Historical Dictionary of Sufism

John Renard

doi:10.5771/9780810879744

Summary

The most broadly accepted explanation of Sufism is the etymological derivation of the term from the Arabic for “wool,” ṣūf, associating practitioners with a preference for poor, rough clothing. This explanation clearly identifies Sufism with ascetical practice and the importance of manifesting spiritual poverty through material poverty. In fact, some of the earliest “Western” descriptions of individuals now widely associated with the larger phenomenon of Sufism identified them with the Arabic term faqīr, mendicant, or its most common Persian equivalent, darwīsh. Sufism, as presented here embraces a host of features including the ritual, institutional, psychological, hermeneutical, artistic, literary, ethical, and epistemological.

This second edition of Historical Dictionary of Sufism contains a chronology, an introduction, a glossary, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has over 1,000 cross-referenced entries on important personalities, major historical figures and movements, practices, economy, foreign relations, religion, and culture. This book is an excellent access point for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about Sufism.

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Bibliographic data

Edition: 2/2015
Copyright Year: 2015
ISBN-Print: 978-0-8108-7973-7
ISBN-Online: 978-0-8108-7974-4
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield, Lanham
Language: English
Pages: 531
Product Type: Monograph

1. Contents No access
2. Editor’s Foreword No access
3. Acknowledgments and Credits No access
4. Reader’s Note No access
5. Maps No access
6. Chronology No access
Introduction: Approaches to the History of Sufism No access Pages 1 - 14
1. A No access
2. B No access
3. C No access
4. D No access
5. E No access
6. F No access
7. G No access
8. H No access
9. I No access
10. J No access
11. K No access
12. L No access
13. M No access
14. N No access
15. O No access
16. P No access
17. Q No access
18. R No access
19. S No access
20. T No access
21. U No access
22. V No access
23. W No access
24. Y No access
25. Z No access
Glossary No access Pages 339 - 370
Bibliography No access Pages 371 - 530
About the Author No access Pages 531 - 531