Perspectives on Early Islamic Mysticism

"This monograph explores the original literary produce of Muslim mystics during the 8th -10th centuries, with special attention to 9th c. mystics, such as al-Tustari , al-Muh Đ℗ sibi , al-Kharr℗ z, al-Junayd and, in particular, al-H Đaki m al-Tirmidhi . Unlike other studies dealing with the so-called 'Formative Period', this book focuses on the extant writings of early mystics rather than on the later Sufi compilations. These early mystics articulated what would become a hallmark of Islamic mysticism: a system built around the psychological tension between the self (nafs) and the heart (qalb) and how to overcome it. Through their writings, already at this early phase, the versatility, fluidity and maturity of Islamic mysticism become apparent. This exploration thus reveals that mysticism in Islam emerged earlier than customarily acknowledged, long before Islamic mysticism became generically known as Sufism. The central figure of this book is al-H Đaki m al-Tirmidhi , whose teaching and inner world focus on themes such as polarity, the training of the self, the opening of the heart, the Friends of God (al-awliy℗ ơ), dreams and visions, divine language, mystical exegesis and more. This monograph thus offers a fuller picture than hitherto presented of the versatility of themes, processes, images, practices, terminology and thought models during this early period. The volume will be a key resource for scholars and students interested in the study of religion, Sufi studies, Late Antiquity and Medieval Islam"--