Sufism: An Introduction to the Mystical Tradition of Islam PDF
Preview Sufism: An Introduction to the Mystical Tradition of Islam
The Sufis are as diverse as the countries in which they’ve flourished—from Morocco to India to China—and as varied as their distinctive forms of art, music, poetry, and dance. They are said to represent the mystical heart of Islam, yet the term Sufism is notoriously difficult to define, as it means different things to different people both within and outside the tradition. With that fact in mind, Carl Ernst explores the broadest range of Sufi philosophies and practices to provide one of the most complete and comprehensive introductions to Sufism available in English. He traces the history of the movement from the earliest days of Islam to the present day, along the way examining its relationship to the larger world of Islam and its encounters with both fundamentalism and secularism in the modern world. CARL W. ERNST, PhD, is professor and chair of the Department of Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. A specialist in Islamic mysticism, he has spent research tours in Pakistan, India, and Turkey. He is also the author of Words and Ecstasy in Sufism and the translator of The Unveiling of Secrets: Diary of a Sufi Master by Ruzbihan Baqli. Sign up to receive news and special offers from Shambhala Publications. Or visit us online to sign up at shambhala.com/eshambhala. Ibn ‘Arabi, a Sufi for All Ages. S UFISM An Introduction to the Mystical Tradition of Islam Carl W. Ernst, PhD Shambhala Boulder 2016 Shambhala Publications, Inc. 4720 Walnut Street Boulder, Colorado 80301 www.shambhala.com © 1997 by Carl W. Ernst This book was previously published as The Shambhala Guide to Sufism. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Ernst, Carl W., 1950– Sufism: an introduction to the mystical tradition of Islam / Carl W. Ernst. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. eISBN 978-0-8348-2297-9 ISBN 978-1-59030-884-4 (pbk.: alk. paper) 1. Sufism. 2. Mysticism—Islam. I. Title. BP189.E76 2011 297.4—dc22 2010053253 To Annemarie Schimmel with gratitude and affection Contents List of Figures Preface to the 2011 Edition Preface to the First Edition 1. What Is Sufism? “Dervish” and “Fakir”: The Outsider’s View of Sufism The Orientalist “Discovery” of Sufism The Term Sufi as a Prescriptive Ethical Concept Actual Terminology Used for Sufis 2. The Sacred Sources of Sufism The Qur’anic Event as the Matrix of Mystical Experience Mystical Themes of the Qur’an The Prophet Muhammad as Mystical Exemplar and Object of Devotion 3. Saints and Sainthood 4. The Names of God, Meditation, and Mystical Experience Internalizing the Word of God Advanced Spiritual Stations, Practices, and Experiences 5. The Sufi Orders: Mastery, Discipleship, and Initiation 6. Sufi Poetry The Basics of Islamicate Poetry Arabic Sufi Poetry Persian Sufi Poetry Translations, Versions, and the Scripturalization of Poetry Sufi Poetry in Other Islamicate Languages 7. Sufi Music and Dance Regional Traditions of Music and Dance 8. Sufism in the Contemporary World Sufism and Modernism Sufism and the State Sufism and Fundamentalist Islam The Publication of the Secret New Styles of Sufi Leadership Notes Select Bibliography Select Discography Index E-mail Sign-Up
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