Islamic Spirituality: Foundations - Hardcover

Nasr, Seyyed Hossein

4.34

32 ratings by Goodreads

9780415442626: Islamic Spirituality: Foundations

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0415442621 ISBN 13: 9780415442626

Publisher: Routledge, 2007

View all copies of this ISBN edition:

Originally published 1987.

The first part of the volume is concerned with "The Roots of the Islamic Tradition and Spirituality". These are seen to include the Qu’ran as the central theophany of Islam, the Prophet who received the word of God and made it known to mankind and the rites of Islam.

The second part examines the divisions of the Islamic community with their distinctive pieties and emphases: Sunnism and Shi’ism and female spirituality.

Part III is devoted to Sufism – its nature and origin, its early development, its various spiritual practices and its science of the soul.

"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.

Review:

Sufi authors have written some of the most moving spiritual literature in the world, but getting a handle on it all can be a chore. Where were they coming from? What were their issues? What was their impact? Seventeen scholars have come together to answer these and other questions in Islamic Spirituality: Foundations. Of course, the seeds of Sufism are to be found in the core of Islam--the Quran, the Hadith, pilgrimage, prayer, and such. In Islamic Spirituality: Foundations, the development of these as aspects of an inner tradition are explored in depth as a jumping-off point for talking about the history, practices, and beliefs of the Sufi tradition itself. The assumption is that there is a spiritual side to Islam and that it is most fully developed in Sufi orders and writings. After an extensive treatment of the spirituality inherent in Islam, the authors give an overview of the rise of Sufism. Details of the various sects and literature of Sufism are left for the companion volume, Islamic Spirituality: Manifestations. While the academic language of these scholars can cause mental roadblocks at times, the extra effort is balanced by the wealth of knowledge that they offer. --Brian Bruya

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.