student's problem in context and details a specific method of offering oneself to God at all times. It is difficult to find such detail relating to spiritual practices in Sufi literature. These letters are inspirational and timeless. They provide a cure to a world dominated by materialism and all its attendant miseries.

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Book SynopsisAisha al-Ba‘uniyya (c.1456–1517) was one of the greatest women mystics in Islamic history. A Sufi master and an Arab poet, her religious writings were extensive by any standard and extraordinary for her time. In medieval Islam a number of women were respected scholars and teachers, but they rarely composed works of their own. Aisha al-Ba‘uniyya, however, was prolific. She composed over twenty works, and likely wrote more Arabic prose and poetry than any other Muslim woman prior to the twentieth century. The first full-scale biography of al-Ba‘uniyya in the English language, this volume provides a rare glimpse into the life and writings of a medieval Muslim woman in her own words. Homerin presents her work in the wider context of late-medieval Islamic spirituality, examining the influence of figures such as Ibn al-‘Arabi, al-Busiri and Ibn al-Farid, and emphasising the role of the person of the Prophet Muhammad in her spirituality. Aisha al-Ba‘uniyya is a fascinating introduction to a figure described by a sixteenth-century biographer as ‘one of the marvels of her age’.Trade Review‘In this highly readable book, Th. Emil Homerin skilfully weaves Aisha al-Ba‘uniyya’s life, work, and her inner and external worlds together with insightful erudition.’ -- Li Guo, Professor, Arabic Studies Program, University of Notre Dame‘In this beautifully written study, Th. Emil Homerin situates Aisha’s work in its literary and historical context… This book is an important contribution to the study of Muslim women’s spirituality.’ -- Adam Sabra, Professor of History and King Abdul Aziz Ibn Saud Chair in Islamic Studies, University of CaliforniaTable of ContentsMaps Preface 1 GOD’S BLESSINGS Origins Slave Soldiers Mamluk Sultanate Secretaries and Scholars Education Damascus Mosques and Libraries Gabriel’s Questions Obedient Servant Dress and Decorum Saints and Shrines Inner Sanctum Intercession or Idolatry Forgiveness and Favor 2 AISHA AL-BA‘UNIYYA AND THE BELOVED PROPHET Muhammad ibn ‘Abd Allah That Sacred Place Syrian Caravan Damascus to Medina Medina to Mecca Before the Black Stone Hajj Dreams What is a Woman to Do? Poems of Praise Blessings Holy Prophet Virtuous Life Return to Heaven 3 O MY LOVE AND HAPPINESS Marriage and Family Sufi Way Venerable Masters Recalling the Lord Noble Invocations Taste and See Hymn/Him Poetry of Recollection He’s My Destiny Old Loves for New Ibn al-Farid Odes in T Covenant Wine of Love Moses of the Heart Seat of Truth 4 TREE OF MYSTICAL LIFE Repentance Sincerity Recollection Love Amazing Stories Wondrous Secret Ocean Without a Shore 5 GATHERING UNION New Challenges To Egypt Cairo Victorious Pomp and Princess Among the Elite Shadows of War Time of Change Legacy Bibliography Acknowledgments Index

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Book SynopsisSufism is a growing and global phenomenon, far from the declining relic it was once thought to be. This book brings together the work of fourteen leading experts to explore systematically the key themes of Sufism's new global presence, from Yemen to Senegal via Chicago and Sweden. The contributors look at the global spread and stance of such major actors as the Ba 'Alawiyya, the 'Afropolitan' Tijaniyya, and the Gülen Movement. They map global Sufi culture, from Rumi to rap, and ask how global Sufism accommodates different and contradictory gender practices. They examine the contested and shifting relationship between the Islamic and the universal: is Sufism the timeless and universal essence of all religions, the key to tolerance and co-existence between Muslims and non-Muslims? Or is it the purely Islamic heart of traditional and authentic practice and belief? Finally, the book turns to politics. States and political actors in the West and in the Muslim world are using the mantle and language of Sufism to promote their objectives, while Sufis are building alliances with them against common enemies. This raises the difficult question of whether Sufis are defending Islam against extremism, supporting despotism against democracy, or perhaps doing both.Trade Review‘Highly recommended … one of the best academic treatments of contemporary Sufism.’ -- Global Intellectual History'Global Sufism is well worth the read and will no doubt be of great benefit in the classroom as we move towards more nuanced, subtle and less normative modes of studying Islam and Sufism.’ * Muslim World Book Review *'Insightful and nuanced, this engaging and informative book is a must read for those who follow contemporary Sufism, whether academically or personally. From Rumi to rap, San Francisco to Senegal--we get both backstory and analysis of the dynamics of a new global Sufism.' -- Marcia Hermansen, Professor and Director of Islamic World Studies, Loyola University Chicago'Ranging between "Afropolitanism", state-sponsored anti-Salafism and the American New Age movement, these essays chart the varied and sometimes contradictory claims to the legacy and legitimacy of traditional Islam. This is a timely survey of the complex "glocal" politics of transnational Sufism.' -- Nile Green, Professor of History, UCLA, and author of 'Sufism: A Global History''This volume shows Sufism's amazing viability and adaptability to new circumstances and challenges. It provides a comprehensive and erudite analysis of the vicissitudes of Sufism in various parts of the Muslim world and in the West.' -- Alexander Knysh, Professor of Islamic Studies, University of Michigan, and author of 'Sufism: A New History of Islamic Mysticism''This rich volume provides a selection of chapters on contemporary Sufism in its varied appearances in a global world. All chapters are thoroughly contextualised and present orders, informal groups, individuals and ritual practices as well as political dimensions and influences from present-day spirituality.' -- Catharina Raudvere, Professor of the History of Religions, University of Copenhagen‘Effectively shatters many interrelated shibboleths we still cling to in our understanding and teaching of Sufism … From radio programs to Rumi to rap music, [the book] covers with depth and concision a rich amount of ground within its pages.’

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Book SynopsisI.B. Tauris in association with the Institute of Ismaili Studies How has the Ismaili branch of Shi‘i Islam interacted with other Islamic communities throughout history? The groups and movements that make up Islamic civilisation are diverse and varied yet, while scholarship has analysed many branches of Islam in isolation, the exchanges and mutual influences between them has not been sufficiently recognised. This book traces the interactions between Ismaili intellectual thought and the philosophies of other Islamic groups to shed light on the complex and interwoven nature of Islamic civilisation. Based on a broad range of primary sources from the early medieval to the late nineteenth century, the book brings together different disciplines within Islamic Studies to cover polemical and doctrinal literature, law, mysticism, rituals and philosophy. The main Ismaili groups, such as the Fatimids, Nizaris and Tayyibis, are represented, as well as lesser known traditions such as that associated with the mountain region of Badakhshan in Central Asia. Religious syncretism, particularly in the Indian subcontinent and in Yemen, is considered alongside cultural interactions as reflected in the circulation of books in Fatimid markets, and various literary and mythical traditions, some still little explored. The chapters include contributions from leading experts in the field shed new light on the close and complex relationships very different Islamic groups and movements have enjoyed throughout the centuries.Table of ContentsIntroduction Orkhan Mir-Kasimov, The Institute of Ismaili Studies, UK. PART I: In the Eyes of Others: Mutual Reflections in Polemical and Doctrinal Literature 1. Sunni Perceptions of the Ismailis: Medieval Perspectives Farhad Daftary, The Institute of Ismaili Studies, UK 2. Ismaili Polemics Against Opponents in the Early Fatimid Period Paul E. Walker, The University of Chicago, USA 3. On the Limited Representation of the Ismailis in al-Saduq’s (d. 381/991) Kamal al-din Roy Vilozny, The University of Haifa, Israel 4. ‘The Places where the Wrestler is Thrown Down’ (Masari' al-musari') and the Question of Tusi’s Rejection of his Prior Nizari Identity Toby Mayer, The Institute of Ismaili Studies, UK PART II: Authority and Law 5. Ismaili and Sunni Elaborations of the Sources of Law: The Kitab al-Majalis wa’l-musayarat by al-Qadi Abu Hanifa al-Nu'man and the Risala of al-Shafi'i: A Comparative Study Agostino Cilardo, University of Naples "L'Orientale", Italy 6. Sacrifice, Circumcision and the Ruler in the Medieval Islamic West: The Ismaili-Fatimid Legacy Maribel Fierro, Spanish National Research Council, Spain 7. Human Action, God's Will: Further Thoughts on the Divine Command (amr) in the Teachings of Muhyi al-Din Ibn al-'Arabi (560-638/1165-1240) Michael Ebstein, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel PART III: The Ikhwan al-Safa', Theosophical and philosophical trends 8. Onto-cosmology and Hierohistory in the Manuscript Tradition of the Rasa'il Ikhwan al-Safa' Carmela Baffioni, The Institute of Ismaili Studies, UK 9. Extra-Ismaili Sources and a Shift of Paradigm in Nizari Ismailism Daryoush Mohammad Poor, The Institute of Ismaili Studies, UK 10. Nature according to Hamid al-Din al-Kirmani (d. after 411/1020–21) and Mulla Sadra (d. 1050/1640): Ismaili Influence on a Twelver Thinker or Dependence on Common Sources Janis Esots, The Institute of Ismaili Studies, UK PART IV: Mystical Trends 11. Early Ismailis and Other Muslims: Polemics and Borrowing in Kitab al-Kashf Mushegh Asatryan, The University of Calgary, Canada 12. The Intellectual Interactions of Yemeni Tayyibism with the Early Shi'i Tradition Daniel De Smet, KU Leuven, Belgium 13. The Nizari Ismaili Theory of the Resurrection (Qiyama) and Post-Mongol Iranian Messianism Orkhan Mir-Kasimov, The Institute of Ismaili Studies, UK PART V: Ismaili-Sufi Relationships in Badakhshan 14. Ismaili-Sufi and Ismaili-Twelver Relations in Badakhshan in the Post-Alamut Period: The Chiragh-nama Nourmamadcho Nourmamadchoev, The Institute of Ismaili Studies, UK 15. The Concept of Wilaya in Mubarak-i Wakhani’s Chihil Dunya: A Traditional Ismaili-Sufi Perspective on the Origins of Divine Guidance Abdulmamad Iloliev, The Institute of Ismaili Studies, UK PART VI: The Interaction and Circulation of Knowledge across Religious and Geographical Boundaries 16. Beyond Space and Time: The Itinerant Life of Books in the Fatimid Market Place Delia Cortese, Middlesex University London, UK 17. On the Cusp of ‘Islamic’ and ‘Hindu’ Worldviews The Ginan Literature and the Dialectics of Self and Other Wafi A. Momin, The Institute of Ismaili Studies, UK 18. Spring’s Equinox: Nawruz in Ismaili Thought Shafique N. Virani, The University of Toronto, Canada 19. Yemeni Ismailism in Jewish Philosophy, 6th/12th to 11th/17th Centuries: A General Historical Sketch Mauro Zonta, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy

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Book SynopsisThis work answers many of the questions often asked by seekers of inward illumination. What are the real implications of the doctrine of divine unity? How can proper concentration be achieved during spiritual exercises? And when should one avoid participating in Sufi gatherings?

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Book SynopsisA Collection of Sufi Rules of Conduct (Jawami'' Adab al-Sufiyya) was written by one of the foremost early masters of Sufism and is considered as the first work devoted to the description of the way of life and the customs of the Sufis. It represents an early attempt to illustrate the conformity of Sufi beliefs and manners with the Qur''an and the example of the Prophet (Sunnah). A Collection of Sufi Rules of Conduct is therefore not only a pioneering work of ethics and mysticism, it is also a summary of the views of Sufis up till the eleventh century. It was a major influence on the development of Sufism from the eleventh century onwards.The translation by Dr Elena Biagi includes an introduction that places the author in his historical, literary and religious context, and a general glossary of Sufi technical terms.

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