Al-Qushayri's Epistle on Sufism: Al-risala Al-qushayriyya Fi 'ilm Al-tasawwuf
Al-Qushayri's Epistle on Sufism: Al-risala Al-qushayriyya Fi 'ilm Al-tasawwuf (Great Books of Islamic Civilization)Abu'L-Qasim Al-Qushayri, Alexander D. Knysh (Translator)
Publisher: Garnet Publishing
ISBN: 1859641865 ISBN13: 9781859641866 DDC: 297 Edition: Paperback; 2007-10
Summary:
The author of the "Epistle on Sufism, Abu 'l-Qasim al-Qushayri"(376/986-465/1074), was a famous Sunni scholar and mystic (Sufi) from
Khurasan in Iran. His Epistle is probably the most popular Sufi
manual ever. Written in 437/1045, it has served as a primary textbook
for many generations of Sufi novices down to the present. Al-Qushayri
has given us an illuminating insight into the everyday lives of Sufi
devotees of the eighth-eleventh centuries C.E. and the moral and
ethical dilemmas they were facing in trying to strike a delicate
balance between their ascetic and mystical convictions and the
exigencies of life in a society governed by rank, wealth, and
military power. In al-Qushayri's narrative, the Sufi 'friends of God'
(awaliya') are depicted as the true, if uncrowned, 'kings' of this
world, not those worldly rulers who appear to be lording it over the
common herd of believers. Yet, even the most advanced Sufi masters
should not take salvation for granted. Miracle-working, no matter how
spectacular, cannot guarantee the Sufi a 'favorite outcome' in the
afterlife, for it may be but a ruse on the part of God who wants to
test the moral integrity of his servant. In the Epistle, these and
many other Sufi motifs are illustrated by the anecdotes and parables
that show al-Qushayri's fellow Sufis in a wide variety of contexts:
suffering from hunger and thirst in the desert, while performing
pilgrimage to Mecca, participating in 'spiritual concerts', reciting
the Qur'an, waging war against the 'infidel' enemy and their own
desires, earning their livelihood, meditating in a retreat, praying,
working miracles, interacting with the 'people of the market-place',
their family members and peers, dreaming, and dying. The reader is
invited to explore the fascinating world of Islamic ascetic and
mystical piety carefully assembled for us by this talented Sufi
writer.
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Book Details:
Physical Description: 6.6"x9.3"x1.3"; 2.0 lb; 460 pagesEdition Info: Paperback; 2007-10
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