Exploring Islamic Mysticism

Catalog description

The word "mysticism" comes from the Greek word for "one who has been initiated," which itself comes from the act of "closing one's lips or eyes." In this course, however, our eyes will remain open as we speak freely about the "mystical tradition" of Islam known as "Sufism," given that the Muslim prayer is performed with eyes wide open and the Sufis endlessly speak of the act of seeing God in all things. To facilitate this task, we will follow the Quranic and Sufi division between the inward (batini) and the outward (zahiri). Each week, we will spend one class studying the latter through lectures, videos, and readings of secondary sources on the history and politics of Sufism, starting from its origins in the 7th century and ending with its contemporary entanglements with the West. We will then switch gears and, following the path laid out by the Sufi masters themselves, attempt to "taste" various facets of their theories and practices through the reading of manuals and poems, as well as the performance of guided exercises, which will expose students to the hands-on training undergone by disciples of what is often referred to as the "school of love" (mazhab-i ishq).