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69 of 70 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Most Comprehensive Study To Date, June 3, 2000
This review is from: Mystical Dimensions of Islam (Paperback)
The German author, (a former professor at Harvard), is somewhat of a linguistic prodigy, gifted with a talent that makes her highly valued in her country's philologically centered orientalist tradition. Not only is she fluent in the major European languages, but she knows most -- if not all -- of the languages of the Muslim World, which include Arabic, Persian, Turkish, Urdu, Sindhi and Punjabi. Schimmel's broad linguistic scope provides her access to the multifarious expressions of Sufism in cultures as diverse as India, North Africa, Turkey, Arabia, and Iran, which she then brings to light in her book. As a result, the work is set apart from most other studies that usually focus on no more than two or three regions. Apart from the geographical extent that Schimmel covers, she also manages to examine the *entire* fourteen hundred year history of Sufism, beginning with the death of the Prophet up to Muhammad Iqbal (d. 1938), India's Sufi orientated poet-philosopher (who Schimmel clearly has an admiration for, besides her other favourite, Rumi). Schimmel succeeds in revealing that despite barriers of language, time, and space, the sufis were united by an unwaivering desire for Divine Proximity, whether this desire took on the form of a metaphysical sobriety as in the case of Sadruddin Qonawi, or an ecstatic and rapturous love as with Rabia. "Walayah", after all, the Arabic term for "sainthood", means "to be brought close" or "to be a friend". _Mystical Dimensions_ begins with a highly illuminating exposition of the various approaches Western Orientalists have employed in their study of Sufism. "In the nineteenth century," Schimmel writes, "interpreters usually agreed that Sufism must be a foreign plant on the sandy desert of Islam, the religion that was so little known and even less appreciated and that could not possibly be related to any finer and hight spiritual movement" (p.8-9). One E.H.Palmer, Schimmel mentions, even suggested that Sufism was the "Primaeval Religion of the Aryan Race"! She contrasts these studies with the later more sympathetic ones by the likes of the famous Louis Massignon (who had much more than a simple academic interest in his field) and Helmut Ritter. The book ends with two very interesting appendixes, one on the symbolism of letters and the other on Sufism's feminine element. This book is clearly the most authoritative academic work on the subject. Despite the breadth of information the work contains, it is certainly not a difficult read. Any intelligent person with an interest in the area will find it worth his or her while. Even if you decide not to read the whole work, its extensive thirty-page index makes it an excellent resource-book.
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35 of 35 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Contours of the Breadth and Depth of Islamic Spirituality, March 15, 2003
This review is from: Mystical Dimensions of Islam (Paperback)
Where do I begin? This book, although old (and, some would argue - perhaps fairly - a bit dated), is an incredible scholarly work on how various mystics within Islam have understood Islam's central claim: "There is no God but God, and Muhammad is His Prophet". According to Schimmel, all of Islamic mysticism can be summed up as trying to understand this core doctrine. Unlike some scholars today who pay more attention to differences than continuity, Schimmel's book outlines the many, many currents of Islamic thought without coming to conclusions such as "Well, it is really impossible to say what is or is not Islamic mysticism". Instead, she looks at the historical development of mystical Islamic thought, noting both consistencies and deviations, orthodoxy and heterodoxy, the noble and the shameful. The ability to walk the fine line between excessive praise and excessive criticism of a given religious tradition - in this case Islam - is walked with great care and balance by Schimmel. She recognizes that the basic goal of the mystics of Islam was to be true witnesses to Islam's central claim but that this was not always achieved. One of the most fascinating streams of mystical Islamic thought is the understanding of the soul. This topic is discussed many times as Schimmel notes the views of different mystics; for those looking for a way out of the dead end that much of secular psychotherapy has given us, the understanding of people as containing both higher and lower natures - as well as a fundamental need for God - is something that is worth chewing on. That this view is the same as that held by classical Christianity is worth noting (and Schimmel regularly notes similarities to other religious traditions throughout her work). This book is a thick read - in fact, it is highly detailed and can become a bit confusing at points, especially when Schimmel begins to discuss yet another person by the same name; it will take time to get through. Nonetheless, it is a highly rewarding read and, for those that seek to understand the religion of Islam better, this book will help to paint *some* of that picture in a more detailed manner.
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41 of 42 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Awe of the Sufi Path, November 19, 2001
By A Customer
This review is from: Mystical Dimensions of Islam (Paperback)
Annemarie Schimmel is probably the foremost scholar on the Sufi poet Jelalluddin Rumi, whose poetry is suffused with love and awe of the Divine. In much of her book Prof. Schimmel projects the same love, love of Islam and its people, most especially its mystics, the Sufis. It is also extremely informative about the history of Sufism and the different branches of its mystical path. If you are interested in the history of Sufism, and want to understand mystical Islam, this is the book for you. If you are looking for a quick study, or a popular way to practice Sufism, this is not for you. ... Mystical Islam and orthodox Islam (as with most religions) are very different in practice and outlook, although there are conservative Sufis and out-there Sufis, as Prof. Schimmel aptly demonstrates. I loved this book and want to read more of her work.
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