Sufism-Mysticism and Asceticism in Islam

Catalog description

This course introduces the ‘mystical’ dimension of Islam, known as Sufism. It begins by probing key terms such as ‘Sufism,’ ‘asceticism,’ and ‘mysticism.’ Then it traces the emergence of Sufism during the formative period of the Islamic political and religious systems. The bulk of the course explores modern Sufi movements from South/Southeast Asia and Central Asia to Africa, the Middle East, Europe, and the United States.