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The Sufi Orders in Islam,
Sufism, the name given to Islamic mysticism, has been the subject of many studies, but the orders through which the organizational aspect of the Sufi spirit was expressed has been neglected. The Sufi Orders in Islam is one of the earliest modern examinations of the historical development of Sufism and is considered a classic work in numerous sources of Islamic studies today. Here, author J. Spencer Trimingham offers a clear and detailed account of the formation and development of the Sufi schools and orders (tariqahs) from the second century of Islam until modern times.
Trimingham focuses on the practical disciplines behind the mystical aspects of Sufism which initially attracted a Western audience. He shows how Sufism developed and changed, traces its relationship to the unfolding and spread of mystical ideas, and describes in sharp detail its rituals and ceremonial practices. Finally, he assesses the influence of these Sufi orders upon Islamic society in general. John O. Voll has added a new introduction to this classic text and provides readers with an updated list of further reading.
The Sufi Orders in Islam will appeal not only to those already familiar with Triminghams groundbreaking research, but also to the growing reading public of Islamic studies and mysticism.
Trimingham focuses on the practical disciplines behind the mystical aspects of Sufism which initially attracted a Western audience. He shows how Sufism developed and changed, traces its relationship to the unfolding and spread of mystical ideas, and describes in sharp detail its rituals and ceremonial practices. Finally, he assesses the influence of these Sufi orders upon Islamic society in general. John O. Voll has added a new introduction to this classic text and provides readers with an updated list of further reading.
The Sufi Orders in Islam will appeal not only to those already familiar with Triminghams groundbreaking research, but also to the growing reading public of Islamic studies and mysticism.
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First published April 1, 1985
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
February 9, 2010
This is the 3rd (?) of Trimingham's works I've read, and I continued to be amazed by the amount and quality of source material he marshals to support his analysis. He obviously has a powerful command of Arabic—as evidenced by the myriad of medieval, early modern and modern sources written in that language that he uses. He also displays the annoying habit—common to scholars of Francophone north and west Africa—of quoting entire passages in French…because all scholars should know French, right? He is also a lucid and engaging writer, though his thorough cataloging of every dynasty and ethnic group connected to a particular event can seem an unwieldy deluge of unfamiliar names.
As he is an Islamic Africa/Arab world specialist I'm not surprised to see him ably cover those regions—as in his Islam in West Africa—but I was a little taken aback at his mastery of Sufism. Sufism is a complex social, cultural, philosophical and, sometimes, political phenomenon, that varies considerably in practice from Morocco to Sub-Saharan Africa, to Central Asia to Indonesia. Despite the topic’s intricacy, Trimingham does a bang-up job of covering all the basics.
He has sections on
Sufi history: the formation of the schools in general; the chief tariqa (way) lines; the formation of ta’ifas—i.e. the organizations that sprouted up to perpetuate and spread the various ways (often linked back to individuals that may or may not have conceived of or wanted to perpetuate a way…or have even been Sufis); and 19th century revival movements;
Sufi thought: the mysticism and theosophy of the orders;
Sufi practice: the organization of the orders; and ritual and ceremony;
and Sufism as a contemporary (1971) and social phenomenon: role of the orders in the life of Islamic society; the orders in the contemporary Islamic world.
By so doing, Trimingham relates a holistic picture of Sufism—Sufism as a belief system, as a means of political, economic and social organization, as a missionary tool, as a creative impetus for poets and musicians, etc. This is fitting as Trimingham reminds the reader that Islam writ large—and other religions for that matter—during the pre-modern/pre-secular era permeated all spheres of an adherent’s existence, not just what he/she did at the mosque.
The breadth of his study does mean that some depth had to be sacrificed. For example, Trimingham often uses dhikrs or devotional documents from a specific order to make points about Sufism in general, which can only carry the reader’s understanding so deep. But, he also points out regional differences in orders and their practices—particularly between the “Arab” and “Persian” variants of Sufism.
I especially appreciate Trimingham’s work for what it does not do: he lays out the basics of mysticism and its tendency to shift toward pantheism, but he does NOT become mired in Sufi theosophy. So many “introductions” to Sufism are written by believers/practicioners, or those who see it as a purely speculative or mentally-religious phenomenon. These works have their place, but you cannot understand why Sufism was so powerful in the lives of so many people for so long, by trotting out Ibn Arabi’s writings on the “unity of being.” I, myself, often enjoy the theological hair-splitting, but seeing how Sufism adopted the trappings of folk religion really shows why it had lasting power.
The three things I enjoyed most about this work were, 1) Trimingham’s description of the evolution of the orders from aristocratic, to bourgoesie to mass organizations, 2) the nexus between Sufism and Shi’ism and the reasons why the two are mostly incompatible (Imam vs. shaykh leadership/devotion/intercession with deity), and 3) the glossary of Arabic terms: for this alone you should buy the book!
Despite being 40 years old this slim little volume answered so many of my questions and will serve as a reference work for me for years to come.
As he is an Islamic Africa/Arab world specialist I'm not surprised to see him ably cover those regions—as in his Islam in West Africa—but I was a little taken aback at his mastery of Sufism. Sufism is a complex social, cultural, philosophical and, sometimes, political phenomenon, that varies considerably in practice from Morocco to Sub-Saharan Africa, to Central Asia to Indonesia. Despite the topic’s intricacy, Trimingham does a bang-up job of covering all the basics.
He has sections on
Sufi history: the formation of the schools in general; the chief tariqa (way) lines; the formation of ta’ifas—i.e. the organizations that sprouted up to perpetuate and spread the various ways (often linked back to individuals that may or may not have conceived of or wanted to perpetuate a way…or have even been Sufis); and 19th century revival movements;
Sufi thought: the mysticism and theosophy of the orders;
Sufi practice: the organization of the orders; and ritual and ceremony;
and Sufism as a contemporary (1971) and social phenomenon: role of the orders in the life of Islamic society; the orders in the contemporary Islamic world.
By so doing, Trimingham relates a holistic picture of Sufism—Sufism as a belief system, as a means of political, economic and social organization, as a missionary tool, as a creative impetus for poets and musicians, etc. This is fitting as Trimingham reminds the reader that Islam writ large—and other religions for that matter—during the pre-modern/pre-secular era permeated all spheres of an adherent’s existence, not just what he/she did at the mosque.
The breadth of his study does mean that some depth had to be sacrificed. For example, Trimingham often uses dhikrs or devotional documents from a specific order to make points about Sufism in general, which can only carry the reader’s understanding so deep. But, he also points out regional differences in orders and their practices—particularly between the “Arab” and “Persian” variants of Sufism.
I especially appreciate Trimingham’s work for what it does not do: he lays out the basics of mysticism and its tendency to shift toward pantheism, but he does NOT become mired in Sufi theosophy. So many “introductions” to Sufism are written by believers/practicioners, or those who see it as a purely speculative or mentally-religious phenomenon. These works have their place, but you cannot understand why Sufism was so powerful in the lives of so many people for so long, by trotting out Ibn Arabi’s writings on the “unity of being.” I, myself, often enjoy the theological hair-splitting, but seeing how Sufism adopted the trappings of folk religion really shows why it had lasting power.
The three things I enjoyed most about this work were, 1) Trimingham’s description of the evolution of the orders from aristocratic, to bourgoesie to mass organizations, 2) the nexus between Sufism and Shi’ism and the reasons why the two are mostly incompatible (Imam vs. shaykh leadership/devotion/intercession with deity), and 3) the glossary of Arabic terms: for this alone you should buy the book!
Despite being 40 years old this slim little volume answered so many of my questions and will serve as a reference work for me for years to come.
January 7, 2008
Review
Praise for the previous edition: "A pioneer effort to present the history of the Sufi orders."--The Times Literary Supplement
"An extremely useful general history of the Sufi orders...it fills a notable gap."--American Anthropologist
"It's good to have this work kept in print, as it is still the best available on the subject. John Voll has written an updating foreword which sets the material in a fresh and challenging perspective."--Herbert Mason, Boston University
"...[Trimingham's]Sufi Orders remains a classic. He provides a readable account of Sufi praxis, the diffusion of mystical ideas and the impact of the orders on the Muslim Ummah."--Abdin Chande, St. Mary's State College of Maryland
"This highly informative and well researched work is indispensable to the study of contemporary Islamic mysticism. This new edition is more than welcome."--Tamara Albertini, University of Hawaii
"An indispensable reference book for the organizational, sociopolitical side of Sufism. It's good to have it in print again."--John Perry, University of Chicago
Book Description
Sufism, the name given to Islamic mysticism, has been the subject of many studies, but the orders through which the organizational aspect of the Sufi spirit was expressed has been neglected. The Sufi Orders in Islam is one of the earliest modern examinations of the historical development of Sufism and is considered a classic work in numerous sources of Islamic studies today. Here, author J. Spencer Trimingham offers a clear and detailed account of the formation and development of the Sufi schools and orders (tariqahs) from the second century of Islam until modern times. Trimingham focuses on the practical disciplines behind the mystical aspects of Sufism which initially attracted a Western audience. He shows how Sufism developed and changed, traces its relationship to the unfolding and spread of mystical ideas, and describes in sharp detail its rituals and ceremonial practices. Finally, he assesses the influence of these Sufi orders upon Islamic society in general. John O. Voll has added a new introduction to this classic text and provides readers with an updated list of further reading. The Sufi Orders in Islam will appeal not only to those already familiar with Triminghams groundbreaking research, but also to the growing reading public of Islamic studies and mysticism.
Praise for the previous edition: "A pioneer effort to present the history of the Sufi orders."--The Times Literary Supplement
"An extremely useful general history of the Sufi orders...it fills a notable gap."--American Anthropologist
"It's good to have this work kept in print, as it is still the best available on the subject. John Voll has written an updating foreword which sets the material in a fresh and challenging perspective."--Herbert Mason, Boston University
"...[Trimingham's]Sufi Orders remains a classic. He provides a readable account of Sufi praxis, the diffusion of mystical ideas and the impact of the orders on the Muslim Ummah."--Abdin Chande, St. Mary's State College of Maryland
"This highly informative and well researched work is indispensable to the study of contemporary Islamic mysticism. This new edition is more than welcome."--Tamara Albertini, University of Hawaii
"An indispensable reference book for the organizational, sociopolitical side of Sufism. It's good to have it in print again."--John Perry, University of Chicago
Book Description
Sufism, the name given to Islamic mysticism, has been the subject of many studies, but the orders through which the organizational aspect of the Sufi spirit was expressed has been neglected. The Sufi Orders in Islam is one of the earliest modern examinations of the historical development of Sufism and is considered a classic work in numerous sources of Islamic studies today. Here, author J. Spencer Trimingham offers a clear and detailed account of the formation and development of the Sufi schools and orders (tariqahs) from the second century of Islam until modern times. Trimingham focuses on the practical disciplines behind the mystical aspects of Sufism which initially attracted a Western audience. He shows how Sufism developed and changed, traces its relationship to the unfolding and spread of mystical ideas, and describes in sharp detail its rituals and ceremonial practices. Finally, he assesses the influence of these Sufi orders upon Islamic society in general. John O. Voll has added a new introduction to this classic text and provides readers with an updated list of further reading. The Sufi Orders in Islam will appeal not only to those already familiar with Triminghams groundbreaking research, but also to the growing reading public of Islamic studies and mysticism.
July 30, 2017
Buku yang bagus untuk melihat bagaimana evolusi tariqat berlaku yang tidak terpisah daripada Islam sebagai agama wahyu yang dibawa oleh Rasulullah SAW. Buku ini menjawab kekeliruan yang cuba dilontarkan oleh golongan modenis dan literalis untuk memutuskan bukan saja tariqat, bahkan tasawuf daripada tradisi Islam yang benar, sekali gus memotong tali isnad yang menghubungkan realiti tasawuf dan manifestasinya melalui tariqat dengan salafus-soleh yang seterusnya kepada Rasulullah SAW.
January 3, 2021
Oxford 1971
purple dustjacket
purple dustjacket
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November 22, 2014Excellent
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews