Islamic groups: Sufis Books

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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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Book SynopsisExplores concepts central to Christianity, the kingdom of Heaven, son of God, baptism, and resurrection. Jesus is seen as a representative of an ancient and continuing wisdom tradition identified with that of the Sufis. By his distinctive use of stories for teaching purposes, his sayings, and what the Sufis call 'action-teachings', including those actions known as 'miracles', Jesus is shown to have been quintessentially a Sufi master. Max Gorman shows how Sufism illuminates from within concepts central to Christianity: the kingdom of Heaven, son of God, baptism, resurrection - which can then be seen as states and stages in an evolutionary philosophy. This new edition of the classic work includes a new chapter on Gnosis.Table of ContentsPREFACE INTRODUCTION CHAPTER ONE - The way of the Sufi CHAPTER TWO - The kingdom of heaven CHAPTER THREE - The initiatory way CHAPTER FOUR - Gnosis CHAPTER FIVE - Son of God CHAPTER SIX - The parables CHAPTER SEVEN - The sayings CHAPTER EIGHT - Jesus and the animals CHAPTER NINE - The miracles CHAPTER TEN - Jesus the individual APPENDIX - The Hymn of the Pearl The King’s Son POSTSCRIPT FURTHER READING INDEX

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Book SynopsisOffers new ethnographic perspectives on ritual, performance, and media in the Muslim world.Trade ReviewSpadola's book is theoretically sophisticated, skillfully constructed, and rich in detail. * Journal of Religion *Calls of Islam is an instructive contribution to the literature on Morocco's socio-culltural and political idiosyncrasies. * Review of Middle East Studies *Spadola's dense but short study . . . manages admirably well to deal with a complex topic, skillfully balancing ethnographic and analytic elements. * American Ethnologist *[The] tension between social classes is subtly drawn out throughout this exemplary book, and Spadola also does a magnificent job tying local, national, and transnational contexts together. Although writing about a very specific place and time, he manages to capture post-millennial anxieties about Islam and belonging that are far reaching in their scope. * Contemporary Islam *Table of ContentsIntroduction: The Calls of Islam 1. Calls from the Unseen 2. Nationalizing the Call: Trance, Technology and Control 3. Our Master's Call 4. Summoning in Secret: Mute Letters and Veiled Writing 5. Rites of Reception 6. Trance-Nationalism; or the Call of Moroccan Islam 7. "To Eliminate the Ghostly Element between People:" The Call as Exorcism Epilogue: The Arab Spring, the Monarchy's Call

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Book SynopsisOffers new ethnographic perspectives on ritual, performance, and media in the Muslim world.Trade ReviewSpadola's book is theoretically sophisticated, skillfully constructed, and rich in detail. * Journal of Religion *Calls of Islam is an instructive contribution to the literature on Morocco's socio-culltural and political idiosyncrasies. * Review of Middle East Studies *Spadola's dense but short study . . . manages admirably well to deal with a complex topic, skillfully balancing ethnographic and analytic elements. * American Ethnologist *[The] tension between social classes is subtly drawn out throughout this exemplary book, and Spadola also does a magnificent job tying local, national, and transnational contexts together. Although writing about a very specific place and time, he manages to capture post-millennial anxieties about Islam and belonging that are far reaching in their scope. * Contemporary Islam *Table of ContentsIntroduction: The Calls of Islam 1. Calls from the Unseen 2. Nationalizing the Call: Trance, Technology and Control 3. Our Master's Call 4. Summoning in Secret: Mute Letters and Veiled Writing 5. Rites of Reception 6. Trance-Nationalism; or the Call of Moroccan Islam 7. "To Eliminate the Ghostly Element between People:" The Call as Exorcism Epilogue: The Arab Spring, the Monarchy's Call

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Book SynopsisReveals the daily lives and religious practice of ordinary Muslim men in Tajikistan as they aspire to become Sufi mystics. Benjamin Gatling describes in vivid detail the range of expressive forms - memories, stories, poetry, artifacts, rituals, and other embodied practices - employed as they try to construct a Sufi life in twenty-first-century Central Asia.

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Winner of the 2019 I.R. Iran World Award for Book of the Year, Islamic Republic of Iran""This groundbreaking monograph is critical not only for understanding the complex phenomenon that is Sufism, but also for gaining insight into the significant methodological issues of modern historiography."---Kamal Gasimov, Voices on Central Asia"Anyone looking for an introduction to the complexities of Sufism should turn to this book by Alexander Knys." * History Today *"By challenging existing theoretical constructs, the author allows one to rethink metadiscourses on Sufism."---Ayesha Khan, Muslim World Book Review"With a contemporary look at the different perspectives and dimensions of Sufism, the book offers new ideas experiences and, in this respect, is a valuable resource that contributes to promoting an understanding of Sufism’s various dimensions and angles of complexity."---ShahRokh Raei, Die Welt des Islams"Remarkably well-written and comprehensive overview . . . [Sufism] give[s] an accessible, accurately detailed account of Sufism as a system of thought and action. . . . A helpful, wide-ranging historical introduction for students of Islamic spirituality and the many related fields of Islamic thought and practice."---Andi Herawati, Reading Religion"Sufism: A New History of Islamic Mysticism is a welcome addition to a collection of relatively recent overviews of Sufism…The book is a masterful display of Knysh’s extensive study of Sufi history and sources. It will be of immediate use to instructors within Islamic and religious studies, as well as to specialists in need of a summary of the state of Sufi studies and its major points of contention."---Cyrus Ali Zargar, Journal of the American Oriental Society

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Book SynopsisSteve Howard departed for the Sudan in the early 1980s as an American graduate student beginning a three-year journey in which he would join and live with the Republican Brotherhood, the Sufi Muslim group led by the visionary Mahmoud Mohamed Taha.Trade Review“It was amazing timing then for this insightful American-trained social scientist to observe a modernist nonviolent Islamic movement at the peak of its dynamic campaign. It is even more amazing timing now for this rigorous and incisive study of Islamic modernity to be available to scholars, students, and the public at large. This profound assessment of a fascinating expression of Islam as experienced by African Muslims can contribute to defusing the current global crisis of Islam and modernity. The book is also a pleasure to read.”“There is much to learn in this memoir, especially given the normalization of extreme Islamophobia in the Western world. The answer to Islamic extremism does not lie in Western belligerence and fear, but within Islam itself. Howard reminds us all of the importance of re-centering these conversations within the communities of people who live this diverse and complex faith.” * Focus on the Horn *“Howard’s account (Modern Muslims) is an excellent tool for undergraduate teaching. It goes a long way in detaching mid-twentieth-century Islamic revival movements … from their characterization as inherently violent. Instead, Howard demonstrates the intellectual vigour exposed by dedicated Muslims trying to argue for the intellectual coherence and applicability of their faith in a world they believed to be epistemologically dominated by Western rationalism.” * Africa *“Steve Howard has produced an ethnography of a modern Muslim movement in the contemporary Sudan that is original, informative, and beautifully conceived. It is a unique (and uniquely informative), accessible, and moving journey of discovery that makes a major contribution to our understanding of Islam in the Sudan and in the contemporary world.”

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Book SynopsisSteve Howard departed for the Sudan in the early 1980s as an American graduate student beginning a three-year journey in which he would join and live with the Republican Brotherhood, the Sufi Muslim group led by the visionary Mahmoud Mohamed Taha.Trade Review“It was amazing timing then for this insightful American-trained social scientist to observe a modernist nonviolent Islamic movement at the peak of its dynamic campaign. It is even more amazing timing now for this rigorous and incisive study of Islamic modernity to be available to scholars, students, and the public at large. This profound assessment of a fascinating expression of Islam as experienced by African Muslims can contribute to defusing the current global crisis of Islam and modernity. The book is also a pleasure to read.”“There is much to learn in this memoir, especially given the normalization of extreme Islamophobia in the Western world. The answer to Islamic extremism does not lie in Western belligerence and fear, but within Islam itself. Howard reminds us all of the importance of re-centering these conversations within the communities of people who live this diverse and complex faith.” * Focus on the Horn *“Howard’s account (Modern Muslims) is an excellent tool for undergraduate teaching. It goes a long way in detaching mid-twentieth-century Islamic revival movements … from their characterization as inherently violent. Instead, Howard demonstrates the intellectual vigour exposed by dedicated Muslims trying to argue for the intellectual coherence and applicability of their faith in a world they believed to be epistemologically dominated by Western rationalism.” * Africa *“Steve Howard has produced an ethnography of a modern Muslim movement in the contemporary Sudan that is original, informative, and beautifully conceived. It is a unique (and uniquely informative), accessible, and moving journey of discovery that makes a major contribution to our understanding of Islam in the Sudan and in the contemporary world.”

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Book SynopsisRepresentations of diasporic Murid disciples often depict them as passive recipients of change wrought by powerful clerics left behind in Senegal. In this study, Cheikh Anta Babou examines the construction of their transnational collective identity and its influence on cultural practices, identities, and aspirations.Trade Review“Babou shows a true cultural and social anthropological intuition in describing the present making of the Muridiyya brotherhood throughout parts of Black Africa and of the Western world.”“Based on years of intense ethnographic and historiographic research on three continents, Cheikh Anta Babou chronicles the ways in which individual migrants built local communities closely tied to transnational networks radiating from the holy city of Tuuba. The Muridiyya on the Move explores the relationships between religious associations known as dahiras, entrepreneurial migrant disciples, and key personalities from the order in inscribing physical and social Murid spaces in each setting. Recounted in rich detail and often through the voices of the actors themselves, this fascinating work will be of great interest both to those familiar with the Muridiyya, and to those who are just discovering this dynamic Sufi community.”“Combining several historical, ethnographic, sociological, and theoretical perspectives, this book offers an exemplary social, economic, cultural, and intellectual history of a community that has been creatively adjusting to a constantly changing world. Babou engages with the question of how the Murid became subjects of globalization in their own terms and languages. Bold and innovative in his conception and execution of this book, Babou persuasively argues for the crucial role played by migration in reshaping the identity and global performance of the Murid community, culturally, politically, and religiously, at home and abroad. Diligent in uncovering sources and scrupulous in the use of primary materials, interlacing historical detail, personal interviews, and observations, Cheikh Babou brings together (un)familiar elements to account for the creative and vernacular-inspired self-inclusion to the temps du monde.”“Cheikh Babou combines scholarly rigor with an insider’s knowledge to produce a compelling account of the remarkable diaspora of Mourides from Senegal that combined individual initiative with collective solidarity to forge networks and communities in several African countries, France, Italy, and the United States. Attentive to religious and socioeconomic dimensions of migration, Babou brings out both the tensions and the creative adaptations as migrants became citizens in their new homes, worked out their relations with Muslim and non-Muslim fellow citizens, and brought up a new generation of Murids.”“This is a meticulously researched and well written history of the migrations that made the Muridiyya, the Sufi order created by the Shaykh Ahmadu Bamba, travel from Tuubaa, its holy center in Senegal, and spread throughout the world, becoming the global reality it is today. The book illuminates the crucial point that the nascent diaspora of the Muridiyya has meant the continuous reinvention, in new spaces, of the life and creative force of the order. Its migrant followers did not just turn their new location and experience into a shadow of the “real thing” back home: they made the diaspora another home where the Murid experience and the message of the founder produced renewed meanings, which then traveled back to the center. The Muridiyya on the Move is thus an eloquent and powerful demonstration that, yes, indeed, Islam is at home in the modern and the ‘Western’ world.”

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Book SynopsisRepresentations of diasporic Murid disciples often depict them as passive recipients of change wrought by powerful clerics left behind in Senegal. In this study, Cheikh Anta Babou examines the construction of their transnational collective identity and its influence on cultural practices, identities, and aspirations.Trade Review“Babou shows a true cultural and social anthropological intuition in describing the present making of the Muridiyya brotherhood throughout parts of Black Africa and of the Western world.”“Based on years of intense ethnographic and historiographic research on three continents, Cheikh Anta Babou chronicles the ways in which individual migrants built local communities closely tied to transnational networks radiating from the holy city of Tuuba. The Muridiyya on the Move explores the relationships between religious associations known as dahiras, entrepreneurial migrant disciples, and key personalities from the order in inscribing physical and social Murid spaces in each setting. Recounted in rich detail and often through the voices of the actors themselves, this fascinating work will be of great interest both to those familiar with the Muridiyya, and to those who are just discovering this dynamic Sufi community.”“Combining several historical, ethnographic, sociological, and theoretical perspectives, this book offers an exemplary social, economic, cultural, and intellectual history of a community that has been creatively adjusting to a constantly changing world. Babou engages with the question of how the Murid became subjects of globalization in their own terms and languages. Bold and innovative in his conception and execution of this book, Babou persuasively argues for the crucial role played by migration in reshaping the identity and global performance of the Murid community, culturally, politically, and religiously, at home and abroad. Diligent in uncovering sources and scrupulous in the use of primary materials, interlacing historical detail, personal interviews, and observations, Cheikh Babou brings together (un)familiar elements to account for the creative and vernacular-inspired self-inclusion to the temps du monde.”“Cheikh Babou combines scholarly rigor with an insider’s knowledge to produce a compelling account of the remarkable diaspora of Mourides from Senegal that combined individual initiative with collective solidarity to forge networks and communities in several African countries, France, Italy, and the United States. Attentive to religious and socioeconomic dimensions of migration, Babou brings out both the tensions and the creative adaptations as migrants became citizens in their new homes, worked out their relations with Muslim and non-Muslim fellow citizens, and brought up a new generation of Murids.”“This is a meticulously researched and well written history of the migrations that made the Muridiyya, the Sufi order created by the Shaykh Ahmadu Bamba, travel from Tuubaa, its holy center in Senegal, and spread throughout the world, becoming the global reality it is today. The book illuminates the crucial point that the nascent diaspora of the Muridiyya has meant the continuous reinvention, in new spaces, of the life and creative force of the order. Its migrant followers did not just turn their new location and experience into a shadow of the “real thing” back home: they made the diaspora another home where the Murid experience and the message of the founder produced renewed meanings, which then traveled back to the center. The Muridiyya on the Move is thus an eloquent and powerful demonstration that, yes, indeed, Islam is at home in the modern and the ‘Western’ world.”

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Book SynopsisExamines the competing forces behind the formation of a modern western subjectivity in the context of Sufi religious meanings and practices in Pakistan.Trade Review“Arguing Sainthood can and should be used in courses on modernity, postcolonialism, the Middle East, South Asia, and in other courses—cultural studies, religion—where Lacanian ideas are not unfamiliar.”—Michael M. J. Fischer, Massachusetts Institute of Technology“This is an important book, one that is significant for the discourses of Pakistani modernity and the dilemmas it creates, the internal differentiations in Pakistani society, and the historical forces that brought them about.”—Gananath Obeyesekere, Princeton University

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Book SynopsisExamines Sufi religious meanings and practices in Pakistan, and their relation to the westernising influences of modernity and the shaping of the postcolonial self. This book is of interest to scholars of Islamic studies, postcolonial studies, and anthropology.Trade Review“Arguing Sainthood can and should be used in courses on modernity, postcolonialism, the Middle East, South Asia, and in other courses—cultural studies, religion—where Lacanian ideas are not unfamiliar.”—Michael M. J. Fischer, Massachusetts Institute of Technology“This is an important book, one that is significant for the discourses of Pakistani modernity and the dilemmas it creates, the internal differentiations in Pakistani society, and the historical forces that brought them about.”—Gananath Obeyesekere, Princeton University

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Book SynopsisContributes to the field of Islamic studies, philosophy, and comparative religion achieves a twofold objective. This work draws from various sources, especially in the domain of Sufism, or Islamic mysticism. It is an in-depth meditation on the relationship between love and knowledge, multiplicity and unity.Trade Review"A tour de force in Islamic theology." -- -Sachiko Murata University at Stoneybrook, State University of New York "An expression of prayerful piety that draws uponan ontology of divine love and its centrality to the human condition." -- -Keith Doubt Wittenberg University "A mystical text, one that could take its place alongside the great mystical treatises of Islamic spirituality." -- -Maria Lichtmann Appalachian State University "A beautiful work, a profound meditation on love, will and knowledge that gives the reader an understanding of that idea of unity, or tawhid...A necessary reading to all who deny the role of love in Islamic thought." LOOK UP DIACRITICAL MARKS FOR TWAHID. -- -Adam Seligman Boston University "Beautifully written and skillfully translated, it allows for a fresh understanding of the inner, mystical aspects of the Islamic tradition in the words of a present-day Sufi Muslim." -Choice "A rare and important contribution to the field of Islamic studies, philosophy, and comparative religion." -- -Barry McDonald former Managing Director and Senior Editor, World Wisdom Books. "Focuses on Sufism in a study of love in the Muslim theological tradition; draws parallels with Christian mysticism." -The Chronicle of Higher Education "...considers the relationships between love and knowledge multiplicity, and unity, heart and intellect." -Publishers Weekly

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Book SynopsisDemonstrating how poor cultural translation of core terms has contributed to a distorted picture of Islam, this book provides an explication of some of the most important concepts and beliefs of the Muslim tradition, as well as interpretation of the symbolism underlying its important practices.Trade Review"This fairly dense work rewards careful, reflective reading by all who are interested in the subject of religious conflict ... Recommended." -Choice "An extraordinary voice on dual identities." -- -Kurt Anders Richardson McMaster University "An outstanding work offering a thoroughly original perspective onto a question of major significance in both religious studies and contemporary politics." -- -Gareth Jones Canterbury Christ Church University

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Book SynopsisA groundbreaking exposition of Islamic mysticismThe Essence of Reality was written over the course of just three days in 514/1120, by a scholar who was just twenty-four. The text, like its author ?Ayn al-Qu?at, is remarkable for many reasons, not least of which that it is in all likelihood the earliest philosophical exposition of mysticism in the Islamic intellectual tradition. This important work would go on to exert significant influence on both classical Islamic philosophy and philosophical mysticism.Written in a terse yet beautiful style, The Essence of Reality consists of one hundred brief chapters interspersed with Qur?anic verses, prophetic sayings, Sufi maxims, and poetry. In conversation with the work of the philosophers Avicenna and al-Ghazali, the book takes readers on a philosophical journey, with lucid expositions of questions including the problem of the eternity of the world; the nature of God's essence and attributes; the concepts of Trade Review"Rustom’s new book is a masterful translation, superb critical edition and comprehensive guide to the thought of one of the most prominent Muslim thinkers." * Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations *"The Essence of Reality is a clear and fluent translation that successfully transfers the literary power of the original text into English." * Nazariyat *"[Rustom’s] translation strikes a delicate balance between faithfulness to the Arabic original and readability for a wide audience… A historical classic brought back to life by Rustom’s able skills as translator and commentator." * Marginalia (Los Angeles Review of Books) *"Like many readers of Arabic Sufi writings, I have always felt that translations of Sufi texts often miss the subtle beauty of the original Arabic. […] Reading The Essence of Reality, I now have a new standard of judgment. […] There is no doubt that The Essence of Reality represents a major feat in the field of Sufi studies." * Journal of Islamic and Muslim Studies *

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Book SynopsisA book about contemporary urban design, a metaphysical worldview and a cultural process that transcends the pre-colonial/colonial/post-colonial divides. Sufi City: Urban Design and Archetypes in Touba is a geographical study of the modern Muslim holy city of Touba in Senegal, capital of the Mouride Sufi order. Touba was founded in 1887 by a Sufi shaykh in a moment of mysticillumination. Since the death of the founder in 1927, the Mouride order has designed and built the entire city. Touba is named for Tûbâ, the "Tree of Paradise" of Islamic tradition. This archetypal tree articulates Islamic conceptions of righteous life on earth, divine judgment, and access to the Hereafter; the city of Touba actualizes this spiritual construct. Important aspects of its configuration, such as the vertical and horizontal alignment of its monumental central shrine complex, its radiating avenues and encircling ring roads, and the actual trees that mark its landscape relate directly to the archetypal tree of Sufi theosophy. The relationship between the spiritualarchetype and its earthly actualization as a city is explained by recourse to Sufi methodology. The book employs a semiotic analysis of urban form, cartography, hermeneutics, field investigation and analysis of satellite imagery in order to relate contemporary urban design issues to overarching metaphysical concepts. Sufi City also explores the history of urban networks in Senegal since the emergence of autonomous Muslim towns in the seventeenth century. Finally, the layout of Senegal's modern Sufi cities is related to the monumental palaver trees that marked that country's historic settlements. Eric S. Ross is a cultural and urban geographer who holds a degree inIslamic Studies. Since 1998 he has been Assistant Professor of Geography at Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane, Morocco. Apart from research on Sufi orders and Muslim towns in Senegal, he has studied cultural tourism and urban planning in Morocco.Trade ReviewOne has to look hard to find fault with this work. It crosses numerous disciplinary boundaries, encompassing aspects of urban history, African and Islamic Studies and cultural geography in a manner that should appeal to all those with an interest in any or all those fields. -- Stephen J. Salm * URBAN HISTORY JOURNAL *[Ross's] insights have carried the study of African Islamic urban history and morphology to a new level of understanding, one which goes far beyond those that have dominated Africanist literature to date. This study is a must for anyone interested not only in the morphology of the Islamic city, but in the African fabric of settlement design-at-large. --Labelle Prussin, architect; author of Hatumere: Islamic Design in West Africa * . *Touba may be unique in the world of Islam, as a 20th-century urban complex of wholly Sufi design and social purpose. With signal clarity, intellectual fervor, and exceptional sensitivity, Eric Ross introduces readers to the mystical depth and vibrancy of Touba, the second largest city of Senegal. Sufi City deserves broad attention, for its many contributions disprove any sense that sub-Saharan African achievements are peripheral to Islam or Islamic Studies. --Allen F. Roberts, Professor of World Arts and Cultures and Director of African studies at the University of California, Los Angeles; and co-author of A Saint in the City: Sufi Arts of Urban Senegal * . *A new and fresh look at African cities that bridges the all too frequent gap between African and Islamic studies, Sufi City will be of great use for researchers, professors, and students in urban studies, African studies, and Islamic studies. --John Shoup, Associate Professor of Anthropology, Al Akhawayn University, Morocco * . *Table of ContentsArchetypes: Sufi Phenomenology and the Semiosis of Landscape Urban Design: The Spatial Configuration of a Spiritual Project Marabout Republics Then and Now: Autonomous Muslim Towns in Senegal The Pénc: Trees and Urban Design in West Africa

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Book SynopsisThe Sufi path described in this book leads the seeker past ordinary states of consciousness towards a new experience of infinitude that is the source of the universe. In this stage there is no duality or otherness, but instead infinitude, the Original Oneness, from which all dualities and attributes emanate. The book is at once an autobiography, a didactic treatise and a literary opus full of wonderful translations of the words of earlier Sufis, as well as the author's own poetry. It describes Shaykh Fadhlalla Haeri's life quest to connect today's world with classical times, especially through his meetings with enlightened Sufis all over the globe. Shaykh Fadhlalla Haeri also addresses profound Sufi teachings concerning the nature of humankind, the cosmos and God, using clear and simple language to address difficult doctrinal issues as only a master who has digested fully such knowledge could do. The book also reveals much about the present-day Islamic world where, despite the tragedies that are to be seen everywhere, tradition and spirituality survive. This is a metaphysical and spiritual guide to the Sufi path that ultimately offers insight into the meaning and purpose of life.

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Book SynopsisRecentering the Sufi Shrine　is a study of ritual, Sufi eschatology, and vernacular theopoetics of pilgrimage to Sufi shrines in the Indus region of Pakistan. The book examines the distinction between two different ritual contestations over pilgrimage to Sufi tombs: (1) an exposition of　Ṭariqa-i Muhammadiyya’s millenarian Scripturalist reform of Sufism, and (2) Bulleh Shah’s (d. 1767) vernacular Sufism, a hard-hitting Sufi-poet of textual ("bookish") knowledge of religious scholars. This is the first work examining the legal theology of ritual intervention in using scripture to regulate the resurrected bodies of saints, on the one hand, and the ritual metaphysics of　presence　in understanding the significance and meaning of Sufi shrines, on the other.

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Book Synopsis

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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