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Sufism and Islamic Mystical Traditions Professor: Syed Akbar Hyder

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Sufism and Islamic Mystical Traditions Professor: Syed Akbar Hyder ANS 390: Sufism and Islamic Mystical Traditions Professor: Syed Akbar Hyder ([email protected]) Class Time & Location: Wednesdays, 6-9 pm, WCH 4.104 Office & Office Hours: 4.130 WCH, 4.30-5.30 MW & by appointment Yeh masā’il-e tasawwuf yeh terā bayān ghālib Tujhe ham walī samajhte jo nah bādahkhār hotā (Mirza Asadullah Khan “Ghalib,” 1797-1869) These questions of mysticism; this exposition of yours, O Ghalib I would consider you a saint—if you weren’t a wine-drinker Committed to a comparative study of Islamic mystical traditions, this seminar will explore the major issues that scholars face when encountering histories, ideologies, aesthetics and literary endeavors concerning “esoteric” Islam. While reflecting on the methodologies that shape mystical discourses, we will ask questions relevant to the literary genres and ideological orientations that have informed the category of Sufism. For instance, do we read the poetic verses of Jalaluddin Rumi with the assistance of the same grounding principles that we use to read Muhammad Iqbal’s Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam? How do the shared understandings of cross-lingual sufferings acquire concrete written and aural forms across regional and temporal zones? Our topics will also include the place of the political in the constitution of the spiritual; the role of gender and sexuality in the formation of the Sufi canon; and the invocation of Sufism as a byword for an Islam that eludes this-worldly politics. Grading: Book Reviews & Class Presentations: 40% Mid-term on the “vocabulary of Sufism”: 20% Final paper: 40% Readings: (All of the readings will be available on the course web page to the students who register for the class.) Books: Shahab Ahmed, What is Islam 1 Ata Anzali, Mysticism in Iran Zahra Ayubi, Gendered Morality William Chittick, Ibn Arabi Henry Corbin, Alone with the Alone: Creative Imagination in the Sufism of Ibn ‘Arabi Rika Cornell, Rabi'a from Narrative to Myth Supriya Gandhi, The Emperor who Never was: Dara Shukoh in Mughal India Abu Hamid Muhammad al-Ghazzali, The Alchemy of Happiness/Eternal Bliss Nile Green, Sufism: A Global History Muhammad Iqbal, Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam Ayfer Karakaya-Stump, The Kizilbash/Alevis in Ottoman Anatolia Navid Kermani, The Terror of God Louis Massignon, Hallaj: Mystic and Martyr Regula Qureshi, Sufi Music of India and Pakistan Annemarie Schimmel, As through a Veil Lloyd Ridgeson, Awhad al-Din Kirmani and the Controversy of the Sufi Gaze Mark Sedwick, Western Sufism: From the Abbasid to the New Age Sunil Sharma, Amir Khusraw: The Poet of Sultans and Sufis Cyrus Ali Zargar, Sufi Aesthetics: Beauty, Love, and the Human Form in the Writings of Ibn ‘Arabi and ‘Iraqi Selected Essays from: S.H. Nasr, Louis Massignon, Henry Corbin, Constance Padwick, Carl Ernst, Shafique Virani, and Ali Asani Course Schedule: Feb 5 Shahab Ahmed, What is Islam Abu Hamid Muhammad al-Ghazzali, The Alchemy of Happiness/Eternal Bliss Feb 19 Rika Cornell, Rabi'a from Narrative to Myth Annemarie Schimmel, As through a Veil Feb 26 Zahra Ayubi, Gendered Morality March 4 William Chittick, Ibn Arabi Cyrus Ali Zargar, Sufi Aesthetics: Beauty, Love, and the Human Form in the Writings of Ibn ‘Arabi and ‘Iraqi March 11 2 Navid Kermani, The Terror of God Lloyd Ridgeson, Awhad al-Din Kirmani and the Controversy of the Sufi Gaze March 25 Ata Anzali, Mysticism in Iran April 1 Ayfer Karakaya-Stump, The Kizilbash/Alevis in Ottoman Anatolia April 8 Supriya Gandhi, The Emperor who Never was: Dara Shukoh in Mughal India Muhammad Iqbal, Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam April 15 Henry Corbin, Alone with the Alone: Creative Imagination in the Sufism of Ibn ‘Arabi Louis Massignon, Hallaj: Mystic and Martyr April 22 Mark Sedwick, Western Sufism: From the Abbasid to the New Age April 29 Sunil Sharma, Amir Khusraw: The Poet of Sultans and Sufis Regula Qureshi, Sufi Music of India and Pakistan May 6 Final Presentations 3 .
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