Waḥdat al-Wujūd as Post-Avicennian Thought: Comparing Writings on the Basmala by Ibn ‘Arabī and ‘Abd al-Karīm al-Jīlī

The article has a two main aims: situating the (post-)Akbarian ideas in the context of Islamic post-classical, esp., post-Avicennian thought and moving the field of the study ‘Abd al-Karīm al-Jīlī away from the focus on one work, al-Insān al-Kāmil, to the inclusion of a broader specter of writings regarded as minor texts. The article proposes a rhizomatic reading of the sources to re-open the field of analysis. At the same time, the article argues for waḥdat al-wujūd as a main element of post-classical Islamic discourse sharing a framework with post-Avicennian thought. Reconfiguring the field of the study of writings on waḥdat al-wujūd this will allow for an analysis of the field not an analysis of selected works. The analysis will be done by a close reading of a set of works focussed on the basmala as one of the most important formulae. This is not an analysis of the letters and its interpretations but much more of the post-classical philosophy and the relation of the Sufism of waḥdat al-wujūd to it. The article discusses the role of the writings of al-Jīlī and Ibn ‘Arabī. The analysis of the field of writings of al-Jīlī opens a perspective on waḥdat al-wujūd as an interrelated field of meanings beyond the focus on single works and its possible intertextual references.

Rereading Jalāl al-Dīn al-Rūmī’s Wisdom Approach to Justice and Injustice

This paper discusses the wisdom approach to justice and injustice of Jalāl al-Dīn al-Rūmī, one of the greatest Sufi sages of all times. This famous Sufi master, in his background, was an eminent social thinker, intellectual, and especially a law scholar. Thus, it is not surprising that he dealt with these terms, which were critical concepts in past political thought in the West and the East, extensively in his works. Firstly, as a method, the study traces these two concepts in al-Rūmī’s works and mainly Masnavi. Then it connects them with their contemporary use. It is understood from al-Rūmī’s definitions of them, metaphors and stories accompanied by messages to judges and politicians, that he uses the concept of justice, especially in the sense of today’s rule of law and protection of human rights, and injustice in the sense of human rights violations and totalitarian policies. When we reread and rethink al-Rūmī’s mentioned concepts in this way, his political wisdom can inspire and guide both today’s Islamic world and humanity to overcome their challenges in these crucial areas.

Rethinking Conceptual Sufism: A Synthesis of Islamic Spirituality, Asceticism, and Mysticism

Far from being a school or a sect, Sufism is an ideology, a mode of life, a set of principles, and a ‘faith in practice.’ Sufism has been addressed and presented by scholars countless times. It has been primarily defined as either Islamic mysticism or as the spiritual dimension of Islam. Yet, as much as mysticism is ineffable as much as the published research is full of tangled definitions that only scholars can comprehend. The traditional approach to the study of Sufism makes the topic burdensome and mentally unattainable to the learned public. This article explains Sufism without using complex terminology or intense presentations of mystical states and stations. It is a scholarly attempt that is ultimately designed to provide a straightforward definition of Sufism. It presents Sufism in a three-fold manner, as a synthesis of three Islamic principles: Islamic spirituality, asceticism, and mysticism. Each of the three dimensions is explained in an Islamic context to demonstrate the validity of the Sufi trends as being purely Islamic. Spirituality, asceticism, and mysticism are all discussed within the frame of Tradition, that is, the Quran and the Sunna of the Prophet Muhammad.

Towards a Psycho-Sociological Understanding of Allah

It is not possible to determine whether Allah is inside the universe or outside it. While the traditional understanding is that Allah is “outside” the universe; the “inside” understanding is consistent with the Qur’ān as well as the writings of Carl G. Jung, Emile Durkheim, Abraham Maslow, and Philip Goff and can explain the concept and the writ of Allah to the modern mind. We hypothesize that Allah is the name given to the consciousness of every particle in the universe fused into One and called Universal Consciousness. The consciousness is not prior- or after matter but exists in parallel. There is a 2-way give-and-take between Allah and the Universe. The believers have a more direct communication with Allah. Allah rules upon the universe and, at the same time, Allah is constituted of the Collective Consciousness of the same universe. We show this hypothesis is consistent with al-Nūr 24:35 and Sūra al-Ikhlāṣ. This approach can be the foundation on which we can build a concordance between the understandings of Qur’ānic Allah and modern science, thus explain the majesty of Allah to the science-oriented modern mind including the atheists without diluting the spiritual content of the Holy Qur’ān.

Selfhood and Subjectivity in Sufi Thought: Image of a Mole on Emperor Akbar’s Nose

This paper addresses the making of portrait-images of Mughal emperors, in which distinctness and particularity in individual features distinguished portraits of emperor Akbar from his ancestors and successors. Scholars have argued that the technique of ‘accurate’ portraits or mimesis was introduced to Mughal artists with the arrival of renaissance paintings and prints from Europe, brought by Jesuit priests to the Mughal court. However, the question of why Mughal emperors saw a need to arrive at portraiture in the likeness of individuals remains to be addressed. This paper argues that the desire to portray a ruler, in all his individual particularity, can arise only within a literary and intellectual matrix in which the individual is valued and where ideas about selfhood and subjectivity have already permeated the philosophical, political, and literary thought. Tracing the transhistorical and transcultural migration of ideas and motifs from Timurid Central Asia to Mughal India, this paper examines the transference of Sufi thought on image-making practices, particularly portraiture, in the imperial court of the Mughals in early seventeenth century. Keywords: Portrait-images of Akbar, subjectivity, Sufi thought, poetics between text and image.

On the Renovation of Religious Discourse: Analysis of Concepts, and Internal and External Disciplines

This article aims to clarify the meaning of “renovation of religious discourse”, specifically by defining the disciplines of this renovation and their importance in determining its meaning. The disciplines play a pivotal role in determining the nature, meaning, and possibilities of renovating religious discourse. To demonstrate this thesis, the article will first make some conceptual distinctions between ‘discourse of religion’ and ‘religious discourse’, between ‘religion’ and ‘religiosity’, between ‘renovation in religious discourse’ and ‘renovation of religious discourse’. Secondly, it will make a distinction between internal and external disciplines. Internal disciplines lie within the religious text itself and in the hermeneutic circle between understanding parts of the text and understanding it as a whole, between understanding and pre-understanding, between the inside and the outside. In doing so, the paper focuses mainly on the role of the ruling political and economic powers and authorities. The paper concludes that renovating religious discourse is a political and institutional issue rather than a purely religious one related to individuals and that it is conditional on the state and its political system, the extent of its actual adoption of the concepts of ‘the state of citizenship and law’, democracy, and the extent to which it protects freedoms, differences, and pluralism.

New Face of Contemporary Sufism in Southeast Asia: Experience of Indonesia and Malaysia

The current global spiritual revival has been reflected in the revival of Sufism, to the extent that Sufism now has a different appearance from its earlier conventional manifestations. Global developments have driven Sufism to put its appearance relevant to the demands of global living. Focusing on the experiences of Indonesia and Malaysia, this paper attempts to examine the developments of Sufism. These countries seem to represent contemporary trends of Sufism in Southeast Asia. The new face of contemporary Sufism called “urban Sufism” is found in Indonesia. The practices of urban Sufism, which is influenced by the political realm, can be observed within Majelis Dzikir Nurussalam (MDN) established by the former President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. In Malaysia, the new appearance of Sufism was initiated by Dar al-Arqam, which later changed its name as Ikhwan Global (IG). This group actively encourages its members to be economically self-reliant by undertaking a range of business activities and at the same time promotes a Sufi lifestyle as the focus of its activities. This research found that contemporary Sufism is no longer oriented exclusively toward the pursuit of spiritual achievements, but it also becomes an instrument of political and economic interests.

Islamic Da‘wah in the Malay Peninsula: Contributions of the Sayyids of Early Times

This article traces the stellar accomplishments of the Sayyids, as descendants of the Prophet Muhammad are known in the field of Islamic da‘wah. For the many Sayyids who excelled as torchbearers of Islam in the Malay world, propagating Islam was a lifetime vocation that passed without the stress that we find in the modern world. Their da‘wah efforts encompassed such diverse undertakings as employing business acumen in confronting the challenges of colonialism and Malay court culture, immersing themselves in native communities via intermarriages and adoption of local customs, and carving a niche for themselves in local and international politics as advisors and emissaries. At grassroots level, da‘wah for them was inseparable from daily chores and mundane affairs. That Western colonialism hardly made any impact in directly desacralizing the Malays is a tribute to the success of the Sayyids’ da‘wah efforts, which served as a buffer against the religious implications of colonial encroachment into autochthonous institutions and lifestyle. By looking at some examples of how the Sayyids interacted with local communities in selected regions of the Malay world, this article traces part of this glittering history of da‘wah in the easternmost parts of the Islamic commonwealth. Most importantly, the Malay world’s Islamization was distinguished by lack of violence and emphasis on educational progress more than anything else.

Islam Reformed in Indian History: The Dynamic Sufi Heart in Vital Transition to Printed Scripture

Attempting to comprehend the controversial subject of Islamic reform, this study compares the development of Indian Islam to the Protestant Reformation. Seminal findings from social science aid in understanding religious reform as an evolving historical process. During the transition to colonial rule in India, Christian missionaries introduced a scripturally defined concept of religion that challenged the traditional worldview with Sufis at the heart of organic universal order. Shah Waliullah interpreted the social disorder as the historical operation of the transcendent and willful God, declaring Islamic scriptures as the only authoritative guide for believers. Reformers translated the Qur’ān, preached to the masses, and established independent Muslim schools. Scripturalism expressed as literalism became puritanical resulting in sectarian fragmentation and conflict with Islamic and Christian reform. But the most disruptive change agent was technological: the printing press transformed scripture from oral and manuscript traditions, and the pervasive printed Qur’ān in local languages shaped individual and communal Muslim identity. The profound historical impact of religious reform with printed scripture could portend a new era with digital scripture in cyberspace.

The Salience of Saintliness in Islam: A Sufi Perspective

While materialism largely failed in achieving humanity’s essential goal of attaining happiness in life, as it intensified people’s attachment to the material world, spirituality represents an alternative way towards accomplishing ultimate joy. Multiple approaches have brought the value of spirituality. Classical saintly experience and practice have played a significant role in Islamic spirituality and became in its various forms integrated into social, political, and intellectual life. This paper discusses the ascetic practices of Sufis in approaching the ultimate spiritual goal of inner purification. While classical Sufism’s disciplinary methods have varied significantly across time and place, in many cases, these practices revolve around obedience and asceticism. It then discusses the unique attributes Sufi saints are characterized that speak to the existence of more profound dimensions of reality such as Wilāya and Baraka and their impact on social life.