Sufism in al-Andalus

Sufism in Spain was practiced in Al-Andalus mainly in the 9th century. Although it did not reach the extent of other lands, it would strongly influence Islam in Spain and Iberian culture in general.

## History

[edit]

The first spread of Sufi spirituality can be traced back to Ibn Masarra (883-931), who wrote works in the line of Mutazilism and Batimi Sufism.[1] His text are lost and what is known about them is due mainly to the work of a later disciple, Ibn al-A'rabi (1165-1240).[2]

Part of a series on

Ibn 'Arabi

* Akbarism · Ibn 'Arabi Mosque
* Konya Manuscript
* Muhyiddin Ibn Arabi Society

Mystical theories

* Ibn Arabi and theoretical mysticism
* Al-Insan al-Kamil (the Complete Human)
* Al-A'yan al-Thabita [de] (the Fixed Entities)
* Al-Maratib al-Sab'a [ar] (the Seven Grades)

Related articles

* Wahdat-al-Wujud · Wahdat al-Shuhud [ar]

Teachers

* Ibn 'Asakir (d. 571/1176)
* Abu Tahir al-Silafi (d. 576/1180)
* Ibn Bashkuwal (d. 578/1183)
* 'Abd al-Haqq al-Ishbili [ar] (d. 581/1185)
* Abu Zayd al-Suhayli (d. 581/1185)
* Abu Madyan (d. 594/1197)
* Ibn Rushd (Averroes) (d. 595/1198)
* Ibn al-Jawzi (d. 597/1201)
* Ibn Abi Jamra [ar] (d. 599/1202)
* Al-Qasim ibn 'Asakir [ar] (d. 600/1203)
* Jamal al-Din b. al-Harastani [ar] (d. 614/1217)
* Ibn Malik (d. 672/1274)

Students

* Baha' al-Din Ghazi b. al-'Adil I (d. 613/1216)
* Ibn al-Farid (d. 632/1235)
* Zakiy al-Din al-Birzali [ar] (d. 636/1239)
* Shams al-Din al-Khuwayyi [ar] (d. 637/1239)
* Ibn al-Dubaythi (d. 637/1239)
* Ibn al-Najjar (d. 643/1245)
* Diya' al-Din al-Maqdisi (d. 643/1245)
* Sa'd al-Din al-Hamawi (d. 650/1252)
* Sadr al-Din al-Qunawi (d. 672/1273)
* Baybars (d. 676/1277)

Admirers and defenders

* Fakhr al-Din al-Razi (d. 606/1209)
* Shihab al-Din 'Umar al-Suhrawardi (d. 632/1234)
* Ibn al-Zamalkani [ar] (d. 651/1253)
* Al-Baydawi (d. 685/1286)
* Al-Qashani (d. 730/1329)
* Badr al-Dīn ibn Jamaʿah (d. 733/1333)
* Al-Safadi (d. 764/1363)
* Haydar Amuli (d. after 787/1385)
* Al-Sharif al-Jurjani (d. 816/1413)
* Siraj al-Din al-Makhzumi (d. 885/1480)
* 'Abd al-Rahman al-Jāmī (d. 898/1492)
* Jalal al-Din al-Dawani (d. 907/1501)
* Al-Suyuti (d. 911/1505)
* Zakariyya al-Ansari (d. 926/1520)
* Ibn Kamal Pasha (d. 940/1534)
* Al-Sha'rani (d. 973/1565)
* Ebussuud Efendi (d. 982/1574)
* Ibn Hajar al-Haytami (d. 974/1567)
* 'Abd al-Ra'uf al-Munawi (d. 1032/1622)
* Ahmad al-Maqqari (d. 1041/1631)
* Mulla Sadra (d. 1050/1640)
* Kâtip Çelebi (d. 1067/1657)
* Ibn al-'Imad al-Hanbali (d. 1089/1679)
* Niyazi Misri (d. 1105/1694)
* Isma'il Haqqi al-Brusawi (d. 1137/1725)
* 'Abd al-Ghani al-Nabulsi (d. 1143/1731)
* Mustafa al-Bakri [ar] (d. 1162/1749)
* Hamid al-'Imadi (d. 1171/1758)
* Murtada al-Zabidi (d. 1205/1791)
* Ibn 'Abidin (d. 1252/1836)
* Jamal al-Din al-Qasimi (d. 1332/1914)
* Badr al-Din al-Hasani [ar] (d. 1354/1935)
* Meher Ali Shah (d.1356/1937)
* Ashraf Ali Thanwi (d.1362/1943)
* Al-Kawthari (d. 1371/1951)
* Gibril Fouad Haddad · Nuh Ha Mim Keller
* Seyyed Hossein Nasr

Critics and opponents

* Ibn Taymiyya (d. 728/1328)
* 'Ala' al-Dawla Simnani (d. 736/1336)
* Al-Taftazani (d. 793/1390)
* Ibn Khaldun (d. 808/1405)
* Wali al-Din al-'Iraqi [ar] (d. 826/1423)
* Taqi al-Din al-Fasi (d. 832/1429)
* 'Ala' al-Din al-Bukhari (d. 841/ 1437)
* Ibn Hajar al-'Asqalani (d. 852/1449)
* Ibn Imam al-Kamiliyya [ar] (d. 874/1470)
* Burhan al-Din al-Biqa'i (d. 885/1480)
* Shams al-Din al-Sakhawi (d. 902/1497)
* Ibn Iyas (d. 930/1524)
* Mulla 'Ali al-Qari (d. 1014/1606)
* Ahmad Sirhindi (d. 1034/1624)

Ex-critics

* 'Izz al-Din ibn 'Abd al-Salam (d. 660/1262)
* Taqi al-Din al-Subki (d. 756/1355)
* Siraj al-Din al-Bulqini (d. 805/1405)
* Al-Shawkani (d. 1250/1834)

Neutrals

* Al-Nawawi (d. 676/1277)
* Al-Dhahabi (d. 748/1347)
* Sharaf al-Din al-Munawi [ar] (d. 871/1466)

Notable works

* Al-Futuhat al-Makkiyya · Fusus al-Hikam [ar]
* Tarjumān al-Ashwāq · Anqa' Mughrib

Books about Ibn 'Arabi

* Tanbih al-Ghabi bi-Tabri'at Ibn 'Arabi
* Tanbih al-'Uqul 'ala Tanzih al-Sufiyya

* Category · Media
* Islam portal · Saints portal

* v
* t
* e

The next decades saw a growth of Sufi movements in Al-Andalus, although they did not become organized in tariqa as in other lands, but in smaller groups centered around a master, without an initiation ritual and often without calling themselves Sufi. One of the first true schools formed was that of Ibn al-Arif (1088-1141), although it would be with Abu Madyan (116-1198), who performed a synthesis of Sufi thought of his time, including Oriental, Andalusi and Magrebi, that Sufism would truly blossom in Spain.[3] His influence was notable, having among his disciples Al-Arabi himself.

Other important Sufis of the time were Ibn Sab'in (1270), and one of his successors, the famous Andalusian poet Abu al-Hasan al-Shushtari, whose works are still in force in the Magreb.

Spanish Arabist Miguel Asín Palacios speculated that the influence of Sufi mysticism reached Christianity. As quoted by Fernando Sánchez Dragó:[4]

> Miguel Asín Palacios, a great Arabist, almost the father of Pan-Arabism, in the good sense of the word, talked about the journey and return of religious thought, of mystical though from Christianity to Christianity; he referred to how the masters of Sufism in Spain, after Islam passed through Egypt and other lands in northern Africa and contacted the Desert Fathers, the men from Alexandria, the Coptic Christians, received the esoteric message of Jesus, translated it to Islam, and then, from Islam, from Ibn-Masarra, from Muignuhdin Ibn-Al-Arabi, from other great mystical thinkers of Spanish Islam, was given back to Christianity. There would not be Juan de la Cruz, there would not be Teresa de Jesús, there would not be Miguel de Molinos, there would not be the Alumbrados, the Quietistas, the Dexados, without the precedent of these "God's madmen" who had a main role for many centuries, and specifically during the centuries of the taifa kingdoms, in that retrieval of a mysticism that came from Christianity yet was universal.

## Spanish sufis

[edit]

* Abu al-Abbas as-Sabti (1129-1204)
* Abu Madyan de Cantiliana
* Abu l-Abbas Ibn al-Arif, Ibn al-Arif
* Abu al-Abbas al-Mursi
* Abu l-Hakam Ibn Barrayan
* Abu Marwan al-Yuhansi
* Ibn Arabi
* al-Shushtari
* Ibn al-Mar'a
* Ibn Sa'bin
* Abu Ishaq al-Balafiqui
* Abu Ya'far al-Cochi
* Ibn Abbad de Ronda
* Abu Ya'far Sidibono
* Ibn Jamis
* Ibn Masarra
* Ibn al-Galib
* al-Jarrat

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Intelectuales de Al-Andalus
2. ^ Galovic, Jelena (2002). Los grupos místico-espirituales de la actualidad. Plaza y Valdés. p. 134\. ISBN 970-722-104-6.
3. ^ D. Gril: La Risala de Safi al-Din Ibn Zafir (pág. 27). El Cairo: IFAO, 1986.
4. ^ Fernando Sánchez Dragó, Conference in the Complutense University of Madrid, included in the book El Islám ante el nuevo orden mundial, VV.AA. Ed. Barbarroja, Madrid, 1996.

* v
* t
* e

Sufism by country

Countries|

* Afghanistan
* Algeria
* Bangladesh
* China
* India
* Iran
* Jordan
* Pakistan
* Philippines
* Punjab
* Sindh
* Spain
* United States

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template