Spiritual wayfarers, leaders in piety
Subtitle: Sufis and the dissemination of Islam in medieval Palestine
By: Daphna Ephrat.
Edition: 1st ed.
Series: Harvard Middle East monographs
Publisher: Harvard Center for Middle Eastern Studies
Published: 2008
Place of publication: Cambridge, MA
Language: eng
Number of pages: 223
ISBN-13: 9780674032019
Subjects: Sufism -- Palestine -- History
Description: "This book represents the first continuous history of Sufism in Palestine. Covering the period between the rise of Islam and the spread of Ottoman rule, and drawing on vast biographical material and complementary evidence such as legal documents and physical remnants, the book describes the social trajectory that Sufism followed in this specific area over the long term. The narrative centers on the process by which ascetics, mystics, and holy figures living in medieval Palestine and collectively labeled "Sufis," disseminated their traditions, formed communities, and helped shape an Islamic society and space. Thus, the work makes an original contribution to the study of the diffusion of Islam's religious traditions and the formation of communities of believers in medieval Palestine, as well as the Islamization of the Palestinian landscape and the spread of popular religiosity in this area." "Furthermore, the study of the area-specific is placed within the broader context of the history of Sufism, and the book as a whole is laced with observations about the historical social dimensions of Islamic mysticism in general. Central to its subject matters are the diffusion of Sufi traditions, the extension of the social horizons of Sufism, and the emergence of institutions and public spaces around the Sufi friend of God. As such, the book is of interest to historians in the fields of Sufism, Islam, and the Near East."--Jacket.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index.
Table of contents: title: List of figures; title: Note on transliteration, names and dates; title: Introduction; title: Beginnings; title: Setting the stage; title: Typical ascetic piety and diversity; title: Early role models; title: The wayfaring elite; title: The genesis of the Sufi circle; title: Integration; title: Building bridges; title: Profiles of Sufi traditionalists; title: The Sufi jurist; title: The moral guide and the birth of the local congregation; title: The role of the mosque; title: The advent of the Sufi establishment; title: Expansion; title: Diffusing the tradition; title: The charismatic shaykh; title: Authority and following; title: Lodge and tomb; title: Conclusion; title: Epilogue.