Sufism : An Account of the Mystics of Islam

143 Pages·1950·7.46 MB·English

by  Arberry

ROUTLEDGE LIBRARY EDITIONS: ISLAM

SUFISM

SUFISM

An Account of the Mystics of Islam

By
A. J. ARBERRY
Volume 42
First published in 1950

This edition first published in 2008 by

Routledge

2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon, OX14 4RN

Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada

by Routledge

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Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
Transferred to Digital Printing 2008
© 1950 Routledge
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ISBN 10: 0-415-42600-6 (Set)

ISBN 10: 0-415-44257-5 (Volume 42)

ISBN 13: 978-0-415-42600-8 (Set)

ISBN 13: 978-0-415-44257-2 (Volume 42)

Publisher’s Note
The publisher has gone to great lengths to ensure the quality
of this reprint but points out that some imperfections in the
original copies may be apparent.
GENERAL INTRODUCTION
Asa resuolftt woW arst hahta ved evastattheewd o rld
mena ndw omene verywhfeereeal t wofonlede dW.e need
a deepeurn derstanadnidna gp preciaotfoi tohne pre oples
andt heicri vilizations,t heesimproe rcaailna dls lpyi ritual
achievemeAnntdsw .e needa newv isioofnt heU niverse,
a clearienrs igihntt ot hef undamentoafle st hicasnd
religiHoonw? o ughmte nt ob ehavHeo?w oughnta tions?
DoesG ode xisWth?a ti sH isN atureH?o w isH e related
toH isc reatiEosnp?e ciahlolwyc ,a nm ana pproaHcihm ?
Ino thewro rdst,h eriesa generdaels itroek noww hatt he
greatmeisntd sw,h ethoefrE asotr W esth,a vet hougahntd
saiadb outth eT rutohf G oda ndo ft heb eingwsh o (as
mosto ft hemh oldh)a ves prunfgr omH im,l ivbey H im,
andr etutrn oH im.
Iti st heo bjeocftt hiSse riewshi,c ohr iginaatmeodn ga
grouopf O xformde na ndt heifrr ientdosp ,l acteh ec hief
ethicaanld religimoausst erpioecfte hse w orldb,o th
Christiaanndn on-Chriswtiitahni,en a syr eacohf t he
intellirgeeandte wrh o isn ota n expert-tuhned er­
graduattheee, x -Servmiacnwe h oi si ntereisntt ehdeE ast,
theA dulStt udentth,ei ntellipguebnltig ce neralTlhye.
Seriewsi lclo ntaibno okso ft hrekei ndst:r anslations,
reproductoifeo tnhsi caanldr eligiaorutas,n dB ackground
Bookssh owintgh es urroundiinnw ghsi cht hel iterature
anda rta rosaen dd evelopTehde.s beo okosv erleaapc h
otheRre.l igiaorutbs,o tihn E asatn dW esto,f teinl lustrates
a religitoeuxsat n, di ns uitacbalseet sh et exatn dp ictures
wilble printteodg ethteor compleeatceho therT.h e
BackgrouBnodo kwsi lolft enc onsilsatr geolfty r anslations.
Thev olumewsi lble p reparbeyds choloafrd si stinction,
5
6 SUFISM
whow iltlr yt om aket hemn,o to nlsyc holabrultyi ,n tel­
ligiabnldee njoyable.
Theicro ntenwtisl all sboe veryv aried-ethaincda l
socibailo,g raphdiecvaolt,i opnhaill,o soapnhdim cy stical,
whethienrp oetriynp, i ctuorrei snp rosTeh.e riesa great
wealtohfm ateriCaoln.f ucliiuvse idn tai mmeu chl ikoeu r
own,w henS tatwea sa tw arw ithS tataen dt hep eople
sufferianngd d isillusiaonndte hde;" Classihces p"r e­
serveodri nspisrehdo wt hes ocivailr tutehsa mta yu nite
familiecsl,a ssaensd S tateisn too neg reaftam ilyi,n
obedientcote h eW ilolf H eavenA.s okaan dA kbar( both
oft hemg reapta troonfsa rtr)u lead v asEtm piroen t he
princiopflr eesl igiousT hfeariaetr het. h em oraaln ecdotes
andm oramla ximosf t hJee wisahn dM usliwmr iteorfts h e
MiddlAeg esT.h eraer et heb eauutlit faloefsc ou.ralgoev,e
andfi delittyh eIi nnd iaann dP ersieapni cSsh.a kespere's
playssh owt hahte t hougthhtet ruree latbieotnw eemna n
andm ani sl ovHee.r ea ndt heraev olumwei lill lusttrhaet e
unethiocral le sest hicmaaln a ndt he difficutlhtabitee sse t
him.
Thent heraer et hed evotioannadlp hilosowpohrikcs .
Thel ivaensd l egen(dlse geonftdesn e xprersesl igitoruust h
witchl ariatnydb eautoyf)t heB uddhao,ft hep arenotfs
Mary,o fF rancoifsA ssisaind,t hee xquissictuel ptures
andp aintitnhgasit l lusttrhaetmeI. n diaann dC hristian
religimouussi ca,n dt hew ordosf p rayer parnadi wshei ch
thmeu siicntensTihfieersae.r teh Per opheatnsdA pocalyptic
writers, ZaraatnhdHu esbtrreiwat;nh eG reepkh ilosophers
andt heC hristian thinkeLrast-iGnMr,ee deike,v aanld
Modern-whomt hesyo d eeply influenceidst. o otT hhee re
HinduB,u ddhiasntdC hristtieaanc hienxgp resisnes du ch
greamto numentasst heI ndiatne mpleBsa,r abud(utrh e
ChartroefsA sia)a,n dA jantCah,a rtrietss ealnfd t he
SistiCnhea pel.
Finaltlhye raer et hem ystiocffs ee linagn,dt hem ystical
GENERAL INTRODUCTION 7
philosopIhne rGso.d -lovIinndgi tah ep oetmsu,s icians,
sculptaonrdsp ainteirnss pirbeydt hes pirituwaolr ship
ofK rishnaan dR ama,a sw elals t hep hilosompyhsitci cs
fromt heU panishaodnsw ardT.h e twog reaTta oists,
Lao-tazned C huang-atnzdet heS ungm ystipcaailn tienr s
ChinaR,ii mia ndo ther SiunIfi ssl am, PalnadPt loo tinus,
followbeyd " DionysiDuasn,t"e E,c khai:,Tte,r esaan d
othegrr eat mysatnidc msy stical paiinn mtaenrys
Christliaannd s.
Mankinids h ungrbyu,t t hef easitst herteh,o ugihti s
lockeudpa ndh iddeanw ay.I ti st hea imo ft hiSse riteos
puti tw ithirne acsho,t hatl,i kteh eh erooefsH omerw,e
mays tretocuhto urh andtso t heg oodc heer laid before us.
No doubtt heg reat religioinnsf unddiaffmeern tal
respecBtustt. h eayr en otn earsloyf afrr oomn ea notha:se r
thesye em.W e thintkh eayr ef urthoeffr t hant heayr e
largebleyc auwsees oo ftenm isundersatnadmn ids represent
themT.h osweh osoew nr eligiisod no gmathiacv eo ften
beena sr eadtyo l earfnr omo thetre achiansgt sh osweh o
arel iberianlr se ligiAobno.v ea llt heriesa n enormous
amounotf c ommong rounidnt heg rearte ligicoonnsc,e rn­
ingt oot hem ostf undamenmtaatlt erTsh.e ries f requent
agreemeonntt heD ivinNea tureG;o di st heO ne,S elf­
SubsistRienagl iktnyo,w inHgi mselaf,n dt herefloorvei ng
andr ejoiciinnH gi mselNfa.t uraen dfi nitsep irairtesi n
somewa ys ubordikniantdoesf Beiongrm, e relayp pearances
oft heD ivinteh,e O ne.T heW ay ofm an'asp proaocrh
returtnoG odi si ne ssentchees amei,n C hristainadni n
non-Christteiaacnh inIgt.h ast hreset ageasn: e thical
stagteh,e no neo fk nowledagned l ovel,e aditnogt he
mysticUanli ono ft hes ouwli thG od.E achs tagwei lble
illustriantt heeds veo lumes.
Somethionfga ltlh imsa y (iits h opedb)e l earfnrto m
thesbeo okasn dp ictuirnet sh iSse riReesa.d a ndp ondered
witah desitroel eartnh,e wyi lhle lmpe na ndw oment o
8 SUFISM
find "fullneosfsl ief,'a'n dp eoplteosl ivteo gethienr
greatuenrd erstanadnidnh ga rmonyT.o- datyh ee arth is
beautibfuutlm ,e na red isillusainodna efdr aiBdu.tt here
will comea dayp,e rhanpost a distadnaty ,w hent here
wilble a Renaissaonfmc aen 'ssp irwihte:n m enw ilble
innoceanntd h appya midt heb eautoyf t hew orldF.o r
their weiyleblse o penetdo s eet haetg oisamn ds trife are
follyt,h atth eU niverissSe p iritaunadlt ,h amte na ret he
sonosf G od.
Theys halnlot h urnto rd estroy
Ina lmly holmyo untain:
Fora ltlh ee artshh alblef ullo ft hek nowledogfe
theL ord
Ast hew atercso vetrh es ea.
CONTENTS
GENERAL INTRODUCTION page 5
I.I ntroductory 11

II.T heW orofd God 15

IIIT.h eL ife of TheP rophet 24

IV.T h eA scetics 31

v. TheM ystics 45

VI.T h eT heorofis Sts,gis m 64

VII.T h eS trucoft Sut¢r Teh eoaryn Pdr actice 74

VIIIT.h eS ufiO rders 84

IX.Th e Theosofo Ipshlya mic M;•sticism9 3

X. TheP ersPioaents 106

XI.T h eD ecofa yS ufism 119

XIIE. p ilogue 134

NOTES 136

INDEX 139