Share

cover art for What is Sufism?

Let's Talk Religion

What is Sufism?

Ep. 98
•

Embark on an intellectual journey into the realm of Sufism. Explore the intricate history, philosophical underpinnings, and mystical practices that have shaped this fascinating tradition. Join me as we delve into the topic of Sufi mysticism, shedding light on its profound impact on Islam & its history.


Sources/Recomended Reading:

  • Abu-n Nasr, Jamil M. (2007). "Muslim Communities of Grace: The Sufi Brotherhoods in Islamic Religious Life". C Hurst & Co Publishers Ltd.
  • "Al-Qushayri's Epistle on Sufism - Al-Risala Al Qushayriyya Fi 'ilm Al-Tasawwuf". Translated by Alexander Knysh. 2020. The Center for Muslim Contribution to Civilization.
  • Avery, Kenneth S. (2004). "A Psychology of Early Sufi Sama: Listening and altered states". Routledge.
  • Casewit, Yousef (2017). "The Mystics of al-Andalus: Ibn Barrajan and Islamic Thought in the Twelfth Century". Cambridge University Press.
  • Chittick, William (1989). "The Sufi Path of Knowledge: Ibn 'Arabi's Metaphysics of Imagination".
  • Chittick, William (1998). "The Self-Disclosure of God: Principles of Ibn al-'Arabi's Cosmology". State University of New York Press.
  • Cornell, Vincent J. (1998). "Realm of the Saint: Power and Authority in Moroccan Sufism". University of Texas Press.
  • Caner Dagli (translated by) (2004). Ibn 'Arabi - "The Ringstones of Wisdom (Fusus al-Hikam)". Great Books of the Islamic World. Kazi Pubns Inc.
  • Ernst, Carl W. & Bruce B. Lawrence (2003). "Sufi Martyrs of Love: The Chishti Order in South Asia and beyond". Palgrave Macmillan.
  • Homerin, Emil (Translated by) (2001). "'Umar Ibn al-Farid: Sufi Verse, Saintly Life". Classics of Western Spirituality. Paulist Press.
  • Homerin, Emil (2019). "Aisha al-Ba'uniyya: A Life in Praise of Love". Makers of the Muslim World Series. Oneworld Publications.
  • Karamustafa, Ahmet T. (2006). God's Unruly Friends: Dervish Groups in the Islamic Middle Period 1200-1550. Oneworld Publications.
  • Karamustafa, Ahmet T. (2007). "Sufism - the formative period". Edinburgh University Press.
  • Knysh, Alexander (2000). "Islamic Mysticism: A Short History". Brill.
  • Knysh, Alexander (2019). "Sufism: A New History of Islamic Mysticism". Princeton University Press.
  • Lewis, Franklin D. (2000). "Rumi: Past and Present, East and West". Oneworld publications.
  • Malik, Jamal & John Hinnells (ed.) (2006). "Sufism in the West". Routledge.
  • Ridgeon, Lloyd (ed.) (2015). "The Cambridge Companion to Sufism". Cambridge University Press.
  • Schimmel, Annemarie (1975). "Mystical Dimensions of Islam". The University of North Carolina Press.
  • Van Bruinessen, Martin & Julia Day Howell (ed). (2007). "Sufism and the Modern in Islam". I.B. Tauris.

More episodes

View all episodes

  • 138. Was Alcohol Always Forbidden in Islam?

    34:34||Ep. 138
    Find me and my music here:https://linktr.ee/filipholmSupport Let's Talk Religion on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/letstalkreligion Or through a one-time donation: https://paypal.me/talkreligiondonateSources/Recomended Reading:Clarke, Abdussamad (translated by) (2021). "The Kitab al-Athar of Abu Hanifah". Turath Publishing.El Shamsy, Ahmed (2013). "The Canonization of Islamic Law: A Social and Intellectual History". Cambridge University Press.Gohlman, William E. (translated by) (1974). "The Life of Ibn Sina: A Critical Edition and Annotated Translation". State University of New York Press.Haider, Najam (2012). "The Origins of the Shi'a: Identity, Ritual and Sacred Space in Eighth Century Kufa". Cambridge University Press.Haider, Najam (2013). "Contesting Intoxication: Early Juristic Debates over the Lawfulness of Alcoholic Beverages". In Islamic Law and Society 20 (2013) 48-89. Brill. Hallaq, Wael (2004). "The Origins and Evolution of Islamic Law". Cambridge University Press. Hallaq, Wael (2009). "Sharia: Theory, Practice, Transformations". Cambridge University Press. Wyman-Landgraf, Umar F. Abd-Allah (2013). "Malik and Medina: Islamic Reasoning in the Formative Period". Brill.al-Tahawi's "al-Mukhtasar". Arabic version.

  • 137. Nasir al-din al-Tusi: The Greatest Islamic Astronomer?

    51:07||Ep. 137
    Find me and my music here:https://linktr.ee/filipholmSupport Let's Talk Religion on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/letstalkreligion Or through a one-time donation: https://paypal.me/talkreligiondonateSources/Recomended Reading:Badakhchani, S.J. (translated by) (1999). “Contemplation and Action: The Spiritual Autobiography of a Muslim Scholar”. I.B. Tauris.Badakhchani, S.J. (translated by) (2004). “The Paradise of Submission: A Medieval Treatise on Ismaili Thought”. Ismaili Texts and Translations. I.B. Tauris.Chittick, William (1981). “Mysticism versus Philosophy in Earlier Islamic History: The Al-Ṭūsī, Al-Qūnawī Correspondence”. In Religious StudiesVol. 17, No. 1 (Mar., 1981). Cambridge University Press.Daftary, Farhad (2007). "The Isma'ilis: Their history and doctrines". Cambridge University Press.Meisami, Sayeh (2019). “Nasir al-Din Tusi: A Philosopher for All Seasons”. The Islamic Texts Society.Qara’i, Ali Quli (translated by) (?) “Awsaf al-Ashraf: Attributes of the Noble”. In al-Tawhid Islamic Journal, Vol.11, No.3, No.4.

  • 136. What is the Bektashi Order?

    53:45||Ep. 136
    Find me and my music here:https://linktr.ee/filipholmSupport Let's Talk Religion on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/letstalkreligion Or through a one-time donation: https://paypal.me/talkreligiondonateAlso check out the Let's Talk Religion Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/0ih4sqtWv0wRIhS6HFgerb?si=95b07d83d0254bSources/Recomended Reading:Elsie, Robert (2019). "The Albanian Bektashi: History and Culture of a Dervish Order in the Balkans". I.B. Tauris.Kingsley Birge, John (1937). "The Bektashi Order of Dervishes". Hartford Seminary Press.Smith, Grace Martin (1993). "The Poetry of Yunus Emre: A Turkish Sufi Poet". University of California Press.Soileau, Mark (2018). "Humanist Mystics: Nationalism and the Commemoration of Saints in Turkey". The University of Utah Press.

  • 135. Is Islam a Western Religion?

    25:53||Ep. 135
    Find me and my music here:https://linktr.ee/filipholmSupport Let's Talk Religion on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/letstalkreligion Or through a one-time donation: https://paypal.me/talkreligiondonateSources/Recomended Reading:Ahmed, Shahab (2017). "What is Islam?: The Importance of Being Islamic". Princeton University Press.Bulliet, Richard (2004) "The Case for Islamo-Christian Civilization". Columbia University Press.Melvin-Koushki, Matthew (2017). "Powers of One: The Mathematicalization of the Occult Sciences in the High Persianate Tradition". Intellectual History of the Islamicate World 5, no. 1: 127-99.Ragep, F. Jamil (2004). "Copernicus and His Islamic Predecessors: An Aspect of Islamic Influence on Science". Osiris 16 n.s.: 49-71.SHWEP episodes:https://shwep.net/podcast/matthew-melvin-koushki-on-islam-the-west-and-western-esotericism/https://shwep.net/podcast/matthew-melvin-koushki-on-the-west/

  • 134. Sri Ramakrishna & Universal Vedanta

    44:34||Ep. 134
    We explore one of the most influential and significant Hindu figures in modern times.Written by Anmol KohliCo-written by myself (Filip Holm)Find me and my music here:https://linktr.ee/filipholmSupport Let's Talk Religion on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/letstalkreligion Or through a one-time donation: https://paypal.me/talkreligiondonateSources/Recomended Reading:Swami Saradananda, Sri Ramakrishna and His Divine Play (translated by Swami Chetanananda) - the "Leelaprasanga". Vedanta Society of St. Louis.Mahendranath Gupta, The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna (translated by Swami Nikhilananda) - the "Kathamrita". Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Center,N.Y.Ayon Maharaj, Infinite Paths to Infinite Reality: Sri Ramakrishna and Cross-Cultural Philosophy of Religion. OUP USA.The Life of Swami Vivekananda, by his Eastern and Western Disciples. Vedanta Pr.

  • 133. The Book of the Holy Hierotheos

    58:54||Ep. 133
    In this episode, we talk about the so-called "Book of the Holy Hierotheos", a Syriac work that contains some of the most radical and shocking mystical teachings from the corpus of early Christian writings.Find me and my music here:https://linktr.ee/filipholmSupport Let's Talk Religion on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/letstalkreligion Or through a one-time donation: https://paypal.me/talkreligiondonateSources/Recomended Reading:Chatonnet, Francoise Briquel & Muriel Debié (2023). "The Syriac World: In Search of a Forgotten Christianity". Darling Young, Robin; Joel Kalvesmaki; Columba Stewart; Charles M. Stang & Fr. Luke Dysinger (Translated by) (2024). "Evagrius of Pontus: The Gnostic Trilogy". OUP USA.King, Daniel (2018). "The Syriac World". Routledge.Luibheid, Colm (Translated by) (1987). "Pseudo-Dionysius: The Complete Works". Classics of Western Spirituality. Paulist Press International.Marsh, F.S. (Translated by) (1927). "The Book Which is Called The Book of the Holy Hierotheos". Williams & Norgate.Also check out more info about Evagrius on Luke Dysinger's website: http://www.ldysinger.com/Evagrius/#hierotheos #mysticism #christianity

  • 132. Religion in Ancient Egypt

    01:24:09||Ep. 132
    In this episode, we try to get a basic overview of the religion that was practiced in Ancient Egypt.Find me and my music here:https://linktr.ee/filipholmSupport Let's Talk Religion on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/letstalkreligion Or through a one-time donation: https://paypal.me/talkreligiondonateSources/Recomended Reading:Assmann, Jan (2001). "The Search for God in Ancient Egypt". Translated by David Lorton. Cornell University Press.Dunand, Françoise & Christiane Zivie-Coche (2005). "Gods and Men in Egypt: 3000 BCE to 395 CE". Translated by David Lorton. Cornell University Press.Hornung, Erik (1996). "Conceptions of God in Ancient Egypt: The One and the Many". Translated by John Baines. Cornell University Press.Hornung, Erik (1999). "Akhenaten and the Religion of Light". Translated by David Lorton. Cornell University Press.Meeks, D., & Favard-Meeks, C. (1997). Daily Life of the Egyptian Gods (G. M. Goshgarian, Trans.; Pimilco).Pinch, G. (2002). Handbook of Egyptian Mythology.Quirke, Stephen (1992). "Ancient Egyptian Religion". British Museum Press. Teeter, Emily (2011). "Religion and Ritual in Ancient Egypt". Cambridge University Press.Wilkinson, R. H. (2003). The Complete Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt.Wilkinson, R. H. (2000). The Complete Temples of Ancient Egypt.

  • 131. Pseudo-Dionysius: The Father of Mysticism?

    58:50||Ep. 131
    In this episode, we tackle one of the most important figures in the history of religion, philosophy, mysticism & the esoteric - the writer calling himself Dionysios, and who would create a synthesis between Neoplatonic philosophy and Christianity in ways the echoed down the centuries.Check out the Secret History of Western Esotericism Podcast (SHWEP) for more Dionysius content: https://shwep.netFind me and my music here:https://linktr.ee/filipholmSupport Let's Talk Religion on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/letstalkreligion Or through a one-time donation: https://paypal.me/talkreligiondonateSources/Recomended Reading:Lossky, Vladimir (1944). "The Mystical Theology of the Eastern Church". James Clarke & Co.Luibheid, Colm (Translated by) (1987). "Pseudo-Dionysius: The Complete Works". Classics of Western Spirituality. Paulist Press International.McGinn, Bernard. "The Presence of God" Series, in several volumes. Perhaps the best and most comprehensive introduction to Christian mysticism. Published by Crossroad Publishing Co.McGinn, Bernard (2001). "The Mystical Thought of Meister Eckhart: The Man From Whom God Hid Nothing". Crossroad Publishing Co.The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy Entry on Pseudo-Dionysius: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/pseudo-dionysius-areopagite/Earl's section:Human and celestial hierarchies compared: EH 373AB, 376BC; CH 208BCD; EH 501A-D.Angelic triads: CH 200D: 3 threefold groups of angels, as taught by Pseudo-D's sacred initiator (i.e. Hierotheos); CH 257C: each angelic triad has Iamblichean-style first and last terms with a necessary median term. Cf. Iamb. De myst. V.8.225.5-8; CH 273C ditto; EH 501A: triads au go-go.Angelic mediation between humans and god: CH 180A. God never appears without intermendiaries, even to the saints: m180C. Even to Jesus: 181C. Long discussion of Isaiah and the Seraphim: 300B ff.

  • 130. Inayat Khan & Universal Sufism

    58:55||Ep. 130
    A long awaited episode, in which we finally talk about the important and controverisal 20th century sufi Inayat Khan and the Sufi Movement that he started in the West.Sources/Recomended Reading:Gandhi, Supriya (2020). "The Emperor who never was: Dara Shukoh in Mughal India". Belknap Press.Inayat Khan, Pir Zia (ed.) (2001). "A Pearl in Wine: Essays on the Life, Music & Sufism of Hazrat Inayat Khan". Omega Publications.Inayat Khan Zia (2006). "A Hybrid Sufi Order At the Crossroads of Modernity: The Sufi Order and Sufi Movement of Pir-o-Murshid Inayat Khan". Doctoral Thesis. Duke University.Khan, Inayat (1996). "The Mysticism of Sound & Music". Shambala.Khan, Inayat (2003). "The Sufi Message: Spiritual Liberty" (Vol. 5). Motilal Banarsidass Publications.Miner, Allyn (translated by) (2016). "The Minqar-i Musiqar: Hazrat Inayat Khan's classic 1912 work on Indian musical theory & practice". Suluk Press.Nair, Shankar (2020). "Translating Wisdom: Hindu-Muslim Intellectual Interactions in Early Modern South Asia". University of California Press.
Copyright Filip Holm
Hosted with ❤️ by Acast