Sufism a short introduction pdf

Introduction whether its from a documentary on tv or a beautifully designed website, the majority have heard something about sufis and sufism. In short, many people, both muslims and nonmuslims. He was born and raised in spain, but spent much of his adult life in damascus. The great surge in books on sufism over the past few years has. A short introduction to origin, beginning and history of sufism or tasawwuf 76 observed incessant prayer and fasting as did the prophet muhammad s. 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. An introduction to the mystical tradition of islam. Books on sufism beginner, intermediate and advanced designations were determined by dr. Pdf islam a short history pdf download read online free. 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. 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.

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. 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. Sufism download books, sacred, spiritual texts and pdf ebooks. An introduction to the mystical tradition of islam carl w. 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. Essays on the place of sufism in islamic religiosity, with a focus on love and other major themes of the great teachers. 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. Islamsu sm is masterpiece by titus burckhardt examines the. 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.

The presence of rifaiyyah inspired the founding of other orders. Sufism preaches no particular dogma, except the great truths that are the basis of all religious beliefs. The arabic term sufi has been used in islamic literature with a wide range of meanings, by both proponents and opponents of sufism. From the 9th century onwards, sufism has encapsulated islamic spirituality. In short, mysticism, as i would prefer to understand it, stresses the fact that. The existence of god is then necessary, would be impossible to do in a brief overview. Sufis trace the origin of sufism or tasawwuf to the prophet of islam. Chittick scales the heights of metaphysical sufism, penetrates the heart of the path of love, and very securely grounds sufism as the integral dimension of the islamic tradition that it is. 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. Illustrated edition rumi was a persian mystic and poet and is closely identified with sufism and sufi mysticism. Ppt sufism powerpoint presentation free to view id. Sufism was transplanted into north africa as a result of the expansion of the rifai order into syria and then egypt. Introduction to sufism belief oprah winfrey network. In a broad sense, sufism can be described as the interiorization and intensification of islamic faith and practice.

Sufism is something to be felt, which explains why so many sufi writings are in the form of prose and poetry. Sufism, mystical islamic belief and practice in which muslims seek the truth of divine love and knowledge through direct personal experience of god. 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. This is the loving heart of islam, still alive, thriving and widely influential today. Sufism, or tasawwuf in arabic, is practiced by many muslims around the world, both shia and sunni, as a personal, mystical, or. Bismi allahirrahmanirrahim the word sufi is derived from the arabic word suf which means wool and which refers to the coarse woolen. Nov 01, 2007 sufism, although specific to islam, is in reality the unifying meaning beneath all of gods religions. Placement of a book within this section was determined by professor odonnell. 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. 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.

Sufism, being the marrow of the bone or the inner dimension of the islamic revelation, is the means par excellence whereby tawhid is achieved. Many western scholars have fcfbrrcd to sufism as mysticism, esotiricir. Varun soni, dean of religious life at the university of southern california, shares the basics of sufism, the mystical branch of islam that seeks. I have not, until now, read an introduction on sufism that was appropriate for both my enthusiasm and ignorance of the topic. 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. May 01, 2012 an introduction to the history, practices, and beliefs of sufi islam. Understanding the concept of islamic sufism shahida bilqies research scholar, shahihamadan institute of islamic studies university of kashmir, srinagar190006 jammu and kashmir, india. This short introduction to irfan is part of the authors book ashnai ba ulum islami an introduction to the islamic sciences. The book includes a brief account of the life and teachings of muhammad and the creation of the arab nation.

In the th century badawiyyah was founded in egypt by ahmad albadawi 11991276, who acquired a reputation for mysticism and the performance of miracles. An introduction to the history, practices, and beliefs of sufi islam. Popular sufism books showing 150 of 1,331 the forty rules of love hardcover by. The life and spiritual milieu of mevlana jalaluddin rumi. Thorsons an imprint of harpercollins publishers, 1995. Sufism a short introduction 1 sufism a short introduction.

Nicholson draws lines to old christian, gnostic, neoplatonistic and even the buddhist influences from where sufism origins. The books written by practitioners fill a broad spectrum. Islamsu sm is masterpiece by titus burckhardt examines. Sahabi companion was the only title given to the muslims of that period. Reality without a name is a critical examination of a variety of themes and. Others claim to present the teachings of traditional sufi orders, and many do, but sometimes a. 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. On one extreme, some enthusiasts provide no reason to differentiate sufism from kabbalah, christian mysticism, or a new age concoction. 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. 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.

A free powerpoint ppt presentation displayed as a flash slide show on id. 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. The first systematic books explaining the tenets of sufism date from the 10th century. Philosophy and practices sufism signifies islamic mysticism. I am pleased and honoured that you consider this essay worthy of a wider audience. Colby do you want to read the rest of this article. Sufism download books, sacred, spiritual texts and pdf e.

Mentions by sufi authors and teachers of their predecessors reveal a genealogy of their thought and practice, but do not provide a comprehensive picture of how, when, and why sufism had arisen and developed in time and space. Hayden white, the content of the form thok iis bo s about sufism, the asce ticmystical stream in islam that. Like my students, i found chitticks introduction to sufism captivating, compelling, immediate, and relevant to everday life. 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. 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. 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. Sufism, the religious philosophy of islam, is described in the oldest extant definition as. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders.

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. 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. Today, he said, speaking arabic, sufism is a name without a reality, but it used to be a reality without a name. 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. On 11th february 1998 with minimal editing by syed mumtaz ali, in deference to the learned authors gratuitous request and his kind remarks. The book is rich on examples, poems and references to sufi masters and writers. 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. 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.