Sufism and the Scriptures

Sufism and the Scriptures PDF Author: Fitzroy Morrissey
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 0755618335
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 256

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Book Description
The Sufi thinker 'Abd al-Karim al-Jili (d. 1408) is best-known for his treatment of the idea of the Perfect Human, yet his masterpiece, al-Insan al-kamil (The Perfect Human), is in fact a wide-ranging compendium of Sufi metaphysical thought in the Ibn 'Arabian tradition. One of the major topics treated in that work is sacred history, the story of God's revelation of the truth to humanity through His prophets and scriptures. Fitzroy Morrissey provides here the first in-depth study of this important section of al-Jili's major work and the key ideas contained within it. Through a translation and analysis of the key passages on the Qur'an, Torah, Psalms and Gospel, it shows how al-Jili's view of sacred history is conditioned by his Ibn 'Arabian Sufi metaphysics, whereby the phenomenal world is viewed as a manifestation of God, and the prophets and scriptures as special places where the divine attributes appear more completely. It also looks at how this idea influences al-Jili's understanding of the hierarchy of prophets, scriptures and religions. The book argues that, contrary to common assumptions, al-Jili's Sufi metaphysical view of sacred history is in keeping with the common medieval Muslim view of sacred history, whereby the Qur'an is viewed as the best of scriptures, Muhammad as the best of prophets, and Islam as the best religion. The book therefore not only gives an insight into a key text within medieval Sufi thought, but also has ramifications for our understanding of medieval Sufi views on the relationship between Islam and other religions.

Sufism and the Scriptures

Sufism and the Scriptures PDF Author: Fitzroy Morrissey
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 0755618335
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 256

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Book Description
The Sufi thinker 'Abd al-Karim al-Jili (d. 1408) is best-known for his treatment of the idea of the Perfect Human, yet his masterpiece, al-Insan al-kamil (The Perfect Human), is in fact a wide-ranging compendium of Sufi metaphysical thought in the Ibn 'Arabian tradition. One of the major topics treated in that work is sacred history, the story of God's revelation of the truth to humanity through His prophets and scriptures. Fitzroy Morrissey provides here the first in-depth study of this important section of al-Jili's major work and the key ideas contained within it. Through a translation and analysis of the key passages on the Qur'an, Torah, Psalms and Gospel, it shows how al-Jili's view of sacred history is conditioned by his Ibn 'Arabian Sufi metaphysics, whereby the phenomenal world is viewed as a manifestation of God, and the prophets and scriptures as special places where the divine attributes appear more completely. It also looks at how this idea influences al-Jili's understanding of the hierarchy of prophets, scriptures and religions. The book argues that, contrary to common assumptions, al-Jili's Sufi metaphysical view of sacred history is in keeping with the common medieval Muslim view of sacred history, whereby the Qur'an is viewed as the best of scriptures, Muhammad as the best of prophets, and Islam as the best religion. The book therefore not only gives an insight into a key text within medieval Sufi thought, but also has ramifications for our understanding of medieval Sufi views on the relationship between Islam and other religions.

Jesus the Sufi

Jesus the Sufi PDF Author: Max Gorman
Publisher: Aeon Books
ISBN: 1911597167
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 129

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Book Description
Jesus is seen as a representative of an ancient and continuing wisdom tradition identified with that of the Sufis. By his distinctive use of stories for teaching purposes, his sayings, and what the Sufis call 'action-teachings', including those actions known as 'miracles', Jesus is shown to have been quintessentially a Sufi master. Max Gorman shows how Sufism illuminates from within concepts central to Christianity: the kingdom of Heaven, son of God, baptism, resurrection - which can then be seen as states and stages in an evolutionary philosophy.This new edition of the classic work includes a new chapter on Gnosis.

Ibn Khaldun on Sufism

Ibn Khaldun on Sufism PDF Author: Ibn Khaldūn
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781911141280
Category : Sufism
Languages : en
Pages : 172

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Book Description
Can the seeker after Truth wholly depend on the guidance found in books on Sufism or are the oral teachings of a spiritual master necessary? This was a heated debate in fourteenth-century Andalusia that extended beyond the confines of Sufi circles. Ibn Khaldun ventured into this debate with a treatise that is as relevant today as it was then. Ibn Khaldun on Sufism: Remedy for the Questioner in Search of Answers is the first ever translation into English of Shifa' al-Sa'il li-Tahdhib al-Masa'il. Though Ibn Khaldun is renowned for the Muqaddima and the 'Ibar--which are considered milestones in the fields of medieval sociology and the philosophy of history--little is known about his religious and spiritual life. In her introduction to Ibn Khaldun on Sufism, Dr Yumna Ozer seeks to restore Ibn Khaldun and his work to the context from which his theories arose, both in intellectual and religious terms; she also draws a vivid painting of Sufism in the fourteenth century and rethinks Ibn Khaldun's relationship with Sufism. The translation itself addresses the dichotomies or synergies between religious law and the Sufi path, the roles played by jurists, and that played by Sufis, and the particular position of the Sufi shaykh or spiritual master.

Essential Sufism

Essential Sufism PDF Author: Robert Frager
Publisher: Harper Collins
ISBN: 0062283464
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 215

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Book Description
“A welcome addition to the literature on Islam . . . Reading through the many entries, one gets a feeling for the beauty and deep wisdom of the Sufis.” —Library Journal The definitive compendium of Sufi wisdom, Essential Sufism presents more than three hundred beautiful and inspirational works from all eras of Sufism. From thousand-year-old prayers to contemporary Sufi poetry, this beautiful collection embraces the full diversity of a rich tradition and reveals the heart of Islamic mysticism. Written by Sufi prophets, saints, and teachers, these luminous stories, fables, and aphorisms help us to see the love and generosity of God in all of creation, and to experience the love for all things that embodies the Sufi's relationship with God. Voicing a passionate faith that aims to soften hearts hardened by daily life and open them to love, the Sufi tradition as illustrated in these pages teaches us to seek the Divine while remaining engaged in the world, to find our opportunities for spiritual growth, awareness, and generosity, and to realize that there is nothing in this world or the next that is not both loved and loving. “This book presents selections from a multitude of saints and sages whose hearts were opened through the Sufi path.” —Huston Smith, from the foreword “A treasure of jewels in the tradition of Sufi soul-work. I really love and value this book.” —Coleman Barks, translator of The Essential Rumi

Ibn ‘Arabī’s Religious Pluralism

Ibn ‘Arabī’s Religious Pluralism PDF Author: Faris Abdel-hadi
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
ISBN: 1040256333
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 281

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Book Description
This book marks a significant contribution to the debate around Ibn ʿArabī’s religious pluralism, focusing on his multifaceted approach to non-Abrahamic religions. For nearly eight hundred years, the writings and ideas of the great Spanish Sufi master Ibn ʿArabī have shaped Islamic intellectual and spiritual culture, from North and West Africa and France on the one hand, to Iran, the Levant, Central Asia, and the Far East on the other. Modern scholarship on the “Greatest Master” is consequently at an all-time high. This book weighs in on a well-known aspect of his religious worldview, namely his perspective on religious pluralism, but does so from an entirely different angle. Offering a very close reading of his major works, newly translated by the author, and paying particular attention to a highly developed celestial metaphor prompted by his encounter with a group of pagan sun-worshippers, the book offers new insights into the nature and scope of Ibn ʿArabī’s understanding of Islamic inclusivism. Ultimately, the book contributes to our understanding of both interfaith dialogue and the history of world religions through the prism of Ibn ʿArabī’s work. The book will be of particular interest to students and scholars working in a range of fields, including Islamic philosophy, Sufism, and intellectual history.

Universal Sufism

Universal Sufism PDF Author: H. J. Witteveen
Publisher: Wild Earth Press
ISBN: 9780989455008
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 234

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Book Description
This heartfelt introduction to modern Western Sufism is a highly accessible and practical guide to the teachings of Hazrat Inayat Khan, the renowned Indian musician and Sufi mystic who brought Universal Sufism to the Western world in 1910. Inayat Khan's teachings, frequently prescient of modern science and the stresses and challenges facing us today, offer compassionate guidance and relevant inspiration for spiritual growth and daily life. Chapters about Inayat Khan's upbringing, his years in India, and his life in Europe allow a unique glimpse of his personal life, and illuminate the influences that shaped his message of Universal Sufism. Inayat Khan's own words, Sufi poetry, and teachings from many of the world's great religions bring each chapter to life. Topics include the philosophy and mysticism of Sufism, the relationship to God from a Sufi perspective, the mysticism of sound, and teachings on health and healing. Universal Sufism offers a comprehensive history of Sufism beginning with its pre-Islamic roots, the influence of poetry and music, its arrival in India, to its emerging role in unifying Eastern and Western spiritual thought.

Encyclopedia of World Scriptures

Encyclopedia of World Scriptures PDF Author: Mary Ellen Snodgrass
Publisher: McFarland
ISBN: 0786450851
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 313

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Book Description
From the time of human beginnings, holy words, chants, liturgy and narratives have enabled individuals to communicate the mysteries of the universe. Bodies of liturgical composition had to survive oral transmission for centuries until calligraphers could inscribe them in pictograph, symbol, or coded cipher or write them in words on stone, mural, scroll, parchment, or paper. Through repetitions of sacred speech and writing, couples enter holy wedlock, infants receive consecration and blessing, youths advance to adulthood, rulers dedicate temporal powers to God, cities pledge themselves to peace, and the dead pass from an earthly existence to the afterlife. The most sacred and influential writings the world has recorded are covered A-Z in this compendium. The entries convey works from the cities of Mecca, Jerusalem, Rome, Delphi, and Salt Lake City; from caves in Qumran and mountains in Japan; from the Indus Valley and the American West; from classical China, Egypt and Greece; and from the Hebrew communities of Iberia and of the German states. Although all of the scriptures speak to a human need, there are many differences in style, purpose, and tone. The entries include holy law (The White Roots of Peace), funeral prescriptions (the Tibetan Book of the Dead), ceremonies (the Lakota Black Elk Speaks), literature (Homeric hymns), hero stories (the Japanese Kojiki), word puzzles (the koans of Zen), Christ lore (the Apocrypha and the New Testament), matrices (I Ching and Tantra), and numerology (the Jewish Kabbala). Writing styles include both the rapture of Rumi's Mathnawi and the spare aphorism of Confucius's Analects. The information given in the texts range from Muhammad's revelations in the Koran, to the everyday advice of Mary Baker Eddy's Christian Science writings. A map locates the germ of sacred revelation and writing in sites all over the globe. A timeline of dateable events from the history of world scripture names events in chronological order, from the beginnings of the I Ching in 2800 B.C.E. to the publication of a child's version of the Popul Vuh in 1999 C.E.. The encyclopedia is comprehensively indexed with ample cross-referencing to assist researchers toward further study of print and electronic sources.

Sufism and the Perfect Human

Sufism and the Perfect Human PDF Author: Fitzroy Morrissey
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1000029751
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 279

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Book Description
Studying the history of the notion of the ‘Perfect Human’ (al-insān al-kāmil), this book investigates a key idea in the history of Sufism. First discussed by Ibn ‘Arabī and later treated in greater depth by al-Jīlī, the idea left its mark on later Islamic mystical, metaphysical, and political thought, from North Africa to Southeast Asia, up until modern times. The research tells the story of the development of that idea from Ibn ‘Arabī to al-Jīlī and beyond. It does so through a thematic study, based on close reading of primary sources in Arabic and Persian, of the key elements of the idea, including the idea that the Perfect Human is a locus of divine manifestation (maẓhar), the concept of the ‘Pole’ (quṭb) and the ‘Muhammadan Reality’ (al-ḥaqīqah al-Muhammadiyyah), and the identity of the Perfect Human. By setting the work of al-Jīlī against the background of earlier Ibn ‘Arabian treatments of the idea, it demonstrates that al-Jīlī took the idea of the Perfect Human in several new directions, with major consequences for how the Prophet Muhammad – the archetypal Perfect Human – was viewed in later Islamic thought. Introducing readers to the key Sufi idea of the Perfect Human (al-insān al-kāmil), this volume will be of interest to scholars and students interested in Sufism, Islam, religion and philosophy.

Introduction to Sufi Doctrine

Introduction to Sufi Doctrine PDF Author: Titus Burckhardt
Publisher: World Wisdom, Inc
ISBN: 1933316500
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 138

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Book Description
Titus Burckhardt's masterpiece, Introduction to Sufi Doctrine, explores the essence of Islamic mysticism, or Sufism, presenting its central doctrines and methods to a Western audience in a highly intelligible form.

Glimpses of the Scriptures of Major World Religions

Glimpses of the Scriptures of Major World Religions PDF Author: Ashok K. Sinha
Publisher: Xlibris Corporation
ISBN: 1493159984
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 319

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Book Description
This book, A COLLECTION OF EXCERPTS FROM THE SCRIPTURES OF MAJOR WORLD RELIGIONS, consists of three major Parts. PART I (adopted from an earlier book by the author) pertains to major religions that originated in INDIA at different epochs of history; namely, HINDUISM, BUDDHISM, JAINISM, and SIKHISM. PART I I contains excerpts from the main scriptures of the three religions that originated in European and the Middle Eastern regions with their original roots in Prophet Abraham, namely, JUDAISM, CHRISTIANITY, And ISLAM. Thus, PART I contains excerpts from the Vedas and the Upanishads (Hinduism); the Dhammapad (Buddhism); the Agam (Jainism); and the Guru Granth Saheb (Sikhism.) A number of essays on the historical backgrounds, the leading figures and events, and their interrelations are also included for a deeper appreciation of the pertinent philosophies. PART II, similarly, contains excerpts from The Old Testament (Judaism) and The New Testament (Christianity) of the Bible, and the Koran (Islam), with a brief Introduction in each case. The main purpose of presenting this book is to illustrate the commonality of the Indian religions due to their common root Hinduism -- that came into being in India some 10-15 millennia ago, and was modified from time to time. These religions have coexisted peacefully and harmoniously for centuries and millennia, and have contributed much in the global spiritual development. In particular, Buddhism has been adopted in a significant portion of Asia (China, Japan, South-East Asia), and has been also attracting the intellectuals in the West in recent years. Interrelations among the other three religions are also evident due to their common root; though significant historical schisms and ideological differences among them are also well-known. As the world enters the Twentieth Century, it is imperative for world-peace that people across the globe try to understand one another better, in terms of the spiritual and religious beliefs, philosophies, mentalities, and traditional tendencies that shape their individual lives as well as their mutual interaction patterns. It is hoped that this book makes a small contribution in that direction.