Sufi Islam Flashcards
who is hayy b Yazqan (Yaqdhan)
12th century tale. (6th). A man who lived on an island without human contact for 50 years. He unravelled the mysteries of the metaphysical world with his own head. Through contemplation he attained enlightenment essentially,
who was asal
a guy who had grown up on another island with people, and knew the Truth too.
Who wrote this tale
Abu Tufayl in Morocco in 581/1185.
Who was salaman
The friend of Asal, representing the majority of sincere believers, fiathfully following commandments within society, content to await salvation etc.
what was the ascetic
aka the zahid, “inner-worlding”, trying to go back to temperance, modesty, contentment with the divine offers etc. with temperance, came the avoidance of even hallal things, because they were potentially enjoyable.
what was the first two centuries of Sufi like
individual piety. “turning the heart away from things to the Lord of things”
knowledge of the eternal by means of contemplation - like buddhism.
mystical sufi groups, healers etc.
What is sufism?
“sufism is not composed of practices of sciences but it is morals”
it was psychological withdrawal, not physical.
“esoteric” - inner dimensions, the spiritual path that asal and hayy took.
what is tariqah
it means path, meaning a paththat is leading off the main highway of shari’ah.
what is the light symbolism in sufism?
there is a light verse in the Sunnah i think,
what is dhikr?
remembrance of allah, repeating hadith qudsi, things that allah is to have said.
what are the station or states of Sufism
Repentance (struggle against the lower soul), Complete trust (peaceful soul), adn final state of Fana (love, or Ma’rifa)
Al-Ghazali on suffism
Esoteric interpretation as a necessary component of the exoteric.
What does divine friendship mean?
Sort of like “saints”, but because there is no church or preisthood in islam you cant really canonize particular individuals -
they are less like “saints”, and more like “guides”, or elders (shaykhs).
“Wali” -means friend.
what is a sufi brotherhood.
Coming from the followers of Ibn Karram in 255/869, sort of like the master-disciple relationship, there would be a purposed meeting place called a khanqah.
spiritual genealogies
sort of like an isnad, but called a chain/silsila, its the chain of authority that guarantees the soundness of the masters teachings and practice
What would sufi brotherhoods entail?
much like frats.
- regulation for dhikr practices (reciting allahs words to feel it in your heart)
- regulations for clothing, and eating etc.
The most well known early sufi brotherhood?
The Qadiriyyah - spread out very far, to indonesia and west africa.
Sufi Leaders
Many would have some sort of lore about converting wrongdoers, and performing miracles
Why was sufi so spread out?
likely because stories had appeal among the masses, and that the human sympathy in Sufism touched more hearts easily that believing in arcane debates of jurists and theologians, or some remote Allah.
The Chisthtiyyah
A sufi brotherhood in India. from the 5th/11th century.
Integration of Chisti Muslims with Hindu ideas (even though they were extremely different religions).
Chisti willingness to adopt yogi, and sages. Much poetry came from this interaction.
The Shadhiliyyah
They were also concerned with the exoteric dimension of Islam. But, you didnt have to identify yourself, meaning ppl from all classes involved themselves in this.
The Unity of Being debate
Ibn Arabi - do you become one with Allah, or not, because he is one essence? All things exist within God.
