Download Religion 24 Sufism: Islamic Mysticism [Fall Term 2001] Instructor

Religion 24
Sufism: Islamic Mysticism
[Fall Term 2001]
Instructor: Kevin Reinhart (for something about the instructor including his
preferences for written work, check http://www.dartmouth.edu/~akr/)
Office: Thornton Hall 315
Phone 646-3204 & blitzmail
office hours: Tue 2:30-3:30; Wed 1:45-3:00
Class Meets at the 10 hour (Tue/Thur 10am-11:50; X-hour Wed 3:00-3:50)
During this term we will attempt to understand how Sufism -- the tendency in
Islamic religion that recognizes emotion and experience as a source of knowledge-complements the better-known aspects of Islam, the Islam of personal rigor and
moral action.
Sufis emphasized the immanent, knowable, and cherishing aspect of God, while other
Muslims understood God to be the transcendent Judge and utterly Other. In contrast
to the universalistic emphasis of the better-known Islam (which we will call
“orthoprax Islam”), Sufism often stressed the local and the specific; the orthoprax
stressed the absolute equality of all the faithful before God, while Sufis saw
themselves as God’s Friends and Intimates, qualified to a higher degree for God's
friendship because of their greater knowledge and self-cultivation.
In this course we will begin, as all courses on Islam ought to begin, with the Qur’¡n.
We will then consider some of those whose lives later Sufis looked back upon as
decisive. We will then consider the formative history and doctrines of Sufism,
particularly in 9th-13th-century Iraq, Iran, and Central Asia.
Next we will consider the crucial doctrines of Sufism: that life is a journey, that this
world is an illusion, that being is other than it appears to be. This theosophical unit
will give us a chance to read a classic of Sufism, The Path of God’s Bondsman, and to
discuss it at length.
We will then look to a masterpiece of Sufi literature, the Mesnev£-i Me<nev£ of
(Mevlan¡ Jal¡ladd£n R∞m£) and consider how the themes we have examined show up
in this masterpiece of Persian literature.
We will then turn to the praxis of Sufism: the rituals and institutions characteristic
of it. In this section we will consider the Sufi orders, and the rituals designed to
induce ecstatic apprehension of divinity.
We will end the course with a consideration of Sufism in the Modern world,
both in Islamdom, and in the West.
p. 1 of 6
printed: May, 2007
Reading
Many of our readings will be in primary sources (Muslim mystical texts), the theory
being that the tradition is spoken for best when it speaks for itself. The secondary
sources too include extensive quotations from Sufi sources. There will also be a small
source book of readings. Reading is not easy, and must be done in timely fashion.
Assignments
Grades are composed of 40% class participation, 10% Rumi study, 20% midterm takehome; 20 % final midterm. Students will be asked to lead discussions of particular
texts.
Required Purchase:
(Available at Wheelock Books only)
1) Carl Ernst, Sufism
2) Michael Sells, Early Islamic Mysticism
3) D¡ya Najm al-D£n R¡z£, The Path of God's Bondsmen (this may be a photocopy)
4) Far£dadd£n al-‘A††¡r, The Conference of the Birds [to be ordered]
5) Doris Lessing: one of two novels depending on which is in print or available used
6) A Photocopy Packet
Reserve
Arberry, Arthur,The Koran Interpreted
Brown, John P, The Darvishes
Gilsenan, Michael,Saint and Sufi in Modern Egypt
Kassis, Hannah,Concordance of the Quran
Lings, Martin,A Sufi Saint of the Twentieth Century
Pickthall, M.M.,The Glorious Quran
Razi, Dayaaddin,The Path of God’s Bondsmen
Jalal al-Din Rumi, Maulana (tr Chittick),The Sufi path of love : the spiritual
teachings of Rumi
Jalal al-Din Rumi, Maulana (tr Arberry),Tales from the Masnavi
Jalal al-Din Rumi, Maulana (tr Arberry),More tales from Masnavi
Jalal al-Din Rumi, Maulana (tr Whitfield),Masnavi i Ma'navi; the spiritual couplets
of Maulana Jalalu-'d-Din Muhammad Rumi
Jalal al-Din Rumi, Maulana (tr Arberry),Mystical poems of Rumi 2 : second
selection, poems 201-400
Jalal al-Din Rumi, Maulana (tr Nicholson,The Mathnawi of Jalalu'ddin Rumi
p. 2 of 6
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Jalal al-Din Rumi, Maulana (tr Arberry,Mystical poems of Rumi; first selection,
poems 1-200
Jalal al-Din Rumi, Maulana (tr Arberry,Discourses of Rumi
Schimmel, Annemarie,And Muhammad is his Messenger
Schimmel, Annemarie,As Through a Veil
Schimmel, Annemarie,Mystical Dimensions of Islam
Trimingham, J. Spencer.The Sufi orders in Islam
other books to be announced later
Class Schedule
Sept. 25
Introduction to the Class
27
An introduction to Islam
Ernst, (henceforth “E”) Chapter 1
Sells, (henceforth “S”) Introduction
Schimmel, “Sufism and the Islamic Tradition”
Kalab¡dh£, “How Sufis Account for their being called Sufis, etc.”
Oct. 2
The Qur>¡n as a mystical document
E, Chap. 2
S, Chap 2
S, pp. 29-46
Sections from the Ayoub: Surat al-Baqara
4
Proto- and Formative Sufism
S, pp 47-56 and 4 & 7
Zaehner, “The Ascension of Ab∞ Yaz£d”
Trimmingham (henceforth “T”) Chapter 1
9
Sufi Personalities
Smith, “Rab£<ah etc.”
<A††¡r, Biographies of al-¥asan al-Baßr£ and others
Mason, “The Death of al-Hall¡j”
p. 3 of 6
printed: May, 2007
11
Sufi Assumptions: Psychologism
S, 3, 5
Tirmidh£, “A Sufi Psychological Treatise” (“On the Levels of the
Heart”)
Sufi Assumptions: Masters
Letter of Ibn <Abb¡d
al-Qushayri: Tart£b [the intro is worth reading, but the translation
is the important part]
Findley, “Social Dimensions of Dervish Life…”
16
Sufi Assumptions: The Path
S, 6
Attar, Conference of the Birds ; sections XX-XX
“Way of a Mohammadan Mystic”
Sufi Assumptions: Saints/Introduction to Razi
E, 3
R¡z£, Translator's Introduction; R¡z£'s Introductory material
23-25
NO CLASS; (prepare Razi and Rûmî)
30
Theosophy I
The Nature of Creation
R¡z£
60-93
Sufi Anthropology I
R¡z£ 94-122
p. 4 of 6
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Nov. 1
Theosophy II
Anthropology II & Prophetology (Historical Soteriology)
R¡z£ 124-189
The Process of Perfection
R¡z£ 190-267
6
Theosophy III
Sufi Ritual and Its Fruits
R¡z£ 268-393
10
Theosophy IV/Sufi Literature: Rumi
Readings from Rumi
13
Rumi II; Student Presentations
X-HOUR 14
Orders
E, 5
“Short History of the Khalwat£ Order”
T, 2, 3, 6 (not every jot and tittle, but the outlines)
15
Rituals and Orders
E, 4
F. Meir, “The Dervish Dance…”
Bennet, “Sufi Spiritual Techniques”
T, 7
T, 8
20-22
NO CLASS; Read Doris Lessing
27
Modern Sufism
E, 8
T, 9
p. 5 of 6
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Lessing, “Learning how to Learn”
Özal, “20 years with Mehmed Zahid Kötkü”
Yavuz, “The Matrix of Modern Turkish Islamic Movements”
29
Modern Sufism and Conclusions
Nasr, “What is Tradition?”
Özelsel, “Diary [of a helvat-retreat]”
Webner, “Stamping the Earth with the Name of Allah”
1st day Exams
Take-home Final Exam Due
p. 6 of 6
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