Abu Al-Ḥasan Al-Shushtarī


Book Description

Sensuous, spiritual, and ethereal, this selection of works by the prominent Andalusian Sufi mystic and poet Abū al-Hasan al-Shushtarī (1212-1269) will delight everyone, whether or not they are devotees of Islamic literature. +




Abu Al-Ḥasan Al-Shushtarī


Book Description

Mystic and poet Abū al-Hasan al-Shushtarī (1212-1269) remains a towering figure in North African Sufism. His verses are still well loved and often recited, and his songs are arguably the most vibrant element of Islamic Spain's cultural legacy. He is crucial to an understanding of the history of mysticism in Islamic Spain and North Africa. Yet, he is overlooked by Western scholars and few of his poems have been translated. This book seeks to correct this deficit by (1) setting Shushtarī and his work in the political and intellectual contexts of his time; (2) introducing his thought to an English-speaking audience through a presentation of his poetry. Each of the chapters that presents the poetry starts with a thematic introduction that explores the symbolic, poetic, and doctrinal import of the material that follows. Sensuous and spiritual, erotic and ethereal, this selection of works will delight everyone, whether or not they are devotees of Islamic literature. +







AL-SHUSHTARI The Great Sufi Poet of Andalusia


Book Description

AL-SHUSHTARI The Great Sufi Poet of Andalusia SELECTED POEMS Translation & Introduction by Paul Smith Abu al-Hasan al-Shushtari (1312-1369) was a Sufi poet who was born in Guadix, northwest of Granada, Spain. As a young man he travelled to Tunisia, Algeria, Damascus and several times made the pilgrimage to Mecca. He finally settled in Egypt. He became a devotee of the Sufi Master Ibn Sab'in who was four years younger than him and was widely respected at that time. They first met in Algeria when in their thirties and later went together to Mecca and Egypt. Al-Shushtari composed two treatises on Sufism and dedicated three poems to his spiritual Master. Often when walking or riding the poet would sing his poems and play an instrument as he did so. In his latter days he had many disciples. He was influenced by the great Sufi Perfect Master Ibn 'Arabi although he expressed at times criticism of the complicated nature of his teachings, preferring a simpler explanation. Al-Shushtari's true legacy lives on in the heart of men who still sing his poems and celebrate his memory. In the Delta of Egypt, followers of the Shadhiliyya Order still recite his zajal, while in Tunisia his words are sung to the tones of a musical instrument bearing his name, 'al-Sustariyya.' In Morocco his songs are a common denominator to several Sufi celebrations, and in Spain he is regarded as a trendsetter in Andalusian literature and is better known as 'The Juggler of Love.' Most of his poems are in the forms of qasidas, ghazals, qit'as, muwashasha, zajal: all here in the correct form & meaning. Introduction: Life, Times & Poetry, on Sufi Poetry & forms of poetry in which he wrote. Selected Bibliography. Large Print (16pt & Large Format (8x10) Edition 190 pages. Paul Smith (b. 1945) is a poet, author and translator of many books of Sufi poets of the Persian, Arabic, Urdu, Turkish, Pashtu and other languages including Hafiz, Sadi, Nizami, Rumi, 'Attar, Sana'i, Jahan Khatun, Obeyd Zakani, Nesimi, Kabir, Anvari, Ansari, Jami, Khayyam, Rudaki, Yunus Emre, Lalla Ded, Seemab, Jigar, Seemab and many others, as well as his poetry, fiction, plays, biographies, children's books, screenplays. amazon.com/author/smithpa




A Muslim Suicide


Book Description

Award-winning novelist Bensalem Himmich’s third novel to be translated into English is a vertiginous exploration of one of Islam’s most radical thinkers, the Sufi philosopher Ibn Sab’in. Born in Spain, he was forced to immigrate to Africa because of his controversial views. Later expelled from Egypt, Ibn Sab’in made his way to Mecca, where he spent his final years. Himmich follows the philosopher’s journey, outlining an array of characters he meets along the way who usher in debates of identity and personal responsibility through their interactions and relationships with Ibn Sab’in. Set against the backdrop of a politically charged thirteenth–century Islamic world, Himmich’s novel is a rich blend of fact and imagination that re–creates the intellectual debates of the time. As the culture of prosperity and tradition was giving way to the chaos created by political and social instability, many Arabs, as Ibn Sab’in does in the novel, turned inward toward a spiritual search for meaning. In his fictional portrait of Ibn Sab’in, Himmich succeeds in creating a character, with his many virtues and flaws, to whom all readers can relate.




Desire


Book Description

Asweeping survey of sexuality in Europe from the Greeks to the present, Desire follows changing attitudes toward sexuality through the major turning points of European history. Drawing on a rich array of sources including poetry, novels, pornography and film as well as court records, autobiographies and personal letters, this volume integrates the history of heterosexuality with same-sex desire, andexploresthe emotions of love andlust as well asthe politics of sex and personal experiences.




Persian Literature


Book Description

This famous work from the Royal Asiatic Society is an indispensable tool for all serious students of Persian history and culture, and a welcome companion to Persian Literature in its most glorious period. This volume is the second part of C.A. Storey's History of Qur'anic Literature, including the Additions and Corrections, and Index.




A Cultural History of the Arabic Language


Book Description

This history of literary Arabic describes the evolution of Arabic poetry and prose in the context of music, ritual performance, the arts and architecture. The thousands-of-years-old language is perhaps more highly developed and refined than any other on earth. This book focuses on what is unique about Arabic compared to other major languages of the world (Greek, Latin, Hebrew, English and Spanish) and how the distinct characteristics of Arabic took shape at various points in its history. The book provides a cultural background for understanding social and political institutions and religious beliefs--more influenced by the rhythms and depths of poetic language than other cultures--in the Middle East today.




'Abd al-Ghani al-Nabulusi


Book Description

In this unique look at a key figure in the ‘Islamic enlightenment’, Samer Akkach examines the life and works of ‘Abd al-Ghani al-Nabulusi (1641-1731). Often characterized solely as a Sufi saint, his thought and teachings were of a much wider remit, and symptomatic of a growing rationalism among Islamic scholars during his lifetime. Through a fresh reading of his large body of mostly unpublished works, Akkach argues that ‘Abd al-Ghani helped to herald the beginning of modernity in the Arab world.




Gender and Medieval Mysticism from India to Europe


Book Description

This book opens up a dialogue between pre-modern women identified as mystics in diverse locations from South Asia to Europe. It considers how women from the disparate religious traditions of Hinduism, Islam, and Christianity expressed devotion in parallel ways. The argument is that women’s mysticism demands to be compared not because of any essential "female" experience of the divine but because the parallel positions of marginalization that pre-modern women experienced led them to deploy intimate encounters with the divine to speak publicly and claim authority. The topics covered range from the Sufi devotional tradition of Sidis (Indians of African ancestry) to the Bhakti poet Mīrābaī and the nuns of Barking Abbey. Collectively the chapters show how mysticism allowed premodern women to speak and act by unsettling traditional gender roles and expectations for religious behavior. At the same time as uncovering connections, the juxtaposition of women from different traditions serves to highlight distinctive features. The book draws on a range of disciplinary expertise and will be of particular interest to scholars of medieval religion and theology as well as history and literary studies.