Sufi mysticism endeavoured to produce a personal experience of the divine through mystic and ascetic discipline. Classical sufi texts, which stressed certain teachings and practices of the quran and the sunnah. The possible meanings of the termmysticism in an islamic context mysticism is not, of course, an islamic term. There are some terms in western languages that is equivalent for erfan such as gnosticism, mysticism, and spirituality.
Mysticism refers to the experience of god, whereas spirituality is the whole process of growth from inauthenticity into full relationship with god. Similar to what we saw earlier in the case of divine love, human love for god, for his creation, for good deeds, and for each other plays a crucial role in the islamic world. The source of mysticism and the mystical elements in islam are to be traced to the quran and the islamic doctrine itself. Mysticism and sexuality 47 the use of language drawn from sexual love physical descriptions of the beauty of the lover, as well as images of longing and meeting, of burning and swooning, of kisses, embraces, and even of intercourse have been so widespread in the. May 01, 2012 an introduction to the history, practices, and beliefs of sufi islam. The book will interest students of theology, philosophy and mysticism in general, and students of islam in particular. Classic islamic sufism classic islamic sufism became visible for the first time in the ninth century, initially in the areas. 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. Pdf michael sells, early muslim spirituality and mysticism in the muslim almanac, ed. Human love perspectives on the concept of love in islam.
An introduction to the history, practices, and beliefs of sufi islam. Lee divine love in islamic mysticism the teachings of alghazali and aldabbagh por binyamin abrahamov disponible en rakuten kobo. Chittick analyzed the major themes of love as they. Understanding the concept of islamic sufism shahida bilqies research scholar, shahihamadan institute of islamic studies university of kashmir, srinagar190006 jammu and kashmir, india. Sufism is the path of islamic mysticism and celebrates the intimate relationship between the seeker and allah. The mystical dimension of the islamic religious tradition has roots in the divinely revealed text of the koran. Mysticism in the islamic context has traditionally been intertwined with the notion of. Islamic tradition, we should never forget that muslims have histories, cultural divergences, and differences in belief and practice every bit as complex as those of christians. Mystical philosophy has an intimate connection with the mainstream of islamic philosophy. The complex of ideas and practices indicated by the term in nonislamic contexts are, however, also found in islam, and i suspect that the mystical experience of muslims does not differ greatly from that of other human beings.
But if we mean by mysticism something that is vague and obscure, and perhaps even abnormal, then sufism is not mysticism at all, if only because it is the most intelligent, the most crystalclear, and the most normative dimension of the islamic religion. Sufi teaching, including the use of numerology, is only helpful, however, if it truly. Sufi mysticism endeavoured to produce a personal experience. In sufism, studying the exegesis of the quran or reflecting on the meanings of its verses is discouraged or even forbidden. Islamsu sm is masterpiece by titus burckhardt examines the. In islam, that teaching revolves around tawhid, which is the central doctrine of both the quran and the sunnah. According to islamic understanding and literature, man has been valued by gods. The first problem arises because of the english word mysticism. Sufism has been defined as a type of knowledge by the great muslim sufi masters and schools of sufism exist each tracing their ancestry and beliefs to a distinct master. John of the cross, bernard of clairvaux or if the difference is. Themes explored in this class include the tradition of love mysticism embodied by ahmad ghazali and rumi. Jul 22, 2011 islamic mysticism as i mentioned in different thread is a mockery of quran. Divine love in islamic mysticism ebook por binyamin.
Introduction mysticism is a teaching about the divine reality and a method of realization that permits the seeker to reach it in one way or another. Oclcs webjunction has pulled together information and resources to assist library staff as they consider how to handle coronavirus. One passage often pointed to in this regard is the light verse 24. Annemarie schimmel, mystical dimensions of islam, 2397. Here i can only sketch in broad outline certain principles, methods, and characteristic features of the. Divine love in islamic mysticism ebook by binyamin abrahamov. The fact that i am talking not about islam but about islamic mysticism does not make the task any easier. Sufi mysticism the original sufi were basically mystics people who followed a pious form of islam and who believed that a direct, personal experience of god could be achieved through meditation. One of jala addin muhammad rumis important ways in relation to godman is love. The intoxication of divine love and joy paramahansa yogananda. Description the mystics of islam, first published in 1914, has long been recognized as a classic and definitive introduction to the message of sufism. Loves command so long as this world exists, i do not want the pain of love, but i love love and cannot break the vows of love. Sufism, being the marrow of the bone or the inner dimension of the islamic revelation, is the means par excellence whereby tawhid is achieved. Pdf alghazali, passages from deliverance from error, trans w.
To appreciate his religious and mystical background, we need to sketch out a few basics on. Divine love in islamic mysticism ebook by binyamin. Man can reach god through love and achieve divine qualities. What difference does it make to a longing for a union of love with the divine if that union retains the infinite difference between god and humanity e. Wine of the mystic the rubaiyat of omar khayyam a spiritual interpretation, srf. Both scholars created complete theories of divine love that include definitions of love, its causes and signs, the ways to love god, gods love for man, and kinds of love. Chittick is masterpiece by titus burckhardt examines the essence of islamic mysticism, or su sm, presenting its central doctrines and methods to a we stern audience in a highly intelligible form. Thirtyfive years after its original publication, mystical dimensions of islam still stands as the most valuable introduction to sufism, the main form of islamic mysticism. Islamic mysticism, then, is not just sufism, and sufism is not just mysticism. Please practice handwashing and social distancing, and. The two theories of divine love that are examined in this book have their foundations in greek, jewish, christian and mu. Please practice handwashing and social distancing, and check out our resources for adapting to these times. 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.
Therefore some old writers referred to the trash or poison of mysticism and others spoke of its vagueness or crude. Any sufimystic please show evidence that their ideas are derived from quran. Sufism, mystical islamic belief and practice in which muslims seek the truth of divine love and knowledge through direct personal experience of god. The intoxication of divine love and joy paramahansa yogananda april 18, 2017 march 16, 2019 yoganandasite wine of the mystic the rubaiyat of omar khayyam a spiritual interpretation, srf link. Alghazali twelfth century was influenced mainly by plato and ibn sinas teachings, while aldabbagh thirteenth century, who accepted some ghazalian notions, developed a theory of divine love that can be traced back to neoplatonism. His work, consisting of a series of revelations in which god addresses the writer and instructs him concerning the theory of gnosis, is couched in. Apr 18, 2017 wine of the mystic, an islamic sufi scripture. Their heart is caught in the snare of the beloveds curls, those who ride with beauties in the field of. Fieldwork was conducted in 19961997 as a participantobserver of the order and at other sites in and around pakistan. Mysticism in arabic and islamic philosophy stanford. Mysticism and spirituality page 211 mysticism and spirituality mysticism and spirituality are similar but not identical terms. Read divine love in islamic mysticism the teachings of alghazali and aldabbagh by binyamin abrahamov available from rakuten kobo. But the islamic word which has its root is the islamic sources is the word erfan.
Love and knowledge william chittick, sufi path of knowledge, ixxxii, 330. Mysticism and its traces in islamic world neegar afroz amu, aligarh up i. 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. It consists of several main strands, ranging from ismaili thought to the metaphysics of alghazali and ibn alarabi, and with a continuing powerful presence in the. 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. There is a strong tendency among many scholars of islam, and other observers and scholars, to treat the legacy of islamic thought through the trite lens of a golden age, followed by the inevitable decline. It is said that while a muslim prays five times a day, the sufi prays without ceasing. Pdf annemarie schimmel, mystical dimensions of islam, 25986 excerpts from suhrawardi, forms of light and ibn arabi, bezels of wisdom. Indeed, love for the truths embodied in the religion builds up the faith. The arabic term sufi has been used in islamic literature with a wide range of meanings, by both proponents and opponents of sufism.
The term encompasses a diverse range of beliefs and practices dedicated to allah, divine love and the cultivation of the heart. Reliable information about the coronavirus covid19 is available from the world health organization current situation, international travel. But sufism is certainly the largest and most important form of institutionalized mysticism in islam. By using broader methods and theory more appropriate to the analysis of mysticism, the article aims.
Rumi the sufi path jalal aldin rumi was a sufi and founded one of islams major sufi orders, the mevlevi, known in popular parlance as the whirling dervishes. This article is an ethnographic study of an islamic mystical sufi order based in the tribal area of pakistan. Mystical philosophy in islam islamic philosophy online. Sufism, or tasawwuf in arabic, is practiced by many muslims around the world, both shia and sunni, as a personal, mystical, or. So long as the story of love and lovers adorns this world my name shall be written boldly in the book of love. Numerous and frequentlyupdated resource results are available from this search. Islamic mysticism1 studies in comparative religion. Nicholsonwho was one of the greatest islamic scholars of the early 20th centuryprovides the general reader with an easy approach to the study of islamic mysticism. Islamic theoretical mysticism, sadruddin qunawi 1984. This film captures the sufi quest for deeper meaning in all things. It is a rich spiritual path that celebrates this relationship through music, sacred. The sufi way provides a window into the rigorous sufi schedule of prayer, fasting and study.
Some of the quranic verses have been viewed by the mystics and. Shot in magnificent islamic architectural settings from morocco to turkey to india, islamic mysticism. Islamsu sm is masterpiece by titus burckhardt examines. This edition brings to a new generation of readers annemarie schimmels historical treatment of the transnational phenomenon of sufism, from its beginnings through the nineteenth century. Mysticism and sexuality 47 the use of language drawn from sexual love physical descriptions of the beauty of the lover, as well as images of longing and meeting, of burning and swooning, of kisses, embraces, and even of intercourse have been so widespread in the history of christian mysticism that any. This course seeks to engage the mystical interpretations of islam sufism as one of the most important historical manifestations of the islamic experience. The two theories of divine love that are examined in this book have their foundations in greek, jewish, christian and muslim ideas. Islamic mysticism as i mentioned in different thread is a mockery of quran. Sufis claim that every verse of the quran has an external meaning and an internal meaning.