RELIGION AND MYSTICISM IN EARLY ISLAM pdf download

Religion and mysticism in early Islam

Theology and Sufism in Yemen the Legacy of Ahmad Ibn ‘Alwān Muhammad Ali Aziz

RELIGION AND MYSTICISM IN EARLY ISLAM

This book explores the development of Islamic mysticism in Yemen from the beginning of Islam until the demise of the Ottoman Empire and into the modern period. It focuses on the religious-political struggle; the interplay between the Shī‘ī, Sunnī, and Sufi traditions; and the cultural and intellectual debates.

It also describes the rise and development of Sufi institutions with special attention to the theology, Sufism, and legacy of perhaps the greatest religious and mystical thinker of premodern Yemen, Ahmad b. ‘Alwān (d. 665/1266).

Ibn ‘Alwān lived during the period of Yemen’s momentous transition from the rule of the Egyptian Ayyūbid dynasty (569–626/1173–1228)1 to that of their Rasūlid lieutenants (626–858/1228–1454), who declared their independence from the Egyptian Ayyūbids in 632/1234.

As a renowned scholar and mystical visionary, Ibn ‘Alwān’s interactions with the ruling elites of both dynasties were marked by tension and ambiguity.

Their representatives held him in high regard and listened carefully to his advice and admonitions, yet they resented his critique of their governance. Ibn ‘Alwān’s contribution to the development of Islamic mysticism, theology, and spirituality in Yemen was wide-ranging and varied.

He left behind a substantial body of writings on various aspects of Islamic mysticism, theology, law, and Qur’ān exegesis, and he was also an accomplished mystical poet, whose poems have continued to enjoy great popularity among Yemeni Muslims up to the present day.

 Although Ibn ‘Alwān died seven and a half centuries ago, his tomb remains the object of a colorful annual pilgrimage attended by hundreds of visitors from far and wide.

This fact alone serves as the best testimony of his continued relevance to the lives and aspirations of all in Yemen, from the rural peasant to the urban intellectual.

Given Ibn ‘Alwān’s great stature as an intellectual and spiritual beacon of the Yemeni nation, it is not surprising that his life and work have