Thirty-five years after its original publication, Mystical Dimensions of Islam still stands as the most valuable introduction to Sufism, the main form of Islamic mysticism. This edition brings to a new generation of readers Annemarie Schimmel's historical treatment of the transnational phenomenon of Sufism, from its beginnings through the nineteenth century. Schimmel's sensitivity and deep understanding of Sufism--its origins, development, and historical context--as well as her erudite examination of Sufism as reflected in Islamic poetry, draw readers into the mood, the vision, and the way of the Sufi. In the foreword, distinguished Islam scholar Carl W. Ernst comments on the continuing vitality of Schimmel's book and the advances in the study of Sufism that have occurred since the work first appeared.
It is a splendid introduction—carefully researched and comprehensive, yet readable. It corrects many popular and erroneous notions about Islam that prevail in non-Muslim societies. For the general reader there are many profound insights of great consequence, for example, the passages on women, marriage, and inheritance, or the section on jihad, nearly always completely misunderstood in the press.
In this fascinating book Schimmel shows that numbers have been filled with mystery and meaning since the earliest times, and across every society. She conducts an illuminating tour of the mysteries attributed to numbers and their symbolism. 45 halftones; 64 linecuts.
The important role of the Prophet Muhammad in the everyday lives of Muslims is usually overlooked by Western scholars and has consequently never been understood by the Western world. Using original sources in the various Islamic languages, Annemarie Schimmel explains the central place of Muhammad in Muslim life, mystical thought, and poetry. She sees the veneration of Muhammad as having many parallels in other major religions. In order to understand Muslim piety it is necessary to take into account the long history of the veneration of Muhammad. Schimmel discusses aspects of his life, birth, marriage, miracles, and heavenly journey, all of which became subjects for religious devotions. By using poetic texts and artistic expressions and by examining daily Muslim religious practices, Schimmel shows us the gentler side of Islamic religious culture, providing a much-needed understanding of religion as it is experienced and practiced in the Islamic world. This is the first book in English to deal with all aspects of the veneration of the Prophet Muhammad. It is an expanded version of Schimmel's Und Muhammad Ist Sein Prophet, originally published in German in 1981.
This is a book on Rumi's life, his poetry, his thought, and his influence. Rumi's work forms one of the pillars of the Sufi orders, particularly the Mevlevi order, better known in the West as the Whirling Dervishes. In this book Rumi emerges not only as a spiritual master, but also as a fully human being grounded firmly in the Koran and in classical Islamic mysticism. The light of the Divine Sun, in its Beauty and Majesty, manifested itself for Rumi through the person of Shams of Tabriz. Transformed by this light, consumed by this fire, Mowlana Rumi saw the world in a new light. Everywhere he perceived God's Grandeur and his Grace. The book also discusses the theological premises upon which Rumi's work rests, his attitude to the problems of free will and predestination, and his analysis of the mystical stages and stations. The book not only gives a very rich analysis of Rumi's language and poetical art, but also a picture of medieval Konya, whose features the mystical poet transforms and transfigures.
Annemarie Schimmel has written extensively on India, Islam and poetry. In this comprehensive study she presents an overview of the cultural, economic, militaristic and artistic attributes of the great Mughal Empire from 1526 to 1857.
Annemarie Schimmel, one of the world's foremost authorities on Persian literature, provides a comprehensive introduction to the complicated and highly sophisticated system of rhetoric and imagery used by the poets of Iran, Ottoman Turkey, and Muslim India. She shows that these images have been used and refined over the centuries and reflect the changing conditions in the Muslim world. According to Schimmel, Persian poetry does not aim to be spontaneous in spirit or highly personal in form. Instead it is rooted in conventions and rules of prosody, rhymes, and verbal instrumentation. Ideally, every verse should be like a precious stone--perfectly formed and multifaceted--and convey the dynamic relationship between everyday reality and the transcendental. Persian poetry, Schimmel explains, is more similar to medieval European verse than Western poetry as it has been written since the Romantic period. The characteristic verse form is the ghazal--a set of rhyming couplets--which serves as a vehicle for shrouding in conventional tropes the poet's real intentions. Because Persian poetry is neither narrative nor dramatic in its overall form, its strength lies in an "architectonic" design; each precisely expressed image is carefully fitted into a pattern of linked figures of speech. Schimmel shows that at its heart Persian poetry transforms the world into a web of symbols embedded in Islamic culture.
Jiwa Wanita, yang duduk di istana tubuh, melepas cadarnya dan berlari mendatangi cintanya.—Diwan 1198 Mengapa substansi jiwa identik dengan wanita? Setelah melakukan eksplorasi ke hampir seluruh literatur mistik—terutama syair-syair indah para sufi—penulis buku menarik ini berujar lirih, “Dalam semua karya itu, pola dasarnya tetap sama: jiwa, yang diwakili dan diwujudkan dalam bentuk seorang wanita, berkelana melalui jalan yang sempit dan sulit untuk menjumpai sang kekasih. Syair-syair itu malah kadang-kadang mengambil identitas feminin. Mereka menyeru pada ‘kawan-kawan’ (wanita) mereka ….” Berpijak pada konsep seperti itu, Annemarie Schimmel, yang menghabiskan lebih dari 5 dekade hidupnya untuk mempelajari Islam, menganalisis salah satu aspek yang banyak dibahas (dan disalahpahami) dalam Islam; peran wanita. Schimmel mengkritisi para feminis Barat yang menghakimi Islam tanpa meluangkan waktu untuk memahami budaya, bahasa, dan tradisi berbagai masyarakat tempat Islam berkembang. Melalui buku ini, Schimmel menghancurkan stereotip tentang wanita Islam, menunjukkan berbagai teladan dalam Islam tentang kesetaraan wanita, pemikiran Nabi Muhammad, Al-Quran, dan bahasa feminin tradisi sufistik. “Sungguh sebuah buku yang wajib dibaca oleh kaum feminis atau pemerhati masalah feminisme!”—Republika
This book (previously published as I Am Wind, You Are Fire) celebrates the extraordinary career of Persia's great mystical poet, Rumi (1207–1273), through the story of his life, along with an enlightening examination of his ecstatic verse. Rumi lived the quiet life of a religious teacher in Anatolia until the age of thirty-seven, when he came under the influence of a whirling dervish, Shams Tabriz, and was moved to a state of mystical ecstasy. One of the results of this ecstasy was a prodigious output of poems about the search for the lost Divine Beloved, whom Rumi identified with Shams. To symbolize this search, Rumi also invented the famous whirling dance of the Melevi dervishes, which are performed accompanied by the chanting of Rumi's poems. Professor Schimmel illuminates the symbolism and significance of Rumi's vast output and offers her own translations of some of his most famous poems.
A Pocket Book for Akbar : a Dīvān of Auḥaduddin Anvari, Copied for the Mughal Emperor Jalaluddin Akbar (r. 1556-1605) at Lahore in A.H. 996/A.D. 1588 Now in the Fogg Art Museum of Harvard University
A Pocket Book for Akbar : a Dīvān of Auḥaduddin Anvari, Copied for the Mughal Emperor Jalaluddin Akbar (r. 1556-1605) at Lahore in A.H. 996/A.D. 1588 Now in the Fogg Art Museum of Harvard University
Fifteen jewel-like miniature paintings--with enlarged details--and thirteen pages of exquisitely calligraphed poetry are reproduced here from a diminutive manuscript commissioned by Akbar the Great, the third Mughal emperor of India. The manuscript, which measures on 5 1/2 by 2 7/8 inches, was made in 1588, the thirty-third year of Akbar's reign, when the emperor was at the height of his power. The tiny paintings are the work of Akbar's court artists, many of whom were trained by Persian artists brought to India by Humayun, Akbar's father. A brilliant blend of Persian and Indian influences marks the work of these Mughal painters; the miniatures combine extreme delicacy of line with intense colors and complex compositions--some of which demonstrate the artists' understanding of the European concept of perspective. The various small paintings convey the whimsy, vigor, and lyrical quality of the poems they illustrate. The poems are by Auhaduddin Anvari, the greatest Persian panegyrist of the twelfth century. In her commentary on the poems and in her essay on Anvari's work and life, Annemarie Schimmel, the Museum's special consultant for Islamic art, offers insights into Anvari's complex and sometimes caustic works and gives new translations of many of the poems. Stuart Cary Welch, special consultant in charge of the Department of Islamic Art at the Metropolitan, has written an engaging account of Akbar's life and times that includes a history of the Mughal dynasty and of the court ateliers where this delightful Dīvān was produced. -- Inside jacket flaps.
A Study Of Two Mystical Writers Of Eighteenth-Century Muslim India. Khawaja Mir Dard (1721-1785), The Saint Of Delhi And First Truly Mystical Poet Of The Urdu Language, And Shah `Abdul Latf Bhat (01689-1752, The Greatest Mystical Poet Of The Lower Indus Valley, Were Indian Muslims, Deeply Steeped In The Tradition Of Sufism, Particularly In Its Persian Expression; Both Produced Exquisite Mystical Poetr In Their Mother Tougues And Both Were Fond Of Music And Know The Effect Of The Celestial Harmony On Man`S Heart. Contents Covers I. The Indian Scene In The Eighteenth Century, (Khwaja Mir Dard Of Delhi 1721-1785) Ii. Dard`S Life And Teaching, Iii. Dard And The Art Of Speech, Iv. Dard And The Problem Of Prayer, (Shah Abdul Latif`S Life And Teaching, Vi. Sufis And Yogis In Shah Abdul Latif`S Poems, Vii. The Islamic Background Of Shah Abdul Latif`S Poetry
Thank you for visiting our website. Would you like to provide feedback on how we could improve your experience?
This site does not use any third party cookies with one exception — it uses cookies from Google to deliver its services and to analyze traffic.Learn More.