Examining the Concept of Reality in Mystical Islam Through Poetry Item Type text; Electronic Thesis Authors Carranza, Racquel Parente Publisher The University of Arizona. Rights Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author. Download date 29/09/2021 08:00:47 Item License http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/297522 Carranza 1 Abstract: Throughout human history the individual has been faced with the definite nature of its physical existence. The soul, however is able to transcend our mundane realm and venture into higher or lower realms of being. The dichotomy of existence – this life and the next – is found across all religions and belief systems in some form. The problem of defining a particular reality is extensive and varies from individual to individual. Naturally the effort to attain closeness with the infinite requires cognitive and emotional strength. The mystical union is one wherein the definite merges with the everlasting and a difference between the two seemingly opposite concepts ceases to exist. The Islamic mystical tradition, Sufism, provides both philosophical and emotive means of addressing the concept of reality in its many forms. The poetic gaze of Sufism allows expressions of ecstasy, logic and love while encouraging its audience to polish the mirror of its soul. Through the works of al-Ghazali, Ibn Arabi, and Rumi, reality is presented as a rich, complex idea that cannot be defined concretely. Nevertheless it can be said that closeness with God allows the human soul to transcend lower, even insignificant, realms of reality. Carranza 2 Introduction The moment when self and other merge, when the boundary between that which is considered human and definite combine with the everlasting and infinite is called a mystical union. Mysticism is defined by the mystery that consumes soul and awakens the heart to the profound cognitive and emotional depths of a particular tradition. Mysticism, in its many forms, may be classified as a holistic effort to attain closeness with the Infinite. It may extend as far as a simple intellectual communion with a divine reality as in Neoplatonic discourse or even go as far as a complete annihilation of the identity as is the case in some Hindu traditions1. The act of reaching out to the infinite cannot be classified into a single mode or form – it is varied and extensive. Sufism, the mystical tradition of Islam, provides limitless paths as means to reach closeness with God. Islamic mysticism is largely characterized by the writings of Sufi thinkers. This literary tradition is greatly influenced by the poetic heritage of the Near East and includes such forms as the ghazal, the nasib, and the quasida. Used as a vehicle for expressing ideas, Sufi poetry serves an integral part in communicating Sufi sensibilities. The poetic gaze2 guides the Sufi tradition towards expressions of the beloved, an expression that addresses emotion, ecstasy and even logic. 1 Karen Armstrong, The Case for God, (London: Bodley Head , 2009), 134-138. 2 George W. Cave, Sufi Poetry, (Rawalpindi: RCD Cultural Association, 1972), 51-64. Carranza 3 Among the themes of Sufi poetry is love for the beloved, unity, remembrance, suffering and annihilation of the self. For the purposes of this text, the scope the work will be limited to the poetic tradition of Sufism. More specifically, the concept of reality as it is addressed through selected works from Abu Hamid al-Ghazali (c. 1058-1111), Muid ad- Din Ibn al-Arabi (c. 1165-1240), and Jalal ad-Din Rumi (c. 1207-1273). __________________________ Beginnings Chapter 50, verse 15 of the Qur’an states that God is “nearer to him [creation] than the jugular vein3.” Such a powerful verse arguably gave rise to the development of the Islamic mystic tradition. The Qur’an is considered to be one of the major sources of Sufism sue to the revelatory experience of the Prophet Muhammad. Muhammad experiences an intense, cosmic and spiritual transformation through the pages of the Qur’an and creates a natural yearning by believers to attain even a fragment of that closeness with God. In the Qur’an, the description of God is both as a ubiquitous presence and a completely impalpable, transcendent being. The Prophet Muhammad’s ascension to paradise (mi’raj) detailed in the Qur’an4 opened the doors for a possible internal, metaphysical ascension toward the creator for Sufis. Chapter 18 of the Qur’an describes the 3 M.A.S. Abdel Haleem, The Qur'an English Translation and Prallel Arabic Text, (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2010), 520. 4 Abdel Haleem, 283-293. Carranza 4 story of al-Khidr and Moses. The story is a dialogue concerning knowledge, particularly knowledge of God and the soul. This knowledge, in the Sufi tradition, is that which allows the individual to transcend the human form and know the mysteries of the infinite. A primordial covenant between God and creation also became a central theme to Sufism. Derived from the Qur’an (7:172)5 the verse details that God interrogated the Children of Adam, and they bore witness to God as their Lord. This relationship with God is what the Sufi order sought to protect, maintain and allow flourishing. The Qur’an, equipped with an array of rich poetic motifs, laid the foundation for a highly complex mystical psychology within the Sufi order as well as the poetic works that would be developed throughout the centuries. Let us recall the aforementioned “jugular vein” verse. Hasan Al-Basri (d. 728) took this verse and declared, “A grain of piety is better than a thousand weights of fasting and prayer6.” Al-Basri became known for campaigning against the vanity of this world and foretelling the punishment that waited in the next. As early as the seventh century, the beginning stages of Sufism were beginning to take root in Iraq and Iran with the insurgence of ascetics who dedicated themselves to a life of piety, reflection and submission to the divine. Eventually 5 Abdel Haleem, 170. 6 Majid Fakhry, Short Introduction to Islamic Philosophy, Theology and Mysticism, (Oxford: OneWorld Publications, 1997), 70-82. Carranza 5 the Sufi movement moved onto Baghdad where it flourished even further. During the eighth and ninth centuries, Muslim scholars sought to bring sciences like astronomy, alchemy and mathematics to the Arabic-speaking world, marking the creation of the tradition called falsafah (philosophy)7 . These scientists, called faylasufs, desired to live according to the rational laws that governed the earth and its heavens just as their European counterparts. The faylasufs followed the example of Greek philosophers and sought to merged religion and science. This meant specifically merging science with Qur’anic teaching. Nevertheless, the God of the falsafah movement bared many similarities to the Sky Gods of the Greeks8 . This posed a problem: God became a distant abstraction instead of a personal deity. Abu Ali Ibn Sina (c. 980-1037), better known simply as Ibn Sina, argued for the direct, intuitive knowledge of God that was seen in the prophetic tradition of Muhammad. Ibn Sina suggested that the perfect philosophy would involve both reason and intuitive knowledge of the divine. At the same time, Al-Ghazali was engaged in intensive study of falsafah and produced some very influential works, which will be discussed later in this text. 7 Armstrong, 135. 8 Armstrong, 136. Carranza 6 During the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, Sufism ceased to be a fringe movement and remained the dominant Islamic practice until the nineteenth century. The accessibility to Sufism allowed even common people to elevate their spirituality beyond simplistic and anthropomorphic ideas of God9. Through poetry, even laypeople could experience the divine as a transcendent entity within. The quest to find God through love became an overarching theme in Sufi practice, particularly poetic literature. Although developed in many regional languages, the poetic literature often resembled Arabic and Persian models. For the purpose of this text, the poetic tradition is of great importance. Whilst the largest focus of the Sufi tradition is the quest for closeness with the One through love and knowledge and subsequent annihilation of the self, there exists yet another theme which must be addressed. In the Sufi tradition, the concept of reality, as seen by Sufism, differs from that of the traditional Islamic view in that it portrays a more lyrical and allegorical approach to eternal closeness with the divine and spiritual purity. Poetry plays a vital role in the Sufi literature and portrays the concept of reality in a unique manner. __________________________ 9 Armstrong, 138. Carranza 7 Abu Hamid al-Ghazali The belief that theology must be fused with spirituality holds that intuitive insight and reason cannot exist independently of one another. Abu Hamid al- Ghazali (c. 1058-1111) thirsted for truth since his youth. Considered the most important Muslim, since the prophet Mohammad10, Ghazali was both a mystic and an arch-critic of Muslim Neo-Platonism. As such, many of Ghazali’s works were polemics against the philosophers11. The study of philosophy, however, proved to be insufficient and unsatisfactory. He lived for ten years in Damascus and Jerusalem where he submitted himself to intense and prolonged meditation. After a decade of studying the Sufi path he came to the conclusion that the mystics were among the “Arifin,” or knowers of God. Al-Ghazali insisted that only spiritual exercises could lead to knowledge of God and provide any certainty about the existence of God.