Synopses & Reviews
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.
Synopsis
This comprehensive introduction to the mystical traditions that arose in the Islamic world includes discussions of the sacred sources of Sufism in the Qur’an and the traditions of the Prophet Muhammad; meditation on the names of God (dhikr); prayer and fasting; the Sufi orders; and poetry, music, and dance. The author also examines the relationship between Islamic mysticism and the larger Islamic context, including the problematic encounters that Sufism has with both fundamentalism and secular modernism, and discusses the appropriation of Sufism by non-Muslims and the development of Sufi traditions in the West.
Synopsis
The classic introduction to the philosophy and practice of the mystical tradition of Islam from one of the leading authorities on Islamic mysticism
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.
Synopsis
The classic introduction to the philosophies, practices, and history of Sufism, 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.
About the Author
Carl W. Ernst, Ph.D., 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.