Knowledge of God in Classical Sufism: Foundations of Islamic Mystical Theology

473 Pages·2004·8.46 MB·English

by  John Renard

A Library of the Great Spiritual Masters
President and Publisher Lawrence Boadt, C.S.P.
EDITORIAL BOARD
Editor-in-Chief
Bernard McGinn-Naomi Shenstone Donnelly Professor of Historical Theology
and the History of Christianity, Divinity School, University of Chicago,
Chicago, Ill.
Editorial Consultant
Ewert H. Cousins-Professor of Theology, Fordham University, Bronx, N.Y.
--------- ------------
John E. Booty-Professor of Anglican Studies, School of Theology, University of
the South, Sewanee, Tenn.
Joseph Dan-Professor of Kabbalah, Department of Jewish Thought, Hebrew
University, Jerusalem, Israel.
Louis Dupre-T. L. Riggs Professor of Philosophy of Religion, Yale University,
New Haven, Conn.
Rozanne Elder-Executive Vice-President, Cistercian Publications, Kalamazoo,
Mich.
Michael Fishbane-Nathan Cummings Professor, Divinity School, University of
Chicago, Chicago, Ill.
Karlfried Froehlich-Professor of the History of the Early and Medieval Church,
Princeton Theological Seminary, Princeton, N.J.
Arthur Green-Professor of Jewish Thought, Brandeis University, Waltham,
Mass.
Stanley S. Harakas-Archbishop Iakovos Professor of Orthodox Theology, Holy
Cross Greek Orthodox Seminary, Brookline, Mass.
Moshe Idel-Professor of Jewish Thought, Department of Jewish Thought,
Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel.
Bishop Kallistos of Diokleia-Fellow of Pembroke College, Oxford, Spalding
Lecturer in Eastern Orthodox Studies, Oxford University, England.
George A. Maloney-Spiritual Writer and Lecturer, Seal Beach, Calif.
Seyyed Hossein Nasr-Professor of Islamic Studies, George Washington
University, Washington, D.C.
Raimon Panikkar-Professor Emeritus, Department of Religious Studies,
University of California at Santa Barbara, Calif.
Jaroslav Pelikan-Sterling Professor of History and Religious Studies, Yale
University, New Haven, Conn.
Sandra M. Schneiders-Professor of New Testament Studies and Spirituality,
Jesuit School of Theology, Berkeley, Calif.
Michael A. Sells-Emily Judson Baugh and John Marshall Gest Professor of
Comparative Religions, Haverford College, Haverford, Penn.
Huston Smith-Thomas J. Watson Professor of Religion Emeritus, Syracuse
University, Syracuse, N.Y.
John R. Sommerfeldt-Professor of History, University of Dallas, Irving, Tex.
David Steindl-Rast-Spiritual Author, Benedictine Grange, West Redding, Conn.
David Tracy-Greeley Professor of Roman Catholic Studies, Divinity School,
University of Chicago, Chicago, Ill.
The Most Rev. and Rt. Hon. Rowan D. Williams-Archbishop of Canterbury.
FOUNDATIONS OF ISLAMIC MYSTICAL THEOLOGY
TRANSLATED AND INTRODUCED BY JOHN
RENARD
PREFACE BY AHMET T. KARAMUSTAFA

Preface by Ahmet T. Karamustafa xi
Foreword 1
Islam and the Classics of Western Spirituality 1
Choice of Theme and Texts in the Present Volume 2
Priorities and Practicalities 4
Acknowledgments 8
Introduction 11
One:
Foundational Sources and the Islamic Religious Disciplines 12
Early Conceptions of Knowledge: Pre-Islamic Poetry, Qur'an, Hadith 13
Evolution of the Islamic Religious Disciplines 16
Two:
Experiential Knowledge of God in Classical and Medieval Sufi Texts 19
Ninth Century: Dhu `n-Nun, Muhasibi, Kharraz, Tirmidhi, Hallaj 20
Tenth Century: Niffari, Sarraj, Kalabadhi, Makki 27
Eleventh Century: Hujwiri, Qushayri, Ansari, Ghazali 38
Twelfth and Thirteenth Centuries: Ibn al-lArif, 'Ayn al-Qudat al-Hamadhani,
Sam'!, `Attar, Rumi, Ibn al-Arabi, Abu Hafs `Umar as-Suhrawardi 50
Three:
Beyond the Classics 60
Texts in Translation
One:
Abu Nasr as-Sarraj: The Book of Flashes (Kitab al-luma') 65
Two:
Abu Bakr al-Kalabadhi: The Exploration of Sufi Teachings (Kitab at-ta`arruf)
100
Three:
Abu Ta1ib al-Makki: The Book of Knowledge (Kitab al-`ilm): Part Thirty-One
of The Sustenance of Hearts (Qut al-qulub) 112
Four:
'Ali ibn `Uthman Hujwiri: The Revelation of Realities Veiled (Kashf al-mahjub)
264
Five:
Abu `1-Qasim al-Qushayri: The Treatise on Sufism (Ar-Risalat al-qushayriya)
286
Six:
'Abd Allah Ansari: The Hundred Fields (Sad maydan): Resting Places of the
Wayfarers (Manazil as-sa'irin) 294
Seven:
Abu Hamid Muhammad al-Ghazali: The Elaboration of the Marvels of the Heart
(Kitab sharh Iaja'ib al-galb): Book 21 of the Revitalization of the Religious
Disciplines (Ihya`ulum ad-din) 298
Eight:
Ibn al-IArif: The Beauties of Spiritual Sessions (Mahasin al-majalis) 327
Nine:
Abu Hafs `Umar as-Suhrawardi: The Benefits of Intimate Knowledge (`Awarif
al-malarif) 332
Abbreviations in Notes and Bibliography 375
Notes to Introduction and Translations 377
Selected Bibliography 405
Index of Qur'anic Citations 413
General Index 420