Sufism a short introduction pdf

He composed over 30,000 verses of poetry, including the lyrics of shams of tabriz, and the epic poem masnavi i manavi spiritual couplets, which has had an immense influence on islamic literature and. I have not, until now, read an introduction on sufism that was appropriate for both my enthusiasm and ignorance of the topic. The arabic word sufi, however, has been used in a wide variety of meanings over the centuries, both by proponents and opponents, and this is reflected in both the primary and secondary sources. The first systematic books explaining the tenets of sufism date from the 10th century.

I am pleased and honoured that you consider this essay worthy of a wider audience. In short, mysticism, as i would prefer to understand it, stresses the fact that. On 11th february 1998 with minimal editing by syed mumtaz ali, in deference to the learned authors gratuitous request and his kind remarks. A free powerpoint ppt presentation displayed as a flash slide show on id. 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. The book is rich on examples, poems and references to sufi masters and writers.

Oct 23, 2015 varun soni, dean of religious life at the university of southern california, shares the basics of sufism, the mystical branch of islam that seeks to connect the worshipper to the divine through. Illustrated edition rumi was a persian mystic and poet and is closely identified with sufism and sufi mysticism. Sufism, the religious philosophy of islam, is described in the oldest extant definition as. Nicholson draws lines to old christian, gnostic, neoplatonistic and even the buddhist influences from where sufism origins. Sufism, or tasawwuf in arabic, is practiced by many muslims around the world, both shia and sunni, as a personal, mystical, or. Thorsons an imprint of harpercollins publishers, 1995. Sahabi companion was the only title given to the muslims of that period. The life and spiritual milieu of mevlana jalaluddin rumi. Mbacke suggests that one reason sufism has taken hold in senegal is because it can accommodate local beliefs and customs, which tend toward the mystical. Author claud field opens with a short introduction to islamic mysticism and pantheistic sufism, followed by short descriptions of several wellknown islamic saints, including rabia the woman sufi, habib ajami, al ghazzali, suhrawardy, and sharani the egyptian.

Nov 01, 2007 sufism, although specific to islam, is in reality the unifying meaning beneath all of gods religions. It is an islamic way of reaching god, which involves rigorous meditation and prayer, emphasis on inner self rather than external rituals, continuous service towards humanity and renunciation of the worldly pleasures. The great surge in books on sufism over the past few years has made a large amount of information available, but in certain ways it has added to the confusion. Popular sufism books showing 150 of 1,331 the forty rules of love hardcover by. From the 9th century onwards, sufism has encapsulated islamic spirituality. An introduction to the mystical tradition of islam. Introduction to sufism belief oprah winfrey network. Irfan, also known as tasawwuf sufism, is one of the disciplines that originated within the realm of islamic culture and developed there to attain a high level of sophistication. Ernst the sufis are as diverse as the countries in which theyve flourishedfrom morocco to india to chinaand as varied as their distinctive forms of art, music, poetry, and dance. This is the loving heart of islam, still alive, thriving and widely influential today. May 10, 2011 12 a very fine introduction to the history, essential devotional forms, and poetry of the various cultures of mystical islam, this book should lead to further study of sufi philosophy and metaphysics, the particular exercises or specific practices and approaches in dhikr, and the various states toward religious union and other deep experiences. Chittick, the leading scholar in the field, offers a compelling i. Like my students, i found chitticks introduction to sufism captivating, compelling, immediate, and relevant to everday life. The books written by practitioners fill a broad spectrum.

Reality without a name is a critical examination of a variety of themes and. 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. Sufism download books, sacred, spiritual texts and pdf e. Varun soni, dean of religious life at the university of southern california, shares the basics of sufism, the mystical branch of islam that seeks. 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. In a broad sense, sufism can be described as the interiorization and intensification of islamic faith and practice. An introduction to the mystical tradition of islam carl w. The great surge in books on sufism over the past few years has. Sufism in history and its relationship with power tanvm anjum mysticism is a universal phenomenon which represents a streak or a current that runs through many great religious traditions of the world, including hinduism, buddhism, manichaeism, zoroastrianism, hellenism, judaism, christianity and islam. Reality without a name is a critical examination of a variety of themes and principles that are of relevance to exploring the sufi mystical path.

The sufi path more than a thousand years ago, a teacher called ali the son of ahmad, who hailed from the town of bushanj in eastern persia, complained that few people had any idea of what sufism was all about. Burckhardts little masterpiece, an introduction to sufi doctrine, first published in french in 1959, is a distillation of the essence of sufism, presenting its central doctrines and methods to a western audience in a highly intelligible form. Introduction how else can any past, which by definition comprises events, processes, structures, and so forth, considered to be no longer perceivable, be represented in either consciousness or discourse except in an imaginary way. Though a hadith a recorded saying of the prophet muhammad claims that he who knows god becomes silent, the sufis have produced a literature of impressive extent and could defend their writing activities with another hadith. Ppt sufism powerpoint presentation free to view id.

The mystics of islam introduction the title of this book sufficiently explains why it is included in a series exemplifying the adventures and labours of individual seekers or groups of seekers in quest of reality. Sufism a short introduction 1 sufism a short introduction. Understanding the concept of islamic sufism shahida bilqies research scholar, shahihamadan institute of islamic studies university of kashmir, srinagar190006 jammu and kashmir, india. Introduction whether its from a documentary on tv or a beautifully designed website, the majority have heard something about sufis and sufism. Others claim to present the teachings of traditional sufi orders, and many do, but sometimes a. Sufism is traditional in morocco but has seen a growing revival with the renewal of sufism around contemporary spiritual teachers such as sidi hamza al qadiri al boutshishi. Pdf islam a short history pdf download read online free. Colby do you want to read the rest of this article. Hayden white, the content of the form thok iis bo s about sufism, the asce ticmystical stream in islam that.

Sufism was transplanted into north africa as a result of the expansion of the rifai order into syria and then egypt. Bismi allahirrahmanirrahim the word sufi is derived from the arabic word suf which means wool and which refers to the coarse woolen. Philosophy and practices sufism signifies islamic mysticism. Sufism download books, sacred, spiritual texts and pdf ebooks. The existence of god is then necessary, would be impossible to do in a brief overview.

The book includes a brief account of the life and teachings of muhammad and the creation of the arab nation. Chitticks introduction is a great survey of the sufi way of looking at reality especially since he takes the perspective of the great masters and mostly lets them tell us what sufism is all about. Sufis trace the origin of sufism or tasawwuf to the prophet of islam. He was born and raised in spain, but spent much of his adult life in damascus. Essays on the place of sufism in islamic religiosity, with a focus on love and other major themes of the great teachers. May 01, 2012 an introduction to the history, practices, and beliefs of sufi islam. Many western scholars have fcfbrrcd to sufism as mysticism, esotiricir. In short, many people, both muslims and nonmuslims. Sufism preaches no particular dogma, except the great truths that are the basis of all religious beliefs. Sufism is much better known than it was thirty years ago, but this is not really the case, though a once strange name has indeed become a bit more familiar. As an undergraduate student majoring in history at the college of wooster ohio, chittick spent the 19641965 academic year abroad, studying islamic history at the american university of beirut. A short introduction to origin, beginning and history of sufism or tasawwuf 76 observed incessant prayer and fasting as did the prophet muhammad s. Books on sufism beginner, intermediate and advanced designations were determined by dr.

An introduction to the history, practices, and beliefs of sufi islam. Islamsu sm is masterpiece by titus burckhardt examines. An introduction to the development of islam from its birth among the nomadic peoples of seventhcentury arabia to its present status as one of the worlds great religions. Placement of a book within this section was determined by professor odonnell. In the th century badawiyyah was founded in egypt by ahmad albadawi 11991276, who acquired a reputation for mysticism and the performance of miracles.