Download Free Religion Mysticism And Modern Arabic Literature Book in PDF and EPUB Free Download. You can read online Religion Mysticism And Modern Arabic Literature and write the review.

One of the significant phenomena in modern Arabic literature since the 1960s has been the use of mystical concepts, figures and motifs for the expression of contemporary experiences, philosophies and ideologies. The book investigates this phenomenon mainly with regard to the creative poetic process and the use of literary masks. It also deals with the complicated relationship between Arabic literature and Islam as well as with the literary activities by religious traditional circles. In a welter of publications committed Muslim authors try to prove that there is no inherent contradiction between art and Islam, and at the same time to lay the theoretical foundations for an "Islamist" poetics encompassing the various branches of literary production. Within the secular canonical circles, however, these activities and texts are considered extremely marginal and none of the authors concerned has gained any canonical status. The growing number of cases, in which attempts at censorship on religious and moral grounds have been challenged, prove also that Arabic literature has become more and more secular.
An original study of the transformation of Safavid Persia from a majority Sunni country to a Twelver Shi'i realm "Mysticism" in Iran is an in-depth analysis of significant transformations in the religious landscape of Safavid Iran that led to the marginalization of Sufism and the eventual emergence of 'irfan as an alternative Shi'i model of spirituality. Ata Anzali draws on a treasure-trove of manuscripts from Iranian archives to offer an original study of the transformation of Safavid Persia from a majority Sunni country to a Twelver Shi'i realm. The work straddles social and intellectual history, beginning with an examination of late Safavid social and religious contexts in which Twelver religious scholars launched a successful campaign against Sufism with the tacit approval of the court. This led to the social, political, and economic marginalization of Sufism, which was stigmatized as an illegitimate mode of piety rooted in a Sunni past. Anzali directs the reader's attention to creative and successful attempts by other members of the ulama to incorporate the Sufi tradition into the new Twelver milieu. He argues that the category of 'irfan, or "mysticism," was invented at the end of the Safavid period by mystically minded scholars such as Shah Muhammad Darabi and Qutb al-Din Nayrizi in reference to this domesticated form of Sufism. Key aspects of Sufi thought and practice were revisited in the new environment, which Anzali demonstrates by examining the evolving role of the spiritual master. This traditional Sufi function was reimagined by Shi'i intellectuals to incorporate the guidance of the infallible imams and their deputies, the ulama. Anzali goes on to address the institutionalization of 'irfan in Shi'i madrasas and the role played by prominent religious scholars of the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries in this regard. The book closes with a chapter devoted to fascinating changes in the thought and practice of 'irfan in the twentieth century during the transformative processes of modernity. Focusing on the little-studied figure of Kayvan Qazvini and his writings, Anzali explains how 'irfan was embraced as a rational, science-friendly, nonsectarian, and anticlerical concept by secular Iranian intellectuals.
The volume consists of six parts devoted to literature, languages, history, culture, science, religions and philosophy of the Eastern World. Its aim is to portray the present-day state of oriental studies, which are here understood predominantly as philologies of Asia and Africa, but also as a field of study including other, adjacent disciplines of the humanities, not neglecting the history of oriental research. The book’s multidisciplinary content reflects the multi- and often interdisciplinary nature of oriental studies today. Part 1 (Literature) offers new insights into belles-lettres written in Arabic, Hindi, Turkish, Urdu, Persian and Japanese. Part 2 (Linguistics) contains studies on Sanskrit texts (in a stylometric approach), Japanese nominals, Japanese poetry as a linguistic source, Arabic translations of the Bible, Arabic dialect of Morocco, Arabic culinary terms of Persian origin and Turkish vocabulary of the language reform era. Part 3 (History) investigates Napoleon’s campaign in the Middle East, Middle Eastern-Russian relations in the 18th century, the history of Seljuk Empire and the works of a Moroccan historian, Ǧaʿfar Ibn Aḥmad an-Nāṣīrī as-Salawī. Part 4 (Historyof Oriental Studies) deals with the history of oriental studies in Kraków and with the problems of a critical edition of the Quran. Part 5 (Culture and Science) examines the artistic achievements of Egyptian moviemaker Yūsuf Šahīn and possible influence of the Muslim science on medieval Polish scholars. Part 6 (Religion and Philosophy) explores some philosophical concepts of the Confucian ethics and the contribution of Karīma Bint Aḥmad Al-Marwaziyya to preservation and transmission of some religious traditions of Islam.
The first two essays in Poets from a War Torn World are about mysticism in modern Arabic poetry. The second two essays are about literary philosophy in modern Hebrew poetry. All four essays focus on the 1960s and 1970s, a time when poets hoped that through their writings they could help bring peace to a war torn Middle East. Reuven Snir's introduction is in clear simple language. It provides background knowledge that will assist the general reader who has no previous knowledge of specifically Arabic or Hebrew poetry. Otherwise, the introduction and essays are of interest to scholars, students and the general reader, those interested in poetry, poetics or diverse cultures. The four essays include Aviva Butt's translations of entire poems, so the book also includes a collection of poems that are enjoyable to read. The leading poets under discussion in the first three essays are Adunis (Adonis), Mahmud Darwish (Arabic poets) and Natan Zach (Hebrew poet). Rashid Husayn (Arabic poet) is also mentioned. The last essay, A Surge of Poetry, deals with the creativity of Hebrew poets Natan Zach, Yehuda Amichai, Meir Wieseltier and Asher Reich. Natan Alterman is also mentioned. Author of: Gifts from an Empty Suitcase and Other Short Stories: And Twenty Poems (2012) Publisher's website: http: //sbpra.com/AvivaButt Aviva is currently publishing academic articles in a Turkish journal entitled The International Journal of Kurdish Studies (IJOKS) - Diyarbakir. Her articles on the Kurdish poet Salim Barakat are on the social media academia.edu Aviva visited Diyarbakir Turkey over the holiday season, and is back in Tasmania Australia where she presently lives.
The book provides a general survey of the history of Islamic mysticism (Sufism) since its inception up to the modern time. It combines chronological and personality-based approaches to the subject with a thematic discussion of principal Sufi notions and institutions. Sufism is examined from a variety of different perspectives: as a vibrant social institution, a specific form of artistic expression (mainly poetic), an ascetic and contemplative practice, and a distinctive intellectual tradition that derived its vitality from a dialogue with other strands of Islamic thought. The book emphasizes the wide variety of Sufism's interactions with the society and its institutions from an ascetic withdrawal from the world to an active involvement in its affairs by individual Sufi masters and organizations. Islamic Mysticism by Knysh is a comprehensive survey of the interesting and fascinating world of Islamic Mysticism.
The question of belonging has formed the basis of the political, religious and cultural tensions in Lebanon, to the point that sectarian conflict on the country's future contributed significantly to the outbreak of civil war in 1975. This book focuses on the development of the Phoenician-Lebanese movement that struggled against the hegemonic status of Arabic language and culture. The Phoenician-Lebanese were a predominantly Maronite Christian group who attempted to remove themselves from the Muslim and Arab world throughout the twentieth century. Their demands for self-definition as a nation and their desire to establish their own culture were rooted in the concept of their ancient Phoenician past. Basilius Bawardi examines four prominent authors who formed the basis on which all engaged so-called Phoenician literature was built: Sharl Qurm, Sa'id 'Aql, Mayy Murr and Muris 'Awwad. The literary corpus of these writers was a critical component of the political activity that strove to distinguish the native Lebanese inhabitants from their Arab-Muslim neighbours.Studying these authors' works in both a literary and historical way, Bawardi shows how language was used to promote a specific political agenda and identifies the strong connections between language, literature and nation building. As well as revealing the nationalist struggle as it emerges in prose and poetry, the book discusses the history and formation of modern day Lebanon and why language and literature are so crucial for members of a national minority.
The present volume—the first of its kind—deals with takfīr: accusing one ́s opponents of unbelief (kufr). Originating in the first decades of Islam, this practice has been applied intermittently ever since. The nineteen studies included here deal with cases, covering different periods and parts of the Muslim world, of individuals or groups that used the instrument of takfīr to brand their opponents—either persons, groups or even institutions—as unbelievers who should be condemned, anathematized or even persecuted. Each case presented is placed in its sociopolitical and religious context. Together the contributions show the multifariousness that has always characterized Islam and the various ways in which Muslims either sought to suppress or to come to terms with this diversity. With contributions by: Roswitha Badry, Sonja Brentjes, Brian J. Didier, Michael Ebstein, Simeon Evstatiev, Ersilia Francesca, Robert Gleave, Steven Judd, István T. Kristó-Nagy, Göran Larsson, Amalia Levanoni, Orkhan Mir-Kasimov, Hossein Modarressi, Justyna Nedza, Intisar A. Rabb, Sajjad Rizvi, Daniel de Smet, Zoltan Szombathy, Joas Wagemakers.
Die Geheimnisse der oberen und der unteren Welt (The Secrets of the Upper and the Lower World) is a substantial new collection of essays on magic in Islamic cultural history. Both comprehensive and innovative in its approach, this book offers fresh insights into an important yet still understudied area of Islamic intellectual history. The seventeen chapters deal with key aspects of Islamic magic, including its historical developments, geographical variants, and modern-day practices. The general introduction identifies and problematizes numerous sub-topics and key practitioners/theoreticians in the Arabo-Islamic context. This, along with terminological and bibliographical appendices, makes the volume an unparalleled reference work for both specialists and a broader readership. Contributors: Ursula Bsees, Johann Christoph Bürgel, Susanne Enderwitz, Hans Daiber; Sebastian Günther, Mahmoud Haggag, Maher Jarrar, Anke Joisten-Pruschke, Fabian Käs, Ulrich Marzolph, Christian Mauder, Tobias Nünlist, Khanna Omarkhali, Eva Orthmann, Bernd-Christian Otto, Dorothee Pielow, Lutz Richter-Bernburg, Johanna Schott & Johannes Thomann.
This in-depth examination of the life, history, and influence of Muhammad as discussed by leading scholars provides a wide-ranging look at the prophet's legacy unlike any other in the field of Islamic and culture studies. Within the Islamic world, the prophet Muhammad's influence is profound. But even outside of the religion of Islam, this visionary had a wide-ranging impact on history, society, literature, art, philosophy, and theology. Within this work's more than 200 A–Z entries, internationally recognized scholars summarize views of Muhammad from the earliest editors of the Qu'ran to contemporary Muslim theologians. This detailed resource explores the traditions, ceremonies, and beliefs of Islam as they have spread worldwide, and examines Muhammad's role in other religious traditions as well as the secular world. Muhammad in History, Thought, and Culture: An Encyclopedia of the Prophet of God distills 14 centuries of thinking about Muhammad, fully capturing his enduring legacy. This encyclopedia will benefit any reader seeking a greater understanding of the founder of Islam, the fastest-growing religion in the world. No other publication discusses Muhammad at such a high level of detail while remaining easily accessible to non-specialist, Western audiences.
The poetry of Salim Barakat aims to recapture the ancient oral culture of the “Kurdu,” and, in so doing, re-invent a distinctly Kurdish culture. Through poetic innovation, this intensely Kurdish poet brings modernity to ancient Kurdish structures. This book provides an overview of new developments in modern Arabic poetry, as seen through the creativity of its leading exponents, Barakat and Mahmud Darwish, as well as the older Syrian poet Adunis. Its unsurpassed translations of the work of these poets open up possibilities for the reader to enjoy first-hand what modern Arabic poetry has to offer. Translating Barakat’s poetry, and understanding something of what this great poet has to say has thrown new light on the output of his friend Mahmud Darwish. It becomes clear that the Palestinian poet uses a semblance of Barakat’s Kurdish Shahnama and also his Ballade, genres that hail from orality. Analyzing Darwish’s “Fewer Roses,” and “The Hoopoe,” we find that the former is an epic with 50 episodes telling of the wanderings of Palestinians in exile. “The Hoopoe” is specifically a Sufi poem based in the literary Sufism of medieval poets. Darwish has left us with clear instructions on how to translate his poetry, which this book carefully follows.